Corpse Retriever

”She’s a month older than our Little Li,” said Liu Yumei, glancing at the girl sitting just past the doorway. ”Originally, our Little Li should be starting third grade too.”

Her expression dimmed. Yes, her granddaughter should have been just like this cheerful, healthy boy in front of her—going to school, full of life.

”Oh right, Xiaoyuan, you can go anywhere around here, just don’t enter the East Room. And don’t get close to A’Li. Our A’Li doesn’t like strangers getting too near. She’s shy and easily unsettled.”

Granny Liu echoed the same warning Great-Grandpa had given him the night before.

Li Zhuiyuan asked, ”Granny, does A’Li have autism?”

Liu Yumei looked at the boy in surprise. ”You know that term?”

Nowadays, most people had never even heard of it.

”Yeah.”

Liu Yumei blinked, then reached out to hold his hand.

”Someone in your family studies that?”Yeah—they studied me.

”I read about it in a newspaper.”

”Oh.” Liu Yumei sighed, sounding a little disappointed.

”Granny Liu, big cities have doctors who treat that kind of illness.”

Li Zhuiyuan was genuinely curious. Their family didn’t seem poor—why didn’t they take Qin Li to a big city for treatment? Why live out here?

”Our A’Li doesn’t have ordinary autism. Doctors at hospitals can’t help her.”

Li Zhuiyuan didn’t quite understand. If doctors couldn’t help her, then how could staying here do any good?

Liu Yumei turned toward the tea set on the wooden bench and asked, ”Want some tea?”

”Thank you, Granny.”

Seeing Liu Yumei start to bend down to grab the kettle, Li Zhuiyuan quickly reached for it. ”Let me do it.”

”Huh? Alright, you go ahead then.”

Li Zhuiyuan opened the tea cake, measured the leaves, heated the water, poured the rinse, splashed the pot, warmed the cups, and served the tea…

The elderly neighbors back at the housing compound always roped him in to make tea during their gatherings. He had no choice but to go—he still needed to mooch meals off their families.

Liu Yumei kept watching him, and gradually, a spark of amusement lit her face. This kid—he was interesting.

”Granny, your tea.”

”Mm.” She took a sip and then said, ”From now on, the tea-making’s your job. Granny’s got plenty of snacks stashed away.”

”Deal.”

Just then, noise came from the second-floor balcony. Soon, Li Sanjiang came downstairs, looking drained and groggy.

Liu Yumei tilted her head and smiled. ”What’s this, didn’t sleep last night? Out stealing chickens?”

Li Sanjiang sighed. Worse than that—he’d been chased through dreams all night by a pack of Qing dynasty zombies.

”Little Yuanhou, how did you sleep last night?”

”Great-Grandpa, I slept really well.”

”Good, good…”

Li Sanjiang let out a long breath. So, the array had worked. A little suffering on his part was worth it.

Aunt Liu brought out breakfast for him. Just as he was eating, Li Weihan and Cui Guiying showed up, carrying Zhuiyuan’s change of clothes and snacks.

Back home, with all the kids around, snacks had to be shared. Now that Li Zhuiyuan lived here alone, the leftovers were all brought over.

”Little Yuanhou, listen to your Great-Grandpa while you’re here. Don’t cause trouble, okay?”

”Granny will come visit. Be good, alright? If you ever feel like coming home, just come back and see us, understand?”

Clack clack clack!

Li Sanjiang angrily rapped his chopsticks on the wooden bench and scolded,

”Hanhou, you rascal—showing up this early just to drop things off, trying to avoid staying for a meal, aren’t you? Ha! Look at you now, can’t even sit down for a drink with your uncle anymore, huh? Grown distant, have you? Acting like I’m not family?”

Li Weihan and Cui Guiying quickly stepped forward to calm him down and apologize.

After pacifying him, they left.

Li Sanjiang scraped the last bit of porridge from his bowl, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and said to Li Zhuiyuan, ”Your grandpa’s got this sour streak in him. Acts like the tiniest favor costs him sleep at night. That’s what pisses me off the most.”

The farmland had been his to rent to Li Weihan in the first place. Who would’ve thought the old guy would eventually give up the lease?

”So that’s why you’re willing to let Grandpa take care of you in old age?”

Li Sanjiang smacked his lips. That hit home.

He knew that once he was truly bedridden, Li Weihan would take care of him—and most importantly, wouldn’t give him attitude.

Li Sanjiang had lived proudly all his life, and even in his final years, he refused to be mistreated.

Still, he had to keep up appearances in front of the kid. ”What, like it’s some big favor? The land belongs to the village collective, sure—but this house, this business, and all my savings? They’re all gonna be his anyway! Hmph, he’s not getting cheated.”

He reached over and pinched Li Zhuiyuan’s chin. ”But I’ll tell you this—I don’t want my stuff going to your ungrateful uncles. If you keep making your Great-Grandpa happy, I’ll draft a note. All of it will go straight to you, how about that?”

”Okay! When I grow up, I’ll take care of you.”

”Hahaha, by the time you grow up, I’ll probably be long gone.”

Still, it made him happy—sounded lucky.

Li Zhuiyuan thought of what Aunt Liu had said about the basement, and remembered the copy of The Sutra of Golden Thread and Silken Spiral he’d seen on Great-Grandpa’s floor last night.

”Great-Grandpa, what’s in your basement?”

”The valuables are all displayed on the first floor. Down there? Just junk I picked up over the years. And a bunch of old books people left with me—ten boxes of the stuff, all scribbles and nonsense. Can’t make heads or tails of it.”

Books?

Li Zhuiyuan’s eyes lit up. That wasn’t junk. That was study material.

He was desperate to improve his grades.

”Great-Grandpa, can I take a look down there?”

”Huh?” Li Sanjiang was surprised. ”What’s so interesting about that stuff?”

”You said it’d all be mine one day. Going back on your word?”

”Alright, alright. You want to poke around, go ahead. The key’s in the cloth shoe by the door. Mind the dust—it’s filthy in there. Haven’t gone down in years.”

”Thanks, Great-Grandpa.”

Just as Li Zhuiyuan was about to head to the basement, a hunched figure appeared on the path outside—it was Niu Fu.

”Sanjiang Shu, Sanjiang Shu, I’m begging you!”

Almost instinctively, Li Zhuiyuan’s gaze dropped to Niu Fu’s hunched back—then he remembered Liu Jinxia’s warning and quickly turned away.

But because of that, he saw something else.

Qin Li, who had sat motionless like a statue in the East Room, had just moved her neck.

Her gaze was fixed on Niu Fu’s crooked back.

She could see it!

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