Chapter 7: The Ge Family Manuscript

On the fifth day of the second lunar month, the sun was shining brightly, making it a rare good day.

Luo Li slept in until late morning. After waking up, he found that Brother Liu had gone out. Remembering that Liu had gone to collect his wife's ashes, he decided to wash his face and move his belongings from his rental apartment.

It was Monday, and the students were just starting their second class. They were performing broadcast calisthenics on the playground. Luo Li looked at them with envy, thinking that being a student was wonderful—just work hard and you could get out and live a normal life.

As he passed by the school's shop, a few rough-looking boys were huddled inside smoking.

"Hey, isn't that your 'uncle'?" one of the boys with yellow hair laughed.

"Uncle my ass! White-skinned bastard, don't talk dirty to me. That's just a wild bastard picked up by my father-in-law!" retorted a shorter boy with a crew cut.

Hearing this, Luo Li, who had already walked past the shop, turned back, glaring at the crew-cut boy, and shouted, "Say that again!"

The crew-cut boy seemed intimidated by Luo Li's fierce gaze. "You... you called, who do you think you are?" He shrank back.

Disdainful of the boy's cowardice, Luo Li didn't bother to argue further and quickly left the school.

Arriving at the rental apartment, he found that he didn't need to pack up himself. The landlord had already moved his things out, piling them by the door.

"If I hadn't run into Teacher Liu yesterday, would I have ended up on the streets?" Luo Li wondered, thinking that Sister Zhu had become unusually unkind.

"Forget it, there's no place in this world where I can't stay!" He decided to move his things and leave.

Just as he was leaving, he ran into Sister Zhu, who looked apologetic.

"Luo, a new tea house just opened on the second floor of the main street. It rented out all the vacant rooms in my house for employee dormitories. I wanted to keep one room for you, but the owner wouldn't agree. He insisted on renting all of them. I'm really sorry."

"It's okay, thank you, Sister Zhu. I have a place to stay. I was just coming back to move my things today. I'm sorry for causing you trouble these past few months."

Seeing that Luo Li was considerate and reassured her, Sister Zhu couldn't help but continue, "Luo, even though you're not from the same family as Niu Fuyun, you're still family. Why be so stubborn? It's been years; it doesn't matter now. Just soften up and go back. Uncle Niu's skills—his three sons don't learn them, and even if others want to learn, he might not teach them all. He has put his heart into helping you."

Seeing that Luo Li remained silent, she continued, "Uncle Niu has asked about you several times, worried that you're not doing well. Why are you so determined to follow the path of a wandering practitioner instead of making a proper living?"

Luo Li was moved but also felt frustrated. Smiling at Sister Zhu, he said, "Sister Zhu, I know you have my best interests at heart. Don't worry, I won't go astray. It's getting late, and you need to prepare lunch. I'll leave now. If you need anything in the future, don't be a stranger. Just call me. I'm staying at Liu Tianming's house in the town."

With that, he walked out the door, ignoring Sister Zhu's calls from behind.

Carrying his bedding and a camouflage-like large bag, Luo Li walked down the main street, lost in thought. He noticed Niu Fuyun, the third son of the Niu family, from a distance.

Damn it!

Luo Li didn't want to attract trouble, so he prepared to turn back. However, he saw Niu Fuyun and a man in a big hat getting into a police car. The tea house on the second floor of the place where he had just stood had been newly renovated. The sign, "Yi Pin Tea House," gleamed in gold. The tea house was a front; the real business was gambling.