Chapter Forty-Two: Günter Grass

On the 18th, Fudan University was a scene of bustling celebration, alive with the sound of gongs, drums, and firecrackers!

As the morning mist cleared, the hurried footsteps of passersby crushed the fallen phoenix tree leaves outside the Immortal Boat Pavilion into crisp fragments.

Initiated by the German Department of the Foreign Languages Department and co-organized by the Chinese Department, this "Günter Grass Literary Lecture" had already become the focal point of Shanghai's literary circle three days prior.

No sooner had the notice from the Shanghai Writers Association been posted than writers such as Wang Yuanhua, Luo Luo, and Bai Hua sent intermediaries to contact the Fudan Foreign Languages Department, eager to secure front-row seats.

Song Jianghe snapped back to his senses, raised his gaze to look at Song Singsheng, paused for a few seconds, and then unexpectedly flashed a smile at him.

After bestowing a multitude of treasures, Zhou Zekai dismissed his eldest son and turned his attention to Tong Mujheng, the Grand Tutor of the current imperial court and the most brilliant talent of the Tong family's younger generation.

Lu Yunfan seemed utterly dazed by the blow, only now regaining his wits. Seeing Song Singsheng squatting beside him with a furrowed brow and a deeply worried expression, Lu Yunfan actually curled the corners of his lips into a faint, gentle smile.

Before his voice had even faded, he was already outside the door. He blinked in the doorway, closed the door of the Peony Pavilion, and walked toward another private parlor.

Next came the various canned goods that particularly concerned her. Seeing that the canned provisions occupied only four compartments, Fu Yunlai breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Amidst her mounting bewilderment, like a sudden disintegration, Bai Ning's conscious form abruptly dissolved into a heap of scattered sand, drifting away into an unknown distance.

Without the bloody spectacle of being cleanly cleaved in two, Gu Shiyuan's body exploded outright, shattering into countless fragments that blasted outward in all directions.

Song Singsheng understood the meaning of the Eye of the Essence. She let out an unnoticeable breath, and her previously anxious, unsettled heart finally settled back into place.

The system had assigned her a side quest to eliminate demons and uphold the righteous path, yet in Shi Hui's view, human beings were sometimes far more monstrous than ghosts and spirits. When Mei Sanniang sought vengeance for her wrongful death, she still remembered not to harm the innocent; whereas Wang Anxu, blinded by a thirst for glory and wealth, not only burned his benefactor wife to death, but even cast his own flesh-and-blood son into the river—a testament to his utter venomous cruelty.

Just as the two of them were conferring, Zhou Zekai's father, Zhou Hongyi, knocked on the door from outside. Because he lived some distance away from his son, he had only just learned of the matter. The moment Zhou Zekai opened the door, a sweating, anxious Zhou Hongyi pulled him straight into his arms to inspect him all over.

"Master, let me explain!" Department Head Li spoke up, and immediately gave a brief account of how Lin Luoxia had fallen into an unconscious state.

Special personnel were assigned to feed them iced fruit juice to help loosen and expel phlegm, and all their hard work boiled down to a single task: coughing up phlegm continuously.

Though they knew not where the nomadic Bihan clan had managed to acquire thousands of heavy cavalry, the Daliang army remained entirely confident in their ability to respond.

Inside the ward, Mrs. Jia sat by the First Elder's bed. Having been slapped across the face by Qin Huairu, half of her face was swollen high, giving her a somewhat comical appearance.

After finishing the fine wine and roasted meat, Chen Tianlang patted his belly and let out a long, relaxed breath.

Meanwhile, over at the Solo Dragon Gang, not only the vanguard unit, but the other forces currently attacking the disciples of the Heavenly Martial Sect as well, had heard the latter half of Hong Fei's command.

Without consulting Lady Liu or the others, Mao Dalang and his companions suddenly purchased ten domestic servants and brought them home.

As a military novice, making mistakes was not the most critical thing; what mattered was absorbing unfamiliar knowledge and experience.

He had indeed made "preparations" against the reinforcements of the Daliang cavalry, but the forces he had allocated for defense showed utterly no sincerity.

"I do not need your company; I know the way to the room. There are so many things to handle—you go help Rong'er and the others pack up." Helped down from the carriage, Elder Murong casually summoned her personal senior maid.

Biliu's explanation came rather hastily and sounded like an official canned response. Helian Rong smiled without probing further; after all, everyone had secrets they preferred not to tell, though a lingering question mark remained in her heart.