Chapter Sixteen: Man's Plans and Heaven's Plans

  January 20th, 2003 night, Li Heng Group Financial Base Villa, computer room.

  A fierce but non-confrontational debate began around whether to close the position at a favorable price. Fei Zai and Ah Li believed that crude oil futures would continue to rise sharply, international oil prices would remain strong and continue to fluctuate at high levels.

  Long Bao, however, believes that the current international oil price's supporting force has begun to weaken and the price will inevitably fall back. The current high price is just a temporary peak caused by speculators' manipulation. Long Bao flashes his pearly whites, especially his sharp canines gleaming in the bright light, as he smiles handsomely: "This is a tactic used by speculators to confuse people, aiming to shake out weak holders and mislead followers. The real trend hasn't arrived yet. We should seize the opportunity to make short-term profits, no need to hold on too tightly. Wait for the price to fall back before entering the market again, that way we'll have a grasp of it. This is the ideal price to close out our positions and take profit. Our current earnings are already over $2.6 billion, what a glorious achievement!"

  Long Wang waved his hand in the air, resolute: "I absolutely believe that next month will continue to soar high, because according to weather forecasts, the cold snap in the US will persist, and by then, US heating oil inventories will inevitably decline. At the same time, the surge in crude oil prices has reduced refineries' profits, leading to a decrease in oil product inventories. People's concerns about gasoline supply shortages will intensify. The savvy speculators must create another correction wave to continue profiting, so this correction wave must be made, and the price will definitely rise!"

  Long Wan's tone turned into a business discussion, smiling and saying: "January 27th is the day when the inspection team submits its inspection report to the United Nations. This will be a very important day. It's also an opportunity for speculators to make a comeback. Why don't we wait for the next chance? Do we need to take such a great risk to stubbornly face the market trend?"

  ……

  Long Wan convinced everyone, and immediately closed the crude oil futures at a still relatively ideal price. Mr. Qian was overjoyed to hear that the first phase of financial operations had ended in complete victory, his eyes moistening with excitement, his lips trembling uncontrollably!

  It was astonishing that on the evening of January 21, the second trading day after Long Bao's liquidation, oil prices began to plummet. By the evening of the 22nd, oil prices had fallen to $32!

  Fatty sat on the villa roof, slapped Longbiao's shoulder heavily and said admiringly: "A Cheng, ruthless! Ruthless!"

  On the 22nd, Ali and Fei Zai returned to Hong Kong to see their wives and children. Long Bao's identity had been exposed, so he couldn't return to the group headquarters and could only secretly stay in this villa. Mr. Qian was afraid that he would be lonely and have a hard time by himself, so he arranged for a Buick car for Long Bao, and Zhou Qing was specially assigned as Long Bao's personal driver and bodyguard, which is an honor that ordinary employees couldn't imagine.

  The villa suddenly felt empty. On this day, Long Bao and Zhou Qing were drinking beer together.

  Zhou Ding knew that Long Bao was annoyed, who wouldn't be annoyed when encountering such a thing? Even as a fugitive, Long Bao is Zhou Ding's idol, an absolute idol. In Zhou Ding's eyes, as a fugitive, Long Bao created the myth of migrant workers, making a big show for mainland China's migrant workers in front of Hong Kong bosses, bringing great glory and pride!

  The idol of heroes is worried, so accompany the idol to drink wine. Men have worries, and one drunkenness solves a thousand troubles!

  Today, Long Bao drove to Shenzhen Songgang with Zhou Qing. After that, he became sulky and returned to the villa to drink wine from 2 pm until now at 6 pm without saying a word. Zhou Qing didn't ask or intentionally find conversation topics. As long as Long Bao raised his glass, he would also raise his glass; whatever amount Long Bao drank, he would drink the same amount too. Zhou Qing was unaware that Long Bao had checked his email and Shi Wei mentioned De Lao's matter in it.

  ……

  Zhou Jing quietly counted the empty beer cans, and damn it, just the two of them with peanuts had already drunk 42 bottles!

  My pain is inexpressible, and no one can understand it!

  Qiuya, Qiuya, why did you tell De Lao, my grandfather, about my affairs and experiences? Why did you make Grandfather come back?

  Grandfather, how do you want me to face you? Don't you know that I have a hard time acknowledging you because you don't understand me? Do you think I'm unwilling to acknowledge you? In this world, apart from you, I no longer have any relatives with the same blood flowing through their veins and bones, but I still can't acknowledge you! My dear grandfather!

  Isn't it good for you to be in the US with your uncle, aunt and brother? Why do you want to come back? I am a descendant cursed by heaven, how dare I risk bringing death to you by acknowledging you as my good grandfather!

  ……

  I am overcome with sorrow, I know that my grandfather must be waiting for me to return and recognize him, unable to sleep at night. For a man approaching his 70th year, this is a kind of ardent longing, a comforting sentiment expecting the return of his grandson. But if I refuse to acknowledge him, or even take evasive action, what great pain will it bring him, what a huge blow!

  ……

  The root of suffering is the psychological contradiction and the loss of soul, and the pain is the entanglement of the soul and heart in this contradictory struggle and the loss of possession. But at this moment, I felt an intense grief, a desperate helplessness, a hopelessness filled with despair, yet still holding onto hope. This grief stems from facing two answers, two endings, unable to choose, cannot choose, and cannot escape. This unchosen grief is inescapable, unspeakable, and unshoutable!

  Grandpa! My grandpa! Dad, Mom, can you show me a way that is beneficial to both?

  ……

  I tilted my head and drank the rest of the wine in the cup, then opened another can of beer. The beer was Qingdao brand, this wine is not like white wine that gets you drunk quickly, no matter how much I drink, I'm still sober. But now I just wish that when I'm sober, I could pass out and fall down, so it wouldn't be in vain the good name of "Qingdao" "clear fall" "collapse"!

  No matter how low the alcohol content of beer is, it's still liquor. I didn't stop drinking and eventually my head started spinning. With the fleeting intoxication, I closed my eyes and thought about my loved ones, my friends, that girl whose name I couldn't recall, and my dog - Leopard!

  ……

  Who is it that's licking my face with a wet thing? Ah, yes, it's a tongue, going back and forth.

  ……

  Long Wan struggled to open his eyes, but his eyelids drooped down as if they were heavy and couldn't be lifted. He used all his strength to try to pry open his tongue with his hands, muttering in his mouth: "Who... Ah, don't... disturb me..."

  He strained to open a slit and looked around, only to find that the room was packed with people, several faces flashing before his eyes!

  Who? His heart suddenly contracted: Could it be the police chasing me?

  His heart was suddenly stimulated by the high concentration of adrenaline and started racing! His whole body from toe to scalp suddenly went numb, a shiver, and he sobered up!

  Suddenly opened his eyes!

  A loud bark! Is it a leopard?

  The spotted dog, Doudou, with its red mouth, approached Longbiao's face, wanting to continue showing affection. Longbiao blocked it with his hand and turned his head to get a clear look at those people.

  How is this possible? Where did they come from? How can this be? My Autumn Leaf, Shi Wei, Hai Tao!

  Qian Lao, Xue Zong, Shi Wei, and Hai Tao looked at Long Biao with complex eyes, while Qiu Ya's whole body shook violently, and she suddenly threw herself into Long Biao's arms, tears gushing out like a fountain.

  Long Bao finally waited for Qiuya in his arms to finish crying, then smiled apologetically at everyone.

  Such brilliant achievements have fully proved that Long Bao's strategy and vision are extraordinary. After asking Long Bao about his overall understanding of the Li Heng Group several times, Qian Lao wanted to verify whether Long Bao was related to the poem he had obtained from a hidden world master many years ago, and he had long regarded Long Bao as an exceptional person in his heart.

  Qian Lao wants Long Ge to accompany him on a trip to Jiangsu in a few days.

  All living beings with wisdom have survival skills, have the instinct to seek life, and have a good life. Escapists count, predators count, fallers count, climbers count, defenders count, attackers count, you count, I count, he counts, she counts, everyone counts, counting together in a chaotic mess, opening up an endless battlefield.

  In this world, everyone who is tempted is calculating, even heaven is calculating, but who can outcalculate?

  Chang Cheng finally felt a weight lift off his shoulders, although he was still filled with worries. The business exhibition he had carefully planned for had fallen through, but somehow he felt more at ease now. He also found it strange that Zheng Xue and Zheng Jia were so unlucky, and instead of feeling sympathetic towards them out of friendship and moral obligation, he actually felt a sense of relief. What was going on?

  He thought about it for several days and felt that he must have been a bit abnormal and despicable.

  That day, he suddenly received a call from Zheng Xue, telling him that he had arrived in Shanghai and was waiting for his rescue.

  At this moment, Zheng Xuezheng was shrinking in a restaurant's innermost table, tensely and vigilantly staring at the entrance of the door.

  Liao Ye thoroughly belittled himself, fawning and flattering Chang Cheng with all his might. Chang Cheng still arranged for him to intern at the Chang Corporation, where they were currently discussing countermeasures against Zheng Xue.

  Chang Cheng couldn't help but feel a little worried about past events and said: "Liao Ye, what if he uses the Longbiao incident to blackmail me?"

  Liao Ye knew this was a good opportunity for him to show his loyalty and wisdom, so he quickly turned his brain and analyzed the situation in detail. He sat at the front of the couch, leaning forward with his hands on his slightly parted legs, looking extremely sincere. His eyes looked up at Chang Cheng with reverence and said: "The Zheng family has fallen, Jin Ge is dead, there's no evidence or proof, and you didn't participate in that matter from start to finish anyway. It was just a personal vendetta between Zheng Xue and Long Bao! Moreover, Zheng Xue still owes you so much money that he hasn't repaid, you've already been more than friends."

  He often nodded and said, "Alas, I really didn't expect him to become like this! He was a good university student. I really want to help him again. After all, we were all classmates and used to be very good friends."

  Liao Ye secretly cursed a few times in his heart, but on the surface he respectfully said: "Chang Ge, you absolutely cannot meet with him. How about this, you go to Chongming Island to clear your mind, and I'll take care of this matter, I guarantee that everyone will be satisfied."

  He always had a suspicious look on his face and said: "Go to Chongming Island to clear your mind? Why do you want to go there? Hand it over to you to handle? How will you handle it? I don't have any money to give you!"

  Liao Ye cursed "piglet" under his breath, still sincere and full of revolutionary spirit: "Right, go take a walk, turn off your phone, you can rest assured that I'll handle it for you, no need for money, not even one cent."

  Chang Cheng thought for a moment, and figured that Liao Ye wouldn't be able to play any tricks anyway. He also couldn't think of any tricks to play. So he said, "Alright, I'll go take a walk around, but you have to be absolutely careful!"

  "Don't worry, I guarantee you'll be able to rest easy!"

  After walking for a while, Liao Ye arrived at the intersection of Fuxing East Road and Dadongmen, where he saw the restaurant where Zheng Xue had agreed to meet. He secretly observed that Zheng Xue was indeed inside. Then, he walked to the corner of the street and made a phone call to the Criminal Police Brigade, reporting that there was an armed fugitive wanted by the Changhan City police in this restaurant.

  Zheng Xue anxiously waited for Chang Cheng's arrival, repeatedly checking his watch and staring at the entrance of the restaurant. At this time, three or four men in suits walked in, found a table by themselves, and called over a waitress to order food.

  Zheng Xue got up to go to the bathroom, walked to the front of the stage where several people were sitting, and suddenly felt his arms being held back by someone. A great force pressed down on him, and he was instantly pinned to the ground!

  Someone shouted loudly: "Handcuff him, look where his gun is! Search!"

  It's all over, it's all over, I've been caught, I've been caught. Zheng Xue felt as if the sky had fallen and the earth had cracked, his whole body went limp, he felt as if his bones were being crushed. A familiar fear, yes, that same fear he had when he was hurt by Tian Sha's dragon spear last time, came flooding back. Zheng Xue desperately wailed: "Murder! Save me! Ah――, ah――, save me――!"

  One person pressed Zheng Xue's back with his knee, and with one hand, he ruthlessly pressed Zheng Xue's head against the marble floor, sternly saying: "We are Shanghai Municipal Police, we have been ordered to arrest you, if you have anything to say, say it at the Public Security Bureau!"

  "Captain, no gun was found on him, neither on his body nor in his bag!"

  At this time, Zheng Xue had already been handcuffed. The captain bent down and asked loudly: "Tell me, where are your accomplices? Where did you hide the gun?"

  Zheng Xue was completely stunned, what gun did he have? He had only heard Xu Zhiwei say that they had guns, but he hadn't even seen one! This was a huge miscarriage of justice! His mouth filled with bloody saliva as he instinctively begged for mercy: "You, you... caught the wrong person, I... don't have... a gun..., I'm just a... tourist, let me go!"

  The captain took out a piece of paper and said: "We won't arrest the wrong person, you are Zheng Xue..."

  At this time, someone reported: "Captain, this kid has hidden a lot of drugs! Look!" He then handed over some small paper packets.

  Zheng Xue's brain buzzed for a moment, his will was truly destroyed, and he muttered unclearly: "It's not mine, it's not mine..."

  The captain gave a stern order: "Take him back and interrogate immediately!" Suddenly, he wrinkled his nose and asked in confusion, "How can it smell so bad?" He sniffed again!

  The man who reported the drug exclaimed in surprise: "Captain, this guy has shit! Fecal and urinary incontinence!"

  The captain was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, "Damn it! I've never seen such a cowardly fugitive who's actually a key member of the underworld!" He sneered.

  Zheng Xue was pushed out with his head bowed, his whole body aching unbearably, and it seemed that his old wounds had been stimulated again. If things went wrong, those people might even break his bones or bruise his flesh. He didn't have the strength to walk or struggle anymore, nor did he have the energy to cry out for injustice or shout for help. His entire being was in a state of collapse and paralysis!

  Zheng Xue was disqualified from sitting in the Mitsubishi Jeep because he had diarrhea, so the detectives locked him in the back and endured the stench.

  Zheng Xue's mind was filled with despair at this moment, and in the midst of despair, he also thought: I came to Shanghai today, Shanghai is so big, how did the police know that I came to Shanghai? And how did they know that I was in that restaurant? Was it someone from the restaurant who reported me? But how would they have known that I'm a wanted fugitive?

  Could it be that he was the one who told on me? Right, only he knew I was there! No wonder the phone couldn't get through!

  ……

  Liao Ye looked at Zheng Xue being taken away by the police, his heart once again felt the thrill of creating a stimulating game. He felt that only through this carefully crafted and designed game could he infinitely truly reflect his own supreme wisdom and value.

  Zheng Xue was taken away by police who arrived overnight and sent back to his hometown.

  Chang Cheng was startled by Liao Ye's report, originally thinking that Liao Ye had persuaded Zheng Xue to run away with words and would never dare to come looking for him again. Who would have thought that Liao Ye actually impersonated Long Bing's identity and reported to the police!

  But listening to Liao Ye's explanation, it makes sense: who can guarantee that he won't extort or blackmail you in the future? Sending him to prison can also help him quit drugs! After serving a few years and coming out, wouldn't he have turned over a new leaf? A prodigal son returns home, and gold is not exchanged for nothing; maybe he'll become a good person in the future. If Zheng Xue goes out into society, who knows, he might end up dead without a whole corpse; this way, we're helping him!

  Chang Cheng also thought: Ah, what if he's desperate and resorts to using other evil forces to extort me? Maybe this way is better.

  Long Bao didn't have a valid ID, so he couldn't take the plane. He could only go to Jiangsu with Zhou Qing driving that Buick car, while Qian Lao would later fly to Shanghai accompanied by Kang Tie and Kang Dingzhuang, and then Zhou Qing would pick them up at the airport before heading to Suzhou together.

  Long Wan was puzzled as to why Qian Lao wanted to go to Jiangsu, Suzhou, which is Autumn Leaf's hometown. Autumn Leaf, on the other hand, was excited, originally thinking that going to Jiangsu was already a great joy, and unexpectedly it was also returning to her hometown.

  Shi Wei secretly calculated in his heart: ***, this time you Long Bao can't escape my clutches! Immediately arrange for Du Ci and Jing Er to come to Jiangsu together under the pretext of spending Chinese New Year together, and arrange for them to recognize each other as grandfather and grandson.

  Haitao went back to Shandong first, so Zhou Jing Shi Weilong and Qiu Ya four people took that Buick car to Jiangsu.

  Shi Wei drove the car, only to see him holding the steering wheel, stepping on the accelerator, and occasionally glancing through the rearview mirror to see if Long Bao and Qiu Ya had any intimate scenes, while still chatting and joking: "Lao Liu, this little escapee is not bad, the boss even gave you a car! High, really high! Admire, doing an escapee with such quality and style! Qiu Ya, why don't you give your husband a kiss as a reward?"

  Qiu Ya was happily leaning against Long Bao's chest, and Qian Qian's hands still didn't forget to tightly grasp Long Bao's arm. Upon hearing Shi Wei's teasing, she immediately proudly retorted: "Of course! Who is my husband? Not like you, driving a car so slowly, did you just learn how? You'd better be careful with our lives!"

  Shi Wei's driving skills were actually quite decent, but he wouldn't drive too fast. He laughed loudly and said: "Is it necessary to drive so fast? I, Shi Wei, may be a bit muddled in my speech, but when it comes to this job that requires extreme caution, I am always careful and prudent! That's what they call stability! Zhou Qing, don't you agree? Qiu Ya, look, isn't it great now? The scenery outside the window is like a painting, the inside of the car is warm like spring, love is full, friendship is eternal, and conversation is pleasant! Haha! Isn't your husband just holding onto the scenery beside him, looking at the scenery outside the window, thinking about the scenery on the bed?"

  Qiu Ya shyly looked up at Long Bao.

  ……

  The winter in the south is not as harsh as that in the north, although many trees along the road have withered and fallen leaves, leaving only brown branches still stubbornly pointing to the sky. However, there are countless dense green and dark green trees on the undulating mountains, showing off their vibrant colors, revealing the resilience of life. Most of the wild grass has turned yellow, and occasionally there are even signs of being burned, black as if it were an unhealed scar on the skin.

  A dragon statue, carved from black soil and yellow mud, pressed into shape by large stones. Dull and stupid-looking, yet earthy, but that head, those whiskers, and eyebrows are just like the towering green pines on a mountain peak. The style is rough and austere, yet unique, with each turn of its gaze emitting a subtle, almost imperceptible glint!

  Long Bao tightened his arm around Qiu Ya's somewhat thin shoulders, with a few sighs, and said vaguely: "This world is really alive, every grass and tree, every stone and sand, are all breathing and changing, it's just that the composition of this world's life is too complex and unthinkable."

  The four of them traveled in the carriage, neither rushing nor dawdling, until the afternoon of the twenty-fifth, when they arrived in Suzhou. Long Feng was adamant that he would not go to Qiu Ya's home, so Qiu Ya had no choice but to find a relatively secluded hotel for them and then return home to report their arrival to his parents.

  Qian Lao had arranged everything, only needing Zhou Jing to come to Shanghai to pick him up. The plane was arriving at 12:00 noon, and Zhou Jing set off early in the morning in his previously inspected car to head to Shanghai.

  Shi Wei lay on the bed with his limbs splayed out, lazily flipping through the TV channels in sequence using the remote control. In his mind, he was secretly imagining: Haha, it's going to be a great show soon! Just thinking about it gets me excited! The reunion of grandson and grandfather, blood ties and kinship, tears of joy streaming down their faces, tightly embracing each other, filled with emotion, in the midst of a grand scene, true human feelings! Let's see how you thank me when you arrive, old six!

  Long Bao was reading the book "Feast of Thought", he tilted his head and looked at Shi Wei, whose expression had changed strangely, and asked casually: "Old Three, what kind of nonsense are you thinking about again?"

  Shi Wei's eyes widened in shock at Long Bao's words, but then he quickly regained his composure. How could Long Bao possibly know about the good show he had directed? And they hadn't even made a phone call! Heh heh, De Ye and the others would arrive in Suzhou in two hours, and no matter how much Shi Wei wanted to tell Liu Six, he had to try his best to keep it a secret until the last moment. He wouldn't tell him! Shi Wei chuckled dryly and covered up, saying: "I'm innocent! You think I'm so bad, don't you? Your third brother Shi Wei is actually quite good!"

  Qiu Ya just walked out, sweetly smiled at Long Bao, swayed her willow waist, and walked to Shi Wei's side, deliberately retorting: "Do you know what your nickname is? It's '**', it's 'Sān Guā'! You say which part of you isn't bad?"

  Kang Dingzhuang drove the car to the hotel entrance, Kang Tie pressed down the window, Long Bao and others hurried forward, respectfully calling out: "Chairman, go up and rest for a while!"

  Qian Lao stretched out his right hand to rub his temples, then combed his somewhat graying hair, and turned to face Long Bao saying: "It's been over a decade since I last came to Suzhou, the changes are really great! Alright, let's all go to the wine tower to eat first, we'll talk about other things later!"

  Qian Lao, Kang Dingzhuang and Long Bao left through the back door, taking advantage of the dim evening light. The three walked through the streets and alleys until they arrived at an old street. Qian Lao stopped in his tracks, trying to recall and recognize the place, furrowing his brow deeply as he shook his head: "It's not right, it's not right! Ah Zhuang, go ask someone if 'Du Shui Zhai' was moved fifteen years ago? And when was this street demolished?"

  Long Bao supported Qian Lao, leaning against the street-side door frame, watching Kangding Village ask those uncles and aunts around, and Kangding Village even took out his phone to ask.

  Before long, he ran over, looking somewhat disappointed and apologetic, and reported to Old Qian: "Chairman, that old man said 'Du Shui Zhai' has been gone for more than ten years. I heard that the store was specialized in making funeral clothes and objects for the elderly. He also said that the owner of the store was an old man who passed away ten years ago, and this old man doesn't know where his descendants are now. Chairman Qian, what do you think..."

  Qian Lao sighed, and the three of them returned to the wine tower. Autumn Ya observed that Qian Lao's expression was somewhat melancholy and lost, so she spoke in a flattering tone: "Grandfather Qian, I'm familiar with Suzhou, tomorrow I'll be your guide and take you to visit the world-famous gardens of Suzhou, such as the Humble Administrator's Garden..."

  Long Bao suddenly interrupted Autumn Leaf's words and asked, "Autumn Leaf, you grew up in Suzhou, have you ever heard of 'Du Shui Zhen', a well-known old store that specializes in making funeral clothes for the elderly?"

  Qiu Ya muttered to herself, reading the three words "Du Shui Zhai" several times, then raised her head and replied slowly with a slight pout: "I have an impression, it seems to be my elementary school classmate's grandfather's store, I used to go there to play, wait for me, I'll call someone to ask!"

  It's really a case of "the willow is dark and the flower is bright", and it can also be described as "coming full circle without any effort". There was indeed an echo, and this store had already closed early, but Autumn Leaf had already made contact with this classmate.

  Seeing so many distinguished guests bringing such expensive gifts to pay their respects, the son of this old man who loves to sleep in really has no idea what's going on!

  Qiuya pulled her classmate aside and whispered girls' secrets, from time to time her classmate made envious noises, and secretly looked up and down at Longbiao.

  Mr. Qian was very sincere and polite in explaining his intention: "It's our first meeting, just a small token of goodwill, I hope you'll accept it with a smile. It's like this, 15 years ago, I came to Suzhou and had a long conversation with your respected father at the Sleeping Pavilion, along with one of his friends. We chatted very happily, but afterwards, I was busy with mundane affairs and couldn't visit again. Who would have thought it'd be 15 years! Ah, as an old man, I just wanted to find some like-minded old friends to talk about past events. Today, I came to revisit the promise we made back then, to drink a pot of Frozen Top Wulong tea together under the Dragon Gate Array, but unfortunately, your respected father has passed away... it seems this wish is now empty!"

  The son of the old man who had been sleeping for years was also over 50 years old, and after understanding, he very much understood the common disease of the elderly, so he echoed: "My father passed away ten years ago, and we closed the Sleeping Pavilion. This time, it's really disappointing you!"

  A sigh, and Old Qian seemed to remember something. His tone was heavy as he said: "Can you please take out the photo album? I'd like to see some pictures of your father."

  Qiu Ya's classmate hastily stood up and took out a thick photo album from the drawer, placing it in front of Mr. Qian. Mr. Qian slowly flipped through it, scrutinizing the image of the old man in the family photos. Mr. Qian was already certain that this old man was the one he had met fifteen years ago. As he continued to flip through the pages, Mr. Qian seemed to become somewhat disappointed and impatient because he couldn't find what he had been hoping for. He finally spoke up when he turned to the last page: "Are all of your father's photos here? Why can't I see any group photos of your father with his other friends?"

  The old man in the dormitory said, "My father rarely took photos except for taking pictures with his family during the New Year. All of his photos are here, we have sorted them out, did you take a photo with my father?"

  Qian Lao shook his head silently.

  Qiu Ya's classmate was observing and staring, suddenly said: "Oh, right, Grandpa still has a few old photos that I inserted behind other photos, come, I'll find them for you!"

  The old photos were found, and Qian Lao's hands holding these old photos actually showed an overly excited tremble, with tears welling up, staring straight at the photo on top, even his hoarse voice was trembling: "It... it... is... him... it's really him!"

  This is a photo of two elderly people, one wearing a long blue robe and the other dressed in the same attire. Both have serious expressions, not cracking a smile, with a hint of vicissitudes in their solemn faces.

  Qian Lao couldn't hold back his emotions, hastily handing the photo to Du Shui's old man and asking: "When was this photo taken by your respected father? The person next to him is the one who had tea and chatted with me last time! Do you know where he is?"

  The old man's son looked at it, seemingly thinking and recalling, but the years seemed too long to recall memories. He said with difficulty: "Sorry, I really can't remember when this was taken. This old man, I remember seeing him twice, which was after the fall of the Gang of Four. I was around 30 years old then, his surname was Su, and I called him Uncle Su at that time. He seemed like a kind-hearted old man."

  "Can you tell me where he is? Can I find him?"

  He looked at Qian Lao with some confusion, and then said, "How do you know him too? I only remember that he seemed to be from Wuxi, but I don't know exactly where in Wuxi. After my father passed away and we moved house, he never came again, it's been over a decade. It would be difficult to find him now. Moreover, his age is similar to my father's, so he should be around 80 this year. Who knows if he's still alive or not? With that rustic appearance of his, who can tell? Wuxi is such a big place, it's hard to find him!"

  Qian Lao's newly ignited hope and excitement were instantly extinguished by his own words. He couldn't understand why he was losing the composure he had always been proud of. Qian Lao became somewhat despondent, and said in disappointment: "Looking for a needle in the ocean, looking for a needle in the ocean... can't find it! Can't find it, I'm an old man..."

  Qian Lao's two eyes welled up with turbid tears that flowed down, rolling off his cheeks.

  Kangding Village supported Qian Lao leaning against the sand, Long Bao had a few moments of nostalgia as he looked at this photo of two old men in blue cloth shirts!

  Dragon scales suddenly shook violently! A violent shock!

  Long Bu's heart and soul were shocked by the sight of these two old men!

  Isn't this the old man who was with Jing'er last time? This is obviously that old man! Yes, it must be him. Even if twenty years have passed, I can still tell at a glance. Those eyes, yes, just those eyes are enough to determine it! Profound and wise, with a piercing gaze, absolutely one of a kind!

  Qiu Ya borrowed this photo from her classmate and then the four of them hastily said their goodbyes, rushing back to the hotel to verify with Shi Wei.

  Shi Wei picked up the photo and immediately confirmed that the old man was indeed Jing'er's grandfather. "He's 80 years old, healthy and free of illness, and according to Jing'er herself, her grandfather is a highly skilled master who can predict life and death with his profound knowledge of the universe! Haha, but I don't know if it's true!" Shi Wei said with a laugh, "I know the place and the phone number, let me call them now and arrange for you to meet him tomorrow! Haha!"

  Qian Lao felt that he was indeed getting old, this one evening had been a rollercoaster of emotions, his heart was really unable to withstand such stimulation. He used his hand to stroke his chest, taking slow deep breaths. Qiu Ya brought Qian Lao a hot towel and applied it as a warm compress, wiping his face.

  Lying in bed, Long Bao said quietly: Jing Er's grandfather is just a friend that Qian Lao has met once, if Shi Wei is telling the truth, does Qian Lao want to have his fortune told? Is it for himself or for me, Long Bao? Do I need to tell Qian Lao about my cursed story?

  Shi Wei rushed outside to make a phone call, first explaining and then instructing: "Gu, tell De YeYe that tonight's program for recognizing Long Bao has been cancelled and rescheduled for tomorrow at Jing Er's house." He also told Jing Er, "Jing Er, you all hurry back to Wuxi today... Dragon Old Six's chairman is going to see your grandfather, he and your grandfather are old friends, you must tell your grandfather to definitely wait for us at home, I will report the situation in real-time! Absolutely cannot make a mistake!"

  Jing Er and De Lao Du Ci arrived in Suzhou at this time, and after receiving Shi Wei's phone call, the three of them rented a car and rushed to Jing Er's hometown.

  Jing Er's grandfather didn't find it strange that Jing Er brought an old man and Du Ci back home in the middle of the night, instead he personally waited for them at the gate.

  Jing'er excitedly kissed her grandfather and then hugged her mother. Her mother scolded her in a soft voice, "Look at you, you're already in college, and you come back without saying a word! Come on, everyone please sit down!"

  Jing Er's father respectfully asked Jing Er's grandfather, "Dad, how did you calculate that Jing Er would return home at this time tonight? And also, why didn't my divination of the Ming Yi hexagram reveal this information? Did I overlook some external responses?"

  Jing Er's grandfather was inviting De Lao to drink tea, almost choked by Jing Er's father's nonsense. Too lazy to bother with this fool, he pointed at Jing Er: "Go, go ask your mother, she can teach you."

  He then began talking with De Lao about the Classic of Mountains and Seas and set up a Dragon Gate formation.

  It was an ordinary night, an ordinary night before the Spring Festival. The north wind howled and blew, making the city lights dim, the darkness deeper, and the distant mountains' outlines barely visible. It thinned out the majestic momentum of high-rise buildings in space, broke off the withered leaves and branches that still clung to the wintering trees, and swept away the light dust and debris that lingered on the roads.

  It was late at night, and snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

  Fierce cold wind carried snowflakes, crackling and popping, like the Yellow River bursting its banks after thawing, roaring, howling, surging, in the vast and boundless nine-layered sky, in the mundane world without edges, wave upon wave of ruthless sweeps, sometimes gentle as if caressing a lover's skin, sometimes brutally venting abnormal fury, ruthlessly trampling, tearing apart everything, huge strange sounds echoing through the night... Wooooo—Crack!—Rumble Rumble Rumble—Boom!

  This night was destined to be sleepless for many people, Long Bao, Jing Er, Qian Lao, De Lao, almost all of them stayed up all night.

  The car drove evenly on the asphalt road covered with black and brown snow mud, last night's wind and snow gave the countryside a shallow layer of silver white, the slanted branches everywhere were loosely holding thin layers of accumulated snow, the earth's colors appeared monotonous and contrasting strongly, either a patch of white or a patch of black, or else a cluster of gray-green.

  Jing'er, Du Cui and Jing'er's mother were busy arranging delicious tea snacks and carefully cleaning the tables and chairs. At this time, Jing'er's grandfather, who was drinking tea and discussing ancient and modern times with De Lao in the study, came out and said to Jing'er: "Girl, they have arrived, you can go pick them up!"

  The old man looked at the old man who walked back to the study with a surprised expression, thinking: Could it be that this old man who has studied all kinds of ancient cultures can accurately predict the future through divination? However, based on his own understanding of ancient culture, divination couldn't possibly be so accurate as to predict trivial matters! Moreover, it's also impossible to have such a high accuracy rate!

  Jing Er and Du Ci jumped up quickly, hastily changing into their shoes and rushing out.

  "We're here, just ahead, look, it's that two-story small building with a mountain-style villa, low wall, and bamboo all around. From this small stone bridge, we can go over. You don't know, last time I was here with Du, we caught many small fish in this little river! Haha, look, Jing'er and Du Ci are already waiting for us there!" Shi Wei, sitting in the front seat, yelled excitedly, rolling down the window and sticking his head out, shouting "Jing'er! Du!"

  Kang Dingzhuang carefully escorted Qian Lao out of the taxi, with Kang Tie and Zhou Qing following behind. Shi Wei quickly ran to Jing'er and Du Ci's side, first giving Jing'er a knowing glance, then grinning and leaning in close to Du Ci's face, saying: "Hey, wife, do you miss me?"

  Autumn Ya exerted her strength to pull the dragon's whip, but the dragon's whip was so slow and slow. Autumn Ya simply threw away the dragon's whip and stepped forward, embracing Jing Er's slender waist, facing Jing Er's rosy face, and gave a real kiss, saying: "Jing Er, come, I'll introduce you to this is Mr. Qian, this is..."

  Jing'er smiled politely and said to Qian Lao Dao: "Hello, Grandpa Qian!" Then she asked after Kang Tie and the others, before turning to look at Long Bao.

  Looking at Long Bao's dignified demeanor, Jing Er's heart was surprisingly flustered, as if the moment their eyes met, she immediately became tongue-tied and her mind went blank. The greeting she had prepared got stuck on her lips and couldn't be spoken out loud, a bright red flush suddenly rising to her cheeks!

  Long Bao took a slight breath, noticing that Qiu Ya and Qian Lao were both staring at him. He spoke in his usual tone, "Jing Er, long time no see, how are you?"

  Jing'er was really strange, she suddenly became muddle-headed and useless. She knew why she was like this, so she hastily hummed a sound "Ah!" and then quickly turned around to demonstrate to everyone: "Come on, Uncle Qian, my home is just ahead, you slow down, the snow on this road has been swept away, but it's still slippery, be careful."

  No need for introduction, Mr. Qian pushed away Kangding's hand that was about to help him up, and hastily stepped forward, tightly grasping Old Man Jing's hands, shaking them vigorously, his words almost choking: "Old friend... old... friend, old friend! Fifteen years have passed! Fifteen years! Fifteen years! I never thought we'd meet again! Never thought it would happen!" Tears of joy were already streaming down his face!

  "Ah, yes! Life is like water, years are like rivers. Two drifting leaves can meet again, this is fate! This is the arrangement of heaven!"

  Jing Er's grandfather shook hands with everyone to show welcome and courtesy, but when it was Long Bao's turn, Jing Er's grandfather stopped. Long Bao's outstretched hand couldn't be withdrawn, so he froze in mid-air, feeling a bit awkward but respectfully bowed to Jing Er's grandfather: "Su Grandfather, hello!"

  "Stop calling me Grandpa, I don't deserve it. Who can bear the title anyway?" He ignored Long Bao and turned to invite Qian Lao into the house!

  Long Bao's face suddenly fell: Isn't that so? Who else can afford to call himself Grandpa?

  That inescapable, unavoidable, and irrepressible sense of guilt surged over him like a wave! He put down his hands, his expression dim.

  Jing'er felt uneasy about Grandfather's discourtesy and overbearing attitude, although she knew that every word and action of his had a deep meaning. However, seeing Longbiao being treated this way by Grandfather made her feel heartache and intense apology. She whispered to Longbiao: "I'm sorry!"

  Shi Weisheng pushed the dinosaur with his hand and lowered his voice to say, "Old Six! You can't be so petty, can you? Su Grandpa said that if you don't even do one thing, how can you do great things? Come on, let's go in together, no one will eat you."

  Qiu Ya also tried to pull Long Bao, Long Bao lightly dodged and stepped into Jing Er's house with a slightly floating pace.

  Qian Lao and Jing Er's grandfather talked about the old story of fifteen years ago, discussing the details of Du Shui Zhai's old man, asking each other about their situation, Qian Lao also enthusiastically told the process of this search.

  Kang Tie and his companions were very self-aware, knowing they didn't have the qualifications to join in the excitement. The three of them sat at a small table with expensive gifts on it, drinking tea.

  Shi Weiman thought he should give Long Bao a surprise, so he made eye contact with Du Cui. Du Cui glanced at Long Bao and shook her head, pointing to the location of the study room.

  Shi Wei intentionally asked in a loud voice that everyone could hear: "Jing Er, the decoration design of your home is truly unique and extraordinary, elegant but not common, classical but not outdated. Even the small potted landscape is placed just right, it's simply reached the extreme of being perfect, beautiful! Qiuya, Longbiao, don't you think so?"

  Qiu Ya had long been admiring the home decor style of Jing Er's family, and chimed in: "Yes, it's so beautiful!" She nudged Long Bao with her elbow, "Isn't it? You say."

  Under Long Bao's gaze, Ke's fluctuating emotions calmed down, and he forced a smile, his eyes scanning her as he said in a low voice, "Yes, it's beautiful, with a unique style."

  Shi Weili stood up and pointed to the study, saying: "Long Bao, let me tell you, Jing'er's family has a tasteful study with many good books. Jing'er, take us there for a visit?"

  As soon as the words fell, Jing Er's grandfather cast his gaze towards Long Bao, Du Ci and Jing Er also looked at Long Bao with tension, Qian Lao also followed everyone's gaze to look at Long Bao!

  The old man sat in the study chair like a child, looking at the frozen snow scene outside the window, and pricked up his ears to distinguish all the sounds outside.

  You're really something, Shi Wei! You clearly know I'm in a bad mood, why drag me into this? Can't you just go and watch it yourself? I have plenty of things to worry about, what's with your carefree attitude?!

  As soon as Longbiao arrived at Jing'er's home, he felt like there was something stuck in his heart and it was very uncomfortable. He didn't pay attention to Shi Wei, but instead stood up and asked Jing'er: "Jing'er, can you get online here? I'll take a look at some online information."

  Jing'er looked at her grandfather and Shi Wei with a complicated expression, then hastily replied: "Yes, yes, you can go online. It's in the study room. I'll take you there!"

  Long Wanli smiled politely at Qian Lao and Jing Er's grandfather.

  Jing'er inexplicably had a scene that made her infinitely sad appear in her mind, and she vaguely felt that something bad was going to happen! However, her feet seemed to have a mind of their own, involuntarily walking towards the study. When she reached the door, she saw through the beaded curtain that De Lao was actually wiping away tears with his handkerchief!

  Her legs suddenly went limp and moved involuntarily, her breathing was rapid but seemed to have stopped, a huge suffocating feeling came from her chest!

  She stood stupidly at the door, staring at De Lao.

  Shi Wei walked through the beaded curtain with a triumphant smile, gave De Lao a signal that he was about to get what he wanted, and immediately turned around to lift the curtain, moving his tongue up and down in his mouth, making a rhythmic sound with a single note!

  Shi Wei is excited and looks forward to the glorious arrival of various comedy scenes with hugs, cries, excitement, and tears!

  Is it still so grand? Let me go to the study first? When did I become a noble guest under your care, Shi Wei? Long Bao looked at Shi Wei with a smile that was not quite a smile, and at Jing Er who seemed a bit stunned. As if thinking of something, he slightly lowered his head and stepped into the study.

  My goodness! What's going on? How did Grandpa De end up in Jing'er's study?!

  To be honest, if I had known that the person sitting there was actually De Lao, and it turned out to be my uncle, even if I would offend everyone in the world, I wouldn't go; even if you kill me, I won't go! I absolutely won't go!! Absolutely not!

  I was paralyzed all over and my scalp exploded!

  Impossible! Qiu Ya couldn't have deceived me, and De Lao wasn't doing well in school, was he? How could he be here!!

  Grandpa, with tears all over his face, smiled at me, smiled at me - his grandson! His two red eyes were full of expectation, full of waiting, and full of love for me. He stretched out his old hands, opening them as if to hint that he would use his warm chest, deep affection to embrace me, hold me in his arms. The infinite loving smile hid more than 20 years of longing and sorrow, the tears streaming down his face were all so eager to melt my heart, all so heartbreaking!

  Grandfather's eyes were filled with infinite sadness as he muttered to himself: "Child, my child, come here, come here, let Grandpa take a look!"

  I stood still in extreme shock and astonishment, my heart racing wildly to the point of collapse, my soul utterly helpless. I had never imagined that my grandfather, whom I feared most in my life, would appear before me at this moment!

  I almost collapsed!

  It was at that moment when Shi Wei pushed me forward with a proud smile and encouraged me to go in!

  In the midst of my extreme confusion, I heard my heart's loud cry to the heavens: Can I call him grandfather? Can I acknowledge an outsider as my grandfather? Heaven, please give me an answer!

  At that moment, the sorrowful scene of Uncle Qi's farewell appeared in my mind. I strongly felt that the only difference between then and now was that it was a cool summer night with a hint of heat, in Xiongshan, our hometown, where the sound of crying echoed through the air as loved ones departed, whereas this is a cold winter sky filled with warmth, amidst the snowflakes gently falling in Jiangnan...

  Suddenly, a majestic and awe-inspiring curse resounded through heaven and earth!

  I slowly backed away, trying to slowly back away...

  At this time, De Lao, my grandfather, my mother's father, stood up with a sad face and came towards me, choking out: "Bao Er, Bao Er, my child, I am your grandfather! I am the father of your mother Wen Yan! Bao Er, my child..."

  Hearing the call of intimacy from my grandfather De's inner heart and soul, which made me fearful to meet and recognize him, my heart was shattered, thoroughly smashed into pieces by the mighty hand of God, I fell into the edge of spiritual collapse!

  Ever since, no, to be precise, after Grandpa Qi left me, I became a lonely wandering soul. Although I have close friends and a lover, the extinction of that familial bond is a sorrowful and desolate regret! No one can deeply understand this kind of blood-related emotional dependence like I do. He passed down his blood to my mother, and my mother passed it down to me. The common components in our blood are now recklessly flowing through every vessel in my body!

  It's precisely because I don't have it that I yearn for it more than anyone else; it's precisely because I don't have it that I know the value of kinship better than anyone else; it's precisely because I've lost it that I know its place in a lonely life! I avoid it, just to remind myself that there are still blood relatives in this world; I escape from it, just to preserve the warmth of that lone leaf floating in the wind, although I can't touch it, knowing that this warmth exists somewhere far away is enough!

  Looking at his turbid tears flowing horizontally on his old face, his hopeful eyes, my heart is crushed by the weight of millions of tons of water, billions of great mountains, all the oceans in the world, and the entire universe's gravity into a pulp that cannot be distinguished from flesh and blood! I have never been afraid of curses hurting me, but at this moment, I am infinitely terrified, indeed.

  Facing this sudden and unexpected happiness, I am afraid of the cost of this happiness. What is the cost?

  Heaven! I have been crippled and exhausted under your curse, constantly on guard against your warnings. Why do you still push me to the brink of despair? I am so strong that I have made the helpless loneliness a permanent part of my life, burying my longing for loved ones deep in my heart. Why do you still abandon me? Heaven!

  But at this moment, I have nothing but desperate fear!

  Shi Wei stretched out his hand to stop Long Bao's terrified retreat, and said with a pleased and sincere tone: "Old Six, what are you afraid of? He is your grandfather! He is the biological father of your mother Wen Yan. Look at how hard I've worked to arrange this reunion between you and your ancestor, why are you afraid? Go on, go call Grandfather, I'm already calling him De Grandfather, can't you..."

  Long Bao suddenly woke up: Ah, no wonder he was speaking evasively, with a mysterious expression and an eerie complexion. It turned out to be him, it turned out that this so-called brother had done something stupid on his own!

  With a surge of fear and cowardice, Long Bao's anger boiled over, redirecting his indignation towards the heavens to punishing Shi Wei's foolish actions. With a furious swing of his massive fist, he heavily punched this guy who deserved to be beaten, bellowing: "You stupid pig! You've done a great job! Don't you know the consequences?!"

  Shi Wei was knocked down to the ground by Long Bao with one blow!

  Long Bao rushed out of the house in everyone's astonishment!

  De Lao hastily chased after and shouted weakly at the fleeing figure of Long Bao: "Bao'er, don't be afraid, Grandpa won't blame you, come back!"

  Long Bao heard De Lao's extremely sorrowful crying voice, his feet stopped for a moment, then he took off again, rushing along the main road!

  Kang Tie was stunned and didn't know what had happened. Qian Lao's face turned red with rage, "Aren't you going to follow him?!"

  Jing Er's grandfather stopped Qian Lao from getting up, shaking his head, shaking his hand.

  Others rushed to the wall outside the courtyard.

  Suddenly, the field started to get windy, whoosh! A group of small birds singing on the branches were startled by the rustling of bamboo leaves and everyone's footsteps, spreading their wings and flying far away!

  Long Bao ignored everyone's shouting and continued to run with all his might. He wanted to escape, to get away from the warning, to get away from the harm!

  Qiu Ya rushed up with a flutter, sobbing: "Wait for me, wait for me!"

  Jing'er watched as Long Bao fled in a shocking manner, seeing that he was about to run onto the stone bridge. Jing'er shouted in extreme anger: "Long Bao, you coward! Besides hiding and escaping, what else can you do? Are you still a man? Can running away solve the problem?"

  Long Bao, who was desperately fleeing, had been trying his best to ignore the external shouts, and in extreme fear, he ignored everyone's existence. However, he clearly heard Jing Er's angry accusations, shocking questions, and contemptuous reprimands from a distance.

  The dragon suddenly stopped in its tracks right in the middle of the bridge.

  Looking at Long Bu, he actually stopped in his tracks on the bridge, and everyone was stunned: This guy isn't going to... is he?

  Jing'er sensed that her words had an effect on Long Bao, and she quickly whispered to everyone: "You all don't come, I'll go talk to him!"

  Jing Er suddenly appeared in front of Long Bao.

  Long Bao, who had been stopped from escaping by Jing Er's words, was now helplessly, sorrowfully and painfully staring straight up at the sky with his head thrown back, then heavily knelt down on both knees and bowed his head to the river water, wailing out loud!

  The river water under the bridge flows unchanged, gently and clearly, rolling up floating leaves, slowly towards Taihu Lake, and those who have passed away are like this.

  Jing'er turned around and waved her hand at everyone, then softly called out: "Long Bao, I'm Jing'er!"

  Under the extreme sorrowful emotions, Long Baoxu was slightly moved by this warm call. He slightly raised his head and looked at Jing'er for a moment.

  Jing'er's heart was struck by the expression on the face of this tall boy kneeling in front of her, as if she had been hit with a heavy hammer, shattering her tender heart. She clearly saw the two lines of tears still flowing and not yet dry on his face!

  Jing'er instinctively knelt down, tightly hugging Longbiao's head in her arms, and softly said: "Biao, how can you be so heartless? How can you be so unfilial? Seeing you being so reckless, it made De Grandfather cry, you even injured your own brother!

  Long Bao suppressed his tears and remained silent.

  After a while, the tone of speech suddenly changed: "Longbiao, this bridge is like Naihe Bridge. If you continue to escape forward out of fear in your heart, we won't stop you, but you are walking towards a cursed hell, and you will never be able to turn back in this life; if you turn back and come together with everyone to face the curse, then you can return to the world! You can't escape!"

  Jing'er felt Long Biao suddenly tremble as he was gently held in her arms!

  "Dragon Blade, you have always been the hero in my heart. I am so proud to love you, and I am even more proud that my blood can merge with yours and flow through your body! Get up and let's go, okay? You need to think about Grandpa De for me! He is already an old man of great age."

  Looking at Long Bao still being silent, Jing Er slowed down her speech: "Everyone is waiting for you, you can't let De Ye and Qian Ye worry about you and be frightened for your sake! Besides, didn't you already beat that scoundrel until his face was blue and swollen and he cried out in pain? You've vented your anger too, right?"

  Jing'er used her warm hands to wipe away the wet tear stains on Long Bao's face, and her bright eyes looked at him with fervor, sincerity, without retreating or fear.

  Long Wan raised his head, looking at the front of his bridge, the direction he had planned to escape, and the hell in Jing's mouth. He then turned back to this end of the bridge, where his relatives and friends were standing, and the human world in Jing's mouth. He looked up at the vast expanse of the universe, gazing at the white clouds, and looking at the paradise that no one knew about. Then he lowered his head again, casting his eyes upon the clear river water flowing beneath the bridge. The river flowed, flowing towards Taihu Lake, perhaps even further to the ocean, where it would be evaporated into water vapor, rising up to that unknown paradise, transforming into clouds, becoming raindrops, and returning to this earth, this human world, this river, this lake, this ocean, forming a mysterious cycle.

  Longwang suddenly burst open the tense attention of his Jing'er, jumped up and let out a long, earth-shaking howl towards the endless, boundless, infinite and eternal vast sky: Ah——!

  ……

  Longwang is just like a wild beast that has not been domesticated, an angry beast, a strange beast!

  He was seen taking off his suit, tie and undershirt in front of Jing Er, then unfastening his belt, removing his trousers and socks.

  Jing'er's face suddenly turned bright red, she lowered her head and didn't dare to look up, but still asked in a tense tone: "Longbiao, what are you going to do?"

  Long Bao didn't strip off his tight underwear as everyone thought he was crazy, but instead did a big belly flop and landed with a loud slap on the icy water surface!

  A huge splash! The water surface exploded like a boiler, and water splashed everywhere!

  It's terrible! Longbiao has drowned himself in the river! Has he really drowned himself?

  Everyone thought of it at the same time!

  Jing'er was shocked at first but soon calmed down: Who would jump into the river to kill themselves and still take off their clothes? Fine, let the icy river water calm him down!

  Qiu Ya struggled free from Du Cui's tight grip and ran towards the bridge, crying out: "Don't! Long Bao! Don't!..."

  Shi Wei, who was also rubbing his sore spot, thought: "Damn it! This Long Feng is crazy! At this time, what's he doing swimming!"

  He rushed with everyone to the bridge and by the river.

  Qiu Ya cried out to Jing Er: "It's all you, it's all you!" Then she turned her gaze to Long Bao who was struggling in the river and wailed: "Long Bao, I'll come down to accompany you too!" She stood up, about to jump!

  Everyone rushed to stop him, what a troublemaker!

  The river water is cool and refreshing, a dragon-like creature swims in the river, diving to the bottom of the river with its eyes open, looking at the scenery at the bottom of the river. Then it floats up again, stretches its arms and legs, and splashes water on its face, washing and combing its hair. With both feet treading water, it uses its hands to rub its chest and neck, then dives back down to pick up a goose egg-sized stone and throws it forcefully into the sky!

  He plunged into the river and took big gulps of the icy water, letting its chill spread through his internal organs to dispel the scorching heat!

  After a while, Long Bao swam to the shore and Qiu Ya hastily handed him his clothes, sobbing.

  Shi Wei looked at the bulge between Long Bao's legs after he got ashore with a look of satisfaction, and couldn't help but laugh secretly at Long Bao's uncontrollable shivering. Ah, serves him right!

  Long Bao put on the long pants handed over by Qiu Ya, refused to wear a shirt, and walked barefoot towards Jing Er's house.

  Qiu Ya tried to put the suit on Long Bao's shoulders, but he was too far away. Everyone behind him followed, and everyone in the dark passage thought: This guy is really crazy!

  De Lao sat in the living room with tears streaming down his face, while Jing Er's grandfather and Qian Lao tried to comfort him with gentle words.

  Long Bao's upper body was shining, his face pale, he walked to the front of De Lao, and knelt down with a thud, straightening up, using his hand to point at the birthmark on his chest, saying word by word: "This is the mark passed down through generations in our Long family - the Broken Corner Dragon Head!"

  De Lao, Qian Lao, Jing Er's grandfather gazed intently!

  The birthmark on Longwang's chest, which was stimulated by the icy water, stood out with goosebumps and appeared exceptionally bright red, as if it were alive and mourning the loss of its dragon horn.

  Grandfather Jing did not go to watch everyone's astonishment, and muttered to himself: "It really is such a thing, it really is the case, it really is so!"

  Long Bao was forcibly taken away, warmed up with hot water, and then walked to De Lao's face, knelt down, and said sadly: "Mom has already entrusted it in her will. What can I do?"

  The old man couldn't help but shed tears again: "Child, how can you be so muddled? How can you believe in such a curse? Didn't you study natural science? Do you still remember what I told you?"

  Long Bao shook his head painfully: "Remember, you asked me what wisdom is, and I hinted that everything in this world has thoughts and consciousness, and wisdom is omnipresent. But my special life made me more deeply aware of the wisdom of the heavens, and I felt that the methods and intentions of the heavens are absolutely irresistible. I once tried to deny the existence of curses, but in the end, I could only submit to the authority of the heavens. You are such a wise philosopher, don't you know why I want to escape? Don't you think I don't want to?"

  The old man sighed, and his turbid tears continued to roll down: "Child, the heaven and earth have a righteous energy, and the miscellaneous things are assigned to shape! The wisdom of the Supreme is 'Tao' ah, 'Heaven and Earth are not benevolent, with all things as straw dogs' This is the true wisdom of the Supreme ah, the Supreme is the right path, is impartial to all things, is letting them grow naturally, where can it be possible for you Long family to play with curses this evil magic? How can you misunderstand the wisdom of heaven and earth's origin and understand it as a means and a heart machine?"

  "You're just consoling me! If the heavens are fair, why is human history filled with so much suffering? Why is there such a big difference in the circumstances between people? Why have our dragon family's sixty-four generations all ended up with the same outcome? If the heavens truly have wise and impartial wisdom, why not eliminate this endless struggle driven by self-interest? Why still let life struggle to survive, and let tears of pain accompany living? Let the shameless continue to be glorious and noble on high, while the diligent and kind are oppressed in the lowly and depressed bottom layer? You're wrong, the heavens are biased and unfair!"

  Heavily, he kowtowed three times to the old man, unknowingly with tears streaming down his face: "Please forgive me, let's just pretend we never met and I'll fend for myself. I know society is vast and humanity is progressing, but I also know that curses can't be defied. I couldn't convince myself, so I'd rather escape!"

  "Shut up, you little brat! You're causing trouble and still trying to argue your way out of it?! Your grandfather is in danger because of you, and you don't even realize it! He glared at Longbiao sternly, his tone leaving no room for argument: "The chairman lost money on you, and yet he still values you so much that he brought you here to me! I think you're just a useless piece of rotten wood! I really wonder if you stumbled into success in the company by blind luck! You're reckless, stubborn, and mechanical! Do you think that just because you've met your own grandfather, and Grandfather knows you're his grandson, you can just ignore him and not call him 'Grandfather'?! You think curses are like computers, and as long as you don't press the enter key, they won't take effect? What a joke!"

  Qian Lao somewhat understood and also said: "Don't you come to Grandfather to serve tea and admit your mistake? Let me tell you, even I want to take you as my grandson! Are you thinking of escaping too?"

  Long Bao stared at the three old men in a daze, his mind racing to judge the logic of all this. After a long while, he turned to Qian Lao and said, "Don't try to scare me, this joke is not funny!" Then, looking at Jing Er's grandfather, Xuan Qi, with an inquiring gaze, he asked, "Didn't you just say that no one could bear the title of 'grandfather' from me? What's going on here?"

  "Ah, the arrow is on the string! The arrow is on the string!" he thought to himself. He stood up and said solemnly: "Foolish child, life and death are destined, can you control yourself? Can you control heaven?" Turning his head, he said to Qian Lao and De Lao: "Come, come, let's three old things go to the study room and sit down. Don't bother with him, let him think it over!"

  De Lao and Qian Lao stood up together and walked towards the study, when De Lao reached the door, he turned his head to Jing Er and said: "Girl, you come too!"

  Jing'er's heart ached as she glanced at Long Biao, who was kneeling upright, and followed him into the study with a sense of trepidation, closing the door behind them.

  Qiu Ya hurried forward to try and pull her crush off the cold ground, but Long Bao was too heavy, she couldn't even budge his arm. Shi Wei stepped forward to help, but Long Bao glared at him angrily, causing Shi Wei to stick out his tongue.

  Qiu Ya squatted down low, with a soft and anxious voice persuading him, trying to convince him not to kneel again.

  Long Bao's expression was indifferent, as if he hadn't heard anything, his eyes were empty and hollow.

  Shi Wei quietly pulled Because Longbiao's indifference made Qiuya feel hurt, he said in a low voice: "Let him be, let him be, he is a stubborn donkey!"

  Jing'er used high-quality small miscellaneous wood charcoal to boil water, and skillfully made tea for the three old men. Then she quietly sat next to her grandfather.

  "This is 'Bi Luo Chun' from Taihu Tianmu Peak, taste the craftsmanship of Jing Yaotou."

  ……

  After inquiring for a long time, Mr. Qian said to Jing'er's grandfather: "Su Lao, you say that curse has how much truth? When I investigated earlier, I simply regarded it as nonsense, and Xiaolong didn't tell me about it either. I didn't expect him to take it so seriously!"

  Grandfather Jing felt that the matter was too complicated and not easy to explain to the two elderly people, so he said: "The origin of this curse is difficult to explain, and there are no ready-made records for reference. However, it is indeed true! I can only tell you that this child is a noble and dignified person, absolutely not someone who will die young or be unlucky."

  Jing Er's grandfather looked at Jing Er with kindness and said, "This child has an inexplicable connection to our sect. Don't worry about this child, the curse of the Long family has lasted for 64 generations, over a thousand years. Everything that begins must come to an end, perhaps it's time for it to conclude."

  "Look, De Lao and Qian Lao, I'm telling you this because we're all old now. This year is a critical year for the three of us, and any day could be our last. Let's just accept it and prepare ourselves mentally. Whether or not it has to do with the curse doesn't matter anymore."

  The old man smiled and said: "Birth, aging, illness and death are natural laws. If one doesn't die for a thousand years, wouldn't that be an old monster?"

  Qian Lao smiled and said, "Yes, I'm 73 this year. Who knows if I'll be able to get up tomorrow after lying down? Life and death are unpredictable, they're both part of the natural order. If heaven wants to take you, you can't escape no matter how hard you try. We're all old people now, whether we have one more year or not, let's just live one day at a time! As long as I have my memories and the things that remind me of them by my side, that's enough for me. I like this kid, he's a good person."

  "Ah, yes, I'm already old, how can I bear to let this child be alone and unattended, wandering outside? From the moment he was born, he didn't have a father or mother, never experienced true familial love. Even if the curse is real, I don't care."

  De Lao's words stirred up Qian Lao's melancholy, and Qian Lao nodded in deep agreement. He composed his smile and his face turned extremely solemn as he said: "Su Lao, actually I came this time to make a major decision! The matter is too big, it can't be measured otherwise. I didn't expect to meet Long Bao's grandfather here today, this is truly heaven's wonderful arrangement, now I have the courage! It was like this, you Su Lao divined my fortune and wrote a poem 15 years ago, at that time also entrusted me to meet again if fate permits."

  "Because you accurately hinted at the major events of my life, I thought you were quite accurate about the past, but vague about my future, especially since this poem was unclear. I only understood one sentence, and felt that 'ship family should go to Chang'an' was very much in line with my thoughts at the time, 'ship family' is '传家' '传佳', it just so happened that Dongguan Chang'an was opening at that time, and I established myself there. Later, the group did indeed thrive like a fish in water, expanding rapidly. But I still didn't have the chance to carefully ponder the poem due to being busy with miscellaneous tasks, until the 1997 financial storm when the group suffered a major setback, after I barely managed to overcome it, I thought of the sentence 'lucky cow shakes off the tail fly' referring to 1997 being the year of the cow, we were fortunate to defeat that blood-sucking cow fly!"

  Later, I decided not to serve as the company's president anymore, and let go of it to let the kids practice, to see who can be a qualified successor. Who knew that by last year, Jiao Rongsen had never given up on his revenge, and all of my children and grandchildren had broken my heart! At this time, I found out that Xiaolong's real name was not Ao Cheng, but Long Bao, and his zodiac sign was Ox. Suddenly, I seemed to have figured out many mysteries in the poem prophecy. Do you still remember the poem prophecy you wrote?

  Jing Er's grandfather smiled and stroked Jing Er's head, who was fully focused on listening to the story. Then he looked at Qian Lao Dao and said: "I rarely do divination for people, you are my destined person, when we met in Du Shui Zhai, I wrote this poem of prophecy using ancient methods, so I naturally remember it."

  Qian nodded and said with a measured tone: "I still have too many things I don't understand about the poem, can you explain it clearly to me?"

  Grandfather Jing shook his head and said in a very ancient tone, "Old friend, our Xuanmen Taoist sect emphasizes enlightenment. There is a saying that 'the master brings you into the door, but cultivation depends on the individual.' My enlightenment is limited, and I can only calculate accurately for a short period of time. How can I explain the future? I can only use my primordial spirit to divine the outcome of certain events or changes within a certain timeframe. It's absolutely impossible for me to reach the level of masters like 'Tui Bei Tu' or 'Shao Bing Ge'!"

  "Right, Uncle Qian," Jing'er chimed in. "It's all about understanding the individual involved. Otherwise, why do people always seem to understand these ancient classics only after they've experienced things for themselves?"

  Qian Lao said with some disappointment: "So Mr. Su, you also can't give me a definite answer!"

  "Ah, Old Money, you're worried that none of your children are qualified to take over, aren't you? You don't want to divide your wealth among them, and yet you're afraid of this life-or-death struggle. You won't even consider giving one of them a chance. Your attachment to gain and loss is too strong! Your selfishness in the past was also too great! Now, you think that young Long Feng is quite suitable for your taste, but he's still too young. Although you want to believe that he can make your business flourish, you haven't had much contact with him, and this matter is too big. In the future, if something happens to you, he'll face many obstacles and setbacks. You're not confident in his ability to overcome difficulties, so you're not at peace. That's why you're thinking of seeking some kind of poetic inspiration from me, hoping to truly make up your mind to entrust all the heavy responsibilities to him. Am I right?"

  Being Jing'er's grandfather said exactly what was on his mind, Old Qian's old face turned a little red, and he nodded in agreement.

  Jing Er's grandfather's eyes seemed particularly mysterious, and he smiled slightly: "You think this is a good choice, then go do it, no need for me to give you a definite answer. You don't think so, then forget it, and leave the family property to your own children and grandchildren instead. Who knows if all your hard work will be ruined by this little scoundrel? Who knows if this little scoundrel will indulge in drinking, whoring, and gambling, chasing after fleeting pleasures? What do you all think, right or not?"

  Qian Lao shook his head and smiled: "This kid won't, he's not that kind of person."

  "Qian Lao, what do you think your industry should be used for? Should it continue to expand endlessly, or just reach the level of a giant multinational corporation, or do you think it's for the benefit of more people? Also, which one is it that moves you, wisdom, nature, ideals, or morals?"

  Qian Lao heard the sound and seemed to be deep in thought. Jing Er's grandfather let out a light sigh, looking at Jing Er beside him: "Qian Lao, everything is up to you, no need to ask me."

  Then Jing'er led Long Bao into the study.

  "Alright, have you thought it through?" Grandfather Jing asked in a deep voice.

  Long Bao felt like a little baby learning to walk in front of these wise old men, lowering his head and answering in a low voice: "I've thought it through."

  "What's the hurry?" Old Qian said with a pretentious air of authority. Jing'er made an effort to hold back her laughter.

  The old man looked at his tall but childlike grandson with infinite joy and boundless hope in his eyes!

  Long Bao's hands began to tremble, and after a while, he bravely lifted his head. His eyes were burning with fiery passion, scorching guilt, scorching pain, and scorching sorrow! His lips quivered weakly, yet he couldn't shout out those two words!

  Tears welled up in De Lao's eyes again as complex emotions surged within him! De Lao choked out a voice: "Child, child, come here!"

  Long Bao finally burst out uncontrollably, and a suppressed scream came from the secret corner of his heart: "Grand... Grandpa!"

  With great difficulty, he blurted out the words. Long Biao went forward and knelt on the ground with a thud, holding his hands around De Lao's waist, tears streaming down his face, falling silently to the ground, and choking with great difficulty: "Father... I'm sorry... I'm sorry!"

  "Child, my good child, I've wronged you! It's Grandfather, it's your uncle who owes you an apology! Letting you wander and drift alone in the outside world! Your uncle owes you an apology!...... Child, my child!......"

  Two people hugged each other, Long Biao burst into tears like a child, and the tears that had been accumulated for many years flowed out freely. Jing'er turned her face away, forcing herself to hold back the sobbing that was about to erupt...

  Qian Lao's eyes also turned red, and Jing Er's grandfather sighed...

  Qian Lao had already found a true successor. Taking advantage of the atmosphere, he said to De Lao: "De Lao, I truly love this child, and I really want to have such a grandson, so that I can die without regret! What do you think? Xiao Long, what about you?"

  De Lao smiled and looked at Long Bao, Long Bao looked at Qian Lao, then looked at De Lao, and looked at Jing Er's grandfather with some difficulty.

  Jing'er quietly worried about this wooden puppet, so she used her hand to pull it and whispered: "Scream! Scream!"

  Long Bang drummed up his courage, knelt down and shouted: "Grandpa Gan!" Then he knocked three loud heads!

  Qian Lao was overjoyed and almost cried, excitedly helping Long Biao up. He smiled with his mouth open: "Good, good! I don't have any good gifts to give you, this signed pen was given to me by your deceased grandmother, I'll just pass it on to you!"

  Long Bao didn't dare to accept this overly precious gift, and said with a flattered tone: "This, this, this is the little token of thought that she left for you, I'm afraid I won't be able to bear it!"

  Qian Lao chuckled and said: "Silly child, it's not okay if you don't give me a gift for our meeting! As long as you let me be at ease, what can I not give to you?"

  ……

  Three old men and two young people sat together drinking tea, when Long Bao suddenly said: "No matter how you tell me not to take the curse seriously, I still insist that you promise me two things. First, Uncle Qian must never tell your uncles that I am your nephew. Second, Grandfather Gan absolutely cannot spread our relationship to your family members. I have no power to stop you from taking life and death lightly and ignoring the existence of curses, but I must be vigilant against this evil reality."

  "This sentence is deeply rooted in the heart of Jing Er's grandfather, and he said meaningfully to the two old men: 'De Lao, Qian Lao, it's always better to be careful with everything. After all, as long as you have him as your grandson, that's enough. Why bother whether it's a public or private occasion?'"

  Qian Lao and De Lao thought for a moment and felt the same way.

  ……

  Jing'er looked at Long Bao and smiled quietly. Long Bao felt a bit embarrassed and asked, "Jing'er, what are you smiling about?"

  Jing Er's bright eyes stared at Long Bao, pointing to the three old men and saying: "I really envy you, having three such wise old men who value this stupid block of wood that is both heavy and hard, yet so stubborn! You are truly lucky, two of them are even your grandfathers!"

  Long Bao smiled foolishly and replied: "Aren't you the same? Are they not your grandfathers?"

  Jing'er's face turned red, perhaps misunderstanding something, and she said shyly: "You...! What's the same?!"