Reunion

With the new year comes a new look, not to mention that Zhoujia Village now has a promising new figure. More people are trying to establish connections and get acquainted with the village, and even those who have no connection with it will come to Zhoujia Village to join in the fun, ostensibly to try and get some good fortune at the New Year's feast.

The village's annual feast is held on the drying ground.

After the firecrackers went off, dozens of tables were set up on this cement-paved open space. The rice, meat, and vegetables brought out by each household were processed by a master chef invited from the county and became steaming dishes on the table. They were all common home-style dishes, but they were still quite plentiful compared to what most people usually eat.

But the role that everyone was looking forward to did not show up.

“It’s normal for Mom not to want to go to the city. After all, this is where she has lived for more than forty years, not to mention Dad is here,” Zhou Lixing comforted her.

Zhou Lexing didn't argue, and after putting on his shoes, he was about to leave.

Zhou Lixing quickly stopped him: "What did Shusheng's examination say?"

Zhou Lexing: "It's nothing serious."

Zhou Lexing returned to Zhoujia Village before the Lunar New Year and took Zhou Shusheng to the city to see a doctor as usual, but they still did not get a definite rehabilitation treatment plan.

The test results were normal.

This is a good thing, but it's also quite a headache.

Since the cause of the illness cannot be found, there is no way to solve Zhou Shusheng's intellectual problems. Fortunately, he still has a childlike mind and is not troubled by it. He is probably still leading his black dog to eat and drink at the New Year's banquet.

Thanks to the big black dog, the children in the village no longer dare to bully Zhou Shusheng. After all, although Zhou Shusheng doesn't fight back, the big black dog is a very responsible guard dog.

After the first child received the rabies vaccine, the silent deterrent effect spread, saving Zhou Lexing a lot of trouble.

Zhou Lixing wasn't disappointed; he simply asked casually, "Where are you going?"

"Just browsing around."

Now that everyone in the village has gone to the New Year's feast, there aren't many people walking around in the village. Only occasionally does a large group of children run and laugh by, and they don't pay any attention to him, a passerby with nothing to do.

Zhou Lexing walked slowly, and before he knew it, he had stepped onto the familiar route again, staring at the tightly closed door for a while.

Spiderwebs had already formed along the edge of the gate, making it clear that no one had been here for a long time.

Am I really just some cannon fodder character?

Therefore, even leaving a mark in Gu Jiansheng's world is a difficult thing.

Zhou Lexing had this question more than once, but unfortunately no one could give him an answer. The novel, which originally only had a plot outline, was fading in his mind day by day. Occasionally, Zhou Lexing would wonder if his experience when he first transmigrated was just a vague dream. When he woke up, the wonderful characters that didn't seem real would also evaporate and disappear.

I don't want to think about it anymore.

Zhou Lexing sighed inwardly and turned to leave, but saw Aunt Zhou from next door come out with a bag of red dates. She was stunned for a moment when she saw Zhou Lexing, but then greeted him warmly.

"Oh my! Lexing! You know Jiansheng is back and came to see him? That boy is so polite, he even brought me a New Year's gift!" Aunt Zhou said with a smile. "Look, I was thinking of sending him a bag of the dates I dried before the New Year. The boy doesn't look very healthy, he's frighteningly pale, he should take some tonics!"

Zhou Lexing stood still, almost blankly watching Aunt Zhou carry the bulging bag of red dates to the Gu family's gate, and push the door open without even knocking.

"Jian Sheng! Here, I've put the red dates here for you!" Aunt Zhou's enthusiastic voice overflowed with joy. "Oh, no need to tidy up so meticulously, just wipe the bed clean first! Today is the day the village holds its New Year's feast, so you'd better hurry up, or there won't be any main dishes left!"

As Aunt Zhou finished speaking, Zhou Lexing subconsciously held his breath to listen carefully to the response.

Unfortunately, it was too far away, and I couldn't hear anything.

"Alright, alright, you go ahead with your work, I'll head over now!" Aunt Zhou quickly came out of the house and exchanged a few more pleasantries with Zhou Lexing.

Zhou Lexing didn't hear anything clearly, and just nodded blankly.

Fortunately, Aunt Zhou was still in the middle of the banquet and didn't notice anything unusual about Zhou Lexing. After saying that, she turned and left.

The surroundings fell silent again. Zhou Lexing's steps seemed rooted to the spot as he stared blankly at the loosely closed gate of the Gu family.

Is he dreaming?

The person he had been searching for for nearly three years suddenly appeared, giving Zhou Lexing a strong sense of unreality.

A strange feeling of being both close to home and apprehensive welled up in Zhou Lexing's heart, making him hesitant to step inside and check. Fortunately, the people inside didn't keep him waiting for long this time.

Aren't you coming in?

Gu Jiansheng stood by the door, one hand on the door frame, gazing at him from afar.

Gu Jiansheng's appearance has not changed at all. His superior looks always make people forget to pay attention to his clothes and appearance, making it even more difficult for people to notice the changes brought about by his status and situation over the years.

However, Zhou Lexing still keenly sensed the indifference that Gu Jiansheng unconsciously exuded.

If Gu Jiansheng was a hedgehog that had curled up in the past, he has now become a tiger or leopard hunting its prey. He has lost that bluffing shell, but is now more aggressive and intimidating.

Zhou Lexing had so many questions he wanted to ask, but seeing Gu Jiansheng like this, those questions seemed to have temporarily lost their meaning.

When did you get back?

He casually picked a trivial question and stood still.

Gu Jiansheng looked at the familiar person in front of him, sensed something, thought for a moment, and said, "I just arrived this morning, can you come in and help me?"

Zhou Lexing frowned slightly, looking at Gu Jiansheng with a strange gaze. It was far from being wary, but there was definitely some surprise in it.

The two remained locked in a stalemate for nearly a minute before Zhou Lexing finally took a step and walked past Gu Jiansheng, who had stepped aside.

The Gu family's house had been neglected for a long time. The corners of the yard were covered with moss and weeds, and the air was thick with the stuffy smell of dust and dampness from a lack of ventilation.

The handmade mop finally saw the light of day again, lying wetly to the side. Except for Zhou Lanhua's door, all the other doors were open, washed by the water, and muddy water was everywhere. There was nowhere to step. Only the bag of red dates received VIP treatment and could enjoy a bench all to itself.

Zhou Lexing didn't say much. He rolled up his sleeves and started working. He was quick and efficient, and after several trips, he piled the moldy stuff in the yard. Gu Jiansheng tried to get closer to help several times, but failed each time.

Are you angry?

Gu Jiansheng's voice was very soft, but Zhou Lexing, who was mopping the floor, still heard it but did not respond.

Are you angry?

He doesn't seem to have the right to comment on Gu Jiansheng's decision.

About an hour later, Zhou Lexing filled a bucket with trash and headed out. Even the mop couldn't escape its fate. Gu Jiansheng quickly reached out to stop him: "Why did you lose it too?"

Zhou Lexing glanced down at him, his tone still calm: "It's too dirty, it can't be washed clean, we can just buy another one."

Gu Jiansheng wanted to say something more, but Zhou Lexing had already walked past him and headed outside.

He walked very fast and soon disappeared at the end of the alley.

Gu Jiansheng stood there, his gentle features replaced by a coldness within, but he quickly realized his emotions were showing and hurriedly adjusted his expression, his hand unconsciously stroking the casing of the folding knife in his pocket.

The outer shell of the folding knife has been rubbed smooth over time, but the inner knife has been kept hidden for a long time, so it's unclear whether it has become dull.

Zhou Lexing is a very soft-hearted person.

Gu Jiansheng understood this, and had personally experienced it.

Gu Jiansheng also knew that he was taking advantage of Zhou Lexing's situation, attempting to occupy an important and irreplaceable place in his heart even after a three-year gap.

Gu Jiansheng waited patiently, but after more than ten minutes, he still couldn't see the person who was never going back, and the expression on his face became somewhat uncontrollable.

.

The village's annual feast can last from morning till night.

When Zhou Lexing arrived, he immediately attracted the attention of most people. Many people came over with wine glasses to try to get close to him, but half of them were driven away by his indifferent tone. Zhou Lexing then dealt with the other half for him.

"What happened?"

Zhou Yuanxiang naturally noticed that something was wrong with her third son.

Perhaps it should be said that ever since Gu Jiansheng left Gujia Village without leaving an address or phone number, this third son has quietly changed again. However, this change happened silently while he was out making his way in the world, so when Zhou Lexing came home, this change was so strong that it could not be ignored.

Now, this change is almost impossible to conceal, giving Zhou Lexing a cold and gloomy aura that keeps strangers at bay.

"It's nothing." Zhou Lexing wiped his face and sat down next to Zhou Shusheng.

Zhou Shusheng was helping the black dog tear meat off a large chicken leg when he saw his third brother coming over. He hesitated for a moment, but still pushed the meat in the bowl directly to Zhou Lexing.

"Brother, have some meat!"

The big black dog's expectant eyes immediately turned to Zhou Lexing, and the drool from the corner of its mouth soaked a patch of the ground.

Zhou Lexing found it somewhat amusing: "Give it to me."

He couldn't very well snatch food from a dog's mouth, and seeing the black dog's greedy look, he couldn't bear to do it.

Unfortunately, Zhou Shusheng was already busy with a pig's trotter and didn't have time to deal with the half-torn chicken leg.

Zhou Lexing then took over the responsibility of feeding the black dog.

Most villagers don't pay much attention to raising dogs, but fortunately Zhou Shusheng takes good care of his big black dog. It has a shiny coat and a strong body. It has been vaccinated, but I don't know if I should take it to get neutered.

As the big black dog ate, it suddenly became alert and glanced upwards. Its grape-like eyes looked at Zhou Lexing's expression in a very human-like way, but unfortunately, it couldn't decipher the content above. Before long, it continued to bury itself in its food, completely unaware of the approaching danger.

When Gu Jiansheng arrived, he found Zhou Lexing surrounded by a large crowd.

The two looked at each other across the crowd. Zhou Lexing quickly looked away, pretended not to care, took the wine glass that Zhou Baoshan handed him, and actually took a sip.

That one sip ignited the seemingly scattered crowd around him, who then enthusiastically urged him to drink another cup.

Zhou Baoshan looked at Zhou Lexing and became more and more satisfied.

He had initially intended to match Zhou Lexing with his daughter, but later, when faced with the subtle confrontation between Zhou Lexing and He Huaizhi at the village chief's house, He Huaizhi's astonishing words forcefully opened the door to a new world. Before he could figure out the meaning behind those words, Zhou Lexing went on a long trip and returned unable to speak.

Now that he had the chance, Zhou Baoshan immediately took the glass of wine as a signal of intimacy and said, "Lexing, it's been a long time since your sister Yutong has seen you. Why don't you come to my house for a visit sometime?"

Zhou Lexing forced himself not to look up at Gu Jiansheng, casually took the wine glass someone handed him and brought it to his lips, giving a muffled reply. Then he heard Zhou Baoshan continue, "You two are getting on in years, let's pick a good day to meet and settle things. Your sister, she..."

"Cough cough cough..."

Zhou Lexing almost spat out the wine he was about to swallow, but the choking caused him to cough violently.

Zhou Yutong is Zhou Baoshan's eldest daughter, two years older than him. The two have almost no interaction and only nod to each other when they occasionally bump into each other in the village.

Zhou Lexing was surprised that Zhou Baoshan would drop such a bombshell as soon as they met. Unfortunately, he was choked by the wine and could only wave his hands repeatedly in response. He did not notice the momentary dark and gloomy expression on Gu Jian's face as he slowly approached.