The sky collapsed, and in the blink of an eye, I found myself transported to Nanluoguxiang.

For a moment, the courtyard fell silent.

Li Kaixin, Grandpa Li Hongtao, Father Li Mingde, Third Uncle Li Mingtian, and Third Grandfather returned to the table.

However, after what just happened, no one had any interest in drinking anymore.

Grandpa and Third Grandpa, sitting in the main seats, looked at Li Kaixin with a hesitant expression, as if they wanted to say something but couldn't.

Li Kaixin felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by the two elderly people, so he spoke first:

"Grandpa, Third Grandfather, why are you all looking at me like that?"

Upon hearing this, Grandpa Li Hongtao and Third Grandpa exchanged a glance.

Grandpa hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and tentatively asked, "Kaixin, have you... killed someone recently?"

"Sir, how did you know?" Li Kaixin asked, somewhat surprised.

As soon as the words were spoken, Father Li Mingde and Third Uncle Li Mingtian both widened their eyes, while Third Grandfather's face remained expressionless.

Grandpa Li Hongtao stared at his eldest grandson for a long while before speaking:

"The look in your eyes just now was exactly the same as your second grandfather's when he was young. Your second grandfather went to the battlefield and killed many enemies. Sometimes he would show that kind of look after he came back."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further: "Kaixin, you probably have more than one strip of that on your hands, don't you?"

Li Kaixin was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly:

"Sir, you guessed right. The day before yesterday, our convoy was ambushed by a group of more than forty bandits on our way back from the Northeast."

"What? More than forty!" Uncle Li Mingtian exclaimed in surprise. "Kaixin, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Li Kaixin shook his head, his tone calm: "Those people tried to steal our grain, and I killed about thirty of them by myself."

The table fell silent again.

Grandpa Li Hongtao subconsciously picked up his wine glass, his hand trembling slightly, and he didn't bring it to his lips for a long time.

Grandpa San's expression was also complicated as he asked, "Kaixin, weren't you scared at the time?"

"Don't be afraid!"

Li Kaixin answered readily, and then began to explain: "Third Grandfather, to be honest, these days, anyone who runs a transportation business will encounter this kind of thing frequently."

"Kaixin, why didn't you tell me this before!" Li Mingde, the father sitting on the left side of the table, suddenly became anxious.

Looking into her father's concerned eyes, Li Kaixin felt a warmth in her heart and softened her tone:

"Father, our convoy has a lot of men and guns. Ordinary robbers wouldn't dare to come close. This is just a special case."

He paused, then turned to look into the house: "Besides, I don't want you, Mom, and Grandpa and Grandma to worry."

If his grandfather and third grandfather hadn't noticed, he really wouldn't have wanted to say it today.

"You silly child..."

Father Li Mingde stopped mid-sentence and could only let out a heavy sigh.

Grandpa Li Hongtao has now finished processing what he just learned.

He reached out and patted his eldest grandson's shoulder, his voice filled with tenderness:

"I'm so happy, Grandpa knows you're capable. But you still need to be careful when you're out and about, and don't take on everything yourself."

Although we don't know how intense it was at the time, more than thirty lives were lost.

"Sir, I understand!"

Uncle Li Mingtian, sitting to the right, looked on with admiration and immediately chimed in, "Kaixin, you're amazing! Taking down more than thirty people by yourself, if word gets out..."

"Could you please keep your voice down? Are you afraid your mother and the others won't hear you?" Grandpa interrupted him irritably.

Uncle Li Mingtian realized what was happening after being scolded by the old man.

He had just looked into the house when he saw his sister-in-law come out and walk towards them.

As soon as the mother, Qin Xiuli, approached, she noticed that the expressions on the faces of the people at the table were rather strange.

"What's wrong with you all? Why do you all look so pale?" she asked, puzzled.

Li Kaixin smiled and quickly replied, "It's nothing, Mother, I just drank a little too much."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Father Li Mingde quickly echoed, "Daughter-in-law, if you don't have anything else to do, go ahead and get busy."

"Of course I need to talk to you."

As she spoke, Qin Xiuli, the mother, instructed her eldest son and husband, "You and Kaixin, if you see Lili later, don't mention what just happened."

Upon hearing this, Li Kaixin and his father both nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Qin Xiuli, the mother, reminded him to drink less alcohol before turning and walking towards the kitchen.

Uncle Li Mingtian patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief: "That was close, that was close. My sister-in-law almost heard us."

"You still know that?" Grandpa glared at him. "You're an elder now, can't you think before you speak and act?"

Uncle Li Mingtian was publicly reprimanded by the old man, and he was somewhat embarrassed.

However, he still responded with an awkward laugh, "Dad, I'll definitely be more careful next time."

Grandpa ignored his third son and started changing the subject to other things.

After a short while, Third Grandfather got up and left, saying that he had something to do.

Meanwhile, Chen Pandi and her family had already left Lijia Village.

Supported by his mother, Wu Dazhu felt a sharp pain in his arm and couldn't help but curse as he came out.

"Mom, that little brat really hit me hard! I'm afraid my arm is really broken; I still can't use it."

"Serves you right!"

Chen Pandi looked impatient. "If you hadn't been so impulsive as to pull that woman's mother, would you have gotten hit like this?"

She was already furious because she hadn't received any food.

"Mom, I was just in a hurry!"

Wu Dazhu explained helplessly, then complained to his mother, "Besides, if you hadn't asked for fifty catties of grain, things wouldn't have gotten to this point."

Upon hearing this, Chen Pandi immediately exploded: "Wasn't I doing this for you? You heartless bastard, now you're blaming me?"

Wu Dazhu's wife led her two children behind him, listening quietly.

After the family walked for a while, Wu Dazhu saw that his mother's anger had subsided considerably, so he tentatively spoke again:

"Mother, what do you think about the fact that my eldest sister's food supply has run out? How are we going to survive? With the little food we have left, we definitely won't make it through the winter."

Chen Pandi paused, her expression shifting between light and shadow.

She was actually worried about this too, but she couldn't show it in front of her son and daughter-in-law.

"What are you afraid of? Your older sister was just saying that out of anger. Would she really abandon her own mother?"

"But Mother, their eldest nephew is not someone to be trifled with!" Wu Dazhu said with a worried expression.

Chen Pandi remained silent for a while after hearing this before speaking, "It's okay, I'll take your father next time, you don't need to worry about the rest."

"But with Dad's temper, would he agree?"

Wu Dazhu and his mother actually came here secretly; his father had no idea about it.

Chen Pandi snorted, "Your father is so stubborn, he has no choice but to agree this time! He can't just stand by and watch his family starve to death, can he?"

Wu Dazhu still felt uneasy, but seeing his mother's unquestionable expression, he dared not say anything more.

......