TGA Chapter 44

Chu Qianli stammered for a long time, unable to come up with any local specialties, feeling deeply humiliated. She wracked her brain, trying to impress her desk mate.

Unfortunately, Tan Muxing lived in a scenic area and had seen all kinds of things, so he wasn’t easily fooled.

Although Tan Muxing had no intention of making things difficult for her, Chu Qianli was quite persistent and had been thinking about the specialties lately.

At the villa, Chu Qianli informed her parents that she would be returning to the village with a classmate. Yu Shen and He Zhenghe didn’t know whether the classmate was male or female, so they just assumed it was a group of kids going on a trip and reminded her to be cautious about safety.

He Shichen was still in training. When he learned about the news from a phone call with his family, he felt a bit strange. “Are you going back with Tan Muxing?”

“Yes, and we’ll take a walk around the village while we’re there.”

“He’s going to carry your bag when you go back to the village?” He Shichen said indifferently. “Not even the summer break is spared?”

If it were anyone else traveling with Chu Qianli, He Shichen would certainly feel uncomfortable, but since it was Tan Muxing, he just felt pity. He had never seen anyone more patient than Tan Muxing; sometimes, even He Shichen wanted to slap the troublesome kid, but Tan Muxing was still patiently comforting her.

Chu Qianli responded, “Brother, what you just said is so mean! It has caused huge damage to my fragile heart. I must charge you emotional damages for comfort.”

“You just got money for your birthday. Plus, you didn’t even give me a gift on your birthday?”

“Fine, I’ll head back to the village right now and give you a week of peace and quiet.”

“…”

He Shichen repeatedly emphasized that she should do her homework and that Tan Muxing would supervise her, then hung up the phone.

A few days later, at the train station.

Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing successfully met up. They queued to pass through the security gates, found their high-speed rail carriage, and began their journey back to the village.

Tan Muxing had never traveled with Chu Qianli to another place. He watched as she happily pulled her suitcase forward, then suddenly remembered the overseas agreement with Qiu Qingkong and her future plans. His expression dimmed, and a strange feeling of obstruction rose in his chest.

The high-speed train slowly started, and the scenery outside the window passed by. The two sat in the two-seat section by the window and began chatting.

Chu Qianli stole a glance at Tan Muxing. She scratched her head in confusion, “Why do you always seem so unhappy?”

Tan Muxing was taken aback and quickly waved his hand. “No, it’s just that I rarely take high-speed trains, so I’m not quite used to it.”

“Do you usually fly?”

“Mostly by plane, though I think there was one time I took a high-speed train,” Tan Muxing looked around and tentatively added, “But the seats were fewer than in this carriage.”

Chu Qianli looked at him with a strange expression. “Ah, I see. I’ve always wondered who sits in the first-class section of the high-speed train. Now I’ve finally seen one in person.”

“If you don’t buy gold, can you still sit in first class? Didn’t you make a lot of money?”

“No, actually, I just went along with you. I usually fly back with my sword.”

“…Then, thank you.”

Chu Qianli turned her head to look out the window. The tall buildings of the city gradually disappeared, slowly replaced by fields and distant mountains.

Tan Muxing quietly watched her.

Chu Qianli noticed his gaze. She turned back and asked again, “Is something wrong?”

Tan Muxing smiled, “No, it’s just that sitting like this feels a bit like the Hogwarts Express.”

Chu Qianli looked intrigued, “So we’re like wizards on our way to school?”

“I…” Tan Muxing instinctively wanted to say that he wasn’t a wizard, he was just an ordinary person, but he suddenly stopped and changed his words. “Hmm, it does feel a bit like that.”

The journey wasn’t very long. After watching some anime, the high-speed train had already arrived at the station.

After getting off, they took a taxi and traveled for a while before reaching the peaceful and beautiful village.

Yinlong Village was nestled by mountains and water, surrounded by beautiful scenery. It was next to a wide road and looked quite impressive. It was evening, and the golden light of the setting sun broke through the clouds, casting a warm hue over the mountains and fields, with the nearby river shimmering in the light.

Tan Muxing even received a welcoming message from the local government about entering the province. He looked around and sighed, “It really is beautiful.”

“Of course, the feng shui here is no worse than that of Qianshan. Qianshan lacks water, while this place is surrounded by mountains and water,” Chu Qianli said proudly, then added, “Of course, Qianshan is in the capital, so it holds a different significance.”

Tan Muxing, pulling his suitcase, walked with her toward the village entrance. Seeing how happy she was, he suggested, “Then, should we stay a bit longer?”

Chu Qianli seemed to really like the village. With the summer break still ahead, there was no need to rush.

She had just been proudly boasting, but now, she quickly changed her mind. “Forget it, even ordering a cup of milk tea is a hassle. A week back here is enough. Modern people just can’t stray too far from modern life.”

Tan Muxing: “?”

They hadn’t even reached the village entrance yet when they saw a woman waiting from afar.

Chu Qianli’s eyes lit up, and she waved enthusiastically, calling out, “Pingping!”

Wang Ping walked over. She appeared to be in her twenties, with her hair tied up in a neat ponytail. She was surprised, “Why aren’t you alone? I thought you’d be stuck at the entrance, unable to carry your luggage.”

Chu Qianli pouted, “I’m an adult now.”

“Yeah, right,” Wang Ping tried to grab Chu Qianli’s luggage, but then realized she wasn’t carrying much, and looked confusedly at Tan Muxing.

Tan Muxing instinctively bowed and said, “Hello.”

Chu Qianli cheerfully introduced, “This is my desk mate, Tan Muxing. He’s here to visit the village.”

Wang Ping: “What’s so fun about the village? What, are you trying to trick him into coming?”

“Ah, I was going to ask if you have any local specialties.”

“I can dig you up some mountain soil, does that count as a local specialty?”

Wang Ping spoke in a rural accent, her personality lively and straightforward. She was quite familiar with Chu Qianli.

Chu Qianli explained that Wang Ping was a neighbor who had worked outside before but now lived in the village.

Wang Ping casually said, “I’m raising chickens and ducks now, sometimes I even have people come stay for a week.”

“What do you want to eat tonight?” Wang Ping turned to Tan Muxing. “What does your classmate want to eat? He’s not going to eat boiled vegetables, is he?”

Tan Muxing quickly responded, “I can eat anything.”

Chu Qianli giggled, “He’ll eat whatever you prepare.”

“You already know what I’ve prepared?”

“I guessed you did.”

“…Fine, you’re good at guessing these things, but not much else.”

Tan Muxing quietly listened to their conversation. He felt that Wang Ping must be the village’s caretaker for Chu Qianli, as she always needed someone to handle everything for her, no matter where she was.

The little master only knows how to observe the stars and moon, absorbing their essence. When it comes to eating simple meals, it’s still up to ordinary people to help out.

Tan Muxing silently followed Chu Qianli, which made Wang Ping feel a bit uncomfortable.

Wang Ping curiously asked, “Why isn’t your classmate saying anything?”

Tan Muxing was called out and instantly panicked. “Ah…”

Chu Qianli quickly explained, “He’s just a bit shy.”

Wang Ping nodded understandingly, “I see. He’s definitely different from the kids running around the mountains here, and not like you, who talks all the time.”

“Fine, as long as you’re not trafficking him, it’s fine.”

Tan Muxing quietly muttered, “…She shouldn’t be able to traffick me.”

“You’re underestimating her.”

Once Wang Ping confirmed Tan Muxing’s personality, she stopped pushing him to talk. Instead, she began chatting with Chu Qianli about village life. Her voice was naturally loud and direct as she laughed, “You’re still late, didn’t get to see the excitement. Not long ago, Chen Lili was making a huge fuss about getting a divorce. Her brother even fought with someone from the neighboring village. The village head almost started cursing…”

“He’s all about the so-called ‘advanced civilization village,’ saying this whole thing isn’t civilized at all. If they’re getting divorced, they should just get it over with. What’s with fighting in the village?” Wang Ping clicked her tongue. “It was such a chaotic scene. I found it hilarious.”

Chu Qianli was stunned, “She actually went through with the divorce?”

“Of course. Didn’t she come to you earlier? You politely told her it wasn’t right, and she even gave you the cold shoulder?” Wang Ping sneered. “You could say she’s not stupid, but if she weren’t, she wouldn’t have married that person. But at least she knows to stay in our village, so she’s not totally stupid.”

“If she had run off to the neighboring village, who knows what would’ve happened to her? At least her family’s here now, and someone can stand up for her. Honestly, she should’ve listened to you from the start, but she just didn’t believe it.”

Chu Qianli lowered her gaze helplessly. “It’s not as simple as that. Knowing something is one thing, accepting it is another. When someone else is told to break up, anyone would feel upset about it.”

“The truth can be harsh, otherwise, why would there be a need for wording?” Chu Qianli sighed. “So sometimes, even after calculating things, it doesn’t help. I can only offer advice, but people have emotions. It’s not something that can just be ended with a word.”

Wang Ping shook her head. “I don’t understand these things. If you know there’s no future with someone, just run away quickly. Why waste time?”

Listening to the village gossip, Tan Muxing suddenly felt uneasy.

The three of them had dinner at Wang Ping’s house. She specially made chicken soup and stir-fried wild vegetables from the mountains. The taste was indeed good.

After the meal, the two of them carried their new bedding and headed to the next house, planning to tidy up and get some rest.

Wang Ping had already cleaned the house beforehand, and now the rooms were quite tidy. Chu Qianli asked, “Do you want to stay in Grandpa’s room, or in my old room? Both beds are empty, but you’ll have to make the bed yourself.”

“I’m fine with either.”

Tan Muxing followed Chu Qianli around and finally chose her old room. Chu Qianli’s grandfather seemed to be a feng shui master, and the room had strange arrangements that made Tan Muxing, who was resistant to metaphysics, feel uncomfortable.

The two of them tidied up the rooms, checked in with their families to let them know they were safe, and then walked around the yard.

At the entrance, the land was planted with small green vegetables and garlic, likely tended to by Wang Ping, who clearly took great care in it.

Tan Muxing looked up at the sky and indeed saw the vast stars. Chu Qianli had not lied; the village’s sky was far more expansive than the city’s.

Chu Qianli was in the corner fiddling with the chicken coop, curiously tilting her head as she touched and poked at things.

Remembering their conversation earlier, Tan Muxing asked, “Was Chen Lili one of your clients from the village?”

“Yes, people here always pick auspicious dates for weddings. She came to me for that,” Chu Qianli explained. “Actually, the client base was left by my grandfather. He used to do divination for the villagers, and later, I took over.”

Tan Muxing asked, “Didn’t you say that fate can’t be simply judged as good or bad, and that many people aren’t qualified to make decisions for others? Why can you still predict marriage fate?”

“You remember that?” Chu Qianli turned back to look at him and patiently explained, “Astrologers can’t make definitive conclusions. Everything is about trends, not outcomes, but trends also come with varying probabilities.”

“Probabilities?”

“Yes. The chance of something good happening is 90%, and the chance of something bad happening is 10%. I can’t say it’s 100% good, but the probability of something good happening is high.”

Chu Qianli added, “I didn’t predict that Chen Lili would definitely get a divorce, but I did foresee that she and her spouse would face difficulties. Their conflicts have a high probability of leading to divorce, and a low probability of staying together but with affected feelings. The outcome may differ, but the trend remains the same.”

Tan Muxing lowered his gaze, his voice slightly hoarse. “…If that’s the case, doesn’t that mean fate can’t be changed?”

“It can be changed, but it’s very difficult. This is essentially a kind of deduction. To break away from a set course, a person has to overturn and rebuild themselves. This process is painful, so some people can’t change.”

Chu Qianli poked at the chicken coop with a stick and calmly said, “That’s why sometimes I advise people not to do readings. Everyone is curious about their future, but knowing or not knowing doesn’t make much of a difference. Sometimes, it’s even better not to know.”

In the night, Tan Muxing saw her sitting alone in the corner. Recently, he often felt down, and sometimes the words between her and Daoist Xu Qian would float in his mind, causing an uncontrollable feeling of painful disconnection.

However, standing beneath the starry sky and talking to her freely, he suddenly felt that this pain was fading away. Or perhaps, the intense pain had numbed him, transforming into a long-lost sense of calm and tranquility.

Tan Muxing said gently, “That’s the kind of thing someone who still knows magic would say.”

Chu Qianli looked at him in confusion.

Tan Muxing smiled wryly. “Because you know the future, you think it’s better not to know. But for ordinary people like us, if we don’t go to someone for readings, we don’t even have the opportunity to choose.”

“Is this like a siege? I’m not saying everything should be predicted, but there are some things—if I didn’t know—I might regret them for the rest of my life,” Tan Muxing said softly. “The choice that Chen Lili makes after knowing is totally different from the one she would have made without knowing. What you do isn’t meaningless.”

“Is it really different?”

“Yes. She might face painful consequences, but she also has the opportunity to choose.”

Chu Qianli stared at Tan Muxing for a long time, and in the end, she puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction and lowered her head, saying, “I’ve learned something today. An ordinary person has taught me, a person who doesn’t know magic.”

Tan Muxing hurriedly waved his hands. “I didn’t mean to teach you!”

Chu Qianli rarely acted sarcastic. “Hmph, the young master with the big yard thinks everything he says is right.”

Tan Muxing suddenly felt a headache. He thought about how to comfort his deskmate when, suddenly, a loud crowing sound came from the chicken coop!

The next second, a hen suddenly jumped out of the cage. It was strong and sturdy, flapping its wings aggressively and charging at Chu Qianli, making a series of clucking sounds.

Chu Qianli had just been playing with the cage and was now suddenly ambushed by the large hen. She quickly ran behind Tan Muxing, crying out, “Help me, help me, help me!”

Tan Muxing, facing the unexpected situation, instinctively shielded Chu Qianli and managed to hold off the wildly attacking hen.

The hen hesitated for a moment, trying to bypass Tan Muxing and attack Chu Qianli from behind, but was blocked by Tan Muxing, who acted like a bodyguard.

Chu Qianli, using her deskmate as a shield, immediately became bolder. She provocatively called to the hen, “Come over here!”

The hen, agitated, paced back and forth, occasionally making sounds as if scolding the ‘naughty’ human, accusing them of being tricky and dishonorable.

The two humans and one hen entered a standoff, circling around each other.

Tan Muxing, having never seen this before, asked hesitantly, “Should we try to get it back into the cage?”

Just then, Wang Ping, hearing the noise, came out holding a stick and shouted angrily, “Chu Qianli, are you teasing the chickens again!? I’ve never seen a kid so mischievous, you can’t even beat it, yet you keep provoking it—”

Wang Ping used the stick to chase the hen back into the cage and then scolded Chu Qianli, telling her that she would eventually learn her lesson when the chicken pecked her eye out.

Chu Qianli muttered unhappily, “Can’t we just stew it?”

“Didn’t we just have chicken soup for dinner? I think I should stew you instead!”

Tan Muxing witnessed this scene and suddenly had the urge to take a photo, thinking it felt like He Shichen had somehow transmigrated and changed careers to raise chickens in the village.

After the chaos of flying chickens and barking dogs, he finally began to feel the reality of being in the village. This was where she grew up, surrounded by people who had accompanied her through her life, and it made him feel relaxed and happy.

Tan Muxing went back to the house to wash up, leaving Chu Qianli and Wang Ping in the yard.

Wang Ping raised her eyebrows at Chu Qianli and gestured towards the house with her chin, asking, “So who is that? I really don’t understand kids like you anymore.”

“My deskmate,” Chu Qianli added. “He’s also my best friend from school in the city.”

Wang Ping’s expression was odd. “You consider him a friend? What kind of friend would come back to the village with you?”

“That’s why he’s my best friend.” Chu Qianli saw through her look and explained seriously, “It’s not the kind of relationship you think, Pingping.”

Wang Ping couldn’t help but tease, “How do you know what I’m thinking? How can you say it’s not that way?”

“Because the kind of relationship you’re thinking of is too simple, so I know it’s not that,” Chu Qianli replied.

Wang Ping was confused. “Then what kind of relationship is it?”

“It’s a relationship of understanding the world.” Chu Qianli paused for a few seconds, then said solemnly, “It’s a purer, more selfless, and more unconditional relationship.”

“There are gains and losses. It’s also a relationship that I can’t repay,” she added.

Chu Qianli could fool around with He Shichen because they both understood the debts created by swapping identities, so it didn’t matter. She was more restrained with people like Qiu Qingkong and Wang Ping, and much more obedient in front of her parents, carefully balancing what she gave and received.

However, Tan Muxing had never asked her for anything. He didn’t owe her anything.

He claimed to be an ordinary person who didn’t know magic, but to him, her magical abilities were useless. They were completely equals, and he had already figured out something.

She didn’t know if she had a future, so she didn’t know how to repay him.

“How can there be nothing to repay? If the relationship is good, don’t fuss about it!” Wang Ping said generously. “Tomorrow, I’ll take you and your friend around. There’s nothing much in the village, but since you’re here, don’t hang your head.”

Chu Qianli slapped her cheeks and perked up, testing, “Great! So, can we stew this chicken tomorrow?”

“No way, if you keep setting your sights on it, I’ll open the cage and let it argue with you.”

The next day, Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing were fed by Wang Ping in the morning and then decided to follow her up the mountain for a stroll.

Wang Ping led them down a mountain path and suggested, “I’ll go borrow a car from the village chief and take you up the mountain to pick some things. That way, the trip won’t be in vain. City people don’t often come up the mountain, right?”

Tan Muxing said politely, “Thank you…”

Chu Qianli added, “He’s the city person among city people! His family used to have a mountain!”

Tan Muxing, worried Wang Ping might take offense, awkwardly waved his hands. “No, no!”

Wang Ping remained calm. “So what? My family used to have a mountain too, and now Yilong Mountain belongs to the village.”

Chu Qianli continued to boast, “Pingping, I’m super rich now, I could totally spoil you! You can’t even count the zeros in my bank account!”

Wang Ping, hearing the mischievous kid brag, raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Now city people’s bank accounts can hold paper money from the afterlife?”

“What paper money! It’s of course real money from the living world!”

Wang Ping scoffed. “I know you’re trying to trick me again. Do you really think I haven’t seen enough or been online? That’s Zimbabwean dollars! I didn’t go to the factory until after finishing high school.”

Tan Muxing: “…” How many times has she been tricked to have such a mindset?

Tan Muxing had originally worried that Wang Ping might be upset, but now he realized that anyone who could handle a mischievous kid like Chu Qianli probably wasn’t an ordinary person. Dealing with Chu Qianli was like handling a little chick.