23 Chapter 13 Grandfather!

Shu Guan still couldn't unlock his cell phone in the end.

Because he had forgotten the password.

He had been in this world for so long that he had forgotten many things from his previous life. Let alone an eight-digit number, even if it once held some special meaning to him, he really couldn't remember it at all now.

His past life's birthday?

Shu Guan tried it, but it wasn't the correct password.

His ex-girlfriend's birthday from his past life?

When he bought the phone, his ex-girlfriend was still with him. As a former die-hard believer, it seemed possible.

But when Shu Guan tried to input the password, he found that he had already forgotten his ex-girlfriend's birthday, and even her face was somewhat blurred to him.

After racking his brains and trying several times, when the phone prompted that it was about to lock up, Shu Guan finally gave up the effort.

This was truly a ridiculous transmigration!

Shu Guan raised his head and looked at the sky, unable to help but curse.

Being trapped in a closed mountain village was bad enough, but his late-arriving golden finger turned out to be useless. Just now he thought the cell phone might be useful, but it turned out to be nothing more than a mirage.

A cell phone that cannot start its system in a place like Taoyuan Village wouldn't be more useful than a clay tile.

At least he would have a handy tool for cracking walnuts in the future.

With such helplessness, Shu Guan quietly returned to his bedroom and gently stuffed his cell phone back under the old cripple's pillow.

…

Using the cell phone, which represents the cutting-edge technological power of the Earth, as a tool for cracking walnuts, was the choice he made under helplessness.

Unfortunately, he never got to fulfill even this wish.

Because the old cripple couldn't bear to.

Once, Shu Guan had just cracked open a walnut with his cell phone when he was seen by the old cripple. The old man, dragging his crippled leg, ran over like lightning to snatch the phone back, and even scolded Shu Guan lightly for the first time.

After that, the old cripple rarely allowed Shu Guan to touch the phone again.

Yes, the old cripple stubbornly believed that Shu Guan's phone was a treasure, and it must have been the treasure that the immortal had accidentally left behind in the mountains, just that they mortals did not know how to use it.

And this treasure, if he had the chance, he wanted to return it to the immortal.

To that end, the old cripple had specially made an embroidered bag, in which he put the cell phone and hung it around his neck at all times.

The embroidered phone bag was even more exquisite than his tobacco pouch. Shu Guan looked at it and thought that if he could bring this embroidery bag back to Earth and sell it online, it might be enough to pay off his debt on Mou Bei.

And the old cripple, who had an embroidered phone bag hanging around his neck, with the cell phone swinging around under it as he worked, resembled the big aunts and aunties in the markets of Shu Guan's past life.

So when the old cripple died, Shu Guan never got his phone back.

Since the old man liked it so much, just let it accompany him.

When the old cripple died, Shu Guan did not hesitate to put his cell phone on the old man's chest and then close the coffin.

…

The old cripple died when Shu Guan was eighteen.

It wasn't that he fell ill; in fact, apart from his disability, the old cripple seemed to have never been sick his whole life.

He simply lived to an old age and died peacefully, which was probably the best way to die if one had to.

On that day, it was February 2nd, Dragon Raising its Head, and the best season in Taoyuan Village had just begun, with a pleasantly cool spring breeze and warm sunshine.

That morning, Shu Guan and the old cripple had just leveled a patch of vacant land outside their courtyard.

The old cripple planned to build two more rooms there.

Last night, after dinner, the old cripple asked Shu Guan what he wanted for his eighteen-year-old birthday gift.

Shu Guan was somewhat taken aback at the time since his birthday in this world was still several months away.

Moreover, Shu Guan really didn't want any birthday gifts. The things the old cripple had made for him on his birthdays over the years, like wooden horses, kites, and wooden swords, had already filled a large box.

Shu Guan had no interest in those things, but to please the old cripple, he had to play with them from time to time.

So for a moment, Shu Guan didn't know what to say or what to ask for.

It's not that Shu Guan didn't want anything.

… If he could make a helicopter for me, I'd really like that…

Of course, this request could only be thought of in his heart.

The old cripple sat on a stone stool, his good leg resting on the knee of his crippled leg, smoking his pipe while looking at Shu Guan with a smug gleam in his one eye.

Seeing the old cripple's gaze, Shu Guan immediately understood that the old man had already thought of the present and was convinced that Shu Guan would never guess what it was.

A thought crossed Shu Guan's mind, and his eyes fell on the beautifully crafted pipe in the old cripple's hand. Then, he said playfully:

"Grandpa, why not make me a pipe? You promised me when I was a kid that you'd make one for me. Now that I'm almost eighteen, I should be allowed to smoke, right?"

"Alright, I'll make you one. But I also plan to build you two more rooms."

Building… rooms?

Shu Guan was stunned.

But the old cripple continued to talk to himself, a wistful smile on his face.

"In just a few months, you'll be eighteen, and I should start talking about your marriage. After you get married, you can't continue to share a room with me, and when you have children later, there won't be enough rooms in the house. So let's build two more, make them big, and I'll have more confidence when I go to propose the marriage for you."

Get married… have children…

Shu Guan remained motionless.

But soon, a smile appeared on his face.

"Alright, Grandpa."

He nodded enthusiastically.

Every year, Shu Guan didn't like the birthday gifts that the old cripple gave him, but to make the old cripple happy, he would pretend to like them.

But this time, Shu Guan wasn't pretending.

Eighteen years... it's been eighteen years without that...

Whether in his past life or this one, Shu Guan was a normal man. When he transmigrated, he was only twenty-five, and it was an age when he could never get enough of anything.

In this life, he was about to turn eighteen, his blood was vigorous, and he longed for the opposite sex.

If he were a virgin, it would be better, as his desire would be limited to physiological yearning and fantasy.

But Shu Guan wasn't a virgin; he had tasted a woman before.

The soul of an experienced driver combined with a young man's most vigorous body; to be honest, Shu Guan had been sleepless every night these two years. Even seeing a woman swaying her waist on the street during daytime would make him fantasize.

He was just an ordinary man, how could he not think of women?

So when he heard the old cripple was going to find him a wife, Shu Guan was so touched he almost cried.

Finally, he didn't have to rely on himself anymore...

Take his good friend and follower Wang Dahu for example. Three years ago, Dahu had already married his wife. Since then, he stopped playing card games like "pa-pa-pa" and "Fight the Landlord" with Shu Guan and Zhang Yadan. Instead, he'd go into the house with his wife, lock the door in the evenings, and only "pa-pa-pa" with his wife. By now, they already had two children.

Shu Guan was so envious at the time; he wanted to get married too!

Unfortunately...

After the excitement, Shu Guan suddenly sighed, raised his hand to touch his face, feeling the uneven bumps under his fingers.

This was the reason he hadn't dared to ask the old cripple about getting married.

"Forget it, Grandpa. With my ugly face, which girl in the village would be willing to marry me?"

"Boy, it's alright to be a little ugly. You're the most capable young man in the village now, and there must be many girls who like you."

Shu Guan couldn't help but give a bitter smile, not knowing where the old cripple's confidence came from.

It was okay to be a little ugly, but could his face be described as merely ugly?

In this village, except for the old cripple, who else could directly look at his face for more than ten seconds without throwing up?

When playing cards with Wang Dahu and Zhang Yadan in the past, both of them would cover their eyes with the cards. Well, that was also why they could never win against Shu Guan.

"I still have some influence in the village. I should be able to find you a wife."

The old cripple continued:

"Shu Guan, do you like Yadan? In a few days, I'll go talk to her father. It was I who saved his life when he was bitten by a poisonous snake in the mountains!"

"Although we can't force him to marry his daughter to you because of this, he shouldn't kick me out when I propose marriage."

Shu Guan hummed in agreement.

As he expected, he couldn't hide anything from Grandpa. If Shu Guan had to choose a girl from the village, it would definitely be Zhang Yadan. As a transcender, he had to pursue the best.

"So it's settled. Tomorrow, we'll level the ground outside the courtyard and ask Dahu and his friends to help build two new rooms."

The old cripple made a decisive decision, swinging his pipe in excitement. Then, he put the pipe in his waistband, walked back into the house with his lame leg, and went to bed.

When they had to wake up early for work the next day, it was natural to go to bed early.

Looking at the old cripple's back, Shu Guan's smile gradually grew bitter.

Let it be this way, let this life be like this.

Marry a wife, have children, and lead an ordinary life in this small mountain village.

It's not bad either, at least he could have a house that truly belonged to him and a family of his own in this world.

After he married his wife, he would try to have as many children as possible so that the old cripple could enjoy familial bliss.

Grandpa didn't have much longer to live.

...

Early the next morning, the old cripple and Shu Guan began to level the ground outside of the courtyard. After building the house and expanding the walls of the courtyard, it would become a large courtyard with five tiled houses.

As if imagining the bustle in the future, the old cripple laughed happily all morning.

However, he had become weak in recent years and could no longer do heavy work. So, Shu Guan was doing most of the work while the old cripple instructed.

Given the importance of marrying a wife, Shu Guan was naturally very enthusiastic. By noon, they had leveled the ground for the new house.

After lunch, the old cripple took a nap in the courtyard, while Shu Guan went to Dahu's house to ask him to gather the young men in the village to chop down wood for the new house tomorrow.

When Shu Guan returned home, he found that the old cripple was still lying asleep under the old cassia tree.

Shu Guan called out twice, but the old cripple didn't wake up.

Remembering that the old cripple had said he was going to measure the foundation in the afternoon, Shu Guan went over and gently nudged him.

But the old cripple still didn't wake up.

The old man was lying on the chair, his head tilted to one side, his eyes closed, and a faint smile on his lips. He seemed to be having a wonderful dream, looking incredibly serene.

Suddenly, Shu Guan realized something, and his heart gave a violent leap.

Then, trembling, he reached out a hand to feel for the old cripple's breath.

A cold sensation came from his fingers.

Shu Guan fell to his knees with a thud. Kneeling next to the chair, he hugged the old cripple's lame leg, tears falling down.

He cried heart-wrenchingly, as if the world was coming to an end.

"Grandpa!"