Chapter 23: Past Events of Beicheng
Shi Ling pursed her lips, the hesitation in her eyes fading away: "Let me tell you about the Wu family."
Before she could answer, she continued, "Just now at the police station, Wu Xingzhou stopped me, hoping I could persuade you to go back to the Wu family."
“I didn’t agree.” She turned to look at Shi Yuan, her eyes full of tenderness. “He said that returning to the Wu family would be best for you.”
"I don't believe it!"
Shi Ling's grandfather and Wu Guanhai's grandfather were old friends. The Shi family was skilled in feng shui and were experts in finding auspicious sites and locating auspicious points. The Wu family was skilled in fortune telling, deducing the cause and effect of human affairs, and helping people to avoid misfortune and seek good fortune.
At the request of the guests, the two families often work together.
With a friendship spanning generations, it was only natural that Shi Ling and Wu Guanhai were childhood sweethearts, having grown up together since they were little.
From her innocent childhood to her first stirrings of love as a young girl, and later to their mutual affection, before Shi Ling discovered Wu Guanhai's infidelity, she never imagined that one day her love would end so tragically.
Actually, she had mentioned leaving before that.
That is, after discovering that Shi Yuan was different from normal children, the elders of both families cautiously concluded that Shi Yuan was a soulless person.
Shi Ling's smooth life, the smile on her face, came to an abrupt end at that moment!
Shi Yuan held Shi Ling's hand and offered silent comfort.
Shi Ling smiled faintly: "It's all in the past now."
“At that time, I was already prepared to separate from Wu Guanhai, and I also went back to my parents’ home with my young Yuanyuan.”
But Wu Guanhai followed her, even making a solemn promise that he only wanted Shi Yuan as his child.
After that, Shi Ling devoted all her attention to Shi Yuan.
Finding the dragon's lair requires traversing mountains and rivers, and as the elders of the Shi family grew older, their bodies could no longer bear the burden.
Shi Ling should have taken on the responsibilities of the Shi family at this time, but she simply couldn't let go of Shi Yuan.
Fortunately, Wu Guanhai stepped forward.
He was naturally gifted, and through his exposure to Shi Ling, he gradually learned the ropes on his own.
However, lacking the secret techniques that the Shi family kept hidden, he could only help with some routine issues.
Over the years, the elders of the Shi family have seen his dedication to Shi Ling and her daughter, and they have long regarded him as their own child.
Over time, he began teaching Wu Guanhai the unique skills of the Shi family.
Wu Guanhai learned very quickly and soon became the spokesperson for both the Wu and Shi families.
After that, the health of the elders in the Shi family deteriorated, and when Shi Yuan was ten years old, only Shi Ling was left in the Shi family.
Wu Guanhai became Shi Ling's only support, while the soulless Shi Yuan was her only source of comfort and solace.
“I never imagined that Wu Guanhai would betray our love one day.” Shi Ling smiled bitterly. “It was a very ordinary day. I took Yuan Yuan out for a walk.”
Because of her family's scholarly tradition, Shi Ling always felt that it would be beneficial for Shi Yuan to have more contact with nature, so she would take Shi Yuan out for most of the day each time.
It was a coincidence that day; she realized she had forgotten her water bottle halfway there.
Shi Yuan couldn't express her needs, so Shi Ling was more attentive than the average mother. She smiled and apologized to Shi Yuan, took her home to get a water cup, and said that she would buy Shi Yuan candy to express her apology.
She had gotten used to talking to herself while talking to Shi Yuan, and occasionally she could even find some amusement in it.
But when she opened the door with a smile, she found Wu Guanhai and her friend Xie Minyin lying naked on the living room sofa, making love without any regard for their surroundings.
She always believed that Wu Guanhai was the person she loved most, and she was convinced that they could walk hand in hand through all the seasons of life.
She thought she would be in unbearable pain, but at that moment, her first reaction was to cover Shi Yuan's eyes so that she wouldn't see anything dirty.
After that, her life began to go out of control, with Wu Guanhai's earnest attempts to keep her and Xie Minyin's framing and provocation.
Aside from taking care of Shi Yuan, Shi Ling is completely unresponsive to the outside world.
It wasn't until Xie Minyin confronted him with her pregnancy test results that Wu Guanhai saw a hint of surprise in his eyes.
How disgusting! She thought, so Wu Guanhai's claim that he only wanted one daughter, Shi Yuan, in his life was a lie.
After their divorce, she left the Wu family with Shi Yuan in her arms.
"I wasn't thinking about leaving Beicheng at that time."
The medical and living resources in Beicheng are far superior to those in other cities. Given Shi Yuan's special circumstances, staying in Beicheng would be more advantageous for her.
She wasn't the type to die if she didn't leave a man. The elders of the Shi family left her a lot of assets, and the elders of the Wu family felt indebted and also gave her a lot of money. After settling things in the Shi family, she prepared to start a new life.
But she soon discovered signs that someone had broken into her home, and on one occasion, when she took Shi Yuan out, she realized that someone was following them!
She realized something was wrong, checked the doors and windows, and after putting her to sleep, she began to recall what her elders had told her on their deathbeds.
Soon, she found the secret compartment behind the Buddhist shrine, which contained her ancestors' notes and a jade pendant.
Upon hearing Shi Ling mention the jade pendant, Shi Yuan felt a little guilty, and the jade pendant turned into a point of light and disappeared into her forehead.
"Shortly after that, I found a pill under your grandmother's canopy bed."
Holding the medicine, she walked for a very long time without realizing it, until she found a private clinic she had never been to before.
“There’s something wrong with that medicine.” Shi Yuan said with certainty.
"Yes!" Shi Ling suppressed her anger. "Long-term use of that medicine will weaken people, and the elderly should be especially careful when using it!"
With her loved one suspected of being murdered, she naturally wanted to find out the truth. However, Shi Yuan suffered several accidents in a short period of time, forcing Shi Ling to confront a tragic reality.
She was completely alone and helpless!
To make matters worse, soon after, the northern part of the city began to promote the breaking of feudal superstitions. The streets were filled with the sounds of arguments, smashing, and shattering porcelain, as well as the destruction of various ancient books in the flames.
Several pairs of eyes, prying, eager, and excited, appeared outside the Shi family's gate.
At that time, Shi Ling had almost no choice but to leave to protect herself.
She couldn't possibly seek help from the Wu family; in her eyes, the Wu family was the prime suspect!
“I am ashamed that, as a descendant of the Shi family, I have no ability to find out the truth about the murder of my elders and instead have become a deserter.”
Shi Yuan didn't know how to comfort her. Shi Ling's choice was correct. If she hadn't made the decisive move to leave with Shi Yuan, who knows what fate awaited them.
"So, you chose Qinglin Bay because of those ancestral notes." Shi Yuan tried to change the subject to something less heavy, but it was clearly not very successful.
Shi Ling smiled bitterly: "Unfortunately, so many years have passed and I have not found anything. Instead, I am deeply mired in trivial matters."
"You're already very capable," Shi Yuan said sincerely.
No one knows better than Shi Yuan how well she was taken care of, and no one knows better than Shi Ling how hard she worked.
Thinking about it this way, a hint of hostility flashed in her eyes.
Heading north is now inevitable!
“You have me. If the elders of the Shi family have really been harmed, I will definitely find out the truth and make that person pay the price.”
Shi Ling hesitated, wanting to say that Wu Guanhai was, after all, Shi Yuan's biological father.
"Don't worry, if it's necessary to kill the other person by hand, I'll hand you the knife." Of course, she could strike with her own hands, but if that would make Shi Ling hesitate, then Shi Ling could do it herself.
"Let's leave the Yang family alone," Shi Ling suddenly said.
It's not hard to guess who orchestrated the Yang family's misfortune. She certainly felt a sense of satisfaction, but added, "Back then, I was a complete stranger in this place, and Yang Fuguo genuinely helped me and took good care of Yuanyuan."
However, just as colorful clouds easily disperse and glass shatters, Yang Fuguo's feelings were genuine at the time, and his betrayal now is also genuine.
Shi Yuan nodded in agreement, thinking that this was the end of it, and that the Yang family's future would definitely be exciting.
After safely escorting Shi Ling home and giving Ah Da a few more words of advice, Shi Yuan prepared to return to town.
Huan Nifei flew back and told her that the Seventh Bureau had begun investigating Sun Guangyao's disappearance.
"I never imagined that Sun Guangyao's disappearance would involve the Seventh Bureau as well," Huan Ni sighed. "And what about us? Are we just going to stand by and watch?"
Shi Yuan shook his head: "Let them investigate theirs, we'll investigate ours."
"But aren't you living in the seventh place now? It's inconvenient for you to get around."
"It's alright, we'll be free once the suspicion is cleared."
"How long will it take?"
Not long after, Shi Yuan received a call from Qi Zhang. Qi Zhang apologized to Shi Yuan on the phone, and Shi Yuan exchanged a few polite words with him before hanging up.
"Shall we go home now?" Huan Ni asked.
"Let's go back." She was going to investigate the secrets of Qinglin Bay.
However, she had to say goodbye to Gu Linyuan first, since she was under the protection of the Seventh Division.
Gu Linyuan was very busy. Although Sheng Yunhua had taken over the mess left by Ma Rong, there was still a lot of trouble in other places.
His attitude towards Shi Yuan remained as gentle as ever: "There are many empty courtyards in the seventh place. You can continue to live there if you need to."
"Thank you. I'll definitely come over if I need anything."
The two weren't exactly acquainted, and after a few polite words, Shi Yuan took her leave.
Before she could reach the door, the peach blossom bonsai on Gu Linyuan's desk suddenly began to shake violently, and the petals fell in a flurry, creating a rather picturesque scene.
Shi Yuan thought of the peach blossom branch, nodded at the bonsai, and turned to leave.
After she left, Gu Linyuan comforted Tao Huazhi: "She's not from the Seventh Bureau, of course she should go back to her own home."
"Stay!" Peach petals swirled and spelled out a single word.
"Okay, I'll invite them to stay here again if there's a chance in the future."
The peach blossom branch was probably unhappy, so it flung peach petals all over Gu Linyuan's face and then stopped moving.
Gu Linyuan chuckled and muttered, "Such a temper," before returning to his work.
Shi Ling thought it would be a long time before she could see Shi Yuan, but to her surprise, Shi Yuan returned home a few hours later.
"I knew I shouldn't have asked you to take me. Walking for so long must have been tiring."
"By the way, can you ride a bicycle? How about we buy one? That way it will be more convenient for you to get around."
“No need to buy for now,” Shi Yuan replied with a smile. “I probably won’t be going to town next.” She looked at the mountains. “I want to investigate the secrets of Qinglin Bay.”
Upon hearing this, Shi Ling took out her treasured notes, stroked them gently, and handed them to Shi Yuan: "All the secrets I know about the jade pendant and Qinglin Bay come from these notes."
"I hope these notes will be helpful to you."
Shi Yuan accepted the notes with both hands and solemnly said, "I will definitely use these notes well and protect them."
"I believe in you." Shi Ling handed her another manuscript. "This is a manuscript of what I learned before. Take a look and learn some self-defense techniques if you can."
There was a hint of self-deprecation in her tone: "But now all of that is rubbish."
"It won't be rubbish," Shi Yuan comforted her. "Have you forgotten Aunt Yun? Have you forgotten the Seventh Division?"
Shi Ling chuckled: "Yes, I almost forgot, there are always places where the sun shines."
After making two round trips between the town and Qinglin Bay, and spending a long time talking with Shi Ling, it was getting dark.
Shi Yuan carried a large bowl to the door and went to find A Da: "Thank you for protecting my mother."
Ah Da took the large bowl and ate heartily: "Don't be shy, Aunt Ling cooks delicious food for me every day, I couldn't ask for more."
Shi Yuan sat down with him on the threshold and said in a low voice, "I heard that a group of educated youth sent to the countryside will be coming to town in a few days."
"Huh?" A-Da looked at Shi Yuan with a puzzled expression, not understanding why she suddenly brought up the topic of educated youth.
Shi Yuan handed the train ticket she had bought before returning to A Da: "Go to the station ahead and take the train. After you get off the train, go directly to the educated youth office to report and come to Qinglinwan as an educated youth."
Ah Da opened his mouth wide, forgetting to eat: "Huh?"
"Oh!" He swallowed the food in his mouth hastily. "I came back as an educated youth."
"But I don't have proof of my status as a sent-down youth."
"Just say it's lost."
"This, the educated youth office needs to verify, right?"
"As long as someone can verify your identity, that's fine."
"What's the meaning?"
"I will have Wu Xingzhou accompany you to the educated youth community to clarify your identity." This was one of the conditions for her to go north.
She felt no guilt whatsoever for using Wu Xingzhou.
Shi Yuan smiled and said, "Give yourself a name you like."
"This? I... I don't know many words, so I can't think of a nice name."
"Then I'll give you a name." Shi Ling came out and sat on the other side of A Da. "Do you have a favorite surname?"
"I...I want to take your surname!"
"What?" Shi Ling was stunned.
“I’ve met many people, but the only one I truly respect as an elder is you.” A shy look appeared on A Da’s honest face. “If I could choose, I would like to have the surname Shi.”
Shi Ling and Shi Yuan exchanged a glance, clearly surprised that Ah Da would say that.
The main reason is that their kindness was limited, and they didn't expect to receive such a response.
Shi Ling's voice softened slightly: "Have you thought this through?"
“I’ve thought it through!” A-Da quickly said. “I don’t have any special birthmarks or anything that can prove my identity.”
His smile was somewhat bitter: "I think I'll never find my roots in this lifetime."
He looked at Shi Ling, his expression softening again: "Aunt Ling, if I had family, they would definitely be like you."
"Then you shall have the surname Shi."
Seeing that Shi Ling agreed without hesitation, Shi Yuan simply said, "Since it's just a matter of Wu Xingzhou proving A-Da's identity, let's just say he's your nephew."
"Is it...is it okay?" Ah Da looked at Shi Ling expectantly.
"Of course!" Shi Ling agreed without the slightest hesitation.
She was happy to have more relatives.
"Then how about you call yourself Shi Ming?" Shi Ling went back to her room and handed the note with "Shi Ming" written on it to A Da.
Ah Da placed the bowl on his lap, took the note, and carefully examined the two characters "Shi Ming": "Shi Ming, that's my name!"
“Yes, Ming means to inscribe words.” Shi Ling explained with a smile, “The inscribed words will not disappear easily. From now on, you will be Shi Ming.”
“I have a name now!” He looked at Shi Ling again, “I have family now too.”
"Yes, from now on, call me Auntie."
"aunt!"
"Hey!" Shi Ling said with a smile, "Can we come in for a bit now?"
"Is it...is it okay?" Ah Da, no, Shi Ming subconsciously looked at Shi Yuan.
Shi Yuan shrugged: "My mother makes all the decisions, big and small, in our family."
“Then I’ll listen to my aunt from now on!” Shi Ming immediately agreed.
"Come in quickly!"
Shi Yuan treated her newborn cousin quite well. Whenever Huan Ni flew back to Qinglin Bay to see Shi Ling, she would always see Shi Ming guarding outside the courtyard.
If he can be sincere to Shi Ling, and Shi Ling is willing to have more children and nephews, Shi Yuan will be happy to see it happen.
She might travel around a lot in the future, but Shi Ming is a homebody, and with him by her side, Shi Ling can rest assured.
Wu Xingzhou came to visit the next morning. This time, Shi Yuan treated him quite well and even led him into the courtyard.
Wu Xingzhou was clearly flattered and said somewhat incoherently, "Yuanyuan, I apologize to you first. I shouldn't have been so presumptuous as to involve you in Sun Guangyao's disappearance case."
"Fortunately, you fought back. I was treated as a suspect and spent most of the night in the police station. I was only released just before dawn."
"So, we're even, okay?"
Shi Yuanxin said that if the passing of the elders of the Shi family was really related to the Wu family, then they would never be able to settle their score or reconcile.
But at that moment, Shi Yuan nodded: "I can go back to the Wu family with you, but I won't change my surname. Also, you have to do something for me."
Wu Xingzhou's smile had just lifted when he heard Shi Yuan say she was willing to go back to the Wu family with him, but it fell again when Shi Yuan said she was unwilling to change her surname.
“Yuanyuan, I’m willing to do ten things for you, let alone one, but I can’t make the decision about changing your surname.”
"Then you should leave this to your own devices," Shi Yuan called out towards the main room. "Brother, come out for a second."
"Brother?" Wu Xingzhou looked puzzled. "You have other brothers?"
"Hey!" Shi Ming came out of the main room with a big smile on his face. He had never dared to do such a thing, not even in his most beautiful dreams!
"It's you?" Wu Xingzhou pointed at Shi Ming angrily, "Who does he think he is, your brother?!"
"He is my mother's nephew, so of course he's my brother."
"You think I don't know who he is?" Wu Xingzhou paced irritably in the courtyard. "He's just a thug!"
“He’s my brother. He’s an educated youth from Beicheng. He accidentally lost his belongings on the way, and all his identification items were gone.” Shi Yuan continued, ignoring Wu Xingzhou’s astonished and angry stare at Shi Ming, “Luckily, he contacted you beforehand.”
"You accompany him to the educated youth office and ask them to help him get his identity document replaced."
"That's impossible!" Wu Xingzhou said. "This isn't something that can be resolved with just a few words!"
“The people in the educated youth office would verify with the local authorities, and that’s when the truth would be revealed.”
"That's your problem!" Shi Yuan shrugged. "Seriously? The eldest young master of the Wu family can't even handle something this simple?"
Wu Xingzhou sat on a bamboo chair in the courtyard, panting heavily. Although it was a bit difficult to do, it wasn't something he couldn't do.
But when he's unhappy, he'd happily recognize a thug as his older brother, yet he'd show no respect to his own brother.
But if he doesn't agree, Shi Yuan won't go back to the Wu family with him.
He tentatively offered a condition: "I can help confirm his identity, but you have to change his surname back."
"Fine, then you can leave!" Shi Yuan said without any hesitation, telling him to get rid of her.
If this path is blocked, she can think of other ways. Wu Xingzhou shouldn't even think about controlling her!
Wu Xingzhou took a deep breath: "I agree."
"When are you coming back to the Wu family with me?"
"After the autumn harvest, I need to help out in the fields," Shi Yuan said casually. "After I'm done, I'll go to the Wu family's house with you."
"That would take more than a month. Can't you go home first?"
“No,” Shi Yuan said. “Thanks to you, I shouldn’t be able to leave Qinglin Bay too far before the Sun Guangyao disappearance case is solved.” This was, of course, just a made-up excuse.
She wasn't afraid that Wu Xingzhou would go to Qi Zhang to verify. Even if Qi Zhang said that her whereabouts were not restricted, she was a responsible person and she was going to stay in Qinglin Bay and wait for the case to be solved before leaving.
Wu Xingzhou choked up; it was his own doing!
He knew he couldn't change Shi Yuan's decision, so he could only agree.
He looked at Shi Ming with a critical eye: "Tell me your height, age and other basic information, and I'll have someone expedite the process of getting you a new file."
Shi Yuan raised an eyebrow. It seems the Wu family has been doing quite well in Beicheng all these years. Wu Xingzhou spoke very casually about supplementing the files!
Shi Yuan mentally raised the level of the Wu family's strength even higher.
After asking his questions, Wu Xingzhou left. Shi Yuan told Shi Ming to be more natural when he went to the educated youth office, and Shi Ming nodded repeatedly.
He wanted to say that he was actually quite good at acting, so that Shi Yuan wouldn't have to worry, but he also felt that saying that would give Shi Yuan a bad impression of him as her newly appointed older brother, so he swallowed his words.
Shi Ling has already spread the word that a nephew from her maternal family is coming to Qinglin Bay as an educated youth, and he should arrive in a couple of days.
Li Mingfen was genuinely happy for her when she heard this.
After that, Shi Ming left Qinglin Bay in the dark. A few days later, he and three other educated youths from other cities came to Qinglin Bay with the brigade leader.
Because Shi Ling had given prior notice, the brigade leader was quite considerate of Shi Ming. When he learned that Shi Ming came from Beicheng, he became even more polite and asked whether he was living with the educated youth or at Shi Ling's house.
Shi Ming smiled and said that he was there to train himself and didn't want to trouble his aunt. He just wanted to be with the other educated youth. In doing so, he inadvertently created a persona of someone who could endure hardship.
From that day on, Shi Ling found it much easier to work in the fields, as Shi Ming took over most of her work. Many villagers praised her for being lucky to have such a filial nephew.
As a result, Shi Ming worked with even more enthusiasm.
After successfully arranging things for Shi Ming, Wu Xingzhou planned to return to Beicheng to report what had happened there to Wu Guanhai in person, and also to discuss with him how to get Shi Yuan to change her surname back so that she would feel a sense of belonging to the Wu family.
He was thoughtful; before leaving, he wrote a letter of recommendation for Li Mingfen's son, introduced him to an acquaintance in the army, and gave Yang Jianshe some money to express his gratitude for the help.
I've now come to understand the debt of gratitude I owe them for saving my life.
After Wu Xingzhou left, life in Qinglin Bay returned to what it was before.
At Shi Ling's request, Shi Yuan's original plans to teach the Yang family a lesson were no longer implemented.
However, thanks to the seeds of trouble she had sown earlier, Yang Fuguo had a beautiful wife and was about to have a child, but his life was not very happy.
Sometimes he couldn't help but compare Shi Ling and Wu Xinghe.
Wu Xinghe was certainly quite capable as a mistress, after all, she had seen countless people and was very experienced, but as a wife, in Yang Fuguo's heart, she was clearly not as good as Shi Ling.
Of course, the scumbag's regret was meaningless to Shi Ling; she had long been an observer, just watching the show.
Shi Yuan started going up the mountain frequently, but he didn't find what he was looking for. However, he would occasionally bring home a pheasant or a rabbit.
She didn't specifically hunt them; she was just venturing into the mountains and forests. Her post-apocalyptic defense mechanisms naturally activated. Occasionally, pheasants or rabbits would pass by, and before she could even process what was happening, the golden needles would already be shooting out.
This is another of Shi Yuan's attack methods. Ji Ying gave it a beautiful and fitting name: Rainstorm Pear Blossom Golden Needles.
Shi Yuan didn't know what this move had to do with pear blossoms, but she liked the name, so she didn't object.
She never imagined that one day she would use her other life-saving skill to fight small animals.
Huan Ni was very excited and often ran around the place, disturbing the animals. She made Shi Yuan perform the "Rain of Pear Blossoms and Golden Needles" for her, which left Shi Yuan helpless.
Later on, the phantom monkey on Shi Yuan asked her for golden needles. She loved the feeling of spitting out golden needles that rained down from the sky; not only were they highly lethal, but they were also a master of showing off.
Shi Yuan had no choice but to give her a lot of golden needles, hoping she would shut up and keep quiet.
With her beak closed, Huan Ni, completely satisfied, went off to scout out clues for Shi Yuan.
Shi Yuan took out a note, which contained a handwritten letter from the Shi family ancestor who had said that there was a rare treasure on this mountain.
Unlike the Yang family, who believed the treasure was the wealth of that high-ranking official, the Shi family ancestor clearly stated in his notes that the treasure on the mountain was not something that ordinary people could discover.
However, he also wrote that although he was clear-headed and had no desire for the rare treasure, he eventually developed the desire to investigate it after returning home.
The Shi family is a family with a long tradition of Feng Shui, and their ancestors collected countless ancient books.
He searched through almost every book in the collection before finally finding a few words in an old book with missing pages.
"The moon shines on the empty spring, drawing the spirits here; the green forest hides amidst the spiritual waters." Shi Yuan tilted her head and asked Huan Ni, "What does this sentence mean, you knowledgeable ancient divine beast?"
The Illusionary Bird's eyes darted around: "That's easy. When the moon comes out and shines on the Kongquan Spring, it will attract the gods, and Qinglin Bay will sink into the spiritual water and become invisible."
"Your Chinese translation is very good," Shi Yuan said with a laugh.
"Just tell me, isn't that right?"
"Yes, yes, Lady Huanni is incredibly intelligent."
"Roar!" Huan Ni was delighted and flapped her wings to fly into the air. "I'll help you find all the springs on this mountain!"
"Thank you so much!" Shi Yuan waved with a smile. "I'll be waiting for your good news!"
"Wrapped!"
Shi Yuan withdrew her gaze, her fingertip lightly tapping the words "Empty Spring": "Did the Empty Spring attract the treasure, or is the Empty Spring itself the treasure?"
If Qinglin refers to Qinglin Bay, then where is the spiritual water that can submerge the entire Qinglin Bay?
There is only one river in the entire Qinglin Bay, the same one that she and Huanni encountered back then.
But no matter how deep the river is, it could never flood Qinglin Bay.
It's giving me a headache; she's much better at using her hands than her brain.
After carefully putting away the notes, Shi Yuan decided to climb to the highest point to see if he could find any clues.
Of course, she knew the chances were slim.
In Li Mingfen's words, the Yang family had searched the entire mountain countless times, and any clues that could be seen with the naked eye would have been found by the Yang family long ago.
Shi Yuan touched her forehead, always feeling that she was different from the Yang family.
She has a bit of an aura about her!
Confident, Shi Yuan climbed to the summit, panting, and took in the entire mountain.
It was at this moment that she realized that there was not one mountain in Qinglin Bay, but seven!
Each mountain is separated only at its peak, and is covered with lush vegetation, so you can't tell them apart unless you climb to the highest peak.
Of course, Shi Yuan believed that the Yang family also knew about the seven mountain peaks here, but they probably didn't know that the arrangement of these seven mountain peaks was exactly the same as the Big Dipper in the sky.
Shi Yuan took out Shi Ling's manuscript, sat cross-legged on the mountaintop, and began to cram on feng shui knowledge.
At the same time, Gu Linyuan received news of He Tian's disappearance.
Sheng Yunhua was also in his office at that moment. Upon hearing the news, she was very surprised: "How could this be?"
"He Tian is quite powerful. What kind of being could make him disappear without a trace?"
Gu Linyuan tapped his fingertips lightly, and the peach blossom branches in the bonsai slowly stretched out and flew outwards.
Sheng Yunhua looked at Fengcheng, who nodded slightly, then transformed into a black cloud and disappeared.
"Director, we can find someone to finish things up with Ma Rong. I want to investigate Sun Guangyao's disappearance."
Gu Linyuan nodded: "I'll go with you."
Sheng Yunhua's eyes lit up slightly: "Director, you also think that the time we've been waiting for has come, right?"
Gu Linyuan stood up from behind his desk: "After guarding for so long, there has to be a result."
"Let's go check out the place where He Tian went missing."
Sheng Yunhua nodded hurriedly and followed him out.
Dark clouds suddenly gathered over Qingzhen, and muffled thunder could be faintly heard from the horizon.
"The weather is about to change." Shi Yuan opened her eyes, but before she could say anything more, she met Huan Ni's beady eyes.
"Whoa!" Shi Yuan leaned back. "What are you doing?"
Huan Ni chuckled twice: "What were you thinking about just now? The pattern on your forehead was appearing and disappearing."
Shi Yuan subconsciously reached up and touched her forehead: "The pattern has reappeared?"
"You're appearing and disappearing! Are you even listening to me?!"
Shi Yuan ignored this question: "Let me ask you something, is there any connection between terrain and celestial phenomena?"
"Terrain? Constellations?" Huan Ni asked, puzzled. "Why are you suddenly asking about this?"
"Didn't you notice that this mountain in Qinglin Bay is actually composed of seven peaks?"
“So what if I found it?” Huan Ni said nonchalantly. “Back then, there were real mountain gods on the mountain. Each mountain god had a different aesthetic, but they all revered the Tao and the natural way.”
"Therefore, many mountain gods will shape the mountains into their preferred form."
"The Big Dipper is the array that the mountain god likes to refer to most, and the arrangement of the mountains in Qinglin Bay is quite normal."
"Is that so?" Shi Yuan frowned. She had finally found some things, and she pressed on, unwilling to give up. "Could this place be special?"
Huan Ni remained silent, flying high into the sky to overlook the entire mountain.
"How was it?" Shi Yuan asked her hurriedly after Huan Ni returned.
Huan Ni shook her head: "I can't see any problem. It's just like other mountains that are based on the Big Dipper."
"By the way, it's going to rain. Are we still going to see the spring?"
“Let’s go!” Shi Yuan said. “We’re already here. It’s just a shower anyway, it’ll pass quickly.”
Wu Xingzhou made several phone calls to Beicheng, entrusting the task of supplementing Shi Ming's file to others.
He sighed as he looked in the direction of Qinglin Bay. Shi Yuan had a deep misunderstanding of him and the Wu family. He wondered if she could reconcile with his second uncle after she returned.
If not, my second uncle's plan will likely be difficult to realize.
Wu Guanhai stayed out all night again, and Xie Minyin finally got anxious. Unlike Shi Ling, she wouldn't be foolish enough to wait at home.
So Wu Guanhai, who was halfway through the meeting, was called out of the meeting room. He rushed to the gate of the military camp and saw Xie Minyin waiting for him with a smile. He felt a sense of frustration for no reason.
"What exactly happened?"
"You haven't been home for days..."
"I have official business!" Wu Guanhai interrupted Xie Minyin. "You go back first, I'll go home as soon as I'm done."
"But……"
"go back!"
Xie Minyin stomped her foot and turned to leave, while Wu Guanhai frowned and walked towards the military camp.
Not long after he left, the guards changed shifts at the appointed time. The two men relaxed their shoulders a little, and one of them couldn't help but say, "Commander Wu and his wife have such a good relationship. So many leaders have stayed in the barracks for meetings these past few days, but only his wife came to check on them."
The other shook his head: "I have the exact opposite opinion."
"How so?"
"Think about it, the leaders are notified in advance to stay in the barracks. They haven't been home for several days, so they must have talked to their families."
Upon hearing this, the young soldier suddenly realized: "Yes, so that means Commander Wu and his wife don't have a good relationship."
"But I heard that he and his lover grew up together as childhood sweethearts."
The soldier who spoke next scoffed, "This isn't his childhood sweetheart!"
"What?"
"It's nothing, hurry up and go to the cafeteria, they have meat dishes today!"
Upon hearing this, the young soldier lost all other thoughts; the only words in his mind were "meat and vegetables." The two of them quickly hurried toward the canteen.
Xie Minyin returned home dejectedly. Seeing the empty main room, she suddenly broke down, remembering how smugly she had looked at Shi Ling back then.
She couldn't handle Wu Guanhai, but she could deal with Shi Ling.
She took out her bankbook, went to the post office, skillfully wired a sum of money, and then went home with peace of mind, waiting for Sun Guangyao to contact her.
Naturally, Shi Yuan and Shi Ling in Qinglin Bay were unaware of what was happening in Beicheng.
Shi Yuan stayed on the mountain for several days, touching every spring that Huan Ni could find, and even found several springheads.
The result was that nothing was gained!
Knowing that the new educated youth would be arriving in the next couple of days, she and Huanni went down the mountain.
"Yuanyuan is back. Come in quickly, it's just in time for dinner." Sheng Yunhua greeted Shi Yuan with a smile, holding a bowl.
"Aunt Yun!" Shi Yuan greeted politely, then, meeting Feng Cheng's gaze beside Sheng Yunhua, she paused before calling out, "Uncle."
"Who are you calling, child?" Shi Ling came out with chopsticks and scolded, "Are you starving? Your eyes are blurry."
Shi Yuan raised an eyebrow, smiled at Sheng Yunhua, took the chopsticks from Shi Ling's hand, and replied with a smile, "Let's practice first, we'll have to call on him sooner or later anyway."
Feng Cheng's expression was unusually relaxed, and his gaze towards Shi Yuan softened.
Sheng Yunhua chuckled inwardly, but didn't explain anything. Revealing Fengcheng's identity would only make Shi Ling worry about her.
"By the way, I'm currently investigating Sun Guangyao's disappearance case. On the day Sun Guangyao disappeared, someone saw a huge dark figure leave the town in the middle of the night and head towards Qinglin Bay."
"Yuanyuan, are you free? Take me to the mountain to search for something tomorrow."
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