Yesterday, when Secretary Jin sang this song on stage, her Cantonese was standard and her singing professional, yet the boy didn’t like it much.
The current Secretary Jin, although her Cantonese is not standard, sings as naturally as water flowing into a well-dug channel after a sluice opens.
Singing is indeed magical; one can recognize it even when masked or in disguise.
When Secretary Jin’s hands rested on his shoulders previously, a familiar feeling told Li Zhiyuan who she really was.
Likewise, it is likely the real orchestrator of last night’s terrifying and bloody scene is none other than the entity beneath Ding Dalin’s disguise.
It, indeed, holds the real power here.
This means that his own crisis here is not over because Little Huang Ying, being by its side, holds only a secondary position.
The creatures, the water monkeys, that were unearthed... must be it.
Li Zhiyuan suddenly realized that in the original plan, himself, Little Huang Ying, and the water monkeys have all become secondary characters, no, even less significant than secondary characters, merely background elements.
Whether he and the Grandmaster can keep their skin intact now also depends on its mood.
Thus, both the current song and the earlier actions were hints from Little Huang Ying to him.
For a moment, the slight relaxation in his guard due to Little Huang Ying’s appearance was fiercely heightened again.
Li Zhiyuan suddenly realized something about "it" from last night; since it could control Secretary Jin to signal the water monkeys with lantern code to trick them into being collectively skinned, how could it not have noticed him and Run Sheng on the rooftop?
Did he and Run Sheng really escape all the way home just because they ran fast?
The water monkeys, except for Ding Dalin, are all from outside the area, and Ding Dalin, the only one he knows in this village who also bought a house in his name, is Li Sanjiang.
If it wants to replace the fish pond with peach trees, it needs Li Sanjiang’s help.
It turns out that holding the situation from collapsing has always been reliant on his own Grandmaster.
Secretary Jin finished singing her song.
Li Zhiyuan led the applause, and seeing this, Tan Wenbin also clapped, repeatedly praising, "Good, good, good!"
Li Sanjiang then touched the sound system and said, "Okay, this is quite good. I’ll have Mule fetch the tables, chairs, dishes, and this equipment back later."
"Ha ha, as long as you are satisfied."
Li Zhiyuan asked innocently, "Uncle Ding, how much is this?"
Li Sanjiang slightly frowned, this was originally about taking advantage, taking it back and then asking how much it cost, is this kid silly?
But then, Li Sanjiang’s expression relaxed again: Good, this kid is honest and kind-hearted, indeed different from those ingrates.
Li Zhiyuan asked on purpose. After experiencing so much, he vaguely grasped the principle of "karma cause and effect," especially while dealing with the other shadowy entity, its things are not so easily taken.
Better to hear the request of the other party first.
"Yes, Yuanhou, how much did you pay the opera troupe for it, tell me, I’ll pay you, I can use this, renting it for half a year would pay off."
"You and I talking about this could hurt our feelings."
Li Sanjiang hugged Ding Dalin’s arm and shook it vigorously: "Alright, I misjudged when you first came back, Yuanhou, you really are a decent person, better than me."
At their first meeting, Li Sanjiang thought Ding Dalin was just putting on airs.
But it’s hard to change the impression when he generously gave houses, land, and the sound system, as it was just too much given.
"Actually, Sanjianghou, I also have a favor to ask you."
Seeing that he willingly climbed up the pole, Li Sanjiang subconsciously started picking his ear:
"Sure, sure, you can ask me for help anytime."
Li Zhiyuan spoke up: "Uncle Ding, if you have any issues, you can speak up now."
One couldn’t afford to drag this into the future like the Grandmaster would suggest, because if unable to fulfill his requests, both he and his grandchild might not have a future.
Li Sanjiang pursed his lips; he couldn’t get angry at Little Yuanhou, so he followed the boy’s lead and agreed: "Right, Yuanhou, go ahead."
"Sanjianghou, the thing is, I was planning to settle here, but I’ve received news, there’s something urgent, I have to go back and handle it.
So, I need you to look after this house for me."
"Are you leaving? How long will you be gone?"
"It’s hard to say, if things go smoothly, I might return in half a year, but if not, at my age, I might leave any time and never come back."
"Then you better come back alive soon."
"Are you going to miss me?"
"It’s not about missing, you got so much stuff under my name, if you never return, it would be too embarrassing for me to keep all these things."
"I do intend to come back, really want to spend my twilight years peacefully here."
"I really do want to send you off when the time comes, and if I pass away first, worst case, Little Yuanhou will handle it, otherwise the things you’ve taken would weigh on your conscience."
"Sanjianghou, once the village contract is arranged, I’ll pay the contract fee upfront, then leave some money, you help me organize the people to flatten this fish pond and plant the peach trees, so there’s no delay."
Li Sanjiang rubbed his forehead; planting trees is hard work.
This isn’t just a matter of money, as the main family, there’s also a lot of effort involved.