Tomb raiding: Today is another day I don't want to go home.

Chapter 9 Six Years Ago (Part 6)

"Brother Yan, you seem to have a way of winning this kid's heart!" Da Pan looked at Yan Huai with a meaningful gaze.

Wu Xie didn't understand the deeper meaning in Da Pan's words and thought he was teasing him: "Yeah, Brother Yan, that kid seems to be very close to you. Did you secretly give him candy?"

Yan Huai shook his head. He looked at the mother and child who had already walked away, thought for a moment, and then stood up: "You eat first."

"Where are you going?"

"Go ask about something."

The people at the table exchanged bewildered glances. The dishes were all served; couldn't they have asked after they finished eating? Why did they have to do it now?

"This young man Yan has probably been hungry longer than any of us..." Wu Xie blinked, then pointed to the fragrant dishes on the table, "Are you sure you're alright if you don't eat now?"

"That kid is getting too close to Brother Yan." Wu Sansheng glanced at his innocent nephew and sighed inwardly, "He's hopeless."

"Third Uncle, are you saying they have ulterior motives?" Wu Xie seemed to be too influenced by the boatman and the old cowherd before, and his understanding was somewhat distorted.

“Third Master, it’s not strange for a child to be close to people, but it’s absolutely impossible for a child to trust and depend on a stranger from the very beginning.” Da Pan put a peanut in his mouth and chewed as he explained, “What Third Master means is that the child might know Brother Yan.”

"That's why Brother Yan rushed to ask without even eating!" Wu Xie finally realized. "But logically speaking, if Brother Yan has amnesia, is it possible that he just happened to end up in a place where someone knows him?"

"I don't know if it's a coincidence or not, but if you don't eat soon, you're going to kick the bucket!"

Wu Sansheng rolled his eyes, picked up his rice bowl and started munching on the food. Da Pan and Da Kui next to him did the same, like starving ghosts. In no time, several plates of food on the table were empty.

"Holy crap!" Wu Xie's eyes widened, and he quickly turned to protect the plate of pig liver not far from him. "There's only one plate of pig liver, don't eat it all, leave some for the young man!"

The four people on one side were enjoying their meal, while Yan Huai, who had just left the restaurant, followed the sound of a child crying to the door of a bungalow. As he got closer, he could hear the landlady gently comforting him and A Zhao's intermittent sobs.

Yan Huai hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and knocked on the door.

"Who?"

"It's me, Yan Huai."

Upon hearing that it was Yan Huai, Ah Zhao immediately wiped away her tears and ran towards the door.

Yan Huai listened quietly, and the annoyance in his heart inexplicably dissipated a lot.

A moment later, the wooden door of the bungalow was carefully opened a crack about ten centimeters wide, and a small head peeked out from inside, its eyes misty and its cheeks streaked with distorted tears...

"Big brother!"

When Ah Zhao spoke, her tone was still nasal and soft, so Yan Huai couldn't help but soften his tone as well: "I have something I want to talk to your mother about."

"Come in!" The landlady's voice came from behind the door, and then the wooden door was pulled open.

Yan Huai nodded to the proprietress before walking in with his head slightly lowered.

As far as the eye can see, this is a room that is not very spacious, but the furnishings are exceptionally clean and tidy. However, what is surprising is that the landlady has placed an altar on the left side of the entrance, with a portrait of a middle-aged man on it.

“This is my husband, A-Zhao’s biological father.” The proprietress explained when she saw Yan Huai’s gaze fall on the portrait, but her smile was somewhat bitter.

"I'm sorry..." Yan Huai had no intention of offending anyone, but he didn't know what to say, so he could only awkwardly change the subject, "I came to ask you a question, do you recognize me?"

"So, you don't remember?" The proprietress was taken aback at first, then realized what was going on. She pulled up a chair for Yan Huai to sit down first. "When I saw you before, I thought you weren't talking to me because of the people you were traveling with."

“I ran into some trouble and I don’t quite remember who I’ve met or where I’ve been.”

Yan Huai lowered his head slightly and told the truth to anyone he might know before. He was wary of people in front of him, even though he felt that they wouldn't lie to him. But what if they did...? He didn't want to take a lie as the truth.

"I see. So how did you find this place?"

Yan Huai shook his head: "I didn't look for one on purpose, I just wanted to find a place to stay first."

Leaving aside the supernatural phenomena in the cave and the system in his head, Yan Huai briefly recounted his experiences after waking up.

The proprietress listened attentively the whole time. As she listened, a tingling pain rose in her heart. Although Yan Huai's tone was calm, she could sense that he was afraid deep down.

She should have realized that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the bewildered and uncomfortable look in his eyes when she saw him today would not have been present in the boy she had met six years ago.

The proprietress unconsciously raised her hand to stroke Yan Huai's head, but suddenly realized that such a gesture might be a bit abrupt for Yan Huai in his current state, so she withdrew her hand.

Ah Zhao, who had been crying and fussing just moments before, ran into Yan Huai's arms like a little adult after hearing this. Her little hands couldn't reach Yan Huai's back, so she gently placed them on his waist and patted him slowly. It was unclear whether she understood Yan Huai's words or sensed his emotions.

Yan Huai was a little stiff at first, but after getting used to the warmth, he hugged A Zhao tighter, placed his hands on A Zhao's back, and unconsciously relaxed.

The proprietress looked at the scene before her, her eyes slightly moist, but she still smiled gently.

After a moment, Yan Huai composed himself and raised his head.

"Could you tell me about what happened before?"

The proprietress paused for a moment, then turned her gaze to the portrait on the altar and slowly nodded: "Okay!"

Six years ago, most people in the village made a living by hunting, including his family. A-Zhao's father, Lin Xuan, was one of the most skilled hunters in the village, and he always had a bountiful harvest every time he went into the mountains. But that time, he lost his life...

It was almost the last month of winter when A-Zhao was born. The time when winter was over and the new year was in early spring was supposed to be here. For their family's conditions at the time, everything was arranged just right. But God missed the one rare blizzard.

It came without warning, trapping Lin Xuan, who had just entered the mountains, and several hunters from the village. Originally, everyone thought that with Lin Xuan there, given his skills and experience, he would surely bring everyone back after the blizzard stopped.

Unexpectedly, the blizzard lasted for half a month, blocking the roads into the mountains. People inside couldn't get out, and people outside couldn't get in. Everyone started to get anxious, and the village chief quickly gathered dozens of able-bodied men in the village to dig through the snow, intending to go directly into the mountains to search.

Among the group of people following closely behind was the proprietress, Yin Lan, who was pregnant with A Zhao at the time.

The villagers searched for seventeen days straight, but still found nothing. Yin Lan, exhausted and emotionally distressed, was also affecting the baby in her womb. The midwife who came to take care of her said that A Zhao was about to be born...

That New Year's Eve, the sky was a blood-red hue amidst the grayness, as if the heavens' wishes had fallen through and the regrets had been inflicted upon Yin Lan. She had a difficult childbirth, and apart from the midwife, everyone stood outside the delivery room. Apart from the howling wind, it was eerily quiet.

The charcoal fire inside burned brightly. Yin Lan lay on the bed stained red with blood, completely exhausted, yet she could still feel A Zhao, her child.

Sweat rolled down her cheeks, mingling with a few salty tears. Her hair clung to her temples. Yin Lan leaned forward slightly. She desperately wanted to prove herself and keep A-Zhao. The village chief's family was kind-hearted; they should adopt him and treat him well…

crunch--

Suddenly, the window of the room was opened from the outside, and a cold wind rushed in. The charcoal fire was extinguished for a moment, but then it instantly reignited. The room remained warm, as if the sound just now was an illusion.

No, that's not right!

Yin Lan felt someone approaching her, and a hand was placed on her stomach. Then, she saw a thin figure standing at the head of the bed—hair disheveled, a dirty outer garment, and a pair of dark pupils that shone deep in the firelight.