PCJ – Chapter 48 Eating Candy Together

“Come inside and have a seat.” Yang Zhigang gestured to move a stool for Liu Biao, but in reality, he wanted to go back to bed and was merely being polite. In rural areas, this was the hidden meaning behind bidding farewell to guests.

Liu Biao quickly declined, saying, “I’ve been busy all night and need to go back to catch some sleep. There’s still a lot of work to do during the day. These past few days, all the work at home has been delayed.”

“Then you should hurry back and rest.” Yang Zhigang quickly responded.

As soon as Liu Biao left, Yang Zhigang yawned and went back to sleep, closing the door behind him. The courtyard of Yang Jiaba returned to its peaceful state. From the nearby bamboo grove, Guo Daogui emerged, scratching himself incessantly. There were many mosquitoes in the bamboo grove, and after hiding there for so long, Guo Daogui was thoroughly irritated.

“The dao master from Meizi’ao? Who could it be? That bastard Ma Wulang definitely doesn’t have that ability. Besides him, who else could it be? Damn it, I’ve been bitten by mosquitoes for nothing. Ah, it’s so itchy.”

Guo Daogui complained with a mournful face, still unwilling to give up. He hurriedly followed the direction Liu Biao had gone.

Along the way, Liu Biao seemed to hear footsteps behind him. He looked back but saw nothing in the pitch-black surroundings, thinking he might have encountered something dirty, he decided to run home. When he reached the village entrance, he grabbed a bundle of firewood from the roadside and laid it across the road, hoping to block whatever was chasing him.

Guo Daogui dodged a few times, then seeing Liu Biao sprinting ahead, he chased after him. He stumbled a few times on the unfamiliar road, and accidentally kicked something, losing his balance and falling forward into a water field beside the road.

Liu Biao heard the cry of pain from behind and wondered why the voice sounded so familiar. He turned back, but besides the firewood bundle, there was nothing on the road. Oh no! There really was something dirty chasing him. He couldn’t help but quicken his pace, gasping for breath as he rushed into the yard.

Liu Tongmao and Luo Dongzhen, the couple, were still awake. Seeing Liu Biao return in such a state, they quickly stood up to inquire.

“Biaozi, why are you in such a hurry?” Liu Tongmao asked.

“I don’t know what happened. On the way back from Yang Jiaba, it felt like there was something following me from behind. I laid a bundle of firewood across the road, and that thing tripped over it. I shone my flashlight, but didn’t see anything. I’m afraid I encountered something dirty tonight.” Liu Biao’s face was pale, clearly frightened by tonight’s experience.

“If I had known, I would have asked your siblings to accompany you. Tomorrow morning, let Jiuhua take a look at you. Don’t leave any problems unattended,” Liu Tongmao said with concern. He couldn’t help but worry about what was going on at home. The grandson was just getting better, and now his son almost had a problem.

At this moment, a muddy hand emerged from the water field, dripping with mud, and then a muddy figure emerged. It was none other than Guo Daogui. To maintain the appearance of a Daoist, Guo Daogui had long hair tied up in a bun. Now, after falling into the water, he was completely soaked, looking less like a Daoist and more like a madman.

“Damn it, Liu Biao! I’m not finished with you!” Guo Daogui couldn’t gather any more information about Liu Biao’s home, and he knew he couldn’t go back without changing his clothes, or else he would have to go to Sanjiaoping Barefoot Doctor Xie Datian’s house to get an injection in the early morning. As a quasi Dao master, going to take injections was damaging to his reputation.

Guo Daogui was full of resentment. His curse was completely hysterical, full of bitterness and twists and turns. The sound echoed continuously on Fengshui Bridge. In the silent night of the rural countryside, the sound was so terrifying that it sent chills down people’s spines.

“Bang!” Luo Dongzhen hurried over to close the door.

When Zhang Jiaohua woke up in the morning, it was already bright outside. He got up from bed, walked outside, and saw his father carrying a bucket of water into the yard, pouring it into the water tank. The clear well water looked like jade. His mother and aunt were squatting in the yard cleaning an old hen. There weren’t many chickens raised by the guest’s family, and this old hen was the one that laid eggs for the guest’s family. Normally, the guest and his wife would never be willing to slaughter it. But today, to reward this little hero, they decided to go all out.

“Are you up?” Zhang Youping put the bucket down with a clang.

Before Zhang Jiaohua could answer, his aunt raised her head. “Jiahua is up. Are you hungry? Let your aunt fetch you something to eat first and fill your stomach. When the meal is ready, I’ll give you a big chicken leg to eat.”

Last time he came, Zhang Jiaohua only ate a chicken wing and didn’t even see a chicken leg. It should have been hidden in the kitchen by the aunt, reserved for Xizi to eat. With the child back, Zhang Jiaohua’s status suddenly rose.

“Jiaohua, come here to grandmother.” Luo Dongzhen shouted loudly from the room.

With benefits, Zhang Jiaohua naturally wouldn’t refuse. He quickly walked over, and grandmother handed him a handful of biscuits and candy. “Are you hungry? Hurry up and eat to fill your stomach.”

Liu Xi didn’t go excitedly to take it, still wearing a sullen expression: These are all for the Xizi, okay?

How could Luo Dongzhen not understand her grandson’s thoughts? She handed the candy to Liu Xi, “Yesterday evening, your brother Jiahua worked so hard to cure your illness. You must remember to leave some good food for your brother in the future.”

Liu Xi suddenly remembered what happened last night. “These past few days, I’ve been taking a bath at Fengyu Bridge every day. When I wanted to go home, that person wouldn’t let me. He made me accompany him for a bath. Last night, I heard my brother’s voice calling me to go home. Many people came, and that person got scared and let me go.”

Luo Dongzhen and the others didn’t expect Liu Xi to have such an experience. But Luo Dongzhen quickly warned her grandson, “Xi’er, you can’t tell others about this. If someone asks you, just say it was your uncle who caught the herbs to cure you. Remember that, okay?”

Although Liu Xi didn’t understand what was going on, he obediently nodded, then took the candy and walked towards Zhang Jiaohua. “Big brother Jiahua, let’s eat candy together.”