Corpse Recovery Diver
Chapter 386 - 69

Chapter 386: Chapter 69

Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin immediately looked at Li Zhiyuan, their eyes burning, silent words louder than spoken ones.

Since leaving home, he had indeed experienced many strange things, seen many corpses, but after indulging in lavish meals, he began to crave something simple to soothe the stomach.

For the two of them, recovering a corpse was akin to cultivating their character.

Li Zhiyuan nodded.

The two of them exchanged a smile, Run Sheng lit a "cigar," while Tan Wenbin excitedly rubbed his hands together.

Yin Meng entered the inner room. First, she pushed open the coffin lid, then brought in a warmed ceramic pot from outside, poured it into a bowl, and fed the old man spoonful by spoonful.

This wasn’t medicine, more like a thick syrup to keep the old man hanging on.

After feeding him, Yin Meng opened a basin of hot water, changed the old man’s diaper, wiped his body carefully, and finally dressed him in clean clothes.

After doing all this, she wiped her sweat with the back of her hand.

The old man opened his eyes.

Yin Meng was startled for a moment, then burst into laughter, "Grandpa, you actually opened your eyes. You look so much better. It seems you’re about to recover."

Li Zhiyuan had been standing by watching. He knew the old man could open his eyes; he had a stroke, not that he was in a vegetative state. Besides, many in vegetative states could also open their eyes.

*The old man had previously chosen not to respond on purpose, to chill his granddaughter’s heart deliberately. It was best if she treated him like a mule to take care of. He knew his own physical condition and did not want his granddaughter to hold any hope.*

*Today, opening his eyes voluntarily meant he wanted a last look at his granddaughter.*

*As for the healthy flush on his face, it was actually the standard glimmer of life before death.*

After happily chatting with the old man, Yin Meng went out with the basin of dirty clothes to wash.

Li Zhiyuan walked to the coffin’s edge, looked at the old man, and in his eyes, saw relief.

Last night, the old man did not request him to reveal the truth to Yin Meng. Apparently, he did not want his granddaughter to experience a new wound after being "abandoned by her parents" in her youth.

*Just seeing Yin Meng’s attitude toward those two half-brothers of hers... Ha, old man, you better not leave your granddaughter with two burdens.*

But on second thought, Li Zhiyuan figured the old man wouldn’t make such a mistake.

*To be honest, those who roamed on the river could hardly be truly kind-hearted people.*

*It was just too simple to kill someone on the river. Tie a stone, sink it, and that’s it.*

*These folks had skills and means; normally, they were restrained by Heavenly Dao, kindness, and societal norms. But what if one day they no longer cared?*

*So, never push an "honest person" too far.*

Li Zhiyuan walked to the doorway of the inner room, just in time to see Yin Meng drying clothes while wiping her tears.

*After all, she was a legitimate Corpse Recovery Diver, how could she not see through the last moments of someone’s life?*

*It was nothing more than everyone putting on an act, hoping for a graceful exit.*

Yin Meng thanked and agreed to Tan Wenbin’s offer to help. After tidying up at home, she led everyone on their way.

Along the road, the two boys seemed eager to talk to Li Zhiyuan, their peer. Meanwhile, Li Zhiyuan was being carried by Run Sheng, ignoring them, staying uninvolved, uninformed, and uncommitted.

The journey was not far, just to a village near the county, where the riverside was crowded with villagers watching the spectacle.

A male and a female corpse still floated on the water’s surface, the male facedown and the female faceup, yet they clung tightly together as if unwilling to part even in death.

If it weren’t for their constant fights in the village, rumors would spread that they had agreed to die together.

Li Zhiyuan got off Run Sheng’s back, glanced at the pondside, and knew that these two were not inseparable in death; their bodies were stuck together.

Unlike the usual pale buoyant corpses, their bodies were black, like two pieces of spoiled, blackened pigskin jelly.

Two middle-aged men were arguing with a one-eyed old woman. Judging by the tools behind them, they seemed to be local Corpse Recovery Divers.

Here were two buoyant corpses, both turned dark, indicating something unusual; the price for corpse recovery needed to be reconsidered.

Evidently, the two sides couldn’t agree on the price. The one-eyed old woman would rather let her son and daughter-in-law continue soaking in the water than "take this loss."

Seeing Yin Meng arrive, the one-eyed old woman gleefully pointed and laughed, "Okay, I don’t need you two heartless creatures anymore, my eldest granddaughter is here."

Saying that, the one-eyed old woman walked over warmly, starting with a smile, adding sobs halfway there, and by the time she was in front, she was a master of simultaneous crying and laughing, wiping her tears and grabbing hands as if she had finally found her backbone.

"Eldest granddaughter, you’ve finally come. Quickly, pull your parents out. They are so pitiful~ so pitiful~"

Tan Wenbin couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the side, thinking how there could be such shameless people in the world.

When Yin Meng was young and naive, she would cry to find her mother, only for her mother to purposely avoid seeing her, and it was always the one-eyed granny who came out to yell the most hurtful words at the girl.

Once in the dead of winter, the one-eyed granny splashed a basin of water, leaving Yin Meng crying as she walked home soaked.

The girl was foolish, going home to tell her grandpa she’d fallen into the ditch playing.

The old man was foolish too, and actually believed it.

Li Zhiyuan knew the old man’s love for his granddaughter was genuine, but so was his carelessness, otherwise, he wouldn’t have believed the "letter" left by his son back then.

Yin Meng did not warm up to the one-eyed old woman, only saying flatly, "Let me get them out."

"Alright, alright, good, good."

Yin Meng looked at the two local companions, their expressions a bit grim, but they had nothing to say. They could only light a cigarette and reluctantly carried their gear back.