"Sister Su Qing, you're going to Hangcheng too. Are you going for a field trip, or are you going to find Uncle Li Xuan?" In the airport lounge in Jingcheng District, Yi Fan teased Su Qing, who was dressed impeccably.
"Good for you, Yi Fan, you're actually making fun of me now. I'm going for a field trip. And you, Miss Yi San, what are you going to Hangcheng for?" Su Qing's face flushed upon hearing this and she playfully nudged Yi Fan.
"I'm just going to find Uncle Li Xuan. I'm not like some people who say one thing and mean another. Sister Su Qing, you're a chairman, do you really need to do a field trip? And you only decided to go to Hangcheng after I called you."
"Sister Su Qing, what do you expect me to think?" Yi Fan covered her mouth and chuckled.
"Alright, so what if I'm going to see Li Xuan? You little girl, you're too smart for your age. Whoever marries you in the future will have to be well-prepared." Su Qing glared at Yi Fan helplessly, then continued, "Yi Fan, do you know where Li Xuan lives?"
"I really don't. But once we get to Hangcheng, we can ask my friend for help. He works at the municipal bureau, so finding Uncle Li Xuan shouldn't be difficult." Yi Fan shook her head but didn't look flustered at all.
"So you had it all planned out, you little trickster. Fine, let's travel together then." Su Qing nodded.
The next day, 11 AM. Dongcheng District, station.
After alighting from the high-speed train, Li Xuan went to the ticket counter to buy a bus ticket to Dongyi Town. Li Xuan's hometown was just a small mountain village without direct bus service. Since Dongyang Village was under the jurisdiction of Dongyi Town, Li Xuan had to go to Dongyi Town first before making further plans.
"Dongyi Town is here, anyone getting off, shout out!" After a bumpy three-hour journey, the driver called out to the back, and someone responded. Seeing passengers disembarking, the bus slowly came to a halt.
Li Xuan got off the bus and glanced at the familiar yet unfamiliar streets. Faint memories of leaving his hometown as a child surfaced in his mind. Since leaving his hometown for university, this was Li Xuan's first time returning home in many years.
After about ten minutes, Li Xuan finally found a private car willing to take him to Dongyang Village. Once inside, Li Xuan chatted with the driver to understand the general situation of Dongyi Town before closing his eyes to rest.
Dongyang Village was quite a distance from Dongyi Town. After driving for nearly two hours, the car finally stopped. It was now five in the evening.
The familiar scenes from his memory appeared before his eyes. Although many of the houses from his childhood had been renovated and rebuilt, the mountains and the river remained.
Following his memory, Li Xuan slowly walked towards his home. His house had collapsed during the earthquake. During the post-disaster reconstruction, Li Xuan's family had been allocated a new house.
At that time, Li Xuan was already at school and couldn't return when he heard the news about the house allocation. Therefore, the house under Li Xuan's name had been temporarily entrusted to the village head for safekeeping.
As night fell, Li Xuan's gaze shifted to a row of commercial houses not far away. His parents' belongings had been stored in the newly allocated house by the village head. As a child returning home, Li Xuan naturally had to visit.
At this time, it was the hour when most households returned from their farm work. Seeing Li Xuan, a stranger, the villagers gathered around him, whispering and discussing. Li Xuan paid no mind to their chatter; such situations were common in the village.
"Excuse me, big sister, could you tell me how to get to the village head's house?" Li Xuan withdrew his gaze and asked a middle-aged woman with a slightly plump build standing beside him.
"Looking for the village head? Go straight ahead, turn a corner, and walk about two hundred meters. There's a well in front of the village head's house. You'll know you've arrived when you see the well," the middle-aged woman said enthusiastically, pointing ahead.
"Thank you, big sister." Li Xuan nodded slightly. After thanking her, he walked in the direction the woman had indicated.
"Aunt Liu, is this young man a relative of the village head? Look at his fair skin and tender hands, he must be from the city, right? When did the village head's family get such a relative?" As Li Xuan left, a farm woman of similar age to the middle-aged woman asked.
Since Li Xuan started cultivating, his skin had indeed become fairer and more tender. Combined with the removal of impurities from his body, it was difficult to guess his true age.
"How would I know if he's a relative of the village head? If you want to know, why don't you go and see for yourself?" the middle-aged woman replied, turning her head.
"I feel like this young man looks familiar. I think I've seen him somewhere before," a middle-aged man mused.
"..."
"Hey, what are you all chatting about here? Tell me, what's the latest gossip in the village?" Just as they were discussing, a slightly sharp voice suddenly rang out.
The crowd, who had been chatting lively, immediately changed their expressions and quickly dispersed with their farming tools.
"Uncle Village Head, are you home?" Li Xuan called out towards the house, looking at the well in front of him.
However, Li Xuan frowned slightly. Compared to the row of commercial houses outside, this house was vastly different. It was still a tiled house from his memory. Although it had been reinforced, there were several cracks on the walls.
Furthermore, the lights were not on inside at this hour. If Li Xuan hadn't sensed a life force, he would have thought no one lived there.
"Who is it?" As soon as Li Xuan spoke, a hoarse voice came from inside the house. Shortly after, a figure appeared at the doorway.
This person was about sixty years old, with some gray in his hair. His body was hunched, showing the unmistakable marks of time. This person was the village head of Dongyang Village, Li Weiye.
"Uncle Village Head, it's Li Xuan." Seeing the familiar face, Li Xuan quickly stepped forward to support Li Weiye.
"Li Xuan? Is that you, Li Xuan? After so many years, you've grown so tall." Li Weiye looked up, trying to get a good look at Li Xuan.
A hint of excitement could be seen in his expression.
After all, they were from the same village, and Li Xuan had lost his parents at a young age. At that time, Li Xuan had to rely on Li Weiye, so their bond was quite deep.
"Uncle Village Head, I'm sorry. I haven't visited you in so many years." Li Xuan sighed, a trace of self-reproach on his face.
Although Li Xuan hadn't regained his memories at that time, it was still his fault. The people who had taken care of him were now living in such circumstances.
In Li Xuan's memory, Li Weiye's son had died in the army. It was only after Li Xuan's parents perished in the earthquake that Li Weiye had taken him in without hesitation. In essence, Li Weiye had treated Li Xuan as his own child.
"It's okay, it's okay. I heard from the school that you lost contact after graduation, so I had to return to the village and wait. I thought I might not see you return, but today you're here. Come, come inside and sit," Li Weiye said with a smile, waving his hands. He then took Li Xuan's arm and led him inside.
"Uncle, why is your place so dilapidated? Didn't they allocate a house to me? Why aren't you living in it?" Li Xuan asked directly, frowning as he saw Li Weiye light a candle after entering the house.
"The house... Li Xuan, that house... Alas, I've failed you, Uncle." As soon as Li Xuan finished speaking, Li Weiye's hand trembled. He looked at Li Xuan, and tears streamed down his weathered face.
"Uncle, don't get agitated. Take a deep breath first." Li Xuan quickly supported Li Weiye, and after channeling a stream of spiritual energy, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's alright, Li Xuan. That house... it's my fault, I've failed you." A few minutes later, Li Weiye's breathing had stabilized. After looking at Li Xuan, he sighed and said.
"Uncle, tell me what happened," Li Xuan asked.
"Alas. That house was taken over by Li Quan."