However, because the ground was earthen and already full of pits and hollows, making the chairs even wouldn’t make any difference.
Li Zhiyuan took a seat opposite Zhou Yong, with Run Sheng on his left and Tan Wenbin on his right.
The woman and the girl headed to the kitchen.
Soon, sounds of a bellows being cranked and spatulas clashing came from the kitchen.
But no light from a fire or steam from cooking could be seen at the kitchen doorway.
Zhou Yong, seated in his chair, had his head half-lowered.
"Drip, drop, drip, drop, drip, drop..."
It was the sound of pus incessantly dripping from the corner of his eye.
Due to the uneven muddy ground easily forming small puddles, a more distinct "drip-drop" sound soon followed.
Li Zhiyuan extended his hand to Run Sheng, who understood and grasped it.
Li Zhiyuan bowed his head, attempting to transition to the Underworld realm once again.
Liu Yumei had warned him that transitioning too often into the Underworld was detrimental, leading to disorientation—one could easily get lost. He was aware of it, too, but couldn’t help himself, similar to how smokers and alcoholics heed advice yet continue with their habits.
Li Zhiyuan succeeded in his transition; when he lifted his head again, he found that Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin, who had been sitting beside him, had vanished.
Yet Zhou Yong remained seated there, motionless, with his head down—silent, unresponsive, giving no sign.
The only dynamic change was that in the kitchen, one could now see the fire and steam, and hear the "sizzle" of stir-frying.
The aura of the Underworld, ever so unsettling to the living.
Li Zhiyuan vaguely sensed that something very unpleasant was likely to happen next.
After waiting a while longer, Zhou Yong still hadn’t spoken, indicating he wasn’t intending to communicate.
It seemed he was awaiting a process, a very rustic and hospitable custom:
To talk business, one must have a meal first.
A sharp pain in his palm told Li Zhiyuan that Run Sheng was pinching him hard. He closed his eyes, searching for the sensation of surfacing, and upon opening them, he was back in reality.
He withdrew his hand from Run Sheng’s, gently massaging it to relieve the pain and signal Run Sheng that he had returned.
Glancing at Tan Wenbin on his right, he saw him sitting erect, more upright than he probably ever did in class.
At that moment, the anticipated development occurred.
The woman approached, carrying two plates of food.
Both dishes were meat, but it was unclear what kind of meat they were made of. Li Zhiyuan could see fur and tails in them.
The woman returned to the kitchen and brought out another two plates of vegetarian dishes. However, their color wasn’t green, but rather resembled the shape of tender bamboo shoots after frying, complete with forks.
Many people have experienced finding a long hair from their mother mixed in with their food at home.
But here, it was the cotton-like fluff from the woman’s body, floating into the dishes and having been stir-fried into that shape.
Li Zhiyuan was beginning to miss Old Lady Cat Face’s birthday feast; although the food was truly unpalatable, at least it looked appetizing.
These four dishes before him were terrifying to behold just by their appearance.
Even Run Sheng was frowning at the sight, and he was someone with very low standards for food. But even with low standards, there were still some expectations.
Tan Wenbin’s eyes were wide open as he scanned the four plates of food.
The woman presented the bowls of rice: four big bowls and four small ones, along with four pairs of chopsticks.
The big bowls were filled with rice—uncooked, scooped straight from the rice bin.
The four small bowls were used for wine, but the liquid inside was inky dark, with a black, earthworm-like creature wriggling in each bowl.
After distributing the big bowls and chopsticks to everyone, the woman went back to the kitchen—presumably, more delicacies were coming.
The girl remained, putting her finger in her mouth.
Zhou Yong bowed his head, looking at his daughter.
The girl also lifted her head, looking at her father.
Run Sheng did not understand, while Tan Wenbin looked confused, clueless about what the father and daughter were communicating.
Li Zhiyuan understood.
He stood up, with a smile on his face he said: "Let the child sit at the table to eat with us, it’s alright."
Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin immediately understood.
Run Sheng: "Right, sit at the table and eat together."
Tan Wenbin: "Yes, yes, yes, let’s eat together."
The girl, while sucking on her fingers, walked towards the table.
The boy noticed that it seemed she was walking towards him.
Li Zhiyuan quickly pointed next to Tan Wenbin: "Come, little sister, sit next to this handsome big brother."
The girl paused for a moment, then sat down on the long bench next to Tan Wenbin.
Tan Wenbin felt a chill from the back of his head down to his tailbone.
Zhou Yong picked up his chopsticks and pointed at a dish.
Li Zhiyuan, Run Sheng, and Tan Wenbin all picked up their chopsticks and pointed at the dishes together.
This silent performance, akin to a pantomime, yet imbued with imagined dialogues with each gesture.
Zhou Yong picked up a mouthful with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth, after chewing, he continued to point at the dish.
Li Zhiyuan picked up a mouthful with his chopsticks and placed it into Binbin’s bowl.
Tan Wenbin picked up the vegetables from his own bowl and fed the girl next to him; she opened her mouth and ate it.
He felt he was so clever, handling the situation with such smartness.
However, Zhou Yong personally picked up a mouthful of vegetables and placed it into Tan Wenbin’s bowl, and then looked at the girl who lowered her head as if chastised for her misbehavior.
Tan Wenbin’s pleading eyes turned to Li Zhiyuan and Run Sheng, only to find that both were avoiding his gaze.
There was no way out, the "gaze" of Zhou Yong’s hospitality in front of him, created immense pressure.
Tan Wenbin could only pick up his chopsticks, and right before bringing the food to his mouth, he suddenly realized the chopsticks had just been used to feed the girl and were covered in her saliva.
If it were a normal meal, he wouldn’t care about such things; he wasn’t that delicate.
But the problem was the girl’s appearance... and he had to share chopsticks with her?
Zhou Yong spread his hand and lifted it slightly.
Tan Wenbin’s smile was uglier than crying as he forcibly chewed the food with tears in his eyes.
Zhou Yong was satisfied.
Four wine cups were already in front of him; he picked one up and passed it to the guests, first to Li Zhiyuan.
Li Zhiyuan stood up, pointing to himself and gesturing his height, said, "Uncle, I am still a child, I can’t drink alcohol."
Zhou Yong nodded, then passed the wine cup to Tan Wenbin.
Tan Wenbin could only accept it, placing it in front of him, determined not to drink it!
Zhou Yong picked up his own wine cup and clinked it against the one in front of Tan Wenbin.
Following that, Zhou Yong lifted his cup and downed it in one go.
Then, he inverted his wine cup and pointed at it.
Tan Wenbin took a deep breath, reached for the wine cup, and with a quick pinch between his little finger and thumb, flicked the long earthworm out of the cup.
Alright, let’s drink, all or nothing!
Just as he was about to down the drink in one gulp, Zhou Yong snatched the wine cup away.
Tan Wenbin was overjoyed, thinking, yes, I am also a child, a high school senior, my brain is very important, I can’t drink alcohol.
But Zhou Yong placed his palm over the wine cup, gave it a shake, and when he removed his hand, there were over a dozen earthworms wriggling about inside.
Zhou Yong pushed the wine cup towards Tan Wenbin and extended his hand, patting his own chest.