Runsheng pedaled merrily up front, feeling as though the blue sky, white clouds, open fields, and irrigation ditches had never looked lovelier.
Ever since he could remember, his grandfather would announce every single time:
"Runsheng Hou, your grandpa’s heading off to play cards! Once I win some money, I'll buy you meat for dinner!"
At first, Runsheng had genuinely looked forward to it. Later on, whenever he heard those words, he would immediately rush to the rice crock to check whether there was enough grain left to boil a pot of porridge thick enough to stand a pair of chopsticks upright for the two of them that evening.
Today, Runsheng had finally realized that card games… could actually be won.
Under years of his grandfather's "nurturing guidance," he had almost come to view gambling the same way he viewed holiday offerings to the Bodhisattva: a form of sacrifice.
Sitting behind him, Li Zhuiyuan wore an expression that was far from lovely.
At his feet rested a bag of money—loose change, crisp notes, wrinkled bills, a bit of everything. While the absolute sum was not staggering, considering rural prices and wages in these times, it was enough to build a small handicraft workshop behind Great-Grandpa’s house.
An occasional lucky streak was normal. After all, whose family didn't eat dumplings on New Year's Eve?
At its core, it remained a matter of probability.
Yet when an unbroken barrage of luck crashed down all at once, probability shifted into metaphysics.
Pairing that with his lost memories after the fortune-transferring ritual last night, Li Zhuiyuan was practically certain: the ritual had taken effect.
Taking effect did not necessarily mean success. It merely meant it had worked and wrought a change—whether that change was good or bad was entirely open to debate.
Li Zhuiyuan did not know precisely how much good fortune Great-Grandpa had transferred to him, but judging by how his opponents at the table had practically played into his hands, it had to be a sizable amount.
Liu Yumei had warned him that Great-Grandpa's fortune was not something easily claimed; it was more akin to a transaction.
Uncle Qin and Auntie Liu toiled like draft animals for meager wages at Great-Grandpa’s house, doing every kind of chore imaginable. Weren't they seeking the loose change tucked away in the forgotten corners Liu Yumei had spoken of?
Now he had taken so much in one breath. What kind of price would he have to pay for it?
At this moment, he felt no overwhelming bliss, only an overflowing dread.
Li Zhuiyuan hung his head, realizing that squandering good fortune on gambling had been… utterly foolish.
He was like a short-sighted grave robber who had risked his life and braved countless hardships to finally breach a tomb, only to see nothing but small gold and silver ingots, completely blind to the garments, bronzes, porcelain, and works of art around him.
"Runsheng-ge, don't take both hands off the handlebars."
"Okay, Xiaoyuan."
"Runsheng-ge, ride a little slower."
"Okay, Xiaoyuan."
"Runsheng-ge, move toward the shoulder. No, stay toward the center."
"..."
"Never mind, Runsheng-ge, just ride normally."
A chill had struck Li Zhuiyuan's heart just now. He had worried whether an unexpected disaster would suddenly strike—perhaps a terrible traffic accident?
Yet after a brief bout of anxiety, his composure returned.
If the backlash of Great-Grandpa's fortune amounted only to something like that, it would almost be too cheap. One might even feel they had gotten off easy.
Yet the more he considered it, the more uneasy he grew. It meant that somewhere on the road ahead, something truly massive was waiting for him.
The tricycle rolled into Grandpa Shan’s yard. Runsheng scratched his head and asked Li Zhuiyuan:
"Xiaoyuan, can I borrow a little money from you to buy my grandpa some supplies to stock up on? Once your great-grandpa pays me my wages, I'll pay you back."
Li Zhuiyuan fell silent.
In the past, he would have waved a hand without a care and told him to take whatever he wanted.
Yet this money, won purely through luck without a shred of skill, felt scorching hot in his hands. Passing such a hot potato to Grandpa Shan seemed somewhat unconscionable.
Li Zhuiyuan rummaged through the bag and pulled out a few notes. The amount did not exceed his original principal, so it shouldn't cause much trouble.
"Not that much, seriously, not that much! I just need to get my grandpa some rice, flour, and cooking oil. You're giving me way too much, Xiaoyuan."
"It's fine. Buy a bit more."
"I can't buy too much. If I buy too much, it'll just make it easy for him to sell it off, and then he won't even have anything to eat."
"You've thought this through better than I did."
"Hehe."
"By the way, Runsheng-ge, keep my winning at cards a secret. Don't tell anyone."
"Then how do I explain this money...?"
"Just say you won it."
"Oh, okay."
"Runsheng-ge, where's your outhouse?"
"Over that way, around the ridge behind the house. It's the neighbor's outhouse; we share it."
"Alright."
Li Zhuiyuan had barely stepped out when Grandpa Shan came sprinting in from outside.
Though the old man was advanced in years and in frail health, he was still remarkably spry.
It seemed contradictory, but in truth, it was not. Old men like him rarely lingered long in sickbeds; once their time came, they passed abruptly.
It was what neighbors often remarked upon: *"I thought he was still hale and hearty! Goodness, how could he just be gone in the blink of an eye?"*
Grandpa Shan had rushed back for two reasons. First, he had lost all his money.
He had a strict habit: a loss was a loss, but he would never borrow money to chase his losses.
Second, word had reached him that his Runsheng had won a huge sum at the big gambling den!
Messengers naturally didn't bother with fine details. They didn't know Li Zhuiyuan, so the story naturally became that Runsheng had won the money playing cards.
"Grandpa, you're b—"
*Smack!*
Grandpa Shan delivered a stinging slap across Runsheng's face.
"I told you not to pick up bad habits and gamble!"
"I was wrong, Grandpa."
"Where's the money?"
"Huh?"
"I asked you, where's the winnings?"
"On the trike."
Grandpa Shan walked over to the tricycle. When he saw the bag of money, his eyes bugged out.
"All this… you won all this?"
"No, wait, yes, I won it."
"It’s not proper for a kid to hold this much cash. I'll look after it for you."
"N-no, you can't."
"What, won money and reluctant to give it to your grandfather?"
"The principal! Right, the principal belongs to Xiaoyuan. It was his pocket money."
"Oh, I see..." Grandpa Shan divided the money in the bag in half. "Then I'll hold onto your share."
"Grandpa, th-this isn't right, this..."
"Enough blabbering, that settles it! What are you two still hanging around the house for?"
"Aren't we eating together, Grandpa? I was going to cut some meat in town so the two of us could have a proper meal."
"Eat what? You and Xiaoyuan Hou go eat! Grandpa's got business!"
With that, Grandpa Shan charged back to the battlefield. Jogging along, he patted the heavy "ammunition" tucked into his jacket, his heart pounding with excitement. In all his life, he had never fought a battle backed by such wealth.
Li Zhuiyuan returned to find Runsheng standing there, looking flustered and embarrassed.
"Xiaoyuan, I'm sorry..."
Li Zhuiyuan was dumbfounded after hearing Runsheng's explanation.
"Xiaoyuan, I stayed here waiting for your permission. Let's make things clear, and I'll go straight to the den to drag your money back from my grandpa!"
"No need, Runsheng-ge. We earned it together anyway. Giving half to Grandpa Shan is only right."
"Xiaoyuan, you're not mad?"
Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. Far from angry, he was actually a bit touched.
"Runsheng-ge, weren't you going to buy supplies for Grandpa Shan? Go on, hurry."
"B-but my grandpa already took so much money..."
"What needs buying still needs buying."
"Xiaoyuan, you're such a good person."
Runsheng pedaled off to buy provisions. Li Zhuiyuan found a small wooden stool and sat down in the courtyard.
Tapping his forehead with a finger, he began recalling what the books said on the matter—specifically, how this money ought to be spent.
He found the passage. According to the logic of the texts, he was permitted to use this money.
However, it had to be spent on fair terms or to his own advantage. In other words, when buying goods, he had to pay a fair price or drive a hard bargain; he could under no circumstances allow the merchant or laborer to feel he was being generous, or that they had gotten the better end of the deal.
Otherwise, the other party would share in the karmic fallout, having enjoyed the unearned benefits of that ill-gotten money.
*No wonder ancient dynasties had collective punishment...*
While its practical purpose was to serve as a legal deterrent, in principle, even the young children of a household enjoyed the benefits derived from the family's illicit gains.
Li Zhuiyuan stood up and stretched just as Runsheng returned.
"Xiaoyuan, I bought some cooked deli food. Since Grandpa isn't here, we'll have lunch ourselves."
"Sounds great."
Runsheng scrubbed the wok and built a fire. In addition to the braised pork liver and cold shredded jellyfish he had bought, Runsheng scrambled an egg and made a luffa soup.
However, the egg was scorched, and the soup was thick and gummy, devoid of any freshness.
"Xiaoyuan, that's the best my cooking gets."
Runsheng took a bite of an incense stick, followed by a mouthful of egg and a sip of soup, as though tasting it for poison.
Li Zhuiyuan understood completely. One could hardly expect gourmet culinary skills from someone who rarely got to eat solid food.
After lunch, Runsheng swept both the house and the yard. Then he hopped on the tricycle to take Li Zhuiyuan home.
Turning off the main road onto the dirt village path, they spotted Pan Zi and Lei Zi, filthy from head to toe, pushing a cart of bricks.
Summer jobs were hard to come by even in the city nowadays, let alone in the countryside.
Commuting farther afield was inconvenient, so the nearby brick kiln was one of the better options. It was grueling work, but at least it paid daily.
It was well-suited for young men like Pan Zi and Lei Zi, who wanted to earn some pocket money to play with during summer vacation.
"Pan Zi-ge, Lei Zi-ge!"
"Hey, Yuanzi!"
"Yo, Yuanzi!"
A bloody scab hung at the corner of Pan Zi's mouth, and a bruise darkened the skin around Lei Zi's eye—unmistakable marks of paternal love.
"Yuanzi, good thing you left early that day, haha!"
"No kidding! Thank goodness you took off first, or you'd have had to squat at the police station with us and get blood drawn!"
"Brothers, thank you for not ratting me out."
"How could we? We're brothers! Who sells out their own brother?"
"Exactly! You're our little brother. How could older brothers not look out for you?"
In truth, they weren't so staunch as to deliberately cover for him out of loyalty; they simply knew that if their fathers and grandfathers found out they had dared to take Xiaoyuan Hou to watch pornographic videos, the beatings would have been twice as severe.
"Brothers, are you heading back to the kiln?"
"Yeah, delivering bricks to the kiln today." As Lei Zi spoke, he pulled a cigarette from his pocket—no telling who had given it to him—stuck it between his lips, struck a match with a debonair flourish, took a drag, and handed it to Pan Zi.
Pan Zi took a puff and offered it to Runsheng.
Passing a single cigarette around a circle of friends was very common in those days, and corner kiosks even sold cigarettes by the stick.
Runsheng shook his head, pulled out an incense stick, lit it with a match, took a draw, and exhaled a smoke ring.
Pan Zi and Lei Zi stared dumbfounded. "What the hell are you smoking?"
Runsheng replied, "Authentic incense sticks."
He then offered the glowing stick to them to share.
Pan Zi and Lei Zi hastily shook their heads, declining the offer.
Pan Zi turned to Li Zhuiyuan. "Xiaoyuan, tomorrow Si Haizi's family is draining their fish pond. The two of us are going to help out. Want to come? They'll feed us, and we get to take fish home."
"I can't. Great-Grandpa won't let me leave the house lately. I was only allowed out today to accompany Runsheng-ge to deliver things to his grandfather."
"Oh, I see. What a shame."
"We'll bring a fish over to you tomorrow evening then."
"No need, take it home to eat. Brothers, get back to your work. I'm heading home."
"Alright, we'll come hang out with you another day, Yuanzi."
Once the tricycle had traveled a short distance, Runsheng asked curiously, "Xiaoyuan, do you not like hanging out with your older cousins?"
"No, they treat me well."
"Then why...?"
"Runsheng-ge, I just don't plan on leaving the house for a while."
Until he resolved the issue of the fortune on his body, Li Zhuiyuan had resolved not to step outside unless absolutely necessary—especially anywhere near water.
Pan Zi and Lei Zi inviting him to watch a fish pond being drained was already bordering on taboo territory. Who knew what might be dredged up along with the fish if he went in his current state?
Arriving home, he did not see Ah Li sitting behind the threshold of the east room. Li Zhuiyuan guessed she was probably in her own room.
She truly had changed a great deal. She no longer sat in a pure, mindless daze; even when he was away, she would take initiative on her own.
Liu Yumei sat in a chair outside the east room door, hands folded before her, eyes closed as though napping.
Sensing someone's return, she slowly opened her eyes, casually casting a glance at the boy while her left fingers, concealed beneath her right hand, began to pinch and calculate.
Then she was forced to stop.
The boy turned his head, presenting only the back of his skull to her, and called into the west room to ask Auntie Liu what was for dinner and how the incense-making was going, slipping into the house while keeping his back turned.
Doubt bloomed in Liu Yumei's mind: *Coincidence, or deliberate?*
*It must be a coincidence. If it were deliberate, that would be absurd.*
To sense her calculations, one's physiognomic and divinatory attainments would have to rival her own. How could that be possible?
She knew the child read books, and she knew he had fashioned a set of practical tools based on designs within them. Through their repeated interactions, she knew even better just how brilliant the boy was.
In her heart, she had already set the child on a high pedestal, reluctantly conceding that he had set foot upon this path. Even so, it was impossible for him to have reached such an outrageous height.
Liu Yumei had been living in this household the entire time, so she was certain the boy had no master. Qin Li had only taught him a horse stance. If reading a few books could elevate someone to such a level, hadn't she spent her entire life living in vain?
Still, today's affair reeked of strangeness. How had the good fortune on Li Sanjiang suddenly been drained by so much?
She would have to observe again tomorrow. If Li Sanjiang's deficit gradually replenished itself, things could continue as usual. But if it remained depleted like this, trouble would follow.
Feeling restless, Liu Yumei stood up, wanting to retreat to her room to chat with "the folks."
Sitting before the offering table, she picked up a flaky pastry, preparing to start a conversation, when she suddenly looked at the ancestral tablets on the table in bewilderment:
"Why do they look... so sparse?"
...
Li Zhuiyuan went up to the second floor and found Li Sanjiang washing his hair with laundry powder beside the water jar.
"Great-Grandpa, didn't you already wash it this morning?"
"I was just lying down for an afternoon nap when some damned bird dropped a load right on my head. I don't know what's going on today, catching bird droppings twice in one day. What rotten luck!"
Li Zhuiyuan could guess why.
"Xiaoyuan Hou, why are you back so early? Didn't Shan Pao keep you for dinner?"
"Grandpa Shan was busy gambling."
"Hmph, that old fart and his wretched habits. Did you buy the supplies?"
"Yes, stocked up on rice, flour, and oil. Great-Grandpa, you really care about Grandpa Shan."
"Of course! If he starves to death, who will I find to help when big jobs come up? Shan Pao has a foul temper, but he has real ability. He always comes through."
Li Zhuiyuan nodded. That was true.
"Xiaoyuan Hou, what's in that black bag you're carrying?"
Li Zhuiyuan lifted the bag of money. "Bought some candy for Ah Li. Want a piece, Great-Grandpa?"
Just like last time, Li Zhuiyuan intended to ask Auntie Liu to handle the purchasing and bargaining. With her expertise, she would ensure every penny was spent wisely.
If he went himself, he wouldn't know the going rates and would easily be overcharged.
Merchants set prices according to the customer, which Li Zhuiyuan understood, so he chose not to go himself. He was no harbinger of misfortune; small peddlers didn't deserve such bad luck.
In truth, Li Zhuiyuan had planned to hand the money to Auntie Liu downstairs, but Grandma Liu had been secretly watching him.
Really, watching him in the morning, watching him in the afternoon—didn't she ever get tired?
"I don't eat sweets. Go get me another towel."
"Okay."
After fetching a towel for Li Sanjiang, Li Zhuiyuan walked toward his bedroom.
Passing Li Sanjiang's room, he pushed the door open, intending to examine the array on the tiles once more, only to find it had already been wiped away.
Even now, he could not comprehend how the array had taken effect when he had clearly tampered with and modified it the night before.
Stepping back, he turned sideways to look at his great-grandpa still washing his hair.
The most helpless part was that he couldn't even discuss it with the old man, even though Great-Grandpa was the primary party involved.
Li Zhuiyuan knew that if he asked Great-Grandpa to reproduce the diagram he had drawn last night, the old man would undoubtedly draw an entirely new one.
Arriving at his bedroom, he pushed the door open and saw Ah Li sitting on a small stool, holding a carving knife and working on wooden shavings.
He hadn't actually told Ah Li that the black canvas had been damaged, but the girl had noticed on her own and taken the initiative to make fresh wood curls for him.
Li Zhuiyuan walked over and sat across from her, watching her carve with deep concentration.
The scene mirrored the past, when the girl had watched him immerse himself in reading.
As she carved, she would occasionally raise her lashes to glance at him, mirroring how he had looked up at her from his books back then.
Li Zhuiyuan felt this was the most comfortable way for friends to be together.
No accommodation needed, only mutual comfort.
After watching quietly for a while, the anxiety in his heart completely settled.
He stood up, walked over to the desk, and prepared to put away the gambling winnings.
Opening the drawer, he found four neat stacks of crisp cash and six small gold bars.
No guessing needed to know who had put them there.
Though Li Zhuiyuan had no intention of keeping the money and gold and would return them to Grandma Liu shortly, his resolve was nonetheless slightly tempted, especially after glancing down at the black bag in his hand...
It turned out he didn't need to work this hard after all.
Finding an empty box, Li Zhuiyuan placed the cash and gold bars inside, then returned to sit in front of the girl, speaking with earnest sincerity:
"Ah Li, thank you. Seeing you bring these to me made me really happy, but I can't accept them."
Ah Li paused her carving knife and looked up at him.
Puzzlement flickered in her eyes. She did not understand: she had seen the boy smiling at the money in his hands this morning, so why wouldn't he take it when she gave it to him?
Besides, every time Li Sanjiang gave him pocket money, he took it and smiled brightly.
Her family had so very much of these things.
"Ah Li, gifts carry weight, and they have to be appropriate. Next time you want to give me something, you can ask me first. If it's suitable, I'll take it, okay?"
Thoughtfulness appeared in Ah Li's eyes, and then she nodded.
Li Zhuiyuan froze. He had just seen the girl nod—and it was a clear, deliberate nod, not the imperceptible tilt of the head from before.
"Ah Li, you really understood?"
The girl nodded again, confirming she understood.
"Then if you didn't understand, what would you do?"
The girl shook her head with the same natural motion as an ordinary person.
A smile broke across Li Zhuiyuan's face. This meant the girl's condition had taken a massive leap forward today.
Though he had no idea why.
His smile stiffened slightly. *Could it be... because of me today?*
Striving to dismiss the worry from his mind, Li Zhuiyuan decided to steer the conversation toward something pleasant:
"Auntie Liu said she bought some wood-smoked ham today, apparently from Jinhua in Zhejiang. We can taste it tonight. Have you ever eaten wood-smoked food before, Ah Li?"
Ah Li shook her head.
"It's when they burn wood to create smoke, giving it a unique flavor... huh?"
Li Zhuiyuan casually picked up a wooden curl beside her.
When he had made the black canvas last time, he had taken a piece of wood from the woodshed and planed the curls himself.
This time Ah Li was making them, meaning she had planed them herself.
Yet why weren't these curls pale yellow-white? Instead, they were pitch-black, glossy, and carried a peculiar fragrance that smelled remarkably pleasant.
"Ah Li, what wood did you use for these?"
Ah Li pointed under the small table.
Li Zhuiyuan looked down, and his eyes went wide.
Lying under the table were three ancestral tablets!
...
"Grandma Liu, I'm returning this to you."
Inside the east room, Li Zhuiyuan set the box containing the money and gold bars on the table beside Liu Yumei.
Liu Yumei opened the box, glanced inside, and closed it.
"Grandma, aren't you going to count it?"
"It's been brought back, why count it?"
"That's good, then."
Li Zhuiyuan placed a fertilizer sack on the table as well.
Liu Yumei untied the sack and looked inside. She immediately stood up, pulled out the three tablets, wiped them clean, and set them back on the offering table.
"Ah Li, Grandma will give you whatever you want to play with, but what's fun about ancestral tablets? Don't touch them next time."
Even now, Liu Yumei spoke in a gentle, affectionate tone, not scolding her granddaughter in the slightest.
Then she began counting the tablets one by one with her finger.
She seemed to have forgotten her own words from moments ago: *It's been brought back, why count it?*
"Wait, why are there still a few missing?"
Li Zhuiyuan held his tongue. The missing ones had already been reduced to wood curls.
He couldn't very well bring over a sack of shavings, especially when half of them had already been carved by Ah Li.
"Xiaoyuan, did you look around? Maybe Ah Li took them out and dropped them somewhere?"
"Grandma, I searched. There were only these three."
Li Zhuiyuan wasn't trying to shirk responsibility; he simply felt that for Liu Yumei, accepting that the tablets were lost would be far easier than knowing they had been carved to pieces.
"*Sigh.*"
Liu Yumei let out a sigh, looking at Qin Liang with mild exasperation.
The good news was that her granddaughter, who previously took interest in nothing, was visibly more lively now—even giving the family's money to a boy outside.
Taking money and gold bars was fine, but why take the ancestral tablets?
"Grandma Liu, I told Ah Li not to touch the tablets anymore. Right, Ah Li?"
Ah Li nodded.
Liu Yumei pressed a hand to her forehead in resignation. Suddenly, she trembled violently and stared at Ah Li in disbelief.
Li Zhuiyuan said, "Ah Li, Grandma wants to make sure you understand. Tell Grandma you understand."
Ah Li nodded once more.
Tears welled in Liu Yumei's eyes on the spot. Turning toward the offering table, she choked up:
"The ancestors have shown their presence! The ancestors have blessed us!"
...
Stepping out of the east room and shutting the door behind him, he heard Liu Yumei inside guiding Ah Li to thank the ancestors on the offering table.
Li Zhuiyuan let out a long breath. He had managed to muddle through this crisis.
He hurried upstairs, fetched the bag of money, and handed it to Auntie Liu, who was busy in the kitchen.
"Xiaoyuan, where did you get so much money?"
Runsheng, who was also in the kitchen gnawing on an incense stick while inhaling the aroma from the wok awaiting dinner, answered directly:
"I won it playing cards!"
Auntie Liu gave Runsheng a skeptical look. Clearly, she didn't believe him.
Li Zhuiyuan said, "Auntie Liu, here's a list. Please help me procure another batch of materials. Also, hire two masons to build a small workshop against the back wall behind the house. Nothing too big, about the size of a woodshed will do."
Runsheng offered, "No need to hire anyone, I can do it! I know how to lay bricks; I built the courtyard wall at home!"
Li Zhuiyuan ignored Runsheng’s self-recommendation. He had seen the crumbling state of Grandpa Shan’s wall today with his own eyes.
He had no desire to be buried alive when the roof collapsed while he was working in the shed later on.
"Alright, I'll take care of it."
"Also, Auntie, you need to be careful."
"Careful of what?"
"This money isn't clean. Don't let it dirty your hands."
"Hm?" Auntie Liu touched the bag. Understanding flashed in her eyes, and she nodded. "Don't worry, I understand."
Runsheng asked in confusion, "Does it really matter if money is dirty or not?"
"Of course it does, Runsheng-ge. Cash passes through countless hands in circulation; it's crawling with germs."
"Oh, so that's why!"
There was still some time before dinner. Li Zhuiyuan did not return to the second floor, heading instead to the cellar.
Both the artifacts and techniques in *Zhengdao Fumo Lu* required vast amounts of time and energy, making quick mastery virtually impossible. Li Zhuiyuan decided to pick another set of books to read in his spare time.
*Click!*
Turning on his flashlight, Li Zhuiyuan walked toward the crates.
Suddenly, at the edge of the flashlight's beam, a dark shadow seemed to be wriggling.
Startled, Li Zhuiyuan instinctively aimed the beam at it. The long dark shadow seemed equally startled and began slithering rapidly.
It was a small snake!
"*Whew...*"
Li Zhuiyuan pressed his lips together. For a moment, he had feared some terrifying creature had entered the cellar.
Yet after darting left and right, the little snake turned and slithered straight toward him.
Li Zhuiyuan was not particularly afraid of snakes; he had accompanied his mother to archaeological excavation sites before, where snakes were plentiful.
Still, he wasn't professional or reckless enough to ignore a snake, however small. He backed away, and his back bumped against a wooden chest, causing its brass lock to clink sharply.
The noise seemed to startle the snake. It abruptly veered away, Li Zhuiyuan tracking it with his flashlight until it slipped into a finger-wide crack in the corner of the wall and vanished.
Once the snake was gone, Li Zhuiyuan turned around to inspect the chest he had just bumped into.
Sitting on the outermost edge of the cluster of chests, it was one he had never opened before.
*This time, it's you.*
Setting the flashlight on the floor, Li Zhuiyuan pressed both hands against the lid, sank into a horse stance, and exerted force.
*Creak!*
The lid opened and fell back.
Li Zhuiyuan dusted off his hands. He felt that ever since he had diligently practiced the stance Uncle Qin had taught him, his strength had increased considerably. Distinct from the natural growth of his body, this felt more like an improved command and mastery over his own power.
Picking up the flashlight, he shone the beam onto the books inside. They were covered in thick dust—not accumulated over time, but present since the moment they were packed.
Turning his head, he blew hard several times until the covers of the top row of books were barely visible.
From past experience, the books on top were usually ordinary, while the truly valuable texts lay buried deeper down.
Li Zhuiyuan had planned to dig deeper as usual, until he caught sight of the titles of the two sets sitting right in the center of the first row.
*Liu Clan Qi-Gazing Formula* and *Qin Clan Flood Dragon Contemplation Method*.
Liu Clan? Qin Clan?
The image of the offering table in the east room, laden with tablets bearing the surnames Qin and Liu, sprang unbidden into his mind.
*Could it really be such a coincidence?*
Li Zhuiyuan pulled the two sets out. They were crude, lacking any slipcases.
*Liu Clan Qi-Gazing Formula* consisted of three volumes, each quite thick; *Qin Clan Flood Dragon Contemplation Method* had four, equally hefty, and neither was divided by volume in a standard manner.
*Did Grandma Liu leave these with Great-Grandpa?*
Li Zhuiyuan quickly shook his head. No, Great-Grandpa had said the books in the cellar had been entrusted to him many years ago, whereas Liu Yumei and her family had not been living here for very long.
Nor was it possible that Liu Yumei knew about the books in Great-Grandpa's cellar and had secretly slipped her family's secret arts inside.
First, she had no reason to do so. Second, the dust on the books silently attested to how long they had been sealed away.
Li Zhuiyuan opened the first volume of *Liu Clan Qi-Gazing Formula*. Turning the page, he immediately frowned. The handwriting was atrociously sloppy.
It wasn't cursive or running script; it looked more as if the scribe had been pressed for time, writing at breakneck speed without any foundation in calligraphy, resulting in pure ugliness that resembled ghost scrawl.
Many of the characters required Li Zhuiyuan to deduce their meaning from context.
Flipping through a dozen pages in quick succession, he noticed the layout varied wildly from page to page. Volume and chapter titles were not placed at the start of pages, but wedged into the middle of the text.
A scene formed in Li Zhuiyuan's mind: a person, left hand flipping through an exquisite book while their right hand scribbled furiously into a blank notebook.
Writing while constantly glancing around, terrified that someone might approach.
Thus, this was a pirated transcription.
Li Zhuiyuan skimmed through *Qin Clan Flood Dragon Contemplation Method*. Sure enough, it shared the exact same lineage—another pirated copy.
That practically confirmed these two sets had nothing to do with Liu Yumei.
Li Zhuiyuan recalled Liu Yumei telling him that she knew what kind of books he was reading, but judging by her tone, she assumed he was merely reading general occult texts, unaware that he was studying rare, unique handwritten manuscripts.
Moreover, Liu Yumei had likely never entered the cellar. Both she and Uncle Qin and Auntie Liu were very mindful of boundaries, never prying into Great-Grandpa's private affairs or belongings.
Had Liu Yumei entered the cellar and gone through these chests, she would never have allowed these two sets to remain here. This was the theft of both families' heritages—a grave taboo.
"Alright, these two it is."
Li Zhuiyuan wasn't even sure whether he was curious about the contents of the books or about the history of the Qin and Liu families.
Closing the chest, Li Zhuiyuan carried the two sets out of the cellar and up to the second floor. Placing them on the desk, he tore the covers off each book, rolled them up, lit them, and dropped them one by one into his water cup.
He had to conceal them to some extent.
Across the seven books in both sets, the neatest and clearest writing had been the titles on the covers.
Li Zhuiyuan liked to sit on the terrace to read. He couldn't risk Liu Yumei glancing up and spotting the titles.
As for Ah Li, who liked to sit beside him while he read, it didn't matter. There was no need to hide anything from her; she wouldn't tell on him anyway.
Auntie Liu's voice drifted up from the courtyard:
"Dinner's ready!"
Li Zhuiyuan went downstairs and sat at his small table. Ah Li was already seated, waiting for him.
"Hungry?"
Ah Li nodded.
A smile appeared on Li Zhuiyuan's face again. He felt that if she continued to improve, she wouldn't be far from speaking.
Yet if this continued...
"*Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!*"
Li Sanjiang sneezed three times in a row. He had washed his hair before dawn and caught a cold.
"Great-Grandpa, after dinner I'll go with you to Doctor Zheng's clinic to get some medicine or a shot."
"I'm not going! It's just a minor cold. A good night's sleep will cure it."
Auntie Liu set down the soup with a smile. "There's always someone in the world who's quick to tell others to see a doctor, but refuses to go when they get sick themselves."
Li Zhuiyuan insisted, "Great-Grandpa, it's settled. I'm going with you later."
This time he spoke with firm emphasis, worried that Great-Grandpa's current condition might not withstand an illness.
"Fine, fine, fine, we'll go! We'll go!"
Li Sanjiang waved a dismissive hand, picked up his chopsticks, and began eating.
Auntie Liu chuckled again. "In the end, it's the great-grandson whose words count, haha."
Li Zhuiyuan had just portioned food onto Ah Li's small dish when he heard Aunt Zhang shouting across the rice paddies from the village path:
"Xiaoyuan Hou! Xiaoyuan Hou! Telephone! Call from Beijing!"
Li Sanjiang urged him, "Hurry, Xiaoyuan Hou, it must be your mother calling!"
"Then Great-Grandpa, I'll go. Runsheng-ge, come with me."
"Huh? Oh, alright."
Runsheng had just sat down for dinner and was about to light his incense stick, but since Xiaoyuan had asked, he nodded immediately and followed Li Zhuiyuan out.
From a distance, Li Zhuiyuan spotted Li Weihan and Cui Guiying standing outside the corner store.
It made sense. Since Aunt Zhang had notified him, she would certainly have notified his grandparents as well. Moreover, as far as his mother knew, he was supposed to be staying with his grandparents, not Great-Grandpa.
Behind his grandparents stood a swarm of Li family children, happily sharing snacks. Seeing Li Zhuiyuan arrive, Shitou and Huzi ran over holding out snacks:
"Yuanzi-ge, here, eat! Grandma bought them for us, hehe!"
Li Zhuiyuan knew that Cui Guiying was normally stingy about buying treats for the kids. With so many grandchildren around, treating them all would cost a fortune.
The only reason she had splurged today was sheer joy: her daughter had finally called home.
The last time their daughter had returned was with her ex-husband, back before they were married and long before Xiaoyuan existed. In all the years since, she had never once returned.
In the earlier years, she had occasionally sent a telegram or written a letter, but over time, even those had dwindled away.
Holiday gifts were always mailed on schedule, and quarterly living allowances never failed to arrive. By all rights, she had done far more than the children of other villagers her age. Yet as parents, sometimes all they wanted was to hear their daughter's voice and share a few words.
That longing had been bottled up for so long that it had gradually become an extravagant wish.
"Xiaoyuan Hou, quick, it's your mother calling! Grandma just finished talking to her!" Cui Guiying's face was beaming. She patted Li Weihan's back. "Hurry, Xiaoyuan Hou is here. Give him the phone!"
Reluctant though he was, Li Weihan shouted into the receiver, "Alright, alright, Lan Hou, I'll let Xiaoyuan Hou speak to you first! Don't hang up when you're done, I want to talk to you some more!"
Li Zhuiyuan was utterly bewildered. His mother had actually called on her own initiative—and more unbelievably, she had chatted with his grandparents for so long?
Li Weihan solemnly handed the receiver to his grandson. "Hurry, your mother misses you dearly! Lan Hou, your son's on the line!"
Li Zhuiyuan still couldn't bring himself to believe it was real. Much as he yearned for his mother to call, he knew all too well that yearning was not wishing upon a star.
Pressing the receiver to his ear, Li Zhuiyuan heard a woman's voice on the line: "Hello, is that Xiaoyuan?"
The corner of Li Zhuiyuan's mouth twitched. The person on the other end was not his mother, but her secretary, Auntie Xu. He recalled that Auntie Xu's hometown was also in Nantong.
So the person who had been speaking with his grandparents wasn't his mother, Li Lan, but Auntie Xu.
His grandparents hadn't seen their daughter in years and hadn't spoken to her on the phone; the memory of her voice had long grown faint. Furthermore, Auntie Xu understood the Nantong dialect, making it impossible for them to realize she wasn't their daughter.
Looking at his grandparents, who were beaming brighter than on New Year's Day, Li Zhuiyuan felt a surge of intense disgust at his mother's deception.
Li Weihan urged, "Xiaoyuan Hou, call her Mama! Go on, call her! Your mother said she misses you terribly. Tell her you miss her too!"
Cui Guiying chimed in, "Xiaoyuan Hou's shy, I bet! Don't go crying the moment you hear your mother's voice, or you'll be sobbing for her tonight and giving Uncle Sanjiang a headache, haha!"
It was obvious his grandparents desperately wanted him to say "Mama" for their daughter to hear over the line; they had never witnessed an interaction between mother and son. Around them, his cousins were laughing and cheering.
Though he knew it was Auntie Xu on the other end, Li Zhuiyuan put on a bashful expression, gripped the receiver tightly with both hands, and shouted with vibrant, emotional longing:
"Mama, I miss you so much!"
The speakerphone must have been on. Over the line came two sets of footsteps—one drawing near, the other fading into the distance.
Li Zhuiyuan could picture it: earlier, while his grandparents were mistaking Auntie Xu for their daughter, the owner of those approaching footsteps had found the noise irritating and deliberately walked off out of earshot.
Now, that distant figure was returning, while Auntie Xu was stepping away.
Which meant the next person to speak would be his mother.
A spark of anticipation rose within Li Zhuiyuan. Improper and unjustified though the thought was, he could not stop it from surfacing: *It seems Mother treats me differently from Grandma and Grandpa after all.*
Finally, Li Lan's voice came through the receiver:
"Li Zhuiyuan, you've become even more disgusting."
Chapter 33