Chapter 18

Chapter 18

At five o'clock in the early morning, Li Zhuiyuan lifted his head and sat up, leaning on the chair with his eyes half-open.

He maintained this posture until five-thirty. As his senses gradually returned, his head began to feel dizzy and achy. His pupils refocused, and consciousness started to return.

Li Zhuiyuan used both hands to press his forehead, rubbing it slowly.

He didn't know how he had fallen asleep, or even when he had woken up.

After waiting another fifteen minutes, Li Zhuiyuan took a deep breath and looked at his desk. He discovered a pool of blood, and the homework book he used for calculations was also stained red.

His gaze swept over the horizontal and vertical lines on the page. Li Zhuiyuan felt a sharp pain in his brain and immediately closed and flipped over the homework book.

He gradually remembered that before losing consciousness, he seemed to have been calculating his own fate grid.

It seemed one couldn't calculate their own.

Lifting his head to check the time, Li Zhuiyuan got up to clean the desk. Then, he picked up the basin to go and wash up, and conveniently washed and hung up the blood-stained clothes.

After tidying up, he didn't return to his room but sat on the rattan chair on the balcony used for reading.

The cool morning breeze continuously brushed his face, allowing his entire being to regain some vitality, although his head was still somewhat uncomfortable.

The light in the east room bedroom turned on. Through the window's reflection, he could see a petite figure sitting, with an adult figure beside her combing her hair.

So, A-Li gets up this early every day.

As he watched, the figure in the window reflection disappeared, and the sky was also in its final stage of gray-black.

The east room hall door opened, and the girl walked out of the room, hugging a small Go wooden box in her arms.

She lifted her head and saw Li Zhuiyuan already sitting outside the second-floor bedroom. Their gazes met.

Soon, Qin Li came to Li Zhuiyuan's side and sat on the small stool.

She didn't unfold the oil paper Go board as she usually did, but looked at the boy.

After a while, Li Zhuiyuan discovered a warm, soft small hand actively holding his hand.

Perhaps in the girl's understanding, every time he held her small hand, her heart would feel calm and comfortable. So this time, she actively held his hand, hoping to reciprocate.

The boy and girl just sat there holding hands, looking at the rice waves gently swaying in the early wind in front of them, witnessing the gray edge of the sky gradually being replaced by the morning light.

Time passed very slowly, yet also very quickly.

"Ah-choo!"

Li Sanjiang walked out of the bedroom, sneezing.

He turned his head and looked at the boy and girl sitting side by side there. He suddenly thought of the boy and girl under Guanyin Bodhisattva's seat in New Year pictures.

It wasn't that they looked alike, but the delicate appearance of these two children was indeed as if cast from the same mold as the rounded lines of the boy and girl in the New Year pictures.

Li Sanjiang sniffed his nose and rubbed it with the back of his hand. He had noticed his recent changes. Previously, he thought being single and carefree was good, but he didn't expect that in his old age, due to Xiao Yuan Hou's appearance, he truly found the joy of having a grandchild in old age.

Liu Aunt called out for breakfast.

Today's breakfast was exceptionally early because both Li Sanjiang and Li Zhuiyuan had to go out.

Breakfast wasn't porridge, but boiled instant noodles, Sanxian Yi noodles.

Under each noodle bowl, Liu Aunt had also put an egg.

The noodles were very delicious. Li Zhuiyuan initially didn't feel hungry, but after eating a few mouthfuls, he felt his body's perception melt like a block of ice. He quickly finished one bowl.

Liu Aunt went to cook another bowl for Li Zhuiyuan and served it to him.

After eating the second bowl of noodles, Li Zhuiyuan felt that he had completely recovered from the aftermath of last night's fortune-telling.

"Still want more?" Liu Aunt asked.

"I'm full, Liu Aunt."

Beside him, Qin Li also put down her chopsticks. She ate her noodles relatively slowly, because she always sucked a consistent length of noodles, then bit them off, chewed and swallowed before taking the next mouthful.

Li Sanjiang also ate well, smacking his lips and saying:

"Really, these instant noodles are really not as delicious as the yangchun noodles at our town's noodle shop. Add some lard, soy sauce, pepper powder, then sprinkle some chopped green onion, much better than this."

Liu Aunt agreed: "This is true."

If other families' adults said so, it would probably be to discourage buying instant noodles later to save money.

But this point didn't exist for Li Sanjiang. A batch of paper offerings being destroyed almost broke his cash flow. This showed that in his daily life, he really didn't save money. He spent everything he earned on living, especially on food and drink.

In fact, in the current vast rural townships, using instant noodles for breakfast was considered a luxury that could make the children next door envious and cry.

In some provinces and regions, instant noodles were even gradually developing into local characteristic food, like meatball instant noodles with a poached egg.

Li Sanjiang picked up his baggage, stomped his feet, and prepared to set off.

His baggage was exceptionally long because he had put that peach wood sword inside. Since that peach wood sword had helped him chop and kill the corpse demon last time, he treasured and cherished it more and more.

He had specially called the manufacturer at the village committee, originally thinking of ordering another batch. He didn't expect that they would inform him that the furniture factory had been privatized and the peach wood sword production line had stopped long ago.

This time, the one in his hand had become a limited edition.

Li Weihan and the others arrived, each pushing a small cart with baskets and tools on top.

"Sanjiang Uncle."

"Big Grandpa."

"Great Grandpa."

The four uncles all appeared very proper in front of Li Sanjiang, because Li Sanjiang didn't indulge them in daily life. When he saw them, he would directly scold them as ungrateful wolves, making them see Li Sanjiang in the village from afar and quickly take a detour.

Pangzi and Leizi then happily ran directly to Li Zhuiyuan. During this period, Li Zhuiyuan wasn't living at his grandpa and grandma's house, so they had fewer opportunities to gather.

"Let's go!"

Li Sanjiang patted his pants leg, then held Li Zhuiyuan's hand and followed Li Weihan and the others out.

Qin Li watched Li Zhuiyuan leave. She already knew that Li Zhuiyuan had to go out today, but seeing him leave, she still slowly lowered her head, her gaze falling on the noodle bowl Li Zhuiyuan had just eaten from.

Liu Yumei immediately gave Liu Aunt a wink. Liu Aunt stepped forward like an arrow, collected the bowls and chopsticks to wash them.

Subsequently, Qin Uncle carried a large bundle of bamboo back, threw it on the dam, and patted his hands.

Liu Yumei sat beside Qin Li and smiled: "A-Li, I'll have A-Li also make you a rattan chair like Xiao Yuan Hou's, what do you think?"

Qin Li didn't respond.

Liu Yumei pursed her lips and said to Qin Li: "These two days, hurry up and make two identical new rattan chairs, suitable for children to sit and lean on."

Qin Li nodded.

Qin Li lifted her head.

It wasn't obvious, but she was indeed happy.

...

At the village entrance road side, without waiting long, an old-style bus drove over.

The township bus at this time had no platforms or fixed stops. Although it had official management, it was still largely private contracting in nature. If they saw someone waiting by the roadside, they would stop, and passengers could also ask to get off at any time.

Li Sanjiang still wanted to admonish Xiao Yuan Hou a few words, but the car came too fast. He could only get on the car first. After the car drove away, Li Weihan lifted Li Zhuiyuan up and put him in Big Uncle Li Sheng's cart, letting him sit there.

Then, everyone walked together along the roadside. Not long after, they caught up with the Siyuan Village team.

Basically, they were all male strong laborers within the appropriate age range from the village. There were few women. This was also because the vigorous river dredging project had entered its final stage, and the required labor volume and working hours had been greatly reduced.

Decades ago, during specific seasons every year, almost all of the rural areas in Jiangsu, men and women, old and young, all had to carry tools and be organized. If there was a river nearby, they would repair the riverbank. If there was no river, they would build reservoirs.

Sometimes, if they encountered a key project or a big battle, they would be organized to go to relatively far places and work together.

In the dead of winter, the cold wind was piercing. In those years, there may not have been many engineering equipment, and it basically all relied on manpower.

Those within the appropriate age range all had to participate. At that time, the working period was long, and they needed to eat and live on the worksite for a very long time, bringing their own dry food and building their own sheds.

Who knows how many elders were left with chronic illnesses because of the hardship of river dredging in those years?

Big Uncle Li Sheng laughed: "Still remember how hard it was when we were young, going river dredging with Dad and Mom? At that time, Dad still liked to say to us what, if we didn't study well, we would have to keep river dredging, ha ha."

The three uncles beside him all followed suit and laughed.

Second Uncle Li Zheng said: "In the end, Dad's words were all in vain. None of us brothers basically had the brains for studying. In the end, only Little Sister studied well."

Third Uncle Li Xiong nodded: "Exactly, exactly, Mom was biased ah, all the good brains were left for Little Sister."

Li Weihan pretended to be angry and laughed, scolding: "What are you brats spouting? If you could study, the old man wouldn't still grit his teeth to support you?"

Everyone laughed again, another round of mutual teasing and scolding.

Everything, as if it had returned to a very long time ago.

The four people, led by Dad and Mom, went to work river dredging together, and it was also like this on the way.

This was probably the reason why Li Weihan was so attentive to this river dredging. His sons had all started their own families, all were fathers of several children, and they took care of their own small families daily, inevitably leading to some friction and discord.

Just at this time, everyone carrying tools and pushing carts, as individuals, they could find those previous feelings and memories.

However, this period of warmth was also destined not to last too long. Families with many children and not much wealth would basically face the same problem. They could only wait for better days later, when everyone was older, then it might be possible to let go of those small calculations and grudges and truly pick up family affection.

Of course, it was also possible that they would never let go, and the brothers would never contact each other until death.

The team kept walking forward, and the uncles kept introducing things seen along the way to Li Zhuiyuan, Pangzi, and Leizi.

"This dyke was built by us back then. At that time, we were still small and could only help transport soil in the back."

"This reservoir was also built by us initially. It was cold back then, all frozen."

"This ditch was also dug by us. At that time, Leizi and Pangzi were still small, ha ha ha."

Following their introduction, Li Zhuiyuan, sitting in the cart, kept looking into the distance. He felt somewhat moved in his heart. He had always thought that many facilities were taken for granted, but they weren't just taken for granted.

Now, these water conservancy facilities that almost every village had were the best engravings of that era's projects, the crystallization poured out by the broad laborers under shoulder carrying and hand lifting with sweat and effort.

The Siyuan Village team was marching, constantly merging with teams from other villages. The team scale began to get larger and larger, gradually becoming so long that one couldn't see the beginning or the end.

The village leader would carry a flag with the village name written on it. The township leader would carry a bigger flag and hold a large loudspeaker.

The flag was already old, and the words on it had become mottled and peeled off. Even that non-electric large loudspeaker was already rusty. However, now they only served a symbolic role. The habit and self-consciousness cultivated over decades were already engraved in the hearts of several generations.

Li Weihan's tools were all shared by his sons. He could relatively leisurely light his water pipe, suck out smoke, gradually letting his gaze become somewhat blurry. Perhaps it was smoked by the smoke, or perhaps this honest man suddenly felt emotional in his heart.

He said: "Remember back then when we were rushing to work, the cultural troupe came to the worksite to perform for everyone to encourage us. I just remember that sentence, I don't know who on stage said it, anyway it was:

If this dyke is not built now, this river is not dug now, this reservoir is not built now, that is leaving it for our children to build later. We eat this hardship now, so that our children won't have to eat this hardship again later.

Now look, what was said was really right.

Pang Hou, Le Hou, and them later, they just don't need to river dredge again."

The uncles also all agreed. Today's days were indeed much better than before.

The worksite was relatively far. The teams from several towns had all gathered and set off early. They only arrived at high noon.

And there were many simple sheds on the edge of the worksite, including nearby private houses that were temporarily requisitioned, providing hot water and dry food.

Hot water could be obtained at any time, and dry food was received and distributed by the village brigade squad.

The Li family group sat together, eating scallion flower rolls. The four uncles each took out the salty sauce and pickled vegetables they had brought from home.

"Xiao Yuan Hou, are you used to eating this?" Big Uncle Li Sheng asked.

"Mm, delicious." Li Zhuiyuan broke the scallion flower roll into his mouth. The scallion fragrance mixed with the flour fragrance was indeed very delicious.

"Now they provide meals. Previously, when we and your grandpa and grandma were river dredging, we all brought our own dry food, couldn't even get hot water, had to burn it ourselves.

After eating, there was no time for an afternoon rest. The big team cadres came down to arrange everyone's responsible section.

Soon, Li Zhuiyuan saw dense crowds, carrying tools and pushing small carts, walking down the river ditch, which was not yet diverted but only somewhat muddy, from both sides, like a group of ants.

Yet, they were not at all humble and small. Instead, they gave people a sense of shock.

With each small collective as a unit, everyone shouted slogans and began working lively and enthusiastically.

Li Zhuiyuan was originally just brought along and didn't belong to the labor category. Naturally, he wouldn't be assigned a task. There were many children nearby who had followed their adults and were playing. Some children still held scallion flower rolls in their hands, continuing to eat.

However, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't play with them. He followed Pangzi and Leizi to push carts and transport soil.

At this time, a group of young people who looked like university students walked over and asked Pangzi and the others to help pull a rope to set a mark for measurement. Li Zhuiyuan was also assigned a task, holding a wooden peg and standing at the specified position.

Beside him were two university students. One was measuring and the other was holding a pen to record. Because they called each other by name, Li Zhuiyuan also knew that the one measuring was called Xue Liangliang and the one recording was called Zhao Hequan.

Zhao Hequan smiled and said: "Such projects are getting fewer and fewer. Later generations won't have to be assigned to worksites to do this. I really envy them."

After Xue Liangliang reported a data point, he continued to measure while lowering his head and retorted:

"No, there will only be more such big projects in the future. But our country no longer needs to mobilize the masses for voluntary labor like in the past. The most difficult period has almost been endured. The future will only be better and better."

"Xue Liangliang, what are you talking about?"

"What, you don't believe it?" Xue Liangliang said with a smile on his face, "Then you wait and see later. Believe me, this kind of project, placed in the future, can only be considered insignificant."

"Since it's insignificant, then what are we still doing here?"

"I said it's insignificant in the future, not referring to the past and now. Nantong is originally located at the estuary of the Yangtze River. In the past, so many water conservancy projects were built. One was for shipping transportation, two was for agricultural irrigation, and three was most importantly for flood and waterlogging prevention.

Without these infrastructures, we can't talk about future development."

"He he he he." Zhao Hequan laughed. He felt that this classmate, who was in the same group as him, was a bit silly.

After the data was measured,

Xue Liangliang stood up straight, reported the last group of data, stretched his waist, looked at the noisy yet orderly construction scene in front of him, and couldn't help but sigh:

"Great people, creating great history."

"Wake up, Xue Liangliang, you almost made me think you were secretly memorizing for the final exam in political class?"

Xue Liangliang smiled without responding, lowered his head, and saw Li Zhuiyuan, who was holding the wooden peg beside him, also looking at him and smiling. He reached out to touch Li Zhuiyuan's head and asked:

"Little friend, are you also following your family's adults here even though you're so small?"

"Ang," Li Zhuiyuan responded, "Small also a person."

"Ha ha ha!"

Xue Liangliang was amused by this sentence and burst into laughter. He couldn't help but bend down and hug Li Zhuiyuan, then took out several pieces of Big White Rabbit milk candy from his pocket and stuffed them into Li Zhuiyuan's pocket.

He felt this little friend was very interesting. Li Zhuiyuan also felt this big child was very meaningful.

Especially his expression and tone when he just said those words, it made Li Zhuiyuan think of his North Grandpa.

At this time, some commotion came from the distant worksite. Someone was running towards here while shouting:

"Something was dug out, something was dug out!"

In engineering operations, digging things out was normal. Although everyone felt it was novel, not many people went to that side to see, after all, they all had to hurry to complete their own tasks.

However, these university students assigned to the worksite, after completing their own tasks, were more free. Zhao Hequan immediately pulled Xue Liangliang and urged:

"Go, Liangliang, let's go see what was dug out."

Gradually, messages were constantly passed over. Everyone probably knew that a small temple was dug out, about the size of an ordinary household toilet.

Logically, this wasn't much. As an alluvial plain area, the density of ancient tombs and ancient buildings was definitely far less than in the Central Plains. However, construction operations would occasionally dig out an ancient small landlord's tomb or sacrificial temple.

However, in a special era background, archaeological excavation protection definitely had to avoid engineering. Whatever blocked the construction route would be dug and pushed by you.

Of course, it was also because small landlords didn't have enough face to be noticed by relevant parties. At least they had to be a small noble.

However, if it were in places like Xi'an and Luoyang, even if encountered during engineering construction, small nobles would have to stand aside, because they weren't too rare.

However, the temple dug out this time was a bit unusual. Someone passed a message saying that the temple enshrined a female Bodhisattva, and the female Bodhisattva was tied with chains, and the other ends of the iron chains were all nailed in each corner of the small temple.

People saw that this form was somewhat evil and didn't dare to step forward to handle it.

It was still two university students from Haihe University who took hammers to smash the chains and push down the Bodhisattva statue.

Only then could the engineering continue.

By dusk, basically each big team and small squad had long since overfulfilled today's task. Everyone had experience. Finishing the inspection early meant going home early. At the same time, they could stop work early and arrange today's sleeping place.

At this time, the advantage of the Li family's four sons became apparent. They didn't need to build sheds or sleep on mats on the ground by the river worksite, but occupied the dam of a private house requisitioned by the worksite.

Although the dam had no walls, there was a flat place beneath them, a well and a toilet nearby, already very good camping conditions.

The four uncles were respectively responsible for fetching hot water, receiving dry food, and finding dry grass to lay as beds. Li Weihan then sat with Li Zhuiyuan, Pangzi, and Leizi in the original place to rest.

Several large light bulbs were connected outside the dam. One was to provide lighting for the people below, and the other was a road marker. This was also a hot water supply point and there was a barefoot doctor here.

Li Zhuiyuan saw Xue Liangliang and Zhao Hequan again. This group of over twenty university students led by a teacher would also live here tonight.

However, their conditions were better. They could live in the house.

Some uncles sat on the laid beds and educated Li Zhuiyuan, Pangzi, and Leizi:

"Kids, look carefully. This is the benefit of studying. You have to study hard."

Li Weihan, who was smoking a water pipe beside him, choked and coughed. Weren't these the words he often said to these four brats before?

Almost the same scene, the same situation, the same earnest words.

But ah, it was useless.

Li Weihan understood clearly. People teaching people was useless. Things teaching people was effective once. There were some pits in front. No matter how much others taught, it was useless. They had to step in themselves to understand the truth. But by then, what was the point?

Leizi and Pangzi patiently listened to the teachings from their fathers and uncles for a while, then couldn't help but get up, shout to some generally older children nearby, and start playing the paper wrapper hitting game.

They all folded their own paper wrappers, gathered together, and took turns. Whoever could hit and flip the other's paper wrapper won that paper wrapper.

The older children gathered there, playing enthusiastically, constantly emitting "pa pa pa!" crisp sounds. A group of smaller children surrounded them, seriously observing and watching, learning techniques.

Li Weihan turned his head and discovered that his Xiao Yuan Hou hadn't gone to play that game, but was sitting there, seriously looking at a book on his knee.

Li Weihan put his head over and took a look, only feeling that the words on it were dense like small tadpoles. He couldn't help but worry and ask:

"Xiao Yuan Hou, can you see clearly?"

"Grandpa, at first I couldn't see clearly, now I can see clearly."

Li Zhuiyuan didn't bring a magnifying glass because he was already used to this small font. To be precise, after getting used to looking, he no longer needed to accurately distinguish the stroke details of these words, but by looking at the overall feeling, he could recognize the word.

He also had a belated understanding. After memorizing quickly using a magnifying glass, he gradually comprehended the author's original intention in writing the words so small.

This was specifically training the reader's "eyesight," not visual eyesight, but the feeling of looking at things, the image feeling of detailed things.

Li Zhuiyuan vaguely found the breakthrough. The key to the eighth volume of "Yin Yang Phase Learning Elucidation" was the transformation from concrete to image. First, thoroughly understand these concepts and applications through rote memorization and large calculations, then collectively quench them, forming a qualitative change through quantitative accumulation, completing the sublimation from science to metaphysics.

He could already feel that the countless eyebrows, eyes, mouths, noses, ears, and various faces composed of them that he had memorized in his brain were beginning to gradually distort and fuse.

Although the degree was still very shallow, he had already found the direction. Finally, only one face would be left in his mind. Then, when he needed to read the faces of people in reality, he would directly imprint the facial features of that person into his brain to form a correspondence.

"Mm, be careful not to hurt your eyes." Li Weihan admonished him, then no longer disturbed his grandson from reading.

He looked at his grandson, who was seriously reading with his head down, and then looked at Leizi and Pangzi, who were playing the paper wrapper game and shouting loudly.

Li Weihan only felt that life was a cycle. Wasn't this the same feeling as when he looked at his studying daughter and those four disappointing sons before?

Previously, he just wondered how in one nest both a phoenix and four roosters were produced.

Now he had a premonition that this story would be replayed in his grandson's generation.

Sanjiang Uncle once said while drinking that their old Li family's ancestral grave was blessed to let him be born with Lan Hou. Well, in a few years, when Xiao Yuan Hou grows up and takes the university entrance examination, he's probably going to have to bless it again.

The university students over there were assigned tasks and were also interning. The energy of young people was always unimaginable. They weren't in a hurry to go back to their rooms to sleep but sat around a light bulb on the dam, took out some food they had brought themselves, and started a tea talk meeting.

Xue Liangliang noticed Li Zhuiyuan. He had a deep impression of this little friend. He took a piece of meat floss bread wrapped in oil paper and walked over, placing it in front of Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan lifted his head, saw him, and smiled: "Thank you, brother."

"Little friend, are you local?"

Although he was also doing river work and his body was dirty, this child's dress and temperament were somehow not like rural kids. The main thing was the unrestrained and generous posture revealed in his bones.

"Ang, yes, I'm called Li Zhuiyuan. This is my grandpa, and behind him are my uncles."

"He he, I'm called Xue Liangliang. You're in primary school, right? What grade?"

"Um, third grade."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded. Actually, even he himself sometimes found it hard to explain to outsiders what grade he was in. He only knew that his class would automatically advance after the age limit was reached.

For a period, the old professors were so mutually tortured that they almost collapsed. Several very young teachers also came to teach them. This mutual torture effect once sharply improved. Everyone mutually scratched each other very enjoyably.

Later, they only knew that these particularly young teachers were considered seniors of their class.

"Study hard and strive to get into university later."

"I will, brother."

At this time, on the other side of the tea talk meeting, someone began to shout towards here: "Xue Liangliang, hurry up and prepare, it's your turn to speak next."

"Coming, coming."

Xue Liangliang turned back and walked back to sit down.

Li Zhuiyuan glanced at the group of university students gathered on that side. It was a similar scene that he often saw at school.

Those big brothers and big sisters were the same as him, all students. They liked to sit on the campus lawn, playing guitars and reciting poems. The males still liked to keep their hair long to cover their eyes.

Tonight's tea talk meeting topic was about their own future prospects. The topic was brought up by the internship teacher, which was very consistent with his identity.

Currently speaking was Zhao Hequan, the boy from the same group as Xue Liangliang during the daytime measurements. At this time, he had already entered the final concluding stage:

"America is a country where even the air is extraordinarily fragrant.

And my future is in America!

My girlfriend and I have already applied to study abroad in America. We will stay in America later, in the country of freedom and dreams, to enjoy our freedom and realize our life ideals!"

While he was speaking, his eyes and the light bulb above his head reflected each other, shining brightly.

His face was intoxicated, and also pious.

After he finished speaking, the students around him all clapped and cheered.

At this time, the Western fever, especially the American dream, was sweeping through the country's intellectuals, especially young university students, like a storm.

After the reform and opening up, the gap in material life in reality and the impact of Western popular culture destroyed the confidence of this generation with terrifying destructive power.

Going to America and staying in America was no longer something difficult to say now, but an extremely normal political correctness.

Even the internship teacher didn't feel anything was wrong. After all, not a few school teachers and professors went abroad. Many people were publicly sent out, only to slip out of the team and stay there.

"I also hope that everyone will have the opportunity to go to America and find the meaning of their own lives. My girlfriend and I look forward to meeting everyone again on the other side of the ocean."

Li Zhuiyuan lifted his head and glanced at Zhao Hequan. Without using the "Fate Grid Deduction Theory" to deduce, he just used the "Yin Yang Phase Learning Elucidation" to simply analyze his facial features once.

This way, the result would be relatively less and not accurate enough, but Zhao Hequan's facial features were relatively standard:

[Marriage fate bumpy, lonely widow for life.]

Li Zhuiyuan fell into thought: But, he looks like he and his girlfriend should have a very good relationship. So, did he calculate wrong again?

After Zhao Hequan finished speaking, he walked down. The next one up was Xue Liangliang.

Li Zhuiyuan handed the meat floss bread to Leizi, who was sitting beside him, dejected after losing all his paper wrappers and sulking.

Then, he closed his book and supported his cheek with his hand. He wanted to seriously listen to what this brother had to say about his own future.

Xue Liangliang walked to the center of the classmates. He didn't lift his head, his expression was very calm, not excited. The brightness of the light bulb above his head shone on his back, rendering a layer of halo, like a rising sun.

"My future is in the big southwest.

I major in water conservancy. I feel that in the future, the big southwest, which has rich water system resources, will be the place for me to display my learning.

The geology there is special and not very suitable for building nuclear power plants, but it contains rich hydroelectric prospects. The country will definitely vigorously build hydroelectric power stations there in the future, and energy is an important cornerstone of the country's industrial development.

I believe that in the future, the hydroelectric power of the big southwest can not only meet the production and living needs of the local people but also supply and support the whole country.

This is a great cause. I feel that being able to integrate my future into it is my glory."

After he finished speaking, the students below couldn't help but look at each other. They felt that among them, a different kind had suddenly appeared.

Some classmates who were familiar with him then lowered their heads and chuckled. Obviously, they were already used to Xue Liangliang's habits and behaviors.

However, many villagers who were lying on the ground nearby were also listening to the movements of these university students. After Xue Liangliang finished speaking, many people shouted "Good!"

At this time, the one who felt most embarrassed was Zhao Hequan. Although the classmates and teachers didn't express anything, he felt that Xue Liangliang was deliberately targeting him and couldn't help but speak with a somewhat sarcastic tone:

"Oh dear, what are you pretending for? I just don't believe that if you have the opportunity to go to America, you won't go. Not to mention America, even if you have the opportunity to go to Japan or Korea, you will go."

Xue Liangliang retorted: "If it's to learn, why not go?"

"Pfft." Zhao Hequan pointed at him, "Look, look, speak the truth, you won't think about coming back if you go. You don't know how big the gap between us and them is. This kind of gap can never be caught up."

Xue Liangliang shook his head: "It will be caught up. Under its leadership, we have already achieved huge development achievements. The future will definitely be better and better."

"But, while you are developing, aren't others developing? With such a huge gap, even if others stand still, it's impossible for you to catch up even in a hundred years!"

Xue Liangliang shook his head again: "Impossible, this world is materialistic. Unless nuclear fusion can achieve a breakthrough and realize commercialization, the market pie in this world is destined to be limited. As long as we continue to develop, this will no longer be a chasing game."

Zhao Hequan frowned. He didn't understand. Other classmates also didn't understand, including the leading internship teacher who also showed doubt.

"Xue Liangliang, what exactly are you saying? Aren't we backward chasers?"

"We are chasers, but not chasing. We develop better, our industries are more developed, we can grab more cake and market. In the future, they will not only not stand still and wait for us, but will continuously regress, and will actively... and run both ways with us.

I feel that in fifty years, our total economy will definitely surpass Japan and Korea."

The classmates looked at Xue Liangliang's eyes as if they were looking at a fool. The leading teacher also couldn't help but cover his mouth and laugh.

Xue Liangliang continued:

"Is this very strange?

In the future, there will be a day when our shipbuilding industry volume will surpass Korea, our car industry volume will surpass Japan. When they lose these industrial advantages, won't they definitely regress?

As for what you said about staying, it's possible. There are indeed very good living conditions there now, but staying is not suitable for me. I hope that what I have learned can have a platform to be utilized.

And I don't think that in different provinces in China, speaking different dialects may lead to exclusion. Going abroad, under different races and skin colors, won't they exclude you and instead provide you with a platform for free development?

This is unreasonable, because this is too contrary to human nature."

"Good!" "Good!" "Good!"

The good shouts from the nearby villagers were even louder, including Li Weihan and the four uncles who all joined in the good shouts. Although they didn't understand many of the words, the most simple emotions and expectations from their hearts made them feel that this student's words were refreshing.

Zhao Hequan was a little ashamed and angry: "You don't understand, it's you who don't understand. You fundamentally don't understand America, and you don't understand the true meaning of freedom."

A student beside him echoed: "Xue Liangliang, since you are so certain, then you definitely know what to do to make a lot of money in the future. Tell us, he he."

"Right, tell us."

"Let's follow you and learn how to see the future and make money together."

Xue Liangliang thought for a moment and seriously answered: "According to the development rules of leading economic entities, an economic entity in a period of rapid rise and development is destined to welcome huge development in its real estate industry.

So, if you want relatively stable investment appreciation, everyone can buy houses in the core areas of big cities, even borrow from banks to buy."

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then emitted even bigger laughter. Many people laughed until tears flowed out.

Xue Liangliang sat down, and the next student went up to speak.

However, many classmates were still whispering to the classmates beside them while looking at him with mocking eyes.

Xue Liangliang didn't mind, continued to sit in his seat, and clapped for the speaking classmates.

Li Zhuiyuan still didn't use fate grid calculation, just silently looked at Xue Liangliang's facial features once,

[Marriage fate smooth, long life safe.]

Li Zhuiyuan blinked his eyes. This time, if the result was still the opposite, he would really be angry.

Night deepened, and the tea talk meeting also ended early.

On the dam, the villagers were all asleep. That group of university students was also resting. However, because there weren't enough rooms inside, and to avoid suspicion from the female classmates, some male students could only sleep outside on the ground.

Xue Liangliang and Zhao Hequan were among them.

On the dam, snoring was constant, as if playing a symphony.

However, everyone was tired from the day, so there was no trouble with insomnia. Everyone slept very soundly.

Li Zhuiyuan lay beside Li Weihan, using a book as a pillow.

Sleeping, Li Zhuiyuan suddenly felt a little cold. Logically, in this season, even sleeping outside wouldn't be cold enough to make people shiver. Under his body were rice straws collected by the uncles, and his body was also covered by the quilt his grandpa had brought.

But soon, Li Zhuiyuan realized what had happened.

Perhaps it was because ever since Great Grandpa was injured, he hadn't performed the transfer ritual with him, so he hadn't had that kind of dream for a very long time.

At this time, with this familiar feeling, Li Zhuiyuan knew... he had entered the dream again.

But with his experience and theoretical knowledge, he was not as impulsive as before. He lay still and quietly opened a small slit in his eyes.

He saw himself still lying in the original place. Beside him was his grandpa's sleeping breath. Diagonally in front were his uncles and Pangzi and Leizi.

But he knew this was not reality, this was a dream, because that strange cold feeling was getting stronger and stronger.

At this time, he saw a woman walking up from the steps of the dam.

The woman wore white clothes, and the hem of her skirt dragged very long on the ground. Her body was still wrapped in iron chains.

But the woman's exposed skin showed a charred red color. As she walked, blocks of flesh kept falling off, emitting a sticky sound.

After walking to the center of the dam, the woman stopped. Her head began to look around, as if she was looking for someone.

Everyone else was in deep sleep, unable to see the woman.

Just as the woman was about to look this way, Li Zhuiyuan completely closed his eyes.

After a while, feeling that enough time had passed, Li Zhuiyuan again quietly opened a small slit in his eyes.

But just this look, he discovered that the woman didn't know if she had looked around several times, or if she had always been looking in this direction. In short, in Li Zhuiyuan's view,

He made eye contact with the woman!

In an instant, Li Zhuiyuan's blood seemed to solidify, and his heartbeat accelerated with a "bang bang bang".

The woman's face was a blur of flesh and blood, as if burned or scraped. In short, it presented a terror of rolling flesh and mud like a field opened in early spring.

The only conspicuous part was the woman's mouth. Her lips were invisible, only two rows of white teeth were seen, which only highlighted the horror!

The woman was still staring here. Li Zhuiyuan dared not close his eyes or make any extra movements at this time.

But the woman took a step, one step after another, walking towards here.

It's over,

She detected that I could see her?

But although his heart was churning with stormy waves, Li Zhuiyuan still forced himself not to move. Even his breathing was controlled to be the same as before.

As the woman continuously approached, he smelled a baked and burnt smell of meat, with some moldy sourness, very disgusting.

However, Li Zhuiyuan was still breathing normally, as if he was still in deep sleep.

The woman walked to the front and slowly squatted down.

Her terrifying face was almost pressed against Li Zhuiyuan's nose.

Li Zhuiyuan couldn't close his eyes at this time and could only be forced to make eye contact with her.

Looking at the rotten flesh on her face, block after block fell off. Two pieces of flesh fragments even fell on his face and slowly slid down his cheek.

Sticky, with disgusting juice.

At this moment, time seemed to pass extremely slowly, a second felt like a year.

After staring for a long time, the woman finally stood up, turned her head, and walked one step after another towards the center area.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't care about the meat fragments still on his face. He didn't move, even his eyes continued to maintain a small slit.

Suddenly, the woman, who was walking away, continued to walk, but her head turned back 180 degrees on her neck, looking at Li Zhuiyuan again.

This scene simply scared Li Zhuiyuan's back into a cold sweat. A piercing coldness brushed from the back of his head all the way down to his tailbone, then brushed back up from the bottom.

Good, he didn't close his eyes.

The woman seemed to confirm that this child just had a habit of sleeping with a small corner of his eyes open.

Her head turned back along the direction it had turned before, turning towards the front.

"Hu... hu..."

In his heart, Li Zhuiyuan continuously breathed. He felt his head was dizzy and numb.

The woman seemed to have found the person she wanted to find. She walked one step after another towards the group of university students sleeping on the mat outside the threshold.

Finally, she stood between Xue Liangliang and Zhao Hequan.

Both of them were in deep sleep, unaware of how terrifying a thing was so close to them.

The woman opened her hands. After her sleeves shrunk, her arms with white bones flipped out. Inside, there was not only rotten flesh but also countless maggots drilling in and out.

Li Zhuiyuan still maintained the posture of slightly opening his eyes. This action would not change until he woke up from the dream.

At this point, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but think:

Is it possible that the two university students who took hammers to smash the chains of the Bodhisattva statue were Xue Liangliang and Zhao Hequan?

The woman slowly squatted down and her hands reached down towards Xue Liangliang's neck on the right side.

However, just as she was about to pinch him, the several light bulbs hanging on the dam suddenly flickered a few times due to poor contact.

The woman's head immediately flipped back, turning towards the direction behind her, staring at the flickering light bulb.

After the light bulb flickered a few times, it returned to normal.

The woman's head again turned back along the direction it had turned before, turning towards the front.

But her turning amplitude this time was a little insufficient, causing her face, which was originally facing Xue Liangliang on the right, to turn towards Zhao Hequan after turning clockwise.

Her hands also naturally followed the direction of her head and moved over.

Immediately after,

Towards Zhao Hequan's neck,

She pinched down!

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