Bang bang—
I was woken by a series of urgent knocks. Rubbing my eyes, I realized it was already bright outside. Zhang Dabiao was impatiently calling from the other side of the door.
"What time is it, and you're still asleep? If we don't leave soon, we'll be late for the flight..."
Bang bang—
I shot up from the bed and did a quick check of my body. There was nothing unusual. I instinctively pulled down my pants and felt inside; it was dry. Only then did I breathe a sigh of relief.
"So it was just a dream. You scared me to death."
I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead.
"Coming."
Then, shuffling in slippers, I opened the door, rubbed my eyes, and let out a huge yawn.
"Little brother, what time is it, and you're still sleeping? Hurry up and wash your face. Everything's loaded onto the car. We're just waiting for you now."
"Oh!"
Seeing my listless state, Zhang Dabiao looked at me with confusion. "Why are you so sleepy? What were you doing last night?"
I yawned again, a little annoyed. "You weren't fighting fires, so of course you're not tired. If you had been running up and down mountains all night, you might not be any better off than me..."
"Running up mountains? Fighting fires? Are you confused from sleep? We came back together yesterday. Where was there a mountain fire!" Zhang Dabiao placed his hand on my forehead, then on his own. "You don't have a fever? Why are you talking nonsense so early in the morning?"
I swatted his hand away, feeling a bit indignant. "Don't you know about the huge fire at the old house west of the village last night? And we didn't come back together yesterday. Didn't I tell you I went to the old house west of the village? What are you playing dumb with me for?"
I was displeased with Zhang Dabiao's behavior. Yesterday, I wanted to tell you about the Tiger Kui Seal, but you refused. How can you pretend not to know after one night?
Zhang Dabiao stared at me blankly. "Little brother, what are you talking about? We came back together yesterday. As soon as you got back, you said you were tired and wanted to sleep. When did you go to the old house west of the village?"
Zhang Dabiao's words made me a little angry. This wasn't a joke. After returning from Fang Huixin's place yesterday, I went to the old house west of the village, and then halfway...
I recounted everything that happened yesterday from beginning to end, but I omitted the part about the Tiger Kui Seal. Because he had said he didn't want to know this secret, I didn't mention it. As for the marriage with the Fifth Princess, that was even less to be said, because it was just a dream I had. If I told him, wouldn't he laugh me to death?
To think that a dignified Yin Gua Master would have a ghost marriage, and I, the person involved, didn't even know.
After listening to my account, Zhang Dabiao frowned and said, "That shouldn't be. When did I ever say something like that to you? It seems you're really confused from sleep. Forget it, stop thinking about it and get ready to leave."
"Confused from sleep? No way?"
If I was truly confused from sleep, this dream was too realistic. It was so real that I felt I had to go and see the old house west of the village, no matter what. If there really wasn't a fire, then I was truly confused from sleep.
During breakfast, Xu Yi walked in from outside, saying he was here to see us off.
Seeing him arrive, my heart leaped with joy, saving me a trip. I couldn't help but ask, "Xu Yi, did anything strange happen in the village yesterday?" I didn't mention the fire at the old house west of the village, fearing he would also think I was crazy.
"Strange things? What strange things?" Xu Yi looked utterly bewildered. His surprised expression didn't seem fake at all, so I gave up the idea of going to the old house west of the village. I’d just consider it a dream brought on by being too tired lately.
Zhang Dabiao, quick-eyed and nimble, spoke first. "Brother Song is confused from sleep. He said the old house west of the village caught fire. He was just telling me about it."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yi burst into laughter. "Brother Song, you might be under too much pressure lately, so having dreams is normal."
Me: "..."
There's no need to describe the mood of returning home. This trip not only earned enough money for my father's medical treatment but also gained a spirit pet for free. Although the process was a bit bumpy, weren't great men said to have said that high risk leads to high reward?
It can be said that this trip to the south was very rewarding, several times better than the expected outcome.
The thought of going home made my heart burn with passion. With money, I could save my father and finally understand what happened ten years ago. As for the murderer who caused my family's ruin, I would definitely not let him get away with it.
As the car reached the village entrance, I saw a slightly familiar figure through the window. I quickly stopped the car. By the time I got out, the figure had disappeared from sight.
"What's wrong?" Zhang Dabiao, who had also gotten out, asked curiously.
"Nothing, I might have seen things. I was mistaken." Su Dan Novel Network
Xu Yi had said that his men saw Sun Chuang leave Molu Village in a car with a strange woman, so that person couldn't be Sun Chuang. I must have been mistaken.
...
After five or six hours of bumpy travel, I returned to the village where I had lived for ten years, which was my master's home. They say one hesitates to return home, but I was hesitant to face my home.
Originally, my master said this trip would only take ten days, but with my delay, it dragged on for nearly a month before I returned. I didn't know how he would deal with me.
Zhang Dabiao and I parted ways at the train station. He said he hadn't been home in a month and wanted to see his family first. We exchanged phone numbers and addresses, and he invited me to visit his home when I had time.
"Why aren't we leaving yet? I'm hungry."
On the way to the airport, Bai Ling'er caught up to me. The plan to take a plane fell through, and we had to take a train back. The vendors on the train were delighted on the way back.
Because of Bai Ling'er, the big eater, no meat dish escaped its clutches. In the end, all the cash I and Zhang Dabiao had was eaten up by it by the time we got off the train, forcing me to go withdraw money as the first thing I did after getting off.
"We're leaving now. Don't say anything out of line when you meet my master. My master has a bad temper. Be careful he doesn't deal with you."
Bai Ling'er let out a dismissive "Tch" and then shot up to the top of my head.
"He's just a little old man. What kind of waves can he stir up?"
I had experienced Bai Ling'er's "arrogance" countless times. The more I talked to it, the more it argued. It was only after being dealt with by my master once that it would understand the principle that there is always someone better and higher powers.
There weren't many people in my master's village. Including my master, there were only about forty households. Because of my master, everyone in the village knew me.
So, as soon as I entered the village, I was greeted by a barrage of questions from all the aunties and uncles.
"Qingyun, where did you go to get rich? Next time you get rich, can you take your brother Gouzi along?"
I quickly nodded and said next time, I definitely would if there was an opportunity.
Although I said that, in my heart, I didn't think so, because Gouzi was an idiot. Although he was over twenty years old, his intelligence was only that of a seven or eight-year-old.
Standing at the door of my house, I took a deep breath, pushed open the courtyard gate, and shouted, "Master, I'm back."