Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

Life is like water in a stream, swirling and creating a few small ripples, before continuing to flow forward at a leisurely pace.

The conflict in the tree was like a pebble thrown into water; the ripples quickly subsided.

Zhao Mingxuan probably felt he had lost face in front of Master Lin. In the following days, when he saw Lin Feng and the others, although he still had that arrogant and indifferent attitude, he did not take the initiative to cause trouble again.

Perhaps Master Zhao had instructed him to be mindful of his influence in town. After all, although the Lin family boy had no background, he was close to the teacher and played with the Li family girl. It wouldn't look good if things got out of hand.

Lin Feng and the others were happy to have some peace and quiet.

Go to school when you should, slack off when you should, climb trees when you should... well, I've toned down the tree climbing for now, since I was caught by the teacher, so I have to be careful.

Liu Xiaohu's "Little Silver" is doing quite well in the rough pottery basin, and it even seems to have grown a little bit.

Every day without fail, Liu Xiaohu goes to the river to change its water, dig for earthworms, and catch small insects, taking better care of it than he would of himself.

The little silver fish seemed to have recognized its little master, and it would happily swim to the surface every time Liu Xiaohu approached.

This added much brightness and something to cherish in Liu Xiaohu's impoverished childhood.

Li Qianqian still occasionally joins their "adventures," but most of the time she is kept at home by her mother to learn needlework and literacy.

She seemed quite envious of Raymond Lam and his friends being able to roam freely across the mountains and fields, and cherished every opportunity to play.

When she's with Raymond Lam and the others, she loses much of her spoiled rich girl air and becomes like an ordinary, cheerful, and playful young girl.

Zhang Kai remained silent and composed, the most reliable pillar of strength in this small group.

Whenever Raymond Lam is unsure about something, he will subconsciously look at Zhang Kai.

Zhang Kai doesn't talk much, but he always keeps his promises, which puts people at ease.

Chen Jing'an remained the quiet observer. Lin

Feng called him ten times, and nine times he shook his head.

The remaining half of the time, I would sit by the river for a while, or watch them play for a bit, and then quietly go home.

Lin Feng gradually got used to it. Whenever there was something delicious or fun, they would always remember to save some for him, either by leaving it on his windowsill or giving it directly to Jing'an's father.

Chen Jing'an rarely says thank you, but the next time Lin Feng visits, he sometimes finds a small, sturdy grasshopper he made himself on the windowsill, or a few clean wild fruits.

This silent, unexpressed gratitude warmed Lin Feng's heart.

Summer in Hexi Town is slowly coming to an end as these teenagers grow up in their own unique ways.

The air began to feel cool in the mornings and evenings, the cicadas' chirping became sparse, the river water was no longer so hot and tempting, and the wild fruits in the mountains gradually became more abundant.

That afternoon, Lin Feng returned from school and saw that Ao Xiaohei was not lying on the recliner, but squatting by the vegetable garden, staring blankly at the rows of vegetables that had been overly vigorous and almost grown into saplings by Lin Tianling's plant nutrient solution.

"Uncle Xiao Hei, what are you looking at?" Lin Feng leaned closer.

Without turning his head, Ao Xiaohei pointed to a large cabbage in the vegetable garden with thick, glossy leaves that was almost half a person tall, and said in a strange tone, "Isn't your dad's fertilizer... a bit too strong? This cabbage looks like it's about to become a spirit."

Lin Feng looked at the unusually large cabbage and nodded in agreement: "Yes, my dad said it's some kind of family secret recipe... But it's good that it's big, it can last a long time."

He paused, then, as if remembering something, his eyes lit up.

"Uncle Xiao Hei, the chestnuts in that wild chestnut grove on the back hill should be almost ripe! Shall we go pick some tomorrow? Let's call Zhang Kai and Xiao Hu!"

Last time I got a "little silver" for slacking off, this time I'll be hunting chestnuts, who knows what fun things I'll get this time.

Ao Xiaohei stretched and stood up: "Sure, we're just killing time anyway. Make some more so your Aunt Yao can make you some candied chestnuts, they're so delicious."

"Um!"

Lin Feng nodded vigorously, already looking forward to it.

Just then, Chen's somewhat anxious voice came from outside the courtyard gate: "Is Lin home?"

Lin Tian came out of the house: "Uncle Chen, what's wrong?"

Old Chen, his face etched with worry, held a hoe in his hand. "Young Lin," he said, "my Jing'an... seems a bit unwell. She barely ate lunch and has been lying in bed, not saying a word. Your aunt and I are very concerned and were thinking of asking you... or Brother Xiao Hei, to take a look? You young people have more experience..."

Lin Tian and Ao Xiaohei exchanged a glance.

"Uncle Chen, don't worry, I'll go take a look."

As Lin Tian spoke, he walked out.

Ao Xiaohei followed.

Lin Feng thought for a moment and then quietly followed behind.

In the Chen family courtyard on the right, Aunt Chen was sitting on the threshold of the main room, wiping away tears. When she saw Lin Tian and the others come in, she looked at them like they were her saviors: "Lin boy, Brother Xiao Hei, you must take a look at Jing'an. This child... has been acting strange since he woke up this morning. He won't say anything when we ask him, and his forehead isn't hot, but he just seems listless..."

Lin Tian went into the house.

Chen Jing'an was indeed lying in bed, covered with a thin blanket. Her face was a little pale, her eyes were closed, but her eyelashes were trembling slightly, so she was obviously not asleep.

Hearing someone come in, he opened his eyes and saw Lin Tian and Ao Xiaohei. His eyes flickered, but he still didn't say anything.

Lin Tian sat down by the bed, reached out and touched Chen Jing'an's forehead, then took his pulse.

The pulse was steady, but... there was a faint, strange rhythm that seemed to be synchronized with the surrounding environment.

This is not the pulse of someone who is ill.

Ao Xiaohei stood by the bed, his eyebrows twitching almost imperceptibly.

His senses were more acute than Lin Tian's, and he could clearly feel that the aura of stillness on Chen Jing'an's body was unusually active at this moment, as if it were being drawn by some invisible force, and was resonating in a very subtle way with the land beneath him and the omnipresent, solidified power of the laws of the entire Hexi Town!

This child is not sick.

Is it a spontaneous change in one's constitution under the influence of some unknown factor, or perhaps... a precursor to awakening?

Lin Tian clearly noticed the abnormality, but he remained calm, withdrew his hand, and said gently to the anxious Mr. and Mrs. Chen, "Uncle Chen, Aunt Chen, don't worry too much. Jing'an is fine, it's just... he might be a little distracted. Children this age sometimes do that. Let him rest well and don't disturb him. I'll have Shi Yao make some calming soup and bring it over later."

Hearing Lin Tian say that everything was alright, Mr. and Mrs. Chen were somewhat relieved and thanked him profusely.

Lin Tian gave a few more instructions, then led Ao Xiaohei and Lin Feng out.

Back in his own courtyard, Ao Xiaohei immediately sent a telepathic message to Lin Tian: "Boss, that kid..."

"I know," Lin Tian interrupted him, his eyes somewhat profound.

"What's meant to be will be. He has to walk his own path. We... just keep an eye on things."

Ao Xiaohei nodded and said nothing more.

Lin Feng, listening from the side, was completely confused and couldn't help but ask, "Dad, what happened to Jing'an? Is he really alright?"

Lin Tian patted his head and smiled, "It's nothing, I'm just a little tired and want to be alone for a while. It's like how sometimes when you're having too much fun, you don't want to talk."

Lin Feng understood the analogy and nodded, but he still felt a little worried about his younger brother Jing'an.

The plan to harvest chestnuts continued as scheduled the next day.

Zhang Kai and Liu Xiaohu were both very excited when they heard this. Li Qianqian was also allowed to come out and play for half a day.

The group, carrying bamboo poles and cloth bags, set off in a grand procession towards the back of the mountain.

The mountains and forests are ablaze with color in autumn.

The oak leaves are starting to turn yellow, the maple leaves are turning red, and the ground is covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves that rustle underfoot.

The wild chestnut tree is on a sunny hillside. Its canopy is like a canopy, and its branches are covered with fuzzy spiky balls. Some of them have already split open, revealing the shiny and plump chestnuts inside.

"Let's knock down chestnuts!" Liu Xiaohu grabbed a long bamboo pole and started randomly knocking at the lower branches.

With a crackling sound, spiky chestnut balls and ripe chestnuts fell one after another.

"Little Tiger, watch out! Don't hit anyone!" Lin Feng laughed and dodged.

Zhang Kai was more experienced. He would aim at the spiky balls with their cracks, tap them gently with a bamboo pole, and the chestnuts would obediently fall down, making him very efficient.

Li Qianqian didn't dare get too close, afraid of being hit by the spiky balls. So she picked up the chestnuts that had fallen to the ground from the outside, carefully used a twig to pull the chestnuts out of the spiky balls, and put them into her cloth bag.

She worked very hard, her little face covered in dust, but her smile was full of joy.

Ao Xiaohei didn't lift a finger. He leaned against a big tree, a blade of grass between his teeth, watching the children busy themselves, his eyes occasionally drifting toward the direction of Hexi Town.

I wonder how that kid from the Chen family is doing right now.

Lin Feng played for a while, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

He paused to catch his breath, watching his companions bustling and laughing, and gazing at the autumn colors covering the mountains and fields, his heart filled with simple joy.

He bent down and picked up a shiny chestnut that had just rolled out of the spiky shell. He weighed it in his hand; it was heavy and smelled of sunshine and earth.

This is his life, his world.

He has familiar companions, a loving family, endless fish to catch, trees to climb, wild fruits to pick, and the ever-lively, bustling town of Hexi.

He had no idea how big, how wonderful, or how dangerous the outside world was.

All he knew was that, at this moment, here, he was happy and content.

This is enough.

As for the future, as for Jing'an's brother's unusual behavior, as for Zhao Mingxuan's occasional unsettling glances, as for Uncle Xiao Hei and Father's occasional mysterious conversations... all of these are like the thin mist in the distant mountains, visible but intangible, and there's no need to delve into them for now.

He put the chestnuts into his cloth bag, dusted off his hands, and called out to Liu Xiaohu, who was "fighting" a stubborn spiky chestnut, "Xiaohu! That shorter tree over there has more chestnuts! Come over here!"

"Coming!" Liu Xiaohu replied cheerfully, dragging his bamboo pole as he ran over.

Laughter once again filled the autumn hillside.

Meanwhile, in Hexi Town, on the Chen family's bed, Chen Jing'an slowly opened her eyes.

His eyes were no longer the usual empty and quiet gaze, but held an indescribable clarity, as if they had seen through something.

He raised his little hand and looked at his palm, where there seemed to be a very faint, almost invisible glimmer of light that flashed by in an instant.

Outside the window, the autumn wind blows, and the leaves of the ancient trees rustle, as if responding to something.

A seed may have already quietly sprouted in a corner unknown to anyone.

A glimmer of light may have already begun to flicker in the depths of silence.

But at this moment, the sun shines brightly, the chestnuts smell wonderful, and the boy's laughter is clear and loud.

Ordinary days continue to flow by in Hexi Town, unhurriedly.