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At Night BBQ.

Qian Quan and Ding Linlang chose an outdoor table, which by this time was already laden with an assortment of dishes.

Lamb Skewers, Beef Skewers, Pork Belly, Chicken Gizzards, Chicken Wings,

Garlic Chives, Eggplant… and six cans of Snowflake Beer to top it off.

Ding Linlang devoured a skewer of lamb and cracked open a can of beer herself. She raised her can for a toast with Qian Quan.

The whole notion of maintaining a “ladylike” demeanor was completely thrown out the window; instead, she emanated a spirited and carefree aura.

This reminded Qian Quan of Chapter Forty-Nine in Dream of the Red Chamber, where Shi Xiangyun indulges in venison and guzzles down copious amounts of wine, all while effortlessly composing poetry.

Truly, she embodied the essence of “a hero in her own right” and “a person of scholarly elegance.”

Especially after recently learning about Ding Linlang’s honorable support for Qian Jiamin, Qian Quan’s admiration and respect for her reached a new peak.

“How about we go to Disney the Tuesday after National Day? I’m sure it won’t be too crowded then,” Ding Linlang suggested.

“Sure, I’ll handle the ticket booking,” Qian Quan declared, pulling out his phone. “High-Speed Light Wheel, Leaping Horizon, and Pirate Ship are must-rides. And we need to catch the fireworks. Everything else, we’ll play by ear.”

Qian Quan had researched what to do during the summer break.

“I want to ride the Carousel,” Ding Linlang chimed in.

“Of course,” Qian Quan responded with a smile.

As the two were talking, they suddenly heard bursts of laughter coming from a nearby table.

Turning their heads, they saw a group of six or seven men engaged in a boisterous drinking game, seemingly part of the local “rough crowd.”

With shaved heads or dyed blond hair and flushed faces, everyone had a cigarette in hand, making a loud racket while puffing clouds of smoke.

This sort of scene was all too common at BBQ joints.

“Excuse me, could you guys keep it down a bit? We have a child with us, and we just got him to sleep,” a young woman courageously approached them. “We’ll be leaving soon.”

The woman seemed to be there with her sister, who was holding a toddler.

The burly bald man glanced at them, nodded, and said, “Alright.”

He waved his hand and called to his mates, “Quiet down, everyone. Put out your cigarettes.”

Obediently, the men extinguished their cigarettes and continued their games but at a notably lower volume.

The bald man turned back and said, “Sorry, we didn’t notice the kid.”

“No worries, thank you,” the young woman exhaled, visibly relieved, and retreated to her seat.

Meanwhile, Qian Quan and Ding Linlang continued to sip beers and munch on skewers.

After downing two cans of beer, Ding Linlang started eating Luosi and slurring her speech a little, and her laughter became easily triggered. She even found her jokes hilarious.

Qian Quan, noticing that she was near her limit, took away the third can in front of her. “That’s enough for you.”

“I wanna drink! Give it back! You’ve got your own, why are you taking mine?” Ding Linlang wasn’t exactly drunk, just a tad tipsy.

“One more at most,” Qian Quan said in a tone that brooked no argument.

“Fine, then.”

After finishing their skewers, they noticed the moon was already high in the sky.

They decided to take a stroll to aid digestion. Ding Linlang casually draped her arm over Qian Quan’s shoulder, matching her strides with his.

Qian Quan wore a smile but said nothing.

They walked in the moonlight, comfortably silent.

In a good relationship, there’s always no need for constant chatter. Sometimes, shared silence was just as meaningful.

And then…

They awkwardly ran into Ding Linlang’s parents, Ding Li and Ye Yunlan, who were also out for a stroll.

“Mr. Ding; Mrs. Ding,” Qian Quan greeted, trying to keep his composure.

Ding Li’s expression remained neutral. Ye Yunlan smiled and asked, “Done with the BBQ?”

“Yep.”

“How much did you guys drink?” Ding Li questioned.

Qian Quan answered truthfully, “Six cans in total. Linlang had two and a bit.”

Ding Linlang added, “1 could have had three, but he snatched one away.”

Ding Li glanced at Qian Quan with an approving “good on you” look. “Well, you two head back. We still have more strolling to do.”

“Alright.”

And so, the two pairs went their separate ways.

After walking a little further, Ye Yunlan chuckled, “Don’t you think the two make a good match?”

Ding Li sighed softly, “We watched Rocky grow up. He’s definitely more reliable than others. But seeing our daughter so close to a boy just irks me. It makes me want to punch someone.”

Ye Yunlan chuckled, “Well, my Dad never punched you, did he?”

Ding Li said, “That’s because I’m so exceptional.”

Ye Yunlan retorted, “Shameless. I bet Rocky will turn out better than you.”

Ding Li replied, “How much worse can he get? Just look at how devoted our daughter is to him. Our furniture store will probably end up being his one day.”

Ye Yunlan laughed, “Who says he even wants your furniture store?”

The couple continued walking and chatting.

After dropping off Ding Linlang, Qian Quan went home with Mr. Huang and the book, “Human Nature*.

Mr. Huang looked like the average guy next door with nothing particularly remarkable about him. However, he often stunned people with his insightful comments, giving off a sense of unfathomable depth.

The book he gifted must have something special.

Flipping through the table of contents, Qian Quan saw that the book was divided into three parts: General Outline, Volume One “Physiognomy,” and Volume Two “Qi Observation.”

Initially, Qian Quan tried to read the General Outline, only to find it was written in an esoteric form of Classical Chinese.

Given his current level of understanding, having just completed the college entrance exams, he could only comprehend about 60-70% of it. The text generally discussed various aspects of humans, such as Heaven, Earth, Mankind, and one’s innate nature. It also talked about how people conceal their true selves through practices like remaining calm and focused, attaining extreme simplicity, and letting things take their natural course.

He sensed the text was advocating for a state of being that is uncomplicated, harmonious with the world, and unified in spirit return to one’s most genuine self.

In any case, his understanding was somewhat superficial. To fully grasp the text, he would need to consult reference books.

So, he skipped the General Outline and continued reading further.

Volume One: Physiognomy. It was much more straightforward. It discussed how to discern a person’s Qi and fate based on various aspects like eating habits, walking style, eyebrows, eyes, sleep posture, sitting, voice, back, navel, hands, belly, and waist, among other things.

“For example, when it comes to eating, those who eat little but gain weight are of a calm temperament; those who eat a lot but stay thin are restless. Those who chew their food like a cow are destined for wealth and prosperity; those who eat like a sheep will enjoy honor and respect; those who peck at their food like a bird are destined for poverty; those who are constantly looking around while eating will face poverty and hunger.”

“Similarly, when it comes to walking, those who stride like a tiger are destined for wealth and prosperity; those who waddle like a duck or goose will amass great wealth in their homes; those who move with the speed of a deer will toil all their lives; those who slither like a snake are malicious; those who tread like a cow will live a life of richness and longevity; those who step like a crane are blessed with good fortune.”

“Various interpretations also exist for features like the face, limbs, and body. For instance, long eyebrows that extend beyond the eyes signify wealth; sleeping in a curled position like a dog is considered an excellent omen; a voice that sounds like a broken barrel is associated with wealth; arms that hang below the knees denote an extraordinary hero; a long and wide waist ensures a lifelong salary, and so on.”

After a cursory glance, Qian Quan felt that the skills described in the first volume were more like reverse engineering cause and effect.

“For example, someone who looks rather plain and even a bit unsophisticated can immediately appear tall and handsome the moment they display generosity.”

Volume Two: Qi Observation. It took a more mystical turn.

It was divided into the essence, momentum, aura, and fate encapsulated by Qi.

If one could grasp the content of this volume, one would be able to instantly discern a person’s social status, wealth, condition, fortune, and destiny.

Some sections of this volume also answered questions he had recently pondered.

For instance, a person’s “Qi” could be altered by external factors wealth, power, strength, and even one’s mental state could change one’s “Qi.”

In short, appearances could be deceiving when one’s Qi is in favorable alignment.

Once upon a time, Qian Quan breezed through an entire book and found it to be quite intriguing. He thought that if he could master even half of its content, he could set up a street stall at the pedestrian overpass to offer advice. If he learned the book in its entirety, he would surely become a highly sought-after guest among many influential people.

Qian Quan decided to start by translating the “General Outline” section, written in Classical Chinese, of the book. To do so, he would need to borrow his father’s “Sea of Words” dictionary.

“What do you need the ‘Sea of Words? for? I took it to my school office,” said Qian Wenlin, who was engrossed in a TV show.

Qian Quan showed the book, called “Human Nature,” to his father and said, “1 want to translate this book.”

“Do you really need ‘Sea of Words’ for it?” Qian Wenlin, a language teacher himself, took the book confidently.

Five minutes later, Qian Wenlin asked seriously, “Couldn’t you find the translations on the internet?”

“Some terms either can’t be found or don’t seem to match when they are,” Qian Quan explained.

“Well. I’ll go to my office tomorrow. Some of these characters stump me too,” Qian Wenlin conceded.

“Alright.”

“I’ll keep the book with me for now and take a look,” his father added.

“Okay.”

“Did you really lend him the book, Dad?”

Zhao Chunjia asked that evening when he was talking on the phone with Mr. Huang. He was surprised to hear that his father-in-law had lent Qian Quan a book he had treasured for years.

“Yes, the book is like a math textbook. You either get it, or you don’t. How much one can learn and grasp depends on fate and talent,” said Mr. Huang.

“I know you’ve told me that before. I’m just surprised you actually lent it to him.”

“Lending books has a perk: people have to return them. When they do, conversations naturally occur. This mutual give-and-take creates a good bond. For me, it’s going with the flow; for him, it’s the icing on the cake,” Wenlin explained.

“Enlightening, indeed.”

The next day.

Qian Wenlin took the book to his school office early in the morning.

Upon arrival, he didn’t immediately pick up the “Sea of Words.” Instead, he sat down to delve into the book right there.

Meanwhile, Qian Quan helped out at Ding Linlang’s furniture store.

At around 11 a.m., as he was showing a soon-to-be-married couple some wardrobes and dressing tables, a notification sound from a mysterious system resounded in his mind out of nowhere:

[Ding! Your father has started learning the basics of Physiognomy. You are rewarded with the skill of Qi Observation..]