"You... are you Dalin?"
Zhong Lin dismounted and for the first time showed a rare smile on his face as he looked at Uncle Taro in front of him.
This is Lower River Village in Black Mountain County. Zhong Lin passed by and on a whim, decided to come back for a look.
Two years ago, his soul traversed here, and this was the first place he stayed, but returning here again felt as if it was just yesterday.
Uncle Taro looked at Zhong Lin in disbelief. No matter how he looked, he couldn’t connect this imposing young lord with the small, weak, and dark-skinned Dalin from back then.
It’s not just a transformation—it’s clearly a different person.
Uncle Taro put down the basket from his back and continued to scrutinize Zhong Lin, trying to carefully examine every part of him.
"Are you really Dalin?"
"Uncle Taro, it’s me. You watched me grow up. Don’t you recognize me?" Zhong Lin said with a smile.
"It’s not just me who wouldn’t recognize you; I bet no one in the village would recognize you. You’ve changed so much. Back then, you were only this tall, and now..."
As he spoke, Uncle Taro gestured in front of his chest with amazement in his voice.
"People change. Girls change eighteen times as they grow up!"
"You cheeky kid, you know about girls changing, but you’re a boy."
Uncle Taro chuckled and scolded.
Within a few words, the distance between them shortened, and the sense of distance gradually faded.
"Why did you come back now? Where is Little Stone? Life outside must be... well, it must be going well."
"I just happened to pass by and thought I’d visit. Little Stone is in the county; he’s probably studying in private school now."
Zhong Lin didn’t mention that Little Stone was at the Sword Cauldron Sect. Uncle Taro had no experience in Martial Arts and had never left Lower River Village, so he had no impression of the Sword Cauldron Sect.
Uncle Taro marveled again. The word ’studying’ was both familiar and foreign. In this poor ravine, recognizing two characters would be impressive, let alone sending a child to study.
"Studying is good. Studying is great! With knowledge, there’s no need to dig for food in the dirt anymore. Dalin, your parents can rest in peace even under the Nine Springs. It’s truly wonderful."
"Come, let’s go home. I’ll make Auntie kill a chicken for you to eat."
With that, he pulled Zhong Lin towards the village.
Zhong Lin didn’t refuse, reaching out to take the basket from Uncle Taro and swinging it onto his own back.
"Let me, let me do it. It’s too dirty. Don’t get your clothes dirty."
Uncle Taro hastily tried to stop him.
Although Zhong Lin came all the way from the capital, he didn’t skimp on himself during the journey. His clothes, although seemingly ordinary, were made from fine materials. Uncle Taro couldn’t understand this, but he could see they were far from cheap. After all, in the village, whose clothes weren’t patched up? Even if they became entirely unwearable, the fabric would be cut up to dress the children.
"It’s fine, just clothes. Let’s go!"
Zhong Lin brushed Uncle Taro’s hand aside, indifferent as he took the lead with the horse towards the village.
Uncle Taro followed closely, his face full of smiles.
A stranger leading a robust horse suddenly appearing in the village was like someone driving a Porsche sports car into a poor mountain settlement, immediately attracting everyone’s attention.
Here, horses were not something ordinary people could ride; it was comparable to a Porsche sports car.
Everyone looked warily at the sudden appearance of Zhong Lin, but seeing Uncle Taro following behind, they showed puzzled expressions.
"Brother Taro, who is this?"
"Haha, you guys don’t recognize him. This is Dalin! The one from Honest Zhong’s family."
Uncle Taro introduced loudly, smiling brightly.
With these words, everyone first seemed puzzled, but quickly realized who Uncle Taro’s Dalin was. One of them even blurted out the quickest.
"The one who set fires and killed people, that Dalin..."
He didn’t finish his sentence, and upon meeting Zhong Lin’s gaze, he turned pale, quickly covering his mouth, not daring to say more.
Very soon, the entire Lower River Village knew that the second son from Honest Zhong’s family, who had left with his younger brother two years ago, had returned.
The Dalin, who set fires and killed people before leaving, was back.
The whole Lower River Village erupted with excitement, as back in the day, Zhong Lin had terrified the entire village.
He wielded a knife, inclining to kill, set fires, and disposed of bodies...
Even though the villagers had their own shrewdness and concerns, none dared to commit murder.
"Is it really Dalin who returned?"
"Is there any doubt? He’s having a meal at Uncle Taro’s now!"
"Wow! Committing such a big crime of murder and not fleeing far, he still dared to return?"
"You know nothing. Dalin is doing very well outside. I just saw him from a distance. Do you know how he arrived? On horseback."
"Is that true? Riding a horse? That’s something only the tax collectors from the city have the right to ride."
"Tax collectors? They’re nothing. They ride worn-out horses. Dalin’s horse is tall, with a coat like satin, shining brightly. And his clothes have no patches. I heard from Uncle Taro that Honest Zhong’s third son, Little Stone, is studying in the city now!"
"Wow! Dalin really struck it rich! How did he do it? I remember he left less than two years ago?"
"Who should I ask if you ask me? If I knew, I’d have gone to get rich myself."
"Do you think Dalin is also doing the same criminal activities outside? Otherwise, how could he get both a great horse and education in just two short years?"
"Hey, don’t say that. Really, don’t speak of that."
"Dalin, come, it’s time to eat."
Uncle Taro shouted loudly at Zhong Lin in the yard.
Zhong Lin replied, washed his hands, and stepped into the main room.
On the low dining table was a big bowl of stewed chicken. The chicken was freshly killed, a two-year-old rooster.
There was also a pot of murky wine, homemade by Uncle Taro.
"Where are Auntie and Little Zhu and Little Hu?"
Zhong Lin glanced around the main room, not seeing the three of them.
Uncle Taro had already sat down, cradled the wine jar, and poured two bowls of wine. Casually, he said, "Don’t worry about them, they’re eating in the kitchen. Kids are too noisy; the two of us can enjoy ourselves more."
"Uncle Taro, is this how you treat guests? What kind of guest do you think I am? Or do you see me as an outsider?" Zhong Lin feigned dissatisfaction.
"What are you saying? Portions were set aside from the stewed chicken before it was brought up for them to eat. Mainly, so that we, as elders, wouldn’t be disturbed while drinking."
Uncle Taro quickly explained.
Zhong Lin sighed internally. He knew exactly what happened when the chicken was killed. He knew how big the chicken was, and the bowl of meat in front of him wasn’t any less.
"I’ll go get Auntie."
Saying this, he turned towards the kitchen, ignoring Uncle Taro’s calls from behind.
Sure enough, Auntie and the two children were squatting by the bathhouse eating. There was no so-called meat, just some grease, mixed in rice with wild vegetables. The two little ones were eating with great relish.