Facing each other
The shopkeeper said in embarrassment, "It's the boss's rules. I can't do anything about it, sir. That girl just bought a lot. Why don't you talk to her and sell some to you? As for the girl in front with the red flowers embroidered on her dress, there's still time to chase her now."
Following the direction pointed by the shopkeeper and the waiter, he saw the girl was about to turn the corner. After thanking the shopkeeper, Cha Suxun ran after the girl.
Having presumptuously stopped her, Cha Suxun immediately bowed his head and apologized, explaining, "I meant no harm. I stopped you abruptly. I just wanted to buy some of the preserved fruit you had. If it's inconvenient for you, forget it. I'm very sorry for scaring you."
"It's okay. I didn't buy much. My two children love this preserves the most, so I can only give you a small bag. Is that okay?"
Hearing this, Cha Suxun looked up with joy. His words of thanks were about to come out, but the moment he saw the girl's face clearly, his words choked in his throat. He stood there in a daze, staring at her face intently, unable to calm down the shock and confusion in his heart for a long time.
She really did look exactly like Li Wan. Even her figure and voice were identical. So similar, he began to wonder if something had gone wrong.
She handed him the small packet of preserves she had shared, and walked away from him without saying anything.
Cha Suxun chased after her, wanting to find out if she had any connection with Li Wan. He took out some money and gave it to her when he got to her side. However, she refused, saying, "It's just a little bit. No need for money."
"It's what I deserve."
"I told you not to follow me anymore." After saying that, she quickened her pace and became more cautious.
"I took your things, so I should pay you. You, take it." Cha Suxun chased after her again, but kept a distance, trying not to scare her.
Seeing his persistence and strangeness, the girl stopped and took the money he handed over, saying unhappily, "I've accepted the money, but you are not allowed to follow me anymore. Stay away from me!"
After saying that, she ran away quickly.
Cha Suxun didn't dare to follow her anymore, fearing that she would think he was really a bad guy and get frightened again. Wouldn't that be ungrateful?
He asked the old lady selling vegetables at the nearby stall, "Grandma, do you know the girl who was standing next to me just now?"
"I don't know him, I don't know." The old lady was very impatient and looked at him with eyes full of suspicion and hostility.
Cha Suxun took out a piece of silver and deliberately showed it to the old woman. "Grandma, if you can help me find out who that girl is, this little bit of silver will be your reward. I'm not a bad person, I'm here to look for my relatives. Don't be afraid, Grandma. If I wanted to do something bad to that girl, I wouldn't have to go to all that trouble to find out, isn't that right, Grandma?"
The old lady didn't say anything for a long time, but she didn't refuse either. Cha Suxun deliberately took back the silver and stood up to say goodbye: "Since you don't know either, forget it. Sorry to bother you. I'll go ask again."
"etc."
"What's wrong, grandma? Did you remember something?"
The old lady nodded slightly. Cha Suxun squatted down patiently and took out the silver again, but did not hand it to the old lady immediately.
"She just moved here. She's a widow with two children. I heard her husband was hacked to death by bandits."
"Then do you know her name?"
The old woman stopped talking, only extending her hand, covering her face. Cha Suxun understood and pressed the silver into her hand. She carefully touched and examined it, confirming that it was real silver, and then continued, "I don't know her exact name, but we all call her Ah Wan. She became a widow at such a young age, and it's not easy to be alone. Those two children are so well-behaved, so we all help them out. But speaking of those two children, when I look closely, they look a lot like you. If you didn't know, you would think you were the children's biological father."
"Like me?"
"Yeah, otherwise I wouldn't tell you about her for just a small amount of silver. You're either related to A Wan or to A Wan's husband, right?"
After the grandmother said this, Cha Suxun said, "To be honest, I am Awan's husband's biological brother. My brother and sister-in-law were angry with our family and insisted on splitting up and running away. My mother was worried about the two children, so she asked me to chase her out and look for her for several years. I saw her on the street who looked like my sister-in-law, but after so many years, I was not sure I recognized my sister-in-law now. I had to take the opportunity to go up and talk to confirm. After that conversation, I felt that they looked even more like each other. That's why I came to ask around. There is no place like home, not to mention that the two children are not even ten years old. How can they endure hardship? Grandma, can you please tell me the current address of my sister-in-law and her family?"
"You sound like it's true, but how can I know if it's true? Unless you provide evidence, I can't tell you."
"Because the child looks like me. Grandma, you also said that if someone didn't know, they would think I was the child's biological father. There is no such coincidence in the world."
Cha Suxun wasn't sure this statement would convince the old lady, fearing she was just making it up to get the money. But after a long, careful look, the old lady said hesitantly, "What you said seems to make sense. Are you really not lying to me? If you lie to me, I won't live past sixty. Swear to it."
Remembering that his lifespan in this life was indeed less than sixty, Cha Suxun swore without hesitation, "If I say even a word to deceive Grandma, I will never live past sixty in this life."
"Alright. The house at the end of He Street, the one with the two white lanterns hanging. Neighbors, don't tell me I told you! Swear!"
Cha Suxun nodded and swore skillfully, "I swear I will never tell anyone that it was Grandma who told me about Awan. If I break this oath, I will never live past sixty."
"Well, let's go quickly. Stop by a few more stalls, and then go find Ah Wan's house!"
"Yeah, I understand, grandma. Thank you."
"Stop talking nonsense and go, go, go."
After Cha Suxun left, he wanted to go directly to Awan's house to take a look, but he didn't expect that the old lady sitting in front of the stall behind him would stare at his movements from time to time, like staring at a thief. Cha Suxun had no choice but to do as the old lady instructed, look at each stall and ask the stall owners about the prices casually.
After quickly asking both families, Cha Suxun went straight to the place the old lady mentioned, and actually found A Wan washing clothes by the river.
Her frail figure, with her back to him, squatted on the steps, struggling to wash. The two children accidentally caught a glimpse of him, froze for a moment, rubbed their eyes to confirm, and then ran towards him excitedly.
Moreover, he shouted: "Dad!"
The two children suddenly hugged his legs and burst into tears, "Daddy, I miss you so much, you are finally back. Mommy cries every night, and my sister and I thought you didn't want us anymore. Daddy, where have you been? Are you going to stay here now that you are back?"
A Wan heard the noise and ran over, trying to pull the two children apart, but they refused to let go.
"This isn't Daddy, let go."
"No! Mother lied! It's obviously Daddy!"
"Mom lied, I won't let go until my brother lets go! Why doesn't Mom want Daddy?"
"Mom didn't lie. If you don't believe me, just ask him and see if he admits that he is your father!" A Wan couldn't pull him away and was a little angry.
The two children looked up at him eagerly, and he could only tell the truth: "I am indeed not your father. It may just be a coincidence that we look like your father."
"Daddy, you're talking nonsense! We don't look alike, we are exactly the same! Mommy doesn't want Daddy! Daddy doesn't want Mommy! My brother and I deserve to be unwanted!" After crying and yelling, the little girl kept wiping her tears and ran into the house, and the other one quickly followed her into the house.
Although Ah Wan was furious, she couldn't blame the children; they just missed their daddy so much. She had finally managed to trick the children into believing their daddy was away making money, but his appearance had undone all her previous efforts. She could only vent her anger on this inexplicable man before her.
"What on earth are you doing? You've even come to my house! Didn't I give you all the candied fruit?"
For a moment, facing Awan's questioning, Cha Suxun didn't know how to answer and couldn't make up a reason.
"I don't have any more candied fruits to give you. Let's go. The store will sell them again tomorrow! Don't show up at my door again!" After saying that, A Wan slammed the door angrily.
After being turned away, Cha Suxun had no choice but to leave and return to the mountain. Locking himself in the room, Cha Suxun immediately lay on the bed and returned to the Nether Palace in a trance.
He always felt that Awan's appearance was too coincidental. Until he saw the two children, Cha Suxun felt even more that this matter was carefully planned by someone. Otherwise, the two children could not have looked so much like a combination of him and Liwan's childhood appearance.
Opening the Yang Scroll, Cha Suxun tentatively searched for her presence in the Yang Scroll. However, not only did the Yang Scroll contain records of her current life, but even the Yin Scroll contained records of her reincarnations throughout several lifetimes.
She is truly a mortal who has gone through a normal reincarnation.
Cha Suxun couldn't help but start to wonder if he had really missed something and made a mistake...
When I returned to the mortal world, it was already night.
Looking at the bag of preserved fruits beside the bed, Cha Suxun gathered his thoughts and prepared to go see Ah Li. Passing by the woodshed from a distance, thoughts arose in his heart. Cha Suxun pushed open the woodshed door and saw Qi Heng curled up on the ground in pain, sweating profusely, his lips bitten and bleeding.
Pulling off the cloth blocking his mouth, Qi Heng struggled weakly and begged humbly, "Please, let me see her. Just let me confirm that she is still alive. I will do anything you ask me to do."
Cha Suxun took out a small black pill and fed it to Qi Heng, saying, "Take it, and I'll take you to confirm it right now. This is your only chance."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Heng swallowed the pill without hesitation.
"take me."
"Once the medicine takes effect, I will naturally take you there. However, I also have a request."
"you say."
"One, never let her discover your presence, or the presence of another person. Two, obey me completely. Three, don't make even the slightest noise. If you fail to do even one of these things, I will kill Chu Xiao."
"good."
After quietly waiting for the medicine to take effect and confirming that Qi Heng could not speak and his body was limp but he could walk slowly, Cha Suxun took her to the outside of A Li's house and let him sit against the wall.
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