"A'wang, are we still going to pick mulberries?"
After breakfast, Ah Cai nervously went to A'wang's house to find him.
Seeing the house, Liu Nanfeng fell into deep thought, as it bore a resemblance to his own old house and was also located near the village entrance.
However, there was no road in front, and neighbors on both sides, which momentarily confused Liu Nanfeng.
"Go away, I don't want to be friends with you anymore. I won't play with you again," A'wang rushed out of the house, saying angrily.
"A'wang..." Ah Cai called out sadly.
"Don't call me, I don't want to talk to you," A'wang said, annoyed.
He then ran back into his house and slammed both doors shut with a bang.
Looking at the closed door, Ah Cai felt very sad and turned to leave after a while.
This child named A'wang was quite temperamental and ignored Ah Cai for several days in a row.
At noon that day, Ah Cai finally couldn't help but find A'wang again.
"A'wang, why won't you play with me?"
"Unless you return my little wooden boat," A'wang said angrily.
"Okay." I'll help you find it, Ah Cai said loudly, also a little annoyed.
Ah Cai once again ventured into the East Return River that day, but this time he never made it back to shore.
Watching Ah Cai desperately struggle in the water, exhausted, Liu Nanfeng felt a pang of sadness.
As the last glimmer of life disappeared, the whole world seemed to plunge into darkness.
Gloomy, cold, and damp, it filled one with a sense of suffocation.
Because of Ah Cai's obsession, even after death, his soul still dived into the deep water, searching for his "beloved little wooden boat."
But no one would ever see him again, nor would anyone ever hear him speak.
He guarded his little wooden boat, waiting quietly as the years passed.
"A'wang..."
The painting then unfurled in the air, drawing him in. Ah Cai did not struggle or resist.
Another section of mist on the painting dispersed, revealing a dark pool behind it.
To the left of the pool was a wild fruit orchard, and to the right, a wild flower garden where a beautiful butterfly danced.
It was the butterfly demon, transformed from Li Guizhen. The butterfly demon had grown considerably, and was close to taking human form, which greatly surprised Liu Nanfeng.
It turned out that Guanshanhai could not only be used to refine demons and monsters but also to nourish and promote their growth.
As Ah Cai was taken into the painting, Liu Nanfeng's consciousness naturally retreated from the memory recall.
He was still sitting on the bench in the yard, but Ah Cai was no longer beside him.
Looking at the painting floating in mid-air, with a thought, Ah Cai reappeared.
Name: Liu Yuancai
Race: Water Ghost
Cultivation: Forty-seven years
Identity: Spirit of the water, formless and shapeless, flees upon contact with water.
Cause: Not triggered.
Abilities: Travel by water, escape through water.
Ah Cai looked at his body curiously, then at Liu Nanfeng, bewildered.
This indicated that being taken into the painting did not affect the original consciousness.
However, his eyes held a hint of familiarity, and Liu Nanfeng felt a subtle connection between the "two" of them.
"How do you feel?" Liu Nanfeng asked without preamble.
But Ah Cai instantly understood his meaning. It was a peculiar sensation.
"Very good, very comfortable," Ah Cai said.
He didn't have many words to express the feeling, but Liu Nanfeng shared it.
In Ah Cai's memory, water was cold, oppressive, dark, terrifying, and suffocating.
But the pool in the painting felt like being immersed in warm water, filled with sunlight, making him feel warm all over.
This warmth dispelled the chill from his body, like returning to the warmth and comfort of the womb. Even his previously light and ethereal body became heavier and more solid, more real.
As Liu Nanfeng willed it, the water flowing over him stopped, and even his body became dry.
This was a question Liu Nanfeng had just considered. He could share the states and abilities of these "anomalies" absorbed into the painting. Could these "anomalies" share his state and abilities?
So he had tried it just now, and it had indeed succeeded.
"Don't worry, I will definitely help you find A'wang and explain things to him. But what about your little wooden boat?"
"Tell A'wang the little wooden boat is in our secret base, and he'll know."
"Alright, I understand. You can go back now," Liu Nanfeng said.
Then Ah Cai turned into a stream of water and splashed onto the painting in the air.
The pool on the painting seemed to have something fall into it, creating ripples. Ah Cai then poked his head out of the pool, looking around curiously, his gaze finally settling on the butterfly demon dancing in the air.
The butterfly demon was very beautiful. Every flap of its wings scattered specks of light, ethereal and dreamlike, naturally attracting the attention of a "child" like him.
Liu Nanfeng paid him no more mind. With a flicker of his consciousness, the painting in the air rolled up, transforming into a stream of light that vanished into his head without a trace.
Liu Nanfeng put the remaining half of the watermelon into the refrigerator before returning to the room.
Su Jinxiu was sitting on the edge of the bed, playing with her phone, waiting for him.
Liu Nanfeng was not surprised.
"Why aren't you sleeping? What are you up for?"
"Have you finished dealing with it?" Su Jinxiu asked, putting down her phone.
Liu Nanfeng nodded and sat down beside her.
Su Jinxiu habitually snuggled into his embrace and then said, "I was a little worried about you."
Saying this, she turned her head and looked in the direction of the west room, saying, "I think your childhood friend is probably the same as me."
Liu Nanfeng knew that Su Jinxiu and Zhan Zhongxiao would not be unaware of Ah Cai's arrival.
That's why he wasn't surprised to see Su Jinxiu sitting by the bed earlier.
"Don't worry, it's just a little water ghost. It can't do anything to me."
"I know, my husband is the most powerful," Su Jinxiu said coquettishly, hugging Liu Nanfeng's waist.
Liu Nanfeng lightly patted her backside and then kissed her forehead. He knew this was just Su Jinxiu's sweet talk and that he shouldn't truly think he was that powerful. Given Su Jinxiu's strength, he was nothing.
"Let's sleep," Liu Nanfeng said.
"Okay."
The two lay on the bed, embracing each other.
However, due to this matter, they were both sleepless for a while, so they started chatting.
"Is it true that the higher your cultivation, the more powerful you are?" Liu Nanfeng asked.
Su Jinxiu shook her head. "Cultivation only represents the length of time one has attained the Dao, not necessarily the level of strength.
For example, if two people study for more than ten years, one might not be able to solve calculus while the other can solve world-class problems. People are different, and so are demons. It's common to have advanced cultivation without increased strength."
"Like the little carp?" Liu Nanfeng asked.
"Haha... right."
Su Jinxiu burst into laughter, the little carp's reputation tarnished.
The little fellow only knew how to spray water and blow bubbles all day, living a happy and carefree life, so its strength naturally wouldn't be high.
"What about you?" Liu Nanfeng asked curiously.
"I'm very strong, you know, because I have special problem-solving techniques," Su Jinxiu said somewhat proudly.
"What techniques? Let me see?" Liu Nanfeng directly lifted her nightgown and slipped his hand inside.
"You're going to kill me," Su Jinxiu said coquettishly.
Then she held his hand.
"I'm talking to you seriously."
"I am too," Liu Nanfeng said, kissing her.
At this point, they couldn't say anything else.
In fact, Liu Nanfeng knew what Su Jinxiu's problem-solving techniques were: inheritance.
Su Huamei had spoken to him, and she and her sister Su Jinxiu had both received unimaginable inheritances due to the opportunities Liu Nanfeng provided. This was the foundation of their standing for hundreds of years.
Although their cultivation had only been for a few hundred years, their strength was top-tier among demons, and their progress was rapid.
What was initially a sleepless night turned into over an hour of activity. Afterwards, entering a state of post-coital calm, they quickly fell asleep, deeply and soundly.
They slept soundly without dreams. Waking up, the sky was already bright. Looking beside him, his wife was no longer there. He could faintly hear her and Yu Huilan talking outside.
Liu Nanfeng rolled out of bed, got dressed, and walked outside.
He saw Su Jinxiu and Yu Huilan sitting by the door, picking vegetables.
"Young master, you're finally willing to get up?" Yu Huilan said sarcastically upon seeing him emerge.
"Mom, it's still early, isn't it? I'm not exactly sleeping in, am I?"
Liu Nanfeng had glanced at the time earlier; it wasn't even 7:30 yet.
"Everyone else is up, and you're the only one lingering in bed. And you call that not sleeping in? If it weren't for your wife doting on you and protecting you, I would have dragged you out of your room long ago."
"Mom, it's only my second day back, and you're already looking down on me?"
"That's not true."
"Not true? I just woke up a little late, and you're already complaining?"
"What I mean is, you've been complaining about me since yesterday! Can't do anything, but first in line for food." Yu Huilan said with a look of disdain.
"Mom, if you keep treating me like this, I warn you, I won't come back next time."
"Oh, you're warning me? Do you think I want you back? If you don't come, so be it. As long as Jinxiu comes back, that's all that matters. Jinxiu, don't you agree? You'll come back to visit Mom often, won't you?"
"Haha... of course, Mom. If you miss me, just call me and tell me, and I'll come back. It's not far anyway."
Yu Huilan cast a smug glance at Liu Nanfeng.
Liu Nanfeng scratched his cheek and said unhappily, "You're my wife, who are you siding with?"
"Of course, she's siding with me, I'm her mom," Yu Huilan quickly replied.
"Alright, I can't argue with you. What about Dad?"
"He went to check the fish traps early this morning. Dun Dun woke up even earlier than you and went with him."
"Dad is really diligent."
"It's strange, really. He wasn't this diligent when we were in Jiangcheng. Ever since we came back, he spends most of his time by the river, either setting traps or fishing," Yu Huilan mumbled somewhat discontentedly.
"It's good to have a hobby. If you're bored at home, you can find people to play mahjong with," Liu Nanfeng suggested.
In the countryside, as long as it wasn't the busy farming season, people played mahjong almost every day.
"You can also come to our place. Mom, if you're feeling bored, you can come and stay with us for a while," Su Jinxiu said from the side.
"See? Jinxiu is so thoughtful. You only suggest mahjong for me."
This gave Yu Huilan another topic to discuss.
"Okay, your wife is the best, alright? Mom, have you had breakfast yet? I'm hungry."
"Eat, eat, you only know how to eat. Oh, right, you got up in the middle of the night to eat watermelon last night too?"
"I also got up to catch fish."
"Really? You say that, child, staying up late at night. No wonder you're sleeping in. Did Jinxiu go with you last night? What time did you get back? Do you two want to sleep a little longer?"
Yu Huilan actually believed him, because she found two fish in the sink when she woke up in the morning and thought it was strange.
But this was truly a doting mother; she complained when things were fine but was also concerned when there was an issue.
"Yes, Mom, is there someone in our village named A'wang? He should be around fifty years old." Liu Nanfeng recalled the matter.
"A'wang?" Yu Huilan frowned and thought for a moment.
Then she shook her head. "I don't know. You should ask your dad about this. He should know."
Hearing this, Liu Nanfeng realized that the village was Liu Jiaqiao, not Yu Jia.
Yu Huilan's family was from Yu Jiawei, about thirty miles away from here.
However, she later married Liu Zonghe and lived in Liu Jiaqiao village with him.
"But why are you asking about this?"
"It's nothing, I just asked casually."
"So early in the morning, being so mysterious. Hurry up and brush your teeth and wash your face. Your wife is waiting for you to eat breakfast, and you're still dawdling here."
Liu Nanfeng glanced at Su Jinxiu, who was secretly smiling beside him, and turned to wash up.
"I'll make a phone call and ask them to come back for breakfast. They've been checking traps all this time."
Yu Huilan clapped her hands and stood up to call Liu Zonghe back for breakfast.
After Liu Nanfeng brushed his teeth and washed his face, a short while later, Liu Zongyuan and Zhan Zhongxiao ambled back.
One carried a net bag, the other a bucket.
"How was the catch today?" Liu Nanfeng asked.
"Not bad today. Lots of big fish, as well as loaches and eels," Liu Zongyuan said with a smile.
Liu Nanfeng walked forward, took the bucket from Zhan Zhongxiao's hand, and peered inside. Wow, there were indeed quite a few.
"Catching so much, and you won't be able to finish it. What a waste," Yu Huilan said disdainfully.
"You're something else. You complain when there's too little, and you complain when there's too much."
"If you can't finish it, can't you give it away? Raise the small ones in the pond, and as for the big ones, you can decide who to give them to. Isn't that good?"
"There are too many fish in the pond. If you ask me, it's better to raise a few ducks."
Well, so all that talk was just to express the desire to raise ducks.
A new day began amidst such domestic chatter.
During breakfast, Liu Nanfeng noticed several chickens tied up in the corner.
"Mom, what's wrong with these chickens?" Liu Nanfeng asked curiously.
"Aren't you going back this afternoon? I'll kill these chickens later, clean them up, and give them to you to take back."
"Mom, you should keep them and eat them yourselves. You don't need to give them to us."
"We raised so many, how can we eat them all? Besides, aren't the chickens I raise better than the ones you buy outside? Those are raised on feed. And the eggs, I've always saved them for you, take them all too..."
"Dun Dun said he doesn't cook for himself. It's not good to eat takeout every day. I've prepared something for him too..."
"When his parents come to Jiangcheng, you tell me. Haven't seen them for many years, let's have a meal together..."
Liu Nanfeng's one sentence opened Yu Huilan's floodgates. She talked from before the meal until the end of it.
After she finished breakfast, she took some of the fish Liu Zonghe had brought back and went out, finally bringing some peace.
Liu Zonghe, meanwhile, was by the pond, killing fish to prepare for lunch.
This is how it is in the countryside. After breakfast, they prepare lunch, and after lunch, they start preparing dinner.
Watching the busy Liu Zongyuan, Liu Nanfeng remembered the question from the morning.
"Dad, is there someone in our village named A'wang? He should be around fifty years old."
Liu Zongyuan, holding scissors, looked up and stared at Liu Nanfeng in surprise.