Corpse Recovery Diver-Chapter 579 - 106_4

In other words, he had just accelerated the process by a month.

Then, did Hu Yiwei have an accident?

After that, did Fan Shulin contact him for help?

It’s not necessarily him, people like Runsheng and Ah You, who go for surgeries and hospital stays every now and then, could also be contacted, right?

"Sigh, Brother Xiao Yuan really lives up to his name. Thinking along these lines makes it feel as if I have already gained a great advantage."

...

At noon, Yin Meng and Zheng Jiayi boarded a train bound for Huangshan Mountain, while Tan Wenbin got into a small car loaned by Hu Yiwei.

Meanwhile, Li Zhiyuan and Run Sheng had arrived under an archway where it was written: Min’an Town.

The town was full of Huizhou-style architecture, with stone bridges over lakes, pavilions and corridors, surrounded by green mountains and farmlands; every step was picturesque, every place was interesting.

This place is really a great spot for sketching.

Xue Liangliang once said, his hometown was beautiful, and indeed it was.

Actually, when Li Zhiyuan first heard the name "Huangshan Min’an Town" in Fatty Wu’s office, he thought of Xue Liangliang.

Last time he had a meeting with Mr. Luo, amidst their busy schedule, Mr. Luo managed to squeeze out half a day to return home, but then they had to deal with the incident of Jingjing being possessed by spirits, and after resolving the situation, they rushed to attend a meeting in Huangshan Mountain.

I remember Xue Liangliang saying, since it was close to home, he could visit his hometown after the meeting.

When Li Zhiyuan confirmed over the phone that Xue Liangliang’s hometown was indeed "Min’an Town", he didn’t ask further and didn’t page Xue Liangliang afterward for his home address.

He knew Brother Liangliang was clever, perhaps he had already been suspicious; asking more could have made him realize something had happened at his home.

Brother Liangliang is a very clear-headed person, he wouldn’t choose to come back and add trouble in this situation; thus Li Zhiyuan didn’t have to worry about him from so far away and would handle the situation himself.

The town had one main street lined with small shops, while other houses nestled along lanes on either side.

Li Zhiyuan found a grocery store where he bought two beverages, then asked the old lady about the whereabouts of Xue Liangliang’s house.

At that time, university students were still quite prized, so after Li Zhiyuan mentioned the university and his name, the lady warmly led him and Runsheng down a lane to a house.

The front gate of the house was wide open, and the old lady called inside in the local dialect, indicating that friends of Liangliang had come for a visit.

Xue Liangliang’s parents came out. They showed signs of aging, but were still robust. When Li Zhiyuan introduced himself, the elderly couple exclaimed together:

"So you’re Xiao Yuan."

Clearly, Xue Liangliang had spoken of him to his family, more than once.

Any potential awkwardness or formality dissipated at that moment, and Li Zhiyuan and Runsheng were warmly welcomed into the house, where the elders started cooking.

The old house seemed to have been renovated a couple of years ago.

The interior was modest, much like any ordinary household, but the details revealed a simplistic, yet unembarrassed way of life.

Xue Liangliang wasn’t too attached to money, but that was based on the condition of meeting basic needs; he definitely sent money home every month, although his parents continued in their familiar lifestyle, which comforted them.

The meal was substantial, especially the stinky mandarin fish was very tasty.

After dinner, the four sat in the courtyard, chatting.

Li Zhiyuan wasn’t in a rush to search around for information; everyone had their own line of responsibility; exploring one’s assigned lane thoroughly was most crucial.

Next month would be the 50th birthday of Xue Liangliang’s father, and he planned to have a grand celebration. When they talked about this, the elders were very happy.

At dusk, Xue Liangliang’s father took Li Zhiyuan to the long corridor in town by the river. Every day at this time, people would gather here to play chess and drink tea, occasionally someone would recite storytellings.

Li Zhiyuan felt like he was on a vacation.

During dinner, Li Zhiyuan discussed the birthday celebration again, also asking about local customs.

At bedtime, Li Zhiyuan and Runsheng slept in Xue Liangliang’s childhood room.

The old house, mainly wooden in structure, was not very soundproof. Li Zhiyuan, having particularly sharp hearing, could hear everything "clearly" from the couple in the next room.

They talked about him, mainly praising how handsome and smart their son was, which started their conversation.

Then, they focused on when Xue Liangliang would marry and when they could hold a grandchild, probably a key topic in the elderly couple’s nightly talks.

Just as this old topic was gradually coming to an end, Xue Liangliang’s mother suddenly remarked:

"I wonder when that adventure team will be back, they are all young kids, how can they be so bold to go to that village."

Xue Liangliang’s father seemed very averse to the topic, saying:

"Stop talking about this, let’s go to sleep."

Li Zhiyuan opened his eyes: An adventure team?

"Brother Runsheng, shall we go out for a walk?"

Li Zhiyuan knew Runsheng wasn’t asleep because he hadn’t started snoring.

"Alright."

The two deliberately left the house quietly, went into the alley, and then walked to the main street.

At this moment, the shops on the street were all closed, with hardly any pedestrians around. As they walked, they reached the archway they had passed through when they entered the town.

"Logically, if everything went smoothly for them, they should be arriving here by now. Brother Runsheng, what time is it?"

Runsheng glanced at his watch and said, "11:48."

"Let’s wait a bit longer, wait till midnight then go back to sleep."

...

Tan Wenbin sat in the car and said, "We’ve arrived, Brother Hu, look at the archway ahead, Min’an Town."

Hu Yiwei also heaved a sigh of relief, "Finally here, my back."

Tan Wenbin took a look at the time in the car: "We’ve been driving for so long, it’s already 11:49."

"If it weren’t for the flat tire we had on the way, we could have arrived earlier."

"Where shall we stay tonight? Shall we find a local house to stay in?"

"No, I want to go directly to her house."

Tan Wenbin nodded his head, saying nothing.

The car continued to drive forward, passing through the deserted archway.

...

Yin Meng and Zheng Jiayi were sitting in an ox cart, driven by an old man, and the cart was loaded with fertilizer and pesticides, on which they sat.

The old man said, "Next time, don’t travel so late, young girls. It’s not safe."

"Got it, grandpa," Zheng Jiayi replied with a smile.

"Alright, here we are. Your house is down the front alley, right? My house is at the end of the town, so I’ll let you off here."

Zheng Jiayi took out her wallet, ready to pay.

"Why give money? Although we don’t share the same surname, technically speaking, I am of your grandfather’s generation. Giving money would be criticized," said the old man before he continued driving the ox cart forward.

Yin Meng looked up at the archway above: Min’an Town. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Zheng Jiayi said, "Come on, I’ll take you to my uncle’s house."

"They must be asleep by now, right?"

"Definitely, people in the countryside go to bed early, let me see... whoa, it’s already 11:50."

...

Li Zhiyuan and Run Sheng waited under the archway until midnight but no one showed up.

"Let’s go, go back to sleep."

"Alright."

As they turned to walk back, a gust of wind blew, rustling the treetops ahead and causing three leaves to fall.