When Su Xiaowen spoke of helping others, she was exceptionally serious.
Bai Sixiang nodded, a warmth spreading through her heart.
Not long after, Xue Guilan emerged from the house, with Su Dadong following. He said, "Teacher Xue, please go slowly. Ah, I mean, you're so old, and you still have to worry about our affairs, this..."
Seeing his words, Xue Guilan waved her hand, signaling him to stop.
"That's settled. You'll go to school as usual tomorrow. I've already spoken with Jianguo. He'll pick up the child. You wash her clothes and let her go to school!"
After Xue Guilan finished speaking, she turned to Liu Sandao and Bai Sixiang, saying, "Let's go, we'll head back. Bring that along!"
Liu Sandao knew what she was referring to and immediately picked up the snakeskin bag leaning against the roadside.
That was, like Su Xiaowen, the hope of the children.
The moon was bright and the stars were few. Though it was a mountain road, the walk felt exceptionally smooth.
Bai Sixiang and Xue Guilan chatted and laughed, while Liu Sandao walked silently behind.
After resting for the night, Liu Sandao flipped out his Fortune Manual and made a significant discovery.
Xue Guilan, a Nine-Star person.
This greatly exceeded Liu Sandao's expectations. He hadn't imagined that a Nine-Star person would live in such a secluded corner.
According to the Fortune Manual, Nine-Star people accumulated deep virtue and good deeds over three generations in their past lives.
He had already encountered two Eight-Star people: Hao Yumei and Hu Youzhen. Both were wealthy and noble individuals, living in conditions far superior to Xue Guilan's.
Yet, what had she received? Merely a rural courtyard with three rooms, and it was somewhat dilapidated.
Liu Sandao was perplexed.
Without realizing it, midnight arrived. In a daze, he heard some sounds.
It sounded like something was faintly rustling. He immediately opened his eyes.
But the room was pitch black, and there was nothing there.
He pretended to be asleep, closing his eyes. If it were a malevolent spirit, he would be able to sense it.
It was very strange; there wasn't a trace of a malevolent spirit, yet there was a faint rustling sound.
Hearing this sound again, Liu Sandao could no longer lie still. He sat up abruptly.
Holding his breath and concentrating, he tried to perceive the surrounding sounds. He feared missing anything and allowing an opportunity to be exploited.
"Hiss!"
A sound flew in from outside the wall.
Liu Sandao focused his gaze and saw the Qilin Jade.
It was very strange; why would it fly over?
The Qilin Jade let out a hissing sound, paused before Liu Sandao's eyes, and then, with a "whoosh," flew into the Fortune Manual beside him.
Liu Sandao hurriedly opened the Fortune Manual. Xue Guilan's name appeared within, on the third page.
Her name was not glowing, but it was different from usual, emitting an unusual light tinged with purple energy.
"Hiss!"
The Qilin Jade landed next to the characters "Xue Gui Lan," as if a qilin were resting beside it.
Liu Sandao knew this was the sound of the Fude Hai Soul Crystal. It must have made a discovery.
As Liu Sandao's mind calmed, the rustling sound echoed again. Liu Sandao entered meditation and truly felt its presence.
It was like a small deer running through the mountains and plains, or a joyful bird soaring through the forests, sometimes the call of a deer, sometimes the fragrance of birds and flowers.
Harmonious rays of sunlight shone upon the entire land, peaceful and serene.
A melodious tune floated through the air like flowers. Liu Sandao closed his eyes, sensing the joy. He could even feel the good karma within him, which had previously ripened slowly, now cheerfully shifting.
At this moment, he saw a giant fruit tree laden with ripe fruits.
Each one bloomed with a smiling face, while others lay peacefully around the tree, gently swaying.
It seemed as if the tree were singing to them, or perhaps the sound of their swaying was singing to the tree.
Everything was so wonderful, so beautiful that Liu Sandao felt his spirit wandering in the sky. He seemed to have returned to Sheng Shui Shi, and in the distance, he saw the misty sea.
"Ding dong! Ding dong!"
A knock on the door shattered this beautiful dream, and Liu Sandao instantly woke up.
"Liu Sandao, hurry up and get dressed, we're leaving!"
It was Bai Sixiang's voice, crisp and a bit domineering.
Liu Sandao didn't know when she had started issuing such commanding calls to him.
Of course, he had no reason to argue with a mortal girl.
"Coming!"
Liu Sandao replied and got out of bed to perform a simple wash.
It was now five or six in the morning. Could he find anything to scavenge this early?
On the road, he learned that this was a habit Xue Guilan had cultivated over many years. She couldn't sleep past this hour anyway and thought it better to go out for a walk, considering it exercise.
Early to bed and early to rise was indeed a good way to maintain health.
In fact, Xue Guilan's daily scavenging route was generally fixed, except for the occasional visit to a residential area ten li away.
That was a large complex with nearly a hundred buildings, large and small.
This was something Xue Guilan mentioned later.
They hadn't planned to go there today. Instead, they encountered a fellow scavenger on the road, an old man with a hunched back.
"Hey! Sister Xue, don't go to the alley neighborhood today, it's not safe there!"
The man looked much older than Xue Guilan, but his words didn't sound like it.
"No, no, we weren't planning to go today. We've been picking up scraps there for years and haven't encountered any trouble!"
Xue Guilan said, trying to comfort him.
"Alas, I went there yesterday. Do you know who I ran into?" the old man said, sighing.
"Who?"
"Huang Chunfa! The youngest son of the Huang family who never amounts to anything!" the old man said, sounding helpless and resentful.
"Oh, when did he come back?"
From Xue Guilan's tone, it seemed she knew this person as well.
"This... how would I know? Anyway, you just don't go there. Even if you do, you have to go around it!" the man said indignantly, then turned and left.
From his tone, Liu Sandao gathered that Huang Chunfa must be a scoundrel, otherwise, people wouldn't speak of him like that.
Just as Bai Sixiang was about to inquire who he was, Xue Guilan encountered another acquaintance.
"Sister Lan, you're still up so early!" A woman, looking as if she had just woken up, was holding a chamber pot.
The public latrine was not far ahead. This was an urban village where many migrants and ordinary people lived.
"Eh, good morning to you too!"
Xue Guilan greeted her.
"Sister Lan, you're something else. You're at an age where you should be enjoying your retirement. Why are you still picking up scraps? Your daughter and son-in-law are county officials. They should have taken you in long ago to enjoy life. It's really not right for you to suffer like this!"