While the surrounding houses had changed slightly, the iconic mansions, restaurants, and shops remained largely unchanged. Black Crow remembered that this was where the child had lived when he had traveled through time. That memory, once supposedly forgotten, now appeared before him with uncanny clarity. The laughter, the grand ambitions, and the memories still made him yearn for it.
“Hey!”
Black Crow was completely relaxed at this moment. He might as well make the best of it. Since he had escaped from that dark place and kidnapped a young lady, he decided to think about happy things first. "It's been a long time since we came back. Let's go get something to eat first. Then I'll find a carrier pigeon and ask someone to pick us up."
"Um."
Looking at the scene gradually reawakening in his memory, Black Crow suddenly perked up: "Oh right, I remember there was a shop selling milk fans at the corner of a small alley ahead. I wonder if it's still there. Let's go check it out."
Black Crow led Xihe along for a short walk before they stopped. Xihe sniffed the air and found that the food seemed a little far away. She shook Black Crow's hand and asked, "What's wrong?"
Black Crow stopped and looked at the house that still existed on the street. He couldn't help but sigh: "Time has changed. This house has also changed its owner."
"Um?"
"Nothing, let's go, I'll take you to eat something delicious."
The houses they passed by were now decorated with plaques from other families. The tragic incident of the Li family being exterminated seemed to have been forgotten in the dust and smoke as time passed.
The name of Li Xinzhai, the young master who was protected by the old housekeeper, was also engraved on the memorial tablet in the cemetery. Li Xinzhai died, but Black Crow lived on, living a life stained with blood.
After eating some snacks and sending out the pigeon message, the two Black Crows chatted and laughed as they passed by the pier. Black Crow didn't even glance at the pier, nor did he think about taking another look.
At the small dock that Black Crow and the other two passed by, Yan Shaoqing was sweating profusely as he carried cargo unloaded from a ship. No one here knew him, no one knew the former eldest son of the state-guarding general's family. There were only ordinary people who sold their labor to survive, relying on their own hands to make a living.
As the sun set, the ship's cargo was finally unloaded. Yan Shaoqing stood at the end of the line, quietly waiting to receive his hard-earned money.
"Thank you for your hard work. This is your wages for today."
After the captain gave Yan Shaoqing the last of his wages, he patted him on the shoulder and said, "You're quite skillful, kid. If I hadn't been short of people on my ship, I would have really wanted to take you in."
Yan Shaoqing nodded calmly and said, "Thank you for your consideration, Boss."
The captain's cargo ship wasn't big, but he'd been well-traveled and had seen more than most. He didn't know if it was an illusion or something, but he felt the man before him looked familiar. "Look at your appearance, the way you talk. You must have been a young man from a wealthy family. Life's still long, so try to survive."
After Yan Shaoqing thanked him again, he took his wages and went to the rice shop to buy some cheap old rice before heading out of the city. He was currently living in a dilapidated temple outside the city. Although the place was a bit shabby, it could at least shelter him from the wind and rain.
On his way home carrying the rice, Yan Shaoqing saw from a distance a few thugs standing at the gate of the dilapidated temple, chatting and laughing. He wanted to pretend he didn't see them and just go back, but the group seemed to be deliberately looking for trouble. Seeing that they had returned, they all came over.
These hooligans, who had a good path to walk on, chose to walk right in front of Yan Shaoqing. Yan Shaoqing was walking down the street when they deliberately bumped into him. The man, intending to knock him down, fell down himself instead. He patted his butt, stood up, and said with a smirk, "Hey, tsk tsk tsk, is it time to get paid?"
Yan Shaoqing looked up at them and ignored them. Just as he was about to leave, he was surrounded by these thugs: "Kid, what's with your attitude?"
Yan Shaoqing didn't want to cause trouble, so he bowed his head and said, "Sorry."
A few hooligans looked down and suddenly became excited: "If apologies are useful, why do we need laws? Pay the money!"
Seeing Yan Shaoqing clutching his chest tightly, the hooligans laughed heartily, "You won't give it to me? Brothers, come on!"
When the hooligans left, cursing and swearing, Yan Shaoqing's face, hands, and legs were all bruised. The rice he had bought was scattered all over the floor, and the hard-earned wages were fed to the dogs.
Yan Shaoqing was quite calm. After dusting himself off, he returned to the dilapidated temple, found a small, broken bowl, and carefully picked up the scattered rice grains one by one. It wasn't that he couldn't beat him, but he just didn't want to cause any more trouble.
After he had gathered almost half the rice, Yan Shaoqing stopped picking up more. Instead, he searched the nearby bushes for a while and brought back a handful of wild vegetables. With the rice and vegetables ready, Yan Shaoqing was about to start a fire to cook when the person who had been secretly following him finally showed up. "Why do you have to swallow your anger like this? The descendants of the Yan family are not cowards."
Yan Shaoqing was somewhat surprised by the sudden appearance of Yan Chongmao, but after a moment, he regained his expressionless look and continued with his work: "...Why are you back?"
Yan Chongmao grabbed Yan Shaoqing's arm and said, "Come back to pick up my son and leave this dangerous place."
Yan Shaoqing was silent for a moment, then shook him off without hesitation: "Right or wrong? Haha, ridiculous! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have ended up like this!"
Yan Chongmao explained, "Shaoqing, do you really think your father is willing to defect to another country like this? If it weren't for the remnants of the Ouyang family who allied themselves with Princess Qinghe, our General's Mansion wouldn't have been occupied by the Lin family!"
Yan Shaoqing just wanted to laugh at this moment. Why did he still feel like he had never made a mistake? From the moment he killed over a hundred members of the Ouyang family just for a pearl, retribution was already inevitable. As the gods watch, it's not that there's no retribution, it's just that the time hasn't come yet.
All the glory Yan Chongmao had gained thanks to the Ouyang family now ended up in the hands of Ouyang's descendants. Isn't this the law of karma? "Every cause has its effect. You know what you did back then. I have already returned the pearl to Ouyang Yuesheng. You came to me, probably hoping to find the black pearl from me."
Yan Shaoqing's words left Yan Chongmao speechless. It was true that his main purpose for returning was for Zhenzhu, but Yan Shaoqing was, after all, his only son, his only bloodline. How could he stay in this precarious place? "... After all, you are my only son. I will not let you suffer here. I have already dealt with those who bullied you. As long as I am here, no one will dare to bully you."
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