A Cluster of Stars

Runsheng swallowed several mouthfuls of saliva. He was hungry. Xiao Yuan had said these were dead fish. Was that a hint that if he felt hungry, he could eat the fish? Runsheng stepped into the river. He ignored the dismembered body parts and the dwarf, paying no mind to the mother and daughter either. He had only one target: Zhou Yong. He dragged Zhou Yong before him. Zhou Yong's head was held to his neck by only a shred of flesh, looking as though it could snap off at any second. Goods that had gone bad at the town market couldn't fetch a price; the only solution was to eat them yourself. Runsheng bowed his head and took a bite. Then he opened his mouth, shoved Zhou Yong away, scrambled ashore, and dropped to his knees, retching violently. Disgusting. He wondered why this had happened. Soon, the reason came to him: he had altered the feng shui layout here on Xiao Yuan's orders, causing all the baleful qi on Zhou Yong to boil away into nothing. Runsheng climbed back to his feet and returned to the river. This time he wasn't looking for food. Instead, he felt around the dwarf's corpse, pulling out a barbed cord made of a very peculiar material, along with several soggy paper talismans and various odd knickknacks. He checked the clothes among the severed body parts, but found nothing inside except soaked cigarettes and some cash. Pocketing the items, Runsheng left the place. The village convenience store was getting ready to close, its door boards already half put up. Runsheng ran over shouting, picked up the telephone, and began dialing. *** Tan Wenbin slept through the entire day. When he woke up, he discovered that what had subsided faster than the swelling in his face was his stomach. He was starving. For dinner, Auntie Liu boiled noodles and ladled him a full washbasin's worth. Taking his first bite, he felt a bit uneasy, deliberately glancing over at the corner of the wall where Runsheng kept his own stash of "scallions." Only after swallowing that first mouthful smoothly did he let his guard down completely and begin wolfing it down. He cleaned out the whole basin of noodles, still wanting more. Even he was astonished—since when had his appetite grown so enormous? "Want more?" Auntie Liu asked. "Shall I boil some more for you?" "No, no need. If I eat any more, my belly will burst." Unable to sit still, he stood up, puffed out his belly, and began pacing the courtyard. "Right, where's Xiao Yuan? Isn't he coming down to eat?" "Xiao Yuan is still asleep." "Still asleep?" "Yes. He'll probably sleep for a long time. There's no telling if he'll even wake up tomorrow." "Good grief, that long? Well, makes sense—he really wore himself out." Just then, Aunt Zhang's shout drifted over from the village road across the rice paddies. Aunt Zhang's voice had always been distinctive and piercing. Usually, she would call out several long "Oy—oy—"s first, prompting the villagers in nearby houses to prick up their ears, after which Aunt Zhang would yell out whose family had a phone call. Hearing the call, the villagers would dash to their own courtyards and shout "Oy—oy—" back in her direction, followed by "Coming—coming—!" No mountains were in sight across this plain, yet they could still belt out mountain songs like this. This time, Aunt Zhang yelled, "Zhuangzhuang!" Liu Yumei asked with some surprise, "Did she call the wrong name?" Tan Wenbin, meanwhile, trotted eagerly down from the courtyard. Auntie Liu brought over a small dish of side vegetables, set it before Liu Yumei, and said with a smile, "Zhuangzhuang is the new name Uncle Sanjiang gave the boy." "Oh." Liu Yumei nodded. "The boy isn't bad at all." "Well brought up, and decent to the core." "How's Xiao Yuan doing?" "His eyes will be out of commission for a month. I think he saw it coming all along. He's taking it pretty well, even said it won't interfere with the start of the school term." "That boy has a sense of measure in everything he does, even when he goes crazy." "He truly spares people worry. Being his parents would be a blessing." "If your plan is to pop him out and dump him without raising him yourself, then yes, it's a blessing—you can just wait until he's grown to pick the peaches." "Is Ah Li still keeping him company?" "Yes, of course. One minute she's washing a towel, the next she's feeding him water with a spoon. Make some soup later and be sure to let it cool down to warm before bringing it up for Ah Li to feed him. That little brat—going crazy and blinding himself, and it actually helps Ah Li recover." As she said this, a smile played at the corners of Liu Yumei's lips. Auntie Liu chimed in, "Those two kids truly share a bond of fate. It's just that seeing Xiao Yuan like this, Ah Li must be heartbroken." "Not at all. Ah Li is happy as can be. You should have seen her—she was smiling so much today her dimples showed." "I don't understand it anymore." "We're old. Young folks have their own ways." "Do you need me to look into it?" At those words, the chopsticks in Liu Yumei's hand paused. Auntie Liu explained, "I'm just worried the boy didn't finish the job cleanly and let a fish slip through the net." Liu Yumei picked up the vinegar bottle and said, "Since he didn't mention it, we'll pretend we don't know. Don't ask questions." "Understood." Just then, a figure stepped out onto the second-floor terrace, holding a towel, and went over to the water vat to wash it. "I've never even enjoyed that kind of treatment." Liu Yumei set the vinegar she had just picked up back down. The noodles were already sour enough. *** Tan Wenbin took Runsheng's call and learned how things had unfolded. Truth be told, he was startled too. No wonder Xiao Yuan had risked his life last night to finish everything in one go—sure enough, the fish had taken the bait the very next day. The trouble was there were too many fish, which made them hard to handle. He had to call his dad. However, before paging his dad, Tan Wenbin hesitated. Knowing his father's habits, if the man saw a page from his own son, he would probably ignore it if he was busy; even if he wasn't busy, he likely wouldn't bother calling back right away. So the message he paged out was: *Uncle Tan, this is Xiao Yuan. Please call back.* He hung up, popped out a cigarette, and was just striking a match when the telephone rang. "Fuck!" Tan Wenbin shoved the cigarette back and answered the phone. From the other end came his father's warm, gentle voice: "Xiao Yuan? Is something the matter? Don't worry. Tell Uncle, and Uncle will sort it out for you." "Dad." "You little bastard." Tan Wenbin: "..." Tan Wenbin felt that the only thing painstakingly holding their father-son bond together was this fragile thread of shared blood. If he hadn't seen photos of his father in his youth, practically cast from the exact same mold as himself, he would have suspected he was adopted, or that his parents' generation had acted out some bitter melodramatic feud like the tragic soaps airing on TV nowadays. "Dad, got something to tell you. I'm playing cards in Xiting Town." Silence on the other end. "How about you come bust me?" The silence continued. "Dad, come pick me up in Shinan first, and then we'll head to Xiting together to bust me for gambling." "Did Xiao Yuan tell you to say that?" "Uh, yeah." *Click...* The call disconnected on the other end. Tan Wenbin pulled out money, paid for the call, and grabbed a handful of bubble gum. Before long, he saw a motorcycle driving up. Tan Wenbin waved and walked over. The motorcycle swung into a stop, kicking up a cloud of dust right in his face. "Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!" "Get on." "Oh, okay." The moment he got on, the motorcycle shot forward, forcing Tan Wenbin to grab his father's waist tightly. "Dad, slow down! If something happens to the two of us, wouldn't that just set Mom free?" The moment the words left his mouth, Tan Wenbin regretted them. Where had he found the nerve to tease his own father to his face? It was probably because Xiao Yuan had truly expanded his horizons last night. No matter how terrifying his old man was, he couldn't hold a candle to that nest of dead-flippers. To Tan Wenbin's surprise, his father didn't seem angry. In fact, through the motorcycle's rearview mirror, he could see the corner of his father's mouth twitch up, as if smiling. After entering Xiting Town, Tan Wenbin directed the way into the village. Then he got off first and walked into a gambling den—Runsheng had mentioned that his grandfather liked losing money here. Once Tan Wenbin went in, Tan Yunlong stepped off the motorcycle, carried his helmet, and walked in after him. He flipped the gambling table and kicked his son out. Without him even needing to show his badge or declare his identity, none of the gamblers in the den dared make a move against him. Some people possessed an aura that was born in their bones. Having wrecked the den, father and son stepped outside. Tan Wenbin led his dad to the front of Zhou Yong's house, where Runsheng was already standing. "Dad, we went inside before. So should we go back in to wipe fingerprints or something? After all, you're the professional." "You went inside." "Uh, yeah, last night. We went inside." "You went inside." "Yeah, we went inside. Even though we tidied up a bit, we definitely didn't clean it all..." Tan Yunlong felt that if Xiao Yuan were here, none of this nonsense dialogue would have taken place. He turned his head to look at Runsheng. "Where to next?" Runsheng answered, "The river." Tan Wenbin pondered for a long time before finally realizing: since his dad said "You went inside," then they had indeed gone inside, which meant that any traces left behind were only natural. Moreover, as long as it was established that they had gone inside, there was no need to go in again now. The three arrived at the riverbank. Runsheng had set a net in the river, so the corpses hadn't drifted away and remained caught there. Even Tan Yunlong, who had seen countless criminal investigation scenes, couldn't help but frown deeply at the sight, his face registering pure shock: "What on earth did you people do?" *** Li Zhuiyuan woke up. He opened his eyes and habitually turned his head toward the door, but didn't see the girl's figure. Because he was blind now. Soon, a warm little hand took hold of his own. "Ah Li, how long did I sleep?" Three fingers were held up against his palm. Three days? That was quite a long time. "Is Great-Grandpa back?" His hand was shaken side to side. "What about Runsheng and Binbin?" His hand was shaken again. "I'd like to take a bath." As he spoke, Li Zhuiyuan leaned his face toward the girl and took a sniff. Liu Yumei always scented Ah Li's clothes with incense, using different fragrances for different outfits. Right now, the scent had faded. That proved the girl had been staying right by his bedside the entire time. "Ah Li, go take a bath too. And then get some sleep." Ah Li reached out to help him out of bed, but Li Zhuiyuan waved a hand. "I'm fine, I can manage. At home, it doesn't matter whether I can see or not." Ah Li got up and left. Li Zhuiyuan sat on the edge of the bed for a while, then stood up. When he had first gone blind, he was somewhat unaccustomed to it. Now, he felt he had already grown used to it—he even began worrying in advance about what he would do if he wasn't used to seeing again once his vision recovered. The layout of his room surfaced in his mind. He calculated the distance of every step, walking forward, reaching out a hand, pushing open the door, then turning right, passing Great-Grandpa's room, and continuing right. Finally, he pushed open the bathroom door and walked inside. Clean clothes were always folded in advance and left on the shelf by the bathroom door. Pouring hot water into the bucket above and mixing in cold water proved a bit tricky, but with care, he managed. After bathing and changing into fresh clothes, he walked outside to catch the breeze for a while, feeling as though he had come back to life. Returning to the front of his room, he sat down in the rattan chair. Downstairs, Liu Yumei, who was combing her granddaughter's hair after her bath, watched the entire time as the boy calmly walked back and sat down. The rattan chair sat near the edge of the terrace, which was dangerous. She wanted to call out a warning, but held back. Her granddaughter made to stand up, but Liu Yumei pressed down gently and said, "Ah Li, even if he can't see, we still need to look pretty in front of him, right?" Ah Li sat back down. Unable to watch the scenery or read books, Li Zhuiyuan simply spaced out. Fortunately, it wasn't long before he sensed the girl sitting down beside him. He twitched his nose—the scent of osmanthus. This fragrance usually matched a bright yellow ruqun. "Ah Li, let's play weiqi." The girl took his hand and gave it a firm squeeze. Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand, traced a square in the air before them, and pointed to a spot in the center. The girl held his hand and pointed to another spot. Just like that, the two of them played Go against the empty air before them. As they played, the sound of a tricycle came from downstairs. Great-Grandpa was back. Auntie Liu asked, "Where are Binbin and Runsheng? How come they didn't come back with you?" "Them? They're at the police station assisting with the investigation. Retrieved five corpses this time—heh heh, quite a lucrative job." Li Sanjiang went upstairs, intending to take a bath first and drop in on Little Yuanhou as well. Li Zhuiyuan made no attempt to hide; living under the same roof, he could never keep his eyes a secret from Great-Grandpa anyway. Seeing the cloth tied over his great-grandson's eyes, Li Sanjiang nearly jumped out of his skin. He rushed forward and scooped the boy into a hug, completely heedless of the terrifying Ah Li right beside him. Li Zhuiyuan held Ah Li's hand the whole time, making sure she wouldn't lash out. Even so, he could sense that this time, her hostility toward an outsider approaching was far lower than before. Auntie Liu hurried up as well, explaining to Li Sanjiang that Xiao Yuan had caught an eye ailment, that medicine had already been applied, and that he would make a full recovery in less than a month with no lasting effects. But Li Sanjiang bellowed in fury, "Bullshit! Can a child's eyes ever be a small matter? Why didn't you tell me sooner!" His curse finished, he hoisted the boy onto his back, hurried downstairs, and headed straight for the village clinic. Zheng Datong examined him, asked questions, and shook his head. So Li Sanjiang rode his tricycle, pedaling Li Zhuiyuan to the commune health clinic. They spent the better part of a day getting examined at the health clinic, but the doctors couldn't reach a conclusion; they couldn't even determine the specific cause. Li Sanjiang discharged Li Zhuiyuan immediately and took a bus to the municipal hospital in the city, where another day of examinations turned up nothing conclusive either. Li Zhuiyuan tried to comfort Li Sanjiang while urging him to give up, repeating over and over that his eyes would heal soon. He thought Great-Grandpa would let it rest here. To his astonishment, Great-Grandpa took him straight from Nantong to Shanghai. This was the first time Li Zhuiyuan had ever ridden a car ferry, and his first time setting foot in the mainland's most prosperous metropolis. Pity that he couldn't see a thing; most of the time, the only sounds reaching his ears were the roar of engines and the blare of horns. Li Sanjiang had spent time in old Shanghai, but that was before the founding of the People's Republic. Today, he was no different from any ordinary peasant venturing into the city from the countryside. Yet Great-Grandpa was neither timid nor clumsy. He took the initiative to ask people for directions, hitting the mark every single time. Along the way, the sight of a white-haired old man guiding a blindfolded, adorable little boy proved simply too iconic and too pitiful to ignore. Because of that, a motorcycle taxi driver refused to take payment, the proprietress of a small guesthouse slipped their room fee back into their things, and the Shaanxi owner of a breakfast shop by the entrance gave them a free meal. Even at noon when grandfather and grandson arrived at the hospital, sitting on the stairs sharing huangmomo while waiting for the doctors to return for the afternoon shift, they crossed paths with an elderly professor who happened to be walking down the stairs. The elderly professor bumped them to the front of the line and brought in several other departments for a joint consultation. In the end, they concluded that the child had a nervous system issue affecting his eyes, and that he needed quiet rest without mental strain. He comforted Li Sanjiang, saying that within a month or two, the boy's vision might slowly return and gradually recover completely. Disorders of the nervous system were difficult challenges worldwide at present; the hospital had no surgery to offer and could only prescribe some medication. The elderly professor even left his personal contact information, telling them to come straight to him if the eyes hadn't improved after two months. Li Sanjiang thanked the doctor profusely. Once he led Li Zhuiyuan out of the hospital and turned into an alley next door, Li Sanjiang threw his arms around the boy and began weeping bitterly. "Xiao Yuanhou, it's all your great-grandpa's fault! Your great-grandpa is useless, I don't have the means to take you abroad for treatment!" All the suppressed pain of the journey erupted at this moment. Li Sanjiang fell to his knees on the ground, crying like a child. Listening to his cries, Li Zhuiyuan wanted to weep too, yet searching through his heart, he could find no trace of sorrow. He was capable of crying on cue, but right now, he didn't want to put on an act. He could only wrap his arms around Great-Grandpa's head, pressing his cheek against the old man's, while inwardly loathing himself for being this way. From then on, Li Sanjiang finally called an end to his quest for medical help, bringing Li Zhuiyuan on the return trip home. Sitting on the long-distance bus during their trip back, Li Sanjiang took a notebook and jotted things down. "Xiao Yuanhou, once your eyes are better, we'll make another trip to Shanghai. The least we can do is bring some local specialties and pay all these people a visit." Every person who had helped them along the way, Great-Grandpa had insisted on getting their contact information, recording it in his little book. Before going to Shanghai, Li Zhuiyuan had tried to dispel Great-Grandpa's idea by claiming they had no money to seek medical care in Shanghai. Yet Li Sanjiang patted the passbook in his pocket, saying there was plenty of money here: Ding Dalin had already paid the village for the land lease, though he'd only put down a deposit for planting the trees. That had given Li Zhuiyuan a fright—after all, the one buried under the fish pond hadn't fully dissipated yet. If the peach trees weren't planted soon, that presence might very well churn up the soil and come demanding an explanation. However, Li Sanjiang added that he was only using this money for an emergency, and that once they got back, he would mortgage the house to cover the peach trees. Fortunately, because everything went smoothly and they didn't get hospitalized in Shanghai, they barely spent any money aside from travel and lodging. Li Sanjiang muttered, "That huangmomo—I really couldn't stomach it." Before entering the hospital at noon, the two had actually each eaten a bowl of noodles outside. While grumbling about how outrageously expensive Shanghai was, Great-Grandpa hadn't forgotten to add an extra portion of meat for Li Zhuiyuan. The huangmomo, on the other hand, was an act of kindness from the owner of the breakfast shop next to the guesthouse; it wasn't made to sell, but prepared for his own family to eat. Neither grandfather nor grandson could quite take to this broomcorn millet dough. Having eaten the steamed buns and drunk the soy milk, they had kept the huangmomo. Later, sitting on the hospital staircase with time to kill, Li Sanjiang pulled out the huangmomo, taking a bite himself and feeding a bite to Li Zhuiyuan. They were treating it like a snack, mostly not wanting to waste food. Yet in the eyes of the old professor, the scene was tragic beyond words. Only later did they learn that the old professor's hometown was in northern Shaanxi. *** The rural bus pulled up at the village entrance, and Li Sanjiang stepped down holding Li Zhuiyuan's hand. Both let out a breath of relief. They were finally home. Li Zhuiyuan hadn't expected that his first "trip" with Great-Grandpa would be spent entirely in a state of blindness. Still, he did his best to handle everything he could on his own so as not to exhaust Li Sanjiang. Yet because his eyes were blind, he didn't know that every time Li Sanjiang watched him struggle to get used to living as a blind person, tears welled in the old man's eyes, breaking his heart more with every glance. The more sensible Little Yuanhou behaved, the heavier Li Sanjiang's self-reproach grew. He blamed himself for failing to take good care of the child. He had only just transferred the boy's household registration under his own name, and here the boy had come down with such an affliction; he was beginning to wonder if he was some kind of cursed jinx who brought doom to his own line. "Great-Grandpa, it's fine. Didn't the doctor say my eyes will get better after a while? It'll be just in time for me to go to school." At the words "go to school," Li Sanjiang paused, tears breaking through the dam again. Even so, he fought to steady his emotions, doing his best to let tears flow without sobbing so the boy wouldn't hear. "Aye, my Little Yuanhou's eyes will definitely heal. You'll definitely be able to go to school, haha." On their way seeking medical treatment, every time Li Zhuiyuan said his eyes would soon heal, Li Sanjiang would scold him, snapping that he was an ignorant little brat who didn't understand how vital eyes were and thought it was no big deal. Ever since their return, whenever Li Zhuiyuan said it, Li Sanjiang would agree with him, and even repeat those words over and over himself. On the village path of his hometown, wild field flowers smelled sweet. Returning home, they stepped onto the courtyard. Li Zhuiyuan's hands were soon caught by another pair of small hands. This time, Li Zhuiyuan felt the trembling in those hands, because Li Sanjiang was standing nearby, very close. Evidently, the girl's revulsion toward Li Sanjiang had surged dramatically. Li Zhuiyuan spoke up, "Ah Li, be good. Great-Grandpa took me to see a doctor." The girl's hands stopped trembling. She had taken it in, holding herself back. A smile appeared on Li Zhuiyuan's face. He felt a bit of regret that he couldn't see Ah Li's appearance right now, but thankfully, his memory held plenty of images, thanks to Ah Li changing into different clothes every day. The next moment, the girl threw her arms around his neck. Li Zhuiyuan reached out and gently patted her head. It was just that with everyone watching, saying that line felt somewhat embarrassing. The girl's body swayed slightly, seemingly displeased that the ritual had yet to be completed. Whatever. He couldn't see anything anyway, so what was there to be embarrassed about? "Tell me whatever you want, Ah Li. I've got money. Plenty of money." The girl was satisfied. She pulled back, then guided Li Zhuiyuan's hand to gently touch her own eyes. In the eyes of the onlookers, this was bound to look immensely touching. Guiding a blind boy's hand to touch her eyes—in an ordinary person's mind, it surely meant: *I will be your eyes.* "No, let's not play that..." Li Zhuiyuan, however, panicked. He knew Ah Li meant she wanted to play games with him, like walking the yin path as they had done before. He had gone blind precisely from severe overexertion; he didn't dare dabble in such things before his vision recovered, or he might go blind permanently. Seeing that Li Zhuiyuan refused, the girl took his hand and traced a square in the air, meaning they should play weiqi. "A little later, Ah Li. I want to take a bath and eat first, and then we'll play together this afternoon." Most importantly, because Great-Grandpa had dragged him off to seek medical help as soon as he woke, he hadn't yet had a chance to hear from Runsheng and Tan Wenbin how the matter had ultimately played out. "Come on, Xiao Yuan, I'll take you upstairs to wash up." Tan Wenbin reached out on his own initiative, guiding Li Zhuiyuan up the stairs. "Brother Binbin, why are you still here?" "Brother Xiao Yuan, what kind of question is that? Where else would I be?" "I thought you had gone home." "They were short on hands here. While you two were away, I stayed behind to help make paper effigies and deliver goods. Let me tell you, my paper crafting skills are fantastic now! Auntie Liu even praised the paper effigies I made." "Brother Binbin, you're amazing." "Heh heh. Auntie Liu said your eyes aren't in any real danger, right?" "Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry. Tell me how things played out with that matter." "Oh, that night Runsheng called me, and then I called my dad. My dad went to the scene. There were five corpses in the river: Zhou Yong's family, plus that father and son we met at Cuicui's house for her birthday—the ones where the father and son roles were flipped." "It was them?" Li Zhuiyuan had felt utter revulsion toward that dwarf who acted young to mask his old age. Truth be told, back then, if they had been dead-flippers, he would have set to work getting rid of them long ago rather than leaving such a hidden threat behind. Pity that they were living humans. Judging from everything he had experienced since returning to his ancestral home, dead-flippers truly weren't half as terrifying as living people. "Yeah. The tall one was hacked to pieces—Zhou Yong probably did that. The dwarf died too, looks like he was bitten to death by that mother and daughter." "What did the police say?" "A bunch of skeletons were found buried in the dwarf's courtyard, arranged in strange poses, and there were all kinds of bizarre, occult items inside the house. The true identities and father-son relationship of the dwarf and his son were uncovered as well. The conclusion now is that they were believers in some deviant cult—that they murdered Zhou Yong's family, and in the end held a ritual in the river, sacrificing themselves too." "Your dad had his work cut out for him." "Isn't that just the truth anyway?" "Yeah, indeed." "Right, Runsheng recovered some items, wrapped them all up, and put them in the workshop. Brother Xiao Yuan, do you want to have a look?" "What am I supposed to look with right now?" "Pfft... uh, sorry, Brother, I couldn't help it." "Brother Binbin, help me draw the water. I'll take a bath first." "Brother, let me scrub your back." "No need, I'm not used to that." "All right, I'll mix the water for you first, then wait outside your door." Emerging after his bath, the fatigue from the long journey finally faded. Tan Wenbin asked rather impatiently, "Brother Xiao Yuan, what you promised me..." "Has Brother Runsheng taught you how to use those tools yet?" "Huh? No, he only taught me how to make paper effigies!" "Ask Brother Runsheng to teach you how to use those tools first. After that, I'll try teaching you some other things—though they're quite difficult." "Haha! However hard they are, could they be harder than taking school exams and doing test papers?" Tan Wenbin caught himself immediately. "Brother, my tongue slipped! Stop right there, don't say another word!" "Brother Binbin, learn the basics first. You can use my set of tools." "Really, Brother Xiao Yuan? That's awesome!" He had been coveting that set of gear for a long time. Runsheng's set was too large and heavy, whereas Xiao Yuan's suited him just right. The reason Li Zhuiyuan intended to lend his tools to Tan Wenbin was partly because his current physical condition made wielding them strenuous, and partly because, having mastered the contents of the black-covered book, he now possessed a potent method to confront dead-flippers directly. As for what he would do if he lacked tools by his side? That wasn't an issue, because he would never face a dead-flipper alone without Runsheng and Tan Wenbin present. The boy sat back down in his familiar rattan chair. Ah Li was already waiting there. He reached out his hand, and Ah Li placed hers into it. The two began playing Go against the empty air. Because both were accustomed to rapid play, to an outsider's eyes, it simply looked like two children holding hands, constantly pointing and tapping at thin air. Returning downstairs, Tan Wenbin asked in confusion, "What are they doing? It isn't even dark yet—have they started counting stars?" Runsheng glanced up and said, "Playing weiqi, probably." Tan Wenbin snapped irritably, "Are you taking me for a fool?" Runsheng didn't bother explaining. "Brother Xiao Yuan said you have to teach me how to use those tools." "Alright." "So, when will you teach me?" "After we finish this batch of paper crafts. The clients need them urgently." "Why make so many all of a sudden?" "All three Niu families placed orders." "One family holding three memorial services?" "All three households lost someone. Three siblings." "Leaving this world together—what deep sibling love." Runsheng heard this and smiled faintly. Tan Wenbin immediately sensed something was off. "Did I miss something again?" "Work first. We'll talk tonight when I teach you how to use the gear." "Deal!" To welcome the grandfather and grandson home, Auntie Liu prepared a lavish dinner. After Li Zhuiyuan sat down, Tan Wenbin tried to lean in close. "Xiao Yuan, let me dish out food for you—whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ah Li's indifferent gaze swept over. Terrified, Tan Wenbin stumbled backward several steps and sat back in his own seat. He had already known the girl was not to be crossed, and though facing dead-flippers was supposed to have toughened his nerve, he had only grown more fearful of her. Li Zhuiyuan picked up his chopsticks. During his journey seeking medical care with Great-Grandpa, he had learned how to eat while blind: he simply needed to feel out the positions of the dishes and their contents in advance, and stay perceptive with his chopsticks. Yet the moment Li Zhuiyuan lifted his bowl, he felt food being placed into it. After scooping up two mouthfuls, more food was ladled on top. It was the girl dishing food for him. "Heh heh heh, heh heh heh." Li Sanjiang took a sip of liquor, watching the scene with a foolish grin on his face. Looking toward Liu Yumei seated at the small round table in the distance, he even bowed his head, showing a rare flattering expression. In the past, having secured the house and land, he naturally held his head high. Now that his great-grandson was blind, with no certainty of recovery, he naturally had to humble himself before this calculating old woman. No matter how favorable one's circumstances, nothing could offset a disability—especially blindness, which, in these times, meant virtually losing all ability to earn a living. According to village custom, someone with poor eyesight would usually end up marrying someone equally impaired. Sigh. Although this girl had a peculiar temper and couldn't speak, at least her eyes were fine. Besides, she was truly beautiful. Pity that his Little Yuanhou couldn't see her. Li Zhuiyuan focused entirely on eating, never guessing that his great-grandpa was already worrying himself sick over his future marriage. Not only that, Li Sanjiang had already prepared some gifts to visit Liu Jinxia after dinner, intending to pave an early career path for his great-grandson. Finishing his meal, Li Zhuiyuan set down his chopsticks and sat there. The girl picked up a handkerchief and carefully wiped his mouth. This time, before he could urge her to go to her room and sleep, she pulled him upstairs herself, leaving only after he had entered his room. Li Sanjiang carried some sponge cakes, cloud-slice cakes, and sweets, preparing to head out to Blind Liu's house. Before leaving, he saw Liu Yumei still chewing slowly and bowed respectfully to ask: "My, quite an appetite today! That's wonderful—good health is everything." With that, he finally left. As Auntie Liu ladled soup for Liu Yumei, she asked in wonder, "What's gotten into Uncle Sanjiang? He seems a bit strange." Liu Yumei let out a cold snort, spat out a fish bone, and muttered: "The old fossil is worried his great-grandson won't be able to find a wife." "Hahaha." Auntie Liu couldn't help covering her mouth in laughter. Liu Yumei started with a stern face, but was eventually drawn into smiling as well. "You have to admit, Uncle Sanjiang truly is quite a character." Just then, Ah Li came downstairs and walked into the east room on her own. Liu Yumei took a sip of yellow rice wine and said with relief, "Our Ah Li really is getting better and better." *** Night fell. Li Zhuiyuan sat before his desk and turned on the desk lamp. Then he turned it off again. Spreading out a notebook, he picked up a pen. He had promised to teach Tan Wenbin, so he certainly would. Though he couldn't see, it didn't hinder his writing. Having read Sister Ying Zi's high school textbooks and solved Tan Wenbin's exam papers before, Li Zhuiyuan drew upon high school syllabus points and exam material to fill an entire notebook with math problems for Tan Wenbin. After finishing the problems, he stretched his arms and rubbed his aching shoulders. This notebook would be handed to Tan Wenbin tomorrow. Li Zhuiyuan wasn't deliberately making things hard for him. Based on his own experience learning to retrieve corpses, the practical application of mathematics was an indispensable foundation. Wielding the tools required physics. Preparing the materials required chemistry. Even to understand the books he himself read, Tan Wenbin would need a grasp of language and literature. Runsheng possessed an innate gift—a genius that couldn't be envied. He and Binbin could only take the route of ordinary, struggling students. Still, if Tan Wenbin could truly master all this, it would conveniently solve his college entrance exam scores as well, fulfilling Li Zhuiyuan's promise to Tan Yunlong. "Meow... meow... meow..." A cat's cry came from outside. It was somewhat distant, not yet up on the courtyard, but since losing his sight, Li Zhuiyuan's hearing had grown much sharper. Recognizing who had arrived, Li Zhuiyuan habitually reached for his pen to tap against the cup beside him, but managed to stop himself in time. Rising from the desk, he made his way slowly downstairs. On two round tables on the ground floor, Runsheng and Tan Wenbin were sleeping soundly. Li Zhuiyuan walked down from the courtyard to the edge of the fields, crouched down, and held out a hand. Soon, a soft, furry sensation met his palm. The black cat was deliberately rubbing its head against him. Li Zhuiyuan simply sat down on the ground. The black cat leaped into his lap. He supported it with one hand while gently stroking it with the other. Unlike their past encounters, its body felt pleasantly warm right now. "Are they all dead?" "Meow..." "That's good. You're finally free." "Meow..." The black cat began gently pawing at his face. "Something went wrong with my eyes. They won't heal for a while, and I can't walk the yin path right now, so let's say our goodbyes like this." "Meow..." "If you're still a cat in your next life, find a good master." "Meow?" "Oh, forgive me. You've already had the best master in the world." The black cat's body began to dissipate. The resentment clinging to it had vanished, so what dissolved from it was no longer dark energy, but shimmering shards of crystal radiance. Beneath the moonlight, the boy sat upon the ridge between the fields, holding a cluster of stars in his arms.