I quickly persuaded.

"Xiaowen, not being able to get into college doesn't mean there's no other way. I know people at the chemical fertilizer plant who can introduce you..."

"I don't need your charity!" Xiaowen roared at me.

"I don't need those books and snacks you bought for me in the city, and I don't want to hear about your trivial matters in the city either!"

Xiaowen became more and more agitated while speaking, his chest heaving with heavy breaths.

When I was drinking and chatting with Xiaowen before, I did talk about a lot of interesting things in the city. He was always listening with his head down, and I thought he was interested. Now I realize that he was suppressing his anger.

Jealousy-filled anger.

The things I brought him, the things I talked about, were all constantly provoking him.

Xiaowen continued to shout at me:

"What makes you better than me? Why did you get into college while I can't?"

I saw him getting worked up and quickly raised my hands, but I didn't know how to comfort him.

Xiaowen said:

"I won't take your life today, but you better return the blessings from our ancestors' graves to me and lie down in there!"

"Xiaowen, don't fall for this. One still needs to work hard..."

Bang!

Xiaowen got angry and fired a shot at the ancestral stone tablet, then pointed the gun at me:

"Am I not working hard enough? Am I not as smart as you? What I lack is luck! Get in and lie down!"

I had no choice but to slowly step back.

In the darkness nearby, a red dot flickered, and a figure walked out, holding a cigarette in his mouth.

It was Lao Si Li.

Xiaowen and Jin San Ye looked at him with confusion.

Lao Si Li took a puff of his cigarette, looked me up and down, at the shiny talismans on my body and the coffin in the grave circle, and laughed.

"The Yin Phoenix has returned to its nest? I didn't expect someone in your Jinjiao Village to do this."

"Lao Si Li, this has nothing to do with you," Jin San Ye said.

Lao Si Li glanced at the sky. The moon was partially visible through the cover of clouds, and he said to Xiaowen:

"The time has passed, you don't have that fate. Let it go."

Xiaowen suddenly became furious and aimed the gun at Lao Si Li.

"Hey..." I was about to remind Lao Si Li, but Xiaowen had already pulled the trigger.

Click...

After pulling the trigger, the gun didn't fire.

Not only me and Xiaowen, but Jin San Ye and You Qing Shu were also stunned.

Xiaowen had a three-barrel flintlock in his hand. After firing two shots just now, he quickly aimed at Lao Si Li for the third shot.

Click...

Still no sound.

In his moment of bewilderment, I had already rushed over.

Xiaowen lifted the gunstock to strike me, but I leaped up and kicked him on the head. Xiaowen took a heavy blow and fell to the ground, motionless.

I took the gun from his hand and said:

"Xiaowen, in our everyday boxing practice, I can't beat you because I know you're competitive, so I let you win."

Xiaowen curled up into a ball, his face pressed against the ground, and started sobbing.

"I don't want to farm anymore. I want to go to the city..."

I couldn't bear to say anything more, so I let the three of them fill up Grandpa Tai's grave and treat tonight as if nothing happened.