Chapter 72

For many, homesickness is like a jar of aged wine; it feels as if one cannot truly speak of it without raising that very cup.

But sometimes, it’s more like a can of Jianlibao.

When the cap is popped open, emotions burst forth with the fizz, and tears mix with the overflowing soda; with a single sip, bubbles dance on the tongue.

Just like boarding students who rush home as soon as school is out, or children sent to another family’s house who play happily all day but cry and call for home at night.

Of all the children who had left home, Tan Wenbin was the most emotionally expressive.

Consequently, his reactions were the most intense.

It was as if only by stepping onto the family’s courtyard, giving Li Sanjiang a vigorous hug, and hearing Grandpa Li call him “Zhuangzhuang” could he finally confirm, deep in his heart, that:

“Phew, I’m finally back. All the terrifying and dangerous things I encountered along the way have truly come to an end.”

His own parents truly couldn’t provide this kind of feeling.

Li Sanjiang liked Zhuangzhuang, but of course, his favorite was still his own great-grandson.

“Little Marquis Yuan!”

The familiar local dialect, like the best catalyst, made a special sparkle appear in Li Chuiyuan’s eyes.

Li Sanjiang bent down, intending to pick up the boy. The first attempt failed; he succeeded on the second try after taking a deep breath. It wasn’t that he was too heavy to lift, but that he wasn’t as light as he used to be.

Liu Yumei sat on a chair, sipping tea. As the weather had turned colder, she was already wearing a small padded jacket, losing the imposing demeanor she had in Mountain City. At this moment, she truly resembled a refined old lady from the countryside.

Aunt Liu said with a smile, “You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Wait, I’ll go make you some noodles now.”

Li Chuiyuan got down from Li Sanjiang, walked into the house, and went upstairs.

Li Sanjiang, with a cigarette between his fingers and his right hand on his hip, walked towards Liu Yumei, remarking, “Kids grow up so fast. It might not be long before I can’t carry him anymore.”

Liu Yumei took a sip of her tea, treating the old man’s words as utter nonsense. “You can carry a heavy floating corpse, yet you can’t carry a living person?”

The old man was simply excited by his great-grandson’s return, his mind becoming active with thoughts of playing matchmaker. Seeing that Liu Yumei didn’t respond, Li Sanjiang continued to talk to himself, “I’m old, truly. In the blink of an eye... Ah, life is so fleeting.”

Liu Yumei retorted, “Then why don’t you hurry and prepare your coffin?”

Li Sanjiang awkwardly flicked off some cigarette ash: “Hmm, yes, it does seem like something I should consider.”

“But you can’t just consider it; you need to act quickly. Earth burials are becoming more strictly regulated now. If you wait too long, there won’t be any loopholes, and you’ll just be taken to the crematorium for cremation.”

Li Sanjiang gave an embarrassed smile, waving his hand in agreement: “That’s true, that’s true.”

“Grandpa Li, let me introduce you. This is Yin Meng, from Sichuan-Chongqing.”

As Li Sanjiang listened to Tan Wenbin’s introduction, he frowned more and more. What? She’s going to live here from now on?

However, after hearing Yin Meng say she only needed a place to stay and food, without payment, Li Sanjiang felt relieved. He not only agreed to let her stay but also said he would pay her wages like Run Sheng and Aunt Liu. His business already required staff, and he still needed general laborers. His main concern was bringing in someone high-maintenance.

Liu Yumei noticed the shovel head sticking out of Yin Meng’s luggage, and waved to her: “Girl, come over here and talk.”

Yin Meng walked over with a smile.

“Want some tea?”

“Yes, please.”

After Yin Meng put a pinch of tea leaves into a cup, she filled it with hot water from a thermos. Liu Yumei felt a little regret. She wished she had known earlier and made Little Yuan make her tea before letting him go upstairs.

“Where are you from?”

“Fuling.”

“Where in Fuling?”

“Fengdu.”

Fengdu, with the surname Yin. Liu Yumei, without batting an eyelid, continued, “Are you from the riverside, near the docks?”

“Yes, my family runs a coffin shop in the county town.”

“Ghost Street?”

“Grandma, have you been there?”

Liu Yumei shook her head: “No, I haven’t.” Ordinary corpse salvagers who worked the docks wouldn’t have been worthy of meeting her in the past, but she did know of the Yin family of Fengdu. The Yin family’s ancestors were very famous, but their prominence was limited to their ancestors; the family had actually declined long ago.

“What made you decide to come here?”

“My grandfather passed away, and I have no relatives or friends left there, so I followed Little Yuan Ge… I followed Little Yuan here.”

“You can stay in the west room with A-Ting.”

“Okay. I’m quite skilled with my hands, I can work.”

“Don’t tell me all this; I’m not the head of the household.”

“So you also came here seeking refuge, like me?”

“Something like that.”

“Noodles are ready, come eat!” Aunt Liu called from the kitchen doorway.

Liu Yumei lifted her chin: “Go eat your noodles.”

“Okay!”

After Yin Meng left, Liu Yumei fell into deep thought.

Aunt Liu came over, sat down beside her, and softly asked: “What’s wrong?”

“I’m feeling sentimental because of what I’m seeing.”

“Because of that Yin family girl?”

“Yes and no. I’m thinking, what truly constitutes a family legacy? Is it the surname, some unique skills, or perhaps a certain belief?”

“Why are you pondering these things now?”

“Since returning from Mountain City, these thoughts have been swirling in my mind.”

Aunt Liu chuckled, covering her mouth. She knew the old lady was looking for a graceful way to admit something to herself.

“A-Ting, what are you laughing at?”

“I’m laughing at your stubbornness.”

“No manners, slap your mouth.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll do it, I’ll do it.” Aunt Liu playfully slapped her own face a few times.

Liu Yumei was also amused and waved her hand dismissively: “Go on, go on, don’t make a spectacle of yourself in front of me. Go about your business.”

“Okay.”

Aunt Liu stood up, and as she passed the three young people eating noodles, she enthusiastically said: “Eat slowly, there’s more in the pot, and Auntie will fry a few more eggs for you.”

Entering the kitchen, Aunt Liu lifted the pot lid and hummed softly as she poured oil into the pot. *Old lady, let’s see how long you can remain stubborn.*

Just thinking that one day, the noble matriarch would also have to lower herself and discuss which child would take whose surname— Liu Ting couldn’t help but smile; she was actually looking forward to it.

It was getting colder, and the screen door had already been removed.

Li Chuiyuan pushed open the door and saw A-Li standing inside. Earlier, when he hadn’t seen anyone by the threshold downstairs, he knew the girl was in her room.

On the drawing table were several completed paintings. The borders of the paper resembled a door frame, the bottom a threshold, and the center depicted terrifying entities that made one’s scalp crawl. Li Chuiyuan admired them one by one. The eerie paintings, however, made him increasingly happy as he looked at them. This meant that A-Li was beginning to confront the horrors from her past that she had always avoided. Her condition had taken another significant step towards recovery.

“Hmm, why is there still a painting underneath here?”

Li Chuiyuan lifted the top painting, revealing the one beneath it. The painting’s perspective was from bottom to top, showing a boy sitting by the second-floor balcony, engrossed in reading an ancient book. A-Li had actually drawn him.

“Why didn’t you draw yourself on top of it?”

A-Li moved this painting aside as well. The painting beneath it, at an even angle, showed the boy’s profile as he sat in a wicker chair, reading. Next, there were two more paintings: one of the boy standing in the family courtyard at night, with a long-haired shadow in a black cheongsam behind him. The last one depicted the scene in front of the Ding family’s mourning hall in Mountain City, with Ding Er kneeling and the boy performing a senior-rank courtesy to him within the sect.

In the girl’s eyes, there was only him. An ordinary balcony wouldn’t move, but he was a living person, so the girl’s gaze would follow his movements. He then raised his right palm; the previous burn was no longer visible due to Aunt Liu’s ointment, but the lesson from last time remained. The girl’s condition was getting better and better, but if something were to happen to him again, it would inevitably cause her to collapse with him.

However, the boy didn’t see this as the burden of responsibility, but rather as a counterweight for himself as he walked through a gale.

Holding the girl’s hand, they returned to the wicker chairs on the second-floor balcony. The two naturally played three games of Go, as if across a distance, while Li Chuiyuan also began to recount his interesting experiences since leaving Mountain City.

As he spoke, the focus shifted to Yin Changsheng. The boy confidently stated that he would definitely return to Fengdu when he grew up, striving to meet that “Great Emperor of Fengdu,” whether he was an immortal or a corpse.

The girl rested her chin on her hand, her eyes smiling. The boy’s expectations were inherently her own; if he found the future interesting, she too would have aspirations for it.

“Who is that little girl? My goodness, she’s so beautiful.”

Though there were certainly cases of beautiful children growing up to be less attractive, Yin Meng felt the little girl upstairs would not. Her current beauty left so much room for error, and while looks can change, temperament is difficult to alter.

Run Sheng: “A-Li, surname Qin. But don’t go near her; she doesn’t like strangers.”

Yin Meng: “Seriously?”

Run Sheng: “Seriously.”

After they finished eating, the two sat in the courtyard, weaving paper effigy frames. Yin Meng used to make small coffins, so this work was even simpler for her. She even asked Li Sanjiang, who was sitting there smoking, with great interest:

“Grandpa Li, aren’t you considering opening another coffin shop? I can make them.”

Li Sanjiang tossed the cigarette butt onto the ground and stepped on it with the sole of his shoe: “No, I’m not doing that. This business here won’t last long, like a rabbit’s tail.” After a pause, Li Sanjiang added: “Custom orders, though, are an option.”

Yin Meng said boldly: “Alright, I’ll make one for you to keep as a spare.”

Li Sanjiang clapped his hands: “Excellent, that works.”

Just then, Aunt Liu walked by. Li Sanjiang called out to her and asked: “Do you want me to custom-make one for your mother-in-law too?”

“Make what? A coffin?”

“That’s right. Buy the materials yourself, or have our own people make it. It’s cheaper and more cost-effective.”

“No need. Our family doesn’t do earth burials.”

Yin Meng suddenly looked up at Aunt Liu.

Aunt Liu continued: “We’re following the modern trend; we all plan to be cremated.”

Yin Meng lowered her head and continued her work.

“Alright then. Let me think who else I can make one for. How about one for Shan Pao?”

Run Sheng looked at Li Sanjiang happily.

“No way, Shan Pao can’t even afford food; how would he have money for a custom coffin?”

“Grandpa, just deduct it from my wages.”

“Haha, Grandpa’s just teasing you, kid. Even if he doesn’t have money, we can still afford to give him a coffin. He’s an orphan with no parents and no ancestral grave, so in the future, he can be buried right next to me. I’ll chat with him when I’m bored. Run Sheng Hou, what do you think?”

Run Sheng fell silent. His grandfather, when he was alive, used to secretly curse Li Sanjiang quite a lot. He used to say that every time he went out to work with Li Sanjiang over the years, he did all the suffering and endured all the hardship, while Li Sanjiang always took the credit. Grandpa used to say that the biggest mistake he made in his life was knowing Li Sanjiang, and that in his next life, he would definitely stay far away from that old man. If they were buried together as neighbors, Run Sheng truly feared his own grandfather would be so angry he’d rise from the dead.

“Run Sheng Hou, I’m talking to you!”

Even with Li Sanjiang’s urging, Run Sheng didn’t dare to casually reply “okay,” because even though Grandpa Li was much older than his own grandfather, he always felt that his own grandfather would most likely pass away before Grandpa Li. If he agreed now, once his own grandfather passed away, he wouldn’t be able to change it.

Just then, Tan Wenbin walked out of the toilet behind the house, fastening his belt as he spoke:

“I say, Grandpa Li, what’s so great about your ancestral grave? If you ask me, you should choose a new auspicious burial site; that way, it’ll also bring prosperity to your descendants! As for our Grandpa Shan, unless he begs us, don’t even think about him sharing Little Yuan’s future good fortune with us.”

“Exactly, we can’t let Shan Pao take advantage of this.”

Li Sanjiang stood up and waved: “Come, Zhuangzhuang, go for a walk with Grandpa in the village, and we can pick out whose grave plot is good.”

“Alright, this is a big deal. I’ll have to give you some good advice.”

“Before we go look at sites, we still have to go to Blind Liu’s house.”

“We definitely have to go. We need her to order one first. Grandma Liu is rich.”

The grandfather and grandson walked down the courtyard side by side, chatting and laughing.

Yin Meng nudged Run Sheng with her arm and asked: “Isn’t he Binbin? Why is he called Zhuangzhuang now?”

Run Sheng: “He’s a sworn relative.”

“Should I also become one?”

“Then you’ll have to make good coffins and not be lazy with your work.”

“Grandpa Li likes hardworking and dependable children?”

Run Sheng hesitated, then recalling how Li Sanjiang usually addressed him, said: “Grandpa likes mules.”

Days passed by, one after another.

Li Chuiyuan used to only suspect, but now he could say he was certain: the person buried under the peach orchard at Old Beard’s house had changed the geomancy of the village, and even the entire town. Initially, the reanimated corpses emerged like chives, one crop after another, overwhelming everyone; now, it was good; there had been no news of reanimated corpses for several months, which made them quite missed. He estimated that this situation would continue for several more years. Only when that entity was completely worn away and gone would the reanimated corpses nearby reappear, along with the vibrant scene of all things thriving and competing.

However, even though the reanimated corpses were temporarily gone, Li Chuiyuan’s life was very fulfilling. He didn’t go back to school, but his days were scheduled as if he had a timetable. The first thing he did upon waking up in the morning was to appreciate A-Li’s fashion style for the day. Then he would play a few rounds of chess with A-Li before having breakfast. For most of the day, Li Chuiyuan read books. He had now deciphered one-third of the Qi family ancestors’ books. He deliberately paced himself, only using his surplus energy each day for deciphering.

He had finished reading the entire Yin family genealogy. It was truly fascinating. It contained not only the Yin family’s various research and verification of Yin Changsheng but also many individuals’ travelogues. Although it concerned only one surname, because it had been passed down from generation to generation since the Eastern Han Dynasty, it amounted to the cases and experiences of many corpse salvagers. This ordinary yet legitimate perspective of a corpse salvager was very helpful to Li Chuiyuan now. While Wei Zhengdao’s books were accurate and profound, they were somewhat lacking in practicality. The bamboo slips had been restored, but Xue Liangliang said he would deliver them personally, so Li Chuiyuan wouldn’t receive them immediately.

Apart from reading, Li Chuiyuan would play chess with A-Li, enjoy the breeze, and play their private little games together. Currently, Li Chuiyuan could calmly view the “scenery” from “A-Li’s threshold perspective.” He didn’t deliberately prolong the experience, woke up promptly, and experienced no severe side effects, at most a slight dizziness. Old man Yin Fuhai had said he was “robust.” He figured that after this period of special training, he should become even more robust. Moreover, A-Li’s special training had only just begun, because he was currently still standing within the “threshold.” To go further, he simply needed to step over it. But this was too dangerous. Li Chuiyuan didn’t dare. He hadn’t grown up yet and didn’t want to play himself into an early demise.

Yin Meng integrated into local life almost seamlessly. She was skilled at making paper effigies and coffins and would often accompany Run Sheng to funerals to deliver tables, chairs, and tableware. Her relationship with Run Sheng was very good. Because Binbin had to go to school every day, he didn’t eat breakfast at home; he had to rush to morning self-study. However, he still didn’t attend evening self-study; otherwise, even though he lived there, he would barely be seen at home.

In the evenings, he would practice horse stance and kung fu with Yin Meng. Although family martial arts were not to be taught outside, only she remained of the Yin family. Wasn’t it her decision whether to pass it on? Run Sheng would sometimes join them for practice. Everyone basically began to follow the path of the Yin family’s corpse salvagers; at least, they had a legitimate path. This also had historical reasons. The earliest Yin family methods were certainly very high-level and difficult to practice, but because the Yin family declined early and their lineage was long, generations of Yin family members figured out how to simplify and lower the difficulty, managing to pass down the basic techniques. The Qin family’s kung fu, however, maintained its advanced level. It could not be practiced blindly without specialized, exclusive guidance. Currently, only Li Chuiyuan continued to practice breathing exercises. There was nothing they could do. Uncle Qin had disappeared completely after he left, as if all connections were severed without a trace.

Every night, after Yin Meng finished teaching, Run Sheng would then teach the Wei Zhengdao moves that had been “summarized and compiled” from Li Chuiyuan. The Yin family was responsible for building the foundation, while Wei Zhengdao’s methods were responsible for raising the upper limit. Initially, the three practiced on the second-floor balcony, but after Li Sanjiang scolded them for disturbing his sleep, they went to practice in the fields. Facts once again proved that excellent teaching materials combined with excellent aptitude would undoubtedly yield good results. Yin Meng’s movements were now extremely agile, and her techniques were performed with fluidity and control. Run Sheng was even more astonishing. Now, every punch and kick created an audible whoosh. Previously, he could only instinctively deal with reanimated corpses, often pouncing and biting like a beast. Now, he could do so with more composure, like a beast that had learned to wear a suit and tie, making him even more imposing.

Tan Wenbin, who trained with them, could only drool with envy at their progress. His companions were improving at a visible rate, but he himself had only achieved the effect of physical exercise. The three would practice moves every night. They would first let Tan Wenbin choose one, then the chosen person would quickly take down Tan Wenbin, and then the other two would spar. The only thing that allowed Tan Wenbin to regain some confidence was that he made the fastest progress when Little Yuan taught the three of them “walking among the dead.” Although Little Yuan forbade them from completing the final step of successful “walking among the dead,” Tan Wenbin had mastered all the preceding steps. In contrast, Run Sheng and Yin Meng learned “walking among the dead” very slowly.

Nevertheless, Tan Wenbin noticed something was amiss: he frequently experienced sleep paralysis when sleeping at night or napping in the classroom. After telling Little Yuan, Little Yuan said this was a side effect, and that he had to stop practicing “walking among the dead” for a few days after experiencing sleep paralysis. Li Chuiyuan indeed had no way to resolve this side effect, or rather, it was inherently unresolvable, as it was part of the “walking among the dead” practice itself. However, during the teaching process, Li Chuiyuan also discovered that people with more active and agile minds seemed to learn “walking among the dead” more easily.

Every so often, Tan Wenbin would come to Li Chuiyuan to pick up his customized exercise sets and then deliver another set to the school. The “Chuiyuan Secret Scrolls” were now selling very well in Nantong and had even sold outside the city. A considerable share of profits came in every month. Tan Wenbin had already drawn up a new plan for Li Chuiyuan. Starting next semester, instead of creating exercise sets based on individual subject knowledge points, they would produce full test papers. Because the second semester of senior year was the crucial sprint period, students and teachers had finished reviewing previous knowledge points and had a huge demand for full test papers. The full papers could be categorized by difficulty: basic papers, simulation papers, and advanced papers. Basic papers boosted confidence, simulation papers mirrored the normal college entrance exam difficulty, and advanced papers were specifically designed to challenge students.

Originally, Tan Wenbin had also wanted to suggest to Li Chuiyuan to “water down” the full papers—for example, by including only a few high-quality questions on each paper and making the rest casually, allowing teachers to select a few questions from the paper for students to do. This would reduce the burden of creating questions and increase sales. However, after consideration, Tan Wenbin abandoned this idea. It was still a period for building reputation, so they couldn’t tarnish the brand. They weren’t just earning this year’s share. Once the brand was well-established, they could always sell off the “Chuiyuan Secret Scrolls” brand later, which would be the real profit.

Tan Wenbin, who was both studying and practicing martial arts, was busy non-stop every day. His appetite continued to increase, but he didn’t gain weight; instead, he even lost a bit.

“Brother Little Yuan, final exams are coming up. Are you going to take them?”

“Yes, I will.”

“Then shall I go with you tomorrow morning?”

“No need, I’ll go in the afternoon.”

“But Chinese and Math exams are in the morning.”

“I can just take them all together when I get there.”

It snowed that night, and the next day, before dawn, Tan Wenbin rode his bicycle through the wind and snow to school.

At noon, Li Chuiyuan had just finished lunch when he saw Principal Wu driving the school car