Chapter 49.3: The Starving Ghost

He could cry if he wanted to, but he didn't feel like putting on a show.

All he could do was hold his great-grandfather's head close, pressing his own face against it, while beginning to hate this version of himself.

After that, Li Sanjiang finally gave up seeking medical help and started the journey back home with Li Zhuiyuan.

On the bus ride back, Li Sanjiang scribbled in a notebook.

"Little Yuanhou, once your eyes get better, we’ll make a trip to Shanghai again. These people—we ought to bring them some local gifts, pay a proper visit."

He had insisted on recording the contact info of everyone who had helped them in that notebook.

Before their trip to Shanghai, Li Zhuiyuan had tried to dissuade him, saying they couldn’t afford such a trip.

But Li Sanjiang patted the passbook in his pocket and said they had enough. The payment Ding Dalin gave for the land had already gone to the village, but the money for planting the peach trees had only been a deposit.

That startled Li Zhuiyuan—after all, the one buried beneath the fish pond hadn’t completely faded. If the peach trees weren’t planted soon, the spirit might rise again to demand restitution.

Still, Li Sanjiang added that this money was just for emergencies. Once they were back, he’d mortgage the house for the peach trees.

Fortunately, since they didn’t need hospitalization in Shanghai, expenses were limited to some travel and lodging.

Li Sanjiang muttered, “That yellow cornbread, I really can’t get used to it.”

Before going into the hospital at noon, the two had each eaten a bowl of noodles outside. While grumbling about Shanghai’s sky-high prices, the old man still made sure to get Zhuiyuan an extra helping of meat.

The yellow cornbread had been a kind gesture from the breakfast shop owner next to their inn—homemade, not for sale.

Neither of them liked the millet dough much. After eating buns and soy milk, they saved the cornbread. While sitting idle on the hospital stairs, Li Sanjiang took it out, nibbling a bite for himself before feeding one to Li Zhuiyuan.

It was almost like snacking—but also a way not to waste food.

To the old professor watching, though, the scene was heartbreakingly poignant.

Only later did they find out the professor was originally from Northern Shaanxi.

…

The rural bus stopped at the village entrance. Li Sanjiang held Li Zhuiyuan’s hand as they got off.

Both of them exhaled deeply. At last, they were home.

Li Zhuiyuan hadn’t expected his first “trip” with his great-grandfather to be spent blind.

Still, he tried to handle everything he could on his own, not wanting to burden the old man.

But he couldn’t see how every time he fumbled to adapt to blindness, Li Sanjiang’s eyes filled with unshed tears.

The more mature Little Yuanhou acted, the deeper Li Sanjiang’s guilt grew.

He blamed himself—he had just transferred the boy’s household registration to his own, and now this? He began to wonder if he was some kind of curse-bringer.

“Taigong, it’s fine. Didn’t the doctor say my eyes will heal in time? Then I can go back to school.”

The word “school” made Li Sanjiang pause, and tears spilled over again.

Still, he worked to calm himself, trying to cry quietly so the child wouldn’t hear.

“Yeah, my Little Yuanhou’s eyes will definitely heal. He’ll definitely go back to school, haha.”

On the road to seek treatment, every time Li Zhuiyuan said such hopeful words, he got scolded. The old man would curse his ignorance about how serious eye problems were.

But now that they were home, whenever Zhuiyuan said the same thing, Li Sanjiang echoed him—and even started saying it first.

The village path smelled of wildflowers.

At home, on the dam platform.

Li Zhuiyuan’s hands were soon clasped by a smaller pair.

This time, he could feel the tremble in those hands. Li Sanjiang was right nearby.

Clearly, the girl’s rejection of him had only grown stronger.

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Ah Li, you have to understand—Taigong took me to get treated.”

The girl’s hands stopped shaking. She was listening. Trying to hold back.

A smile broke across Zhuiyuan’s face. He regretted not being able to see Ah Li now, but thankfully, he had many memories. She changed outfits daily, after all.

Then, the girl hugged his neck.

He reached out and gently patted her head, even though people were watching. Saying the usual line now felt embarrassing.

The girl wobbled, clearly frustrated the ritual wasn’t complete.

Well, he couldn’t see now—what was there to be embarrassed about?

“Ah Li, if there’s anything you want, just tell me. I’ve got money—tons of it.”

The girl was satisfied, stepped back, then guided his hand to her eye.

To those watching, the scene was touching—letting a blind boy feel her eye, as if saying: “I’ll be your eyes.”

“No, let’s not play that game…”

But Zhuiyuan panicked, knowing she meant “walking the shade.”

He’d gone blind from overdoing it—no way could he afford to mess with that again until he healed.

Seeing his refusal, the girl drew a square on his hand—she meant chess.

“Later, okay? Ah Li, I want to bathe and eat first. We’ll play in the afternoon.”

More importantly, since his great-grandfather had dragged him to the doctor right away, he still hadn’t heard what happened next from Runsheng and Tan Wenbin.

“Come on, Little Yuan, I’ll take you upstairs for a bath.” Tan Wenbin reached out.

“Binbin-ge, you’re still here?”

“Where else would I be, Little Yuan-ge?”

“I thought you went home.”

“They’re short-staffed. While you were gone, I stayed to help fold paper and make deliveries. Let me tell you—I’m getting good! Aunt Liu even praised my paper figures.”

“Binbin-ge, you’re amazing.”

“Hehe. Aunt Liu said your eyes aren’t seriously hurt, right?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. Now tell me what happened.”

“Oh, that night Runsheng called me, and I called my dad. He went to the scene. There were five corpses in the river—not just Zhou Yong’s family, but also that creepy father and son we saw at Cuicui’s birthday.”

“The ones who pretended to be reversed in age?”

Zhuiyuan had always found the dwarf, who acted like a child, deeply disturbing.

Honestly, if they’d been ghosts, he would’ve dealt with them earlier—no way he’d leave such a threat. But sadly, they were human.

Compared to all the horrors he’d faced, humans were often the scariest.

“Yeah. The tall one was dismembered, probably by Zhou Yong. The dwarf got mauled to death—looks like by that mother and daughter.”

“What did the police say?”

“They found a bunch of skeletons in the dwarf’s courtyard, arranged weirdly. His house was full of freaky stuff. Turns out he and his ‘son’ were real father and son—and cultists. The police concluded they killed Zhou Yong’s family, then did some ritual in the river and sacrificed themselves.”

“Your dad did great.”

“So that’s the truth?”

“Yeah, seems so.”

“Oh, and Runsheng found some stuff. It’s all packed up in the workshop. Want to take a look?”

“With what eyes?”

“Pfft… Sorry, couldn’t help it, ge.”

“Binbin-ge, help me draw a bath.”

“I’ll scrub your back!”

“No need. I’m not used to that.”

“Alright, I’ll mix the water and wait outside.”

After the bath, the exhaustion of travel finally melted away.

Tan Wenbin couldn’t wait. “Little Yuan-ge, that thing you promised me…”

“Did Runsheng teach you how to use those tools?”

“Huh? No, just paper-folding!”

“Have him show you the basics first. Then I’ll try teaching you more. It’s tricky.”

“Haha, how hard could it be? Harder than school tests?—Wait, ge, I misspoke! Don’t say it!”

“Binbin-ge, start with the basics. I’ll let you use my gear.”

“Really? That’s awesome!”

He’d coveted that set for a while. Runsheng’s was too big and heavy—Zhuiyuan’s fit just right.

Zhuiyuan was willing to lend his because it was hard to wield in his current state. Plus, after mastering the black book, he had better ways to handle Dead Sinkers.

And if he ever lacked tools?

No problem—he wasn’t planning to face a Dead Sinker without Runsheng or Tan Wenbin again.

• Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.

Next Chapter >>>