Chapter 163

Li Zhuiyuan hung up the phone.

Beside him, Lu Yi asked with concern, “Did the stronghold chief run into trouble?”

“His wife won’t let him in the house.”

Lu Yi’s expression immediately turned serious. “Where I’m from in the Northeast, that counts as a big deal. Especially in weather like this. Growing up, I heard about several cases where a husband came home drunk in winter, pounded on the door, his wife was mad and wouldn’t open it, and then the next morning when she finally did, she found he’d fallen asleep and frozen to death outside.”

“It’s not that serious for him.”

Lu Yi said, “Still, someone ought to talk him through it.”

“Mm.”

After leaving the shop, Li Zhuiyuan headed for Granny Liu’s house.

Aunt Liu hadn’t been home lately, and it was still too early for the cafeteria to be serving breakfast, so Li Zhuiyuan planned to walk with Ah Li on the track first, then buy breakfast afterward and bring back a portion for the old lady as well.

But when he reached the courtyard gate, before he even pushed it open, he caught the smell of food.

In the yard, a number of small stoves had been set up. A white-haired old man, along with two older women and two younger women, was quietly busy at work.

They were preparing breakfast.

The ingredients had all been readied in advance, but to ensure the best flavor, they had brought everything here to cook on-site.

The old man worked with his own hands while supervising his two daughters-in-law and two granddaughters-in-law. Whenever something wasn’t done properly, he didn’t dare scold them aloud, but he did glare fiercely enough.

When he saw Li Zhuiyuan come in, he first looked puzzled, then gave a greeting with his right hand while tossing the wok with his left.

“Young sir, may I ask who you are?”

“I’m one of the family.”

The old man immediately put out the fire, set down what he was holding, and bowed seriously to Li Zhuiyuan.

It was the Liu family’s outer-gate greeting, the sort used by those affiliated with the Liu family in name only and not entrusted with its arts.

The four women beside him also stopped what they were doing and bowed. The two daughters-in-law did it properly enough, while the two granddaughters-in-law could only imitate the general idea.

Li Zhuiyuan turned slightly aside to avoid the bow and said, “The old lady said the household doesn’t need the old formalities anymore.”

“The old lady is considerate toward those of us below, but we can’t forget our manners.”

“You’ve all worked hard.”

“We wouldn’t dare say that. Being given the chance to serve the old lady is our good fortune.”

Li Zhuiyuan went inside.

At once, the old man urged his daughters-in-law and granddaughters-in-law to hurry and get back to work.

His family ran a restaurant in Jinling. It wasn’t famous among ordinary folk, because anyone able to reserve one of their banquet tables was either wealthy or powerful.

In earlier years, that restaurant had belonged to the Liu family. It had served only members of the main Liu branch and honored guests carrying Liu family invitations.

After the Qin and Liu families declined, the old lady dispersed most of the two families’ holdings. No one even knew how many old residences she had donated into cultural heritage protection. Some of those houses now officially bore other surnames and preserved other people’s histories, but in truth their original owners had been either Qin or Liu.

This restaurant had been much the same. But the old lady had been generous—too generous to bother taking shares or drawing profit. Out of regard for old ties with those under her family, she had truly given it away outright.

No one was foolish, and no one naturally liked bowing and scraping to serve others, but there was no helping it. The old lady had given them far too much—so much that if they didn’t continue thinking of themselves as servants, they would almost feel ashamed.

Of course, the old man also understood that profit was only secondary. What mattered more was preserving the connection, the incense bond, with someone important.

If he’d been given the choice, he would much rather have gone on as he had in childhood, following his father around the Liu family kitchens.

Liu Yumei was combing Ah Li’s hair. When she saw Li Zhuiyuan come in, she readily handed him the comb.

“You do it. I’m going upstairs to quiet them down.”

“All right, Grandma.”

Li Zhuiyuan took the comb and helped Ah Li with her hair.

In the mirror, Ah Li smiled.

Liu Yumei saw it and merely smiled back. By now, she no longer felt jealous over it.

It made her think of that old fellow surnamed Li in Nantong, always muttering that she was “a worldly old lady.”

And really, Li Sanjiang hadn’t been wrong.

To put it plainly, a son-in-law’s standing and treatment in his wife’s family came from his own ability and competence.

Even in the Dragon King’s household, that rule still held true.

Liu Yumei went upstairs, and when she came back down, Li Zhuiyuan had already finished fixing Ah Li’s hair.

Then the boy took Ah Li by the hand and went out for a walk on the track.

By the time they came back, breakfast was being served.

It was all simple breakfast fare and side dishes. The staples were nothing more than porridge, noodles, and wontons, but every item had been prepared with careful ingredients and painstaking attention.

It was no exaggeration to say the cooking was far better than Aunt Liu’s. After all, Aunt Liu was only one person, and she couldn’t possibly spend all day focused on cooking alone.

The daughters-in-law and granddaughters-in-law came in one by one carrying little dishes and plates, clearly because the old man had deliberately wanted them to show their faces.

At the end, the old man stood to the side with hands folded and back bent, quietly waiting for any request from the people at the table.

The old lady truly was different now from how she’d once been. The burden had been lifted from her shoulders, life at home once again held some hope, and she had grown more easygoing.

She picked up her chopsticks, placed a soup dumpling into Li Zhuiyuan’s bowl, and said, “The Ma family’s pastry skill is unmatched in all of Jinling. Give it a try.”

Li Zhuiyuan bit a small opening in one side, sipped the broth, then nodded after finishing it.

“Mm. Very fresh.”

The old man at the side visibly relaxed and smiled.

Liu Yumei said with a smile, “Not bad. Your skills haven’t fallen off.”

The old man replied, “How could I dare let them? Who knows when the old lady might suddenly want this taste again? If you couldn’t have the flavor you used to know, that would be my failing.”

Liu Yumei casually reached into her pocket, pulled out a handful of gold melon seeds, and set them on the table.

“Share these with the daughters-in-law.”

The old man hurriedly waved his hands. “Old lady, I couldn’t possibly, I really couldn’t.”

Liu Yumei said, “Looks like your family business is thriving enough that you look down on something like this.”

“How could I dare forget my roots? Heaven strike me dead if I did.” The old man immediately and carefully gathered the gold melon seeds into his hands.

By weight alone, they weren’t worth all that much, but each one was exquisitely shaped, and the craftsmanship alone was worth more than the gold itself.

“We’ll wait outside. Just call whenever you need us.”

The old man knew proper etiquette. Holding the gold melon seeds in both hands, he backed out of the dining room.

After taking a sip of porridge, Liu Yumei said, “I know you don’t care for this sort of thing, but I imagine Tingting reminded him already. He’s kept it fairly low-key, all things considered, though the display is still a bit much.”

Li Zhuiyuan smiled. “I understand.”

“If you like it, shall I have him continue sending meals from now on?”

“I still prefer Aunt Liu’s cooking. It feels like home.”

“Heh. Actually, Tingting’s cooking was learned from their family too. Their line used to be in charge of the kitchen in my old household. Their cooking is the real taste of the Liu family.”

“So that’s how it is.”

She sighed. “And not just the kitchen. Troupes, tailoring crews, gardeners, all that—those used to be raised by the family too, solely for household use.

“That was normal in the old days. But now, there really isn’t any need for such things anymore.”

There was no sadness in her voice as she said this, only remembrance, like an elder telling stories of the past to the younger generation.

Li Zhuiyuan asked, “The third floor…”

The old lady answered frankly, “It was originally prepared for you. Once A Li and Tingting come back from plowing the fields, I’ll have A Li move those things back to the old residence.”

“I’ll remember your kindness.”

“Isn’t there supposed to be a second half to that sentence?”

“No.”

“You brat.” Liu Yumei shook her head. “Sometimes I think about why they left only me behind while they all went off and died.”

“Grandma…”

“Later, I gradually figured it out. It turns out they thought I still hadn’t risen above vulgar concerns, so leaving me behind made me the best person to guard the family.

“There are things they themselves could never have done, but they knew I could. I was never someone who liked arguing about principles.

“If I were truly pushed to the brink, I’d rather drag everyone down together than cling to those blasted rules, morality, and reputation.

“That’s probably why those other families and sects still have some real fear of our ruined household. They don’t dare actually come to wipe us out, because they know there’s a crazy old woman in this house who’ll go mad if she’s cornered.”

Li Zhuiyuan smiled openly. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”

Liu Yumei gave him an amused look. “That doesn’t sound like something they would say.”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Because I believe you know where the limits are. Even when you take revenge, you wouldn’t harm the innocent.”

Liu Yumei sighed. “Hah. Now that sounds more like it again. Boring.”

“Grandma, I’m going back to Nantong today.”

“Is school already on winter break this soon?”

“A friend’s family is having some conflict. He asked me to help deal with it.”

“A marital dispute?”

“Mm.”

“That’s interesting.” A playful look entered Liu Yumei’s eyes. “Someone asked you to mediate a husband-and-wife quarrel?”

She really could not picture such a scene.

If it had been the child he used to be, all quick sympathy and perfect tact, that would have been one thing.

But she had long since seen that, at some point, he had stopped presenting a bright and sunny face to everyone.

“It’s the Bai family’s matter.”

“Oh, that boy’s business?”

“Mm.”

“Do you really need to make the trip yourself? New Year is almost here. Just have that boy send word over there, and then let A Li go with gifts to their town during the holiday.”

“He’s probably unwilling.”

“Oh? So he’s really fallen for her?”

“Probably.”

“That boy is an interesting sort of fool.”

“The main thing is, he can’t get in right now, so even sending word isn’t possible.”

“Then send someone in your place.”

“Most of my people are still laid up.”

Liu Yumei glanced around the house. The other two in the household also weren’t home at the moment.

Li Zhuiyuan said, “My schedule’s clear right now anyway. I’ll just go myself.”

“I see your meaning. You really do treat that boy as a friend. But anyone who catches your eye won’t be ordinary. That boy should have some fate to him too.”

“I didn’t think that far.”

“Only a willow planted without intent can grow enough to cast shade.”

After breakfast, Li Zhuiyuan and Ah Li went into the study. He told her about what he had experienced and also shared his suspicions about Wei Zhengdao.

After listening, Ah Li picked up a brush and casually sketched a few lines on a blank sheet of paper. It was only a rough draft.

In it stood a young boy, with the shadow of an adult figure behind him.

“I think this looks great. Let’s go with this design.”

Ah Li nodded, her gaze drifting to the blank space around the sketch. The difficult part of this painting would be how to handle all that empty space.

She could have gone with an approach that emphasized atmosphere and artistic conception, but since this painting was meant to serve as a record, it still needed enough detail to fill it out.

“Once I’ve handled the Nantong matter, I’ll come back. If it drags on too long, I might not return at all. When that happens, I’ll ask the old lady to bring you to Nantong so we can spend the New Year together, all right?”

Although Li Zhuiyuan didn’t normally attend classes according to his own class schedule, he had audited quite a few university courses.

But the term was nearly over, and many courses had already ended. Especially the ones taught by the professors he liked—those were basically all finished.

Since that was the case, there was little point in continuing to stay on campus. He didn’t need to take final exams anyway.

Because of Luo Gong, the school was quite lenient with him on that front, though it was possible that next semester he might have to represent the school in some competitions.

Ah Li smiled and agreed.

Over this period of time, she had already gotten used to it: wherever the boy was, that was where her home was.

As Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the courtyard, he saw the old man leading his daughters-in-law and granddaughters-in-law as they carried in the ingredients for lunch. The ingredients had probably been delivered by his sons or grandsons, but aside from him, it wasn’t appropriate for male members of the family to enter the courtyard.

“Young master, what would you like for lunch?”

“You don’t need to worry about me. Just prepare things according to the old lady’s tastes. I’m going out, and I won’t be eating at home for the next few days.”

“Young master is a man occupied with important matters. Please, go ahead.”

After Li Zhuiyuan passed by him and walked away, the old man turned around, bent his waist, and called after the boy’s back:

“Qinhuai Songxiang Tower—whenever young master has the time, please honor us by coming for tea. I’ll bring the boys to show our filial respect.”

“I’ll remember.”

Only after Li Zhuiyuan had gone some distance did the old man finally straighten up.

His daughters-in-law and granddaughters-in-law looked at one another. He was the head of the family, a man with skill and standing, and the restaurant remained in his hands, so his status at home was normally very high. He was usually stern and unsmiling.

But ever since arriving here today, it was as if he had become a different person. It would have been one thing if he had shown such deference only to the old lady, given their master-servant relationship from before Liberation—but was it really necessary to bow and scrape before this young boy too?

The old man stroked his beard. Naturally, he had seen the confusion in their eyes, but he couldn’t be bothered explaining.

The old lady was eating breakfast at a table with only three people: the old lady herself, her own granddaughter, and this boy.

In a household like this, even if there had been no old ties of incense and obligation, they still would have needed to serve well.

How many people in this world spent their whole lives scrambling for a few pieces of silver? But for people like this, even the tiniest bit slipping through their fingers—if you managed to catch it—could probably bring peace and safety to your whole household at once.

“Fix young master’s appearance in your minds. If he ever really comes one day, even if I’m no longer here, you must accompany your husbands and serve him properly for me.”

The women all hurried to agree.

The old man looked toward the old lady’s courtyard ahead. This was not a place where he could lose his temper, and he certainly couldn’t make a scene, but he had already decided that once they got home, he would make his sons, grandsons, and all their wives kneel before him so he could give them a stern lecture.

Every day they busied themselves making offerings at temples, willing to pay any price to compete for the first stick of incense, praying for the futures of their descendants, praying for freedom from illness and disaster—but what use was worshipping clay statues and wax images compared to worshipping a true dragon in this world?

“Remember this: same as this morning. Work only, and don’t talk. Keep your mouths shut. Don’t gossip. If any of you causes me trouble over the next few days, I’ll strike your names from the will!”

He knew perfectly well how unable these women were to keep their mouths still. They could chatter nonstop. Heaven forbid they start talking about family matters and make the old lady think he was using the favor of cooking here to angle for rewards.

There were things those above might choose to give you, but you could never be the one to ask for them.

At the mention of the will, the women immediately nodded, and this time much more vigorously than before.

But what the old man had not expected was that as soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw the old lady come out of the house, sit down on a stone bench in the yard, and point toward the inner room.

“Go bring out some melon seeds and fruit trays, then come gossip with me.”

The women first exchanged looks, then all turned to the old man.

The old man hurriedly waved his hand. “What are you waiting for? Go keep the old lady company and help pass the time. Aren’t your mouths usually quite busy? Now’s the time to put that skill to use.”

The melon seeds and fruit trays were brought out. Seeing that the women still couldn’t quite relax, Liu Yumei said as she cracked melon seeds, “Loosen up and talk. Tell me all the twists and turns, all the messy little family dramas. I like hearing that stuff. Whoever talks the most and tells it best, I’ll have Little Ma add more to her share in the will.”

Hearing that, the old man laughed first himself, then hurriedly waved for them to get started.

“Quick, show off your real skills. Get those tongues working.”

Inside the house.

Ah Li went up to the second floor and entered the room where Liu Yumei often sat.

She opened a cabinet, took out an envelope, then went back downstairs and returned to her study.

On the desk lay a blank sheet of drawing paper.

After sitting down, the girl opened the envelope. Inside was a thick stack of photographs, all showing scenes of slaughtered families—bloody and horrifying.

Ah Li looked through them one by one, occasionally taking one out and holding it up against the corner of her drawing to compare.

She was, of course, not afraid of the scenes in those pictures. After all, from childhood onward, the things she had personally seen and experienced were far more terrifying than anything in the photographs.

But she was serious about composing the frame of her painting.

She felt the scenes in these photographs would fit perfectly into the picture, just right for filling the large areas of blank space.

Still, simply copying what was in the photographs would not be ideal.

She needed to cut each family out of the photos and reproduce them in a more harmonious, orderly way inside the painting. Only then would the overall composition look good.

As the girl studied each photograph in turn and considered the layout, the thick fog in her “dream” began to grow denser and denser, and at the same time retreat farther and farther back.

…

In the shop basement.

As soon as Tan Wenbin heard Little Yuanhou say he was going back to Nantong, he could not help laughing.

“Haha, our Brother Liangliang has really gotten a taste for it now.”

After a pause, Tan Wenbin added teasingly, “Remember the agreement he made back then, about how many years between visits? Looks like that agreement was what protected the Bai family matron.”

Yin Meng shot Tan Wenbin a glare. “Who talks about people like that behind their backs?”

Tan Wenbin said indifferently, “It’s not like I said it to his face. What’s wrong with making a few snide remarks in private?”

Lin Shuyou, sitting by the bed, spoke up. “I’ll go back with Little Yuanhou.”

Tan Wenbin held up three fingers at Lin Shuyou and asked, “What’s this?”

Lin Shuyou said, “Three!”

Tan Wenbin said, “I’ll give you one more chance.”

Lin Shuyou said, “Four!”

Tan Wenbin snapped, “Go my ass. Your eyes aren’t even better yet. You want Little Yuanhou to use you as a walking stick?”