Chapter 002: First Encounter, Seems Familiar

6:30 PM, dinner time

Brother, I will help you wash the dishes

She stood under the lantern outside the courtyard, slightly lowering her head, listening to the phone. The person on the other end of the line called out her name: Tan Xi

He looked up, his gaze very faint, untouched by color, nor tainted by the smoke of life. The flashlight in his hand illuminated the ground beneath the girl: "Your belongings."

Now the housewives out for a stroll have seen her face clearly. Her eyebrows are arched, her eyes resemble willow leaves, half-concealing the shimmering waves of autumn water. Her face is small, her nose is straight and delicate, and she seems to be smiling. Her lips are tinted with a light shade of pink.

Rong Jinqi's daughter-in-law asked: "Who broke it?"

Xu Tanxi smiled as she accepted it: "Thank you"

Rong Li picked out all the carrots from the fish-flavored shredded pork and placed them in his bowl

He approached: "I have returned home"

"The piece of Hetian jade that your uncle gave you was smashed by me," Qin Zhao elaborated, "Yesterday, the Xu family held a birthday banquet for Xu Tanling, and I saw her wearing your jade. In a moment of anger, I couldn't hold back and smashed it.

He possesses a seemingly non-aggressive exterior, yet exudes an untamed wildness, akin to a beast dozing in the grasslands.

A child holds a milk bottle in one hand and clutches a half-burned photograph in the other. The edges, singed by flames, have turned yellow. The girl in the photograph is dressed in a qipao and holds a round fan, resembling a woman from a bygone era

It is not yet dark; the little children in the village are playing joyfully in the alleys.

Rong Yonghua's family said: "Last night, the police went to the health clinic. Yang Laosi was trembling and couldn't speak clearly, and he didn't know who hit him. Everyone said it was a case of bad luck that scared him silly. Yang Laosi's hand was also badly injured and he needs to go to the city for bone-setting surgery. It is estimated that he will not be able to steal anymore in the future"

The dining table is set in the yard, with two dishes and one soup, one large and one small, both silent and focused on their meal.

In the alley, the village housewives are strolling in groups, chatting and laughing.

Grandma Qiu has a bad back, is severely hunched over, and has many wrinkles and age spots on her face. Smiling, she has no teeth: "Can your brother still cook?"

He turned around, his face beaming like the sun: "Brother."

No.

Rong Li glanced at the scarf on the ground and withdrew his gaze: "He has left."

Xu Tanxi looked at him, slightly dazed

"Oh, you have arrived." Rong Guanguan turned around, and just as she was about to say goodbye to the beautiful sister, she saw the photo in the beautiful sister's hand fall to the ground

Sister

The sky had darkened, and Rong Li walked out of his yard with a lamp in hand, his steps slow and casual. The streetlights were far away, casting long shadows on the ground. He wore a black hoodie, the hood pulled down, and the dim yellow light fell on his face

Rong Li took a bite of his meal. In the evening, with the residual heat still lingering, he removed his coat, revealing a series of black characters tattooed on his right arm. He lifted his gaze slightly, his eyes so clear they seemed to glisten, yet within that clarity lay a captivating air of nonchalance that stirred one's curiosity.

A motorcycle passed through the alley, Xu Tanxi turned her head to take a glance, and then stepped further inside.

Xu Tanxi did not care much: "If it breaks, it breaks; it's not something very valuable."

The sky has not yet darkened, and the clouds are painted in shades of orange, mixed with a hint of fiery red, resembling a splash of vibrant colors. It takes only ten minutes to walk from the convenience store at the end of the street to Zhuluanrong Village.

As for the villain who attacked Old Yang Si, he remains an inexplicable mystery

On Saturday, Rong Guanguan will not go to kindergarten

After finishing the meal, Rong Guanguan wobbled to the kitchen while holding an empty bowl, walking unsteadily. From behind, her plump, round, and fair body resembled a white radish stump.

The sensible little one thought this was praise, smiling like a blooming flower: "Thank you, Grandma"

He deserves it

Truly beautiful and charming in appearance

You are welcome

It is a face that is beautifully soft, not intense, with every frown and smile exuding a subtle delicacy, featuring the three sections of the face and five eyes, embodying the gentle and graceful qualities of ancient women

Which Yang Laosi

Rong Guan gently patted the photo in his pocket, leaning his face a little closer, and cautiously asked: "Brother, if you have a girlfriend, will you send me away?"

Picked up in the yard, seeing that the sister inside was beautiful, I couldn't bear to throw it away. Rong Guanguan initially thought it was her brother's girlfriend.

Rong Li picked up two pieces of green vegetables from the soup and placed them in a small bowl, saying: "One must not be picky with food"

Then he ran off to play with the older brothers and sisters in the village. Because he was well-behaved, the older siblings were all willing to play with him. He was considered the most well-behaved in the village, able to hold the rubber band for a long time without moving.

The little one’s eyes are saying—Brother, I am easy to take care of

Rong Jinqi's daughter-in-law is named Zou Jinxu: "Are you from out of town?"

Xu Tanxi recognized it: "Yes"

This face made her feel as if she were in a dream

The sky grew darker, and the dazzling bright lights resembled a silver beam, casting a patch of white on the ground. Two shadows, one large and one small, moved further apart, one in front of the other.

Outside the yard, my friends are calling: "Guan Guan"

Guan Guan, please stand still.

He extended his fair and delicate hand and said: "This is for you"

"Guanguan," is Grandma Qiuhua from next door, "Who cooked this egg for you?"

... ...

Rong Li did not look up: "No."

Little rubber ball, banana pear, Malan flowers twenty-one, two fifty-six, two fifty-seven, two eighty-two ninety-three one

Rong Guanguan followed closely behind: "Oh."

In the distance, his brother is calling him

But you are also picky, you don't eat carrots, you don't eat vegetables... Rong Guanguan smiled at her brother, revealing a row of small milk teeth: "Alright"

The elderly Hongzhong aunt chuckled and said: Evil people, after all, should be governed by evil people

Alright, Rong Guanguan put down the bowl and went out. After a short while, the sound of a bowl shattering came from the kitchen

Grandma Qiu Hua couldn't help but laugh: "What a good child"

Rong Guan's small face fell: "Brother, can I not eat carrots?"

Xu Tanxi smiled and said: "Don't be angry, don't be angry, you speak."

"Brother," the younger one, with his mouth full of food, cheeks puffed out, and eyes rolling around, asked, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

The one from Huqiao Yang

Xu Tanxi gazed for a long time at the straight back of that person, then lowered her head to look at the photo in her hand: "Zhao Li."

The soldier at the pass chuckles, what a beautiful sister

Eat

Eyebrow makeup lightly tinted, the vermilion not too deep, idle flowers faintly blooming, strands of hair cascading over the temples, a willow-like waist, upon closer inspection, all is pleasing to the eye

Qin Zhao Li: "Who was that just now?"

What will you eat

Her childhood nickname is Yao Yao

Good

"When will you come back?" Qin Zhao asked her

Grandma Tao Shui said that he is the cheap burden brought over by his mother and will be sent away in the future

Rong Li squeezed a large amount of dishwashing liquid into the pot, her almond-shaped eyes hanging down, with thick eyelashes: "No need."

As the wind blew, the photograph was swept down to the feet of Rong Li

Sister Xiaozhizi hung the rubber band on his foot

Xu Tanxi of the Xu family in Nancheng

The young child tilted his head and blinked his eyes at her: "Sister," he said, a little timidly, extending his hand—a delicate, tender little hand. "Is this yours?"

Rong Guanguan: "Oh." After taking a few bites, the little one squinted and smiled, "Brother, I don't eat much, and I'm not picky about food."

On the phone is Xu Tanxi's close friend, named Qin Zhao.

I need to tell you something, but please don't get angry with me

After going around in circles, with the fire burning and the wind blowing, the photo finally came before his eyes. He squatted down, picked it up, did not glance at it again, walked forward, and handed it over.

Good

He stood obediently like a piece of white, tender "wood," learning to sing "The Flowers of Malan" in a halting manner while holding a milk bottle and peeling an egg shell.

I picked it up

Her outstretched hand is fair and slender, without any long nails, neatly trimmed, just like her character, gentle and poised

Xu Tanxi stood under the lamp, with a hint of floral color in her eyes, a subtle touch of spring: "I have seen him."

It is said that Silver E is from the South City

She is dressed in a qipao, moon-white in color, with a waist that is elegantly cinched, and draped over her shoulders is a fine, soft woolen scarf, truly embodying grace and refinement

The alleys of Zhulanrong Village are all paved with cement, with houses built along both sides. In the south, where rainfall is abundant, the roofs are mostly sloped, featuring white walls and black tiles, giving a hint of an ancient town's charm. Every household in the town loves to keep dogs and plant trees, with roses and pothos climbing over the walls, in shades of red and green, winding and meandering.

Who is that

The child took two sips from the bottle, looking adorable and lively: "Let's eat the takeout."

The military passes are secure

The housewives walked from the beginning of the village to the end, and from a distance, they saw a young girl walking towards them. She had a familiar face, but she was not from Zhulanrong Village.

Aunt Hongzhong said: "The new tenants who have moved into Silver E's house."

He picked up an egg and a water bottle from the table and ran away, saying: "I am here."

As Xu Tanxi was about to respond, she heard a tender child's voice calling: "Sister"

The wind lifted the scarf draped over her shoulders, causing it to fall to the ground. She had been impolite, staring at the opposite sex in such a manner. Coming to her senses, she reached out to take the photo: "Thank you, sir"

Yang Laosi is known for his petty thefts, and several nearby villages are aware of his character.

I heard from my spouse that Yang Laosi's hand was injured by someone.

Xu Tanxi turned around

Rong Guan stood on tiptoe at the gate, saying in a childish voice: "It is my brother"

The sound is clear and crisp, yet it does not convey a sense of distance, like the autumn breeze that gently brushes against the face, bringing a slight chill

Qin Zhao is probably smoking, exuding an air of lazy leisure: "When you return, I will give you an imperial jade."