Chapter 289 Pain
Since seeing her daughter, Wang Hongmei had held her daughter tightly, as if afraid that if she let go, her daughter would be washed away by the flood again.
Wang Hongmei was completely immersed in her daughter. She paid no attention to the strangeness just now. However, the other members of the Duan family were different. Their rationality had returned, and their intellect was back in charge.
"That..."
After looking at each other, Duan Dacheng was the first to speak.
"Let's talk later."
Liu Nanfeng interrupted him, then extended his finger, and a faint light appeared at his fingertips.
"Don't look later."
Liu Nanfeng cautioned. The ball of light at his fingertip rose into the sky like a signal flare.
At this moment, the townsfolk, who had emerged from their homes due to the earlier anomaly, were immediately drawn to this light. They all looked up, and in that instant, their recent memories were cleared. They then went about their business as if nothing had happened.
Liu Nanfeng did this because the ability Gu Gu had just unleashed had affected a vast area, covering almost the entire town. This was also the first time Gu Gu had rewound time on such a large scale.
"Sir, are you cultivators?" Duan Dacheng asked respectfully after everything was done.
The existence of cultivators was no longer a secret; the government had already admitted it. Although it hadn't been widely publicized on television, it had become an established fact.
Therefore, Liu Nanfeng did not deny it and nodded in affirmation.
"Ah, thank you for saving my daughter, sir. You... you please come inside." Duan Dacheng said excitedly upon hearing this.
He was so flustered that his words were somewhat incoherent.
"No need, it's fine here." Liu Nanfeng smiled and sat down on the bench in front of the door.
However, because the long bench was a bit high, Xiao Liyu could not reach it, and she was trying hard to climb up with her bottom sticking out.
Seeing this, Duan Dacheng quickly said to Duan Xiaohai beside him, "Hurry and get a low stool for the little immortal!"
"Ah... oh..." Duan Xiaohai just reacted and hurried inside.
"I'm not a little immortal, I'm Xiao Liyu," Xiao Liyu said loudly.
Then she walked over and handed him the salt she had been holding, saying, "This is yours. I'm returning it to you."
"Ah... thank you, thank you, little immortal." Duan Dacheng quickly took it.
Cultivators possessed great divine abilities, and ordinary people naturally held them in awe.
"Xiao Liyu."
Xiao Liyu corrected him again. However, seeing Duan Xiaohai bring out a small dog-shaped low stool, she said no more. She immediately ran over, happily took it, and placed it at Liu Nanfeng's feet before sitting down, squeezing herself between his legs.
With Da Huai Mao there, this was the only way she felt a greater sense of security.
Seeing that everyone was seated, Duan Dacheng didn't know what to say for a moment, and the atmosphere became a little awkward.
Fortunately, Duan Dacheng was a businessman and reacted quickly.
He immediately said, "Sir, thank you for saving my daughter. I will kowtow to you."
He had also noticed that Liu Nanfeng was the leader of this group.
"No need. It was just a coincidence that we met Gu Gu... Gu Gu is your daughter, so it's not really saving her." Liu Nanfeng stopped him from kneeling by extending his hand.
"Gu Gu is my good friend," Xiao Liyu interjected.
Liu Nanfeng smiled and stroked her little head.
"But thank you for bringing her back. Ever since Xiao Lan was washed away by the flood, her mother has not been mentally stable. Please bear with us if there are any improprieties."
"It's alright. How should I put it? This child has suffered a lot over the years alone out there. When she returns this time, you must make it up to her well." Liu Nanfeng stopped at a suitable point and did not elaborate.
Upon hearing this, Duan Dacheng turned to look at his daughter.
He saw his daughter holding her mother tightly, resting her head on her shoulder, her body trembling slightly.
"Don't worry, we will. We won't let her suffer any injustice again," Duan Dacheng said, turning back.
Duan Xiaohai and his wife also nodded. Especially Duan Xiaohai, who was also very emotional at this moment.
"There's one more thing. For certain reasons, Gu Gu has always had difficulty speaking, and even now, it's still quite challenging. However, she can understand what you're saying, so be patient when communicating with her," Su Jinxiu reminded them softly from the side.
She had spent a lot of time with Gu Gu and had grown very fond of the child. She was truly reluctant to see her leave.
However, Gu Gu had found her parents, and she was happy for her.
"Huh? She can't speak?" Duan Xiaohai asked in surprise from the side.
In his memory, his sister was very talkative, her little mouth chattering non-stop all day long.
"Why are you asking so many questions?" Duan Dacheng scolded with a pale face.
He had more life experience and seemed to have thought of something.
Su Jinxiu did not waste any more words with them. She waved her hand, and a faint aura enveloped the few of them.
Then, they felt a momentary dizziness. Looking around, they found themselves in a small town bustling with passersby.
"Dad, where is this place?" Duan Xiaohai asked nervously.
"You ask me, who am I supposed to ask?" Duan Dacheng said curiously.
"Husband..." Zhao Lili stood beside him, holding their daughter, and also felt uneasy.
"Don't be afraid."
Seeing his wife and child seemed to give Duan Xiaohai great courage. He, who had been hesitant and cautious, immediately straightened his back.
"Pears for sale, pears for sale, freshly picked!"
"Biscuits, biscuits, two for one dollar, salty and sweet available."
"Can't sell for fifty, the minimum is sixty-five. If you want it, take it."
"Boss, how much for this..."
"I am a cloud in the wind..."
"This is probably like before, all an illusion," Duan Dacheng guessed as he looked around and saw that everyone else was ignoring them.
Duan Xiaohai and his wife, hearing this, breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that it was an illusion, at least it wouldn't cause them any harm.
Little did they know that what Gu Gu was performing was not just a simple illusion. If she hadn't been controlling it, she could have rewound time in Sanbao Town by over twenty years.
"Huh, aren't these the cultivator adults from just now?" At this moment, Zhao Lili exclaimed, looking to the side.
"Let's go, let's follow them."
Duan Dacheng quickly followed. Duan Xiaohai and his wife exchanged glances and followed them with their child.
Just then, a sudden clatter, the sound of coins colliding with bowls and basins, caught their attention.
Following the sound, they saw a little girl, about three or four years old, standing in front of them.
Her hair was messy, her little face was dirty, but her eyes were large and bright.
She was wearing a lotus-leaf collar dress. The originally red dress was so dirty that its original color was almost invisible, and her sleeves were empty.
A wire was looped around her neck, and a milk powder can hung from the wire. There were a few coins in the can, and the sound they had heard just now was the coins hitting the tin can.
"Gu Gu, Gu Gu..."
The little girl's bright eyes looked at them, and she made a "Gu Gu" sound.
"Xiao... Xiao Lan...?"
Duan Dacheng trembled, his eyes wide open, revealing a look of sadness and anger. His heart felt as if it were being torn apart.
Duan Xiaohai was no better. At this moment, he seemed to understand what the cultivator had said earlier.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his body was trembling.
How could this be? How could a child be treated like this?
"Xiao... Xiao Lan..."
Duan Dacheng trembled, staggered forward, wanting to embrace his daughter, but he grasped at empty air. The surrounding scenery vanished in an instant, and they realized they were still standing at the entrance of the tobacco and liquor store.
Duan Dacheng was dazed for a moment. He glanced back at the mother and daughter embracing each other, then suddenly knelt down and kowtowed vigorously to Liu Nanfeng and the others.
Then, with his head still on the ground, he refused to get up and burst into uncontrollable sobs. The immense grief made his body tremble uncontrollably.
Duan Xiaohai wiped the tears from his face and walked forward, also kneeling down to kowtow.
"I'm showing you this not for you to thank me, but so that you will treat Gu Gu well from now on."
Su Jinxiu sighed and waved her hand, and the two of them stood up involuntarily.
"It's all my fault, I'm useless, I'm useless..."
Duan Dacheng suddenly raised his hands and slapped himself hard.
His face was filled with pain and regret.
Heaven, why? Why treat a child like this?
If there were any sins, let them be punished on him; he was willing to suffer this pain for his daughter.
Duan Xiaohai beside him quickly grabbed his father's hand.
Liu Nanfeng remained seated, unmoving.
He only let out a long, soft sigh, then looked up at the deep and distant sky.