Thank you, quayA, for the ko-fi~
Feng Yuan’s mouth was glistening with drool, his chubby face still looking dazed from just waking up.
He stared at the large meat skewer in his brother’s hand and stretched out his chubby little hand.
“Give Yuan Yuan a bite.”
Li Wang: “!”
Caught off guard by the tiny, milky voice, Li Wang froze in shock, not daring to turn his head.
Seeing that his brother was ignoring him, Feng Yuan moved directly in front of his brother, opened his mouth wide, and said, “Ah!”
Feed Yuan Yuan!
The few people who had been secretly eating looked at the little guy who had suddenly appeared, their expressions turning quite animated.
Robert set down his own skewer and picked Feng Yuan up.
“Yuan Yuan, you’re dreaming. You’re not fully awake yet.”
“Be good. Close your eyes and go back to sleep.”
Robert tried to hypnotize Feng Yuan into believing he was still in a dream.
But Robert had forgotten that when it came to food, Feng Yuan was no fool.
Hearing Robert’s words, Feng Yuan’s eyes lit up, and he responded, “Yuan Yuan wants to eat barbecue in his dream.”
Robert: “…”
Robert was left speechless.
Feng Yuan was not easily fooled. He squirmed in Robert’s arms.
“Grandpa, put Yuan Yuan down.”
His brother, sister, and grandmother were all speeding up their eating.
If he didn’t get down soon, the skewers would be gone.
Growing a bit anxious, Feng Yuan warned Robert, “Grandpa, Yuan Yuan is going to cry!”
Afraid he would start crying, Robert quickly set him down.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, Feng Yuan reached for the barbecue himself.
Michelle stopped his chubby little hand.
Seeing that the little guy was determined to eat, Michelle poured a cup of hot water and prepared to rinse the skewer.
The skewers Robert had brought back were heavily seasoned.
Feng Yuan, who had just had his teeth filled, couldn’t eat them.
Feng Yuan refused to eat the skewers rinsed in hot water.
He wanted the ones with the seasoning.
Just as the little guy was about to throw a tantrum, Li Si and Li Wang exchanged a glance. Then, they picked up the remaining dozen or so skewers from the table.
Feng Yuan stretched out his chubby little hands, looking like a pitiful little beggar.
“Brother, sister, give Yuan Yuan a little.”
His brother and sister stood up. Without looking down at the pitiful little one, they finished the skewers right in front of him.
Feng Yuan: “…”
Feng Yuan watched as the skewers disappeared in the blink of an eye.
He opened his mouth and let out a loud “Waaah!” as he started crying.
“Yuan Yuan wants to eat!”
“Wuwuwu. Mean!”
The little chubby guy, who had always adored his brother and sister the most, looked utterly devastated by this scene.
He cried so hard he collapsed onto the floor.
Li Si and Li Wang, in their rush to finish the skewers, nearly choked themselves.
After finishing the skewers, they picked up glasses of water from the table to rinse their mouths, then lifted Feng Yuan up.
“Yuan Yuan, the barbecue is too spicy. You can’t eat it.”
“We’ll take you to eat something else.”
In the middle of the night, the whole family headed downstairs from the hotel.
While taking the elevator down, they encountered a girl with an unusually pale complexion.
Seeing them, the girl struck up a conversation.
“Which floor are you staying on? I’m on the fourth floor.”
“I arrived late. The hotel didn’t have any other rooms available. Only the end room on the fourth floor.”
“Staying in that end room, I feel really uncomfortable.”
The girl seemed genuinely frightened by the room.
She poured out her feelings to strangers without any hesitation: “I haven’t slept since I got in here, it’s killing me. Could you let me stay with you? I can sleep on the floor.”
The girl kept talking.
Robert had wanted to respond, but Feng Yuan, whom he was holding, covered his mouth with a chubby little hand.
Seeing Feng Yuan’s gesture, Michelle also refrained from speaking.
Michelle’s Chinese vocabulary was already more limited than Robert’s, so she hadn’t actually understood much of what the girl was saying.
The elevator was supposed to go down from the 9th floor. It was a trip that shouldn’t take more than a minute.
But it was clear that more than a minute had passed, and the elevator still hadn’t reached the first floor.
Feng Yuan, seeing that the elevator wasn’t moving down, resolutely pressed the emergency alarm with his chubby little hand.
As soon as the alarm was pressed, someone from the security room immediately cut in over the intercom.
Feng Yuan was in a hurry to go out and eat.
So, with a serious tone in his childish voice, he emphasized that the elevator wasn’t going down.
“Yuan Yuan is in a hurry.”
Feng Yuan was afraid that if they were late, there wouldn’t be any good food left.
After Feng Yuan pressed the alarm, the girl who had been talking nonstop suddenly fell silent.
She didn’t say another word.
And the elevator, which had been stuck just moments before, smoothly reached the first floor in a matter of seconds.
The elevator doors opened. Feng Yuan and the others stepped out.
The girl in the elevator didn’t come out.
As soon as Feng Yuan was out, he eagerly headed toward the hotel entrance.
A security guard approached, stopped them to ask a few questions, and then let them go.
“If you’re looking for something delicious to eat, you should try our local specialty, sour soup hot pot. It’s the warmest thing to have in winter.”
After addressing the elevator issue, the security guard smiled and gave them a food recommendation.
As for the strange occurrence in the elevator, the security guard didn’t seem to pay it much mind.
Feng Yuan listened to his suggestion and nodded his little head seriously.
The family went out for sour soup hot pot, while the security guard headed to the elevator.
He knew the situation with that elevator better than anyone.
When he entered, he didn’t see anyone inside.
But he spoke to the empty elevator as if someone were there.
“Alright, hurry up and leave. Don’t disrupt our business.”
“What happened to you here wasn’t our fault.”
“Your boyfriend has already been arrested, and your family has received compensation.”
“If you keep bothering our guests, we’ll have to burn a lawsuit against you.”
“If you affect our performance, you’ll have to compensate us.”
After the security guard finished threatening legal action, the elevator light flickered with a sizzling sound.
The security guard wasn’t afraid.
He crossed his arms and coldly threatened, “Try laying a hand on me. Do you think my Taoist priest certification is just for show?”
“I feel sorry for you and wanted to let you figure things out on your own and leave. Don’t push your luck.”
After the security guard’s threat, the elevator finally returned to peace.
Then, the security guard left casually and ordered himself a sour soup hot pot from the duty room.
In the middle of winter, nothing beats a warm meal like that.
Outside on the street, there weren’t many people around in the early hours of the morning.
Most of the stalls along the street were barbecue stands.
They skipped the barbecue and found a hot pot restaurant that was still open, where they enjoyed the sour soup hot pot.
While eating, a group of men drinking at the next table started telling ghost stories.
They told them with such flair.
Feng Yuan nibbled on his hotpot while pricking up his little ears to listen intently.
He was so absorbed in eavesdropping that the men at the next table noticed him.
“Little guy, aren’t you scared listening to this?”
“Hahaha. If you’re afraid, we’ll stop. Don’t want you losing sleep over it later.”
These men held their liquor fairly well.
They were clearly a bit drunk. But when intoxicated, they just told stories and teased children, making them rather endearing to bystanders.
Feng Yuan was naturally sociable.
When others struck up a conversation with him, they’d chosen the right person.
He twisted his small body toward the unfamiliar men, opened his mouth, and started chatting.
“I’m not scared at all! I’m really brave!”
“Hmm, I actually saw a ghost earlier, too.”
Since everyone was sharing ghost stories, Feng Yuan told the men about the ghost he had just seen.
When the men heard him mention the hotel and elevator, their expressions shifted slightly.
“That hotel you’re staying at recently had a murder case. A young woman was killed.”
“She was traveling with her boyfriend, but he was no good. He’d been planning to kill her for a while.”
As the men recounted the recent case and recalled Feng Yuan’s story about the elevator, they didn’t seem frightened.
Perhaps it was the alcohol, but they appeared even more excited.
“If you’re interested in this kind of thing, you should head further south.”
“There’s an ancient village down there. It’s also a tourist area.”
“The villages in the tourist zone are normal, but there are others that haven’t been developed for tourism. They’re said to be incredibly mysterious.”
The men shared tales of the village’s mysterious history.
Robert grew intrigued listening to them.
Feng Yuan was completely captivated.
By the time they returned to the hotel, the whole family had decided to visit the village.
The village had a shamaness.
The men mentioned that she practiced divination and was remarkably accurate.
People whose relatives had gone missing would seek her out.
And she could actually divine their whereabouts!
Feng Yuan had something he wanted to ask about, too.
He wanted to find out where Qin Xun’s parents were.
Qin Xun’s parents had been in a plane crash.
Official reports stated there were no survivors, but their remains had never been found.
Though Qin Xun never spoke of it, Feng Yuan knew—
He missed his parents, too!
What child wouldn’t miss their mom and dad?
Even though Qin Xun seemed to be doing fine now and never mentioned his parents, Feng Yuan still felt deeply for him.
“Grandpa, let’s ask the shamaness.”
Feng Yuan wrapped his arms around Robert’s neck, his little voice soft and pleading: “Yuan Yuan wants his fortune told.”
Robert smiled. “Alright!”
After all, the most important thing about their trip was to have fun.
Since Feng Yuan wanted to go somewhere, and they were all interested in the place, there was no reason to hesitate.
Robert loved adventure. He had visited many places with breathtaking natural scenery and explored numerous dangerous yet enchanting sites.
Now, delving into the mysteries of the ancient village culture sounded like a fantastic idea.
“We’ll go tomorrow.”
Robert promised Feng Yuan with a smile, “We’ll head there after we’ve all had a good sleep.”
“Okay!”
This time, when they took the elevator back to their room, it didn’t malfunction.
They had booked a family suite.
There was a large bed inside and another bed in the outer area.
Feng Yuan slept inside with his older brother and sister, while Robert and Michelle took the outer bed.
Before going to bed, Feng Yuan sent Qin Xun a selfie.
“Qin Xun, I’m going to the ancient village to play tomorrow.”
Feng Yuan sent a voice message: “Come home early, okay? I want to see you when I get back.”
Qin Xun replied to his message even late at night.
“Alright, I’ll come back early.”
After the two little ones finished their bedtime chat, Feng Yuan placed his smartwatch on the bedside table and fell asleep hugging his sister.
The next day.
The whole family slept in until almost noon.
After they got up, Robert took them to check out.
They had a meal first and then found a car.
The ancient village they were heading to wasn’t too far from there.
Since the ancient village was also a tourist area, many people visited during the winter break.
They easily found a ride.
After settling on a price, they got in the car and headed to the ancient village.
The bus wasn’t particularly fast.
They rode from noon until past seven in the evening before arriving.
As soon as they got off the bus, someone approached them to promote accommodation.
Robert didn’t take the offer.
He had already looked up the route on the bus.
At this time, the village was still lively, and they could watch the “throwing the embroidered ball” performance.
Moreover, there were homestays in the village where they could check in directly.
Led by Robert, they entered the village, found a homestay, and dropped off their bags.
After settling their things, they went out to explore.
The village was filled with many specialty foods.
Robert bought a bunch of non-spicy snacks for Feng Yuan.
Feng Yuan’s chubby little hands were soon full of treats.
As they walked under the embroidered tower, a beautiful girl in traditional ethnic attire threw down a ball adorned with silver pieces.
The ball hit Feng Yuan.
The pastries and bowl of meatballs he was holding fell to the ground.
The tourists around them burst into laughter at the sight.
“Little guy, since you caught the ball, you have to go up and be the groom!”
This was a traditional performance in the village.
If the girl’s ball hit someone, that person would play the role of the groom and go up to “marry” the bride.
Of course, it wasn’t a real marriage. It was just a fun activity.
But since the bride was exceptionally beautiful, many people actually wanted to catch the ball.
The little guy, who had no intention of catching the ball and just wanted to enjoy his snacks, looked at the ball in his arms and then at the food on the ground.
Tilting his little face upward, he started to cry.
The girl upstairs sent someone to bring them up.
She also gave Feng Yuan some new snacks.
“Don’t cry, little one. The snacks from the street stalls aren’t authentic. The ones I have here are the real specialty treats.”
As she spoke, the girl smiled and asked Feng Yuan, “After you finish eating, how about having a wedding ceremony with me?”
Feng Yuan: “…”
Tears in his eyes, Feng Yuan shook his head.
He didn’t want to have a wedding ceremony.
He knew from watching a lot of TV that a wedding ceremony meant getting married.
Wiping his tears, he explained to the pretty older sister, “Yuan Yuan is going to marry Qin Xun.”
He and Qin Xun had already agreed to get married when they grew up.
The girl found this even more amusing. “You’re so young, and you’re already thinking about marriage?”
“Little one, you’re quite the forward-thinker.”
The girl didn’t force Feng Yuan to go through with the wedding ceremony.
This kind of ceremonial wedding experience also required a fee.
She just found Feng Yuan adorable and wanted to cheer him up.
Feng Yuan, now munching on the new snacks, stopped crying.
He made friends with the pretty older sister.
He even asked her if she knew where the shaman was, describing the one he was looking for.
“She’s really powerful. She can find people who’ve gone missing.”
The girl listened to his description. After a moment, her expression turned somewhat helpless.
“Little one, the shaman you’re looking for is my grandmother.”
“She hasn’t taken any clients for a long time. You should try looking for someone else.”
Feng Yuan: “!”
Feng Yuan, hearing that there was a lead on the grandmother he was searching for, didn’t hesitate and immediately hugged the pretty sister, pleading with her.
“Please, please take Yuan Yuan to her!”
“Yuan Yuan has something very, very important to ask!”
“Qin Xun’s parents are missing. Yuan Yuan wants to help him find them.”
When the girl heard Qin Xun’s name, she raised an eyebrow.
“Wasn’t Qin Xun the one you said you were going to marry earlier?”
She gave him a knowing look.
“You little rascal, so young and already so good at sweet-talking.”
She thought Qin Xun was the little boy’s girlfriend.
She pinched Feng Yuan’s chubby cheeks, marveling at how kids these days seemed so grown-up despite their age.
She had a good friend who worked as a kindergarten teacher. Her friend often told her how even these little ones were already talking about having boyfriends and girlfriends.
But the way kids made friends was completely different from adults. It was downright hilarious.
As she pinched Feng Yuan’s soft cheeks and listened to his persistent begging, she finally gave in and reluctantly nodded.
“Our village doesn’t allow outsiders in.”
“My grandmother lives in the village now and never comes out.”
“If you want to see her, you’ll have to sneak in with me.”
“Go wander around for a bit longer. I’ll take you back after I finish work.”
With that, the girl went back to her busy work schedule.
The village where her family lived was rumored to be mysterious and extraordinary in the outside world. But in her eyes, it was just an ordinary place.
After all, she still had to leave and work to make a living.
Feng Yuan didn’t dare wander too far while the girl was working, afraid she might leave without him.
His family waited nearby, strolling around as they passed the time.
It wasn’t until late at night that the girl finally got off work.
She introduced herself as Yin Qiao.
Yin Qiao thought their group was too conspicuous, so she only took Robert and Feng Yuan with her.
Michelle, Li Si, and Li Wang didn’t go.
There were too many people. Yin Qiao’s home couldn’t accommodate everyone.
Since they were going at this hour, they would have to stay overnight.
Robert was a fearless adventurer. He’d been everywhere.
He had once encountered a giant python alone and even subdued a crocodile barehanded in the wild.
So, a small village like this didn’t faze him in the slightest.
Feng Yuan wasn’t scared either.
The two of them, one big and one small, followed Yin Qiao as they made their way through the night.
Yin Qiao recognized Feng Yuan.
“My friend is a fan of yours. She says you’re absolutely adorable.”
“She sent me your stickers. I even use them when I chat now.”
Yin Qiao laughed as she spoke.
She had recognized Feng Yuan earlier, which was why she had been so friendly toward him.
Feng Yuan, with his sweet tongue, spent the whole journey complimenting Yin Qiao.
The two of them chatted happily along the way.
With company, Yin Qiao felt that the usually long road didn’t seem so far today.
“We’re here.”
Yin Qiao pushed open the door of a small two-story house and tiptoed inside.
“My grandmother is already asleep. You should get some rest, too.”
“Let’s discuss things tomorrow morning.”
Yin Qiao prepared toiletries for them and told them to wash up and get some rest first.
Staying at someone else’s home was certainly less convenient than being in one’s own place.
Feng Yuan behaved very obediently, neither speaking out of turn nor causing any trouble.
After washing up, he lay down to sleep.
He slept straight through until the next morning.
The next morning, he was woken up by noise.
Yin Qiao was arguing with an elderly woman who had woken up.
Yin Qiao sounded very angry: “I’ve already brought them here. If you make me send them away now, won’t I lose face?”
“You used to be able to do divinations. Why can’t you do it now?”
Yin Qiao’s temper seemed quite gentle when dealing with outsiders.
But at home, she was clearly not so mild-mannered.
Feng Yuan rubbed his eyes and got up.
He followed the sound of the argument and, upon seeing the white-haired elderly woman—
As if worshipping a deity in a temple, before his eyes were even fully open, he dropped to his knees with a thud.
“Grandma! Please help Yuan Yuan with a fortune-telling!”
The elderly woman, seeing the child kneeling before her, suddenly trembled.
Almost instinctively, she dodged to the side.
In her haste to move aside, she didn’t even have time to use the cane she usually relied on.
After Feng Yuan finished kneeling, he noticed the elderly woman had moved away.
He quickly adjusted his direction and continued kneeling.
“Please, Grandma, help Yuan Yuan with a reading.”
“Yuan Yuan will kowtow to you!”
The little guy was about to kowtow immediately, but to stop him, the elderly woman knelt as well, using her hands to block his small head.
“Don’t kowtow!”
Feng Yuan: “But I must kowtow.”
Feng Yuan blinked: “Making a wish requires kowtowing.”
He wanted the elderly woman to fulfill his wish, which was just like making a wish.
So, he had to kowtow.
Seeing the little guy still intent on kowtowing, the elderly woman’s face turned pale with frustration.
“Stand up!”
“What do you want me to divine? I’ll do it for you.”
“Once I’ve finished, you must leave immediately and never come back here again!”
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152