Long-Lost Harmony

"I reckon I was unconscious in the forest for at least a whole day!"

"When I woke up, I was freezing and starving."

"Thankfully, the weather was warmer. If it had been winter, I'd probably have frozen to death, even if the poison didn't kill me."

"Also, it was all thanks to your guidance, sir, that I thought to eat that red flower and neutralize the snake venom. You really are a genius of foresight!"

At this point, Meng Wu's face was full of reverence. He was about to get up and bow to Gu Ning'an once again, but Gu Ning'an quickly raised his hand to stop him. "Enough already. Do you really take me for some shrine idol?"

Hearing this, Meng Wu plopped back into his seat with an embarrassed grin. "I'm just so grateful for your lifesaving grace that I thought I'd bow again…"

"Oh, right!" Meng Wu took the bundle off his shoulder and placed it on the table in front of Gu Ning'an. Opening it revealed ten silver ingots of uniform size.

"This hundred taels of silver is the fortune-telling fee from last time. The earlier payment was just a deposit—this is the remaining balance. Please, sir, accept it." [Note: a tael is 50 grams.]

Gu Ning'an nodded. "Hmm… just leave it there."

Seeing Gu Ning'an willing to accept it, Meng Wu was overjoyed.

Although a hundred taels was all of his worldly wealth, if it meant forming a good connection with an "immortal," then not to mention a hundred taels of silver—even ten thousand taels of gold would be worth it!

"By the way, on my way here, I ran into Brother Jin and his grandson. They're your friends, right?" Meng Wu changed the topic with a smile.

"They're not friends," Gu Ning'an replied coolly, his tone calm and indifferent.

At this, Meng Wu immediately realized that he had been "played." Having wandered the martial world for years, how could he fail to pick up on the dislike in that tone?

If they were truly friends, Gu Ning'an would have followed up with a more conversational response instead of simply saying, "They're not friends."

So that's why he hesitated to accept money earlier—was he afraid the truth would come out and I'd seek revenge?

After a brief silence, Meng Wu tactfully changed the subject again, sharing some curious incidents he'd encountered as a snake catcher.

On this topic, Gu Ning'an showed some interest. Since he had nothing better to do, chatting with someone in such an unusual line of work proved quite entertaining.

As they talked, Gu Ning'an even brewed a pot of tea and brought out sun-dried sweet potatoes from Old Hu's stash to serve as snacks for Meng Wu.

Meng Wu was flattered and looked on awkwardly as Gu Ning'an bustled around, wanting to help but unable to find a way to contribute. This left him feeling somewhat ill at ease.

Fortunately, the awkwardness didn't last long. Once the two sat down again, their conversation flowed freely.

Most of the time, Meng Wu recounted dangerous situations he'd encountered while catching snakes, occasionally spicing things up with strange tales and legends he'd heard in his trade.

Stories like beautiful women with human heads and snake bodies, or guardian snakes that protected homes…

The two chatted happily, drinking tea until the pot went dry. Finally, Meng Wu took his leave.

During this time, Hu Shi had already finished washing the dishes and behaved very obediently, sitting quietly in the courtyard to practice his reflexes.

Only after the snake catcher left did Hu Shi approach Gu Ning'an to "demonstrate" his progress.

Days of practice had paid off. The boy could now respond instantly to five questions. If the questions exceeded five, he only needed a brief moment to think before answering.

Gu Ning'an generously praised Hu Shi, leaving the child grinning with joy as he ran back home.

Having entertained so many visitors so early in the day, Gu Ning'an let out a long breath, calculating whether he had anything else left to do.

While pondering, a raindrop fell at Gu Ning'an's feet. Looking down at his green robe, he suddenly remembered that he still owed that young tailor, Little Ma, a signboard…

...

As the sun set behind the western hills, a streak of vibrant crimson painted the horizon.

Smoke from cooking fires rose from every household in Lexiang County, and the aroma of stir-fried dishes wafted through the air, spreading out from doorways and courtyards.

Grandma Sun, dressed in a clean, simple outfit, removed the sleeves rolled up on her arms, pulled out a stool, and sat in the courtyard, waiting for her son and great-grandson to return for dinner.

Most of the time, if Grandma Sun didn't set up her stall and the house was empty, she would sit in the courtyard quietly, gazing off into the sky.

For most people, this would be incredibly boring, but not for Grandma Sun. She often lost track of how long she'd been staring at the sky.

"Great-Grandma! I'm back!" Jin Xingwang ran quickly into the courtyard from outside, holding a package wrapped in lotus leaf paper as he dashed toward Grandma Sun.

"Slow down! Don't trip and fall!" Grandma Sun waved her hand in concern.

"Great-Grandma, guess what's inside this?" Jin Xingwang's face was full of excitement as he held the lotus-wrapped package up in front of her.

Grandma Sun sniffed it and smiled. "Is it glutinous rice-stuffed lotus root?"

Jin Xingwang nodded eagerly. "I know you love it, Great-Grandma! I specifically begged Grandpa to take me to buy some!"

Grandma Sun patted Jin Xingwang's head affectionately and said with a smile, "Xingwang, you're such a good boy. Go wash your hands now—it's time for dinner."

"Mother!" Jin Wan, who entered the courtyard behind him, teased, "Why don't you call me for dinner?"

Grandma Sun shot him a look and replied with mock annoyance, "You're no child anymore—stop fooling around all the time. Go wash your hands with Xingwang, and don't forget to use soap. Wash them clean!"

"Understood!" Jin Wan replied with a grin.

Although Grandma Sun didn't know why her son and great-grandson were in such high spirits, seeing their joy made her feel a long-lost comfort and peace in her heart.

At the dinner table, the three generations—separated by decades—sat together happily, laughing and sharing food. It had been a long time since they'd had such a cheerful evening.

It's worth noting here that Jin Wan's son and daughter-in-law were away in another county doing business and only came home during the holidays.

So, most of the time, it was just the three of them at home.

"Great-Grandma, try this glutinous rice lotus root. I specifically asked the shopkeeper to add extra sweet syrup!" Jin Xingwang said thoughtfully as he picked up a piece of stuffed lotus root and placed it in Grandma Sun's bowl, his tone as warm and considerate as a "little cotton-padded jacket." [This is a Chinese slang which basically a sensible child.]

Grandma Sun gave an approving hum and began eating the glutinous rice lotus root her great-grandson had served. After just one bite, she gave a thumbs-up and said, "Mmm, it's delicious!"

Seeing that the moment was right, Jin Wan exchanged a glance with his grandson.

Jin Xingwang understood immediately. He stood up, walked behind Grandma Sun, and began gently massaging her shoulders. "Great-Grandma, I'd like to ask for a favor."

"Well, I knew there wasn't such a thing as a free meal," Grandma Sun said with a teasing smile. "What do you want Great-Grandma to do?"

"It's not a big deal, really," Jin Xingwang replied, pausing briefly before continuing. "You know, I've always wanted to study, but none of the teachers in the county suit me."

"And, well, recently, hasn't that teacher returned to Ansi Courtyard?"

"I heard Grandpa say that you're quite familiar with him. Could you perhaps speak to him and see if he'd take me as his student?"