Chapter 38.3: The Dead Sinker

When he woke up, Li Zhuiyuan felt more energetic than he had in recent days. It seemed the overexertion issue had improved, though he still needed to be careful about eating more blood- and energy-replenishing foods. He’d have to mention it to Aunt Liu.

The chair by the door was empty; the girl was sitting at the desk, carving wooden shavings with a small knife.

Li Zhuiyuan was puzzled—Runsheng had already moved all the workshop materials out of his room. From now on, all equipment work would be done there. So where had Ah Li gotten new raw material?

Walking closer, he saw they were the same dark, sandalwood-scented kind as last time.

“Ah Li, did you split the ancestral memorial tablet again?”

Ah Li shook her head.

It wasn’t her—it was her grandmother who had split it.

Liu Yumei had been more than eager, afraid that any delay would cause her granddaughter’s condition to relapse.

Li Zhuiyuan fetched three bottles of Jianlibao. It was the last of the stash—time to ask Aunt Liu to restock.

He opened two bottles, handing one to the girl.

She’d first taken a liking to the drink because she’d never had a carbonated beverage before. Truthfully, she didn’t like sweet things in the morning—but she did enjoy clinking bottles with the boy.

And she was eager to fill up the first row of her keepsake collection box.

After breakfast, Li Zhuiyuan returned to the second-floor terrace with a book. Ah Li sat beside him, continuing her carving.

Now and then, unused wood shavings would catch the wind and drift away, glinting in the sunlight like the satisfied smiles of their ancestors.

The guests arrived even earlier than expected. A black sedan approached on the distant village road. Out stepped an elderly man in a black suit, leaning on a cane with his right hand. His left was supported by a young blonde woman.

They walked up the path together and onto the courtyard.

“Well, if it isn’t Linhou?”

“Hehe, it’s me, Sanjianghou!”

The two old men shook hands enthusiastically.

They sat down. Aunt Liu brought tea.

Li Zhuiyuan nodded at Ah Li before heading downstairs.

“That your granddaughter?” Li Sanjiang asked.

“No, my secretary. Her surname’s Jin.”

“Oh, that’s good.” Li Sanjiang turned and beckoned. “Come, Linhou, this is my great-grandson, Little Yuanhou. Little Yuanhou, greet your Grandpa Ding.”

“Hello, Grandpa Ding.”

“Such a clever child.”

“Of course—he’s a Li, after all. He lives with me now.” Li Sanjiang patted Li Zhuiyuan’s head affectionately, clearly not intending to send the boy away.

That said it all.

Ding Dalin chuckled awkwardly, patting his suit pocket. “Look at me—been away so long I forgot the old customs.”

The young woman beside him pulled out some cash and handed it to Ding Dalin, who passed it on to Li Zhuiyuan.

“Here, Grandpa’s buying you candy.”

“Thank you, Grandpa.”

Li Zhuiyuan accepted the cash—it was a thick stack.

But he’d also caught something odd in Ding Dalin’s words. Overseas Chinese were usually more conscious of these old customs, so why claim to have forgotten—unless he hadn’t been living in normal society?

And that suit wasn’t a foreign brand. The English label was clearly southern-made. Expensive, yes, but not something brought back from abroad.

As for the secretary’s blonde hair—it was freshly dyed, and clumsily so. There were dye stains along her collar and shoulders.

Her figure looked familiar.

“Great-grandpa, I’m going to help Aunt Liu with the sunflower seeds.” Using the excuse, Li Zhuiyuan circled around to the woman’s back and saw her silhouette.

Confirmed—it was the woman who escaped from the hospital last night.

At that moment, she turned her head slightly, catching him in her peripheral vision.

Hmm? So you recognize me too?

She had turned her back to him when he left the security office, but she must have seen him when he first entered the hospital with Tan Yunlong.

Which meant Ding Dalin’s identity was now obvious.

They were Water Monkeys!

Li Zhuiyuan set down the seeds and slipped away, heading out back.

He opened the workshop door. Runsheng was still hard at work, sweating and muttering.

“Runsheng-ge, pause for now. We’ve got visitors—go stand beside Great-grandpa.”

“Alright!”

Runsheng wiped his sweat with a black-and-white towel, pulled on a short-sleeve shirt, and headed out.

Li Zhuiyuan hadn’t told him who the visitors really were—Runsheng might not be able to keep a poker face.

Then Li Zhuiyuan looped around through the fields, aiming to call Tan Yunlong from Aunt Zhang’s shop.

But halfway there, he sensed something was off. A man was crouched at the field path’s entrance, smoking.

He was on his toes, body angled, smoking while watching the surroundings.

A lookout. The Water Monkeys had come in force.

No way out. Li Zhuiyuan silently turned back through the rice fields.

The spacing between rural homes was wide. Great-grandpa’s place had no neighbors in front or back. If this path was guarded, the others likely were too.

Safer to head home—at least Runsheng was there.

He also prayed Aunt Liu was secretly another Uncle Qin. But realistically, she was more skilled at cooking and medicine.

Granny Liu was too old to pin any hopes on.

Back at the courtyard, Li Sanjiang was patting Runsheng’s arm, saying to Ding Dalin:

“This one’s my grandson too—Runshenghou. Greet your Grandpa Dalin. Sweeten your words—he just gave Little Yuanhou a thick red envelope.”

“Hehe, Grandpa Dalin.”

Li Zhuiyuan didn’t join them but walked into the kitchen. Aunt Liu was cooking—naturally, guests meant staying for lunch.

“Aunt Liu.”

“What is it, Little Yuan?”

“Do you have poison?”

“What kind of medicine?”

“Two unclean ones just arrived.”

Liu Ting’s heart skipped. The boy wanted to poison them outright?

She quickly masked her expression and said:

“Don’t worry, Little Yuan. If the unclean ones are wearing clean clothes, then they’re not here to do unclean things.”

It sounded reasonable, but the secretary had recognized him.

There were toxic materials in the workshop, but anyone would taste the difference.

“Aunt Liu, will you, like Uncle Qin, go back to care for your sick uncle?”

Aunt Liu paused, then nodded.

Li Zhuiyuan smiled—then he could relax.

Even if there’d be no more good meals at home, that was better than never needing to eat again.

He walked out and stood beside Runsheng. He wanted to hear why Ding Dalin had come.

Noticing Runsheng nudging him, he looked over. Runsheng was holding out the red envelope money.

“Runsheng-ge, you keep it. No need to give it to me.”

“Equipment material fees.”

“Keep it safe for me.”

“Okay.”

Then the secretary turned to him, pulling a foil-wrapped chocolate from her pocket.

“Little brother, here. For you.”

“Thank you, sister.”

Li Zhuiyuan took it. It felt sticky—must have melted inside.

“Why not eat it, little brother?”

“I want to save it for bedtime and savor it slowly.”

“Hehe, no worries. I’ve got plenty more. I’ll bring you another next time.”

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