Ning An's Wild Wish System

”No need, no need, do you have your family’s contact information? I can call them.” Ning An waved his hands repeatedly and then asked.

”Don’t trouble them, they’re very busy and have no time.” The old man waved his hand indifferently, as if he was used to it.

”But your health...”

Ning An felt a bit uneasy. Without even using the panel information, any regular person could see at a glance that the old man’s physical condition was very poor, like a candle flickering in the wind.

”I appreciate your kindness, Daoist Master, but there’s really no need. Even if we contacted them, they wouldn’t come back.”

The old man’s dry lips formed a helpless, bitter smile. ”Daoist Master, I’m embarrassed to ask, but could I trouble you with one thing?”

Hearing the old man’s refusal, Ning An sighed helplessly, then nodded and said, ”Feel free to speak, old sir.”

Seeing this, the old man struggled to lift the bedding underneath him, reached out to take some bricks, and in an inconspicuous crevice, he found a bulging plastic bag.

”Daoist Master, could you help me give this to my eldest grandson? He’s studying in our city, a truly outstanding student.”

Speaking of this, the old man instantly grew excited:

”That grandson of mine, he’s promising, the first university student in the Zhang Family!”

”Last time he came to me, he wanted some money. My wife was still around, and I couldn’t bear to give him too much; it’s been hard on him.”

”He’s a good kid, but unfortunately his mother is too domineering; she looks down on me, this old fool. Jiadong is too obedient, my fault, but being obedient is good. Besides, I’m about to lift this burden anyway.”

”It’s just a pity I won’t get to see what my granddaughter-in-law looks like. Daoist Master, when you meet him, please tell him to bring his wife to see me, his grandfather, even if just once.”

”... If he doesn’t listen, this grandfather will be heartbroken... will cry...”

”My wife too... She left so quickly, without a bit of conscience, leaving me to suffer alone, didn’t even wait for me...”

The old man’s face became increasingly flushed, but his voice grew weaker and weaker.

His words began to scatter incoherently, with no sense of order; he cried one moment, laughed the next, and his gaze started to wander.

The big black dog seemed to understand something, its whimpers grew louder, tears falling sorrowfully.

Ning An did not take the plastic bag handed to him by the old man, but instead patted his withered hand, speaking softly, ”You haven’t seen your eldest grandson yet; you can’t leave just like this.”

Perhaps it was hearing about the eldest grandson, or perhaps it was the system’s given time for a glimpse of life was up.

Miraculously, the old man opened his eyes, his vitality evidently much improved compared to before.

Though compared to ordinary people, at this moment the old man stood at the crossroads of life and death, able to see things unseen by most.

The big black dog seemed to sense something, immediately rising from the ground, constantly whimpering at the old man.

The old man caught a glance of the big black dog on the ground, and instantly found understanding.

”Xiaohai, it’s my fault as this old man, it’s my fault.”

The old man touched the dog’s head, tears glistening in his pale yellow eyes, while the big black dog extended its tongue, gently licking the old man’s hand, seemingly bearing no grudge against him.

”I remember when my grandson returned, talking about Changchun Temple, Xiaohai heard it, too. I took him there once as a puppy; who would’ve thought he’d remember the way.”

The old man laughed but could not stop the tears from flowing, falling one by one.

”Old sir, let’s go; you wanted to see your eldest grandson, didn’t you? There won’t be another chance later.”

Ning An, not able to stand the sight of tears, brought up the old man’s eldest grandson once again.

Seeing Ning An walk out of the room, the old man hurriedly followed him; at this moment, a flicker of life, his body felt much lighter.

”Daoist Master, I still have over three thousand yuan here, I’ll leave half for my grandson, the rest as Incense Money for the Immortal, how about that?” The old man took out the plastic bag again, intending to open it as he spoke.

”No need, no need, your dog has already paid the Incense Money.” Ning An turned his head, pushing the old man’s outstretched hand back.

”Daoist Master, thank you, thank you...”

The old man didn’t know how to express his gratitude, just bowed repeatedly, using the simplest way to express his thanks.

At the entrance, the big black dog ran to where its body lay, whimpering with sadness.

Looking at that slightly decomposed dog carcass, the old man’s body froze in place, eventually letting out a long sigh.

”Daoist Master, could you give me some time to bury Xiaohai? It had a home when alive; I want it to have one in death, too.”

Receiving a positive response from Ning An, the old man took an iron shovel from the wood shed, and by the largest tree in the yard, dug a hole, then embraced the big black dog, placing it inside.

Holding the big black dog into the hole, the old man did not cover it with soil but returned to the withered tree, where there was a faintly raised spot.

”Xiaohai and I never had good meals or anything; the best it ever ate was a big bone, yet it couldn’t bear to eat it.

Even when urged, it just nibbled a small bite; when I returned to the house, it secretly buried the bone, thinking I didn’t know, but I saw it all, saw it all...”

Hearing this, Ning An retrieved his phone from his pocket, opened a photo, and showed it to the old man: ”Is it this one?”

The old man glanced at it, indeed noticing a mark where it had been nibbled.

”Daoist Master, it is this bone, how did you get hold of this bone?”