Chen Xun smiled and continued, "As for the next few days, I'll have to trouble Grandpa Li for a bit longer."
Old Li chuckled, "Hey, you kid, saying such unnecessary things. As long as you're willing, you can stay with me for a lifetime, no problem."
After living together for half a year, they'd naturally developed some affection for each other.
Moreover, the incident with the black tiger on Little River Peak was deeply etched in Old Li's heart.
The three of them quickly finished breakfast while chatting.
During the meal, Old Li asked Chen Xun where he was from, if he had any family, and why he came to Little River Town, among other things.
To this, Chen Xun naturally dodged the questions, giving vague answers.
Because none of the questions Old Li asked were ones he could answer.
However, seeing Chen Xun well, Old Li and Li Yuan were genuinely happy.
Old Li then went out to the market, planning to buy some groceries to prepare a sumptuous lunch for celebration.
"Brother Chen, shall we go to the market too?" Li Yuan asked with a giggle, carrying a small basket.
Li Yuan planned to take Chen Xun to get a haircut and buy him a set of clothes.
These things were difficult to manage before, but now that Chen Xun was back to normal, it was naturally possible.
Chen Xun smiled slightly at the suggestion, "Alright."
Li Yuan was delighted and immediately went out with Chen Xun.
However, Li Yuan had always been puzzled by the fact that, despite never seeing Brother Chen bathe, he never smelled bad. It was quite strange.
There was a distance from Old Li's house to the market, and along the way, Chen Xun walked quietly with his hands behind his back.
Li Yuan occasionally glanced at Chen Xun's straight posture, unsure of what to say, until she noticed the wooden sword on his back and found a topic to discuss: "Brother Chen, is that wooden sword very important to you? You used to carry it every day, and even now you haven't taken it off."
In Li Yuan's mind, the wooden sword was just a toy Chen Xun used to play with.
Chen Xun shook his head and smiled, "It's not that important, just a habit."
"I see," Li Yuan nodded, not noticing the slight tremor of the wooden sword as Chen Xun spoke.
Moments later, Chen Xun and Li Yuan arrived at the market, and the townspeople who saw Chen Xun were all secretly shocked!
Goodness, the mad scholar?!
Since being taken in by Old Li's family, Chen Xun had rarely appeared in public.
Of course, that wasn't the most important thing.
The most important thing was that Chen Xun felt different to the townspeople!
Although he still had disheveled hair and looked a bit sloppy, he seemed normal?
It was a stark contrast to his previous crazy behavior, and those who knew Chen Xun could see the difference.
"Chen, Chen Xun?" A passerby tentatively called out.
Chen Xun looked over and nodded, "Yes."
Wow!
The surrounding passersby were all astonished!
The madman wasn't mad anymore!
What was going on?
Even after Chen Xun and Li Yuan's figures disappeared down the street, the passersby were still in disbelief.
After all, it was truly incredible for someone who had been mad for so long to suddenly become normal.
It wouldn't be long before the news of the mad scholar in the blue robe becoming normal would spread throughout Little River Town, becoming a topic of conversation for many.
***
Half an hour later.
Li Yuan stared blankly at the handsome young man emerging from the alley, unable to resist rubbing her eyes and tentatively calling out, "Chen... Brother Chen?"
Chen Xun smiled gently and nodded.
Li Yuan gasped and swallowed hard.
It was clear that Chen Xun had simply washed his hair, and the barber had only slightly trimmed and combed it.
But the transformation was truly astonishing to Li Yuan.
Previously, Chen Xun's disheveled hair made it difficult to see his face, but now it was clear.
His features were truly gentle and jade-like, a sight to behold.
A gentleman as graceful as jade, unmatched in the world, indeed!
That demeanor, it was nothing like the previous mad scholar, it made one want to call him Master.
Li Yuan exaggeratedly noticed that even the slightly tattered blue robe Chen Xun wore suddenly looked better.
"Brother Chen, shall I take you to buy a new set of clothes?" Li Yuan quickly suggested.
Chen Xun was silent for a moment, then shook his head, "No need, I'm quite comfortable in these clothes."
If it weren't for Li Yuan's insistence, Chen Xun wouldn't have even planned to get a haircut.
After all, he didn't know how long this period of clarity would last...
Besides, the money was all earned by Li Yuan through hard work, so it shouldn't be wasted.
Li Yuan was anxious, "Brother Chen, are you worried about spending money? It's okay, a set of clothes doesn't cost much."
Chen Xun smiled, "Yuan Yuan, I appreciate your kindness, but I'm used to these clothes, so I won't change them."
To be honest, although his clothes were a bit worn, they were only slightly shabby.
When you're just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.
The clothes he wore had been with him for countless years.
"Alright," Li Yuan said, feeling regretful but not pressing further.
Although she hadn't been with the normal Brother Chen for long, she could already tell that he was someone who meant what he said.
Afterward, Chen Xun and Li Yuan strolled around the market, bought some snacks and trinkets, and then headed home.
During this time, many passersby were once again surprised to see Chen Xun.
If it weren't for the distinctive tattered blue robe, they might not have recognized him as Chen Xun.
***
Lunch at Old Li's house was very sumptuous, with chicken, duck, and fish, all present.
To be honest, even during the New Year, Old Li's family hadn't eaten so well.
It showed how genuinely happy Old Li was.
Chen Xun looked at the table full of dishes and sighed, "Grandpa Li, the food is very sumptuous, thank you."
Chen Xun expressed his gratitude directly, without any unnecessary words.
"Hahaha, Chen Xun, do you drink? Join me for a cup?" Old Li said, already getting up with the wine jug to pour for Chen Xun.
"Grandpa~ you can drink by yourself, why drag Brother Chen into it?" Li Yuan muttered.
After all, in Li Yuan's view, alcohol tasted bad, and Chen Xun probably didn't like it.
"Alright."
Unexpectedly, Chen Xun agreed readily.
"Haha, great, let's have a drink."
With someone to drink with, Old Li was extremely happy.
Lunch quickly ended in a joyful atmosphere.
Old Li, feeling tipsy, went to lie down in his room.
After Chen Xun and Li Yuan cleaned up the table, Chen Xun told Li Yuan he was going out for a walk and left the courtyard.
Li Yuan wanted to follow, but Chen Xun refused, so she reluctantly agreed, reminding him to be back before dinner, and went to do her chores.
Chen Xun had his own plans for not letting Li Yuan follow.
He intended to earn some money for Old Li, after all, he had been living there for free for quite some time.
Don't be fooled by Chen Xun's scholarly appearance; his way of making money wasn't by writing or painting.
He planned to go hunting on Little River Peak, a rather rough approach.
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan