Volume 3: Fate's Escape (Revised Edition) Chapter 3: The River Wind Blows, the Old Young Man (Part 2)

  A thin young man named Song Wen Hua, a kind-hearted good person. He brought Long Bao to a construction site in the northwest of the city and found several friends to discuss the situation.

  Long Bao handed over the real ID card of Zhang Ao Cheng to foreman Lü Shu for inspection. Lü Shu was in his fifties, with a face full of knife-carved wrinkles.

  Lü Shū took the ID card and glanced at it roughly before handing it back to Lóng Bó, saying: "Can't tell just by looking, you're very young! áo Chéng? The surname áo is quite rare, hard to find in the Hundred Family Surnames. Young man, how much have you studied?"

  Lü Shū didn't suspect the authenticity of Qiao Cheng's ID, and Long Bao felt a surge of joy in his heart. He hastily replied in a humble and respectful rural tone that he was very familiar with: "Oh, Uncle Lü, I only studied until junior high school and dropped out before graduating."

  In Lü Shu's eyes, this sturdy rural young man had a dark complexion and a dignified appearance. He should be a good laborer, definitely a strong worker at home, able to carry heavy loads, understanding of etiquette, with an honest exterior. Although his accent was from elsewhere, he explained it like that. Try him out for two days first, see how it goes. It's hard to make a living outside, so help him out if you can. Anyway, the construction site needs people.

  "Alright, Ao brother, how about this: you try it out for two days first. You don't have any masonry skills, so you can only do rough work. I'll give you 10 yuan per day, and arrange a place for you to stay in the worker's shed. Meals aren't included, but you can eat whatever you want for 3 yuan per day, which will be deducted from your wages. Try it out for two days and see if it suits you, then we can discuss further."

  Longbiao's work was simple, helping to load and unload cargo from trucks, and stacking cement bags, red bricks, and prefabricated boards according to requirements. When there were no cars coming, he helped sift sand. All of this was heavy physical labor, which Longbiao had never done before. Carrying cement bags and stacking bricks weren't a big deal, but lifting and placing the prefabricated boards was a bit unbearable. The weight of several thousand catties distributed among a few people made his right foot, which hadn't fully recovered yet, send out a terrifying sharp pain.

  It used to be just carrying poles and running errands, but after entering university, the most I did was move goods and deliver takeout. It wasn't as tiring as it is now. Although my shoulders are a bit red and swollen, they're fine. The main issue is that I broke my right leg last year and there's still a steel plate inside, which makes it hard to exert force. To be honest, it's quite uncomfortable. I remember the doctor advising me not to do heavy physical labor and not to put too much stress on my injured foot.

  If only one's own feet were fine, but can one still care about such physical pain at this time? The physical suffering and fatigue compared to the mental endurance is nothing!

  The several hundred dollars hidden on me must be used to guard against emergencies. Now that I've finally found such a good place with food and shelter where I can also save some spare change, I can safely hide and blend in with the crowd, disappear from the wanted list, and get familiar with Jingdezhen's customs, people, and geography. No matter how hard it gets, no matter how tired I am, I must cherish this opportunity well.

  Money is secondary, the key is to have a place like this to sink to the bottom of the river, quietly avoid the capture, safely forage and also learn this bricklaying skill, it seems that this skill is easy to operate, relatively simple, not much technical content, as long as you learn a little bit, you can master it.

  Song Cultural Association will teach him, he has to come here tomorrow to work with himself, his blood and sweat money seems to be short-term is not going back, the landlord said that wages have been paid according to the contract, but the big package leader black-hearted took the money away, even the small package leader had to hide, it is said that the big package leader gambled and lost a lot of money playing cards, so he ran away.

  Two days later, Lü Shū was relatively satisfied with Long Bó's performance and agreed to let him stay. Seeing that Long Bó could endure hardship in his work, he gave him a daily wage of 20 yuan.

  Holding a rice bowl, filling it with a full bowl of rice. Today's dinner dishes are stir-fried pepper and pork, and winter melon soup, which is a delicious dish.

  Song culture and Long Bao sat together on a few stacked bricks, eating and chatting.

  Now, Longbiao is in the eyes of everyone and they are a kind of person. No one can know that he is a wanted criminal fugitive, an undergraduate student from a famous university who has not yet graduated. Longbiao has successfully created an image of a diligent worker, honest and down-to-earth, hardworking and not petty-minded in front of them.

  Song culture tapped chopsticks on the rice bowl, chewing food in his mouth, and spoke unclear words to Long Peng: "Ao Cheng, I heard from Lü Shu that we might need to prepare for overtime tonight. The boss is not very satisfied with the construction progress and wants us to speed up."

  Long Bao was studying the Jingdezhen dialect with great care, forcing himself to tap into the language's potential and work hard to grasp the unique intonation and pronunciation of this dialect. He could only be seen imitating the tone, speaking in a clumsy and unrefined Jingdezhen accent: "Is that so? Then you can't play cards at night anymore? And you won't lose money either, what a good thing! Anyway, you've never won before. Overtime has overtime pay, isn't it good?"

  Song Culture turned his head towards Long Bao and said in a low voice, "You stinky little kid, you don't know anything! Working overtime at night is not safe! It's easy to get into trouble! You don't know that two months ago, someone on my previous construction site broke their leg while working overtime at night! The boss only gave them 2,600 yuan and sent them away! Who told you to be so careless? Just admit your own bad luck!"

  "Isn't that going to make the injured person pay for their own medical expenses? How can there be no labor safety guarantees at all?"

  Song spat out the food that was still in his mouth onto the ground, as if he had discovered sand in his mouth, and then spat a few more times before saying: "Let me tell you, for small construction teams like ours, the big boss has already made an agreement with the foreman - if anyone gets injured, they're on their own! Think about it, if the big boss didn't make this clear to the foreman beforehand, and someone got into trouble, wouldn't he be in deep trouble? The foreman doesn't make much money either, just a bit of labor costs, and usually they're from the same hometown. Last year, someone fell to his death, and in the end, his family only managed to get a little over 20,000 yuan! If it were an administrative agency, it would be easier to deal with, but if it's a private construction site, you'd really be done for. You have to be more careful."

  As soon as Longbiao had some free time, he would pick up a brick and mimic the action of laying bricks. Song Wen Hua also taught him every day after dinner, and in fact, this skill was relatively simple, not requiring any delicate work, just emphasizing that his hands needed to be steady and powerful. After half a month, Longbiao's hands quickly accumulated a considerable amount of calluses and he mastered the basic skills of construction work.

  Lü Shū agreed to let Long Bó try, several teachers looked at his on-site operation, conducted an inspection, and felt that although it was a bit awkward, they were all relatively satisfied. Under Song Wénhuà's persuasion, Lü Shū decided to improve Long Bó's treatment, and changed from a simple laborer to a bricklayer, with his salary increasing from 20 yuan to 25 yuan.

  Long Bao doesn't have to work so hard carrying things anymore, his injured foot can't withstand such high-intensity labor. He clearly feels the numbness and soreness in his right foot getting stronger and more unbearable. Fortunately, with the help of these kind people, survival is no longer so dangerous and difficult.

  Song culture has become his best friend, he's great at everything except for one thing - he loves to gamble, but isn't very good at it. Every time he plays cards, he loses, luckily everyone is just a hardworking person and the stakes are low, just tens of yuan won or lost.

  Longbiao did not contact Jing'er again and did not go to the internet cafe to get online with those brothers to understand the situation. He knew that everyone was waiting for his news, but he could not contact them.

  Now nobody knows where Long Bao is, he seems to have disappeared, thoroughly disappeared.

  Schools have already started their summer vacation, and most university students have returned home. Changsha is really too hot; it's more comfortable at home.

  Qiu Ya was taken back home by her father on the fifth day after Long Bao's incident, and she took a sick leave from school. The courses she missed would be made up when school reopens. Her father's reason was simple: This is not the time for you and me to argue, wait until you calm down and reflect at home, then I will talk to you about it. Now go back home and leave this place of trouble, so your mom and grandparents won't worry about you. You're my only daughter, no matter how stubborn you are, you should think about your parents.

  Qiu Ya acted strangely this time, packing up a few of Long Bao's clothes without answering anyone's questions or even saying goodbye, and then went downstairs to leave with her father. Du Cai couldn't resist Shi Wei's laziness and stayed at his house for the summer vacation.

  Before several brothers left school, the police came to talk again and did ideological mobilization work, requiring these college students to fulfill their civic duties, maintain social order and stability, and make contributions to punishing crimes.

  Shi Wei was in charge of reconnaissance, responsible for reporting to Hai Tao in Shandong at all times on the dynamics of the police and the Zheng family from various channels. The two were very cautious, going to internet cafes to go online, using pre-agreed usernames, one being "Diaopai Biyun Tao" (a brand of condoms) and the other naturally being "Paigu Zhuji" (pork ribs). They would enter a specific city on a chat website for voice private chats, reasoning that this could absolutely avoid tracking by those with ulterior motives. Of course, as long as they were online, they would always keep QQ open, waiting for Long Bao to contact them after escaping.

  Jing'er returned home and told Grandfather about Longbiao, but to her surprise, Grandfather seemed uninterested in the topic. He merely repeated a few words and his expression was unusually serious.

  Wenli's injury on her hand has healed, but she doesn't dare to return to Jiangping Town. She spent the entire summer hiding at her aunt's house in Shancheng, barely even going out. The news of Longbiao becoming a wanted man spread like wildfire among the gossipmongers in Shancheng, especially in Tianlei Township and Jiangping Town, where more people are convinced that anyone from the Long family is absolutely untouchable. Who doesn't believe it? Well, just go take a look at Wu's beautiful college student daughter - after being tainted by this kid, she's now playing with suicide! And wasn't Hu Secretary's son killed by this wicked kid in the river?! Fortunately, the Hu family didn't become extinct, thank goodness the heavens blessed them, and Secretary Hu's wife gave birth to a big fat baby boy!

  Zheng Xue is still lying in the hospital, his life is no longer in danger, the wound has been sutured and removed, and he is recovering well, but can only eat liquid food for now.

  The police got nothing in Shancheng, and the ambush set up in Changhan also ended in failure after half a month. Many people called to report the whereabouts of the wanted suspect, but it turned out to be a misunderstanding. However, there were some unexpected achievements: several online fugitives were caught unintentionally, and two major drug trafficking cases were cracked at the train station.

  The police analyzed that Longbiao must have escaped to other provinces and is no longer in Changhan City, so they can only conduct online pursuit. Zheng's uncle and father severely criticized the police for their incompetence and dereliction of duty as high-ranking officials, but they also seemed helpless against this extremely cunning criminal. They had to extend the deadline for the police to catch the criminal to next February and emphasized that it was the last chance. If such a heinous criminal is still at large by then, the relevant police officers must take corresponding responsibility.

  Some police believe that the focus should be on the hospital because Long Bo's foot was seriously injured and there are still steel plates inside, which must be removed at the end of the year or early next year.

  In mid-July, Jing'er's parents finally sensed that something big had happened to her at school from her abnormal emotions. Jing'er couldn't bear to deceive her increasingly worried and haggard mother, so she told her everything. After learning that their daughter had actually helped a criminal escape, the parents were terrified and quickly consulted with Grandfather for a solution.

  Grandpa simply said a few more words: Those who are guilty are not necessarily the ones who have been prosecuted, not all crimes can be caught, crime and discovery, crime and punishment are two different things. Only God knows whether there is guilt or what kind of guilt, what constitutes a crime and how to punish it. What are you worrying about?!

  Grandfather's words have absolute authority in this family, so Jing'er's parents were relieved and let Jing'er do her own thing. However, Jing'er was very tactful and usually didn't avoid Grandfather when chatting with Shi Wei.

  That day Shi Wei was chatting with someone and again mentioned the old man with a long beard who had once told fortunes for Long Po in Tianlei Township, saying that the old man had been bedridden for many years.

  Jing Er's grandfather had a premonition that the old man with a long beard might be his own junior fellow apprentice who had lost contact after liberation. He had divined several times, and the divination showed that this junior fellow apprentice was still alive, located in the southwest.

  Grandfather Jing has almost reached the age of 80, his wife passed away during the Great Leap Forward, and his master is no longer in this world. His master had only accepted seven disciples in his lifetime, and the Xuan family's school emphasizes that before a disciple can graduate, they must receive three Yin divination symbols from their master. However, among these seven disciples, three of them were unable to receive the symbols during their graduation ceremony, which happened three times in a row. The master did not dare go against heaven, so he had no choice but to give up. Therefore, strictly speaking, Grandfather Jing and his brothers only have four fellow disciples. Grandfather Jing was the first to enter the school and is the eldest brother, mastering all the secrets of the school, including the records of events passed down by the ancestors. This is a top-secret matter within the school of Feng Shui masters, including Grandfather's identity, which only a few people outside of the Jing family know.

  For these Taoist masters, they emphasize the natural way of things, and that gatherings and separations are all destined. They never force anything, so it's normal for them to lose contact suddenly. Unexpectedly, he found out about the whereabouts of his fellow apprentice who had lost contact for fifty years. Jing Er's grandfather calculated that his fellow apprentice would not live past the beginning of autumn. In recent days, he repeatedly flipped through the records of their ancestors and some important matters of their sect. He always felt that the curse on Long Bao's body could not be solved, and this difficult problem stirred up the old man's competitive psychology. He thought it was necessary to go see his fellow apprentice and take a look at the feng shui of Xiong Mountain, to figure out if there was any connection between Xiong Mountain and the curse.

  On July 20th, Grandpa and Jing'er boarded the Shanghai-Guiyang train. Jing'er had already learned about the detailed route of their destination from Shi Wei.

  The construction site was closed for three days, and Longbiao accepted Song's invitation to go to his hometown of Fenggang Town to play. He also helped with the farm work in the field, which was a great opportunity to experience the countryside of Jingdezhen firsthand, and it was also a necessary procedure for preparing to escape.

  Shi Wei scolded Long Bing severely online, and Hai Tao's ears were almost deafened on the other end of the phone.

  Shi Wei puffed on his cigarette, constantly exhaling air to produce sound: "Old Big Brother, this **old six is really heartless and unrighteous! It's been almost a month, and he actually can completely ignore us! Even a pig would think that we're definitely waiting for news from him! How can he not use his own butt to think about it?! Making a phone call or writing a letter would be better than making us worry like this!...... Now, how is he doing outside, we don't know; does he have money to spend, we don't know; where exactly is he, we also don't know; even whether he's dead or alive, we don't know! Does he still consider us brothers?!...... Dammit! If I see him again, I'll definitely **beat him to death!"

  Haitao said on the other end of the phone: "Old Three, don't talk nonsense! I feel that Old Six is definitely fine outside and there must be a reason why he's not contacting us. By the way, have you asked Du Ci to call Qiu Ya again? See if Long Biao has been in contact with Qiu Ya?"

  Shi Wei hummed from his nose, saying: "It's over! This time it was a woman who answered the phone at Qiu Ya's house. Du Ci said she was their nanny. Same old phrase, sorry, Qiu Ya is not home. Asking for half a day without getting any results! Du Ci even plans to go back and take a look, and wants me to accompany her to meet her parents! Hehe, I don't know what to do when I see my future in-laws!"

  Haitao burst out laughing on the other end: "Hahaha! Have you already taken care of your stomach safely? Eh?! Be honest and confess quickly!"

  Shi Wei let out a few sly laughs and said ambiguously, "Haha! I'm just a tiny bit capable, but it's all thanks to you, old university friend! Without your appearance, without your evil ways, without you and Baobei Fen being role models, how would my wife have entrusted me with her happiness, and given me the glory of being the father of their child?! In the end, both my wife and I are very grateful to you! You're simply the sun in our lives! I've already discussed it with her, and we plan to invite you and Baobei Fen to be our best man and maid of honor! Hehe, what do you think, brother?"

  ……

  Shi Wei said: "Boss, aren't we being too cautious? The cops can't be that fierce, right? Do we really have to come all the way to an internet cafe just to get online? This month I've already spent 300 yuan just on internet cafes!"

  Haitao cursed: "You don't have money? Stop bullshitting!"

  ……

  Shi Wei and Hai Tao were talking nonsense, when he accidentally saw his QQ flashing in the corner of his eye. Hmm, it turned out that a stranger had requested to add him as a friend. Damn, if it's a guy, get lost! If it's a chick, welcome! Today, my stomach and mom went shopping, what a rare free space! Let me take a look at this stranger's nickname... hey, it really has some personality!

  He's a man, yet he's called "Ribs of Defeat", how infuriating! He's stirring up trouble for his old man!

  "Damn it! Are you out of your mind or just itching for a fight? You can't even call out a name without being so low-class! Do you know that pork ribs have gone up in price now? In Shenzhen, they're selling for 12 yuan per kilogram! And you dare to sell them for 10? Come on and sign up! Are you some kind of pork seller? What's with this online promotion nonsense?"

  Beep beep beep!

  Shi Wei double-clicked on the head portrait, and another sentence appeared in the dialogue box: "Riding a bicycle with a dog, having a belly with an ivory brand, men taking a bath to peek, I despise you!"

  Shi Wei immediately felt that this must be someone very familiar to himself, and it must be his own classmate! He immediately said to Haitao on the other end of the line: "Old big, there's something going on, let's talk later!"

  He immediately added a few words: "I love playing hide and seek, your hat is crooked, your stinky feet wear leather shoes, one kick will open your butt! If you dare, report to the authorities!"

  "Hunting rabbits in the snow, fishing in the river, working in a restaurant, and drinking at a banquet."

  Shi Wei's heart had already started racing, he quickly typed a few more words: "Brother, come up with something that can confirm your identity, some private secret stuff. I'm alone here, chatting with Hai Lao Da in the voice chat room, it's safe."

  "Secrets on the bed, farting and kissing pigs, fake playboys, real virgins. Need any more hints?"

  Shi Wei's eyes shone with extreme excitement, and he immediately wrote: "Received!!!! Don't change your name, come to the voice chat room for a chat!!! I'm waiting! I'll notify Lao Da right away!"

  Jing'er and her grandfather boarded the train, an old man and a young girl, with nothing to do during the holidays, so they might as well take a trip.

  Jing'er sat on a stool beside the passageway of the sleeping car, gazing out the window at the rapidly passing scenery, counting the distant mountain peaks, and listening to the rhythmic sound of the iron tracks. The melancholy in her beautiful eyes seemed to have completely overshadowed her spirit.

  Grandpa came over and sat opposite her, patted her little head, chuckled twice, and said kindly: "Girlie, how did you also see that there are thoughts in these landscapes? Come on, tell Grandpa about it."

  An eighty-year-old man, still so vigorous in body and sharp-tongued, had interrupted Jing'er's reverie, seemingly seeing through her concerns, and she blushed, her powdered face flushing red.

  ……

  Dirty, chaotic and poor, that's everyone's impression of Shancheng. The best hotel in Shancheng is the Shancheng Hotel, where Jing'er and her grandfather stayed, then went to find the old man with a long beard according to Shi Wei's address.

  Grandfather had actually long ago calculated with his fingers that today would certainly be the day he would reunite with his junior fellow disciple, and this old friend was already on his deathbed, about to leave the world.

  Liu, an old Chinese doctor, has had a friendship with the old man with a long beard for decades. Yesterday, he was picked up by the old man's son and brought to the county town. In the past few days, the old man's condition has been extremely critical, and he has been choked by phlegm in his chest several times, almost failing to be rescued. After taking the pulse of the old man with a long beard, Liu took out half a wild ginseng root and a small black pill, instructing the old man's son to immediately grind them into a fine powder with rice water and feed it to the old man to drink.

  The old man, who had been paralyzed in bed with unclear speech and confused consciousness for nearly eight years, suddenly became clear-headed after taking the medicine given by Dr. Liu. From 11 am onwards, he was able to express his thoughts clearly with language and even shouted that he was hungry. He ate a large bowl of shredded pork liver congee and asked for another bowl.

  After finishing the porridge, the old man began to mutter: "It's time, it's time." He continued to calculate with his bony hands.

  Liu the old Chinese doctor called the elderly person's children and grandchildren outside, telling them that this was a case of "returning light" and according to the pulse diagnosis, it wouldn't last beyond 12 o'clock tonight, so they could start making some post-mortem arrangements.

  Soon, Jing Er and her grandfather found the long-bearded old man's home. As soon as the host opened the door, Jing Er's grandfather walked straight into the inner room, leaving everyone in the house bewildered about what was going on.

  The old man with a long beard was still muttering: "It's time, why hasn't it come yet?"

  Although Jing Er's grandfather was used to the unpredictability of life, when he saw his fifty-year-old junior brother in front of him after fifty years, and now they were about to part ways forever, he still felt a pang of sadness. He grasped his junior brother's bony hand tightly and shook it, unable to speak.

  The old man with a long beard had already recognized that the spirited old man in front of him was his long-awaited senior fellow apprentice, and he couldn't help but have trembling lips and two streams of turbid tears flowing down from the corners of his eyes.

  The old man with a long beard ordered everyone to leave, and Jing'er's grandfather protected his departing soul. The two old men talked behind closed doors for an hour, and no one knew what they were talking about. Jing'er's grandfather came out and called the old man's children and grandchildren in, to hear the old man's last words and see him off for the last time.

  The old man asked Lao Er's grandfather to draw a divination for his children and grandchildren. Finally, he wanted the eldest grandson to light him a pot of incense, leaving behind the eldest grandson kneeling in front of his bed, instructing anyone not to come and disturb him again, nor cry too early, otherwise he would have to come back and it would be very hard for him.

  At seven o'clock in the evening, the old man with a long beard closed his eyes and passed away, with a slight smile on his face, as if he was already satisfied.

  When the old man left, Jing'er and Grandpa were not in the house, but standing in the middle of the courtyard. Grandpa looked up at the sky with his backhand, while Jing'er looked at Grandpa.

  The countless stars in the sky twinkled and flashed, Grandfather's eyes remained still, gazing at the vast and endless dark night sky.

  Jing'er and Grandpa went to Tianlei Township with Old Liu, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. Old Liu already knew their background and that their purpose was for the Longpan he loved.

  Jing'er gazed intently at the road and scenery outside the window, her heart silently murmuring: This is the road Long Bu had walked on, this is the scenery Long Bu had seen...

  Arrived at No. 12 Middle School, Jing'er specially asked to stop and took a photo of the school scene where Long Bing had studied for three years with his new camera, and took a photo of the Zijiang River where Long Bing had experienced life and death crises.

  Under the leadership of Liu Laozhong's son, Liu De Xian, Jing Er and Grandpa arrived at Dafeng Village, spending half a day taking pictures of the scenery along the way that was worth studying carefully.

  Long Wan came out of an internet cafe near the construction site in Jingdezhen, it was almost time for dinner.

  I believe that with such a cunning contact method, the police should not be able to track down any clues. Perhaps I was just being overly cautious, as I had hardly left the house in the past month. If it weren't for accompanying Song Wen Hua back to his hometown and stirring up the emotions I had been suppressing, I wouldn't have risked contacting Shi Wei through QQ using a clever alias, and I still don't know what the situation is like now.

  I no longer need Shi Weihai and Tao's financial support, I can make a living on my own labor and will never be reduced to begging on the streets.

  From the current situation, Ao Cheng's identity has not been exposed for the time being, and no one is suspicious. I believe that after another month of working on the construction site, I can basically completely disguise myself as a young farmer from Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, who makes a living by selling his labor. I carefully observe the behavior and speech of the people around me, compare their living habits, analyze and study their thoughts and ideas, feel their narrow-mindedness, selfishness, crudeness, kindness, and simplicity, and experience their simple resentment towards society, the township government, and village officials, as well as their envy and admiration for the huge gap between the rich and the poor in the real world, and their psychological desire for money and material goods. I have truly discovered that although they complain and scold, their actual demands are extremely small and humble, and all they need is a job that can provide them with long-term labor income.

  But I stand among them, yet form such a strong contrast, showing such a huge difference!

  I am a fugitive on the run, they are law-abiding citizens; I am an imposter, they are legitimate good people; my background is complicated, theirs is simple; I deceive them with false intentions, they welcome me with kindness and goodwill; I am constantly on high alert, scouting out my surroundings, preparing for my next escape, while they live simple lives, working hard, their greatest wish is to send their children to school, raise them up, the thing that brings them the most joy is holding their yellow-faced wife, sleeping naked with her, their most romantic fantasy is when they can take those movie stars down a peg, and what satisfies them most is getting a bigger paycheck than usual.

  Life in their eyes is just like that, they quietly and ordinarily live with sorrow, joy, worry, bitterness, resentment, and happiness.

  But I don't have this right.

  The eagle is still in the sky, searching for sparrows that are making trouble all over the world. There must be some timid sparrows hiding among the chicks, trying their best to stick fallen chicken feathers on themselves.

  I still decide to leave this group as soon as possible, I really can't consider myself a chick, I am a sparrow, sparrows should have the life of sparrows, and the responsibilities of sparrows, no matter how disguised, there is still the danger of sparrows.

  Soldiers have no constant formation, water has no constant shape. Only fish that keep swimming and changing their position, constantly hiding, are relatively safe.

  Plans are nothing compared to change. Adapt to changing circumstances, make swift judgments and take correct actions - this is the best training for a lifetime of fleeing for Long Po.

  Song always said that doing things requires carefulness and patience, must be cautious, don't rush, and especially pay attention to whether your own feet are on solid ground. Who knew that on August 10th, he himself encountered an accident.

  It's his fault, originally everyone had already worked overtime until 9 pm the night before and were all rushing to take a shower and get some rest. This guy's mahjong addiction acted up again, and he dragged several old friends out of bed to play cards.

  Long Bao gazed at the two books as usual, these books had been read dozens of times, the more he read, the more he felt that they were incredibly profound, and seemed to encompass the wisdom and cunning of humanity for thousands of years.

  Long Wan never participated in their gambling, although they usually played cards with small wins and losses, but that day Song Wen's luck was really bad, within two hours he lost over a hundred, others had gone to sleep, he still held the poker repeatedly demonstrating, until 2 or 3 o'clock before sleeping.

  The next day, he was naturally very weak and dizzy while working, accidentally stepping on empty air, falling from the scaffolding in the house, hitting his head on a dustbin, bleeding, and fracturing his elbow. Fortunately, the scaffolding wasn't too high, so the injury wasn't too severe. Everyone quickly sent him to the hospital for bandaging and injections.

  He had been told by the contractor that he was responsible for his own medical expenses. The cost of treatment at People's Hospital was too frightening for Song Chao, with a broken hand costing several thousand yuan! In his hometown clinic, it would be at most a few hundred, and if he went to see Dr. Cao, the bonesetter, it wouldn't even cost seven hundred.

  Song Wen Hua lay on a hospital bed in the People's Hospital, after learning of the cost, he firmly requested to go back and get the deposit that everyone had contributed together, he wanted to go back and treat his injury.

  Long Bao and Song culture, a friend came to the doctor's duty room, after much ado, finally convinced the doctor with the poor man's sincere words, after several procedures, the hospital deducted nearly two hundred yuan for various reasons, and then went to the settlement office to get the remaining money back.

  As sharp as a hawk and as alert as a deer!

  Right in front of the small window and telling the staff inside about my situation, I caught a glimpse of a figure brushing past me from behind out of the corner of my eye, a classmate from the same grade and major but different class who I often bumped into at the university dormitory cafeteria!

  He walked past me from behind, knocked open the iron door of the cashier's office and called the aunt inside "Mom".

  No doubt, definitely, absolutely! He must know about me, the story of my being wanted is the topic of conversation for every classmate after dinner and before sleep, he absolutely knows me!

  I didn't expect to run into someone who knows me so well here!

  My appearance is too eye-catching! Although my clothes are covered with cement and lime stains, they haven't concealed my sparrow nature.

  I quickly lowered my head and turned away, pretending to comb my hair with my hand, and said in a very low voice to the colleague who came together: "I'm going to the toilet."

  Just as I was turning around to leave, I clearly heard him ask: "Mom, why does that tall figure's back look so much like a classmate from our university?! Who are they? Mom?"

  "What kind of person? What else could it be? Migrant workers who can't afford to see a doctor! They've only been here for half a day and they're already making a fuss about settling the bill!"

  I quickly packed my simple luggage backpack, and with the excuse that I had an urgent matter to attend to at home, I settled the bill with Uncle Lü. I didn't have time to wait for Song Wenru to return, so I immediately rushed to the bus station and boarded the bus from Jingdezhen to Yingtan.

  After all, I've been hunted online, after all, I'm just a lucky sparrow in escape. I can't take risks because the other side is too strong, and I'm just a sparrow. Since it's possible to expose my hidden tracks, I must move to a new area where no one knows immediately.

  Jing'er and Grandpa took the train from Shenzhen West to Zhangjiajie again, preparing to spend a few days traveling in Zhangjiajie.

  Spent money on a hard sleeper, after all, Grandpa is old, having a bed to lie down is better for the elderly, but Grandpa insisted not to take the soft sleeper. Grandpa was very opposed to air conditioning, saying that it made him sweat less and wasn't good. Heat is heat, cold is cold, since nature has its own temperature and humidity, why rely on artificial environments for comfort? In summer, it's supposed to be hot and sweaty.

  Jing'er poured tea for Grandpa and gave him a back massage, then asked cautiously: "Grandpa, do you think the Feng Shui of Xiong Mountain has something to do with Long Bao's case? Is it true that the I Ching Bagua Feng Shui Kan Yu Qi Men Dun Jia that Father always talks about really works? Why don't you teach him?"

  Grandpa loves the feeling of Jing'er's small hands pounding his old back, because he can not only enjoy the affection from his granddaughter but also reminisce about Jing'er's grandmother who passed away many years ago. He recalls that when he was young, Jing'er's grandmother would often do the same to ease his muscles.

  Grandpa always likes to tease his granddaughter, and he chuckled with glee: "What's wrong? Little girl. A few years ago Grandpa asked you if you wanted to learn Grandpa's skills, but you said Grandpa was a feudal superstitionist, a fake god who fooled people. You quoted Confucius' attitude towards you, 'A child does not speak of strange powers and gods.' Is it because of Long Xiaozhi that you're suddenly interested in those things now? Tell Grandpa about it."

  Jing'er was somewhat embarrassed by her grandfather's nonsense, pouting with a red and tender mouth, pretending to be serious: "Grandfather, if you don't answer my question, but instead say something else, be careful that I won't ask for your advice again! See how you will explain this to our ancestors!" After saying that, she deliberately pinched her grandfather's back lightly and announced a strike.

  This hit Grandpa's weak spot.

  Grandfather had not accepted a successor, and according to the method passed down by his ancestors, he went out to search several times but did not meet a suitable successor. Grandfather was very low-key, and except for a few people in this world, his identity as the orthodox heir of the "Wind Water Master" who "does not exceed five" was unknown to outsiders.

  Jing'er's grandfather followed the will of his predecessor, and as soon as the country was liberated, he immediately returned to his hometown, hid his tracks, and did not respond to or care about external affairs. He lived a simple family life with Jing'er's grandmother, working according to the arrangements made by the village leaders. Jing'er's grandmother passed away less than two years after giving birth to Jing'er's father. Although he had predicted this outcome from afar while building railways hundreds of miles away, in that era, one could only accept fate. With great difficulty, he raised Jing'er's father as both a father and mother, sent him to university, got him married, and gave birth to Jing'er.

  The old man was very open-minded, knowing the will of heaven and the fate of life, all things were about cause and effect. The only thing that weighed on his mind was the matter of passing down the family's legacy. The Xuans emphasized the importance of enlightenment, without it one could not reach a higher plane of existence. However, in the old man's opinion, Rong's father did not have high innate abilities, far from being an ideal candidate. Yet, Rong's father was extremely enthusiastic about these esoteric practices. The old man feared that teaching him would bring trouble to his own son, so he decided not to teach him anything and let Rong's father muddle along on his own.

  Grandfather had originally wanted to pass on the study of the mysterious and unknown to Jing'er, but these two father and daughter were extremely extreme. Jing'er completely ignored the existence of the mysterious and unknown, claiming that she was a thorough materialist and atheist who would never be swayed by these rotten feudal superstitions, and instead gave grandfather a lesson in political ideology. Grandfather knew that the timing was not right and it was impossible to force things, so he just let things happen naturally.

  As expected, after Jing'er went to college, her attitude changed and she began to ask Grandpa to tell her about some ancient mysterious events. She became interested in things that modern scientific theories couldn't explain, and from time to time during holidays, she would come to Grandpa for advice. Grandpa knew the time was approaching, especially after seeing his granddaughter's attitude towards Longbiao.

  Today is the best opportunity for the elderly to pass on their legacy, and they won't miss it.

  Grandpa smiled and patted Jing'er's head, saying with a smile: "Girl, after we arrive at Zhangjiajie, Grandpa will tell you."

  No word can be used to describe the scenery of Zhangjiajie without exaggeration.

  The peaks are steep and the valleys are deep, the birds sing in the woods, the giant trees reach the sky, and the mountain streams flow slowly. Unfortunately, its weakness is that there are too many artificial buildings, and tourists from all directions have disrupted the natural peace and harmony, the ancient natural beauty has been destroyed by modern things.

  Jing'er and Grandpa sat in the pavilion beside the mountain path.

  Grandfather's eyes were deep and profound, he pointed to the surrounding mountains with his hand, indicating that Jing'er should take a closer look. He said: "Jing'er, don't think that just because Grandpa reads old books and didn't receive your modern education, Grandpa is not an old fool. Modern science and technology have already changed the real world so much, it's completely different from the time of our ancestors! So Grandpa also often learns about modern scientific theories, never stubbornly only reading ancient books."

  "Modern science is developing rapidly, but in reality, people exhaust various technologies and spend countless money and energy. They are actually just exploring the appearance of all things in the world, seeing only a change in appearance, manufacturing and using only technical tools and means that change appearances. They think they are exploring the origin of all things, thinking they can understand and control the world. Unbeknownst to them, they have completely forgotten their roots, forever being just one part of the divine, just a cell group, forever influenced by the divine's wonderful logic and laws."

  The old man's wise and loving eyes looked at his beloved little granddaughter, Jing'er nodded in agreement without making a sound to disturb her grandfather's thoughts. The old man continued to talk and explain, letting his words spread among these mountains, trees, winds, and waters.

  "Modern science can't explain the mystery of the Long Xiaozhi family, but this mystery is real, and the curse on Long Xiaozhi's body is also real. Heaven has indeed cursed this family. I know you're worried about Long Xiaozhi all day, and now because of that kid, you want to learn Grandpa's things too. Little girl, don't treat these things as simple literary works! It's mysticism, it's learning, it's a subject that modern science can't even give a correct explanation for."

  "You that stupid old man has been studying for over a decade, but still hasn't grasped the basics. How dare he try to divine fortunes! He's always reciting the I Ching theories, what's the point of that?! Grandfather is getting old, and it's up to you to carry on the family legacy now. However, think carefully before making your decision: if you take on this responsibility, it will affect your entire life, and you'll embark on an unknown path; but if you don't learn, although grandfather's teachings will be lost, you'll live a peaceful and comfortable life, perhaps even a happy one. Although I still can't explain the mystery of the Long Xiazi family now, rest assured that I will give you an answer in the future. Don't waste your energy thinking about Long Xiazi's affairs, just focus on studying and forget about it."

  Grandpa patted Qing'er's hand with a profound meaning and finally said: "Girl, think carefully about what Grandpa has said."

  Thus changes give rise to affairs, affairs give rise to plans, plans give rise to measures, measures give rise to forms, forms give rise to words, words give rise to advances, advances give rise to withdrawals, and withdrawals give rise to control. By following these steps, one can govern all matters with a single principle and a single measure.

  From Jingdezhen on the train, Longbiao kept thinking about this sentence, and at the same time carefully considered his future path.

  Nowadays, the nationwide tide of migrant workers is overwhelming, with the vast majority gathering in coastal provinces, especially Guangdong. Tens of millions of young and strong people flock to Guangdong to make a fortune, as long as they can fully integrate into their midst, living with the same way of making a living, I believe that with my current identity, no one will ask too many questions.

  I was originally cursed with a short life, but now I have become a person who has no right to a peaceful life, a fugitive who has committed a crime. My fate is now simply fleeing, escaping capture, surviving, developing, accumulating strength, taking revenge, and striving to clear my name and achieve my ideals.

  My back bears the inexplicable curse of heaven, my heart is filled with a thousand complicated emotions. Even that little bit of joy I once had has now gone with the wind, transformed into a distant memory of a lone traveler. In my world, there is only sorrow, only longing, only pain, only nostalgia, only helplessness, and only unrelenting struggle against fate! Life has become an absolute battle!

  Chariots rumble, banners flutter in the wind, cries of killing shake the earth, wolf smoke fills the sky, flashes of knives and swords, everywhere flesh and blood fly. Is there peace in life? Is there ease in life? Is there happiness with harmony and tranquility in life?

  Yes! But not me! Yes, indeed yes! But really doesn't include me! Latent! Development! Health! Safety! Money! Power! These few things are how important to me nowadays!