Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 388

Flames dance on the portrait.

It curls, twists, and dents, making a series of subtle, crisp sounds.

At this moment, silence seems to speak:
"Don't touch me."

However, considering that the Emperor is not from Sichuan or Chongqing, but from Henan, it is possible that:
"You're just sitting next to me for nothing."

However, Li Zhuiyuan only spoke to the Emperor's Shadow, whose tone was exactly the same as Elder Zhai's, and whose Mandarin was very standard.

In short, the attitude of the Emperor of Fengdu was clear and unambiguous.

Admittedly, diverting the trouble eastward and using one enemy to devour another is indeed a very good method.

With the abilities and wisdom of a young person, it is certainly possible to make an attempt in this regard.

But Li Zhuiyuan did not intend to do so.

Because he knew that the final result of such an attempt would inevitably be a meaningless failure.

That giant tortoise only had itself in its eyes.

It's not stupid; it just wants to kill someone, not to start a natural disaster.

It will not give any reason for the intervention of martial arts forces or other forces; it will consciously avoid and handle all of this.

The rain is coming and the wind is all over the building.

This is not a description, but a tactic.

Li Zhuiyuan's earlier initiative to ask Zhao Yi to take his men back to Jiujiang was not a ploy to play hard to get.

Although... Zhao Yi was indeed very susceptible to this.

He discovered a pattern in his own experience: the bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish.

But the big tortoise will clear the area.

Before it truly arrives, those "unrelated people" who can sense its existence will inevitably have various methods to predict the crisis that will occur here, either through premonition or divination.

Therefore, no matter how clever Li Zhuiyuan's deception was, it was useless at this point.

Even if Li Zhuiyuan tries his best to organize a massive sale of the treasures hidden in his grandfather's basement and lures in a large group of influential figures in the underworld, most of them will eventually scatter like birds and beasts.

The small group of people who didn't disperse will voluntarily hand you over, sacrificing you to appease the giant tortoise's rage and protect peace in the world.

In other words, only a true "fool" would be willing to stand beside or even in front of it in such a situation to resist it.

There are indeed such people in my family.

But the more family members are like this, the less you want them to sacrifice for you.

The portrait has been burned.

Li Zhuiyuan cleaned the ashes from the offering table and looked at the empty wall above:

“Master, for the next painting, I will definitely make you even more handsome. For example, I will remove the beard from your face.”

Li Zhuiyuan left the temple and returned to the dam.

Grandpa had no work today, so he sat on a stool by the living room door, shelling peanuts while watching TV.

The TV was showing "Journey to the West," and it was showing the scene where Sun Wukong was expelled from his master's sect by the Bodhi Patriarch.

“You will surely cause trouble if you go there. No matter what trouble you cause, you are not allowed to say that you are my disciple! If you utter even half a word, I will know it and I will skin you alive, grind your bones to dust, and banish your soul to the deepest hell, so that you will never be able to rise again.”

Li Zhuiyuan turned his head and looked at the east room.

On the altar in the east room, there were countless memorial tablets, but only two candles, a few plates of snacks, and a cup of yellow wine were offered.

Actually, the candles were mainly because she was too lazy to run a light bulb inside, and the materials were special. During the day, they could not only provide light, but also be used as incense and to repel mosquitoes. When going to sleep at night, Liu Yumei would put out the candles.

As for the few plates of snacks and yellow wine, it was because Liu Yumei had a habit of chatting with the ancestral tablets at night. Rather than offering them to them, it was more like Liu Yumei preparing them for herself.

Without the soul, no matter how grand the pomp and circumstance, it's ultimately just fooling oneself. It would be fine if one didn't understand, but Liu Yumei knew it best.

Li Zhuiyuan entered the east room, took incense from the offering table, lit it over the candle flame, took three steps back, held the incense in both hands in front of his forehead, and bowed three times. After steadily inserting the incense into the incense burner, he performed the final bow.

Sometimes, when Grandma Liu is in a bad mood, she likes to yell at the memorial tablets, using all sorts of sarcastic and mean language.

After all, if the two companies hadn't declined, many of the so-called problems wouldn't have been problems at all, or even occurred.

If the Qin and Liu families were still at their peak, there would probably be countless Uncle Qins and Aunt Lius in the family, not to mention this large table of Dragon King spirits.

Li Zhuiyuan had visited the Zhao family ancestral hall in Jiujiang, where there was an offering table shaped like a dragon, with Zhao Wuyang's memorial tablet enshrined at the dragon's head.

In the ancestral hall of the Dragon King Yu family, in addition to the Dragon King's memorial tablet, there are also the companion beasts that once accompanied the Dragon King, which enhance the grandeur of the place.

For the Dragon King's family, the number of ancestral tablets is enough to reveal the difference in their social standing.

The ancestral tablets of the Qin and Liu families are now enshrined together. Even if the two families were separated, according to the custom in Sichuan and Chongqing, relatives would have to open a mahjong room after lunch to entertain them. The Qin and Liu families would each have to open several rooms, otherwise there would not be enough room to accommodate everyone.

If they were still alive, Li Zhuiyuan could live at home with a clear conscience, or even consciously and deliberately hide from them.

Given the family traditions of the Qin and Liu families, they would never hand over their own child to be sacrificed as atonement, especially not to an evil spirit.

Leaving aside the question of whether the giant turtle would still be willing to force its way ashore given the sudden increase in costs.

Anyway, one thing is certain.

When the giant turtle emerges from the seabed, you can immediately see rows of people standing on the shore, waiting to "welcome" it.

After Yin Meng came to her home, Grandma Liu talked to her about Yin Changsheng.

In her words, Grandma Liu placed the Dragon King's sect under Fengdu.

But that's because Yin Changsheng is still alive, while the Dragon Kings of all generations did not seek immortality and regarded living a life of mere survival as shameful.

Grandma Liu then added, half-jokingly, that people like them in the world generally wouldn't want to actively seek a blood feud with the Dragon King's faction.

Because the latter truly possesses the ability to have "endless descendants," with a new Dragon King appearing every so often, and if those Dragon Kings aim to suppress and kill it, they can move even a mountain.

Chen Xiyuan poked her head out from behind the door frame and asked curiously:
"Little brother, what happened?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "It's nothing."

Chen Xiyuan: "Something must have happened. When I was a child, I liked to go to the ancestral hall and complain to the ancestors about my grandfather."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Wasn't your grandfather good enough to you?"

The old master of the Chen family treated Chen Xiyuan as the apple of his eye. He even said that if she got tired of walking on the river, she should quickly light the lamp again, admit defeat, and go home.

Chen Xiyuan: "It's because my fourth aunt and fifth aunt had a fight. My fourth aunt said that my fifth aunt has always disliked her and that she has been feeling unwell recently. She must have been cursed by my fifth aunt in the room."

Then I quickly came out to help Aunt Wu prove that nothing had happened. Aunt Wu and Uncle Wu were in the room, and all they did was cry and complain. They said that Uncle Wu didn't care about her and always regretted not being able to marry Sister-in-law Si back then. They said that Aunt Wu kept asking him what was so good about Sister-in-law Si that she could learn from her.

Grandpa was so angry that he told me to shut up and even broke off a willow twig, saying he was going to hit me.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Your grandfather is really going too far."

Chen Xiyuan: "That's right. As soon as I finished speaking, Fourth Aunt stopped arguing immediately, and Fifth Aunt was cleared of her grievances."

Li Zhuiyuan: "You have made a great contribution to this family. Because of you, there is much less infighting and deceit in this family."

Chen Xiyuan: "Yes, yes, so after Grandpa beat me and left a red mark on my arm, I ran to the ancestral hall to complain to our ancestors about Grandpa."

Li Zhuiyuan: "And then?"

Chen Xiyuan: "Then when my grandfather ran into the ancestral hall, he tripped and fell, and his wine gourd cracked open, and all the wine he had treasured evaporated completely."

This person is truly favored, not only by their grandparents but also by their ancestors, and even more so by the will of Heaven.

Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the east room.

Chen Xiyuan: "So, if you suddenly feel like going to the ancestral hall to worship, it must be because you have been wronged outside and want to ask your ancestors for support."

Li Zhuiyuan: "No, I just had an itchy hand."

Chen Xiyuan: "Really?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Yes, really."

Chen Xiyuan reached out and patted Li Zhuiyuan's arm, then patted her own chest:

"Little brother, don't worry. Your family's Dragon King spirit is gone, but mine is. Although there isn't much, it's enough. We're setting off for Hainan tomorrow, right? I'll take you to my family's ancestral hall then. You can offer a few sticks of incense, and I guarantee my ancestors will give me face and bless you as well."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Thank you."

Chen Xiyuan: "Hehehe."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Have you finished copying Zhao Yi's book?"

Chen Xiyuan: "He went to the bearded man's house and ransacked it. I'll go check on him later, and I'll also play a few more tunes with that guy under the peach grove. Sigh, he's leaving soon, I really hate to see him go."

To make friends through music is truly to find kindred spirits.

Li Zhuiyuan: "You can ask him if he would like to move to a different place, such as outside your Chen family ancestral home."

Chen Xiyuan: "Is that okay?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "His body alone is big enough to fit a coffin; it's not difficult to move."

Chen Xiyuan: "If he really wants to go, I'll clear out all the coconut groves in front of my ancestral home and plant peach trees all over them! My grandpa would be overjoyed if he saw that!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm."

Old Master Chen must have been overjoyed. His granddaughter brought in a large evil spirit from outside and placed it in front of the Dragon King's ancestral home.

From now on, when guests visit the Chen family, they will have to be mindful of Qing'an's attitude.

Anyone without musical talent is prohibited from entering.

Chen Xiyuan: "But little brother, what will you do if he's gone? I can't do that."

Li Zhuiyuan: "He's not my slave."

Chen Xiyuan: "Isn't he your doorman?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "That was his part-time job."

Chen Xiyuan: "Never mind, with him here, little brother, you'll be much safer and more secure living here. If any enemies come here, they'll definitely head straight for that peach grove, and then he'll hang them up and give them a good beating first, uh..."

At that moment, Chen Xiyuan suddenly understood something.

She lowered her head, looked at the flute in her hand, and then slowly gasped:
"My God!"

Clearly, she finally realized that if she didn't know music and mistook the woman for an old lady, her fate would probably be exactly the same as what she had just described.

"Little brother, that was close!"

"Luckily you realized it quickly."

Chen Xiyuan turned her head to the side, pouted her lips, and looked at Li Zhuiyuan:
"Now I can understand when you mock me."

Li Zhuiyuan: "So you used to take it as a compliment."

Chen Xiyuan: "I'm ignoring you, I'm going to play the flute."

Just then, Aunt Liu returned from outside and said, "Miss Chen, a letter has arrived from your home."

Chen Xiyuan: "Sister, thank you for your hard work."

"You carry the load, I lead the horse, welcoming the sunrise and seeing off the sunset~"

As the episode ended, Li Sanjiang clapped his hands, took out a cigarette and lit it. Watching Chen Xiyuan take a letter from Aunt Liu, he looked at Li Zhuiyuan, who was standing beside him, with some surprise and asked:
"Is your family so poor that you can't even afford a phone call and have to send letters?"

That wasn't just a simple letter, but a kind of visiting card.

The matter with the Yu family has long been over, but Chen Xiyuan has not returned to Hainan yet, so her family must have come to inquire about it.

It seems that Chen Xiyuan has told her family about what happened at Old Madam Liu's place.

However, she must have been careful not to mention herself, so that it would be easier for her to steal things from the Chen family.

In response to his grandfather's question, Li Zhuiyuan replied, "Some older people just like to write letters."

Li Sanjiang shook his head and said, "The little girl also said that her family is quite well-off. She even said before that her family owns a travel agency and wanted to invite me to Hainan for a trip. I thought it was unreliable at the time and didn't dare to agree."

Look at how much the little girl eats at each meal. She's clearly not getting enough to eat at home. How can a family like that be well-off?
In other words, I'll only go if I win the lottery and can go without spending any money.

"Young Master Yuan, remember this: when we get to Sanya, absolutely do not let Xi'er's family come over. It would be too much of a burden for them to spend money on us; there's no need for that."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Yes, sir."

Chen Xiyuan was opening the envelopes. Each layer of paper had its own seal, but she was too lazy to unseal them, so she just violently tore them apart, and a layer of dust fell off each one she tore off.

"This letter is from my Dragon King Chen family to the old lady, this letter is from my grandmother to the old lady in her personal capacity, and... wait... this letter is from my grandfather to the old lady in his personal capacity?"

Aunt Liu: "Will you deliver it or should I deliver it?"

Chen Xiyuan: "Sister, please go and deliver it. I feel it's a bit unfair to my grandma to send this to my grandfather."

Aunt Liu: "Should we just destroy this letter for your grandma?"

Chen Xiyuan: "Then I'm sorry to my grandfather."

Aunt Liu: "You are so filial."

Chen Xiyuan waved and happily ran towards the direction of the bearded man's house.

Aunt Liu also took these letters to Cuicui's house.

Li Zhuiyuan sat down next to his great-grandfather and helped him peel peanuts.

People who enjoy drinking alcohol generally love fried peanuts.

"Young Master Yuan, we're going to the airport tomorrow. Have you packed your things yet?"

"It's packed."

"Then come with me this afternoon to burn some paper money at the ancestral graves. We'll burn it in advance since we'll be in Hainan for the festival."

"it is good."

At this moment, Tan Wenbin took the air pump he borrowed from Aunt Zhang's shop and pumped up the tires on his bicycle.

"Uncle Li, Brother Xiao Yuan, my dad just called me and said he's back in Nantong. I'm going to see him."

Li Sanjiang: "Why don't you have your dad come over for dinner? It'll save us the trouble of cooking."

"No, Uncle Li, he still needs to visit my grandparents in the north and south."

"That's true. Why didn't you drive? You haven't ridden this bicycle in a long time, have you?"

"The car is out of gas."

Li Sanjiang reached into his pocket and took out some money.

Tan Wenbin: "It's not far, just to town. We'll use less oil and save some money. I'm off, Uncle Li!"

He hopped on the bike, pushed off, and Tan Wenbin sped down the slope.

Li Sanjiang had already taken out the money and was too lazy to put it back, so he handed it to Li Zhuiyuan:

“Little Yuanhou, you and Zhuangzhuang share this month’s allowance.”

Li Zhuiyuan didn't refuse, took the money, counted it carefully, and said:

"Grandpa, it's not enough to divide into four equal parts."

"Then take more."

"I'm so sorry, please give me some more so we can all round it up."

"Alright, I'll go back to the room and get it later. As for the money, I have plenty!"

"Uncle Sanjiang, Marquis Xiaoyuan."

Li Weihan rode over on that old-fashioned bicycle.

Li Sanjiang: "Hanhou, what's wrong? Look at the smile on your face, did you dig up gold in the fields?"

Li Weihan: "Pretty much. Panzi came back last night and said that Marquis Lan has returned."

Li Sanjiang: "Lanhou? Your little girl?"

Li Weihan: "Of course not."

Li Sanjiang: "If you're coming back, then come back."

Li Weihan and Xiao Yuanhou were both there, so Li Sanjiang didn't bother to say anything bad about Li Lan.

Even when Li Lan was young, he disliked the title "Marquis Lan".

Although every time they met, Lan Hou addressed him very affectionately.

But Li Sanjiang felt that this girl was very fake.

He wondered if he was overthinking things. How could such a young girl have such deep thoughts? Shouldn't her likes and dislikes be written all over her face?

But every time they met, this feeling was so strong that it made him feel uncomfortable all over, and he even dreamed about her that night.

I dreamt that she sneaked into my house and stole things from my cellar.

Fortunately, he didn't like the Marquis of Lan, but he really loved the child that the Marquis of Lan had.

Unlike when Lanhou called him that when he was a child, he felt uncomfortable and thought it was fake. But when Xiao Yuanhou called him "Grandpa" for the first time, he felt that the boy's eyes were full of sincerity!
As it turned out, I wasn't mistaken!

Li Weihan looked at Li Zhuiyuan and asked, "Young Marquis Yuan, when will your mother arrive home? Your grandmother went to town to buy meat early this morning and asked me to meet her at the village entrance. The village has changed a lot, and I'm afraid your mother won't recognize the way since she hasn't been back for so long."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Grandpa, my mother is on a business trip in Shanghai. She took some time to come to Nantong yesterday. She originally wanted to come back to the village to see you, but she received a call and has to go back. She said she will come back to the village after she finishes her business in Shanghai. It will be a few days. She will call in advance."

"Ah, good, good, it's good that you're back." Li Weihan couldn't hide the disappointment on his face. "Uncle Sanjiang, how about coming to my house for lunch? The meat has already been cut, and it won't keep well this time of year."

Li Sanjiang: "Don't you have a refrigerator at home?"

Li Weihan: "Let's buy fresh ones when Lanhou comes back."

Li Sanjiang: "Get out of here! I'm not going to eat your leftovers. I'd rather eat Lanhou's leftovers."

Li Weihan: "Then I'll have my wife cook some dishes and send you a big bowl of them."

Before Li Sanjiang could reply, Li Weihan turned his bicycle around and rode away. He was used to Uncle Sanjiang being dissatisfied with his children.

Li Sanjiang looked at Li Zhuiyuan: "Young Marquis Yuan, you saw your mother in the city yesterday? Why didn't you tell your great-grandfather?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Grandpa, I'm doing very well, I can't be bothered to mention her."

Li Sanjiang laughed, but realized it was inappropriate afterward and immediately suppressed it.

That's right, Li Lan came to help him fight for a chance to survive.

But even without her, I am full of vitality.

Now, she's really starting to pack her bags, ready to accompany her great-grandfather to enjoy the sun and sand of Hainan.

Li Sanjiang: "Little Yuanhou, if your mother is willing to change her mind, don't always keep a straight face. Respond when you should, call her 'Mom' when you should. It will be good for you in the future."

Oh, right, and your Grandpa Bei too. Give him a call more often. I could tell from your last trip to Beijing that he really likes you.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Long-distance calls are expensive."

"Sigh, you're a good kid in every other way, but you're so stubborn. Why won't you listen to me?"

Li Sanjiang was shelling peanuts while lecturing them, his cheeks bulging out.

He hoped his son would have a bright future, but the son only cared about himself, which made him happy.

Aunt Liu returned after delivering the letter, a smile on her face.

She read all three letters with Liu Yumei.

The letter sent in the name of Dragon King Chen contained only normal greetings between members of the Dragon King's household.

The letter sent in the name of Chen Xiyuan's grandmother was written in the first half by Chen Xiyuan's grandmother and in the second half by Chen Xiyuan's grandfather, who said that she was slandering and spreading rumors about him. The letter from Chen Xiyuan's grandfather was written in the first half by him and in the second half by Chen Xiyuan's grandmother, exposing his past.

Clearly, before the three letters were sent out, both sides intercepted each other's letters and made additions.

After reading the letter, Liu Yumei flicked the envelope with her fingertips and said with a laugh, "These two are already old, it's one thing to show off their love at home, but they have to do it in front of me."

When Li Sanjiang saw Aunt Liu return, he called out:
"Tinghou, let's make lunch first."

Aunt Liu: "Uncle Sanjiang, it's still early."

Li Sanjiang: "Let's eat first for me and Xiao Yuanhou. We'll finish eating early and then go to the ancestral graves to burn paper money."

Aunt Liu: "Okay, I'll do it right away."

On the dam of Big Beard's house.

Zhao Yi is copying a book.

It was still very hot tomorrow, but he was sweating profusely, well, all cold sweat.

Before reading the internal report, I had an extreme longing and desire for it.

After reading it, I realized just how utterly wicked the content was.

Between the lines, I saw not a trace of reverence for the Way of Heaven from the man surnamed Li; his words were full of scheming.

The mighty Heavenly Way, in the eyes of the man surnamed Li, is no different from a haggling auntie in a vegetable market.

After copying a short passage, Zhao Yi had to stop writing, take a deep breath, catch his breath, and adjust his state of mind.

Chen Xiyuan skipped and hopped into the peach grove as she passed by the dam, like a butterfly flitting among the peach blossoms.

Zhao Yi witnessed this scene and sighed.

Old Tian brought over a freshly made pastry: "Young master, please try this."

"Old Tian, ​​I should have learned more musical instruments when I was a child."

“Young master, when you were a child, you had trouble even breathing while lying in bed, let alone playing musical instruments.”

"Yes, so I deserve to be hung up and whipped like a chime bell."

Benben, the baby in the crib next to him, stood up, gripping the railing, ready to listen to the music.

Soon, melodious music drifted from the peach grove.

But just as they were getting into the zone, it came to an abrupt end.

Benben blinked, somewhat puzzled.

Zhao Yi frowned slightly and muttered, "What's going on?"

Inside the peach grove.

Chen Xiyuan stared at the flute in her hand, puzzled.

It was playing very well at first, but suddenly the tone went wrong.

She tried blowing a few more times, but found that it still didn't work.

Ordinary people can't tell the difference, but for tone-deaf people like them, even the slightest deviation is unbearable.

"Could it be... that the flute is broken?"

Chen Xiyuan raised the flute, held it above her head, and squinted as she looked inside.

Inside the wooden house.

Qing'an placed his hands on the zither, and the wind blowing in from the window gently stirred the hair at his temples.

After a long silence, Qing'an spoke:

"Go back."

"Okay." Chen Xiyuan nodded. "I'll go back and see what's wrong with this flute. Oh, right, little sister is very capable, she can definitely fix it for me. I'll come back tonight."

Qing'an: "Go back now."

"Mm." Chen Xiyuan bowed towards the wooden house. "Senior, see you tonight."

She also regretted that she couldn't let the other person enjoy the duet to the fullest.

He turned and walked out of the peach grove.

Qing'an's voice rang out once again:
"Go back."

"Ok?"

“Go back to your Qiongya, go back to your Chen family.”

"Yes, senior, I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Ah."

Qing'an responded with a sound of agreement and then said nothing more.

Chen Xiyuan paused for a moment, then continued walking and left the peach grove.

Zhao Yi waved the book in his hand and shouted to her:
"Miss Chen, I've copied your copy."

Chen Xiyuan jumped onto the dam, took the book, flipped through a few pages, and exclaimed in admiration:

"Your handwriting is really good."

Zhao Yi: "Was your first reaction to look at the words?"

Chen Xiyuan: "Good handwriting is pleasing to the eye."

Zhao Yi: "I haven't finished copying the second one yet. You can come over tonight and choose which version's handwriting suits your taste better."

Chen Xiyuan: "Okay."

Zhao Yi: "What happened inside just now?"

Chen Xiyuan waved the jade flute in her hand: "There's something wrong with my flute, I need to go back and ask my little sister to fix it."

Zhao Yi's expression, which had been normal, froze upon hearing those words.

In Zhao Yi's mind, Chen Xiyuan's words translated to: There's something wrong with my family's ancestral graves.

This jade flute is almost identical to the ancestral artifact of the Dragon King Chen family.

Chen Xiyuan: "Then I'll be going now, see you tonight."

Zhao Yi: "See you tonight."

After Chen Xiyuan left, Zhao Yi sat down again and took Benben out of the crib next to him.

While her eyes showed a thoughtful expression, she gently pinched her clumsy, tender face with her fingertips.

Benben was fuming, but dared not resist, because if he did, his manhood would suffer.

After a long while, Zhao Yi spoke:

"Xu Ming."

Xu Ming, who was helping to set up the large offering table, immediately straightened up and replied, "Yes."

Zhao Yi: "Notify everyone to pack their things and be prepared to return to Jiujiang at any time."

"Yes."

"Ah, Yi-ge, didn't you say we were going to stay a little longer?" Chen Jing poked his head out from the roof, where he had been helping repair the roof tiles. "I haven't been to Wolf Mountain yet."

Chen Jing deliberately put Langshan last because he had heard that there was nothing else fun to do in Nantong besides Langshan.

Zhao Yi looked up at Chen Jing and said, "Then have Ali take you there now, and come back as soon as possible."

"Okay, Sister Li, Sister Li, Brother Yi said we should hurry up and go to Langshan to play."

Zhao Yi put Benben back in the crib, and Benben breathed a sigh of relief.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Yi flicked his hand down towards Benben's groin, making a "smack!" sound. He missed, but Benben was so frightened that he fell backward.

"Hahaha!"

Zhao Yi smiled happily.

Liang Yan came out and asked, "Boss, everything's ready. When do we leave to go back?"

Zhao Yi: "Don't rush, I'll go to that guy surnamed Li's place and find out his bottom price."

After leaving the bearded man's house, Zhao Yi headed towards Li Sanjiang's house, where he ran into Tan Wenbin, who was riding his bicycle back home.

"Hey, Otoko, what are you busy with?"

"Just came back from the government office."

Tan Wenbin met Tan Yunlong at the Shigang Police Station. Tan Yunlong was not back to visit relatives, but on official business.

The leader of a criminal gang was arrested in Nanjing. According to his confession, it was discovered that one of his former underlings, who had been involved in bloodshed, was now doing very well on his own, running lottery activities in several cities in the province. He was currently in Nantong.

A while ago, someone died at a lottery draw. The person in charge almost knelt down to Li Sanjiang and begged him to accept the prize. He was not only afraid that he was involved in fraud, but also afraid that his past would be exposed.

But his greed was too great. He thought he had avoided this opportunity and planned to make up for the losses by holding a few more lotteries. Who knew that he would be arrested at the lottery draw today?

As a result, the assets of his so-called shell companies, including unredeemed prizes, will be frozen, which means that Li Sanjiang's luxury family trip to Sanya will be temporarily canceled.

Tan Yunlong saw Li Sanjiang's name on the list and gestured for Tan Wenbin to go back and explain things properly to Grandpa Li.

Tan Wenbin was not surprised at all, after all, Xiao Yuan had predicted it to him yesterday.

Zhao Yi handed Tan Wenbin a cigarette and asked, "Tan, are you being honest with me? Is another big wave coming?"

Tan Wenbin nodded: "Yes."

Zhao Yi gestured with his hands and asked, "How big is it?"

Tan Wenbin gestured and said, "It's as big as a lazy dog."

Zhao Yi exhaled a smoke ring: "But I no longer have any clans to receive titles from."

Tan Wenbin: "Mm."

Zhao Yi: "The chickens I raise at home in Lushan are about to lay eggs, so I have to rush back."

Tan Wenbin: "Yes, of course, of course."

Zhao Yi: "Tsk, this isn't like you, Tan Daban. That guy surnamed Li told me to go back to Jiujiang, and you, Tan Daban, didn't even try to stop me?"

Tan Wenbin: "Because it's unnecessary, one more foreign team won't make a difference."

Zhao Yi: "No, I need to get that guy surnamed Li to tell me himself!"

Tan Wenbin: "Foreign team, if you calculate the time, your next wave will be coming soon. You know that if you ask now, you might get caught up in someone else's wave."

Zhao Yi walked to the cement bridge at the front, squatted down, and puffed on his cigarette like an old farmer.

Tan Wenbin: "Outside team, I'll be going now?"

Zhao Yi: "Come back and squat with me for a while."

Tan Wenbin: "I still have to go back and report to Grandpa Li. I can't go to Sanya for the time being."

Zhao Yi: "Let me talk to you about mind reading again."

Tan Wenbin: "Anyway, we can't go to Sanya, so it doesn't matter whether we tell them sooner or later."

After Tan Wenbin squatted down, Zhao Yi pursed his lips and asked:
"Daban, do you think I'll regret it if I really leave this time?"

"At least you, from the other team, can still live and regret it."

Zhao Yi flicked his fingers together and crushed the lit cigarette butt, saying incredulously:
"Just what kind of terrifying bastard did that Li woman's mother provoke this time?"

Tan Wenbin nodded.

Zhao Yi: "Say something."

Tan Wenbin: "Do you really want me to say it?"

Zhao Yi: "Wait, stop! Well, this time it's so serious that even the guy surnamed Li isn't confident. So what about you guys..."

Tan Wenbin: "We will definitely stand with Brother Xiaoyuan through thick and thin. I'm on guard now, worried that Brother Xiaoyuan will kick us aside."

Zhao Yi lit another cigarette, took a quick drag, and then threw the cigarette butt into the river.

a long time,

asked:

"What about Ayou?"

……

The ancestral graves of the Li family are in a mess.

For ordinary people, having a tombstone after death was a luxury in the past. So in ancestral graves, only the "younger" ones had a tombstone as a marker. For the previous generations, many graves were next to each other, without even a fixed tombstone, and they were no longer distinguishable.

Li Zhuiyuan discovered that there were many man-made pits next to the ancestral graves.

Li Sanjiang pointed at them and laughed, "These are grave caps that other families dug up and put on our graves when they came to pay respects to their ancestors. Everyone says that our Li family's ancestral graves have been on fire for years, it's very prosperous."

Especially for families with school-aged children, after Li Zhuiyuan became the top scorer in the provincial exam, even if their ancestral graves were in the east of the village, they would make a special trip to the west of the village to dig up a grave cap, take it back, cover their ancestors' graves with it, and point to it while pleading with their ancestors:

"Smell it, look at it, and use this scent to bless your child's academic success!"

This is something to be proud of. After all, they didn't dig up the entire grave area; they just dug some soil from the outer edge. It's an acknowledgment of your family's development.

Li Sanjiang took a shovel to clear away the weeds nearby, and also tamped down some grave mounds. At the same time, he also introduced Xiao Yuanhou to the grave mounds: who is this, and who is that.

As Li Zhuiyuan set out the small offering table and other sacrificial items, he kept looking up at the grave mound, repeating the name his great-grandfather had taught him.

In the past, when my great-grandfather took me to the ancestral graves to burn paper money, he didn't pay such attention or go to such great lengths. Perhaps he felt that burning paper money ahead of time this time was a bit improper, so he said more nice things and was more enthusiastic, asking the ancestors not to blame him.

"Hey, why is there a dent here?"

Li Sanjiang leaned on his shovel, frowning as he looked at a dent in front of him.

Li Zhuiyuan had finished setting things out and then came over.

Unlike mountainous areas where there's a slope or hill to share ancestral graves, ancestral graves in plains areas are not typically built on top of each other. However, older families may consciously build higher graves, adding layers of elevation with each generation.

Therefore, there are many small mounds in the area, surrounded by trees, which look quiet and unique, but in fact, they contain graves.

However, this arrangement must take into account the drainage during rainy days, so the slope must be taken into account when arranging the grave. It cannot be sunken in the middle and flooded, because many people use coffins at the bottom, which are essentially hollow, and water can easily form small puddles after accumulating.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Grandpa, we need to pad that side again, and make another opening here to go down at an angle, so that it's easier for the water to pass through."

Li Sanjiang: "Young Master Yuan, is this what you studied in university?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Hmm..."

Li Sanjiang: "It works! Sure enough, when the descendants are successful, the ancestors also benefit. So you have to work harder and bless them well so that they can have this many more times."

After a pause, Li Sanjiang smiled again:

"Don't worry, Little Marquis Yuan, once your great-grandfather is in bed, I won't do anything else but urge them not to sleep in all day long, so that I can bless you."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Grandpa, you're not lying here. The grave you and Uncle Shan chose is over there."

Li Sanjiang: "It doesn't matter, the underground passage is connected anyway, and it's not far."

Next, Li Sanjiang began filling the soil and then modified the path.

"Who did this? How can you put a grave here? It's like they just dug a water tank in the middle of the land. Even if you want to save time, this is no way to do it. Who did this? So unruly!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Judging from the situation, the graves down there must be quite old."

Li Sanjiang: "Hmm, your great-grandfather can see that, but it's all just paving the way out. Who would cut in line? If it's done like this, you won't notice anything wrong for decades. Once you do, the bottom will be completely sunken and the ancestors have been soaking in the dark water."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Everything's fine down there, everything's alright."

Li Sanjiang: Really?

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm."

Li Zhuiyuan had already examined his family's ancestral graves and found that they were not what one would call auspicious feng shui sites. Their biggest advantage was that they were... non-toxic.

Li Sanjiang looked left and right, puzzled, and said, "Hey, universities these days are something else, they even teach this."

As he continued working on it, Li Sanjiang suddenly froze.

"Grandpa, what's wrong?"

Li Sanjiang slapped his forehead, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Haha, I remember now, it was me who went to the grave."

As he spoke, Li Sanjiang looked around again and continued, "Yes, yes, I did it. It was many years ago. Back then, I was only a few years older than you, Xiao Yuanhou."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Grandpa, you've been doing this kind of work so early?"

Li Sanjiang: "That won't do. Fortune tellers rely on blindness, and funeral directors rely on the elderly. You haven't even grown your hair yet, who would invite you to sit in the ceremonial hall? Sigh, to be honest, I'm really embarrassed."

Li Sanjiang sat down to catch his breath, took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and patted his pocket.

"Grandpa, it's here with me." Li Zhuiyuan took out the matches he had just used to light the candles and lit the cigarette for his grandfather.

Li Sanjiang: "That was many years ago, just like I just mentioned, when he was a few years older than you."

I remember that night, I secretly went fishing in the river. Back then, not only did the land not belong to you, but the river also belonged to the landlord. You couldn't go down there during the day.

That night, while I was touching things, a float drifted right towards me, which made me incredibly happy!
Your great-grandfather here is naturally unafraid of the dead. Seeing that the phantom was wearing nice clothes, I wondered if I could steal some money to spend.

When I touched him, damn it, he was a poor guy. He had a lot of pockets, but they were so clean there wasn't a single hair on them.

What's even more damning is that this guy didn't actually die!
There was no other way but to drag the guy out and secretly carry him home.

Sigh, that was the first time in my life that I carried a corpse... no, he wasn't dead yet, but ever since, even when I carried a floating object, it was never as strenuous as that time.

All I remember is that when I carried it home, I was so tired that I almost fainted.

Settle this guy in at home, get him some grain, and make him some porridge.

I'll feed him.

As a result, this guy just stared at me, and every time I fed him a spoonful, he spat it out. So I kept feeding him, and he kept spitting it out!
But it infuriated me! Back then, grain was so precious, even your great-grandfather wouldn't have been willing to drink something so thick!

Since he won't eat, I won't feed him anymore. Let him die on his own.

But after waiting for several days, this guy was still alive. Not only was he alive, he coughed violently at night, keeping me awake. Even though he hadn't eaten or drunk anything, he coughed harder each night.

Even if he keeps making a fuss, I feel bad leaving him outside to fend for himself, and seeing how much pain he's coughing in, I really can't bear to do it.

I wondered if he was sick, like with lung disease, but back then I was penniless, so I could only steal medicine from the pharmacy owned by the landlord in town at night.

I brewed the stolen medicine for him.

Hey, do you know how it went?
I brought the prepared medicine to him.

He wouldn't eat the porridge or gruel, and he would vomit if you forced him to eat it, but when he smelled the medicine, he actually opened his mouth and wanted to eat it.

I gave him the medicine.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Grandpa, do you know how to dispense medicine?"

Li Sanjiang: "I don't know anything. Back then, when poor people got sick, they didn't have the money to buy medicine. Pharmacies weren't places for people like us. We only heard that if you got sick, you could get better by taking medicine."

Your great-grandfather was foolish back then, and had no idea that medicine shouldn't be mixed and stewed haphazardly, as it could easily cause harm if consumed incorrectly.

Moreover, when stealing medicine, I only thought about which medicine looked good—the white one, the silver one—and assumed they were good medicine; I only grabbed those kinds.

Li Zhuiyuan: "After he drank the medicine..."

Li Sanjiang:
"Foaming at the mouth, bleeding from the skin, turning blue, and convulsing all over."

Li Zhuiyuan: "So, he was accidentally given to him by you, Grandfather..."

Li Sanjiang scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly:
"Hmm, it seems... he was poisoned to death by me."

(End of this chapter)