The next day.

  Old Li stepped out of the house with his pipe, sat down in the courtyard, tapped the pipe on a stone, filled it with tobacco, and took a few deep puffs until it started to smoke.

  Only then did Old Li smile, taking a comfortable drag.

  However, as Old Li hummed a tune and surveyed the courtyard, he unexpectedly noticed a figure squatting outside the yard and was suddenly choked by the smoke, "Cough, cough, cough!"

  What the heck, Chen Xun?

  Old Li snapped back to reality, immediately extinguished his pipe, and quickly walked out of the courtyard to stand before Chen Xun. When he saw the quilt wrapped around Chen Xun, his eyes changed slightly.

  Goodness, isn't that his granddaughter's quilt?

  Old Li suspiciously asked, "You didn't stay here all night, did you?"

  Chen Xun remained squatting without responding, not even moving an inch.

  Seeing this, Old Li's heart skipped a beat. He knew how cold the nights were in te autumn, especially given Little River Town's location.

  Could this kid have frozen to death?

  Panicking, Old Li hurriedly squatted down and gave Chen Xun a shove, "Chen Xun! Chen Xun!"

  Chen Xun tilted his head, gnced sideways at Old Li, and said, "Don't disturb my growth."

  Seeing that Chen Xun was fine, Old Li rexed a bit, puzzled, "Growth? What growth?"

  Chen Xun solemnly replied, "I am now a sapling, and in time, I will grow into a towering tree!"

  Old Li: "......"

  After speaking, Chen Xun lowered his head seriously, maintaining his still posture.

  Old Li, helpless, shook his head. He couldn't understand the world of a madman, so he went back to the courtyard, as his granddaughter would soon wake up, and he needed to make breakfast.

  Soon, smoke rose from the chimney of Old Li's house.

  Many nearby households were the same, with smoke curling up from each home.

  While Old Li was making breakfast, Li Yuan also came to the courtyard and immediately saw Chen Xun outside. Just as she was about to speak, Old Li called out, "Yuan Yuan, breakfast."

  "Got it, Grandpa."

  Li Yuan then went back inside.

  ***

  Breakfast at Old Li's was simple, just porridge and pickles.

  While Li Yuan was slowly sipping her porridge, Old Li had already finished, refilled his bowl, added some pickles, and headed outside.

  "Grandpa."

  Hearing Li Yuan suddenly call him, Old Li paused and turned around, puzzled, "What's up, Yuan Yuan?"

  Li Yuan hesitated, "Grandpa, it's just an extra pair of chopsticks, so why not... take him in?" (Having one more pair of chopsticks means having one more person for the meal.)

  Old Li's eyes widened, "Yuan Yuan! It's not just about an extra pair of chopsticks? You don't know, yesterday Chen Xun ate eleven bowls of noodles and still wasn't satisfied!"

  Such an appetite, to exaggerate a bit, even a royal family couldn't afford it, let alone Old Li.

  Of course, the most important thing is that although Chen Xun is physically healthy, he's a madman, essentially incapable of working.

  He can't be taken in!

  Otherwise, why hasn't anyone in Little River Town taken him in for two and a half years?

  Isn't that the reason?

  Hearing this, Li Yuan was also shocked, eleven bowls...

  After a moment of silence, Li Yuan said, "Grandpa, I can take on more sewing work in the future, and as for his appetite... we can control it a bit each meal, how about that?"

  Actually, st night, the 'thank you' she thought she misheard kept echoing in her mind.

  Moreover, Li Yuan thought Chen Xun was indeed pitiful.

  Hey!

  Old Li was extremely annoyed.

  He didn't want his granddaughter to interact with this Chen Xun because he knew she was too kind-hearted and easily softened.

  And now look what happened.

  "I will think about it."

  Old Li said and walked outside.

  Soon, Old Li brought the porridge to Chen Xun and handed it over, "Kid, have some porridge."

  Chen Xun, who had been motionless, sniffed, grabbed Old Li's bowl, and finished it in a few gulps.

  Old Li was surprised and teased, "Wow, even trees drink porridge?"

  But Chen Xun had already handed the bowl back and returned to his still state.

  Old Li took the bowl, shook his head, and after a moment of internal struggle, sighed, "Fine, I'll take you in for a while and see how you do. If you don't behave, you'll still have to leave, hmph."

  After saying his piece, Old Li carried the bowl back to the courtyard.

  Chen Xun remained squatting, pretending to be a sapling, but deep in his eyes, a light flickered briefly.

  ***

  Time flew by, and it was now the depths of winter.

  In the swirling snow, Little River Town turned into a white world.

  Chen Xun had been staying at Old Li's house for over three months, freeloading without doing anything.

  Recently, Old Li and Li Yuan noticed that Chen Xun's erratic behavior had decreased significantly. He often stood quietly in the courtyard, lost in thought.

  However, Old Li and Li Yuan didn't disturb Chen Xun much. To them, this version of Chen Xun was quite good, at least he was quiet.

  Unlike when he first arrived, causing chaos in the house every day, making Old Li miserable.

  Evening.

  Chen Xun still stood in the courtyard, lost in thought.

  He was still dressed in his tattered blue robe, with disheveled hair, carrying a broken wooden sword on his back.

  Previously, Old Li and Li Yuan wanted to help Chen Xun clean up, but they were a bit apprehensive, unsure if Chen Xun would suddenly act up, so they let him be.

  "Brother Chen, it's time for dinner!"

  Li Yuan called out from the courtyard.

  Hearing it was dinner time, Chen Xun's eyes lit up, and he turned around, ughing wildly, rushing into the house with filing arms.

  Li Yuan, unfazed, skillfully stepped aside to let Chen Xun pass.

  At the dining table.

  Chen Xun devoured his food like a whirlwind.

  Old Li and Li Yuan exchanged a gnce and smiled wryly, having gotten used to it.

  Li Yuan suddenly looked at the wooden sword on Chen Xun's back, curious, "Brother Chen, you carry this wooden sword every day. Does it have some special meaning to you? Can I take a look?"

  Hearing this, Old Li also looked over, though he wasn't particurly curious.

  Chen Xun was a madman, after all. It wouldn't surprise Old Li if he carried a toilet seat on his back all year round.

  But in Old Li's view, it was pointless to ask. Chen Xun's mind was muddled, and recognizing people was already a feat; they hadn't had a normal conversation yet.

  Actually, Li Yuan thought the same, but she couldn't resist her curiosity and asked anyway.

  To her surprise, Chen Xun's reaction stunned both Old Li and Li Yuan.

  Chen Xun stopped eating, reached back to take the wooden sword, and handed it to Li Yuan.

  Li Yuan, taken aback, accepted it.

  Chen Xun grinned foolishly and continued eating.

  Li Yuan examined the wooden sword carefully, noting its pitted surface, but found nothing special about it, so she returned it to Chen Xun.

  By then, Chen Xun had finished eating, strapped the wooden sword back on, and rushed out of the house to the courtyard, where he came to a sudden halt and stood quietly...

  Old Li and Li Yuan were no longer surprised by Chen Xun's eccentric behavior.

  But speaking of which...

  "Grandpa, have you noticed that Brother Chen seems to have changed a bit?"

  Li Yuan hesitated to say.