Upon climbing up, they were flustered, thinking there would be more traps. To their surprise, they saw their own life summaries.
While their minds were still processing what kind of world they lived in, the ancient tomb transported them to a magical realm.
After traversing various fantastical worlds, they stumbled before a stone door.
Those with agile minds could open the nine-palace grid. As soon as they entered, they were attacked by various mechanisms. They couldn't leave the cave until all the traps were destroyed.
Those with slower minds couldn't enter the nine-palace grid and would wander in place, looking for a way out. They found an iron door, and upon pushing it open, they were met with traps as well.
After all experiences were reported, whether they passed or failed would be announced the next day on the bulletin board.
Seeing they had failed, the team members sought out Captain Zeng for an explanation.
Captain Zeng remained tight-lipped. After all team members had gone through the first round, he convened a meeting for everyone.
He announced that from today onwards, all team members would undergo a second round of "heart training."
From today onwards, all team members were forbidden from discussing their experiences in the maze with each other, only their partners were allowed to.
Those who passed would be granted immediate annual leave.
Upon re-entering the maze, the partners were changed. After exiting, they still had to report their experiences.
The Li brothers, having gone through the first round, understood that the maze was a place their parents couldn't sense them and had forbidden them from going.
Despite knowing this, they still couldn't pass.
In the third round, the brothers paired up. They both saw their summaries simultaneously and immediately shared what they had seen.
They discovered that the summaries were largely similar, all telling them that they would be robbed of everything by their younger siblings and die miserably in the streets.
As soon as the brothers finished comparing their summaries, they turned on each other with red eyes, fighting until they both collapsed from exhaustion.
Only then did they regain their senses and stopped speaking, communicating with gestures instead.
On the ancient tomb, they no longer experienced traversing various fantastical worlds.
Naturally, they couldn't enter the cave behind the nine-palace grid door.
However, upon exiting, the captain still declared they had failed.
By this time, the heart training had been going on for a year, and no team member had passed.
Captain Zeng announced a temporary suspension of the heart training and that the special skills team would be moving to a new camp.
The move was done using large trucks. The Li brothers saw familiar terrain and knew that the new camp was close to the maze and also close to home.
When their mother appeared at the new camp and they learned she had become the vice-captain, all their petty thoughts disappeared.
The brothers secretly communicated with gestures and then approached Captain Zeng to request more heart training.
The brothers trained together. Because they knew their home was at the foot of the mountain, they wanted their annual leave.
This time, they entered the maze calmly. They saw nothing, traversed no worlds, and went directly to the front of the nine-palace grid door.
The brothers pressed nine zeros, and as expected, they were able to enter. After destroying all the mechanisms, they again chose the iron door.
Upon exiting, they reported their experiences. The next day, they saw the notice on the bulletin board announcing that the brothers had passed and were granted a month of annual leave.
"…Mom, we are ashamed. We only passed on the fourth attempt, after you saw us."
"Yan Yan brother also doesn't know when he will pass. His heart is even more unsettled."
Tian Jing patted her son's shoulder and comforted him, "Do you know why Ran Ran was born?"
Li Weibo shook his head, then his eyes widened, "No way? You and Dad also…"
"Yes!" Tian Jing nodded.
"Everyone has desires and dissatisfied emotions. That place amplifies the dissatisfaction and desires of those who enter."
"When your father and I went in, our hearts were not pure either."
"You don't need to feel guilty. Find your shortcomings, correct them, and hide them to pass smoothly."
"However, I think you should undergo heart training again when you are in a particularly bad mood, so you can continuously strengthen your willpower."
"Mhm." Li Weibo nodded vigorously.
"I understand what you mean. I'll tell my elder brother."
Tian Jing gently nudged her son, "Alright, let's go out. Your father went to be a matchmaker; he should be back soon."
Dad is a matchmaker?
Li Weibo wanted to laugh, "For whom?"
When he heard his mother say "our elder sister Da Niu," Li Weibo's smile faded.
"Mom, Sister Da Niu is very pitiful. My elder brother and I saw her father whip her with a rattan cane and call her promiscuous like her mother."
"He also forbade Sister Da Niu from crying. If she cried, he would hit her mouth with the sole of his shoe."
Tian Jing was taken aback. After Zhang Fangcao left Li Aiguo, she had not paid attention to Li Aiguo through plants. She didn't expect such a thing to happen right under her nose.
"I will tell your father. Li Aiguo was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. Zhang Fangcao has come out, but she doesn't intend to deal with anything."
"Your Sister Da Niu will have fifteen years of freedom. After fifteen years, she should be strong enough, because a mother's love makes one fierce."
Li Weibo embraced his mother. Their mother had always been their strong support.
The mother and son left the room and saw Li Zhengguo and his son Li Weihao sparring.
Li Zhengguo saw his wife emerge and waved to his elder son, signaling him to stop.
As soon as he reached his wife, he pushed his younger son aside and complained to his wife that his elder son was bullying him.
Tian Jing smiled but said nothing, as she couldn't respond.
Li Weibo, having been pushed aside, unceremoniously pointed out his father's weakness.
"Dad, when we were young, we had to submit to your tyrannical power."
"Now, we are young, and you are old. Mom can no longer be yours alone. We can take her at any time, and we can stop you."
Li Zhengguo glared at his younger son, then turned to Tian Jing for arbitration. "Wife, please drive these two unfilial sons out of the house."
"Slap!"
Li Zhengguo's back received a sweep of a broom.
Li Mu, who had just snatched a large piece of pork from Ah Feng, put it on to stew and heard her younger son's words as she left the kitchen.
She casually picked up the broom by the kitchen door as a weapon.
"I'll kick you, you unfilial son, out of the house first."
Li Weihao and Li Weibo immediately stood behind their grandmother.
"Yes! Grandma, kick Dad out of the house. He's abused us for over a decade."
"Alright, let Grandma avenge you."
Seeing his mother waving the broom, Li Zhengguo quickly ran outside.
Li Mu threw down the broom and then spoke to her two grandsons.
Li Zhengguo entered, stating that his mother had kicked him out of the house. He had returned home again.
Li Mu glanced at her younger son and told her two grandsons not to learn their father's thick skin.
Li Zhengguo… His status in the family was getting lower and lower.
Li Min, who followed Li Zhengguo in, patted her younger brother's shoulder. "We are fellow sufferers. Take care of each other in the future."
Then, she turned to pick on her two nephews. "Hao Hao, Xiao Bo, you came back and didn't even visit your aunt."
"Xiao Fu dropped out of school and became a farmer. I'm worried when I see him. You should go and persuade him."
Li Mu glared at her daughter. "Persuade him about what? It's been two years, should he still go back to school? You always poke at people's sore spots."
"Mom~" Li Min complained. "The children of the elder brother and younger brother are all accomplished. Is it wrong for me to have expectations for Xiao Fu? Why don't you wish me well?"
Li Mu bent down to pick up the broom. "Come, I wish you a face full of flowers, okay?"
Li Min ran out shouting, "Hao Hao, Xiao Bo, remember to visit Xiao Fu."