"Brother Liangliang."

"Hmm?"

"Are there any other engineering issues elsewhere that need checking?"

"I only have... should I find more for you?"

"No, it's alright."

"Then Xiao Yuan, you..."

"Brother Liangliang, can I take a few days to think about this before replying?"

"That's fine. The old exploration team has already withdrawn, and the new one isn't set up yet. If you plan to go, I can add you directly to the list."

"Alright, I'll think it over and get back to you."

"Xiao Yuan, I won't..."

"Brother Liangliang, this isn't your concern. Just do what you think is right. Engineering is the most important."

"Got it."

End the call.

Li Zhiyuan bought some snacks from Aunt Zhang, packing them into two bags.

The boy and the girl each carried a bag, holding hands with their free hands.

They didn't head back home but instead followed their original plan to Big Beard's house.

Beng Beng, who was holding onto the railings of the crib, laughing happily at the Peach Forest, noticed their arrival and immediately sat down to the east, beginning to count his fingers.

Li Zhiyuan placed the two bags of snacks into the crib.

Beng Beng's mouth opened wide in surprise, forming an "O" shape.

He didn't understand why big brother was suddenly being so kind to him and even feeding him.

The main reason was that Li Zhiyuan didn't encounter Hu Zi or Shitou on his way and didn't want to carry them back.

Normal infants have a more bland diet, and these strong-tasting snacks aren't suitable for them, but Beng Beng is an exception. He could go down to the lake with his parents at a very young age, and now he sleeps soundly even when carried by Deadman. This kind of snack isn't a big deal for him.

Beng Beng was smart. After Li Zhiyuan and Alii left for the herb garden, he began trying to tear open the package with his little hands. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He succeeded and fed himself the snack.

In that instant, Beng Beng's face seemed to glow.

But before he could grab another piece, a hand reached into the crib, taking away all the opened and unopened snacks.

Beng Beng looked up, seeing Xiao Yingying standing in front of him.

His mouth pouted, feeling very wronged.

Xiao Yingying handed the baby bottle to Beng Beng's mouth. Instinctively, he held the bottle with both hands, took a few sips, then spit out the nipple, sighing as he held the bottle.

Xiao Yingying turned and went inside to prepare materials for making paper art.

About half an hour later, when Xiao Yingying came out again, she found Lihua and Xiong Shan sitting by the crib.

They were not only feeding each other snacks but also giving some to their son. Beng Beng was delighted, holding onto the railings and stomping with joy, while the family was filled with happiness.

Upon seeing this scene, Xiao Yingying's eyes gradually turned red, and water began dripping from her fingertips hanging by her sides, soaking her clothes.

Lihua, Xiong Shan, and Beng Beng sensed a strong Deadman atmosphere.

The family of three paused their chewing and looked at Xiao Yingying.

Lihua, feeling a bit embarrassed, put down the snack bag, saying she was going to wholesale bamboo;

Xiong Shan wiped the spicy oil from the corner of his mouth, exclaiming "oh dear" as he remembered he forgot to tidy up the fishpond.

The two adults quickly went their separate ways.

Even Beng Beng quickly sat down properly, holding the bottle and sucking away.

Xiao Yingying felt as if she were the real mother, and the other two were just step parents who only knew how to make the child happy.

She controlled her emotions as the resentment faded and before changing her clothes, she approached the crib, pointing at the snacks and asking:

"Who brought these to you?"

Beng Beng pointed firmly in the direction Xiong Shan had just left.

...

Near noon, Li Zhiyuan and Alii finished their work, preparing to go home for lunch.

Old Tian walked along with them and sat in the wheelchair as they approached home.

The main reason being that recovering too quickly would be hard to explain to Li Sanjiang, so Old Tian intended to take it step by step.

After lunch, Li Zhiyuan went upstairs to take a shower, while Alii was taken by Liu Yumei to bathe in the East Room.

In the afternoon, the sky turned cloudy, and a breeze began to blow. The rain seemed on the verge of falling.

Li Zhiyuan lay on a wicker chair, eyes closed, as if napping.

Alii sat in the adjacent wicker chair, holding a book of herbs, glancing at the boy beside her while flipping through the pages.

Li Zhiyuan wasn't sleeping; he was in the depths of his consciousness, at "home."

Upon entering the first floor, he saw the Body emerging from the basement, locking the door behind him.

Li Zhiyuan: "You're not hiding it anymore?"

Entering the house was just a formality. When the Body sensed his entry, it could appear in any room to await him.

Body: "You've already guessed there's an issue inside, so why bother hiding it?"

Li Zhiyuan: "But I don't know exactly what it is."

Body: "It doesn't matter, because there will always be another exact detail."

The two identical boys walked side by side upstairs.

The Body pointed to the two wicker chairs on the terrace, asking: "Sit here?"

Li Zhiyuan shook his head: "Let's go inside."

The Body didn't refuse, following him inside.

Li Zhiyuan sat by the bed, the Body took a seat on a chair by the desk, spinning it around to face Li Zhiyuan.

Body: "You don't want to go to Fengdu."

Li Zhiyuan: "It just feels a bit too soon."

Body: "Emperor Fengdu won't naively wait for you to succeed in Zou Jiang and become an adult before sending you an invitation."

Li Zhiyuan: "I understand."

Body: "Since the wave from Dream Ghost, the Great Emperor has wanted you to return to Fengdu. It was just that back then it was under the guise of Yin Meng returning home for ancestral rites.