Moreover, the kitchen was quick to serve dishes at night, with hot dishes coming one after another.
Li Zhiyuan knew that this was to end the banquet earlier and gain more time for the grave digging at night.
During the banquet, Secretary Jin walked up to Ding Dalin and whispered a few words.
Ding Dalin then looked at Li Sanjiang, "Sanjianghou, do you have lanterns at home?"
"Lanterns? Yes, I do."
Li Sanjiang’s house had some basic items for red and white affairs, kept for convenience to rent out.
This referred not to paper lanterns but to those that could be reused.
"It’s a special custom in our place. On the night of moving, two strings of red and white lanterns must be hung on the roof at home. Unfortunately, the lanterns originally ordered were delayed and can’t be delivered tonight."
"That’s no big deal." Li Sanjiang looked at Li Zhiyuan, "Little Yuanhou, go home, tell Run Sheng to bring the lanterns, and help them hang them up along the way."
"Okay, I’ll go right now."
"Finish eating first, no rush."
"Not hungry, Grandmaster."
Li Zhiyuan got up from the table, and Tan Wenbin quickly followed, grabbing a chicken leg.
He had gone for a run in the afternoon, so he digested quickly.
The last time Brother Liangliang recounted his experience going to the Bai family town, he mentioned the two strings of lanterns hanging on the Bai family town archway.
This actually had a meaning, red representing human affairs, white representing ghost talk. Red and white lanterns hung high, with the two paths of yin and yang remaining unconnected.
The Bai family town displayed this because of its uniqueness, where the Bai Family’s Ladies lingered in a state between being human and not human, or ghost and not ghost.
The Water Monkeys doing this was also one of their traditional customs, symbolizing smoothness and peace between the living and the dead.
However, this gave Li Zhiyuan a new idea.
Arriving home, Run Sheng had already packed the array flag and corpse recovery tools with white plastic, with a strap slung diagonally over his upper body.
Li Zhiyuan knew this was for tying himself up when preparing to go into the water.
"Brother Run Sheng, the plan has changed. I’ve found a better way to get in."
"Ah, Xiao Yuan, what do you plan to do?"
*"The most dangerous place is the safest,"* he said, *"since there are lookouts all around, we simply won’t think about going out and coming back in."*
"Still don’t understand." Run Sheng shook his head.
"I understood a bit, but I want to hear more." Tan Wenbin rested his chin in his hand, eyes full of thought.
Li Zhiyuan tilted his head towards him, an action that Run Sheng understood. He directly picked up Tan Wenbin and forcibly took him to the workshop behind the house, then took a rope and tied his hands and feet.
"No, no, you can’t do this, Brother Xiao Yuan, you promised you would tell me everything."
"Hmm, I’m telling you now."
Li Zhiyuan squatted down in front of Tan Wenbin and explained the matter of the Water Monkey and the main tomb in full detail.
After listening, an extremely excited expression appeared on Tan Wenbin’s face. "So stimulating!"
Then he wiggled his tied hands and feet: "But what are you planning to do with this?"
"Brother Binbin, what does your grandfather do?"
"A policeman. My maternal grandfather is also a policeman."
"What do you plan to do in the future?"
"I can do anything as long as it’s not being a policeman."
"Don’t say things in anger; what you say during your rebellious phase doesn’t count. You’ll definitely become a policeman too in the future."
"I don’t want to be..."
Run Sheng deftly gagged Tan Wenbin.
"Brother Run Sheng, did you hear what Binbin said?"
"He said he didn’t..."
"He said that in the future, he’ll definitely become a policeman."
"Oh, yes, that’s right."
"A family of policemen, huh."
Li Zhiyuan leaned in and hugged Tan Wenbin.
There wasn’t enough time to go to the police station to hug a plaque, so hugging you will have to do for good luck.
After Li Zhiyuan got up, Run Sheng also leaned in for a strong hug, making Tan Wenbin roll his eyes.
"Brother Binbin, this is for your safety. Next time, if there’s a friendlier Corpse Recovery, we’ll bring you to see it."
"Exactly, exactly," Run Sheng chimed in, "People are much more dangerous than the Corpse Recovery."
Next, Li Zhiyuan and Run Sheng placed the items inside the lantern covers, then carried them to Big Beard’s house.
At that time, the first batch had already finished, and the second batch was eating.
Li Sanjiang and Ding Dalin hadn’t left the table; they were still drinking. Seeing Run Sheng arrive, Li Sanjiang waved his hand to urge, "Hurry and help them hang it up."
Run Sheng and Li Zhiyuan went up to the second floor, where there was an opening with a ladder next to it, leading to the roof.
After setting up the ladder and carrying the items up, Run Sheng began to prop up the lanterns, stringing them one by one and then lighting them up.
The east side was red, the west side was white.
After finishing, Li Zhiyuan said, "Brother Run Sheng, I’ll go down and move the ladder back. You stay up here ready to catch me."
"Little Yuan, no need for such trouble."
Run Sheng only needed to hop down, hook his feet timely on the edge, and swing himself down.
Then, using the ladder as leverage with his waist strength, he swung the ladder back to its original position against the wall.
He exerted force again, retracting his upper body, grabbed the edge with both hands, pulled himself back bit by bit, and finally replaced the cover, completing the entire set of actions in one go.
*Li Zhiyuan could only sigh in his heart once again at Run Sheng’s terrifying physical agility.*
*But that was his natural talent, something one couldn’t envy.*
*I just wondered whether those with Qin’s ability to grow gills for underwater use were naturally like that or trained over time.*
Recently, from persistently practicing breathing and horse stance, Li Zhiyuan felt he had made significant progress, but he realized *his hard-fought daily progress might just be to reach someone’s starting line.*