Once the inner core was saturated with moonlight, it returned to Ye Tian's body. Upon its return, the inner core immediately released a comfortable energy that slowly permeated Ye Tian's primordial spirit. Ye Tian felt a wave of drowsiness. He returned to his room, embraced Lin Ziyi, and fell into a deep sleep.
He woke up at seven in the morning. After getting ready, the two returned to the Lin family for breakfast, then accompanied Xiao Ying to her parents' home.
Xiao Ying's home was located in a county town under Haicheng City, named Liangfan County. Liangfan County was historically well-known for producing several prominent figures, but its current economy was rather backward, trailing behind other regions in Haicheng.
Below the county town was a small town called Qingxu Town, and Xiao Ying's parents lived in a village beneath Qingxu Town, named Baiqiao Village.
Baiqiao Village was largely situated amidst mountain ranges, with only its edges accessible by a road leading down the mountain. Consequently, most villagers worked elsewhere, and few young people chose to stay.
At this moment, a Bentley drove to the entrance of Baiqiao Village. The village roads were too narrow, so Zhang Jiliang had to park the car outside. Ye Tian and the others then walked to Xiao Ying's home.
Xiao Ying's full name was Zhou Xiaoying. Her father was Zhou Daqi, and her mother was Zhang Xinghong.
The Zhou family resided at the far end of the village. Their location was not ideal, requiring a walk from the village entrance to the very end to find their house.
Zhang Jiliang carried some gifts. Xiao Ying had not intended to bring any gifts; in fact, she didn't even want to return home. However, Lin Ziyi felt that he was her biological father after all, so she selected some gifts from home to bring along.
Upon arriving at the gate, Xiao Ying suddenly hid behind Lin Ziyi, feeling a strong aversion to this home.
The main gate was open. A yellow dog lay in the yard, its eyes looking over.
Ye Tian: "Is anyone home?"
The door in the middle of the three tile-roofed houses was pushed open, and a man in his late forties, not yet fifty, wearing pajamas, walked out, a cigarette dangling from his lips, looking towards them as he walked.
Recognizing the man, Lin Ziyi smiled and said, "Uncle Zhou, Xiao Ying is back from the capital to visit you."
Upon seeing Lin Ziyi, Zhou Daqi's eyes lit up. He walked out quickly with a laugh, saying, "Miss Lin! It's been over a year since we last met." His gaze then fell upon Ye Tian.
Ye Tian's attire and demeanor clearly indicated he was no ordinary person. He asked with a smile, "And who is this?"
Ye Tian: "Hello, I'm Ziyi's boyfriend."
"Oh, oh, so you're Ziyi's boyfriend. You two are a perfect match!" With that, his gaze finally shifted to Xiao Ying, who stood at the very back.
Zhou Daqi said with a smile, "Xiao Ying, quickly bring our guests inside."
As he ushered the guests into the house, he discreetly picked up his phone and made a call, while also shouting into the house, "Wife, quickly entertain our distinguished guests."
As soon as the call connected, he immediately walked towards the main gate, saying with a smile, "Please make yourselves comfortable. I'll go get some dishes."
Under the pretense of getting dishes, he stepped outside and lowered his voice, saying, "Fourth Master, my daughter is back... Yes, hurry and bring your people over. Take her away today. She's just a girl; once the deed is done, he'll have to accept it. Mmm, mmm, don't worry, I'm her father, I can handle things here. But Fourth Brother, my daughter has a master's degree from a prestigious university. The amount you quoted earlier was too low. Nowadays, who doesn't pay three to four hundred thousand for a wife? You're only giving me three hundred and fifty thousand, that's too little! What, you're willing to pay five hundred thousand? Haha, alright, I'll get rid of the outsiders right away."
After hanging up the phone, he walked back towards the house with a smile.
Meanwhile, Ye Tian, Lin Ziyi, and the others were already seated in the living room. The living room was messy, with various items piled everywhere. The sofa, having been used for a long time, had a greasy film on its surface. A television set sat in the middle, covered in smudges. A young man, around twenty years old, was lounging on the sofa playing a game. Upon seeing people arrive, he merely glanced up without acknowledging them.
A middle-aged woman, her face weathered and her clothing very shabby, was pouring water for them. However, the water she poured was alkaline and undrinkable. Her right hand was disabled, having been injured in her youth, and she was unsteady as she poured.