The rain started quite suddenly, initially just a few drops, like a drizzle, not drawing much attention. Gradually, it intensified, and soon the downpour became impossible to ignore; indeed, it was a rather heavy rain.
"Brother Ye, don't stand in the rain. You might catch a cold if you stay out too long. Forget about everything else and come to the car with me to take shelter."
Fatty couldn't bear to watch any longer. Seeing his good brother standing in the rain made him feel worse than if he were getting drenched himself. Anyone would find such a scene rather heartbreaking.
"This rain is quite refreshing, and it can help me clear my head. Although Liu Lanying has already left, I need time to adapt to this. Even now, I still find it difficult to accept. I was too foolish. I thought I was strong enough that no one could harm those around me. Later, I realized it was all my arrogance. I really thought too much."
A sense of powerlessness gradually permeated his entire body, making Ye Tiancheng feel deeply uncomfortable, a kind of inexpressible vulnerability.
Just as Ye Tiancheng was about to take a moment to himself, he suddenly felt that the rain was unusual. It carried a strange, vinegar-like scent, which hadn't been there before but had gradually appeared.
Moreover, the smell grew stronger. Ye Tiancheng had always disliked sour food, and the moment he smelled this, he felt as though he were being choked. He immediately felt a wave of nausea.
At this critical juncture, Ye Tiancheng quickly ran into the car because he felt like vomiting. He intensely disliked this sour smell.
It wasn't just because he had stomach pain when he was young. His family's conditions were difficult. Living in the countryside, advanced medical facilities were scarce. There was only a health clinic located at the easternmost part of the village. Therefore, taking medicine was a luxury for young Ye Tiancheng.
Since he couldn't take medicine, he had to resort to some folk remedies. In the countryside back then, drinking vinegar was considered a common practice.
In reality, there are many causes of stomach pain, but regardless of the reason, most people liked to drink a little vinegar to relieve it. This is why Ye Tiancheng became particularly sensitive to sour tastes. When others liked to add vinegar to their spicy hot pot, Ye Tiancheng never did. He felt that vinegar was the most unpalatable seasoning, even worse than ginger, garlic, or star anise. Every time he instructed Fatty, he would tell him to use less vinegar when cooking. If too much vinegar was used, Ye Tiancheng would be very uncomfortable, and he wouldn't even touch the dish. He would transform from a rough man into a delicate young lady.
"Brother Ye, don't say you can't stand the sourness. Even a normal person like me finds it unbearable. Why does this rain smell like this? It's truly suffocating."
It was somewhat unbelievable how rain could have such a smell. This terrible odor was simply nauseating. Fatty, standing outside, almost threw up directly, so he deeply understood Ye Tiancheng's feelings.
"I just used my true qi to investigate. There are no traces of dark energy. I suspect this is a natural phenomenon, but I've never heard of what causes acid rain."
Ye Tiancheng was a bit bewildered now, in a completely dazed state regarding any possible situation because he could no longer control the overall picture.
"Never mind that, let's leave here first."
As Ye Tiancheng prepared to leave, he heard some pained cries. It turned out that some small animals in the woods and fields, after being doused by this acid rain, had suffered corrosive effects.
These corrosive effects might have had a smaller impact on ordinary people, or perhaps not been as significant, but for these small animals, they were highly lethal. The animals lay on the ground, crying out in pain, which was quite uncomfortable to witness.
Ye Tiancheng quickly went to take a look. A field mouse in the farmland lay there weakly, some of its fur already scorched. This kind of damage could be considered somewhat irreversible.
"Fatty, come quickly and see. These animals are so pitiful. They seem to have been corroded by the acid rain. This won't do. I wonder how many more small animals will be harmed."
It was precisely these weak creatures that tugged at Ye Tiancheng's heartstrings. If they were powerful beings, the feeling wouldn't be as strong. The key was that these creatures usually lived precariously, posing no threat to other beings. They were originally so honest and simple, and they should have lived their lives peacefully. Now, they had encountered such misfortune, not only facing death but dying in agony. This was truly testing.
"Brother Ye, let's find a way to save them."
Fatty stood ready, prepared to act, but he didn't know who the enemy was. Were they going to fight against nature?
Ye Tiancheng prepared to use his true qi, but he couldn't find any specific point of attack. Therefore, he could only use his true qi to temporarily form a barrier. Ye Tiancheng tried his best to extend this barrier to block the falling rain. However, the current problem was that even though this barrier was quite large, it could only protect this area. If the acid rain continued to fall, in places they couldn't see, many disasters would still occur.
The current situation was difficult, and everyone was struggling. Now, even the small animals were suffering. When such a thing happened, Ye Tiancheng's patriotic spirit suddenly resurfaced. He wanted to do something to change the current predicament.
"What should we do? I can only protect the animals in this area right now, and that's far from enough. The area of this rain is clearly much larger than what I can protect. It would be best if the rain could stop."
Just then, Little Fox, who had been busy with something, finally finished writing a talisman. He threw it into the sky, and the rain in the sky instantly stopped, freezing in place. The small animals lying on the ground, groaning in pain, showed significant improvement, as if everything had reversed.
"I understand now. It was Little Fox's talisman that worked. This kid actually has some skills. I thought he was all show, but he always does things that surprise me. Now he has the ability to stop the acid rain."
Then, Little Fox said, "I heard it from my master before. He said this situation is called a natural anomaly. If it's not too severe, a talisman can be used to stop it. But if it's too severe, like lava eruptions or tsunamis, I don't have that capability. Even my master might not be able to handle it. So, today was pure luck. I didn't expect to be able to stop this acid rain."
Fatty was completely bewildered and couldn't believe that Little Fox was so powerful, possessing the ability to control the weather. This ability was even more impressive than Ye Tiancheng's.
Ye Tiancheng still didn't understand. He had amnesia, so why could he still recall past events? Was this a form of fragmented amnesia?
However, it was hard to say. Since Little Fox hadn't done anything to harm them, it was normal for him to occasionally recall fragments of memories.
The key was that Little Fox had made a great contribution this time, so Ye Tiancheng couldn't say much more. These animals lying on the ground, groaning in pain, desperately needed help.
So, Ye Tiancheng generously used his true qi to heal them. Although small animals weren't that important to Ye Tiancheng, he was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see these little ones suffer. Therefore, he stepped in to help them with his true qi.
After they finished their work, it was completely dark, and they needed to find a place to rest.
They were quite close to Liu Lanying's hometown village. There were many unspoken sorrows for Ye Tiancheng here.
For instance, the villagers in his hometown didn't know that Liu Lanying had passed away. Because her death was unclear, Ye Tiancheng didn't know how to explain it. Her body had also been burned in a fire, as if everything had ended.
Ye Tiancheng couldn't even face Liu Lanying's elders and fellow villagers. When they asked about Liu Lanying's condition, Ye Tiancheng didn't know how to answer.
Although the news of Liu Lanying's death would eventually reach the village, and everyone would mourn the untimely death of a young person, Ye Tiancheng didn't want this news to come from his own mouth because it was too difficult and required courage.
"Let's not enter this village. We'll just make do with sleeping in the car for one night. If we enter the village, I don't know how to explain things. It's better not to see those familiar faces."
However, Ye Tiancheng was overthinking. As soon as the car entered the village entrance, it was discovered, and the enthusiastic villagers quickly invited Ye Tiancheng to rest in the village.
They still mentioned Liu Lanying, and Ye Tiancheng didn't know what to say. Fatty guided him from the side.
"Brother Ye, let's not talk about Miss Liu's matters for now. Let's get some rest quickly. We have important things to do tomorrow morning and can't delay too long."
Following Fatty's suggestion, Ye Tiancheng nodded, and the villagers stopped discussing Liu Lanying. These villagers were very curious about Liu Lanying, as a university graduate serving as a village official held a very high status in this village. They were very curious about Liu Lanying's work, how her progress was daily, and if she was working on any projects recently to give them something to talk about during their leisure time.
After all, they had heard before that Liu Lanying had started a pig farm and it was very successful. In any case, it left a strong impression on the villagers that this girl was very ambitious and intelligent, considered a role model for all the girls in the village.
But now, Ye Tiancheng couldn't even say it. Such a young and promising girl had died so young. The pride of the entire village seemed to have fallen at once.
That night, Ye Tiancheng had some insomnia. The enthusiastic villagers made him corn porridge and some other snacks, all specially prepared for him, emitting a fragrant aroma.
After eating, Ye Tiancheng's stomach felt warm, and he should have been able to sleep early. However, due to missing Liu Lanying, he suffered from insomnia. His last visit to her village seemed like just yesterday.
But now, things had changed. Liu Lanying's elder brother had also moved to the city. The memories related to Liu Lanying here would become increasingly blurred. This was life, he realized. After contemplating for a long time, Ye Tiancheng finally fell asleep.