Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty: Family Ties

Ou Peng watched the two figures walking away and couldn't help but shake his head, saying, "These two troublemakers, they're really hard to handle."

Hu Laoda smiled and said, "Let them be."

After saying this, everyone followed the two out of the hall.

Re-entering the council chamber, it was still the time for lighting the lamps. Ou Peng and the others were surprised; the records in the ancient texts were indeed correct. A day and a night had passed, but this time was different from the last. In just one day, their martial arts skills had improved dramatically. The opportunities in life were truly profound and unpredictable.

After everyone was seated, Zhang Chengyue stepped forward and bowed, briefly reporting the recent situation of the gang to Ou Peng. Ou Peng nodded in satisfaction, and then Zhang Chengyue stood by his side.

Ou Peng didn't ask many questions. He simply told everyone that he would be in seclusion for the next ten days to practice his skills, and that Zhang Chengyue would temporarily manage the gang's affairs. He then dismissed everyone.

After the others had left, the Five Tigers of Piaomiao began to discuss matters again.

Ou Peng said to his fellow disciples, "Brothers, we have finished taking the pills in the secret place. After we return today, it's best to enter seclusion for ten days to stabilize our cultivation. After ten days, we will discuss the development plans for Piaomiao. What do you think?"

Everyone agreed, got up, and left the council chamber, each returning home.

The Piaomiao Sect looked no different from usual at night. However, after dinner, a maid walked out of one of the inner courtyards, calmly left the Piaomiao Manor, and went to a small grocery store at the edge of the manor. She bought some cosmetics and then returned. The store owner, after a meal, left the store from the back door, drove a cart to Pingyang City to restock, and soon arrived at a large grocery store in Pingyang City. After restocking, he hurriedly returned to the Piaomiao Manor.

The accountant of the large grocery store in Pingyang City, after finishing his accounts, left the store and headed home. When he passed a dark alley, he felt the urge to urinate and quickly entered. However, instead of urinating, he hurried to a dark corner, where there was a small door. He knocked rhythmically, and the door creaked open. The person inside looked out, recognized him, and let him into the yard. Soon, the accountant came out of the yard, urinated in the alley, and lazily walked home. As he left the alley, two pigeons flew out of a small house in the courtyard, one after the other, heading out of Pingyang City.

Under the night sky of Pingyang City, despite the noise, it looked no different from the Piaomiao Manor. The flying pigeons seemed to have made no difference. Everything appeared normal, but who knew what extraordinary events were hidden in this seemingly peaceful night?

Dawn came quickly, and the sunlight pierced through the night like a sword. Everyone began to rise and start their busy day.

Zhang Xiaohua also opened his eyes. The flash in his eyes was fleeting, and no one noticed.

The first sound Zhang Xiaohua heard upon waking was his grandmother's cough. Zhang Xiaohua knew without thinking that it was the eighth consecutive day. Moreover, Zhang Xiaohua sensed that this was not a simple cough. He could feel the thick liquid in his grandmother's throat and body, the liquid that blocked her breathing and life. Her life seemed to be gradually fading away in this thickness, slowly slipping away. Zhang Xiaohua could even feel his grandmother's emaciation, not a physical emaciation, but a spiritual one. Zhang Xiaohua was very afraid, but he didn't dare tell his mother. Apart from the cough, his grandmother had no other health issues and ate well. The village veterinarian, Old Chen, said it was just the cold weather and that she would be fine in the spring.

However, Zhang Xiaohua didn't believe it.

His grandmother coughed violently again, bending over in pain. Zhang Xiaohua quickly got up, patted her back, and poured some water from the teapot on the table, checking the temperature before offering it to her. After drinking the water, his grandmother sighed and said kindly, "Xiaohua, why are you up so early? Why don't you sleep a bit more? Did I wake you up?"

Zhang Xiaohua replied, "No, Grandma. I don't know why, but I've been waking up at dawn recently and can't fall back asleep."

Grandma said, "Ah, Xiaohua, you've grown up and become so considerate. I didn't want to wake you, so I held back last night. But when dawn came, I couldn't hold it anymore. I'll go to the yard tomorrow so I won't disturb you."

Zhang Xiaohua said, "Grandma, really, I'm not lying. I've been sleeping well at night and didn't hear you cough. I just can't fall back asleep in the morning. Please don't go to the yard; it's too cold outside."

Grandma smiled but didn't say anything.

Zhang Xiaohua got up and went outside. The sky was just beginning to brighten, and the rising sun hung there, not glaring but looking like a duck egg yolk, cute and inviting. Zhang Xiaohua playfully opened his mouth and pretended to take a bite of the sun, and to his surprise, he felt a warm sensation flow down his throat and into his body.

Zhang Xiaohua was startled, extremely skeptical of his own senses, shook his head, and went to wash his face.

The courtyard was as usual. His mother and Liu Qian had already gotten up. His mother was busy feeding the livestock, and Liu Qian was preparing breakfast for the family. Zhang Xiaohua watched happily, and in his heart, Liu Qian was not just a sister but a future sister-in-law. He had made a small decision: he might not be able to talk to his mother about his doubts, but he could talk to this future sister-in-law. She had read many books and knew a lot, and perhaps she could help him understand.

The farmers' breakfast was simple and quickly finished. However, recently, after breakfast, Zhang Xiaohua had to go to the well on the hill to fetch water. Since the night they all drank tea and couldn't sleep, they had become addicted to the well water. They drank it every day, and it tasted sweeter than the river water. So, they started using well water for cooking and other household needs. However, Zhang Cai, thinking of the long-term, had Zhang Xiaohua fetch water twice a day, morning and evening, and instructed him not to tell the other villagers.

After breakfast, Zhang Xiaohua was about to fetch water.

Before leaving, he said to Liu Qian, "Liu Qian, do you want to go for a walk on the mountain today?"

Guo Sufei, hearing this, said happily, "Yes, Liu Qian, you should go out for a walk. You've been working hard these past few days."

The others in the Zhang family also agreed, and Liu Qian thought for a moment, put down the dishes she was cleaning, and said, "Then I'll leave the dishes to Auntie. I'll go for a walk."

Liu Qian followed Zhang Xiaohua to the river.

Zhang Xiaohua stopped at the river and didn't go further. Liu Qian caught up and asked, "Xiaohua, do you have something to tell me?"

Zhang Xiaohua forced a smile and said, "Liu Qian, you're so smart. You guessed it. I have something to ask you."

Liu Qian said, "You little rascal, what is it? I'll help you."

Zhang Xiaohua paused, looking at the flowing river, and said, "Liu Qian, do you think people can live forever?"

Liu Qian frowned and said, "That's a tough question. Some books say that no one can live forever, and that death is the end for everyone. Other books say that ordinary people die, but some people can live forever."

Zhang Xiaohua asked curiously, "Who are those people?"

Liu Qian said, "According to some historical records, some people who practice cultivation and don't eat ordinary food can live forever. However, this is just written in books, and no one has ever seen it. Who knows if it's true or not? Death, on the other hand, is everywhere and inevitable."

Zhang Xiaohua asked, "Then, how can we save someone who is about to die?"

Liu Qian frowned and said, "If someone is dying from an illness, find a good doctor to treat them. If they are dying from poisoning, find an antidote. If they are dying from old age, well, there is a pill called 'Longevity Pill' that can extend life by twenty years. I read about it in an old book when I was young. However, it's probably just a myth, and I've never heard of anyone taking it."

Zhang Xiaohua, hearing this, stared at the flowing stream and muttered, "Where can I find the Longevity Pill?"

Liu Qian, surprised, said, "Xiaohua, why are you asking so many strange questions today? And why are you looking for the Longevity Pill?"

Zhang Xiaohua looked up, his mouth trembling as if he was about to cry, his voice hoarse, and said, "Liu Qian, I feel that Grandma is leaving me. She's going to die."

Liu Qian's heart skipped a beat. She quickly walked up, hugged Xiaohua's head, and said, "Xiaohua, my good child, don't cry. Don't think too much. Grandma just has a common cough, which is common for elderly people in winter. The doctor said that when spring comes and the weather warms up, Grandma will be fine."

Tears welled up in Zhang Xiaohua's eyes, and he said, "But Old Chen is a veterinarian. He doesn't know much about treating people."

Liu Qian quickly comforted Zhang Xiaohua, saying, "Then, let's take Grandma to see a famous doctor in town in a few days, okay? Grandma will be fine."

Zhang Xiaohua shook his head and continued to cry, saying, "Liu Qian, don't lie to me. I'm not a child anymore. I can work the fields. I know Grandma won't get better. I can feel the thick liquid in her body that makes her cough. I can also feel something inside her body leaving her every day, making her thinner."

Liu Qian, hearing this, was also saddened and couldn't calm Zhang Xiaohua. She hugged his head, and tears streamed down her face. This was a good, considerate child, and only the deep family ties and love rooted in blood could sense such a loss of life.