In the live broadcast room
[Tsk, tsk, it’s early morning. Is your energy this high already?]
[Compared to the big bosses, even solar flares would lose.]
[Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter. It’s like wanting to stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun.]
[“The early bird catches the worm”.]
[??? I think I’m losing my literary appreciation skills.]
[No, it’s clear that our literary culture is leveling up.]
——————————
Bai Lixin and Beast Eared Dijia had just sat down at the dining table when the mute woman began serving them rice.
After taking the rice, Bai Lixin scanned the table, noticing that the man was already relishing his meal, but there was one person missing.
“Where’s the older brother?”
The man’s eating slowed for a moment, but it was only for a second before he continued eating.
The mute woman, who had been serving rice, heard this and her eyes reddened instantly. She made some inarticulate sounds, looking at the man beside her with a pitiful expression.
A bad feeling suddenly surged in Bai Lixin’s heart.
“Is he missing?” He frowned at the woman.
But it was the old woman beside him who answered in the end, “We know that the mountain ghost steals children, so adults hold their children while sleeping every day. But look at them; they can’t even watch two kids. As soon as they woke up this morning, the eldest son was gone. There’s no need to think; he must have been taken by the mountain ghost.”
Bai Lixin: “Could it be that the child was just being mischievous, and went out to play? Did you look for him outside in the morning?”
Elderly Person: “No need to look. We’ve experienced this many times. Other families are the same. The children are fine when they go to bed at night, but they’re gone in the morning. After many times, we know that the children were taken by the mountain ghost.”
“What’s there to look for?” The man continued to eat, “I’m sure he did something naughty recently, which is why the mountain ghost targeted him. Such children will only be a menace even if they grow up. Besides, my wife is still young; we can have another child.”
The old woman lowered her head and continued eating her bowl of noodles, while the mute woman obediently lowered her head to feed her youngest son. They had become accustomed to all of this.
Bai Lixin: “I heard footsteps yesterday. Is it possible that was when the child was taken? You were awakened by us talking in the middle of the night, was the child still there at that time?”
Man: “I don’t know. I was too tired at the time. After asking you to stop talking, I turned over and went back to sleep.”
“This isn’t the first time you’ve lost a child, is it?” Bai Lixin looked back and forth at the three adults, his gaze finally settling on the mute woman opposite him.
The mute woman felt Bai Lixin’s gaze, raised her head with red eyes, and nodded with “ah ah” sounds.
Bai Lixin: “May I ask how many children you’ve lost so far?”
The mute woman looked at the old woman and then glanced at the man beside her. Finally, she tremblingly raised her hand and gestured a 3 with her fingers.
It was the third child they had lost.
The younger brother was only two years old. He seemed unaware of what had happened, looking puzzled as he stared at the extra amount of food in his bowl. He patted the spot where his brother usually sat with his chubby hand and said in a childish voice, “Brother, brother.”
The mute woman seemed unable to accept this. She finally put down her bowl and chopsticks and walked alone into a room.
The man finished his meal and then put down his bowl and chopsticks. He looked at the place where the woman had been sitting and casually said, “The two times before this, one was 3 years old, the other was 4. We managed to raise this one to 5, and we thought we could bring him up, but he was lost again.”
Then he suddenly turned his head, staring at Bai Lixin with an expressionless face. “Do you want to know what bad things he did?”
Bai Lixin was momentarily stunned. “What bad things?”
The man spoke coldly, “He ate too much candy, not only did he eat it, but he also asked you for candy. Such impolite behavior is something only bad children would do. If it weren’t for you tempting him with candy, he wouldn’t have changed. You’re the culprit behind my son’s disappearance.”
Bai Lixin: “…”
The man’s pitch-black eyes stared at Bai Lixin for three or four seconds. Then, his expressionless face suddenly changed, and the next moment, he became extremely enthusiastic. “But you don’t have to worry. We’ve long gotten used to it. Even without you, there will be others who will lead him astray in the future. If he can turn bad, it only means that his genes are inherently bad. An apple, if it’s found to have worms, has already rotted from the inside.”
“Rotten apples should be thrown away early, otherwise, even if they continue growing on the tree, they’ll only be absorbing the tree’s nutrients. Only good apples should grow on the tree and thrive. Don’t you agree?” The man suddenly shifted his gaze, looking at his youngest son. “Right?”
The young boy couldn’t understand what the adults were talking about; he just nodded in confusion.
Seeing this, the man chuckled and embraced the little boy. “You have to be good and listen obediently. You mustn’t become a rotten apple, okay? If you turn into a rotten apple, you’ll be just like your big brother, never coming back.”
The little boy didn’t comprehend the concept of a “rotten apple,” but he understood one thing: his big brother would never return. With a loud “wah”, he started crying.
The man, who had been happy while coaxing the child, suddenly looked impatient when the child cried. He quickly placed the child aside and scolded the woman inside the house, “Hey, what are you doing in there? Your son is crying, and you’re not doing anything? It’s your son who has disappeared, not you. You’re still alive, so hurry out and comfort the child!”
Hasty footsteps echoed from inside the house, and the mute woman rushed out, cradling the child in her arms to soothe him.
“What you said is wrong,” just as the man was about to continue eating, a clear and cold voice began speaking slowly, “You’re blaming me for the child’s disappearance because he asked me for candy? But let me tell you, from my perspective, when the child asked me for candy, I didn’t feel repulsed, nor did I think it was a bad thing. Young children naturally develop curiosity and possessiveness towards the foods they like; it’s normal.”
“Moreover, I only gave him candy after he answered my question. He didn’t steal, he didn’t snatch. Why are you labeling him as a bad child?”
“If we’re talking about mistakes, the mistakes should lie with the person who stole the child and with you. Last night, I heard a noise and came to investigate. You should have heard it too, yet you didn’t do anything. You knew there was a possibility that the child could be taken, yet you lacked the most basic sense of vigilance, especially after we woke you up. You didn’t even check if the child was still here.”
“I have my faults, and the child has his, but the real wrongdoer is the thief. Ironically, you’re comparing it to clearing rotten apples? You’re truly a good father. How did you manage to slip through the cracks of compulsory education?” Bai Lixin suddenly smiled. “Oh, I forgot; you probably didn’t get much schooling, which explains your unusual thought process.”
After saying this, Bai Lixin returned to the original calm expression, and he silently lowered his head and ate his rice.
The man glared at Bai Lixin. His mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but just as the words were about to leave his lips, he caught sight of the cold expression on the young man next to Bai Lixin. His mouth instantly closed.
Finally, the man slapped the table, stood up angrily, and said, “Crazy! I’m going to work! Blame me, despise me, what would you eat and drink without me? Just the northwest wind!”
As the man left the courtyard in a huff, the old woman also sighed and got up.
At the narrow dining table, only Bai Lixin, the mute woman, Beast Eared Dijia and the little boy remained.
Bai Lixin’s facial features softened a bit, and he looked at the mute woman across from him with concern. He extended his hand toward her, “Are you okay?”
The mute woman looked down and saw a handkerchief.
Somewhat flattered by the gesture, she accepted the handkerchief and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, grateful as she looked at Bai Lixin.
Bai Lixin noticed that although she couldn’t speak, her eyes were beautiful. They weren’t overly large, but the corners of her eyes had a slight upturn. When they were wrapped in tears, they resembled pear blossoms in March, shy and enchanting, with a hint of coyness in her gaze.
The young man’s expression went blank for a moment, and he murmured, “Your eyes are so beautiful.”
The mute woman felt a bit embarrassed after hearing this, and she gave Bai Lixin a slight side glance before picking up the child in her arms and walking into the inner room to soothe him.
Once the woman left, Bai Lixin’s expression briefly froze, and he quickly reverted to his initial demeanor.
He shot a glance at Beast Eared Dijia beside him, then set down his chopsticks and left the courtyard with him in tow.
In the village that morning, there were many men on the road.
These were people who had just walked out of their homes, ready to go to work. Bai Lixin silently followed behind them with Beast Eared Dijia. It didn’t take long before they bumped into Sun Ning and Li Cancan, who had come out of an alley, intending to follow as well.
All three of them were momentarily stunned, then shared a knowing smile.
It seemed they had the same plan.
So, they all came together.
This wasn’t the first time Sun Ning had been in the same coy as Bai Lixin, and she had seen Bai Lixin’s live streams before. Although she knew Bai Lixin had always had an old gong chasing his wife in various copies, seeing him in person was still surprising.
She silently examined the young man, who was different from the movie king in the previous copy. While their facial features were strikingly similar, there was an age difference.
The movie king in the previous copy was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, while this young man in the current copy appeared to be only nineteen or twenty.
Furthermore, the way he looked at her felt unfamiliar, as if it were their first meeting.
This person hadn’t appeared yesterday, but now he was standing beside Bai Lixin. He must be the old gong from this copy, whom Bai Lixin met on the mountain after they brought down Small Braid.
If it were on the mountain, could his original form be something other than human? Perhaps some kind of supernatural being?
So, could it be that while Bai Lixin’s old gong appeared in every copy, it wasn’t the same person? No, to be more precise, were they not the same “consciousness”?
Perhaps they were all the same person. Otherwise, there was no other explanation as to why every gong looked identical and why they all became close to Bai Lixin. Considering Bai Lixin’s personality, if they weren’t his lover, he probably wouldn’t allow them to get anywhere near him.
The previous copy’s movie king was reserved, while this young man in the current copy was evidently more carefree.
So, their personalities were different.
Also, she made another discovery: Bai Lixin’s lovers had actually spent a considerable amount of time in each copy, and they existed before Bai Lixin entered.
This ruled out the possibility of his lover following him into copies.
Moreover, due to the lengthy growth period, it meant the big bosses in the copies coexisted.
If the old gongs are the same person but with different memories and personalities, then… could they be some kind of existence like what’s described in certain science fiction novels, “soul fragments” or something similar?
Being able to place his consciousness in various copies, what identity did this “big boss” have?
And Bai Lixin was equally unusual. He must have an even more astonishing identity.
Sun Ning’s gaze swept back and forth between Beast Eared Dijia and Bai Lixin, and when her eyes landed on Bai Lixin’s face, she locked eyes with him unexpectedly.
It was unknown how long he had been looking at her, but when her gaze swiftly shifted, his eyes had already settled on her. It was as though he had been waiting for her.
When their eyes met, Sun Ning’s heart skipped a beat.
Bai Lixin didn’t say anything; he just gazed at her with a pair of eyes that were as deep as the vast expanse of the stars. Those eyes were mysterious and profound, and their intense darkness resembled the deepest black holes in the universe. They didn’t just absorb her gaze, it seemed they could see through her very soul and innermost thoughts.
He sensed her subconscious thoughts!
When she realized this, a thin layer of cold sweat formed on Sun Ning’s back, and she quickly averted her gaze. He was truly terrifying.
This was Sun Ning’s next thought.
However, shortly after, Sun Ning wore a satisfied smile.
So what if he was terrifying?
This mysterious and powerful person was now on her side.
So he would become her most reliable teammate.
She was grateful that her small contribution in the previous copy had led her to meet someone like this.
The group mingled among the men, following them as they navigated the village’s winding paths.
As they passed by the fields, they didn’t go to work in them but continued on towards a more distant destination.
Li Cancan was a bit puzzled and whispered, “Where are they headed? Weren’t we here to work? They’re not even going to the fields.”
Bai Lixin seemed to have foreseen this and showed no surprise.
Sun Ning explained beside her, “It’s impossible to work in the fields right now. Don’t you remember what the village chief said? We arrived during the harvest season, and the village is drying grains. This indicates that the crops in the fields have already been harvested. Typically, after a recent harvest, the land remains vacant for a while, waiting for the best climate and nutrients before replanting. So at this time, the fields are empty.”
Li Cancan suddenly understood and continued to speak in a hushed tone, “You’re quite knowledgeable, Sun Ning. Do you know everything? Are you a walking encyclopedia? Is that why you’re following them to see what they’re up to?”
The group followed behind the crowd, and soon, they saw a makeshift house of blue iron sheets at the end of the fields.
In the live broadcast room
[Tsk, tsk, it’s early morning. Is your energy this high already?]
[Compared to the big bosses, even solar flares would lose.]
[Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter. It’s like wanting to stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun.]
[“The early bird catches the worm”.]
[??? I think I’m losing my literary appreciation skills.]
[No, it’s clear that our literary culture is leveling up.]
——————————
Bai Lixin and Beast Eared Dijia had just sat down at the dining table when the mute woman began serving them rice.
After taking the rice, Bai Lixin scanned the table, noticing that the man was already relishing his meal, but there was one person missing.
“Where’s the older brother?”
The man’s eating slowed for a moment, but it was only for a second before he continued eating.
The mute woman, who had been serving rice, heard this and her eyes reddened instantly. She made some inarticulate sounds, looking at the man beside her with a pitiful expression.
A bad feeling suddenly surged in Bai Lixin’s heart.
“Is he missing?” He frowned at the woman.
But it was the old woman beside him who answered in the end, “We know that the mountain ghost steals children, so adults hold their children while sleeping every day. But look at them; they can’t even watch two kids. As soon as they woke up this morning, the eldest son was gone. There’s no need to think; he must have been taken by the mountain ghost.”
Bai Lixin: “Could it be that the child was just being mischievous, and went out to play? Did you look for him outside in the morning?”
Elderly Person: “No need to look. We’ve experienced this many times. Other families are the same. The children are fine when they go to bed at night, but they’re gone in the morning. After many times, we know that the children were taken by the mountain ghost.”
“What’s there to look for?” The man continued to eat, “I’m sure he did something naughty recently, which is why the mountain ghost targeted him. Such children will only be a menace even if they grow up. Besides, my wife is still young; we can have another child.”
The old woman lowered her head and continued eating her bowl of noodles, while the mute woman obediently lowered her head to feed her youngest son. They had become accustomed to all of this.
Bai Lixin: “I heard footsteps yesterday. Is it possible that was when the child was taken? You were awakened by us talking in the middle of the night, was the child still there at that time?”
Man: “I don’t know. I was too tired at the time. After asking you to stop talking, I turned over and went back to sleep.”
“This isn’t the first time you’ve lost a child, is it?” Bai Lixin looked back and forth at the three adults, his gaze finally settling on the mute woman opposite him.
The mute woman felt Bai Lixin’s gaze, raised her head with red eyes, and nodded with “ah ah” sounds.
Bai Lixin: “May I ask how many children you’ve lost so far?”
The mute woman looked at the old woman and then glanced at the man beside her. Finally, she tremblingly raised her hand and gestured a 3 with her fingers.
It was the third child they had lost.
The younger brother was only two years old. He seemed unaware of what had happened, looking puzzled as he stared at the extra amount of food in his bowl. He patted the spot where his brother usually sat with his chubby hand and said in a childish voice, “Brother, brother.”
The mute woman seemed unable to accept this. She finally put down her bowl and chopsticks and walked alone into a room.
The man finished his meal and then put down his bowl and chopsticks. He looked at the place where the woman had been sitting and casually said, “The two times before this, one was 3 years old, the other was 4. We managed to raise this one to 5, and we thought we could bring him up, but he was lost again.”
Then he suddenly turned his head, staring at Bai Lixin with an expressionless face. “Do you want to know what bad things he did?”
Bai Lixin was momentarily stunned. “What bad things?”
The man spoke coldly, “He ate too much candy, not only did he eat it, but he also asked you for candy. Such impolite behavior is something only bad children would do. If it weren’t for you tempting him with candy, he wouldn’t have changed. You’re the culprit behind my son’s disappearance.”
Bai Lixin: “…”
The man’s pitch-black eyes stared at Bai Lixin for three or four seconds. Then, his expressionless face suddenly changed, and the next moment, he became extremely enthusiastic. “But you don’t have to worry. We’ve long gotten used to it. Even without you, there will be others who will lead him astray in the future. If he can turn bad, it only means that his genes are inherently bad. An apple, if it’s found to have worms, has already rotted from the inside.”
“Rotten apples should be thrown away early, otherwise, even if they continue growing on the tree, they’ll only be absorbing the tree’s nutrients. Only good apples should grow on the tree and thrive. Don’t you agree?” The man suddenly shifted his gaze, looking at his youngest son. “Right?”
The young boy couldn’t understand what the adults were talking about; he just nodded in confusion.
Seeing this, the man chuckled and embraced the little boy. “You have to be good and listen obediently. You mustn’t become a rotten apple, okay? If you turn into a rotten apple, you’ll be just like your big brother, never coming back.”
The little boy didn’t comprehend the concept of a “rotten apple,” but he understood one thing: his big brother would never return. With a loud “wah”, he started crying.
The man, who had been happy while coaxing the child, suddenly looked impatient when the child cried. He quickly placed the child aside and scolded the woman inside the house, “Hey, what are you doing in there? Your son is crying, and you’re not doing anything? It’s your son who has disappeared, not you. You’re still alive, so hurry out and comfort the child!”
Hasty footsteps echoed from inside the house, and the mute woman rushed out, cradling the child in her arms to soothe him.
“What you said is wrong,” just as the man was about to continue eating, a clear and cold voice began speaking slowly, “You’re blaming me for the child’s disappearance because he asked me for candy? But let me tell you, from my perspective, when the child asked me for candy, I didn’t feel repulsed, nor did I think it was a bad thing. Young children naturally develop curiosity and possessiveness towards the foods they like; it’s normal.”
“Moreover, I only gave him candy after he answered my question. He didn’t steal, he didn’t snatch. Why are you labeling him as a bad child?”
“If we’re talking about mistakes, the mistakes should lie with the person who stole the child and with you. Last night, I heard a noise and came to investigate. You should have heard it too, yet you didn’t do anything. You knew there was a possibility that the child could be taken, yet you lacked the most basic sense of vigilance, especially after we woke you up. You didn’t even check if the child was still here.”
“I have my faults, and the child has his, but the real wrongdoer is the thief. Ironically, you’re comparing it to clearing rotten apples? You’re truly a good father. How did you manage to slip through the cracks of compulsory education?” Bai Lixin suddenly smiled. “Oh, I forgot; you probably didn’t get much schooling, which explains your unusual thought process.”
After saying this, Bai Lixin returned to the original calm expression, and he silently lowered his head and ate his rice.
The man glared at Bai Lixin. His mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but just as the words were about to leave his lips, he caught sight of the cold expression on the young man next to Bai Lixin. His mouth instantly closed.
Finally, the man slapped the table, stood up angrily, and said, “Crazy! I’m going to work! Blame me, despise me, what would you eat and drink without me? Just the northwest wind!”
As the man left the courtyard in a huff, the old woman also sighed and got up.
At the narrow dining table, only Bai Lixin, the mute woman, Beast Eared Dijia and the little boy remained.
Bai Lixin’s facial features softened a bit, and he looked at the mute woman across from him with concern. He extended his hand toward her, “Are you okay?”
The mute woman looked down and saw a handkerchief.
Somewhat flattered by the gesture, she accepted the handkerchief and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, grateful as she looked at Bai Lixin.
Bai Lixin noticed that although she couldn’t speak, her eyes were beautiful. They weren’t overly large, but the corners of her eyes had a slight upturn. When they were wrapped in tears, they resembled pear blossoms in March, shy and enchanting, with a hint of coyness in her gaze.
The young man’s expression went blank for a moment, and he murmured, “Your eyes are so beautiful.”
The mute woman felt a bit embarrassed after hearing this, and she gave Bai Lixin a slight side glance before picking up the child in her arms and walking into the inner room to soothe him.
Once the woman left, Bai Lixin’s expression briefly froze, and he quickly reverted to his initial demeanor.
He shot a glance at Beast Eared Dijia beside him, then set down his chopsticks and left the courtyard with him in tow.
In the village that morning, there were many men on the road.
These were people who had just walked out of their homes, ready to go to work. Bai Lixin silently followed behind them with Beast Eared Dijia. It didn’t take long before they bumped into Sun Ning and Li Cancan, who had come out of an alley, intending to follow as well.
All three of them were momentarily stunned, then shared a knowing smile.
It seemed they had the same plan.
So, they all came together.
This wasn’t the first time Sun Ning had been in the same coy as Bai Lixin, and she had seen Bai Lixin’s live streams before. Although she knew Bai Lixin had always had an old gong chasing his wife in various copies, seeing him in person was still surprising.
She silently examined the young man, who was different from the movie king in the previous copy. While their facial features were strikingly similar, there was an age difference.
The movie king in the previous copy was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, while this young man in the current copy appeared to be only nineteen or twenty.
Furthermore, the way he looked at her felt unfamiliar, as if it were their first meeting.
This person hadn’t appeared yesterday, but now he was standing beside Bai Lixin. He must be the old gong from this copy, whom Bai Lixin met on the mountain after they brought down Small Braid.
If it were on the mountain, could his original form be something other than human? Perhaps some kind of supernatural being?
So, could it be that while Bai Lixin’s old gong appeared in every copy, it wasn’t the same person? No, to be more precise, were they not the same “consciousness”?
Perhaps they were all the same person. Otherwise, there was no other explanation as to why every gong looked identical and why they all became close to Bai Lixin. Considering Bai Lixin’s personality, if they weren’t his lover, he probably wouldn’t allow them to get anywhere near him.
The previous copy’s movie king was reserved, while this young man in the current copy was evidently more carefree.
So, their personalities were different.
Also, she made another discovery: Bai Lixin’s lovers had actually spent a considerable amount of time in each copy, and they existed before Bai Lixin entered.
This ruled out the possibility of his lover following him into copies.
Moreover, due to the lengthy growth period, it meant the big bosses in the copies coexisted.
If the old gongs are the same person but with different memories and personalities, then… could they be some kind of existence like what’s described in certain science fiction novels, “soul fragments” or something similar?
Being able to place his consciousness in various copies, what identity did this “big boss” have?
And Bai Lixin was equally unusual. He must have an even more astonishing identity.
Sun Ning’s gaze swept back and forth between Beast Eared Dijia and Bai Lixin, and when her eyes landed on Bai Lixin’s face, she locked eyes with him unexpectedly.
It was unknown how long he had been looking at her, but when her gaze swiftly shifted, his eyes had already settled on her. It was as though he had been waiting for her.
When their eyes met, Sun Ning’s heart skipped a beat.
Bai Lixin didn’t say anything; he just gazed at her with a pair of eyes that were as deep as the vast expanse of the stars. Those eyes were mysterious and profound, and their intense darkness resembled the deepest black holes in the universe. They didn’t just absorb her gaze, it seemed they could see through her very soul and innermost thoughts.
He sensed her subconscious thoughts!
When she realized this, a thin layer of cold sweat formed on Sun Ning’s back, and she quickly averted her gaze. He was truly terrifying.
This was Sun Ning’s next thought.
However, shortly after, Sun Ning wore a satisfied smile.
So what if he was terrifying?
This mysterious and powerful person was now on her side.
So he would become her most reliable teammate.
She was grateful that her small contribution in the previous copy had led her to meet someone like this.
The group mingled among the men, following them as they navigated the village’s winding paths.
As they passed by the fields, they didn’t go to work in them but continued on towards a more distant destination.
Li Cancan was a bit puzzled and whispered, “Where are they headed? Weren’t we here to work? They’re not even going to the fields.”
Bai Lixin seemed to have foreseen this and showed no surprise.
Sun Ning explained beside her, “It’s impossible to work in the fields right now. Don’t you remember what the village chief said? We arrived during the harvest season, and the village is drying grains. This indicates that the crops in the fields have already been harvested. Typically, after a recent harvest, the land remains vacant for a while, waiting for the best climate and nutrients before replanting. So at this time, the fields are empty.”
Li Cancan suddenly understood and continued to speak in a hushed tone, “You’re quite knowledgeable, Sun Ning. Do you know everything? Are you a walking encyclopedia? Is that why you’re following them to see what they’re up to?”
The group followed behind the crowd, and soon, they saw a makeshift house of blue iron sheets at the end of the fields.
