Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 44

Li Zhuiyuan is still in the stage of exploring and learning this method of controlling death, so he is a little confused about the current situation.

But one thing can be confirmed first, that is, Ari is definitely not dead.

Therefore,
It's me who's going to die?
Li Zhuiyuan actually recalled his childhood seriously and confirmed that he just had the same mental illness as Li Lan, and he would not be expelled from the community and put on the death row.

So, what is going on in the current situation?

This is the disadvantage of self-study by reading books. There is no teacher to teach, no complete teaching plan, and no complete knowledge theory system architecture. Sometimes you can solve highly complex problems by yourself, but you can only scratch your head when you encounter simple concepts.

Moreover, under this premise, people with better learning talents are more likely to go astray.

but,
Come here.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at A'li wrapped in darkness in front of him and took a step forward.

After taking this step, he felt that everything around him was moving rapidly, and a feeling countless times stronger than motion sickness was madly stimulating his consciousness.

Fortunately, all this came and went quickly. When the surroundings became "quiet", Li Zhuiyuan found himself sitting on a small bench with his feet on the threshold in front of him.

Li Zhuiyuan was very familiar with this sitting posture. The girl had been sitting like this during the day for a long time.

“Wuwuwuwu… Wuwuwuwuwu…”

It sounded like crying and also like the low growl of an animal, some far away and some near.

Just outside this door, just a hair's breadth away from the threshold, the perspective is clearly very realistic, yet it is filled with a bizarre ink painting style.

A dwarf, only a few inches tall and dressed in yellow, riding a pony and driving a carriage with a yellow canopy, passed by the door, turned a corner, and galloped towards the depths of the dark clouds ahead.

A python was crawling through the grass in front of the door. The python had only one head, but two bodies extended from below. As it crawled, the bodies kept entwining and weaving.

In the vegetable field ahead, several people dressed as farmers were working with hoes. They had water bottles tied on the left side of their waists and their heads tied on the right side.

In the distance, on the river bank, several women were squatting there washing clothes, hammering with hammers in their hands, but what they were hammering were not dirty clothes, but crying babies.

The environment outside the door is dynamic. When you move your eyes, what you see outside the door begins to change.

All of a sudden, all kinds of ghosts and monsters appeared in sight, some of which were recorded in ancient books, and some were unheard of.

Li Zhuiyuan raised his eyes and saw dark clouds in the sky, with a huge figure looming in it.

I want to capture it with my eyes, but I can never see it clearly.

Li Zhuiyuan turned around and looked behind him. There was an altar filled with tablets.

When I first saw it, I felt an inexplicable sense of security.

But soon, there was a strong sense of loss.

Because these tablets are not only dull, but also look dilapidated, with shocking cracks all over them.

Li Zhuiyuan felt that since they could appear here, they should be able to play some role.

But in fact, they have lost their functions. There is an oil lamp in front of each tablet, but there is not a single drop of oil in the lamp, so it is obviously impossible for them to light up.

Suddenly, Li Zhuiyuan felt that it became very quiet outside the house and the light became dim.

He turned around and looked at the door, only to find a pitted and mottled wall completely blocking the door.

hum!
next moment,
A crack appeared in the middle of the wall, and then it suddenly tore open, revealing a huge slanted eye.

Li Zhuiyuan's heart was shaken, and there was a sharp roar in his ears.

The images in front of him all disappeared, and he seemed to have woken up, but he could neither see nor hear.

On the second-floor terrace, the boy opened his eyes blankly and stood up from the rattan chair. He began to sway from left to right, getting closer and closer to the edge of the balcony.

At this moment, a small hand grabbed his hand and pulled him back.

Li Zhuiyuan stumbled back into the rattan chair, then stared straight ahead with a dull expression.

It was unknown how long it took before the boy regained some consciousness, followed by a splitting headache. He held his head with both hands and lowered his head in pain.

Gradually, he calmed down and turned to look at the girl beside him.

The girl was also looking at him, with a hint of anticipation in her eyes, as if she was waiting for his evaluation.

He had just been to the girl's "home" and saw horror in her heart that would be unforgettable for a lifetime.

But the boy did not comfort her or feel distressed. Instead, he smiled and said in a dry voice:

"Interesting."

The girl tilted her cheek slightly, and a shallow dimple seemed to appear at the corner of her mouth.

She is very happy.

Children from ordinary families always feel a little awkward and nervous when they bring their classmates to their home to play.

Her home is terrible, but no matter how terrible it is, it is still her home.

At this time, sympathy, comfort, and encouragement are not what the "host" wants, but will instead aggravate the embarrassment.

Therefore, the best attitude when being a guest is: relax and don't take it seriously.

Li Zhuiyuan also smiled. He reached out and gently scratched the girl's nose.

The girl looked at his hand carefully, then slowly raised her own hand.

The boy leaned forward and the girl scratched his nose, very lightly and gently.

Picking up the black book again, Li Zhuiyuan began to review the entire previous process. He felt that he seemed to have succeeded in his execution method, although the result was a failure.

Moreover, it seemed that he had found a way to train. Ari would be his sparring partner.

Although, he vaguely felt that the level of this sparring partner seemed to be beyond the standard.

But the greater the difficulty, the faster he would progress. At most it would just be a headache, and he could bear it.

"Ari, shall we do it again?"

The girl nodded.

Then, they both lay down together and closed their eyes.

The same beginning, the same process, the same pictures... and the same splitting headache.

When Li Zhuiyuan had just recovered from his second attack, Aunt Liu's voice came from downstairs:
"Breakfast!"

This feeling is very similar to waking up early and playing a few games of chess while waiting for breakfast.

Li Zhuiyuan felt that he had found a new game to play with girls.

Breakfast is porridge, but there are many kinds of pickles, including both traditional Nantong ones and those that Grandma Liu likes.

Small plates are placed on the small table, which adds a sense of ceremony.

Of course, if Runsheng and Binbin are not taken into consideration.

Runsheng always eats like this, he has to light incense in the morning, noon and evening, put porridge in a bowl, pour all kinds of pickles into it, stir it, and eat it with a spoon, making sure that the porridge and vegetables are evenly distributed in each spoonful.

Tan Wenbin was completely integrated.

Li Sanjiang crossed his left leg, and he crossed his right leg. Both of them held the porridge bowl with one hand and sipped it around the edge of the bowl. Then they picked up a few pickles with chopsticks and put them in their mouths. While chewing the pickles, they scratched their itch with the end of the chopsticks and looked into the distance.

After dinner, Li Sanjiang lit a cigarette.

Tan Wenbin took the initiative to pick up the match and helped Li Sanjiang light it.

Then, while the match was still burning, he took a cigarette from Li Sanjiang's cigarette box and put it in his mouth. After lighting it, he quickly threw the match away and shook his hands.

Li Sanjiang glanced at him but said nothing.

He didn't understand the word "rebellion", but he had lived long enough and seen a lot, so he knew that the child in front of him was at this stage.

Children usually go through this when they grow up, and always feel that growing up is a big deal.

But when he looked at Li Zhuiyuan, Li Sanjiang smiled again. He thought that his own little Marquis Yuan would definitely not be so naive.

Li Zhuiyuan took the money he had exchanged for the gold ingots and handed the bag to Li Sanjiang:
"Grandpa, Uncle Ding and his men came this morning. They said they had something urgent to do and had to hurry back. They didn't wake you up for fear of disturbing your sleep, so they asked me to pass the money to you."

"Really? Are you in such a hurry?"

Li Sanjiang took the black plastic bag, took a look at it, and took puffs of the cigarette in his mouth faster.

"Oh, you're really not young at all."

"Grandpa, that should be enough, right?"

"It is definitely enough. Once the contract money is paid, the remaining money will be used to plant peach trees. If there is more money left, we can plant them densely; if there is less money left, we can plant them sparsely.

Okay, I'll go find the village chief to sign the contract, and then go to the town to ask about the saplings. Tinghou, I won't be back for lunch. Alas, if it weren't for the house, I really don't want to go through this trouble."

Li Sanjiang walked out with the bag in his hand. As soon as he stepped off the dam, he heard his voice:
"Little Cui Hou, are you here to play with Little Yuan Hou?"

"Ah."

"Go ahead then."

Soon, Cuicui walked to the dam. Her eyes swept over Li Zhuiyuan and A'li, and a bright smile appeared on her face.

"Brother Yuanhou."

When she ran over, Li Zhuiyuan held A'li's hand.

"Brother Yuanhou, today is my birthday. My mother will buy me a birthday cake. Can you come to my house for lunch?"

Cui Cui's eyes were full of anticipation. She had always dreamed of having a friend to celebrate her birthday with her.

"Okay, I'll go."

"What about Sister Ari?"

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Ah Li and asked, "Do you want to go?"

Ali looked at the boy and nodded.

Li Zhuiyuan was stunned for a moment. He really didn't expect A'li to agree.

In the distance, Liu Yumei, who was still chewing her breakfast slowly, also looked up in surprise, with joy on her face.

"Then Ari will go too."

"Yeah, that's great."

"But, Cuicui, you have to tell Aunt Xianghou that we need to prepare a small table for her. Ah Li can't get too close to strangers."

"I understand. I told my mother about Sister Ari last time. I will let her prepare everything."

"Then I'll go too." Tan Wenbin raised his hand.

"Brother Yuan Hou, who is he?"

"Strong."

"What Zhuangzhuang? My name is Binbin!"

Li Zhuiyuan looked at him and said, "I thought you had already agreed."

"I'm just too lazy to argue with your grandfather." Tan Wenbin rolled his eyes.

"That's great, Brother Zhuangzhuang...Oh no, Brother Binbin, you come too."

Cui Cui naturally hopes that as many people as possible come to her birthday party.

Tan Wenbin shouted to Runsheng, who was still eating a large spoonful of dry porridge in the corner, "Runsheng, are you going? There is cake to eat."

Runsheng looked at Li Zhuiyuan, and when he saw Li Zhuiyuan nodded, he replied, "Go!"

Li Zhuiyuan said to Cuicui, "Well, Cuicui, you have to tell your mother to cook an extra pot of rice."

"Okay, I will. I'll go back first. You guys should come for lunch. Brother Yuanhou, Sister A Li, Brother Runsheng, Brother Zhuangzhuang, goodbye."

Cuicui went back skipping and jumping, so happy that she seemed to wish she could grow a pair of wings and fly.

Tan Wenbin came over and said, "Brother Xiaoyuan, shall we go to the town to pick out gifts now?"

Li Zhuiyuan nodded: "I'll go back upstairs to get the money."

"Don't worry, I have some here." Tan Wenbin patted his pocket.

In order to prevent him from becoming a burden to the family, his parents gave him a large sum of pocket money for the first time.

"Okay then, Brother Runsheng, let's take a tricycle to town."

"Here we go!"

Runsheng picked up the basin, swept all the remaining porridge into his mouth, then walked to the well to wash his face, and rode the tricycle out.

"Ali, are you going to town?" Li Zhuiyuan asked.

Ali shook his head.

Li Zhuiyuan did not try to persuade her any further. There were too many people in the town and it was indeed not suitable for A'li to go.

"Wait a moment." Liu Yumei called Li Zhuiyuan and took off a pair of earrings from her ears and handed them over. "This is a gift from our Ah Li."

Li Zhuiyuan didn't reach out to take it, and said, "Grandma, it's too expensive."

"It's not a gift for you."

“But it’s really not appropriate.”

"Then you wait."

Liu Yumei turned around and walked into the house, took out a wad of money and put it on the coffee table:
"Go buy a gift for A-Li as well."

"Yes." Li Zhuiyuan didn't take all of them, but just pulled out one. "Okay, grandma."

After the three boys drove down the dam on the tricycle, Aunt Liu came over with a bottle of hot water, ready to make tea for Liu Yumei. Seeing the money on the coffee table, she smiled and asked:

"Why, he didn't want it?"

Liu Yumei shook her head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry: "This kid is probably afraid that our money will hurt his hands."

"Xiaoyuan is a careful child, so he tends to think a lot."

Liu Yumei shook her head: "He doesn't even realize that the girl is very strong and can spend the money even if it's very expensive."

"I know that girl. People in the village say that her family is very lucky, but Xiaoyuan probably doesn't believe it."

"He doesn't believe it?" Liu Yumei picked up the teacup. "He even likes the book made of Buddha parchment paper. Do you think he can't see that the girl has a tough life?"

"It's also possible that this child always seems to know a lot without saying anything."

"This is a special period, and we cannot interfere. Once Ah Li's illness is completely cured, the chains on us will loosen. I plan to accept this kid as a registered disciple at that time."

"So what do you plan to pass on to him, the Liu family or the Qin family?"

Liu Yumei smiled and said as a matter of course: "Of course it is the Liu Family's Qi-Watching Technique."

"I'm afraid you won't be able to choose then."

"how?"

"He and A-Li have such a good relationship. When A-Li recovers from her illness, what does he want to learn? Will A-Li teach him?"

"It's useless. Each family has its own way of teaching. Even if these inheritances are clearly written in books, without a master to guide you, you can only learn the basics at best. It's impossible to truly learn them."

At this point, Liu Yumei suddenly had the idea of ​​teasing her granddaughter. She was also happy that her granddaughter agreed to attend someone else's birthday party.

He walked into the house and took out a book with the words "Liu's Qi-Watching Secret" written on it.

The girl sat on the bench with her feet on the threshold, but this time, she didn't just look straight ahead. Her eyes moved slowly and looked around.

"Ali, grandma, do you think I should let Xiaoyuan read this book in the future?"

Last time, when she knew that the boy was short of money, her granddaughter took all the gold bars and banknotes in the house.

This boy likes reading. When his granddaughter saw this book, wouldn’t she want to rush to give it to him?

But Liu Yumei was a little confused by her granddaughter's reaction. A'li actually ignored the book in her hand.

Didn't you see it clearly?

Liu Yumei moved the book closer to A'li.

"Snapped!"

Ah Li slammed the book to the ground.

Liu Yumei bent down in confusion and picked up the book. She blew away the dust on it. She was not very happy, but rather a little nervous:
Hey, why doesn’t my granddaughter’s elbow bend outward again?
……

"Xiaoyuan, are we going to Shi Nan Town or Shi Gang Town?"

Tan Wenbin patted Runsheng on the back and said, "Of course we're going to Shigang Town. There are only a few stores in Shinan Town."

"Brother Runsheng, let's go to Shigang Town."

"okay!"

Tan Wenbin supported the edge of the tricycle with both hands, facing the wind, and tucked his bangs, saying, "Don't worry, I know Shigang Town well, and I can definitely help you pick out good gifts."

When we arrived at Shigang Town, we passed the gate of Shigang Middle School on the way. Shinan has a junior high school but no high school, so Yingzi, Panzi and Leizi also go to school here.

Tan Wenbin pointed at the school gate and said, "Brother Xiaoyuan, look, this is your future alma mater."

It was the first time that Li Zhuiyuan heard that “later” could be added before the word “alma mater”.

Two banners are hung on the first teaching building of the school: "Today I am proud of my alma mater, and tomorrow my alma mater will be proud of me."

"Brother Binbin, you're going back to school in two days, right?"

"Don't worry, we can't go. We have collectively written to the Education Bureau to report the summer tutoring program."

"You organized it?"

"Hey, hey." Tan Wenbin moved his head according to the wind's angle, "It's me!"

Runsheng said: "Xiaoyuan, are you going to come here to study in the future?"

"Yes, you just found out." Tan Wenbin answered first.

Runsheng: "Okay, I'll ride my bike to pick you up and drop you off at school every morning and evening."

Tan Wenbin: "The school has dormitories."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I don't live in the dormitory."

My great-grandfather's house is not far from here, and it is convenient with Brother Runsheng picking him up. There are delicious food and drinks at home, a spacious bed, and A-li.

"Then what about your morning and evening self-study? Our morning self-study starts at 6 o'clock and the evening self-study ends at 10 o'clock. Just think about how late you have to get up and how late you can go home."

"Then I won't go to morning and evening self-study."

Tan Wenbin: “…”

Tan Wenbin suddenly felt that what Brother Xiaoyuan said made a lot of sense.

If he dared to say the same thing to Tan Yunlong, his father would definitely unbuckle his belt.

"Brother Xiaoyuan, you don't have to come to school when you are in a bad mood or the weather is bad."

"OK."

In Li Zhuiyuan's opinion, how could he delay saving his life because of something like going to school?

"Damn it, I envy you so much, why can't I be like this!"

Runsheng: "You don't have the brains."

"Shut up and concentrate on riding your bike." Tan Wenbin began to think, "Brother Xiaoyuan, do you have any study secrets to teach me?" Runsheng: "Is this the first time your dad has mentioned studying since he knew you've been living here for several days?"

"Hey, shut up!"

"Brother Binbin, I don't know how I can help you with your studies."

"For example, how do you study?"

"Learning... still requires methods?"

Tan Wenbin spread his hands, his expression twisted, and asked in a strange tone:
"Learning... does not require a method?"

"It takes a method to save someone from death."

"Ah..." Tan Wenbin was about to accept the reality, "Then can you help me with the questions?"

"I can write the process for you, which will be faster. Then, I can also make up some questions for you to do."

Tan Wenbin silently took out a cigarette, but didn't light it. He just put it in front of his nose and sniffed it, then nodded: "Thank you, Brother Xiaoyuan, I will try my best to get into the same university as you."

Runsheng: "Then I will ride my tricycle to take you to college."

"Don't talk about the university yet. You've ridden past it. The department store is behind you. Turn around quickly."

The car stopped in front of the department store and Runsheng picked up the chain and locked it.

Then, the three of them walked into the building, which was crowded with people.

Under the leadership of Tan Wenbin, the three of them quickly bought gifts.

Li Zhuiyuan bought a music box, and he bought a glass ornament for A-li. In addition, he also bought a silk scarf for A-li.

After the purchase, Tan Wenbin took the two to a nearby alley where there were several small vendors selling fried skewers.

"Boss, give me some chicken skewers..."

Before he had time to order food, Tan Wenbin saw a thin classmate surrounded by four men in the depths of the alley.

"Don't think you can be arrogant just because you have Tan Wenbin's protection. I tell you, you think too much."

"Others are afraid of Tan Wenbin, but I am not. Even if his father comes, I won't take it seriously!"

After being beaten and kicked, the thin student quickly squatted in the corner, covering his head with his hands.

Tan Wenbin looked at Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother Xiaoyuan..."

"Your classmate?"

"Well, my deskmate is a very nice person, but he is a little soft-hearted and is easily bullied. Among these four guys, two are from other classes and two are from other schools. They often ask him for money."

"Oh."

"Brother Xiaoyuan, Runsheng, please pretend you don't know me."

After saying that, Tan Wenbin quickly rushed forward, ignoring the fact that there were four people on the opposite side, and kicked one of them: "Fuck you!"

This kick has a family tradition.

Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but wonder, was Uncle Tan beating Binbin or teaching him martial arts on a daily basis?

After kicking one down, the other three immediately came over and attacked, and Tan Wenbin was immediately caught up in the fight.

The main reason was that he ran too fast and hit too fast, so fast that Li Zhuiyuan didn't have time to say anything.

"Brother Runsheng, help Binbin fight."

"okay!"

Li Zhuiyuan turned around and said to the fried skewers boss, "Boss, twenty chicken skewers, three servings of fried tofu, and both need sweet and spicy sauce."

Following Li Zhuiyuan's instructions, Runsheng walked forward step by step, clenching his fists and twisting his neck, making a series of crisp sounds from his joints.

In his mind, gangster movies flashed through his mind.

But precisely because he was thinking about the plot slowly, Binbin was punched several more times.

However, the situation changed immediately after he joined.

He first reached out and grabbed one, lifted him up, then slapped the man's face back and forth, and blood and teeth began to fly.

After all, he knew what he was doing and he couldn't let anyone die, so he let go of his hand with regret, and the man collapsed to the ground.

This fierce scene stunned the other three, and for a moment they didn't know whether they should go up or not.

Runsheng took the initiative to dispel their doubts. He swooped forward, raised his arms horizontally like a bull, and knocked the two men to the ground.

Then he kicked them one on the left and one on the right. The two were really kicked up and hit the wall and rolled down.

Seeing this, the last one turned around and tried to run, but he was too slow. Runsheng accelerated and caught up with him. He grabbed his neck and flipped him upside down, lifted him up in the air, made a circle, and then threw him to the ground.

"I come!"

Tan Wenbin yelled, rushed up and started punching and kicking the guy.

Seeing that the time was almost right, he ran over to the other three and added to the damage.

Runsheng just looked at Tan Wenbin and kept saying "Ada, Aduo!"

Because Runsheng knew that if he took action again, he would not be able to stop.

"call……"

Tan Wenbin finally finished the beating, and the four men lay on the ground wailing.

"Fuck, that feels good, so good!"

Tan Wenbin raised his arms. Although he didn't see death, he felt that it was worth it to have such a satisfying beating.

After Tan Wenbin calmed the classmate down, he and Runsheng ran back. At this time, Li Zhuiyuan was already sitting at the simple wooden table next to the stall, eating skewers.

He was not worried at all, after all, Brother Runsheng was a being who could fight ordinary dead beings with physical means.

Tan Wenbin sat down and said excitedly: "Xiaoyuan, it's true, Runsheng is very suitable for the underworld. He will definitely be able to conquer a large territory and become a gangster boss!"

Li Zhuiyuan put down the stick, pulled out the paper from the cylinder on the table, and wiped his mouth: "Then he was arrested by your father and thrown into jail."

"Uh..." Tan Wenbin was choked and could only lower his head to eat the skewers.

Runsheng lit a stick of incense and said, "Xiaoyuan said that there is no future in the underworld."

"Well, Zheng Haiyang wanted to come over to thank you just now, and he also said he would treat us to skewers, but I declined. His parents are seamen, and he usually lives with his grandparents."

I still have to eat at noon, so this meal is just to fill my stomach.

Of course, eating fried skewers as a meal is a luxury these days, and most children can only buy one or two to satisfy their cravings.

When he returned home, Li Zhuiyuan saw Liu Yumei sitting there with a heavy heart.

What happened again?
When Li Zhuiyuan came over, A'li stood up and took the initiative to greet him.

Seeing this, Liu Yumei finally breathed a sigh of relief. She was really afraid that her granddaughter would ignore the boy and her illness would return, just like last time.

Now it seems that I am worrying too much.

She felt that she had it really hard, as she was actually worried about her granddaughter not moving things out for the man.

"Ali, this is the gift I bought for you." Li Zhuiyuan handed the glass ornament to Ali, "This is the silk scarf I bought for you."

The scarf is not expensive and is a traditional style that is popular in mainland TV and movies nowadays. Li Zhuiyuan thinks it suits A-li's temperament very well. As for how to match it, he doesn't have to worry about it anyway.

After letting Aunt Liu apply medicine to Tan Wenbin, everyone set off for Cuicui's house. Li Zhuiyuan walked behind holding A'li's hand, while Runsheng and Tan Wenbin walked in front.

From a distance, I could see Cuicui standing on the dam, looking forward to seeing her.

"Brother Yuanhou, you are here."

"Cui Cui, this is my gift, and this is A-Li's."

"this is ours."

"Thank you, thank you everyone."

Lunch was a replica of Li Sanjiang's home. Li Zhuiyuan and A'li sat at one table, Runsheng sat at another table alone, and the only person who could sit at the main table was Tan Wenbin.

Li Juxiang happily distributed the food here and there.

Liu Jinxia picked up a glass of wine and drank it. She was actually quite happy that her granddaughter's birthday was so lively, but she was used to being a bit sarcastic, so she muttered:
"It's really a meeting of carrots."

We had to stay for a while after dinner, so everyone was on the dam. Cuicui took out a rubber band and propped up two benches.

The original intention was to invite Ali to dance, but Ali shook her head and refused.

Finally, it was Tan Wenbin's turn to dance with Cuicui, and he danced really well. During that period, people had fewer ways to entertain themselves, and skipping rubber rope was not just for girls, boys also played it.

While playing, a man led a little boy onto the dam, which meant they were here to do business.

Liu Jinxia and Li Juxiang invited people into the inner room.

After a while, the boy came out and stood by looking at Tan Wenbin and Cuicui.

"Do you want to play together?"

The boy nodded shyly.

Originally, Li Zhuiyuan didn't feel anything, and A'li didn't look at the boy specifically, proving that the boy was very clean.

But as soon as the boy's shy expression appeared, Li Zhuiyuan lowered his eyelids.

He himself is good at observation and acting, so he could see that the boy's expression changes showed strong traces of acting.

Sure enough, after playing skipping rope together, the boy began to take the initiative to chat with Cuicui. During the conversation, he found out a lot about Liu Jinxia's family situation.

Li Zhuiyuan felt that he was pretending to be a child.

However, Li Zhuiyuan did not think that the boy was a fellow patient like himself. The disease he and Li Lan had was still very rare. No psychologist in Beijing had ever seen it. The only one who might be considered the third one was Wei Zhengdao.

Li Zhuiyuan began to observe the boy's face carefully. The database of "Explanation of Yin and Yang Physiognomy" in his mind could make a match and comparison even if he didn't tell fortunes.

Sure enough, there was a problem. Although the boy looked to be about ten years old, traces of "annual rings" could be seen in details such as his eyebrows, skin, cochlea, and teeth.

He's not a boy at all, he's a dwarf!
It makes people feel uncomfortable and wrong that a person with adult thinking pretends to be a child and chats with another little girl in a formal way.

"Cui Cui."

"Here I come, Brother Yuanhou."

Cuicui came over immediately.

"Don't play with him."

"Okay, Brother Yuanhou." Cuicui didn't ask why, but just nodded.

"Puchi...Hehehe." Beside him, Tan Wenbin laughed out loud. It was the first time he saw Li Zhuiyuan say something that was so appropriate for a child of his age.

Li Zhuiyuan ignored him and looked at the boy. Coincidentally, the boy was also looking at him at this moment.

The boy was showing a feeling of being isolated and excluded, and he deliberately wanted Cuicui to see it so that the soft-hearted girl would come back to him.

Cuicui saw it, and she did feel soft-hearted, but she had no intention of paying any attention to him anymore.

She lacks friends, but she cherishes friends more. If brother Yuanhou doesn't want her to play with someone, then she will never play with that person.

Li Zhuiyuan caught a glimpse of resentment in the boy's eyes.

Oh, this guy is so disgusting.

At the same time, Li Zhuiyuan began to doubt whether he was also so disgusting.

But I am different from him. My biological age is this age. I perform so as not to lose myself. And no matter what, I am just maintaining the appearance that I should have at this age.

But Li Zhuiyuan estimated that the other party's actual age was probably over 50 years old.

What is the motive of a fifty-year-old man who disguises himself as a child and takes the initiative to contact a little girl?
"Ohh Ohh ohh……"

The boy squatted on the ground and started crying.

But no one paid any attention to him even though he was crying. The main reason was that the people on the dam all listened to Li Zhuiyuan.

The boy stopped crying. He stood up and walked towards Li Zhuiyuan.

"Brother Runsheng."

"Hey!"

Runsheng came over in time, picked up the boy, put him far away, then pointed at him as a silent warning.

The boy didn't dare cry anymore, so he lowered his head and stood there.

After a while, the man came out. The two men really looked alike. To outsiders, they were father and son.

However, the identities of the father and son have to be swapped.

Liu Jinxia and Li Juxiang also came out and escorted the father and son out of the dam.

"Brother Binbin." Li Zhuiyuan pointed in the direction the father and son left, "Follow a section of the road and watch to avoid being discovered."

"clear."

Although he didn't understand why, Tan Wenbin still followed. He was the kind of person who could easily find a sense of immersion in the atmosphere.

"Drink soda." Li Juxiang brought a box of soda and placed it on the dam.

Li Zhuiyuan asked, "Aunt Xianghou, what did they come for just now?"

"That man's wife passed away a year ago, and they were planning to hold a small funeral for her. They invited me and Cuicui to go to their home to host the ceremony."

A small Mingshou means that there will only be a funeral but no banquet, and usually the family members will just burn something.

"It's so strange. We invited you all, but we don't hold a banquet."

"Maybe it's because he's not popular in the village. That man has a weird temper."

"what happened?"

"Grandma Cuicui asked some specific questions, but he couldn't answer them. After being asked several times, he was still aggrieved, as if he was about to cry. A grown man actually acted like this, tut tut."

"Aunt Xianghou, can we not go to his house to do the work?"

"That won't work. The money has already been collected."

Tan Wenbin came back and frowned as he said to Li Zhuiyuan, "Xiaoyuan, guess what I just saw. Not long after they walked out, on the side of the road, the father actually handed his son a cigarette and lit it."

"Oh." Li Zhuiyuan didn't feel that surprised. "Did you hear what they said?"

"It's not easy to get close on the road. They came in a tractor. The tractor was parked at the intersection ahead and has now left."

Li Zhuiyuan walked into the house and pushed open the door to the inner room. Liu Jinxia was sitting behind the table, calculating something with a pen in her hand.

"Xiao Yuanhou, what's the matter?"

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the table and took a look at the eight characters written on the paper in front of Liu Jinxia. He picked up another pen and wrote the result on it.

Liu Jinxia glanced at it and asked in confusion: "What are you writing?"

Obviously, Liu Jinxia didn't know the correct answer. She had been calculating according to her own algorithm. Whether it was correct or not was secondary. The main thing was that she had tried her best and done her best.

"Grandma Liu, were those two just now father and son?"

"What else could they be but father and son? Their features look just like they were cut from the same mold. It's a pity for that kid that his mother passed away so early."

"Grandma Liu, that man is the son, and that boy is the father. He is at least fifty years old, and he is a dwarf."

"dwarf?"

"The kind of person who can't grow tall."

"Oh...really?"

"Just now, Brother Binbin followed them out and overheard their conversation. The man called the child dad, and the child called the man his good son.

I didn’t believe it at first, but Brother Binbin said he could swear to God that they really said that.”

"This……"

"So, the father-son relationship is reversed, then what is the point of holding a funeral for a girl?"

"Yes."

"Grandma Liu, just to be on the safe side, you should not go with Aunt Xianghou and return the money to them."

Liu Jinxia nodded slowly and seriously:

"it is good."

This promise caught Li Zhuiyuan off guard and made him feel very uncomfortable.

Maybe it's because I've been with my great-grandfather for too long, I've become accustomed to him not listening to anything he says.

"Are you really not going? Aren't you fooling the kids here?"

Liu Jinxia opened the drawer, took out the money she had just received, slammed it on the table, and said angrily:

"Everything my family told me was wrong. Doesn't it show that there is something wrong with holding the fast with sincerity? How could I bring Xiang Hou to his house? I don't know what might happen.

Only a fool would go there!"

Li Zhuiyuan suddenly felt very comfortable.

"Xiao Yuanhou, thank you for coming to tell grandma this."

"Grandma Liu, why don't you ask Brother Binbin or ask someone to go to their village to inquire more?"

"No need for that. The most important thing in our business is to have a smooth and auspicious life. Even if what you just said is false, you came here and told me right after I took the job. Even if it's false... I still don't dare to go.

I only have this rotten life, and I was hoping to live a few more years so that I could save some money for your Aunt Xianghou and Cuicui in the future. I am not like your grandfather, so I dare not do anything reckless. "

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, he agreed deeply.

After saying goodbye to Cuicui and walking home, Li Zhuiyuan was in a good mood and held the girl's hand, swinging it unconsciously.

Soon, the girl responded and she also started to increase her strength and swung her hands together.

Tan Wenbin looked back and suggested, "Brother Xiaoyuan, it's still early. I see there is a fishing rod in the house. Why don't we go fishing now?"

"Don't go."

"Oh, then Runsheng and I will go fishing."

Runsheng: "I won't go either."

"I've discovered that you just say whatever Brother Xiaoyuan says. Why are you acting like a follower?"

"I didn't call you brother."

Tan Wenbin: “…”

When I got home, I saw Li Sanjiang sitting on the dam. He stood up and said to Runsheng, "Runsheng, the store just called. Let's go. There's work to do. Let's go to Xiting Town to fish for dead bodies."

"Hey, okay, eh? Didn't my grandfather go to fish it out?"

Runsheng's family lived in Xiting Town, so it was a normal death so his grandfather could just take it away easily.

"I get angry just talking about this. I just learned from the phone that your grandfather was on his way home from playing cards last week and fell into a manure vat when he went to the neighbor's house to use the toilet. It was the neighbor who heard the noise and fished him out.

Although he was fine, he broke his leg.

I'm embarrassed to say that the idiot has been hiding this from us!"

(End of this chapter)