Strange dreams, inexplicable freckle loss, Wang Dabao's words, childhood memories, all of these things gave Shu Guan an uncontrollable impulse.
It was the desire to dig up Elder Lame's grave and see if the old man was truly dead.
But impulse is one thing, and in the end, Shu Guan chose not to actually dig up Elder Lame's grave.
Because he had passed the age of acting on a whim, although in this world, he had two more months until he turned eighteen, his soul was already that of a man in his early forties.
Right now everything was just his own speculation. Shu Guan had lived with Elder Lame for eighteen years, and besides the recent realization that Elder Lame might not have a heart, he did not perceive anything special about him during those years.
So what if he dug up the grave only to find that Elder Lame was actually just an ordinary man?
Just because he had never heard of someone living without a heart on Earth in his previous life did not mean it was impossible in this world, especially since this was a world where Immortals might actually exist.
And "resting in peace with the Earth" is a very traditional and important concept, both in Huaxia where Shu Guan had transcended from and in this world.
Shu Guan did not want to disturb Elder Lame's peace after death simply because of some speculation.
Thus, Shu Guan hesitated for a long time, but even after observing the three-seven ritual, he still did not dig up Elder Lame's grave.
On the second seven and the third seven ritual days, Shu Guan stayed by Elder Lame's grave for fourteen days. On the morning of the fifteenth day, he squatted beside the grave, silently smoked a pipe, then knelt down and kowtowed three times to the grave before finally preparing to return to the village.
When he passed the little creek outside the village, Shu Guan stopped to look down at his reflection in the water.
Still just as ugly.
But if ugliness had levels, then he definitely used to be at the strongest champion's rank, although now he should have dropped to the Supreme Star Glory level.
In the past two weeks, many dark freckles had fallen off his face. However, because the original number was so large, despite falling off every day, there were still many left on Shu Guan's face.
After all, there's little visual difference between having a hundred freckles or fifty freckles on one's face.
Shu Guan touched his own face, and the feeling of unevenness at his fingertips was indeed much less than before.
In about ten more days, the freckles on his face should all be gone.
By then, Zhang Yadan should agree to marry him.
Marrying a wife, having children, beginning a new life.
Even though it might be plain, isn't a plain life also a life?
Shu Guan had known since he was very young what his life would be like.
As he stepped across the creek and arrived on the opposite bank, Shu Guan let go of his sorrow and prepared to start a life without Elder Lame.
Not long after, he arrived at the village entrance where the threshing ground was.
On the threshing ground, many villagers were spreading out baskets of dark green leaves.
It was the annual fern-drying season again.
Shu Guan noticed that the kid, Wang Dahu, was also there at the threshing ground.
The guy was out walking with his child.
At twenty years old, a sturdy, honest-looking young man from the countryside, holding a toddler boy in his arms, with a little girl about three years old following behind, leisurely strolling around the threshing ground, a look of helpless distress on his face.
Who could blame him? He and his wife played too much "Fight the Landlord," with the result being that his wife seemed to be on her third pregnancy, now lying at home every day.
The joy in certain aspects always requires repayment through pain in others.
However, Shu Guan rather envied Wang Dahu's joyful life in that respect.
He couldn't help but touch his face again.
Just be patient, it won't be long now!
Shu Guan comforted himself inwardly.
At that moment, Wang Dahu also saw Shu Guan standing at the edge of the threshing ground and came over quickly with his child in his arms.
"Mazi, you've finished the 'seven' for Elder Lame and have come back... huh?"
As he approached Shu Guan, Wang Dahu suddenly paused, staring intently and peculiarly at Shu Guan's face.
"What's up?"
"Mazi, you seem to have changed somewhat..."
"What's so different about it?"
"Well… Before, when I looked at your face, I'd definitely throw up by the count of ten, but today, I realized I might be able to hold out until thirty."
"You can count to thirty now? That's progress!"
"That's right, I took those math lessons you taught seriously, Mazi."
Wang Dahu laughed smugly.
Shu Guan was originally planning to head straight home; ever since Elder Lame left, the house hadn't been tidied much, and was probably now covered in dust.
However, after running into Wang Dahu, Shu Guan thought he could ask him to do something for him, so he sat down on a bench beside the grain-drying ground and leisurely drew a smoking pipe from his waistband.
Wang Dahu looked enviously at the green smoking pipe in Shu Guan's hand and sighed,
"Elder Lame had promised to make me one when my third child was born. I never expected him to pass away so suddenly…"
I haven't even had a turn myself.
Shu Guan muttered inwardly, took a pinch of tobacco from the pouch on the front of the pipe, stuffed it into the bowl, and then took out flint and steel.
"I'll make you one in a few days. It won't compare to one made personally by Elder Lame, but no one in the village can outdo me now."
Shu Guan said as he lit the tobacco.
Wang Dahu's eyes gleamed, because Shu Guan truly wasn't boasting. Elder Lame used to be the most capable person in Taoyuan Village, but over the last few years as the elder's health declined, it was actually Shu Guan who became the most capable man in Taoyuan Village. Whether it was farming, hunting, fishing, building houses, or blacksmithing, none were inferior to the craftsmanship of Elder Lame a few years back.
So Wang Dahu's eyes immediately brightened.
Meanwhile, Shu Guan took a puff of the dry tobacco, exhaled, and slowly continued,
"Tonight, go invite Yadan out to play cards."
Wang Dahu instantly looked hesitant yet eager. He glanced at the baby in his arms and sheepishly murmured,
"I don't have time; I have to take care of the baby…"
"I didn't call for you; just get Yadan to come out."
Shu Guan waved his hand.
Wang Dahu suddenly understood and grinned,
"Mazi, you're still not giving up on Yadan, huh? That girl's got high standards. She doesn't seem to have eyes for any of the young guys her age in the village."
"With that face of yours, don't think too much. How about I ask my wife to talk to her sister, see if she might marry you? Then we'll be family."
"You don't need to interfere, just help me invite her out."
Shu Guan impatiently said.
Before, he indeed lacked confidence, but now, things were different. As soon as the blemishes on his face fell off, with his transcender's flirting techniques and experience, could he not win over a secluded village maiden who had never truly seen the world?
In a few days, when the peach blossoms bloomed, he'd pick nine hundred and ninety-nine of them, arrange a big "heart" on the riverbank, and see if the lass could still resist!
While Shu Guan was plotting his blissful future, a strange noise suddenly came from the sky above the grain-drying ground.
As Shu Guan was lost in his fantasies about how long it would take before he and Zhang Yadan could enjoy a game of solo Landlord, he did not look up immediately.
But Wang Dahu immediately looked up and the similarly inexperienced village youth gaped, staring blankly and bewilderedly at the sky.
Wang Dahu's daughter, like her father, also looked upward and then let out a cry of surprise and delight:
"Wow, such a big iron bird."
Iron bird?
What iron bird?
So Shu Guan also looked up into the sky.
The next instant, Shu Guan abruptly stood up as a multitude of complicated emotions welled up inside him, knocking the bench behind him to the ground in his flurry.
He looked up at the sky, at the two "iron birds" there, gripping his smoking pipe so tightly his knuckles turned white, not even feeling his nails digging into his palms.
"Helicopters!"
A groan-like whisper escaped Shu Guan's throat.