The woman spoke calmly, as if blaming Xue Guilan's daughter and son-in-law for being unfilial.
Xue Guilan, however, was not angry, even though the situation was not as she saw or understood it.
Seeing that Xue Guilan did not respond, the woman walked towards the restroom.
But this remark piqued Bai Suxiang's curiosity. Was it true, as the woman said, that Xue Guilan's daughter and son-in-law had abandoned her?
How unfilial! Xue Guilan was such a good person; how could they bear to treat her like that?
Bai Suxiang truly wished for an opportunity to meet them and speak to them directly.
Xue Guilan did not dwell on the matter. Instead, she diligently swept the area and brought back any discarded items she could find to the small courtyard.
As the three of them entered the courtyard, Bai Suxiang caught a whiff of meat.
"Wow! What delicious food is this, it smells so good?"
Bai Suxiang was naturally unable to resist the smell of meat, so upon smelling it, she couldn't help but exclaim.
"It must be Director Cai! Hahaha! Director Cai! Director Cai!"
As soon as she put down the snakeskin bag, she shouted and ran into the small room next to the stove.
That was the designated cooking area; they cooked inside during winter and outside during the hot summer.
"Huh? Who are you?"
Before she could step over the threshold, Bai Suxiang stopped and asked.
Inside were a man and a woman, both appearing to be in their forties or fifties.
"Who are you?"
The woman retorted.
Xue Guilan, however, remained calm. She unhurriedly placed the bag in her hand in the backyard, then walked out unhurriedly and reached the kitchen entrance.
"Mom! You're back! Dinner will be ready in ten minutes, you guys go wash your hands first!"
Upon hearing the woman call her "Mom," Bai Suxiang understood. These must be the unfilial daughter and son-in-law that others had spoken of!
Why were they here?
"Mhm!"
Xue Guilan responded.
"And who is this?"
Bai Suxiang was about to say something.
"This is my mother, I am her daughter!"
The woman quickly chimed in, her tone full of warmth and affection, not at all like an unfilial daughter.
Bai Suxiang glanced at Xue Guilan. Xue Guilan nodded and said with a smile:
"Alright, let's wash our hands and get ready to eat!"
It was around ten in the morning, which was a bit late for breakfast as usual. However, some people were accustomed to eating at this time.
"Teacher Xue!"
A voice came from outside the door. It was clearly Director Cai.
"Oh my! A county magistrate, cooking himself!"
As Director Cai entered the courtyard, he saw the man placing steamed buns on the table in the yard!
"Heh heh, not at all! You've come at just the right time!"
The man replied.
"Hahaha, whether it's timely or not, I'm not eating! I'm just dropping this off and leaving!"
Said Director Cai, carrying a plastic bag into the backyard.
"You're not eating? That saves us quite a few rations! Hahaha!"
The young woman said with a smile.
Bai Suxiang, usually quick-witted, found herself a little disoriented.
These people, who were supposedly bad, showed no signs of it at all.
As they spoke, the dishes and buns were all laid out.
They all sat around the table and began to eat. It was during this meal that Bai Suxiang and Liu Sandao truly got to know Xue Guilan and her daughter and son-in-law.
Director Cai did not leave in a hurry, but he did not eat either. He found a stool and sat aside, chatting with everyone.
It turned out that Xue Guilan's daughter and son-in-law were both officials in a county under Wu Kui City.
The son-in-law held a higher position, equivalent to a county magistrate, while the daughter was a regular clerk. Their child had graduated from a prestigious university and had a good job with a considerable income.
When Xue Guilan first started this work, her daughter was adamantly opposed, insisting that she should not endure such hardship!
Xue Guilan had considered the impact of her actions on them, but ultimately chose to continue.
First, it was a legitimate occupation; she did not steal or cheat.
Second, her initial intention was to use her own abilities to help some children get an education.
Third, it was good exercise, far better than waiting to be supported by her daughter and son-in-law after retirement. Besides, they both had jobs; how could they possibly take care of her?
Her son-in-law initially felt it would look bad if this got out: a leading cadre not filial to his elder, making his mother pick up scraps. It could affect his future.
However, after witnessing the old woman's actions, he deeply understood the meaning of this work.
Slowly, whenever they had time, the couple would come over to cook a meal for the old woman, and together they would sort through the discarded items, exchange them for money, and donate it to needy children.
This endeavor itself was profoundly meaningful.
They had been doing this for many years and intended to continue after retirement.
Although there were many public welfare organizations and activities they could join, this endeavor felt more tangible and brought a greater sense of accomplishment.
So that's how it was. Listening to their chatter, Liu Sandao finally understood how the good fortune of a "Nine Star Person" was passed down to their descendants.
This time, he had encountered this "Nine Star Person" inadvertently. Surely he would not be ridiculed by Na Qianlai again?
But as Liu Sandao pondered, he still had to take precautions. Na Qianlai had indeed been injured in their previous encounter. He couldn't understand how that phantom image had possessed such power to injure his internal organs.
This had slightly slowed his recovery. Fortunately, he had ample "fortune fruits" to refine and absorb, but it still required half a month of seclusion.
The headless corpse, upon hearing this news, decided to achieve something significant to show Na Qianlai, lest all the glory be snatched by the "Ten-Faced Rakshasa."
Therefore, he took two "brothers" and left the Asura field, heading straight for Wu Kui City.
These two "brothers" were his close companions from his time in the human world. They had worked together until an accident led to them being silenced and annihilated, turning them into vengeful spirits. If the headless corpse hadn't attached itself to Na Qianlai, they would still be adrift.
His experiences from his past life told him to pick on the weak, and when finding people, one should seek out the vulnerable.
This was a lesson they had learned and proven effective when they were alive.
In today's cities, who were the weakest?
Naturally, it was beggars and scavengers, especially the elderly, those in their seventies and eighties.
Therefore, these groups became their targets. This time, they were sure to achieve an easy victory and return to claim rewards from Na Qianlai!
"Big brother, look, which one should we choose?"
One of the plump ghosts pointed at several people on the ground.
"Nonsense, I've told you before, pick the ones who are easy to bully! Look! That old woman!"