The plaque was carved.
The moment the plaque was hung, the entire West Lake complex finally had a name, and everyone's hearts settled, as if seeing the shadow of home.
In fact, the experiences of descendants of folk sects were largely the same.
They all had unfortunate or painful childhoods, and had lost those closest to them.
Their paths of growth were fraught with thorns, having tasted countless hardships and witnessed innumerable changes in human relationships.
Their final destinations might be to roam the world as their home, or to die far from it.
The establishment of the Rongcheng Folklore Research Association was like providing a home for them, giving these wanderers a reason to return, like a small boat battered by storms finally finding a harbor.
Everyone looked up at the plaque, silent, with warm smiles slowly appearing on their faces.
Witnessing this scene, Old Jin couldn't help but recite a poem: "Oh, for a mansion with ten thousand rooms, to shelter all the poor scholars of the world and bring them joy! Unshaken by wind and rain, as firm as a mountain!"
Oh, for a mansion with ten thousand rooms,
To shelter all the poor scholars of the world and bring them joy!
Unshaken by wind and rain, as firm as a mountain!
How fitting this poem was!
Long Feicheng gave Old Jin a thumbs-up, "Old Jin, it still comes down to you. My mind is full of 'holy crap' right now."
Old Jin raised his head proudly; after all, he had studied for a few years.
"This is our home."
Yan Shouyi said with a smile, "Everyone find your own residences. We'll live here from now on. More partners will join us in the future. Everyone must get along harmoniously!"
"All right!"
The crowd cheered and bustled inside with joy.
The research association's buildings had clear uses. For example, Luo Ning would definitely choose to live near the Corpse Raising Institute, so everyone had already set their sights on their desired locations while browsing the complex earlier.
They split up to check their respective residences.
Yan Shouyi also extended his hand to Lin Zhitong, playfully inviting her like a gentleman, "Wife, shall we go see our marital home together?"
Lin Zhitong's pretty face flushed, but she boldly took Yan Shouyi's hand.
Lin Ruofu felt that as her father, he should leave this time to the newlyweds. He handed the car keys to Lin Zhitong and then took Ye Chengfu and others to the association's tea house for tea.
The research association had many buildings with different purposes, such as the assembly hall for large meetings and the tea house for guests. Since the tea house was not yet staffed, Lin Ruofu also brought Lin Yu and Lin Yin along, having these two assistants temporarily serve as tea artists.
Lin Zhitong drove her pink Bentley, taking Yan Shouyi to find their "marital home" within the research association.
Before long, the Bentley stopped in front of a small villa.
This villa was built by the lake, with no obstructions to the view from any direction. Even from the courtyard on the first floor, one could see the entire West Lake!
The villa's courtyard was designed in a '回' (huí) shape, enclosing the building. The courtyard was filled with various flowers and a very beautiful maple tree. However, at this season, the maple leaves had not yet turned red, otherwise, it would have been even more picturesque.
Beneath the maple tree was a swing, just large enough for Yan Shouyi and Lin Zhitong to sit side by side.
Stepping on the soft grass, Lin Zhitong closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the floral fragrance.
"Is this our home?" she asked, her eyes shining as she opened them.
Yan Shouyi also felt an inexplicable sense of stability.
The two pushed open the door and were greeted by a spacious area. The sofas and tables were already in place, and facing the West Lake was a floor-to-ceiling window that spanned over ten meters.
Sitting in the living room, one could admire the beautiful scenery of West Lake.
Upstairs, there were bedrooms, meditation rooms, observation terraces, and other designs.
Initially, Yan Chou was only responsible for the architectural planning of the entire complex. The interior design of the buildings was handled by top international designers hired by Lin Ruofu.
The newlyweds toured the villa a few times, and then stood contentedly on the third-floor terrace.
As the gentle breeze caressed their faces, Lin Zhitong murmured,
"If only it could always be like this!"
Yan Shouyi embraced her from behind, their bodies pressed tightly together.
Standing behind her, Yan Shouyi's gaze was unusually firm.
In fact, fulfilling Lin Zhitong's wish was simple: abandon some things and stay with her here forever.
However, a sword hung over Yan Shouyi's head – his fated tribulation.
More than half a year had passed, meaning his fated tribulation would arrive in just over two years.
Two years was too short. Even if the child was born in eight months, he might disappear from this world just as the child was learning to walk, perhaps as a father who would be gone.
For Lin Zhitong, and for the unborn child in his wife's womb, Yan Shouyi secretly vowed to find a way to break free from his fated tribulation!
...
After dark.
At the entrance of the Folklore Research Association, Long Feicheng was waiting in a black Maybach.
He wore sunglasses even though it was night. To ensure people could see his face, he had deliberately lowered the car window, held a Zhonghua cigarette in his left hand, and was about to place his hand outside the window after taking a puff.
As Yan Shouyi and Ah Gong got into the car, Yan Shouyi complained, "Do you have to dress so extravagantly? We're going to catch bad guys tonight, not pretend to be bad guys!"
With Long Feicheng's current appearance, he looked exactly like a henchman following a triad boss, utterly arrogant!
Long Feicheng patted the Maybach's steering wheel and chuckled, "If living isn't about showing off, then it's meaningless!"
However much he had felt stifled in Rongcheng in the past, Long Feicheng wanted to live as freely as possible now.
If it were people like Ah Gong, they might have some pride and not want to accept charity.
But Long Feicheng had no such qualms. In his view, "What's mine is Brother Yan's, and what's Brother Yan's is mine. Although I have nothing, Brother Yan does!"
Tonight, Yan Shouyi, Ah Gong, and Long Feicheng were going to help Xia Zhi clear out a triad group and also catch the person selling Taoist talismans to the public.
At the same time, Lin Zhitong was not idle. She took Luo Ning and Zhao Yiyao to visit some local small sects in Rongcheng to investigate the reasons for their defection to Lu Xin.
Each side had their own mission, so they split up.
After everyone got into the car, Long Feicheng stepped on the accelerator. The Maybach's engine let out a roar like a wild beast, and the car quickly sped away from West Lake.
Not long after, Lin Zhitong also drove out in her Bentley, with Luo Ning and Zhao Yiyao in the car.
Zhao Yiyao asked, "Zhitong, what if the sect leaders of those small sects refuse to see us?"
Lin Zhitong shook her head, "Before I left Rongcheng, Sect Leader Lu Jing introduced me to them one by one. They won't go so far as to disregard that favor."
"But what if?"
Luo Ning sneered, "Then we'll just break in. If they had the nerve to be turncoats, do you think we'd be too shy to smash their sect gates?"