Even though he slept late last night, Li Zhuiyuan still woke up at a specific early morning moment.
It wasn't just the biological clock that woke him up, but also the anticipation of a new day.
When he opened his eyes and turned his head sideways, the figure was already standing in front of the table with a paintbrush.
The moon-white short shirt, the misty blue three-fold skirt, and the bamboo pattern white jade hairpin, one person becomes a scene, and the misty rain is empty.
Ah Li turned sideways, and the two met their eyes.
Li Chaiyuan got out of bed and walked to the painting table.
On the scroll, the place where the two children played and played was drawn by Ah Li with a circle of flowers and grass.
Last night, Li Zhuiyuan deliberately spread this painting here, and Tan Wenbin's two children on his shoulders could always be seen by Ali, and naturally he could recognize them.
However, simply painting them landscape backgrounds is obviously a bit too monotonous.
Li Chaiyuan pointed to a large number of blank spaces next to him and suggested:
"Here, here, and here, you can draw a private school, and then draw a few old Hongru standing at the door of the private school with a ring ruler."
Ah Li nodded, signaling that she knew.
Li Zhuiyuan continued: "You can draw a few more foreign missionaries to teach English."
The two children in the picture scroll who originally looked happy suddenly deflated at the corners of their mouths.
When Li Chaiyuan went out to wash, he happened to meet the grandfather holding a broom sweeping the ashes.
Li Sanjiang went to bed very early yesterday, but he got up very early today, he swept the road paved by Li Chaiyuan with yellow paper ash last night.
"I don't know where the ash came from, why is it still a little sticky?"
"Master, let me help you pour some water."
With a "bang", the water rushed down, and these ashes quickly dissolved.
Li Sanjiang leaned on a broom and looked at the dam below, where Liu Yumei was sitting there drinking tea at the moment.
It seems that this old philistine lady has improved her health.
Li Sanjiang was really worried about her a few days ago, after all, people are old, and maybe one day they will be sent away directly because of some problem.
After washing up, I didn't play chess this morning, because Ah Li was still busy drawing "cram school".
Li Zuiyuan was finally able to free up his hands and open the "Code of Conduct for Walking the River" to summarize and sort it out.
The morning breeze brings a refreshing coolness, blowing in through the screen window, bringing a slightly playful vitality.
After Li Chaiyuan finished writing, he rubbed his wrists, then got up and came to Ah Li, several private schools and a small church were ready, this is a close-up.
There is still a lot of planning space in the long term, which can accommodate the all-round development of "moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and labor".
Tan Wenbin's treatment of these two children includes a strong father's love, including when providing them with "post-mortem education".
But if you change to Li Zhuiyuan, the world will become much crueler, mainly because in Li Zhuiyuan's own mind, "learning" and "burden" and "fatigue" have nothing to do with each other at all.
"Breakfast!"
Go downstairs and have breakfast.
Runsheng is ready, everyone else is a bowl of Yangchun noodles, sprinkled with chopped green onions, exquisitely embellished, Runsheng is a big basin here, showing his heroism while losing grace.
Li Sanjiang said in surprise: "Hey, where is Youhou?"
Runsheng: "Uncle Li, Ayou went to pick up Zhuangzhuang."
Li Sanjiang: "When will Zhuang Zhuang come back?"
Runsheng: "I don't know, Zhou Yunyun has also returned to Nantong."
"Then don't urge him." Li Sanjiang took a bite of the noodles and wondered, "Zhou Yunyun has returned to Nantong, what is the matter with Guan Youhou, why is he running there?"
With a bite of chopsticks, Li Sanjiang said very seriously:
"You guys, you have to remind you that there are some things that must not be done."
……
"Sneeze!"
Lin Shuyou sneezed loudly.
The two of them sat on the guardrail of Shijia Bridge, which was on the highway, from the city to Shigang, they could only take this road, and they would definitely be able to see them when they drove by.
Tan Wenbin handed Lin Shuyou a piece of paper and asked: "Can you still catch a cold with your physical fitness?"
Lin Shuyou also felt strange and said: "I don't know."
Tan Wenbin jumped off the railing, stood in front of Lin Shuyou, and stretched out his hand to tidy up his collar.
"Come on, cheer up, the young man has a very good skin, give yourself some sunshine and confidence."
The book friend is handsome.
If you ignore Mandarin with a slight accent, Lin Shuyou is almost the male protagonist in the popular yellow cover romance novel.
In the past, when I was in a big class, female classmates from other classes often took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Ayou.
At this time, in the face of Brother Bin's encouragement, Ayou could only force a smile.
A white sedan drove by quickly.
Lin Shuyou's eyes flashed and said: "Zhou Yunyun."
The car turned around in front of it, drove back, and parked by the bridge.
The first to get out of the car was Zhou Yunyun, who was sitting in the passenger seat, and as soon as she came, she threw herself directly into Tan Wenbin's arms, tears flowing down unconsciously.
The panic and nightmares of these days, as well as the various pressures accumulated in my heart, can finally be completely thrown away when I see Tan Wenbin.
Her hands grabbed Tan Wenbin's arm, her ears listened carefully to his heartbeat, she wanted to confirm that all this was real, this was not her dream.
Tan Wenbin put one hand around her shoulder, stroked her hair with the other, pressed his chin against Zhou Yunyun's head, and smelled the fragrance on her body.
When people are young, they often have unrealistic fantasies about love, believing that the wedding vows are meaningless forms of process that never leave regardless of age, weakness, sickness, or poverty.
But when you really reach a certain stage, you will realize how difficult and valuable it is for your partner to do this.
Some people spend ten or even twenty years still carefully trying to check the answer, while others don't dare to test it at all.
For Tan Wenbin, what he is now in his arms is a girl who will be disheartened because of his "death".
Even Tan Wenbin herself couldn't understand why she liked her so much.
The person in the driver's seat came down, the girl was dressed in a black leather coat, with a metal pendant, her hair was tied up, and her whole person was capable and cold.
This image, vivid on the cover of a rock album, is almost as good as an electric guitar and swaying when you shake your head up and down.
Lin Shuyou looked at her and then at Zhou Yunyun in Brother Bin's arms.
Didn't Zhou Yunyun's classmates look very similar to Zhou Yunyun?
This...... Where is it like?
Lin Shuyou admitted that she was very beautiful and had a good figure, but this temperament was not what he liked, after all, Ayou was a very decent and traditional person in his bones.
He understands the pursuit of fashion and individuality, and is even willing to show support, but that doesn't mean he can accept it himself.
The girl was also looking at Lin Shuyou, and when she came, she heard Zhou Yunyun say that she would introduce her to a handsome guy.
She is indeed quite handsome, standing there, the whole person has an inexplicable straightness, but she doesn't like this kind of well-behaved and obedient boy, with such a boy, it is easy to lose the passion for life.
Tan Wenbin's eyes swept over the two of them, and only then did he realize that he had been negligent.
He originally thought that people should be like each other, and if he could play well with Zhou Yunyun, he should be generally similar, but in life and friends, there are often complementary situations.
For example, Zhou Yunyun's gentle and quiet temperament is actually easy to have strong female partners around him.
Tan Wenbin: "Yunyun, can you introduce me?"
Zhou Yunyun immediately wiped away his tears, smiled with red eyes: "Let me introduce you to you, Linlin, this is my boyfriend Tan Wenbin."
Tan Wenbin corrected: "Fiancé, I have already met my parents."
Zhou Yunyun hit Tan Wenbin's chest with his fist and continued to introduce: "This is Lin Shuyou, Binbin's good friend, from his hometown of Fujian."
Tan Wenbin: "Ah You is my half-brother."
Zhou Yunyun: "Chen Lin, a senior sister who is one year older than me, is from my hometown of Wenzhou."
Chen Lin took the initiative to walk towards Lin Shuyou, Lin Shuyou thought she was going to shake hands, so he took a step forward and stretched out his palm.
Who knew that Chen Lin took out a cigarette directly from her pocket and pulled out one for Lin Shuyou.
Lin Shuyou lowered his head and looked at the smoke in his palm.
Chen Lin threw another one to Tan Wenbin, then took out a beautiful lighter by herself, lit it with a "click", took a puff and spat out the smoke ring, and did it in one go.
Lin Shuyou silently put the cigarette in his mouth.
It was not only Ayou who was silent, but also the boy.
When he was waiting on the bridge before, the boy was still doing ideological work for his maid.
After seeing the real person, the boy also shut up.
Chen Lin lit the lighter again, brought it to Lin Shuyou's mouth, and helped him light it.
"You don't smoke, do you?"
Lin Shuyou nodded: "I used to smoke, but later Brother Bin told me to quit."
Tan Wenbin took out a lighter and lit it for himself, and said with a smile: "Young people are when they are growing their bodies, what kind of cigarettes do they smoke?"
Chen Lin pointed to Tan Wenbin's hair and shrugged: "This hair is dyed and very trendy."
Only then did Zhou Yunyun realize that Tan Wenbin's hair was white, and he had only been focused on checking whether Tan Wenbin was really alive, but he really didn't pay attention to the details.
"Binbin, your hair is ......"
Tan Wenbin: "During the internship, the tutor said that I looked too tender, so I dyed my hair white to facilitate my work.
Zhou Yunyun: "It's not good-looking, it looks old."
Tan Wenbin: "Then it means that it is effective, don't worry, it will turn black after a while, I want to use cheap and low-quality hair dye.
Let's go, let's go to the town for breakfast first, there are few shops here in Heather, let's go to Shigang to eat.
Classmate Chen, why don't I drive?"
Chen Lin nodded, opened the car door and sat in the back row.
Tan Wenbin threw the cigarette on the ground and stepped on it, sat in the driver's seat, Lin Shuyou opened the passenger door, and just as he was about to sit in, he saw Zhou Yunyun coming over, so he put his hand on the lower edge of the door a little awkwardly to prevent her from meeting each other.
Zhou Yunyun: "Ayou, you are too polite."
Lin Shuyou smiled, then sat in the back row and pinched the cigarette before getting into the car.
But after sitting in, she found that Chen Lin was still continuing to swallow clouds and fog, and there was also an old smell of smoke in the car.
The car started, and Chen Lin asked: "Classmate Tan, how did you make us so obsessed with you, if I hadn't drived, she would have come back in time for the first bus this morning."
Tan Wenbin turned around and said: "The class president in high school likes to sit at the teacher's lecture table at work, how classic this is, right?"
Zhou Yunyun sat in the passenger seat, her face flushed, silent.
Chen Lin: "I told Yunyun that she was young, inexperienced, and easily deceived. Yunyun refuted me, saying, 'You're willing to risk your life for her.'"
Zhou Yunyun reminded him, "Linlin..."
Tan Wenbin pursed his lips, not arguing further, simply saying, "It's only natural."
Back then, the woman from Shizhuo Zhao cursed Zhou Yunyun out of jealousy. She followed Xiaoyuan to Shizhuo Zhao and attacked him. Tan Wenbin dismembered the woman who had cursed her with a Yellow River shovel.
Zhou Yunyun didn't know about these events, but her womanly intuition gave her a vague sense of what Tan Wenbin had done for her in those days.
She found a well-established noodle shop in Shigang Town. It wasn't large, and since it was past the morning rush hour, there weren't many customers.
Tan Wenbin: "Come and try it. I used to come here all the time when I was a day student."
"Binbin, oh, it's you, Binbin. Long time no see."
"Um, Aunt Zhao, it's me."
"This is..." Aunt Zhao asked, pointing at Zhou Yunyun.
"My child's mother."
"Ah, so soon?"
"Of course, I've already had two children."
"You little brat, you're still so talkative and frivolous."
Tan Wenbin laughed and ordered noodles, wontons, and some buns and fried dough sticks.
The atmosphere inside was a bit greasy, especially towards the back, where the walls were a bit blackened.
Lin Shuyou was about to tell Chen Lin to sit outside while he sat inside.
But Chen Lin spoke first, saying, "I'll sit inside, you sit outside."
With that, she sat down first.
It was clear that despite her well-off family, she had a strong ability to adapt to her surroundings.
Tan Wenbin: "I'm sorry, but this is a small place, and the conditions are simple."
Chen Lin: "This is where you and Yunyun lived and went to school. It's filled with your stories. Isn't that what we're all about when we go out?"
Lin Shuyou: "No matter how beautiful the scenery is, it's easy to get bored without a story."
Chen Lin looked at Lin Shuyou, picked up a steamed bun, and said, "Here, let me toast you."
Lin Shuyou took the bun a little embarrassedly and started eating. Actually, Xiaoyuan had said this when they had visited other parts of the province.
Many scenic spots in JS Province lack famous mountains, rivers, or magnificent scenery. They rely on the publicity provided by ancient poems, which attract tourists who flock to them to imagine them.
Tan Wenbin: "After dinner, how about taking you to the city for a walk and climb Wolf Mountain?"
I can't say much else, but when it comes to tourism resources in the province, Nantong claims to be second to last, and no other city dares to compete for last place.
Chen Lin shook her head. "There's no need to bother. I've checked the altitude of Langshan Mountain. Running up there doesn't necessarily mean you'll sweat."
Tan Wenbin: "That's called easy climbing. Going too high isn't good either; it's tiring."
Chen Lin: "You can go wherever you want, even home. Just give me a room to rest. Oh, and good soundproofing."
Zhou Yunyun: "Linlin, come, eat some hot dumplings."
Chen Lin took a bite of the hot dumpling, looked at Zhou Yunyun's expression, and asked in confusion, "You guys haven't had that yet."
"Ahem..." Tan Wenbin choked on his soy milk. It was rare for someone, especially a girl, to ask such a blunt question.
Zhou Yunyun blushed and lowered her head.
In the past, the two of them had been very natural together, but for some reason, after arriving here, Linlin seemed like a different person.
Lin Shuyou: "As adults, we need to learn to take responsibility."
Chen Lin laughed. "It's a consensual and happy thing, so why make anyone feel like they owe someone anything? What an old-fashioned way of thinking."
Lin Shuyou hesitated. He knew Brother Bin was worried about him dying on the river, and out of responsibility for Zhou Yunyun, he didn't do that.
Tan Wenbin's eyes narrowed, his serpentine pupils flickering as he asked, "So, how many people have you been with?"
Chen Lin shrugged. "Too many, too many to count. I've only recently been free, and with Yunyun by my side, I'm not lonely anymore."
Tan Wenbin suppressed his laughter and lowered his head to eat his wontons. He had just looked at her, and she had a virgin-like aura about her. So, this was no different from the inexperienced boys in the dormitory who liked to brag about their relationship history.
Tan Wenbin finished eating first and went to pay the bill. Lin Shuyou, who was also finishing quickly, followed him out.
"Brother Bin..."
"Don't worry, don't feel bad. We weren't attracted to each other anyway."
Next, Tan Wenbin drove everyone to Zhou Yunyun's home.
Since they were all back, they definitely had to visit their parents. Even if Zhou Yunyun didn't need to visit, Tan Wenbin had to come back to maintain some goodwill.
Both his future father-in-law and mother-in-law worked at the textile factory. Zhou Yunyun's grandmother, delighted to see her granddaughter and her future grandson-in-law, immediately sent her husband back to the factory to call them back.
Then, they began preparing dinner.
There was a butcher in the village who only sold meat in town at night. Grandma went to cut the meat, caught the chickens in their kennels, and fished in the pond behind their house.
Lunch was a lively one. Afterward, Chen Lin took a nap; she was indeed sleepy from traveling all night.
Tan Wenbin held Zhou Yunyun's hand and strolled through the village.
Tired from walking, the two sat down by the stream and chatted.
Tan Wenbin recounted interesting stories from his travels on construction projects. As he spoke, Zhou Yunyun lay in his arms, asleep in the warm afternoon sun.
Gently brushing a strand of hair from her cheek, Tan Wenbin smiled.
At that moment, he also, pretentiously, wished time would stand still.
Lin Shuyou had nothing else to do. He couldn't go up and take a nap with her, nor could he go for a walk with Brother Bin. Finally, he simply picked up his hoe and followed Zhou Yunyun's grandfather into the fields to work.
This put Zhou Yunyun's grandfather in a dilemma. He could see the young man had boundless energy, but the problem was, it wasn't right for him to work for his own family.
Chen Lin slept until dusk, and Lin Shuyou worked until dusk, too.
This made the old couple feel very embarrassed.
Chen Lin walked out of the room and onto the second-floor balcony, where she could just watch Lin Shuyou working in the fields.
She couldn't understand what Lin Shuyou was doing there, but the scene looked quite amusing.
Chen Lin pulled a silver thimble from her pocket, engraved with seven coiled pythons. With a flick of her finger, a thin needle emerged from the ring.
Chen Lin brought her finger closer and pricked lightly. A shudder trembled, and a flash of white flashed in her eyes.
After glancing around, she moved her finger away, retracted the needle, and put the thimble into her pocket.
"This Nantong...how is it so clean?"
Down below, in the fields.
Lin Shuyou, working in the fields, froze, then turned to look.
Behind her was Zhou Yunyun's two-story house, and on the second-floor balcony stood Chen Lin.
The boy's voice rang out from the depths of his heart: "This is the Yin-Yang School. This girl is from the Yin-Yang School."
Lin Shuyou: "Why didn't Brother Bin and I notice this before?"
The boy: "This is a branch of the Yin-Yang School. They take the Yin and walk the Yang, using the Yin to do things and the Yang to avoid the world, severing causal ties.
When she doesn't reveal her Yin side, just looking at her Yang side, she's just a normal person, without any flaws."
Lin Shuyou: "Good or bad?"
The boy: "Are you thinking you're watching a TV show? There's good guys and bad guys?"
Lin Shuyou: "I'm worried Zhou Yunyun is in danger."
The boy: "It shouldn't be. Tan Wenbin's merit from walking the river will benefit his father, so a portion will surely fall on Zhou Yunyun. Zhou Yunyun will be able to meet her and stay with her, and she can shield him from some trouble.
Besides, Zhou Yunyun is just an ordinary person. No one would specifically target her.
Furthermore, since she chose to interact with Zhou Yunyun through her yang side, she was actually more afraid of being involved in karma.
This is indeed a good blind date, medium, you must seize the opportunity."
"What do you mean?"
"Her school also emphasizes bloodline inheritance. Only through continuous modification and improvement from generation to generation can the order of yin and yang be kept clear and seamless.
You are a genius among the generals, and with the blood of the Yin-Yang family, the child you give birth to should be quite talented."
"Boy, you are very thoughtful."
"I can live for a long time. You must have been influenced by your brother Xiaoyuan and not pursued methods to prolong your life. You can't expect me to be buried with you after you die, can you?
You have to leave me a high-quality carrier. If you really die without an heir, I'll be even more pitiful than those lonely old men."
"Forget it, we're not each other's type."
Lin Shuyou picked up his hoe and planned to report the situation to Tan Wenbin.
Just then, Tan Wenbin and Zhou Yunyun returned, and Lin Shuyou approached them. After greeting Lin Shuyou, Zhou Yunyun ran back to her home to find Chen Lin.
After explaining the situation, Tan Wenbin stroked his chin and said, "I agree with the boy's judgment. By the way, what else did the boy say besides that?"
Lin Shuyou: "Nothing else."
Then, Lin Shuyou's eyes began to flicker.
"Hehehe," Tan Wenbin said, amused. "Did the boy make you more proactive and work harder?"
Lin Shuyou shook his head, but his pupils continued to wrestle.
Tan Wenbin reached out and patted Lin Shuyou's shoulder, speaking earnestly:
"Boy, I understand a little push, but don't overstep your bounds. Be careful, or you'll tell Brother Xiaoyuan about it. You don't want to be sealed within your body again, do you?"
The pupils faded.
Tan Wenbin: "Let's go, it's time for dinner."
After dinner, Chen Lin suggested going karaoke.
While Shigang Town had the largest population and the most commercial businesses nearby, it was still far behind the city.
However, activities like karaoke require a large crowd to thrive, so Tan Wenbin drove everyone back to Siyuan Village.
Xiaoyuan and A'li definitely wouldn't go, but Mengmeng loved participating in such activities and loved to have fun.
The car turned off the village road onto the small path leading to Li Sanjiang's house. Tan Wenbin had planned to have Ayou get out and call Mengmeng out to ride into the city together.
However, Zhou Yunyun insisted that since they were already there, they had to greet Uncle Li.
There was no choice, so Tan Wenbin had to get out with her, and Chen Lin followed suit.
The Li Sanjiangs had a late dinner, and Uncle Qin was watering the flower beds with a bucket.
"Uncle Qin."
"Zhuangzhuang."
Tan Wenbin pointed to a newly planted area in the flower garden, somewhat puzzled. "What happened here?"
Uncle Qin: "I changed the variety mix."
Actually, that day, Uncle Qin was struck by the old woman's sword and sent flying into the flower garden, crushing many flowers. These are new plantings.
"Who is this young lady?" Uncle Qin looked at Chen Lin.
Chen Lin introduced herself, "I'm Ah You's ex-girlfriend."
Lin Shuyou: "..."
Uncle Qin smiled, nodded, and continued watering the flowers.
Chen Lin squatted down, reached out, and gently touched the petals in front of her. Although the buds were just about to bloom, a unique fragrance was already emanating.
The flowers were ordinary, but the fragrance was extraordinary.
Chen Lin looked at Uncle Qin. If the gardener's skills were the cause, then this man's skills were far too high.
Aunt Liu was serving food when she saw Tan Wenbin return. She said, "Oh, you were coming back sooner, why didn't you tell me?"
Tan Wenbin: "We've already eaten. We were planning to invite Mengmeng to go karaoke downtown."
Aunt Liu: "Mengmeng's in the west room. Knock on the door."
Tan Wenbin: "Of course."
One wouldn't dare enter Yin Meng's house without knocking.
Because even Yin Meng herself couldn't guarantee her safety.
After knocking a few times, there was a sound of bottles and jars falling from inside.
After a while, the door opened. Yin Meng asked, puzzled, "Have they changed the rules now? Do we have to greet each other when we get home?"
"Do you want to go karaoke?"
"When?"
"Right away."
"Go!"
Yin Meng walked out, closed the door, and happily ran to the kitchen. After a moment, she emerged even more cheerfully and said to Tan Wenbin, "Aunt Liu's going too."
Aunt Liu lifted her hair and smiled, "I'm free anyway, so I'll go have some fun with you guys."
From the moment Chen Lin stepped onto the dam, her attention was drawn to the boy and girl on the second-floor terrace.
First, it was their appearance. Although still young, their aura and appearance were already extraordinary.
The girl's dress, in particular, reminded her of her childhood, flipping through ancient paintings in an old house. There are always a few people in this world who are immune to the worldly turmoil.
Then, it was the two of them moving. They sat on rattan chairs, their fingers tapping in front of them constantly, as if they were playing some kind of game.
Chen Lin: "What are they doing?"
Lin Shuyou: "Playing chess."
Chen Lin: "Blindfolded chess? But the board is wrong."
Lin Shuyou: "Three games at once."
Chen Lin looked more closely and saw that it was indeed the case.
Li Zhuiyuan withdrew his hand, his gaze lowering to Chen Lin.
The Yang side of the Yin-Yang family is no different from ordinary people, unable to be detected by aura, but the look Chen Lin gave him just now held the scrutiny of Feng Shui.
Auras can be hidden, but some habits cannot. She must be trying to be lazy, trying to quickly identify what she was doing and replicate the chess board she was playing on.
Tan Wenbin trotted upstairs: "Brother Xiaoyuan."
In the corner of the terrace, Tan Wenbin gave his report.
Li Zhuiyuan: "It should be fine. If he's a Yin-Yang practitioner, I just looked at his face and it seems he should be cultivating a large yang side."
Tan Wenbin: "A large yang side?"
Li Zhuiyuan: "He's practicing the method of absorbing yin to replenish yang."
Tan Wenbin: "Oh~"
Tan Wenbin didn't understand, and the phrase "absorbing yin to replenish yang" sounded rather strange.
Li Zhuiyuan: "It means accumulating merit through the esoteric school to cultivate a secular body. People of this lineage are more cautious about their reputation."
The Yin-Yang School was once very prosperous in history, but later gradually declined. Some Yin-Yang practitioners returned to the secular world, a form of "farming and studying to pass on the family tradition."
Li Zhuiyuan once found a copy of "Explanation of Yin-Yang Physiognomy" in his great-grandfather's basement. To a certain extent, the young man could be considered a Yin-Yang practitioner.
Tan Wenbin: "It's just that Ah You doesn't like her kind, and she doesn't think highly of Ah You either."
Li Zhuiyuan: "Did the boy urge her?"
Tan Wenbin: "Not bad, just a few urgings, but the boy still fully respected Ah You's opinion."
Ali sat on a rattan chair, her eyes fixed on Chen Lin.
On the dam, Chen Lin crouched down, clutching her stomach, looking distressed.
Ali's eyes could see past her yang side and into her yin.
Chen Lin felt a fire burning within her. Without actively controlling it, her yin side threatened to reveal itself. The harder she tried to restrain it, the more uncomfortable she felt.
Does this feel like she's going crazy?
So, there's no such thing as a truly perfect disguise.
Ali harbored no ill intentions; she simply had a habit of seeing through everyone who appeared before her.
Just as she had for so many years, she watched in her dreams as one evil spirit after another disguised themselves and threatened her.
To avoid fear and influence, one must see their true nature clearly.
Li Sanjiang's voice rang out: "Ayou're back! Where's Zhuangzhuang? Where's Zhuangzhuang? My Zhuangzhuang!"
Tan Wenbin: "Uncle Li, Zhuangzhuang is here!"
Tan Wenbin shouted back, sprinting down to Li Sanjiang.
"You've lost weight! How did you lose so much weight?"
Li Sanjiang was heartbroken. The mule had lost weight.
Tan Wenbin: "The food outside isn't as good as at home. Uncle Li, the food at your house is better and more nourishing."
"Hey, then ask Aunt Liu to make you some more to nourish you. Hey, what's wrong with your hair?"
"I dyed it myself. Does it look good, Uncle Li?"
"It's not good at all. Dyeing your hair white is worse than dyeing it yellow. At least it looks fresh."
"Okay, I'll go to the barber shop in town tomorrow and get a trendy yellow hair."
"What's wrong with this girl? Are you feeling unwell?"
Li Sanjiang noticed Chen Lin squatting on the ground. Zhou Yunyun was beside her, asking her with concern.
Chen Lin just shook her head, indicating she was fine, but how could she look fine like that?
Li Zhuiyuan walked to the terrace and saw what was happening. He knew what was happening. He placed his hand on Ah Li's shoulder and patted it gently.
Ah Li, you can't watch any longer. If you keep looking, her true colors will show.
The girl, drawn from her concentration, averted her gaze.
The uneasy, dry feeling in Chen Lin's body subsided. She breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and said to Zhou Yunyun, "I'm fine. Really. Look, I'm fine."
Li Sanjiang asked, "Whose family is this girl from?"
Uncle Qin returned with a bucket and replied, "My ex-girlfriend."
"What?" Li Sanjiang looked at Tan Wenbin. "Your ex-girlfriend?"
Lin Shuyou hurriedly explained on Brother Bin's behalf, "She's mine, no, not mine..."
After Tan Wenbin introduced them, Li Sanjiang finally understood their relationship.
Li Sanjiang: "Oh, so your ex-girlfriend means she didn't like you, Youhou?"
Lin Shuyou: "...Yeah."
Li Sanjiang said to Chen Lin, "Girl, take a closer look. Mules with delicate skin, tender flesh, and plenty of work are rare in this world."
Chen Lin had a fondness for Li Sanjiang because her previous obsession had subsided after the old man's appearance.
"Master, our families are too far apart. It's not suitable."
Li Sanjiang: "Distance isn't a problem. Youhou rarely comes home from Nantong. You see, he's not a homesick man."
Lin Shuyou didn't go home often before, and now... he can't go back home.
Having become a True Lord, he has effectively severed ties with the official-general system.
Li Sanjiang continued, "Youhou's family is well-off, with temples and mountaintops. When the time comes, you can just give him some sweet talk, and you'll lure both the man and the money to Wenzhou, won't you?"
Boy: "Yes, yes, yes!"
Chen Lin: "Isn't that a bad idea?"
Li Sanjiang: "Well, what's wrong with that? Aren't you Wenzhou people the best at business? This deal is a good one."
Boy: "That's right!"
Lin Shuyou felt like he was at a cattle market. Uncle Li was practically rolling up his sleeves to count the price with Chen Lin.
Chen Lin didn't know how to respond. For some reason, her usual carefree and uninhibited demeanor didn't work in front of this old man.
Tan Wenbin took the initiative to distract the crowd, saying, "Uncle Li, Yunyun's here too."
Li Sanjiang glared at Tan Wenbin and retorted, "What's the matter? You want to sell it again? I'm telling you, I don't agree to that."
Tan Wenbin: "Of course not."
Li Sanjiang: "Let me tell you, Yunyun is such a wonderful girl. It's a blessing for you, a white-haired man, that she's fallen for you."
Tan Wenbin: "Yes, that's right."
Li Sanjiang looked at Zhou Yunyun and asked, "I heard that you can get a marriage certificate and have children while you're in college?"
Zhou Yunyun: "Huh?"
Li Sanjiang: "Get the marriage certificate as soon as possible, and have children if you can. Ideally, have twins.
Look, Zhuangzhuang's dad's rising through the ranks is like rocketing.
We should hurry up too. Isn't that what they show on TV? When you get to a higher position, they force couples to marry."
Although Zhou Yunyun was shy, she could sense the old man's concern and protectiveness.
Tan Wenbin: "Uncle Li, you eat first. We've already eaten. Now we're going to the city to sing. Do you want to go?"
Li Sanjiang: "Then you guys go. How could I possibly go?"
A group of people left. There were so many people that Yin Meng got in the pickup truck as well.
Tan Wenbin knocked on Yin Meng's window.
Yin Meng rolled down the window and asked, "What's going on?"
"It's a lot of fun with a lot of people. Go to Big Beard's house and ask Lihua if she wants to go. Then ask Xiao Yingying, too. She likes singing."
"Oh, okay."
Yin Meng drove onto the village road and asked, puzzled, "Would it be inappropriate to bring Xiao Yingying along?"
Aunt Liu, sitting in the back seat, said, "It's okay. That girl is no pushover."
Yin Meng: "So they didn't know? Or did they know but didn't tell me?"
Aunt Liu: "They probably thought it was harmless."
The pickup truck drove to Big Beard's house, and Yin Meng got out to call for help.
Lihua readily agreed, and Xiao Yingying also agreed, temporarily leaving Benben in the care of Xiong Shan.
Xiong Shan teased his son, and Benben turned his head away, unfamiliar with his biological father.
One person and one dead man ran briskly, following Yin Meng towards the car. As they got closer, they saw Aunt Liu sitting in the car and both slowed down their pace.
Aunt Liu: "Oh, it seems I shouldn't have gone. I've ruined your fun."
Lihua and Xiao Yingying quickly opened the car door and got in.
Xiong Shan, holding the child, stood on the dam, looking at the people in the car. He couldn't help but lower his head and say to his unknown son in his arms:
"Your mother must be so happy right now."
Benben: "Hehe."
Back at home on the dam, those who didn't go to the karaoke were eating.
Liu Yumei sat alone at the small round table and said to Li Sanjiang, "How can you be an elder like that? You're always urging everyone to get married and have children. You're really treating people like mules!"
Li Sanjiang wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, glanced at Li Zhuiyuan and A'li, who were eating together, and didn't object.
Was he trying to urge others? He wanted to urge his own family, but those mules were already adults, and his own were still young.
After dinner, Liu Yumei took A'li back to the house for a bath.
A while ago, when she was the eldest daughter of the Liu family, she would sit in the tub by herself and ask A'li to refill the water.
"The water's cold, sister," "Add some more flower petals, sister," she would say from time to time.
A'li was truly obedient; she did whatever he asked.
Now, looking at Ah Li in the tub, Liu Yumei couldn't help but smile.
"Come, sit still. I'll help you bathe."
Ah Li turned, glanced at her grandmother, then turned back.
Standing behind her, Liu Yumei could see her granddaughter's reflection in the petal-drifting water, and the girl smiled.
…
A group of people entered the karaoke room. Tan Wenbin requested a private room and ordered a large beer and fruit plate.
At first, for various reasons, everyone was a little reserved, but gradually, the atmosphere warmed up.
Aunt Liu had a beautiful voice and sang beautifully, with a professional air that even Chen Lin couldn't help but admire and admire.
You know, when they first met, this woman was wearing an apron and cooking for the family.
Tan Wenbin ordered "Thousands of Songs" for Xiao Yingying, simply to reminisce about the golden song Xiaoyuan had heard back then.
Thinking of Xiaoyuan being seduced by Little Yellow Bird while listening to this song, Tan Wenbin couldn't help but laugh.
But this little quirk of his could only be kept to himself, never shared.
Then, Tan Wenbin deliberately selected a currently popular song. After selecting, he handed one microphone to Chen Lin and the other to Lin Shuyou.
Lin Shuyou refused, "Brother Bin, I can't sing."
Since entering this place, Lin Shuyou had sat obediently by the side, never singing a single song.
Tan Wenbin: "It's okay, you definitely know how to sing."
When the accompaniment started, Lin Shuyou looked at the screen and realized that he did know how to sing.
Chen Lin generously pointed at Lin Shuyou and said, "Come on, ex-boyfriend, join us!"
The two of them sang together:
"When you lose your will, you can only sigh with regret; when you are down and out, you can only be terrified... Only by fighting hard can you win!"
(End of this chapter)