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At the sugar water stall.

Chu Yuening removed the peach wood sword hanging on the glass cabinet, preparing to close up shop and check on the renovation progress at the store. Uncle Zhong hadn't been hospitalized for long, so the renovations should be nearing completion.

She reopened the empty ice cream box, wiped it clean with a cloth.

The box exuded a pleasant aroma of coffee.

A voice echoed from the alleyway.

"Master,"

Chu Yuening lifted her gaze.

Zheng Xin, attired in a vibrant jacket alternating red and blue hues, clutched a speaker the size of a basketball, his face radiating with a joyful smile that dispelled the gloom from the recent revelation of his wife's infidelity.

He placed the speaker on the cart and watched Chu Yuening pack up her items. "I'm glad I arrived just in time."

"Master, do have a look at the Flying Fish speakers. The audio quality is superb."

As he spoke, he pressed the button to open the speaker's side panel, revealing a slot. "You can put a cassette tape in here."

Curious, Chu Yuening leaned in and closed the lid. "What did you buy this for?"

"For you," Zheng Xin replied with a cheerful smile. Several days had passed, and he had managed to move on from the betrayal of his wife and the revelation that their child was not his own.

The thought of his child made his eyes darken. "Master, if it weren't for you, I would never have found out about this."

"I may be away from home most of the year, but that doesn't justify her infidelity." Zheng Xin let out a bitter laugh. "She could have chosen to divorce me. Master, you can't imagine how much it hurt when I returned home after being at sea and saw what had happened."

Their once-loving nest now held an unfamiliar man.

His wife was terrified when she saw him return, begging for forgiveness, claiming it was a momentary lapse of judgment.

She asked him to forgive her.

And promised that she still loved him.

But what difference does it make?

There was an insurmountable barrier between the two of them, not to mention the three innocent young children. He couldn't overcome this hurdle.

"I thought about it for two days and decided on divorce. It won't be easy for her to raise the three kids alone, so I gave her the house that still has outstanding loans."

The house already had an initial down payment, but the mortgage was still unpaid. He spent most of his time at sea, and he didn't want the burden of loan repayments.

Chu Yuening nodded. "Traveling around the world with the ship sounds good too."

"Indeed." Zheng Xin flashed his confident smile again. "It's like a world tour. I'll be boarding the ship and setting sail soon."

"So soon?" Chu Yuening was surprised.

"Mm." Zheng Xin surveyed Temple Street. "Things have changed, and it's better to leave sooner rather than later. By the way, Master..."

Suddenly, he seemed to recall something. "Could you draw a talisman for me for safety? I want to take good care of myself while I'm away."

Hearing this, Chu Yuening bent down and took out a red plastic bag from under the stall. "No problem, just give me a moment."

She glanced back, bag in hand.

The table had been packed away.

Scanning the area, she lifted the ice cream chest and placed a yellow charm on the stall, carefully inscribing another. After folding it neatly, she handed it to Zheng Xin, giving him instructions.

"Remember, don't let the charm touch water. Keep it close to you at all times."

Zheng Xin held the charm tightly, nodding earnestly. "Master, rest assured, I'll take good care of it."

In that moment, as Zheng Xin received the charm, his fate shifted. He would no longer be deceived by his wife, nor would he retreat into seclusion after learning the truth about raising three children. Instead, he would crave freedom more than ever. Traveling to various countries, he would eventually meet and marry a young lady from the mainland.

After Zheng Xin paid and left, Chu Yuening pedaled the cart to a spot several dozen meters ahead.

She set up the kickstand and parked the cart securely.

Chu Yuening's gaze fell upon the large sign hanging above a shop, which read: Chu Ji Fengshui.

Uncle Zhong was busy adjusting the lighting. As the switches flicked on, the neon signs on the signboard lit up in a vibrant array of colors. Without looking up at the sign, he spotted someone at the entrance and exclaimed, "Boss."

"Mew..." A black-and-white cat emerged, weaving around Uncle Zhong's legs with its tail swishing. It looked up at Chu Yuening with wide, innocent eyes.

Chu Yuening crouched down, rubbing the cat's tiny head. Smiling as it purred contentedly against her palm, she asked, "Uncle Zhong, does it have a name?"

"It does. We call it Wanzi." Uncle Zhong had taken in the cat that had saved his life, and seeing it purr happily, he felt a surge of joy.

"Wanzi? Nice." Chu Yuening tapped its little nose. "It has a lively spirit."

Wanzi, initially dazed, shook its head to regain clarity after being tapped twice.

"How's the renovation progressing?" Chu Yuening stood up and followed Uncle Zhong into the shop.

First, he led her to an alcove filled with uniquely adorned horizontal scrolls and hanging decorations, all imbued with a strong feng shui essence. The entrance featured a rectangular window, about one and a half meters long, cut into the door.

Uncle Zhong headed towards the switch beside the window.

With a thud, a high-definition glass panel swiftly descended in the middle of the window.

Uncle Zhong reached out to tap it and said with a smile, "According to the Master's blueprint, I added an additional bulletproof glass that can be raised and lowered. It's a bit more expensive, but the bulletproof effect will be even better."

Chu Yuening tried pushing the glass. It was thick and sturdy; if the door were closed, it couldn't be opened from the outside. She smiled and said, "I didn't expect Uncle Zhong to have a knack for designing. Brother De, you truly recommended the right person."

"Nonsense about designing," Uncle Zhong said modestly. "I don't know much about this either. I just thought that glass would be better, so I installed it."

As he spoke, Uncle Zhong squatted down again. Beneath the window, there was a broad marble operating platform, with cabinets underneath.