The scene shows a young Chen Ping An.
It's an ancestral home passed down through generations, the style identical to the dilapidated courtyard they're in now.
But also entirely different.
The old house was clean and complete, while this one is broken and rundown.
A man is gently touching a delicate child.
Ning Yao seems to recognize this as a young Chen Ping An.
From his words and tone, the man appears to be Chen Ping An's father—Chen Quan.
Chen Quan seems to be leaving for some important matter, telling little Ping An to take good care of his mother!
Father and son hook their pinky fingers together.
Suddenly, little Ping An tells Chen Quan he wants to eat candied haws, the small ones!
Chen Quan doesn't say much, just a single "Okay."
With little Ping An looking on with confusion, Chen Quan's back fades into the distance, his steps resolute.
That was the last time little Ping An saw his father. Afterward, someone came to their home and told him and his mother that his father had accidentally fallen into the river.
Someone also told little Ping An that his father had apparently fallen in while buying him candied haws.
But after that, little Ping An no longer liked to eat candied haws!
————
Chen Ping An couldn't believe the miraculous abilities of Chen Sui Nian. He saw a familiar yet incredibly strange face in the scene. Looking up, he saw the figure he had longed for day and night.
Chen Ping An was stunned for a moment, then he grinned, but the figure in his eyes was blurry.
Suddenly, Chen Ping An looked at his brother, but his brother showed no emotion. His face was calm.
Chen Sui Nian's eyes were filled with an indifferent calm. No one knew what he was thinking.
Ning Yao felt that the young man in white at this moment was completely different from the previous sunny and cheerful boy, as mischievous as A Liang.
Too calm!
Like a stagnant lake.
How could anyone remain calm in such a situation?
Lu Chen shrunk back and looked at Chen Sui Nian.
If it were an ordinary person, they would indeed be a little agitated, but this was Chen Sui Nian, the unruly Chen Sui Nian.
————
The scene continues to play.
After that, little Ping An's mother also fell ill!
Without a breadwinner, without a pillar of support, little Ping An's family was almost penniless in their efforts to cure his mother.
Inside a pharmacy, a small child is being kicked out. Little Ping An pleads desperately!
Finally, the old man, Yang, agrees to let little Ping An buy on credit!
He quickly returns home, glances at his mother, and then heads to the outdoor kitchen to start brewing medicine, cooking, and preparing meals.
Little Ping An worries about his mother's poor appetite, saying he'll stir-fry it well... but how could a child stir-fry?
He's just a kid!
————
Lu Chen falls silent.
Ning Yao also frowns slightly.
Chen Ping An remained expressionless at first, until he saw the gentle woman in his memory. His eyes were filled with reluctance and a touch of blurriness.
He closed his eyes, trying not to look at his mother in the scene, but he forced his eyes open again, looking at her with blurry vision.
He wanted to look at his mother, he hadn't seen her in a long time.
Chen Sui Nian still remained calm.
————
The scene continues to play, from agreeing to go up the mountain to gather herbs for Old Man Yang, from taking care of his mother alone, from being so hungry that he could only eat random things, from walking alone at night.
The little Ping An in the scene was desperately trying to survive!
Until then, a candied haw vendor appeared in the scene.
He offered a string of candied haws, suggesting little Ping An could eat them.
But he had disliked candied haws ever since his father left.
Little Ping An got up and left, nodding his thanks to the vendor before running off.
As he ran, a few raindrops fell into his eyes, blurring his vision.
After that, the child's figure was never seen again by the candied haw stall.
————
Seeing this vendor, Lu Chen's head aches!
Damn!
Damn!
When was there this layer of scheming?
At that moment, Chen Sui Nian suddenly looked up and said to Lu Chen, "Zou Zi?"
Lu Chen was speechless, not knowing how to answer.
Chen Sui Nian smiled, "You're half of the Yin Yang School, aren't you!"
"Okay, I get it! I didn't expect my little brother to encounter such a big figure when he was little, a Yin Yang Five Elements practitioner—Zou Zi."
Lu Chen said, "It might just be a coincidence..."
"Lu Chen, what exactly is going on in this small town?"
"You and Zou Zi are both here?"
Lu Chen simply sighed.
"Chen Sui Nian, you... better not get involved. This is too deep."
Chen Sui Nian didn't reply, but simply looked at the water screen before him, continuing to calculate and play.
My father died, my mother died, both killed by someone.
Now I've found my brother, and he's also been plotted against. Interesting!
Truly interesting!
————
The next scene, winter.
That winter, the unfortunate Chen Shu finally died!
Little Ping An, oh, little Ping An—
She didn't get to spend the New Year with him.
Chen Ping An felt a pang of sadness.
Perhaps the most unfortunate thing in the world is to spend New Year's Eve alone, even on a day meant for reunion.
Snow fell in the town, and little Ping An went out to look at it.
Chen Shu watched little Ping An's happy figure, watched him build a snowman in the snow, and closed her eyes.
"Sui Sui Ping, Sui Sui An, Ping An An An, may my little Ping An be safe and sound year after year..."
Having said that, the woman was ready to peacefully depart, but as if she thought of something...
"Sui Sui Ping, Sui Sui An, Sui Sui Nian Nian, I wish my little Sui Nian to be safe and sound as well."
Little Ping An finished building his snowman, ready to make his mother happy, to have her praise him.
When little Ping An entered, came to his mother's bedside, and held her hand, he discovered her hand was icy.
His mother seemed to be asleep...