Corpse Recovery Diver

"My grandmaster is not at home, but even if he were, he certainly wouldn't want me to accept these things. He helped you, not for these."

Wu Yougen looked troubled and said, "But my sister-in-law instructed me that these must be delivered."

Li Zhiyuan suggested, "Deliver them in batches. During festivities, visit as relatives do, bringing a bit each time. The grandmaster would then feel obliged to accept them."

"Alright."

Wu Yougen thought this method was pretty good and agreed readily. Then, he unloaded a square table from the wooden cart.

"This is for Mr. Li. We agreed on it, he likes it."

Li Zhiyuan remembered this table.

When the grandmaster performed rituals at the Wu family, he would sit behind this table to recite scriptures.

Perhaps the grandmaster felt this table was just the right height for him, as his elbow could rest on it while propping his face, making it convenient to take a nap.

During a vegetarian meal, the grandmaster had laughed and mentioned this, which Wu Yougen and his sister-in-law had remembered.

Li Zhiyuan glanced at the table; it was quite old, roughly from the Qing Dynasty, with several coats of lacquer and leg repairs.

Not all old items are antiques; excluding those with special historical stories, most antiques are things used by the nobility of those times. Items used by commoners, no matter how long they are kept, aren't worth much.

"Then I'll accept the table."

"Sure, should I move it in for you?"

"No need, just leave it here on the ground."

"Alright."

Having given the money and delivered the table, Wu Yougen still didn't plan to leave, rather hesitated as if wanting to say something more.

"Is there something more?"

"Yes, I wanted to ask Mr. Li to read a fortune for me."

Wu Yougen took another paper from his pocket, opened it, revealing two banknotes inside.

This was something he had planned before coming, as he had even prepared money for fortune-telling.

Li Zhiyuan reached out to take the money and paper, which had the birth dates of two people written on it.

"Yours and your sister-in-law's?"

"Yes."

"To see if you're compatible?"

"They must be compatible," Wu Yougen said with determination.

Li Zhiyuan nodded, understanding his meaning. He wanted a falsified result.

Wu Yougen continued, "I asked my sister-in-law, but she didn't want to. She said she didn't want to be my burden and was afraid of delaying me."

The matchmaking market has always been realistic. Everyone in it is labeled with a price tag, sometimes more accurately than a farmers' market.

Wu Yougen, though not young, was in good health, honest, skilled, and had no family left, no parents-in-law above him.

Such conditions couldn't land a young maiden, but a charming widow or divorcee with children could be appealing.

As soon as the mourning was over, matchmakers started visiting to ask Wu Yougen's intentions.

But his mind was set on his sister-in-law.

On the day the funeral ended, he heard the villagers' coaxing clearly.

Before, he had no inappropriate thoughts toward his sister-in-law, and still didn't, but he did not want to see her suffer alone without support.

Now that his home had finally calmed down, if he married another wife, he feared life would revert to previous schemes and conflicts.

He straightforwardly expressed his feelings to his sister-in-law, but she declined.

Calculating the birth dates was a simple matter for Li Zhiyuan. For these two, there was no clash in their birth charts.

As for perfect compatibility, it's very improbable. No clashes mean no issues; life is lived by humans, not dictated by birth charts.

"Then go back and say my grandmaster calculated it, and they're very compatible. I'll let him know."

"Thank you, thank you."

With satisfaction, Wu Yougen pushed the wooden cart on his way.

In the yard, Liu Yumei, who had been sipping tea all along, overheard the conversation.

She was somewhat puzzled. When did this child suddenly become so patient and recently always handling such marital matters?

In the past, such an idea would have been unimaginable. When Liu Yumei first met Li Zhiyuan, she knew he was precocious; yet the more precocious a person, the more emotionally detached they tended to be.

Li Zhiyuan stretched out a hand, lifting the square table, and moved it into the house.

Uncle Qin happened to return then, carrying a hoe, and saw this scene.

Martial artists are naturally more sensitive to physical force, so he unwittingly looked at Liu Yumei.

After a long hesitation, he approached and quietly asked, "Mistress, have you been teaching Xiao Yuan martial arts?"

Liu Yumei set down her teacup, picked up a piece of crispy pastry and bit into it. "I have not."

"Then Xiao Yuan..."

"Xiao Yuan this child practiced only the breathing techniques and basics you taught, and recently started doing a self-created routine in the mornings to stretch and circulate his energy."

"But this strength..."

Unconcerned, Liu Yumei replied, "Ali, there are differences among people."

Uncle Qin: "..."

Liu Yumei smiled, inexplicably feeling a bit delighted.

The old lady stood up, no longer drinking tea. The east room had just replenished a new batch of ancestral tablets; she wanted to go and chitchat with them while the ancestors were still complete.

Uncle Qin walked into the kitchen and poured himself a bowl of cold tea.

Aunt Liu was cracking sunflower seeds and glanced at Uncle Qin, saying, "You've learned to butter up, huh."

"Huh?"

"Forget it, you haven't learned that trick." Aunt Liu sighed, "I must've gotten ahead of myself."

"What do you mean?"

"Whenever you're free, mention Xiao Yuan to the mistress more often, actively compare yourself to Xiao Yuan. You're already used to it anyway, why not use it to make the mistress happy."

"I understand, I'll do it. The mistress is getting fonder of Xiao Yuan."