Corpse Recovery Diver

"I'm just stating the facts. But you, kid, aren't you going back to Fujian for the New Year?"

"I'm going back to Nantong for the New Year. After the festival, I'll return to my hometown in Fujian."

"Won't that be too late?"

"No, the family will celebrate again because I'm coming back."

At the dorm entrance, Zhou Yunyun stood with a bag, waiting.

Seeing Zhou Yunyun, Lin Shuyou seemed like a mouse spotting a cat.

"Hello, Sister Yun."

Without raising his head, he greeted her and then hurried into the dorm with his papers.

Tan Wenbin was a bit puzzled, "That kid always seems quite afraid of you."

Every time he went to find Zhou Yunyun, Lin Shuyou would disappear for a long while. Initially, Tan Wenbin thought the kid was being considerate, understanding not to be a third wheel. Later, he noticed something was off, as the kid seemed to be deliberately avoiding Zhou Yunyun.

"I've washed all your dirty clothes from the dorm. These two clothes were torn, so I brought them back to fix and will return them later."

"Don't do that, if you treat me like this, I'll get spoiled."

"How's your injury, is it okay?"

"It's alright, recovering well. I probably won't need crutches before heading home for the New Year."

"Then I'll head back; I have an exam this afternoon."

"Good luck, try to get a scholarship."

"You too."

"I missed too many classes, can't get one. It should go to someone more deserving."

Zhou Yunyun stepped forward, hugged Tan Wenbin, and then turned to leave.

Tan Wenbin just stood there, watching the girl walk away.

"She's already far gone, and you're still watching?"

The voice of his father, Tan Yunlong, came from behind.

"Dad, how long have you been here?"

"For a while."

Tan Yunlong hid for a while, after all, when he saw his son's girlfriend helping with laundry, it was quite embarrassing for him to step in, as he couldn't exactly offer, "Let me help you wash them too?"

"Dad, the cigarettes are in my pants pocket."

"You cheeky brat." Tan Yunlong took out cigarettes from his own pocket.

Tan Wenbin said, "Smoke mine, there's a Huazi in my pocket."

"Heh." Tan Yunlong reached into Tan Wenbin's pocket to take out the opened Huazi, one for himself and one for his son, "Your taste has upgraded quite quickly."

"Lately, I've been busy connecting with teachers, can't do without offering good cigarettes."

"Why are you always up to such dodgy things?"

All his life, Tan Yunlong never liked flattery or networking. Yet, the son he raised turned out slick and suave.

Tan Wenbin said, "It's okay, there aren't many black sheep like me in this society."

"As long as you know it yourself. By the way, your mom wants you, her, and Zhou Yunyun to return together for the New Year."

"What about you? Aren't you going back? Director Tan, that's not right; just got promoted and already forgotten the folks back home?"

"It's busy during the New Year, I can't get away."

"Then I can't either, I have someone here."

"You little brat."

"You old man."

The father and son smoked together in silence.

All Tan Yunlong could say was, "Then I'll take some time off, drive your mom back to Nantong."

"Now, that's more like it."

"Can't really count on you." After saying that, Tan Yunlong laughed himself.

The words truly lacked confidence.

"Dad, let me wish you an early New Year." Tan Wenbin clasped his hands and then stuffed that pack of Huazi into his father's pocket.

"You keep it, it's not appropriate for me to carry it, bad influence."

"No worries, just sneak a smoke in the office."

Returning to the dorm, after doing some exercises and memorizing some key points, Tan Wenbin crutched out again, heading to Grandma Liu's house.

The old lady's mood had been improving lately. She loved chatting but disliked serious topics and preferred to talk about everyday life.

So Tan Wenbin specifically gathered many love stories from the school and some family rumors from Fatty Wu.

Every visit consisted of an afternoon of chatting with the old lady, snacking on sunflower seeds, and in the evening, enjoying a meal made by the chef at Songxiang Building.

These days, with crutches and good food, he gained a few pounds.

"Yo, old man, busy huh?"

"Ah, Mr. Tan is here."

After a brief greeting, Tan Wenbin crutched upstairs and as soon as he entered the room, set the scene:

"Grandma, about that teacher dating a student I mentioned last time, the affair got exposed, and guess what happened..."

...

Li Zhiyuan's life had been very regular recently.

Apart from taking morning and evening walks with Grandmaster in the village, he spent the rest of his time revisiting and organizing the arrays, Feng Shui, and skills he had mastered earlier.

As his understanding deepened, he needed to readapt everything; otherwise, it would be like a carriage pulling a locomotive.

It's a complicated and meticulous systematic engineering.

Because for most people, their understanding lags behind their practical application, many set up arrays and use skills without knowing the "why" behind them.

Li Zhiyuan was an exception. More exceptionally, his understanding was able to leap further from an already high level.

This was, a fortunate dilemma.

Xue Liangliang was staying there as well, and his life was just as regular.

Every day before dawn, he rode his tricycle out of the house, only returning after dark.

Once back, he fell asleep quickly, thoroughly exhausted.

Living an early-to-bed, early-to-rise lifestyle, his days were fuller than anyone else's at home.

Even Grandmaster couldn't help but sigh, "Almost New Year, yet the child's work is still so busy, really not easy."

But since that day, Xue Liangliang didn't go out again because the village head had called a meeting; the village needed to allocate some home lots and have houses built in advance.

This was to accommodate future resettling of immigrants from the Three Gorges.