Chapter 226

Chapter 220

"Yes, Uncle."

"What?"

Li Sanjiang looked at the old man, somewhat surprised. What did he just say?

The old man said, "It's the same as in books."

Li Sanjiang chuckled, "Oh, like that, of course. It's just like when you're telling stories."

Li Sanjiang loved listening to storytelling. When listening to descriptions of various great heroes, how handsome and unrestrained they were, with elegant bearing, Li Sanjiang would imagine his little Yuan Hou growing up to be like that.

Thinking of his little Yuan Hou upholding justice in the jianghu, eliminating demons and protecting the Dao, Li Sanjiang felt a strong sense of involvement.

A hint of longing appeared in the old man's eyes. Looking at the teenager, he thought of his youngest son.

Half a year ago, he received a photo from his youngest son's workplace. It was a group photo taken by the geology exploration team to celebrate the success of an exploration mission.

He and his old partner searched the photo three times, but could only barely identify which one was their youngest son. He had changed so much.

Li Zhuiyuan saw the old man.

Beijing was so big, and the teenager hadn't expected to run into his Bei Grandpa here, and Bei Grandpa seemed to be chatting very familiarly with his Great Grandpa.

At the same time, the teenager also heard Bei Grandpa's address for Li Sanjiang: Uncle.

Bei Grandpa and Li Weihan were former in-laws, so they were one generation apart. Li Sanjiang was one generation higher than Li Weihan, so it was correct for Bei Grandpa to call Li Sanjiang "Uncle".

However, Bei Grandpa only said it once before quickly changing how he addressed him.

Li Zhuiyuan knew this was because Li Lan had made an agreement with Bei Grandpa, asking them not to contact or disturb their "mother and son" again.

Bei Grandpa was a very principled person. He absolutely would not go back on his word or break his promises.

This was also why the northern family had never formally contacted him for so long.

Li Zhuiyuan wasn't disappointed by this.

Because for such a long time, he had never taken the initiative to contact the northern family either.

After all, in the teenager's bones, he inherited the same indifference as Li Lan. He didn't particularly need the broad sense of "family warmth", nor did he plan to rely on any "family benefits".

Relationships without demands naturally wouldn't have proactive interactions.

Li Zhuiyuan held the report sheet in his hand and walked up to Li Sanjiang, smiling and saying, "Great Grandpa, the physical examination report is out. You're perfectly fine, very healthy."

Li Sanjiang took the report sheet, pretended to look at it, and said, "I told you, my body is good. There's absolutely no need to waste money here."

Saying that, Li Sanjiang patted the report sheet with his hand and said to the old man beside him,

"Old Brother, look, wasn't I right?"

Li Sanjiang's original intention was to hear this Old Brother cooperate with him and say a few sentences about how his child was filial and thoughtful. Who knew this Old Brother would be in a daze?

"Old Brother, Old Brother?"

"Old Brother, let's eat a meal together."

"This..." Li Sanjiang was about to organize his words to refuse. He knew this "Old Brother's" identity was not ordinary, and the more this was the case, the less he wanted to have any involvement with the other party beyond a passing acquaintance.

He knew clearly that if the circumstances were different, he probably wouldn't be able to call this "Old Brother" with such familiarity again.

However, before Li Sanjiang could organize his words, the old man spoke again:

"There's a noodle shop on the street ahead. Let's go there and eat a bowl of noodles. You came to the hospital early in the morning for the examination, so you should be on an empty stomach and haven't eaten anything. You might not be hungry, but the child must be."

The old man's gaze fell on Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan just stood there, his expression calm, not taking the initiative to say he was hungry to encourage this meal invitation.

Li Sanjiang frowned slightly. Going to a noodle shop for noodles was acceptable, but...

"Old Brother, I'm really not used to eating the Zhajiangmian here in Beijing."

The old man said, "That's Henan Stewed Noodles."

Li Sanjiang's brows relaxed, and he said, "Alright, let's go eat noodles, but I must treat you."

The old man nodded, "Okay."

Li Sanjiang turned his head to look at Li Zhuiyuan, "Little Yuan Hou, want to go eat noodles?"

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Sure."

Li Sanjiang said to the old man, "Old Brother, how about you go first, and we'll walk over slowly."

Li Sanjiang remembered that this Old Brother arrived in a small car.

The old man said, "Let's walk together. It's not far."

"Okay then, let's walk. Come on, Little Yuan Hou, hop on!"

"Great Grandpa, I can walk by myself."

"Didn't the doctor's report say Great Grandpa is fine? Besides, you've been running around in the hospital for Great Grandpa, you must be tired. Come on!"

Li Zhuiyuan had no choice but to climb onto his Great Grandpa's back.

Li Sanjiang supported the teenager with both hands behind him and smiled at the old man beside him, "While I'm still strong, I can carry the child more. As he grows bigger, we get older, and later, even if we want to carry him, we won't be able to."

The old man looked at the teenager being carried by Li Sanjiang, his face showing undisguised envy, and echoed, "Yes, that's true."

The three people walked towards the hospital entrance together.

"Right, Old Brother, you have quite a few children, so your grandchildren must also be quite numerous, right?"

"Well, yes, quite a few."

"Are they noisy?"

"Not noisy. They only find time to gather during the Chinese New Year holidays. Usually, everyone is busy with their own things. Doesn't it apply to you too, Old Brother? My children, none of them are particularly close to me."

Li Zhuiyuan knew that what Bei Grandpa said was true.

He was too strict, and the atmosphere at home was too oppressive. He often severely criticized his sons and daughters for problems in their work and personal lifestyles. He was even less tolerant of the laziness and excessive behavior of the younger generation.

His sons and daughters had been working for a long time and were well-established figures outside, but every time they went home, they had to prepare themselves psychologically to face the old man's scolding.

The younger generation would feel a heavy heart for a week before hearing about going to Grandpa and Grandma's house. When they got there, they would also sit upright, afraid of attracting attention.

Runsheng bought sweet potatoes. Seeing Li Dage and Little Yuan come out, he carried the sweet potatoes and walked towards them.

Along the way, he encountered a young man. The young man's gaze was very sharp. He blocked Runsheng and also started sizing him up.

Runsheng was about to reach out and push him, and the young man also retreated half a step, as if accumulating power to strike.

"Runsheng Hou, come here."

Li Sanjiang's call made the young man withdraw his stance and make way.

Runsheng looked at him with some doubt, then quickly caught up.

"Li Dage, sweet potatoes."

"Why did you only buy one?"

"Li Dage, you don't know how expensive sweet potatoes are here."

Runsheng gestured to Li Sanjiang.

Li Sanjiang's eyes widened, "So expensive? Is this robbing me? Then why did you still buy a fart!"

Runsheng: "..."

Li Sanjiang took out the sweet potato, broke it into three pieces, kept one piece for himself, then handed the others to Little Yuan and Runsheng. He turned and said to the old man beside him,

"Old Brother, save your stomach for the noodles."

The old man smiled and nodded.

Li Sanjiang then said to Little Yuan and Runsheng, "Let's taste what's different about this expensive sweet potato."

He took a bite, tasted it carefully in his mouth, and said doubtfully, "Doesn't seem much different from the ones we grow in the fields?"

Runsheng said, "It's not as delicious as the ones we grow."

Li Sanjiang said, "Runsheng, why are you still peeling the skin? It's so expensive, the skin must also be worth a few jin li."

Runsheng scratched his head, "My grandpa taught me that when eating sweet potatoes, you must spit out the skin. Otherwise, it shows that there's no grain at home and you can only eat sweet potatoes."

Li Sanjiang licked his finger and smacked his lips, saying, "Following a mountain gun won't let you starve to death, you're lucky."

They arrived at the noodle shop.

Li Zhuiyuan, Li Sanjiang, and Bei Grandpa sat at one table.

Runsheng took the initiative to go and sit at another table with the young man who had been following behind.

Li Sanjiang waved to the young man, who had seen his lightness of hand that day, and said,

"He Nephew, order whatever noodles you want, don't be shy!"

The young man said, "Thank you, Big Brother. I'm not hungry. I ate at home before coming out. I'm really not being polite. You go ahead and eat."

"Oh, so that's it. Runsheng Hou, then hurry up and order. What are you sitting there for? Should I ask the boss to serve you ten bowls of noodles first to fill you up?"

Runsheng shook his head, "I'm not hungry either, Li Dage."

If the person opposite him wasn't eating, he wouldn't eat either. He had to stare at the other person constantly.

Li Sanjiang touched his head in surprise, "Not hungry? Did the sun rise from the west today?"

Seeing that the two of them really weren't eating, Li Sanjiang just ordered three bowls of stewed noodles and two plates of small cold dishes.

"Old Brother, do you drink alcohol?"

"I can have a little with you, Old Brother."

"Alright, then we brothers will have a drink. Little Yuan Hou, go help Great Grandpa pick out some wine."

Li Zhuiyuan got up from the table and went to the counter to get two bottles of beer.

Seeing it was beer, Li Sanjiang was a little resentful.

"Great Grandpa, we have other plans this afternoon."

"This beer has no taste..."

"Wine is expensive here."

"Alright, beer is refreshing."

Li Zhuiyuan opened the bottle caps and poured wine for Great Grandpa and Bei Grandpa.

"Come, Old Brother, let's have one."

"Okay, let's have one."

After the two old men clinked their cups, they drank it all in one gulp.

The young man at the next table immediately stood up. Runsheng's gaze narrowed.

The old man waved his hand, and the young man sat back down.

Li Zhuiyuan took a head of garlic from the table caddy and started peeling it.

After the noodles were served, the teenager divided the peeled garlic into two portions, one for Great Grandpa and the other for Bei Grandpa.

Li Sanjiang took a bite of garlic, immediately followed by a mouthful of noodles, then opened his mouth. The garlic was so spicy it made his cheeks bulge and feel numb.

The old man smiled and said, "Old Brother, you don't have the habit of eating noodles with garlic at home, do you?"

Li Sanjiang quickly took a sip of wine to ease the spiciness and said, "We don't have this habit there. Do you eat it?"

"I do."

"Then, I'll give you all of mine?"

"Okay."

The old man gathered the peeled garlic from in front of Li Sanjiang towards himself and said, "I didn't have this habit when I was young, haha. Who could afford white flour back then?"

Li Zhuiyuan's garlic was originally peeled for two people, but the old man ate it all by himself without leaving any. He truly had a mouthful of noodles and a piece of garlic. He was old, and his body wasn't as good as before. He ate until sweat beaded on his forehead, and his eyes were slightly red.

"Old Brother, have another bowl."

"No, no, I can't eat anymore. My appetite is not as good as before. Back then, if I could eat to my heart's content, I could eat five big bowls!"

Li Sanjiang said, "Haha, people's stomachs lacked oil back then, so they ate a lot, but no matter how much they ate, they would get hungry fast."

The two old men began the standard reminiscing about past hardships and cherishing present happiness.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't feel much about this. In his childhood, he never lacked food or clothing. After returning to Nantong, he only ate thin gruel at Li Weihan's house for a few days before being brought back by Great Grandpa to have meat with every meal.

Runsheng, on the other hand, listened with great emotion. Although Runsheng didn't eat enough before... you really couldn't blame it on the era.

The old man said, "Let's go, I'll accompany you to visit the military museum."

Li Sanjiang waved his hand, "No need, no need, you must be busy."

The old man said, "You treated me to noodles, and I'll be your guide. That's fair."

Li Sanjiang blinked, "Alright then, let's go together. Little Yuan Hou, go hail a taxi."

"Okay."

Li Sanjiang wasn't willing to waste his drink, but even less willing for Little Yuan Hou to walk. And the buses in Beijing... were truly too crowded.

His main point was that he should save money himself, but his great-grandson should spend money.

After hailing a taxi, Li Sanjiang sat in the back seat. Bei Grandpa also got in, leaving Li Zhuiyuan with no choice but to sit in the passenger seat.

Runsheng originally wanted to squeeze in as well, but was stopped by the young man. Then a small car drove over, and Runsheng got into the leader's special car.

Midway through the drive, they passed many scenic spots and famous buildings. Li Sanjiang deliberately showed off, pointing them out and asking. Li Zhuiyuan immediately began introducing them.

Li Sanjiang listened with great pleasure. Seeing the old man sitting beside him also listening and smiling, he asked, "How about it, my great-grandson is smart, isn't he?"

"Yes, very smart."

"Exactly. I originally thought of using connections to get him into a better primary school in town, but he directly went to the third year of junior high by himself. I even thought he had met a swindler. Later, I brought him and his southern grandpa and grandma to a high school, where the principal personally received us and explained.

Only then did I truly believe that my old Li family's ancestral grave has glowed again!

The last time it glowed was when Li Lan got into Beijing University.

The old man asked, "The southern grandpa and grandma, are they his maternal grandparents?"

"Right. We don't use the term maternal grandparents there. We just call them grandpa and grandma. We don't want the child to feel estranged."

"Oh, then why didn't his southern grandpa and grandma come to Beijing this time?"

"We don't live together."

"Don't live together?"

"Yes, my little Yuan Hou lives with me."

"Then you've had it tough."

"Tough what? The child living with his southern grandpa is what's tough. They drink thin gruel every day."

"Conditions are that bad?"

"No choice. Raising four sons and then having to raise a large group of grandchildren below them. Goodness, when they start eating, it's like piglets returning to the nest. A large group of people, how can they afford to eat well?

And his daughter, Little Yuan Hou's biological mother, sends money, but those two are stubborn and just don't use it. They say they're saving it for their daughter later. They live a very frugal life.

As for me, originally one person full meant the whole family wasn't hungry. Now I have a child, so I can at least make sure the child eats well with me."

Bei Grandpa nodded. He understood. The old man beside him wasn't his former in-laws directly, but an elder of the same surname.

And precisely because of this, being able to do this much, the old man was indeed not easy.

"Then the child living with you is indeed a blessing."

Li Sanjiang said, "Blessing what? Old Brother, we are people who have come from old times. In this era, as long as your hands and feet are sound at home, you won't starve. But I also understand that if this child wants to have a good future and a good life, just eating a full meal might not be enough."

"Yes, the pressure on young people will be greater and greater in the future."

"That's up to the child to work hard. I don't need to worry about taking exams or anything. But if the child isn't so smart, my bringing up the child might really delay him.

His northern grandpa and grandma are truly thick-skinned. The child's surname was changed by his mother, but the bloodline is still that bloodline, isn't it?

Hey, it's understandable to differentiate between close and distant relatives, but how can they be so heartless and just not care?"

"They must also have their difficulties."

"Difficulties my foot. Aren't they just putting their own face above everything else, putting on airs?

I'm a country person, I don't have that much ability. As long as there's a way that's good for the child, I'll even kneel for him."

The old man adjusted his sitting posture and looked at the teenager sitting in front.

Li Sanjiang continued, "The child's mother is also an ignorant one. She clearly knows the man's family has good conditions, and even for the child's sake, she should try to coax and deceive her father-in-law and mother-in-law well.

When the time comes for the father-in-law and mother-in-law to pass away, what's left in the family won't all belong to her and the child?"

"She must also have her difficulties."

Thinking of his former daughter-in-law, the old man also felt a headache.

His family had no tradition of valuing marriage, and he didn't allow it either. Several of his children married people whose family backgrounds were quite ordinary. Li Lan, coming from the countryside, didn't face any prejudice from him initially.

But later, he discovered that his former daughter-in-law had prejudice against them.

When they first got married, they still had normal contact, but later contact became less and less, and the relationship gradually alienated. For a long period of time, even his youngest son rarely came back, probably afraid his wife would be unhappy.

This made his old partner still reflect on herself to this day, feeling that she was an evil mother-in-law.

The old man felt that if this former daughter-in-law were truly willing to take the initiative to get closer, even to deceive and coax, as Li Sanjiang said, he and his old partner wouldn't need to wait until they passed away. They would have given what they could before that.

He greatly appreciated his former daughter-in-law's abilities. She developed her career herself and never relied on the family's influence. Unlike his other children and their partners, although he never sought or arranged anything for them, they inevitably received special treatment at work because of their relationship with him. This was unavoidable.

And the youngest son was also the most favored by the couple. Before, they were busy with work and had no energy to take care of children. When the youngest son was born, their lives stabilized completely, and they poured more emotion into their couple.

Not to mention... there was also this grandson who started junior high very early.

When his grandson started junior high, he was one of the youngest in that class.

Li Sanjiang shook his head, "I don't understand. Some things, I truly don't understand. They have a good life within reach, but they have to blindly toss it away.

Look, my little Yuan Hou originally had a Beijing household registration, but suddenly he has the same Nantong countryside household registration as me."

The old man said, "He is a university student now, so the household registration problem shouldn't be difficult to solve."

Li Sanjiang's face showed surprise, "Old Brother, do you have a way to handle it?"

The old man said, "He should be able to go through the process that meets the conditions."

Li Sanjiang immediately shouted to Li Zhuiyuan sitting in front, "Little Yuan Hou, quick, ask how to handle it."

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Nantong household registration is fine."

Li Sanjiang slapped his thigh and said, "You're being silly! How can that be the same as me?"

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Great Grandpa, to me, there's really no difference."

Even if he didn't enter official circles or walk the river (of power), and lived a normal life, the hidden benefits brought by household registration wouldn't affect him.

Li Lan originally moved her household registration back mainly to break the mother-child relationship, not to suppress him by this means. That would be too childish. There was still this much mutual trust between mother and child.

Li Sanjiang sighed and said to the old man beside him, "Look, my great-grandson is also stubborn."

The old man said, "This is confidence. If you have ability, you indeed don't need these things."

Li Sanjiang said, "With ability, and with the family pushing and supporting, wouldn't he fly higher?"

The old man said, "Indeed."

Li Sanjiang said, "So, it's still his Northern Grandpa's side that's to blame for playing dead."

The old man: "..."

While driving, the taxi driver would often look at the car always following him through the rearview mirror. Even taxi drivers in Beijing who had seen a lot, couldn't help but feel their hearts tremble when they saw the license plate of the car behind.

Several times he deliberately made way, allowing the other party to overtake, but the other party just wouldn't, only following him.

Seeing this, the driver could only size up the two old men in the back seat of the car behind through the rearview mirror, focusing on the one with the extraordinary bearing.

After arriving at their destination, the old man wanted to take out his wallet, but found it difficult.

Li Zhuiyuan paid the money.

Li Sanjiang stood on the roadside, looked at the museum, and let out an exclamation, "Goodness, this is the real deal!"

"Old Brother, let's go to An..."

Before the old man could finish speaking, he saw this "Old Brother" of his run to the pillar on the other side of the entrance, stretch out his hands, and hug the plaque.

This appearance looked somewhat comical.

Then, he saw his grandson, after "Old Brother" finished hugging, also go and hug it.

"Little Yuan Hou, hug this for a while longer, it's more effective than the police station!"

"Yes, Great Grandpa."

Li Zhuiyuan thought of imitating Great Grandpa's move before. One time, he didn't have time to go to the police station before going out, so he simply went and hugged Tan Wenbin with Runsheng.

The old man walked over, wanting to join, but ultimately felt too awkward to open his arms and hug it. He just reached out and touched the top.

After he withdrew his hand, he saw the tall young man who had bought sweet potatoes earlier step forward and tightly embrace the plaque, even deliberately wiping away some dust from the top with his body.

Security personnel noticed the situation here and walked over to inquire.

Li Sanjiang smiled and said, "This is a custom from our place, hehe, a custom."

Seeing that the other party was just hugging the plaque and not doing anything else, the security personnel also guided them, saying, "Comrades, the security check is over there."

After entering the museum, the old man truly acted as a guide.

Other guides spoke about historical stories, while he spoke about personal experiences.

Well, Li Sanjiang was also a witness to history and played a role in shaping history's perspective.

Runsheng came closer and asked in a low voice, "Big Brother, did you leave any equipment behind?"

Li Sanjiang lifted his leg and kicked Runsheng, "Would your family drive a tank when being conscripted?"

When they reached the Aid Korea exhibition area, Li Sanjiang's interest suddenly perked up. While listening to the explanations, he looked and touched here and there.

From the earlier exhibition areas, there were already tourists who had gathered to listen to the explanations. When they reached the exhibition area below, there were even more people gathered, and staff had to come to maintain order.

After the explanation was finished, staff brought tea. She didn't know the identity of the old man in front of her. The tourists who had gathered to listen to the explanation also applauded.

If you just walked in and looked, it would be very easy to just glance over everything. What was exhibited here was the history behind it.

As they walked out, Li Sanjiang saw that the old man was truly tired and advised him, "Sit down and rest for a while, Old Brother. You just had surgery, your body is still weak."

The old man shook his head, insisted on walking out of the museum, then stubbornly made a turn, only then finding a place to sit down and bend over at the waist.

The young man who had been walking side by side with Runsheng stepped forward, took out some medicine, and fed it to the old man.

The old man let out a breath, turned his head to look at the distant museum, then turned back and said to Li Zhuiyuan,

"What's inside is history, but the future is too big to fit. They have those things, and we will have them later too, and they will be better than theirs."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, "Yes."

The old man turned and looked up at Li Sanjiang, "Old Brother, would you honor me by having dinner together?"

Li Sanjiang said, "Didn't we settle the score already?"

The old man said, "I haven't been so happy to talk so much for a long time. I owe you a lot, and it's hard to repay."

Li Sanjiang said, "Hey, are all the people in Beijing so warm and hospitable?"

The old man said, "This proves we are fated. Old Brother, you said earlier that you're returning tomorrow, right?"

"Yes."

"At our age, every meeting feels like the last one."

When the old man said this, he looked at Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Sanjiang reached out and touched Little Yuan Hou's head, saying, "Alright then, let's eat together again. It's fate, but we're still treating. Right, Little Yuan Hou, what did you originally say you wanted to eat tonight?"

Entering Fengze Garden, they asked for a private room. After Li Zhuiyuan finished ordering, he asked Li Sanjiang if he wanted to add anything.

Li Sanjiang took the menu, flipped through it, and uncharacteristically didn't say the dishes were expensive.

Midway, Runsheng went to make a pager call to Lin Shuyou, who was attending an exchange meeting.

Before the meal, Lin Shuyou arrived by taxi.

Today's report meeting was very successful. Everyone was particularly interested in the "gods and demons" matters beyond the book.

Originally, it was only planned for half a day in the morning, but because the response was so good, they also let Lin Shuyou speak in the afternoon.

In the morning, Lin Shuyou was still a bit nervous and stuttered, but in the afternoon, he completely let go. After finishing the content on the manuscript, he simply started telling the stories he had heard in the temple since childhood.

As soon as he entered the private room, Lin Shuyou excitedly shared his day's experience with Little Yuan Brother.

When he sat down, he realized there were two outsiders. Among them was an old man. When Lin Shuyou's gaze fell on him, he felt his eyes swell and had a feeling of not daring to look directly.

Now, his relationship with the child was closer. This meant that even the child didn't dare to show off in front of this old man, not even dare to breathe heavily.

At noon, when they ate noodles, the old man mainly spoke with Li Sanjiang. This evening's meal, the old man spoke more with Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Sanjiang focused on eating the dishes. He ate a lot of the scallion stewed sea cucumber and the nine-turn large intestine, especially the large intestine, which he liked very much.

From studies to life, the old man asked many questions. Li Zhuiyuan answered them all, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

Li Sanjiang gave Lin Shuyou some dishes and asked, "What's wrong with you? Why are you acting like a little girl tonight?"

Lin Shuyou didn't know how to explain. Ever since he discovered the existence of this old man, he had always felt a sense of being on pins and needles, and his breathing was not smooth.

Runsheng lit an incense stick and gnawed on it while eating.

Li Sanjiang smiled and explained, "This child has had this problem since he was little, don't mind it."

The old man laughed, "Strange people, strange things, normal, definitely extraordinary."

Li Sanjiang said, "Indeed extraordinary. He's good at work. As long as you let him eat enough, he can carry you from outside the pass to Xuzhou in one breath."

The young man leaned in and whispered something to the old man at this time. The old man pondered for a moment and said, "Let her wait."

The young man walked out of the private room.

When the meal was almost over, the old man raised his wine glass, "Old Brother, come, I'll toast you."

"Come, come." Li Sanjiang stood up, and the two clinked their cups.

At noon, they rinsed their mouths with beer, and in the evening, they drank baijiu. Both old men looked a little tipsy.

"Old Brother, it's not easy for you to bring up a child alone."

"Haha, others envy me, isn't it? Where is it not easy? Not afraid you'll laugh, I originally thought I would live a happy life alone in this lifetime, and when I lie in the coffin and get buried in the ground, I'll consider this life not lived in vain.

After I met my little Yuan Hou, I discovered that having a child by my side feels really good.

Sometimes I even feel that it's not me taking care of the child, but the child taking care of me."

"Little Yuan is indeed a good child."

"That may not be true. We also have to thank them. Born but not raised, they gave me a big cheap deal for free, ha ha ha!"

A bitter smile appeared on the old man's face.

Li Sanjiang seemed truly drunk. His body swayed a few times, and he muttered,

"Such a good child, truly heartless, saying they don't want him and just not wanting him, not looking at him or even glancing at him. I'm truly curious, what kind of family is that? Are they all born dragon eggs and phoenix eggs, soaring to the sky?

Although the child is now in university, he's already interning. In a few more years, the child will make his own way, and where will he need others to hold his smelly feet? When they come back, they won't even be needed.

Old Brother, isn't this true?"

"Old Brother is right."

The two old men toasted each other again. Li Sanjiang seemed to be very drunk and slumped on the chair.

The old man turned the empty wine glass in his hand and looked at the teenager for a long time.

Finally, he closed his eyes and stood up, "Old Brother, I'll arrange for someone to send you back to the hotel."

Li Sanjiang waved his hand, "No trouble, we'll go back ourselves. I still want to walk outside and get some fresh air later, it feels good. Old Brother, you go back first, take care of your health. We are both not young. You should also drink less wine and smoke fewer cigarettes."

After saying that, Li Sanjiang took out a cigarette case from his pocket, handed one to the other party, and the two old men gathered together and lit their cigarettes.

Li Sanjiang put the lighter into the old man's pocket, "Here's your lighter, returning it to you."

"Old Brother, keep it as a memento."

"Where do I need it? Memento? I already have one, hehe, hic!"

The old man left the private room.

Li Zhuiyuan sat in his original position, helping Runsheng clip dishes and clear the table.

Lin Shuyou rested his head on the table, gasping constantly. This pressure finally disappeared.

If Li Dage wasn't here, A friend would really want to ask Little Yuan Brother, who exactly was that immortal who could press White Crane Child like this.

Moreover, Lin Shuyou could sense that the other party wasn't doing anything deliberately. Most of the time, their attention was on Little Yuan Brother.

Li Sanjiang leaned on the chair and took out money from his pocket, pointing outside, "Little Yuan Hou, go pay the bill."

Li Zhuiyuan said, "The bill should be settled already."

Li Sanjiang put the money on the dining table, turned his head, and looked at the teenager with drunken eyes, saying,

"Then go see your Bei Grandpa off."

...

Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the restaurant and walked a distance outside. Under the trees by the overpass, he saw that figure.

Beside Bei Grandpa, there was also a grey-haired old woman, her eye sockets red, complaining about something to Bei Grandpa.

Bei Grandpa stood there, not explaining anything, just letting his old partner vent her feelings.

Seeing this, the young man beside him could only remind the chief that he had just had surgery.

"He just had surgery, but he smoked and drank alcohol. People saw it, but he wouldn't let me see him..."

At this time, Li Zhuiyuan's figure appeared. He stopped a few meters away from the two old people.

The old woman was stunned for a moment, then her face showed surprise. Just as she was about to rush forward, Bei Grandpa coughed.

The old woman closed her eyes, bit her lip, took a deep breath, walked forward, and hugged the teenager, "This child, I've missed you so much, missed you so much!"

The old woman shed tears, then stroked the teenager's face with her hand, carefully sizing him up.

In reality, Li Zhuiyuan didn't spend much time with Bei Grandma. Even when Li Lan's illness wasn't that serious, their small family only maintained a minimum degree of contact and interaction with Bei Grandpa's family.

Comparatively, his cousins were closer to Bei Grandma and saw and accompanied her more often.

But the longing at this moment was not fake.

After all, his pitiful father, who was hurt by emotion, had already completely exiled himself into work.

The yearning that the two old people had for their son was also placed on him. Coupled with the fact that they didn't get to see him much, the more they yearned, and there was also the classic "distance lends enchantment".

Li Zhuiyuan let her hug him, his expression calm, a subtle faint smile on his face.

Inside, he felt no fluctuation.

In the past, he would have felt negative and helpless about the lack of fluctuation in his heart, frustrated that he couldn't express positive real emotions.

Now, he didn't.

Since there was no deep emotional connection, there was no need to force himself.

The old woman turned her head to look at the old man, "Can't the child come back and stay one night? I'll personally make him something to eat..."

The old man said, "You go and ask her agreement first."

The old woman bit her lip hard, a hint of fierceness appearing in her eyes.

Bei Grandma hated Li Lan very much.

Li Zhuiyuan thought, Bei Grandma's hatred was justified and reasonable.

His father, no matter in the role of a husband or a father, performed impeccably, but such a person was not just played with emotion... he was destroyed by emotion.

It could be said that from Bei Grandma's perspective, her most beloved youngest son was personally destroyed by Li Lan.

The old woman secretly stuffed a piece of paper into Li Zhuiyuan's pocket, pressed her face against the teenager's face, and deliberately whispered in the teenager's ear:

"My grandson, whatever you want or want to do, remember to call or write to Grandma. Grandma will help you. We'll hide it from that old man who only knows how to stick to principles, and also hide it from your vicious mom!"

"Yes."

"Hehe, good child!"

The old woman broke into laughter through tears. This simple response gave her immense comfort. In a sense, it was a kind of redemption.

Actually, Li Zhuiyuan could see that Bei Grandpa saw Bei Grandma's small action, but he deliberately turned his head away at this time, pretending not to notice.

Bei Grandpa said, "Let's go. The child has to catch a plane back tomorrow morning."

The old woman was very reluctant to let go of his hand and left with one step and three looks back.

Li Zhuiyuan stood in his original position, watching them gradually leave.

On the side of the road, that small car always slowly followed them.

After Bei Grandma turned back and could no longer see him, Li Zhuiyuan turned around and prepared to leave.

In his heart, there was no ripple from beginning to end, but it was rare that he didn't feel any disgust because of it.

This was also a huge progress, from a negative number to zero.

Since he had turned himself into a heart demon suppressing his ontology, the danger coefficient had increased, but the illness's influence on him had also decreased.

Li Zhuiyuan quite enjoyed this feeling.

He had only walked a few steps when the teenager stopped.

On the overpass, stood a female figure.

"Little Yuan?"

The person who came was Li Lan's secretary, Aunt Xu.

Li Zhuiyuan always felt that Li Lan chose Aunt Xu as her assistant because she valued Aunt Xu's origin from Nantong.

Having Aunt Xu as a intermediary could help Li Lan isolate herself from contact with her hometown and family.

Grandpa and Grandma's monthly alimony and New Year's gifts should all be handled by Aunt Xu, including answering calls from her hometown.

Li Weihan and Cui Guiying could no longer distinguish their daughter's voice.

Aunt Xu walked down the overpass and came to Li Zhuiyuan, asking, "Little Yuan, those two just now were?"

"You know, but you just didn't dare to come out."

Aunt Xu's face froze.

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Li Lan is not in Beijing now, is she?"

"Your mom went to participate in a new project, but she knew you wanted to come to Beijing, so she asked me to come..."

"Disgusted with me?"

Aunt Xu pursed her lips. At this moment, she confirmed that in this teenager, she felt the same pressure as from her superior.

"Little Yuan, I won't mention what just happened..."

"You can't hide it from her. You don't have the confidence to lie to her."

"I..."

"Just tell her as it is. It doesn't matter. She'll be happy to hear about this."

"That..."

At this time, Aunt Xu's pager at her waist rang. She looked down and said, "Little Yuan, your mom is asking if you're willing to talk to her on the phone."

There was a newsstand nearby. Li Zhuiyuan walked over, and Aunt Xu followed.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at her.

Aunt Xu picked up the receiver and dialed the number.

Soon, the call was connected.

After Aunt Xu handed the receiver to Li Zhuiyuan, she walked away.

The newsstand boss leaned his head and dozed off there.

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Hello."

Li Lan said, "Hehe, you won't even call me 'Mom'?"

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze fell on the storytelling newspapers placed outside the newsstand. There were new and old ones. The teenager reached out and took several copies, planning to bring them back for Great Grandpa to read on the plane tomorrow.

He put the newspapers on the counter, signaled the newsstand boss to count them and calculate the money, and at the same time answered Li Lan's question:

"Do you think a failure who can't even control her illness is worthy of me calling her 'Mom'?"

"My son, Mom truly envies you. You can still keep that unrealistic dream and expectation in the bottom of your heart. Do you know? Some things are not only very beautiful to look at, but the sound they make when they peel will also be more pleasant to hear."

Li Zhuiyuan asked the newsstand boss, "How much is it?"

The newsstand boss counted the copies, calculated the money, and pointed at the phone, reminding him, "Your call isn't finished yet."

Li Zhuiyuan handed over a bill, then pointed at Aunt Xu standing far away, "She'll pay for the phone call."

"Okay, I'll give you the change. Young man, who are you talking to on the phone?"

"My mom."

On the other end of the phone, Li Lan, suddenly fell silent.

As Li Zhuiyuan reached out to receive the change, he said into the receiver:

"Li Lan, your incompetence makes me feel disgusted."

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