Liu Nanfeng casually asked, but seeing he couldn't get any sensible answers, he immediately put it out of his mind.
Seeing Zhan Dundun looking down at his phone beside him, silent since he entered, he couldn't help but feel a bit strange.
He walked over and gave him a hard pat on the back, "Hey, what are you doing? Staring blankly at your phone, looking at pretty girls?"
As he said that, he glanced at his phone. Zhan Dundun immediately covered it with his hand and said nervously, "No, no, don't say that."
"So mysterious, what is it?"
Before Zhan Dundun could speak, Liu Zonghe from beside him said, "What else could it be? It's Wenhui's call! I told him to call her, and he's been hesitating here for half a day."
"Hey, the call is coming?" Liu Nanfeng was a bit surprised to hear this.
"Over the years, Shen and I have kept in touch. I explained the situation, and he readily gave me the number. I told him to call Wenhui himself, but I didn't expect this kid to have grown this tall for nothing..." Liu Zonghe said discontentedly from the side.
"My dad is right, grown so tall for nothing. If you can't do it, I will." Liu Nanfeng snatched his phone.
"Don't..." Zhan Dundun wanted to stop him, but then he suddenly remembered that this might be the best way, so he retracted his hand.
Liu Nanfeng didn't care much and dialed the number.
Perhaps it was an unfamiliar number, or perhaps she was busy, but the phone rang for a long time before anyone answered.
Zhan Dundun sat there, looking up, his face full of anxiety.
"Look at you, you've got no guts," Liu Nanfeng said speechlessly.
"What?" But at this moment, a voice suddenly came from the phone.
"Uh... excuse me, I wasn't talking to you." Liu Nanfeng quickly apologized.
"May I ask who you are?"
"Shen Wenhua?"
"Yes, it's me, who is this?"
Her voice was very cheerful, and as Liu Nanfeng listened, he couldn't help but imagine a clean and neat girl.
"Liu Nanfeng, do you remember me?"
"Willow branch?" The person on the other end said with surprise.
"What willow branch? You're so old, why do you still call people by their nicknames? That's not polite at all, is it, Shen Yellow Hair?"
"Hahaha..." Shen Wenhua on the other end of the phone burst into laughter.
Because he was called Willow Branch, Liu Nanfeng felt wronged and gave her the nickname Shen Yellow Hair.
The main reason was that when she was young, for some reason, perhaps due to nutritional deficiency, her hair was a bit pale yellow.
"Willow Branch, why did you call me? And how did you get my number?"
"Zhan Zhongxiao, do you remember him?"
"Hey, Panda? No, Zhan Dundun, of course I remember."
Liu Nanfeng was startled. If it were anyone else, they would have just thought she had given Zhan Zhongxiao a new nickname, but Liu Nanfeng knew Zhan Zhongxiao's real identity.
So, Shen Wenhua already knew Zhan Zhongxiao's identity?
Did Zhan Dundun tell her himself, or was Shen Wenhua also a demon?
Liu Nanfeng covered his forehead, feeling a slight ache in his head. Was he really fated to be with demons?
"What's wrong?" Zhan Dundun asked beside him, a little confused.
"Nothing."
"Who are you talking to?"
"Zhan Dundun, he's back in Jiangcheng. I met him a few days ago..."
Liu Nanfeng explained the whole story. Shen Wenhua on the other end finally realized that the number had been obtained through her father.
"Where are you working now?"
"Xiajing? Doing biological research?" Liu Nanfeng was somewhat disappointed.
"I wanted to ask you out for a gathering, but it seems there's no chance." Liu Nanfeng's tone was inevitably a little disappointed.
"Is that so..." Shen Wenhua on the other end became melancholic.
"Honey, who are you on the phone with?" Just then, Su Jinxiu came in from outside and asked softly.
Liu Nanfeng glanced at her, feeling as though she was doing it on purpose, but looking at her calm expression, it didn't seem like it.
At this moment, Shen Wenhua on the phone asked in surprise, "Hey? Are you married?"
"I'm twenty-seven already, still not married? I've been married for several years. What about you, are you married?"
"I don't even have a boyfriend, so how can I be married? Your wife's voice is really nice, she must be very beautiful?" Shen Wenhua said.
"Of course, my wife is the most beautiful." Liu Nanfeng said loudly, then looked at Su Jinxiu.
Su Jinxiu rolled her eyes at him, but her face was full of smiles.
"I'm off next week, and I was planning to go back to Jiangcheng to see my parents. We can get together then. Bring your wife along too, so we can meet?"
"Okay, I'll let Zhan Dundun talk to you for a bit." Seeing Zhan Zhongxiao's expectant look, Liu Nanfeng said.
"Alright." Shen Wenhua on the other end agreed without hesitation.
So Liu Nanfeng handed the phone to the expectant Zhan Zhongxiao, and then explained to Su Jinxiu beside him.
But before Liu Nanfeng could even finish speaking, he saw Zhan Zhongxiao had already hung up.
"What happened? Finished talking so quickly?" Liu Nanfeng asked in surprise.
"Wenhua said she's busy right now and will chat when she gets back," Zhan Dundun said with some disappointment.
"Wenhua seems to be doing biological research now, so she should be quite busy." Seeing Zhan Dundun like this, Liu Nanfeng quickly comforted him.
"Biological research?" Zhan Dundun seemed a bit surprised.
"Yes, that's what she said."
As soon as Liu Nanfeng finished speaking, Liu Zonghe from beside him said, "That should be right. I remember Old Shen mentioning before that his daughter went to the biology department at Xiajing University. In short, she's very capable."
He then glanced at Liu Nanfeng.
"Dad, what do you mean by that look? My Jiangnan University isn't bad either."
"If you had been a little more serious back then, you would have scored even better."
"What's the point of scoring better? What would better do to help me meet Jinxiu?" Liu Nanfeng said, putting his arm around Su Jinxiu's shoulder.
Liu Zonghe burst into laughter at this.
Then he said, "That's true. Meeting Jinxiu is really your good fortune, and your destiny."
"Yes, I wouldn't trade her for MIT."
Su Jinxiu looked at Liu Nanfeng with a smile.
Zhan Dundun, who was feeling depressed, felt like he had been force-fed dog food and became even more depressed.
"You two stay home, I'm going out for a stroll." Liu Zonghe got up.
"I'll go with you." Zhan Dundun followed immediately.
He really didn't want to stay with Liu Nanfeng and the others.
"I'm going fishing, want to join?"
"Of course, it must be very interesting." Zhan Dundun said happily.
"Alright then, let's go together."
"What about my mom?" Liu Nanfeng asked, as he hadn't seen Yu Huilan since he came back.
"She went to Liu Dayuan's house."
"Liu Dayuan?"
"Yes, their family sells braised food. Your mother went to buy some to eat tonight."
"Okay, then Jinxiu and I will wait for her at home. You guys go ahead." Liu Nanfeng said.
He didn't want to go with them, and more importantly, he didn't want to leave Su Jinxiu alone at home.
Liu Zonghe ignored him, got out his fishing gear, and asked Zhan Dundun to carry a bucket, and they went out together.
Seeing them leave, Liu Nanfeng then told Su Jinxiu his doubts from the phone call.
"I haven't heard of any demons in Jiangcheng surnamed Shen," Su Jinxiu also looked puzzled.
"It's possible her mother is a demon, and do you know all the demons in Jiangcheng?"
Su Jinxiu shook her head. "Zhan Zhongxiao's situation is quite special. The number of demons who have undergone灌顶化形 (guàndǐng huàxíng - consecration and transformation) isn't very large. Jiangcheng isn't that big. Although everyone isn't familiar with each other, they basically know each other."
"So, demons have social circles too, a demon circle?"
Su Jinxiu chuckled at this.
Then she said, "It's not like that. In fact, they generally don't contact each other, but they try to avoid conflicts. You know the power of demons. If they lose control and start fighting, it would be a disaster. But with the Ninth Department keeping them in check, everyone has to endure, so they avoid it as much as possible."
"Is the Ninth Department very powerful?"
Liu Nanfeng had heard the name before, but he didn't have much concept of the Ninth Department's strength.
"Of course, it's powerful. Fifty years ago, they shouted the slogan 'sweep away all ghosts and monsters.' All anomalies either fled into the mountains or escaped overseas. Those who dared to face them all perished. Do you think they are powerful?"
Su Jinxiu still felt a lingering fear as she spoke of it, indicating how intense the events were back then.
And when Liu Nanfeng heard her mention fifty years ago, and "ghosts and monsters," he also realized that many statues were toppled, temples were smashed, and even ancestral halls were demolished.
This wasn't Liu Nanfeng talking nonsense. His family village used to have an ancestral hall, which was leveled at that time. The unstoppable torrent of human power was overwhelming.
Well, there was no need to discuss this topic any further. It was better to be careful.
At this moment, Yu Huilan also returned from outside.
She not only bought a lot of braised food but also carried a large bag of edamame.
"I heard you were back, so Der Yuan's wife gave them to me," Yu Huilan said.
"Really?" Liu Nanfeng replied casually. To be honest, he didn't know who Der Yuan was, let alone who Der Yuan's wife was.
He grew up in Jiangcheng and rarely returned, so the villagers didn't recognize him completely. The few they did recognize were the neighbors.
"The weather is so hot, it's not good for you to go out. Will you be bored when you come back?" Yu Huilan asked.
"No, and when it cools down in the evening, we can still go for a walk." Su Jinxiu quickly replied.
"Yes, you can walk along the embankment. The embankment is now covered with green grass, and the scenery is quite nice. It would be even better if you came back in the spring." Yu Huilan said as she put the items in her hands into the refrigerator.
"Actually, it's fine to go for a walk now. The embankment is planted with many willow trees, and it's quite cool. Dad should be fishing there."
"Your dad is going fishing again?" Yu Huilan immediately asked.
"Yes, Zhan Zhongxiao is also with him," Liu Nanfeng said.
"This old man, doesn't he know it's hot? With such a big sun, he still runs off to fish? What if he gets heatstroke?" Yu Huilan said with great displeasure.
Then she changed the subject and asked, "Are you planning to go find them?"
"Yes, we plan to go for a walk on the embankment. There are willow trees on the embankment anyway, so there's plenty of shade."
"That's true. Then you go ahead. Just take a few bottles of water for your dad and the others, so they don't get heatstroke."
Saying that, she took a few bottles of frozen mineral water from the refrigerator.
"Mom, you're deliberately trying to get me to deliver water to Dad, aren't you?" Liu Nanfeng said with a bewildered look, glancing at her sideways.
"How could that be? Hehehe..."
"It's better if you don't smile, but the more you smile, the more certain I become. It seems you only love your husband, not your son?" Liu Nanfeng said playfully.
"You little brat, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Seeing Liu Nanfeng say this in front of his wife, her cheeks turned slightly red, and she "in a fit of pique" slapped him heavily on the back.
After slapping him, she said in surprise, "Your body is actually a lot more solid? It hurts my hand, unlike before when it was soft and flabby."
"Mom, you're hitting me and getting a feel for it?" Liu Nanfeng said unhappily.
Su Jinxiu couldn't help but laugh, and Yu Huilan also found it amusing, then patted Liu Nanfeng's back a few more times.
What else could he do with his own mother?
Liu Nanfeng muttered and found a bag to carry the bottles of mineral water.
"Wait a moment." Yu Huilan hurried back into the room and handed a sun hat to Su Jinxiu.
"The sun is strong outside, wear the hat."
It was a dark red fisherman's hat, with a peony shape on the left side. It was a hat worn by middle-aged and elderly people.
"Mom, this hat is so unfashionable, wearing it—."
Looking at Su Jinxiu who had taken it and put it on, Liu Nanfeng's words got stuck in his throat.
"How is it?" Su Jinxiu asked, turning her neck with a smile.
"Really beautiful."
Liu Nanfeng's eyes shone with a stunning glow.
The very old-fashioned fisherman's hat, when worn by her, actually gave her a noble aura, making her appear even more gentle and charming.
"Pretty people look good in anything," Yu Huilan couldn't help but praise.
Hearing their praise, Su Jinxiu couldn't help but reveal a faint smile.
So Liu Nanfeng carried the ice water, Su Jinxiu linked her arm through his, and they walked out affectionately.
Looking at their backs, Yu Huilan couldn't help but sigh that simple people have simple blessings.
Such a well-qualified girl, why is she so devoted to her "simple son"? Sometimes she couldn't understand it.
She could only explain it as a turtle looking at a green bean, each person with their own destiny, destined, arranged by heaven.
"I don't know how long this weather will last? But, wife, you feel so comfortable on me!"
Liu Nanfeng rubbed against Su Jinxiu's exposed skin, which was cool and smooth, very comfortable.
Su Jinxiu gently patted his arm, her eyes full of playful charm.
"Nanfeng, you're back with your wife?"
"Nanfeng, long time no see!"
"Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?"
...
Villagers they met along the way greeted them. Liu Nanfeng was a bit confused because they all looked friendly, but he didn't recognize any of them.
When Liu Nanfeng got married, Liu Zonghe and his wife had returned to hold a banquet and introduced him to everyone, so Liu Nanfeng felt like a stranger, but everyone was very familiar with him!
Helplessly, the couple could only smile and exchange some generic pleasantries.
Their faces felt stiff from smiling. Finally, they reached the embankment. Liu Nanfeng let out a long sigh of relief. He looked back at Su Jinxiu, who did the same. They looked at each other and smiled.
Perhaps because it was close to the river and there was the shade of lush willow trees, the embankment was quite cool.
However, the scorching sun shone on the river surface, casting dazzling light, making one feel dizzy.
"Huh?"
Liu Nanfeng suddenly exclaimed in surprise. With such a strong sun, a child was swimming in the water.