Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 327

After handing in his exam paper in the afternoon, Li Zhuiyuan went to visit Professor Zhai's project team, whose office was located in the old library.

After the new library was built, a small portion of the old library was repurposed, while the majority remained unused.

When Li Zhuiyuan arrived, there were several trucks parked outside, and a group of older students were unloading goods.

Large boxes were unloaded from the truck and carried inside, but that wasn't the most tiring part. The real work was sorting and arranging them.

This also means that the project team is still in the preparation stage and cannot carry out work normally for the time being. Of course, this also depends on the work efficiency of these senior students.

A tall, thin girl wearing thick glasses, who was pouring water for other students, noticed Li Zhuiyuan and went up to ask him who his parents were, mistaking the boy for a teacher's child.

Before Li Zhuiyuan could even say his name, department, or class, the girl smiled and said, "Oh, it's you, junior!"

It seems that Professor Zhai made a special arrangement beforehand, as Li Zhuiyuan was led inside by this senior student named "Sun Mei" to complete the formalities.

The procedure was very simple, similar to registering. They gave me an ID card and a key ring with five keys on it.

Li Zhuiyuan offered to stay and help move the items, but Sun Mei refused, saying that the items were too big and heavy.

Li Zhuiyuan did not insist.

As we were leaving, a senior student lost his grip on the box, causing it to fall to the ground and some brochures and documents to spill out.

Li Zhuiyuan bent down to help pick them up, and happened to find an engineering report in his hand. The construction site was in Yuxi. After glancing at it again, he saw the Ailao Mountains in the small print on the cover.

After picking everything up, the boy got up and left. After walking a short distance, he stopped and looked back at the old library.

Li Zhuiyuan had a premonition that this place might become another "Xue Liangliang" in the future.

You can find clues about the waves from here.

Elder Zhai's identity is special. Although the Emperor's shadow has now left him, no one can be sure that the Emperor has truly lost all influence over Elder Zhai.

Does that mean that the Emperor can use this place to exert targeted influence on himself?

Although the wave that went to Fengdu was arranged by the Bodhisattva and the Great Emperor was merely using it to his advantage, this does not mean that the Great Emperor had no ability to intervene in the river.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't have much of a problem with this. If the emperor was no longer satisfied with sitting at home and sharing the merits, but instead wanted to go hunting, then he could understand.

The young man has been battling wits with the heavens for so long, he doesn't mind introducing another one. Only by muddying the waters can he, as the "temporarily weaker party," take advantage of the chaos and strive for his own interests.

There's nothing wrong with short-term cooperation between two parties if their short-term interests align.

When Li Zhuiyuan returned to his dormitory, he noticed that every room on the floor was filled with resentment.

The bustling scene of the past is gone; many students are now diligently reading books and doing exercises.

Normally, university final exams aren't scheduled so tightly. One exam in the morning and one in the afternoon is considered too rushed. It's usually normal to have exams every other day or even every few days. Having two exams in the morning and two in the afternoon like today is extremely rare.

The college students who have already spent a full year in college are quite old now, no longer the young and energetic teenagers they were in their final year of high school.

Moreover, all the previously highlighted key points were invalidated, and all the new exam papers were replaced with new ones, making last-minute cramming a waste of time.

It can only be said that Xue Liangliang went to great lengths to select people. He himself came from the student background, so he naturally understands the importance of fighting among those of the same origin.

In the dormitory, Tan Wenbin was lying on his bed, talking on the phone with Zhou Yunyun using his mobile phone.

Lin Shuyou sat behind his desk, diligently preparing for the exam he would be taking the next day.

The learning efficiency during the journey along the river was truly high. In the gaps between life-or-death crises, learning became a kind of enjoyment that brought inner peace.

The difference in their current performances also shows that Tan Wenbin has studied better and is more at ease with the exam. Shuyou is also quite good, but his chances of getting a good ranking and a scholarship are still a bit uncertain.

"Brother Xiaoyuan is back, I'll hang up now." After hanging up the phone, Tan Wenbin sat up. "Brother Xiaoyuan, Brother Liang called and said he wants to have dinner with us tonight at Lao Sichuan."

"What time is it?"

"They should already be there."

"Let's go then."

Lin Shuyou lowered his head.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Ayou, stay in the dormitory and continue reading."

Lin Shuyou: "Okay."

Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin left the school and went to Lao Sichuan.

Xue Liangliang was indeed waiting in the private room. When he saw them arrive, he called the owner to serve the dishes.

It was just a simple get-together to chat about everyday things and work.

It's clear that Xue Liangliang looks much more haggard. Perhaps for him, accompanying Engineer Luo to Fengdu last time was a kind of rest.

After the break, Xue Liangliang, whose seniority was once again recognized, was assigned more work.

If Luo Gong initially intended to pave the way for Xue Liangliang's growth, now Luo Gong is having Xue Liangliang help him relieve stress, allowing him to stand on his own completely.

Finally, the gathering ended with a toast of three glasses of soy milk.

Before driving away, Xue Liangliang left a package containing a long letter, a silk scarf, jewelry, and some local specialties sent to him by his parents from his hometown in Anhui.

Tan Wenbin patted Xue Liangliang on the shoulder, and Xue Liangliang punched Tan Wenbin in the chest twice, everything was understood without words.

Walking back, just as we reached the school gate, we saw Lu Yi helping a male student out of the school.

The television on the counter in the store would play various videotapes, and sometimes students who came to buy things would gather around there to watch them.

Today's movie is a martial arts film. This male student got so engrossed in it that he slapped the counter with an iron palm strike.

He didn't actually use much force, but he was just unlucky; the blow landed right on his arm, shattering the glass and cutting his arm, causing it to bleed profusely.

The boy was startled and kept saying he would pay for it.

Lu Yi was startled. He didn't need to pay compensation and quickly took the person to the school clinic.

"I'll go with him."

Tan Wenbin took over, grabbing the boy's shoulder with one hand and supporting his arm with the other. With a slight exertion, the bleeding from the boy's wound immediately slowed down.

In the office next to the infirmary's duty room, Fan Shulin opened the bottom drawer, moved the newspapers on top, and took out a magazine with an explicit cover.

The magazine pages were curled and frayed, clearly indicating that it had been read and studied many times.

These kinds of things are hard to find. Fan Shulin risked going to the overpass a few times and bought a few sets of magazines, but the vendors were really too unscrupulous. Only the covers looked okay; the contents were either printed incorrectly or had nothing new at all.

Unfortunately, when buying and selling, Fan Shulin felt like a thief. He dared not linger to browse and select items. After being cheated several times, Fan Shulin gave up.

Sigh, the set that Tan Wenbin gave me back then is still the most comforting.

Although the content is memorized, sometimes all you need is this to ignite a fire, to get the oil flowing, and then you can rely on your imagination.

The night is long, and the doctor on duty alone can only rely on this little bit of food to satisfy his hunger.

"I wish you could send me a few more sets..."

Fan Shulin shook his head immediately after he finished his remark.

Thinking about the "terrible" patient who had sent him to the hospital, Fan Shulin felt that it was best for his life to have less of this kind of unconventional stimulation.

“Duoduoduo…”

There was a knock on the office door.

With a "whoosh," Fan Shulin quickly put the magazine back into the drawer, then pushed it shut with the tip of his shoe, the drawer closing smoothly.

Immediately afterwards, that nightmarish voice rang out:
"Dr. Fan? Dr. Fan?"

Looking at that face, Fan Shulin felt helpless, but for some reason, he felt a pang of longing for her after not seeing her for so long.

I went into the operating room next door to have my wound treated.

Compared to the previous injured person brought in, this one's injuries seemed too normal, which made Fan Shulin a little disappointed.

Tan Wenbin: "Dr. Fan got promoted? He even has his own office now."

Fan Shulin: "Yes, they mentioned the salary increase."

At the beginning of the year, an accident occurred at a nearby construction site, injuring many workers. The injured were sent here, which was nominally a school clinic and a small community hospital. Its medical resources and standards were relatively low. Faced with this special situation, everyone was in chaos. Fan Shulin stepped forward and performed outstandingly, which led to his promotion.

After treating the wound, we need to leave it for a while to observe it.

Fan Shulin invited Tan Wenbin into his office for tea.

Fan Shulin started by sharing his recent experience of failing at blind dates, and as someone who had been through it all, he advised Tan Wenbin to cherish his university years and try to find a suitable partner while still in college.

Tan Wenbin wholeheartedly agreed with Fan Shulin's sound advice, adding that he already had a girlfriend and had met both sets of parents. He would often visit her home when he returned to his hometown, and she would frequently visit his home and even travel with his mother.

After hearing this, Fan Shulin felt as if an effervescent tablet had been added to the tea he had just drunk, and his nasal cavity was filled with a sour smell.

He stood up and checked the injured person again. After confirming that there was no problem, he asked Tan Wenbin to leave.

Tan Wenbin led the boys back to school. Fan Shulin stood on the balcony, watching their departing figures, and couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.

The second day of exams was still packed with activities.

On the third day, we finished up the work.

Tan Wenbin kept his promise and treated the whole class to dinner at Lao Sichuan Restaurant.

There are no class fees or contributions required; everyone can order food and drinks freely within reasonable limits.

Kids who have just turned 18 often prefer to prove themselves in adult ways, and they usually end up getting drunk.

What was supposed to be a final banquet turned into a story of senior year separation.

Many people made a pact to get the summer vacation early so that the brothers could reunite, since the make-up exams for failed courses are usually held before the official start of the semester.

The next morning, Li Zhuiyuan and the others prepared to ride home in a large truck.

Lu Yi woke up early and loaded drinks and food into the car so they could eat and drink on the road. There was also a large bag of red sausage.

Li Zhuiyuan glanced at him.

Lu Yi took the initiative to speak up: "Brother Xiao Yuan, my mom called yesterday and said that all the offerings on the table were eaten up, not a single one was left. The bowls and plates were cleaner than if a dog had licked them... cleaner than if they had been washed."

The water, whether black or red, has stopped gushing out, and construction can resume immediately.

My mom said she wanted to thank the classmate who gave me the idea and would like to invite you all to come over to my house sometime.

Li Zhuiyuan: "When I have time."

"Alright!" Lu Yi took a few steps back and waved to them. "Take care on the road and have a safe journey."

……

"Come, come, this is for you, this is for you, this is for Sister Liu."

Liu Jinxia concluded her trip to Jiujiang, bringing back many local specialties and gifts for her fellow women.

The gifts given to Wang Lian were mainly large and small bags of food, the gifts given to the Flower Granny were souvenirs, and the most expensive gift given to Liu Yumei was a local tea.

Liu Yumei flicked the teapot with her fingertip, signaling Aunt Liu to pour out the freshly brewed tea and replace it with the one Liu Jinxia had brought back.

Cui Cui also brought gifts for A Li and is showing them to A Li one by one.

Ah Li stopped what she was doing, sat down, and watched.

After Cui Cui finished her demonstration, A Li lowered her head and continued making her handicrafts.

"hey-hey."

Cui Cui knew Ah Li's personality; it was already quite remarkable that she would take the time to watch her performance.

After going out to wash her hands, Cui Cui prepared to continue learning to paint with her sister, A Li. She wanted to paint the Lushan Waterfall on her own.

Old Tian himself pushed the cart and transported the refrigerator to Li Sanjiang's house.

These items were originally intended for Liu Jinxia, but she refused them.

Old Tian stayed at Big Beard's house, so the color TV was left behind and can be shown to Benben.

This refrigerator is really unnecessary. The main reason is that we have a little yellow bird in the house, so the kitchen is always chilly, a natural refrigerator.

As for the sofa that was the first to be delivered, it was given to Li Sanjiang by Lao Tiantou.

Right now, a whole row of them are placed in the living room on the first floor, with a bunch of paper figures sitting on them.

Granny Hua nudged Liu Jinxia, and Wang Lian glanced at her, secretly amused.

Liu Jinxia glared at them irritably and continued playing cards.

After Old Tian put his things away and left, Granny Hua teased, "Oh dear, you're acting like a big shot, not even acknowledging me."

Wang Lian: "I'm afraid they're heartbroken, they didn't even come over to say hello."

If it's someone else in the village who's rumored to be dating, whether it's mutual affection or just wishful thinking, it's perfectly normal for people to get close to them.

But that person was also playing cards at the table.

Even if you gave Old Tian ten lives, he wouldn't dare to shamelessly approach at this moment.

Liu Jinxia: "What are you talking about? I've figured it out. At our age, we should simplify our lives and have fewer entanglements so that when we close our eyes and lie in our coffins, we can have fewer worries and feel more at ease."

"Isn't that reasonable, Sister Liu?"

Liu Yumei took a sip of tea and swallowed it with some difficulty.

He glanced at Liu Jinxia and said:

"If you didn't know better, people would think you went to Jiujiang for tourism, but if you didn't know better, they would think you went to some nunnery and became a monk."

Liu Jinxia blushed, while the other two burst out laughing.

After returning home, Lao Tian first went to the herb garden to pick herbs, and then pounded them.

If this medicine is given to Runsheng and Lin Shuyou, there's a concern that it won't be effective enough. But if it's given to ordinary people, you have to deliberately let more of its medicinal properties evaporate and be wasted, otherwise it's easy to overdo it.

Although he didn't see her up close, he noticed from a distance that Liu Jinxia seemed somewhat weak, likely due to recent emotional turmoil, and that she needed some nourishment and conditioning.

After making the pills, Old Tian packed them in a bag and went to Liu Jinxia's house.

Although she hadn't been away from home for many days, there was still a lot to do and tidy up when she returned. Li Juxiang was busy with all of this by herself.

As Cuicui said, her mother had no friends.

There used to be a man named Lanhou, but he never returned to Nantong after he went to university.

Therefore, Li Juxiang had no one to share her travel experiences with.

Two men stood on the village road, sizing up Li Juxiang, who was working on the dam.

One of them was named Wang Sanchang, or Wang Sanhou by the villagers. He was notorious in the village for being idle and lazy.

But he was lucky; he had three daughters. In his early years, he didn't raise them seriously, and his wife raised them all by herself. After his three daughters got married, he had three sons-in-law. With his wife taking care of the land and his three sons-in-law sharing some of their filial piety, he could live a decent life and even have some extra money to gamble.

The man next to Wang Sanhou was in his early thirties, with a large gold chain around his neck, looking very impressive. His name was Cao Yang, and his family was in the seafood business, making quite a bit of money.

With the recent crackdown, all the card rooms and old gambling dens in town have been shut down. If you want to play cards, you can only come to the village where it's safer. So Wang Sanhou organizes the games, and he comes to play the cards.

When I arrived here, I was thinking of relieving myself by the paddy field, but I immediately spotted Li Juxiang, who had just returned home not long ago.

The woman was young, plump, and had fair skin. Her gentle demeanor immediately captivated Cao Yang.

Seeing this, Wang Sanhou introduced Cao Yang to him from the side.

Finally, it was pointed out: This won't work. Her family is cursed. Any man who enters her house will soon be placed on the altar.

Cao Yang laughed and said, "It's not like I'm marrying her. Can't I just have some fun? Anyway, there are no men in her family. I can just give her money and some gifts."

Wang Sanhou: "She's not short of money. If you really try to seduce her, her mother, that blind Liu, will probably come out with manure and throw it at you."

Cao Yang stroked his chin, clearly not having taken his words to heart, his eyes revealing a lewd glint.

"Give."

Old Tian bumped into the two of them.

Cao Yang: "Are you blind, you old geezer!"

Old Tian turned around and gave Cao Yang a half-smile.

For some reason, Cao Yang felt uneasy under that glance and stopped cursing. Just then, everyone was gathered and called him to the table. He took one last look at the pretty widow on the dam and left with Wang Sanhou.

Old Tian had overheard what the two men had said earlier, and he was actually looking forward to that guy coming up with some crooked ideas, preferably with some concrete actions.

The young master had already called to tell him about the Jin family's affairs. The young master had recognized Liu Jinxia as his godmother, so their family's affairs were the young master's affairs, and the young master's affairs were his old Tian's affairs.

Sometimes, if you want to do something, you need to have something to do.

After handing the pills to Li Juxiang and instructing her on how to take them, Old Tian declined to come in for tea and left directly.

However, he didn't go back to Big Beard's house. Instead, he found a secluded haystack outside Wang Sanhou's house, lay down, and took out peanuts from his pocket to peel and eat.

With images from various novels and storybooks constantly flashing through his mind, Old Tian was also slightly excited.

Before the game had even started, shouts came from inside. First, a group of people rushed out in a panic, and then Wang Sanhou helped Cao Yang, whose chest was covered in blood, out of the house.

It turned out that Cao Yang had drawn a 10-of-a-kind, which matched against the opponent's 10-of-a-kind. The one who got the 10-of-a-kind was the dealer, and Cao Yang immediately slammed his fist on the table and cursed the opponent for daring to cheat.

In the new venue, the players were not familiar with each other. After exchanging a few words with Cao Yang, the guy opposite him got angry, pulled out a switchblade, and stabbed Cao Yang hard in the chest.

Old Tian sighed, knowing he had waited in vain.

It's unclear whether Liu Jinxia's family was just incredibly lucky to have been killed off by Cao Yang beforehand, or whether their trip to Jiujiang allowed them to benefit from the river's good fortune through Jin Xingshan's connections.

Generally, when the afterglow of a wave is still present, the gaze of Heaven is upon you, and the karmic consequences of "punishing evil and promoting good" will be very timely.

Old Tian dusted off the peanut shells on his clothes, got up, and hummed a song listlessly as he walked home.

Halfway there, we saw a large truck in the distance.

He recognized it; if nothing unexpected happened, the big truck was carrying the last "Zhao from Jiujiang".

Unfortunately, the young master did not return to Nantong with Young Master Li and the others this time.

And I myself am not allowed to leave Nantong for the time being.

In order not to disturb his great-grandfather, Li Zhuiyuan parked the truck in the open space next to the bearded man's house.

Li Zhuiyuan had already completed the construction drawings and handed them over to Tan Wenbin.

It's a huge project, and it has to be carried out late at night when everyone is asleep.

When Tan Wenbin received the blueprints, he joked:
"Grandma Liu's family has all returned, but the other team hasn't returned to Nantong yet. Are they afraid we'll arrest their laborers?"

Runsheng: "We're still using their materials."

After getting off the bus, Li Zhuiyuan did not rush home, but instead headed towards the peach grove.

When they passed the dam, Benben, who was happily watching the big color TV in his crib, saw the passing boy, immediately sat down and lowered his head.

That means there are no homework books in the crib, otherwise he might just show you how he does his homework with his head down.

Li Zhuiyuan walked into the peach grove.

They saw Su Luo playing the zither, and Qing An sitting with his chest exposed, drinking wine.

Li Zhuiyuan recounted to Qing'an how Wei Zhengdao behaved after he created a phantom image of Wei Zhengdao while shedding the skin of the black dragon.

Qing An tilted his head back, took a sip of wine, and said:

“It’s normal. All illusions are manifestations of your mind. What he is like in your mind will inevitably manifest as such. In your mind, he is a rebellious guy who insists on being different.”

Hehe, that's really apt, kid, you've really suffered at that guy's hands, hahaha..."

Li Zhuiyuan stood quietly to the side.

After Qing An finished laughing, he gently shook the wine jar in his hand: "That's all? I can only afford a sip of wine." Li Zhuiyuan: "I need to build a platform, but I'm short of wood. I'll need to cut some from you, not much."

Qing An: "Sure enough, the buyer is never as shrewd as the seller. You little rascal, you clearly put a price tag on me."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Only then will you have the motivation to work hard to find high-priced items to sell to you."

Qing'an: "In the northwest corner of the outer perimeter, you can have your people cut down a few trees."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Thank you."

Qing An: "The dragon spirit is in your hands, but you gave that dragon skin to that Zhao family brat?"

"Ah."

Where is Zhao from Jiujiang?

"Went out."

"Who destroyed it?"

"I was merely someone he led the way. Besides, he personally removed the Zhao family of Jiujiang from the list of officials."

Su Luo's piano playing became somewhat disordered.

Qing'an glanced at him, then continued shaking the wine jar in front of him, and said:
"When I first slapped that kid, I knew he was no ordinary person."

Then, Qing'an looked at Li Zhuiyuan and pointed the wine jar at the young man:
"Kid, don't you realize you're raising a dragon that will eventually harm you?"

Li Zhuiyuan answered calmly:

"Who is capable of raising dragons?"

Qing'an fell silent and closed her eyes.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Did he say something similar before?"

Qing'an didn't answer, but instead tilted his head back again, downed half a jar of wine in one gulp, and said:

"Cut down as many trees as you want."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. You know how to do business, kid."

Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the peach grove and told Tan Wenbin that he could come here to cut timber that night.

When the four returned home, Li Sanjiang had gone out to deliver goods with Uncle Qin and Xiong Shan and had not yet returned.

Ah Li sensed something and stood on the second-floor terrace early, waiting for the boy.

Cui Cui stood behind A Li, watching A Li's back and then watching Yuan Hou walk onto the front of the dam.

She really wanted to paint this scene, but unfortunately, she couldn't because of her current painting skills.

"Hmm... I should ask Grandma to buy me a camera."

Li Zhuiyuan went up to the second floor, intending to sit with A Li in a rattan chair as usual and recount their experiences from the previous wave.

However, the girl took his hand and led him into the house, handing him two newly completed wood carvings.

The carving depicts the two generals, Zeng and Sun.

When the boy left home, he was already preparing for the creation of the talisman armor and had pre-ordered the mules and horses to handle it.

Because General Zeng has two forms, three sets of talisman armor are needed to replace General Zeng.

In that case, the two generals of increase and decrease, who were originally placed together with the valiant White Crane Boy, are somewhat inappropriate. Mainly because they were carved by Lin Shuyou, and I don't know if it's because Ayou's skill is limited or intentional, but they are ugly.

The newly carved figures of the two generals, Zeng and Sun, by A Li are exquisite and full of spirit.

However, Li Zhuiyuan still reminded him:
"It's carved so well."

The first white crane attendant to arrive should rightfully receive preferential treatment.

Ah Li nodded, picked up the carving knife, and made a cut on each of the two generals, Zeng and Sun.

A sense of damage has emerged.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Perfect."

Cui Cui, standing next to her, didn't understand why her sister A Li would make such a cut on the exquisitely carved statue. She unconsciously looked down at her empty wrist.

"Little Cuihou, Little Cuihou, come with Grandma!"

The card game downstairs ended, and Liu Jinxia called Cuicui to go home.

"Here comes, milk!"

Cui Cui ran out.

Ah Li looked at Cui Cui's back, then at her own table.

Li Zhuiyuan saw a delicate bracelet on A Li's desk, among a pile of materials.

This bracelet is quite unique and stands out here, because even the scraps on the table are valuable, but this bracelet is carved from ordinary wood.

Maybe it was firewood burning in the kitchen.

Li Zhuiyuan picked up the bracelet.

Cui Cui, who had just run out, ran back and stood at the door, saying, "Oh right, Brother Yuanhou, I brought you a gift. It's under your desk. Hehe, I just forgot to show it to you."

"Cui Cui, this is a new bracelet that A Li gave you."

Cui Cui was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. She held the bracelet tightly in her hand and jumped up and down several times.

"Thank you, Sister Ali!"

Cui Cui came in, went up to A Li, and hugged her, but didn't dare to hug her too tightly.

Downstairs, Liu Jinxia was still calling out, so Cuicui had no choice but to go down.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the girl in front of him, and the girl was also looking at him.

The boy smiled, and two dimples appeared on the girl's lips.

Downstairs, Lin Shuyou was wiping three coffins with a rag.

Tan Wenbin is unpacking the refrigerator.

"Brother Bin, didn't you say you were going on a date with Zhou Yunyun after the exam?"

"It's not just for you."

"for me?"

"The formation platform in the field behind the house needs to be completed as soon as possible, so that Brother Xiaoyuan can take you back to Fujian to integrate the officials and generals."

"Brother Bin, you're so kind."

"Hey, brothers are like limbs, women are like clothes." Tan Wenbin turned around and looked at Lin Shuyou seriously. "Who told you to be my brother?"

"Yeah, bro!"

Just then, Aunt Liu, who had returned carrying a bottle of vinegar, called out to Tan Wenbin:

"Zhuangzhuang, is your cell phone out of power? Yunyun said she couldn't get through, so she called Aunt Zhang. I was just there buying vinegar. Yunyun said she got home safely and will come to see you tomorrow morning."

"I understand, thank you Aunt Liu."

Lin Shuyou looked at Tan Wenbin.

Tan Wenbin: "Our big truck can't hold that many people, it's too crowded. Yunyun is riding in my dad's truck with my mom and the others, and we're also going back to Nantong today. My dad was injured at work again, so he has some time off."

Lin Shuyou: "Clothes..."

Tan Wenbin: "Look at those people who are missing arms or legs, they still need to wear clothes when they go out, right?"

Lin Shuyou: "Hmm."

Tan Wenbin pressed the refrigerator switch.

The refrigerator made a sound and then stopped, and the overhead light also went out.

Tan Wenbin: "Hiss, it seems we need to find some time to replace all the wiring in Grandpa Li's house. Ah You, could you do a quick repair? You're good with electricity anyway."

"okay."

Lin Shuyou picked up his tools, walked to the outer wall, climbed up, and began to repair the circuit.

Li Sanjiang returned, his tricycle loaded with many things.

As is customary, Li Sanjiang would give red envelopes to his family members during holidays and festivals, and also order clothes for them. People like Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu always received one.

There's nothing I can do. The main problem is that they ask for too low wages, and they work very diligently. I offered to raise their wages, but they refused.

Then we can only try to make up for it in other ways.

Uncle Qin, Aunt Liu, Xiong Shan, and Li Hua all bought fabric and had it custom-made at a tailor shop. Since they usually work and don't go out much, they just need clothes that are close-fitting and breathable.

Children's clothes shouldn't be made by tailors; those are too old-fashioned. Young people should dress in brighter colors.

Xiao Yuanhou called ahead, so Li Sanjiang knew the children's return date long ago. After delivering the goods today, he went to Shigang Town and picked out two sets of summer clothes for each of the children, along with shoes.

He didn't look at the roadside stalls, not because of quality issues, but because they were too cheap.

Li Sanjiang went to the mall to find shops and reported his height, weight, and shoe size to each one.

He knows his own mule perfectly, down to the hair and hooves.

"Young Marquis Yuan, this is yours."

"Thank you, sir."

"This is from Ah Li."

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the newly stacked set of clothes. The pattern and style were the same, except one set was black and the other was pink.

Grandpa, you really have a good eye for choosing.

When Li Sanjiang said this, he deliberately looked up and glanced at Liu Yumei, who was sitting there drinking tea after the card game ended.

This mercenary old lady is so lazy.

These days, what woman doesn't know how to sew shoe soles?

Li Sanjiang had to go to town to buy cloth shoes for Uncle Qin and Xiong Shan.

He's probably the only one in the entire Siyuan Village who needs to go to the market to buy cloth shoes.

Liu Yumei continued drinking her tea, too lazy to pay him any attention.

"Zhuangzhuang, this is yours."

"Thank you, Uncle Li."

“Youhou, this is yours.”

"Thank you, Uncle Li."

"Hey, Youhou, you got your hair permed? Why is it all sticking up?"

"No, the electricity was just fixed."

"Oh, that's good. It's always a good thing to learn another skill."

"Yeah, I think so too."

"Lord Runsheng, this is yours."

"Thank you, Uncle Li."

"This is..." Li Sanjiang sighed, "This is for Mengmeng. You have her address, right? Should we send it to her?"

"Ah."

Li Sanjiang looked at the coffin in the hall with some helplessness: "She was a good girl. She was efficient and hardworking. Sigh, she should have been someone who could manage a household."

Aunt Liu: Dinner's ready!

After dinner, Li Sanjiang got into a good mood and sat on the dam to watch TV with Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou.

Li Zhuiyuan and A Li sat on the terrace, playing chess under the starry sky while recounting the story of the previous wave.

Actually, everyone was waiting until late at night, waiting for Grandpa to fall asleep.

Only then can construction begin.

However, there's no rush. The tranquility of summer nights is indeed quite enjoyable.

Li Sanjiang threw his cigarette butt on the ground, stomped on it, and asked in confusion:
"Hey, where did Marquis Runsheng go?"

Tan Wenbin: "I don't know."

I really didn't know; Tan Wenbin was still planning to take Runsheng and Lin Shuyou to the peach orchard to cut timber later.

Lin Shuyou: "Back to Xiting?"

Li Sanjiang: "Why would he go back to Xiting so late at night? Besides, the tricycle is at home. Does he expect to walk there?"

Li Zhuiyuan upstairs knows where Runsheng went.

He watched as Runsheng carried the things down the dam and headed towards the riverbank in the distance.

At this moment, a light that kept flickering appeared there, which must be someone burning paper money.

riverside.

Runsheng first laid out the simple altar he usually kept in his backpack and placed it in front of him.

Unscrew all the lids to reveal the offerings and drinks. Though small, it has everything you need. After lighting the candles, it's all done.

Next, Runsheng dug a shallow pit with a Yellow River shovel, then lit yellow paper and put it in to burn.

Pick up a dry twig and rummage through it to make it burn more thoroughly.

Then, Runsheng took out the ghost money, tore off the packaging bag, and put it inside.

At night, this ghost money looks just like real banknotes.

Runsheng released a lot at once because Yinmeng was quite fond of money.

It's important to understand that in rural areas today, only a minority of people are willing to specifically buy paper money for the dead to burn.

Runsheng took the goods from Grandpa Li's house. He has to report to Aunt Liu tomorrow morning so that the money can be deducted from his wages.

As the fire burned, Runsheng suddenly scratched his head.

Right now, it's a rare moment in his day when he's actually using his brain.

He suddenly thought of a question: if Yin Meng is down there, does she need to use paper money?

But no matter what, it's already burned.

Runsheng thought it should still be useful, since everyone says that it's easier to deal with the King of Hell than with his underlings.

After a while, the yellow paper and ghost money were put in. When the fire was at its strongest, Runsheng unpacked the new clothes, hesitated for a moment, and finally put them into the fire.

These are clothes that Grandpa Li bought for Mengmeng. Grandpa Li asked him to send them to her.

The only way Runsheng could think of to send it was this.

For thousands of years, this has been the same custom in various places: when sending things to relatives in the afterlife, they are burned.

Clothes are not easy to burn; you have to keep poking at them with twigs, and once they start burning, they produce a lot of smoke.

Runsheng went to great lengths to ensure that all the new clothes were burned to ashes, and the shallow pit that was originally there is now filled to a great height.

Just as Runsheng set up the offering table, the Gu worms flew out from Runsheng's collar.

It first flew around Runsheng a few times, then around the offering table, pausing briefly on each dish, and even taking a bath in the wine.

After the paper offerings were started, the worms flew around the fire and would occasionally burrow into it.

At first, Runsheng was worried that it had gotten drunk and was thinking of committing suicide by setting itself on fire.

The truth is I was overthinking it. This Gu worm has evolved to the point where it's no longer afraid of ordinary fire.

It seemed to be deliberately showing off its prowess to Runsheng, constantly darting in and then flying out.

When Runsheng started burning the clothes, it simply stayed inside for a long time.

Finally, after Runsheng pulled at its clothes, it slowly flew out again.

It's all burned, all mailed.

Runsheng sat down.

Facing the ashes, gazing at the river.

He didn't know how to miss someone. According to what he saw on TV, he should recall the little things he did when he lived with her in the past.

Runsheng learned it this way, and he did it this way.

Whenever he needed to use his brain, he would sit alone on the edge of the bed and recall a part of the past. When he felt he had enough, Runsheng would forget that he had a brain and lie down to fall asleep.

During her stay in Nanjing, Zheng Jiayi, the wife of counselor Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng's best friend from her time in Nanjing, came to visit Yin Meng excitedly, only to find that Yin Meng was not there.

Runsheng said that Yin Meng had gone back to her hometown.

Zheng Jiayi looked at Runsheng and asked, "You two broke up?"
Runsheng nodded and said yes.

Zheng Jiayi sighed, "How could she bear to do that?"

They used to go shopping together and buy clothes together. Zheng Jiayi used to tease Yin Meng a lot about how serious she was when buying clothes for Runsheng.

Even though they haven't officially established a relationship, their natural and skillful manner is comparable to that of an old married couple.

Yin Meng would often laugh and retort: "Of course! From childhood to adulthood, apart from my grandfather, no one else has ever been kind to me unconditionally."

The evening breeze blew across the lake and reached the shore, causing the rolled-up candle to sway.

Runsheng was wondering whether the package had been delivered or not.

If it's not delivered, it's a waste of money...

Runsheng, who is usually frugal in his daily life, is truly being extravagant.

"If I had known, I should have asked Xiaoyuan first."

"Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo..."

The wind swirled the ashes in the air, making them dance before finally settling to the ground.

Just then, Runsheng picked up a Yellow River shovel, ready to tidy up the place.

The shovel stopped as soon as it was lifted.

The ashes on the ground formed a crooked and ugly line of words.

Runsheng smiled.

She received it.