Chapter 563
Chapter 563
Chapter 563
As the light returned, figures emerged from the offering table, each displaying a different expression as they passed Li Zhuiyuan.
Some laughed triumphantly, some touched their bald heads sheepishly, and some deliberately lingered in front of Li Zhuiyuan, scrutinizing him closely.
The statue of the holy monk, who was making a barbecue gesture, even offered a skewer to Li Zhuiyuan's mouth to tempt him, and then smugly took a bite of the non-existent barbecue himself.
The spirit of the Dragon King is the last trace of the Dragon King in this world after his death. What they show is the most authentic and pure side of the Dragon King during his lifetime, often with a hint of subtlety.
This is enough to show just how interesting these Azure Dragon Monks were in their time.
One by one, the spirits of holy monks entered Yayoi's body, and the ordination scars on Yayoi's head lit up one after another.
However, the demonic energy emanating from Yayoi did not decrease in the slightest.
The only change was in Yayoi's eyes, which were no longer cruel, vicious, and bloodthirsty, but gradually became gentle and calm.
This is not because the spirits of the holy monks are so weak and powerless from just suppressing the riot at the Demon-Suppressing Tower; it is because they do not care about the difference between Buddha and demon.
Buddha and demon are not the true forms; there is only one person in between.
Even bodhisattvas who have lost their humanity deserve to be suppressed in their eyes!
However, they understand that to achieve something, one must consider the means and methods.
Li Zhuiyuan walked up to Yayoi and said, "Meditate."
Yayoi sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and began reciting the Heart Sutra.
A lotus mark appeared between the boy's eyebrows. He opened his right hand and hovered above Yayoi's head. His fingertips trembled slightly, and golden threads were released to help Yayoi form a stable relationship with the spirits of the holy monks.
This is a delicate task, and even if both sides cooperate well, Li Zhuiyuan, as the middleman, still bears a huge burden.
I feel a bit empathetic that Grandma keeps getting younger and joining the game. When I was blessing everyone before, I didn't have to work this hard.
Finally, as the boy gently stroked Yayoi's head with his palm, all the shining ordination scars returned to normal, and everything finally settled down.
Li Zhuiyuan took several steps back, sat down on a futon, took a can of drink from A Li, opened it, and took a sip.
His tired eyes regained some of their sparkle.
Unfortunately, after experiencing the fierce revenge of the Ming family elders, ordinary Ming family-branded drinks just didn't seem to have enough of that fizz.
Yayoi opened his eyes, and then he began to actively draw the surging demonic energy around him back into his body. At this moment, he transformed back into Tang Sanzang, the monk his great-grandfather loved most.
"Thank you, Brother Xiaoyuan."
"No need to thank me. As I said, I'm using you to build another Qinglong Temple. I'm the one who's profiting."
"But you prefer complete annihilation; rebuilding is too much trouble for you."
"It's troublesome, but it really has to be done. Fists can break the rules, but fists alone cannot reshape the rules."
This Buddhist community needs an ancestral temple to continue its legacy.
"Little monk understands."
"The spirits of these holy monks are merely residing within your body. After you rebuild the Azure Dragon, you can place them back on the altar."
"This humble monk will remember."
"There's no need to remember. They will estimate your lifespan themselves. When your lifespan is up, they will help you die even if you don't die."
"The little monk's luck."
"Alright, we should go now."
Li Zhuiyuan stood up with A Li's help. His energy could be replenished by the Ming family, but his physical fatigue was still accumulating.
The girl winked at the boy.
Li Zhuiyuan shook his head.
The girl smiled.
Unless he faints, Li Zhuiyuan still cannot accept that Ah Li would carry him on her back like Runsheng used to.
As he walked out, Li Zhuiyuan deliberately slowed his pace and admired the biographical record of the holy monk on the courtyard wall.
In any case, he has broken the rule that wherever he goes, the spirit of the Dragon King will be extinguished.
Upon arriving at the main entrance of Qinglong Temple, everyone was already waiting there.
Luo Xiaoyu was lying on the ground, with Zhu Yiwen and Wang Lin squatting beside him. The three of them were studying the gate.
Those who were still able to move were placed under guard around the perimeter.
"What's wrong."
Zhu Yiwen: "Brother Xiaoyuan, this door seems to have been opened not long ago."
Li Zhuiyuan approached and observed, and indeed it was true; it had been opened from the outside.
Grandma and the others went out through the back door to avoid karma, while those who went through the front door were more likely to get wet.
Luo Xiaoyu: "This person has extremely high attainments in formations."
Li Zhuiyuan nodded.
It's no wonder they're on guard here. If any of the fish that slipped through the net at Wangjiang Tower or other adversaries on the river were to appear now, it would indeed be a threat that cannot be ignored to everyone in their current situation.
If someone were to pull off a surprise attack here, it would be considered a divine move.
Li Zhuiyuan: "It's alright, everyone don't worry, there's no danger, it will be very safe."
Seeing the boy say this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Zhuiyuan fiddled with the prayer beads, opened the main gate, and led everyone out.
Just as they were about to continue down the mountain path, Yayoi stopped.
He turned around, looked at Li Zhuiyuan, and asked, "Brother Xiaoyuan, are you planning to leave this place for them to come back and live here?"
Li Zhuiyuan: "I promised the spirit of the Holy Monk that I would help you rebuild Qinglong Temple."
This conversation was not kept secret, and everyone present heard it.
Chen Xiyuan used her flute as a sword, practicing sword moves without any apparent abnormality. The actual head of the Qiongya Chen family was her uncle, and she had no interest in being the head of the family. In her mind, the Qiongya Chen family and Qin Liu were bound together, just like she liked to play with her little brother and her grandmother liked to pester Old Madam Liu.
As for the others, such as Zhu Yiwen, Feng Xionglin, Xu Mofan, and Luo Xiaoyu, their expressions changed. If this plan were followed, regardless of whether they themselves had a desire for power, they would all have to reorganize their family traditions and make clear choices when they returned.
Tao Zhuming excitedly tugged at Ling Wuxing's shoulder, and accidentally tore off a piece of crispy roasted pork belly.
"Your brother, your brother, your brother."
Ling Wuxing felt no pain; instead, he excitedly grabbed Tao Zhuming's hand.
Since this person is willing to rebuild Qinglong Temple, would he also be willing to help rebuild the Ling family?
Jianghu forces often value lineage more than bloodline. If the Ling family can be rebuilt, the spirits of the Dragon Kings of the Ling family can still be worshipped, which is equivalent to turning the extermination of the family into self-renewal.
Yayoi: "The Azure Dragon isn't called the Azure Dragon because it's here."
Li Zhuiyuan: "So where do you plan to move the new Qinglong Temple?"
Yayoi: "This humble monk does not know, but there is a Zhiyun Pagoda on Langshan Mountain in Nantong, which this humble monk finds quite nice."
Li Zhuiyuan: "Nantong only has a few well-known tourist attractions, and the contracting fee is not cheap."
Yayoi: "I am still young. If I can accompany you, senior, for more meals, I should be able to earn the contract fee before I get old and lose my beauty."
Li Zhuiyuan raised the prayer beads that represented the central part of the temple's protective formation: "Have you made up your mind?"
Yayoi: "Yes."
Leaving this temple to those Azure Dragon monks is like giving them a tortoise shell for free. The central authority is effective now, but it will definitely be changed when the monks return.
Since Yayoi herself brought it up, Li Zhuiyuan had no reason to refuse.
The boy pinched a Buddhist bead between his fingers, and the evil dragon roared. Soon, the bead shattered.
"boom!"
A sound of collapse came from a corner of the temple behind me.
Next, Li Zhuiyuan led everyone down the path while continuously crushing the Buddhist beads, creating a series of booming sounds within the Qinglong Temple.
Some people in the group looked back halfway through and could see the massive haze rising above the temple.
A powerful martial arts force that has been passed down for so many years, its ancestral home, in this way, literally means: step by step, heading towards destruction.
When they arrived at the mountain gate, Li Zhuiyuan had only one prayer bead left in his hand.
After everyone left the Azure Dragon Barrier, the young man crushed the last one.
"Boom!"
The barrier collapsed, but there was little impact on the outside; it was as if a thunderclap had struck a clear sky. In reality, it felt like an earth dragon was rolling inside, and the sky was collapsing and the earth was sinking.
Li Zhuiyuan clapped his hands and brushed away the dust from his palms.
The flute in Chen Xiyuan's hand lit up with a dazzling light.
She has this habit of roughly observing the merit gained after each wave ends, since she has always been extravagant when it comes to spending merit.
Chen Xiyuan exclaimed in surprise, "Hmm, is the merit of this wave really that high?"
Wang Lin: "May I shake your hand too?"
Chen Xiyuan generously handed the flute to the chubby boy.
The same light reappeared.
Tao Zhuming: "The same merit?"
Chen Xiyuan shook her head: "It should be the level that my flute can measure, it's at its maximum."
This is not the entirety of the merit shared by everyone in this wave, but rather the limit of the flute.
Based on contribution ratio, Chen Xiyuan's achievements and contributions ranked among the top in their group.
Tao Zhuming: "So, this is to treat those lamplighters and those old guys on the river as evil spirits and kill them?"
Ling Wuxing: "Theoretically speaking, how are they any different from evil spirits in this wave?"
Tao Zhuming: "There is no difference, but I really didn't expect such a good thing to happen. They are really great people."
Luo Xiaoyu wiped his hands on his clothes several times before solemnly accepting the flute.
Then, the flute was passed from hand to hand among the others. Even though the light was the same, everyone still wanted to have it shine in their hands for a moment to gain a sense of satisfaction.
When the message was finally passed to Li Zhuiyuan, the boy didn't take it.
Chen Xiyuan took the flute away and hung it back on her waist.
Li Zhuiyuan addressed the crowd:
"Please come with me back to Nantong first, so that we can rest and recuperate, and second, so that we can share some of the spoils."
Logically speaking, when one has accumulated a great deal of merit, one should go out and explore more, seizing opportunities to heal wounds and make progress.
But for now, we still need to gather in Nantong. We need to dig out all the pits we dug and bring back the spoils. Most importantly, having someone secretly protecting us can prevent any accidents from happening.
Li Zhuiyuan guessed who the hidden oriole was. There were many orioles on the river, but not many were capable of opening the main gate of Qinglong Temple.
far away.
Chen Jing: "Brother Yi, aren't we going to say hello to Brother Yuan?"
Zhao Yi: "Why are you being so formal and polite?"
Chen Jing: "If Brother Yuan knew that Brother Yi, you didn't stay outside the whole time, but instead risked opening the door and going in alone, and only came back out after seeing that Brother Yuan's situation was going well, he would definitely be very happy."
Zhao Yi: "No need to tell."
Chen Jing: "Brother Yi, you always criticize me, but you're really good to Brother Yuan too."
Zhao Yi: "I deliberately leave traces when I come in and out; I've been doing this for a long time."
……
In the morning, Li Sanjiang woke up from a hangover from the previous night. He walked to the calendar while tapping his head and tore off a page.
"Time flies, it's almost Chinese New Year again."
With the Lunar New Year approaching, there are many things to do, and winter is a difficult time for the elderly, with more elderly people passing away during the Lunar New Year period than usual.
Li Sanjiang has been very busy lately. He's been called out in the morning and comes back drunk at night.
Fortunately, things have finally calmed down today. No one has come to the dam to wake me up even now.
After going downstairs and arriving at the dam, Li Sanjiang, as usual, first cleared his throat and spat into the vegetable garden below, then lit a cigarette on an empty stomach.
He exhaled a smoke ring, squinted, and habitually glanced at the east room.
Yes, the shrewd old lady was still sitting there drinking tea.
Sometimes, Li Sanjiang had to admit that the old lady was really lucky.
She appears healthy and in good physical condition, unlike other elderly people in the village who work tirelessly until they die, enjoying a leisurely life of drinking tea and playing cards. Even the village chief's wife has to do laundry and cook, but she truly does nothing.
What's most surprising is that Tinghou, as the daughter-in-law, had no objections whatsoever. She always greeted her with a smile and provided her with good food and drink. If it were any other daughter-in-law, she would have been standing at the door of the east room every day, criticizing her indirectly.
Wait, something's not right. Is it because I didn't sleep well and my eyes are blurry? Why are there two old ladies here?
Li Sanjiang rubbed his eyes and looked again carefully. Yes, there were two.
Having changed into ordinary clothes, Jiang Xiuzhi stood up upon seeing Li Sanjiang and said:
"I am Sister Liu's distant cousin. I've come to keep her company for a few days. I apologize for bothering you."
Li Sanjiang sniffed, thinking to himself, "Why does this old lady have so many relatives? I'm not exactly rich or powerful, yet I'm always going out to see relatives or having relatives come to my house. She's really getting old and still not clear-headed. Relatives aren't something you can just walk around to; they're something you cultivate."
Liu Yumei introduced, "She is Chen Yatou's grandmother."
Li Sanjiang immediately slapped his thigh, flicked away the cigarette butt he had just lit without a care, and said enthusiastically:
"You're the little girl's grandma? Haha, then you're welcome, you're welcome. You can stay here, we won't bother you, stay as long as you want, make yourself at home, don't be shy!"
"Lord Ting, Lord Ting, remember to buy plenty of meat in town today."
"We just received a pig!"
"Really? Let me see."
Li Sanjiang walked into the kitchen, and sure enough, there were two pork slices laid out on the horizontal door panel.
Reaching out to look through them, Li Sanjiang said with satisfaction:
"This pig is not bad."
"Yes, I picked it myself."
"Sigh, seeing this Pigsy reminds me of Tang Sanzang."
"Senior."
Yayoi peeked out from behind the stove; he was helping to tend the fire.
Li Sanjiang strode forward and gave Yayoi a few quick taps on the head:
Where have you been these past few days?
Li Sanjiang was completely unaware that the other family members were away from home, but he noticed the monk's absence.
There was no other way; even if Tang Sanzang just stood by their side doing nothing, they could still get an extra red envelope from their master while they were busy sitting outside all day.
Yayoi: "Senior, this humble monk has gone to Wolf Mountain."
Li Sanjiang: "What's up? You want to apply to be a monk on Wolf Mountain?"
Yayoi: "Mm." Li Sanjiang: "So, did they accept you?"
Yayoi shook his head: "This humble monk's education is insufficient."
Li Sanjiang: "Isn't that obvious? You have no education, no connections, why would they just accept a fake monk like you from out of town?"
Yayoi nodded in agreement. He had indeed gone, and his application had indeed been rejected. Fortunately, he, as a Buddhist disciple, was already used to this kind of treatment.
Li Sanjiang picked up a relatively clean rag from the stove, wiped the monk's head, blew on it, and said:
"As people, we shouldn't be overly ambitious or run around aimlessly. We should calm down, settle down, and sit with me in a vegetarian diet. You'll definitely have plenty of income."
"Yes, this humble monk understands."
Outside, Jiang Xiuzhi sat back down in her chair and turned to Liu Yumei, saying:
"It seems that Xi Yuan is quite popular with him?"
Liu Yumei: "Who wouldn't like your greedy little girl?"
Jiang Xiuzhi: "I heard from my sister that Xi Yuan has been eating his food all along, and I was worried that he would have a problem with Xi Yuan."
Liu Yumei: "It's alright. He's the kind of person who doesn't care about these things once he likes them, and he doesn't lack them."
Jiang Xiuzhi: "Only my sister has the ability to choose such an auspicious location."
Liu Yumei: "I've studied feng shui my whole life, and in the end I've found that what really matters is people."
Jiang Xiuzhi understood and chimed in, "Xiao Yuan and A Li are destined for each other."
Liu Yumei: "It's not really fate, it's just that two poor kids happened to meet."
As she spoke, Liu Yumei's eyes filled with reminiscence. She pointed to the threshold of the east room, and then to the steps leading up to the dam:
“That day, Ah Li was sitting here when Xiao Yuan was carried up by his great-grandfather.”
"The two kids were standing together right then and there?"
"No, Xiao Yuan didn't dare to get close at the time, afraid of getting his face scratched."
Li Sanjiang took a radish-filled steamed bun from the kitchen and ate it.
Aunt Liu: "Uncle, I'll make you another bowl of wontons."
"That's enough for now, save room for lunch. I'm going for a walk."
Just then, Yayoi finished setting up the fire and got up from the stove, saying, "Senior, I'll go with you."
"Alright, let's go."
Who can resist having Tang Sanzang (the monk from Journey to the West) leading the way while taking a stroll?
As soon as Li Sanjiang reached the village road, he saw a person standing under a power tower in a field on one side, with something hanging on it.
"Hey, Zhuangzhuang, what are you and Youhou doing here?"
“Uncle Li, the electricians in town are busy. It’s almost Chinese New Year, so I’m taking Ayou to check the village’s circuits to make sure there’s no power outage so we can watch the Spring Festival Gala.”
These days, power outages are quite common in the village, and every household keeps candles and flashlights on hand.
"Okay, that's good. It's a good thing for the village."
Li Sanjiang took Yayoi for another walk.
Tan Wenbin lit a cigarette, looked up and shouted to Ayou above:
"Is everything alright here?"
"Brother Bin, don't worry, there are no problems here!"
Tan Wenbin silently counted the number of "questions" and nodded, saying, "Yes, the voltage is normal."
Lin Shuyou slid down the power tower, sporting an afro that was incredibly fashionable at the time.
"Come on, Ayou, let's check the next one. Today's task is a bit heavy."
"Alright, Brother Bin, let's go!"
Seeing Ah You's energetic appearance, Tan Wenbin smiled. This guy is really hard to get angry with, even though he once beat him up like a pig's head.
Tan Wenbin pointed to the tool bag on the ground: "Put on your protective gear and pick up your tools."
"No need, Brother Bin. Touching the wires with your hands is more efficient for checking."
"You just had talisman needles inserted, and your body hasn't fully recovered yet."
Lin Shuyou scratched his head: "But I feel like I have more strength and more energy after being shocked by an electric shock."
Tan Wenbin: "Okay, next time you get injured, I'll call Ling Wuxing over."
Lin Shuyou: "Brother Bin, that wasn't electricity, it was lightning..."
Tan Wenbin flicked the ash from his cigarette.
Lin Shuyou continued, "Brother Bin, when I left, Aunt Liu told me that she was going to braise a pig's head for me. That pig's head was huge."
Tan Wenbin took out his mobile phone and dialed a number as he walked.
"Brother Bin, who are you calling?"
"Wishing the teacher a Happy New Year."
"Oh, then Brother Bin, you can give it to me after you've finished praying. I'll pray too."
"Yes, teacher. It's me, Tan Wenbin. Happy New Year! Okay, okay, I know. You also need to take care of your health and not be too busy."
Final exam results? They're out! They're out! Xiao Yuan is first, and I'm second. The scholarship is definitely in the bag, haha. As your student, how could I let you down?
Tan Wenbin handed the mobile phone to Lin Shuyou: "Hey, Shuyou, you should also report your academic performance to the teacher."
Lin Shuyou: "..."
Zhang Li was floating along the village road when he saw Yayoi. He bowed to her and was about to bow to Li Sanjiang when he saw Li Sanjiang sneeze. Zhang Li quickly stepped aside and continued to deliver the letter, not daring to get any closer.
Li Sanjiang rubbed his nose with the back of his hand, looked at the few pieces of yellow paper floating on the ground, and asked in surprise:
"That's strange, how did this thing float up when there's no wind?"
Yayoi: "This wind is rather low, isn't it?"
Li Sanjiang: "No wonder."
The bicycle bell rang from behind; it was Xiao Yingying riding her tricycle back after buying wine.
As soon as that person returned and entered the peach grove, she hurriedly went out to buy some peaches.
Li Sanjiang: "Yinghou, ride slower, don't get jolted."
Xiao Yingying responded, and when she saw Li Zhuiyuan walking from the direction of the bearded man's house, she thought to herself, "Oh no!" and immediately sped up her ride.
"That Lord Ying is really something. He's very steady in everything else, but every time he rides his bicycle it's like there's a fire on the back... Sigh, Lord Yuan!"
"Grandpa!"
Li Sanjiang cupped his great-grandson's face in his hands and gently touched it.
It's strange, even though the child has been home the whole time, he feels like he hasn't seen him for a while.
"Young Marquis, what are you holding in your hand?"
Li Zhuiyuan brandished the sword wrapped in newspaper and said, "Grandpa, I found a relatively straight stick."
Li Sanjiang: "Ha, this is good stuff!"
At the bearded man's house, a wind blew through the peach grove, casting a terrible oppressive atmosphere.
After hurriedly setting the wine jars down, Xiao Yingying breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground. Despite her previous death, she was now sweating profusely.
Benben sat on Xiao Hei's back, looking at the peach orchard in front of him with his mouth open and his little face shocked.
In his eyes, the peach orchard was sparkling and glistening everywhere.
Deep in the peach grove, by the pool, Qing'an, his face grim, drank his wine in silence amidst the glittering jewels.
The kid said he wanted to show him his spoils so that his elder could see how much he had grown.
Although Qing'an was prepared for the sudden emergence of the "elder's status," he really didn't expect that the kid would treat his quiet and secluded peach grove as a large warehouse!
They wanted to pile up tools under every peach tree, some even hanging on the peach branches, and the pond in front of them was overflowing with tools.
Li Zhuiyuan had no choice. There were just too many spoils of war. The items belonging to those who traveled the river all had their own characteristics, and those heavy weapons needed to be suppressed. His own dojo couldn't hold them all, and if he put them in the kiln, he would have to set up sealing formations one by one. The simplest and most efficient way was to pile them up here in Qing'an.
With Qing'an, this great evil spirit, suppressing it, no powerful weapon can cause any trouble.
Back home, Li Zhuiyuan walked onto the dam and saw Grandma Liu and Jiang Xiuzhi chatting happily. He tore the newspaper open and handed Jiang Xiuzhi's sword over.
Jiang Xiuzhi stood up to take the sword and said apologetically, "I'm sorry to have troubled you, Li... Xiaoyuan."
Li Zhuiyuan: "It was originally meant to be returned to its rightful owner."
Liu Yumei: "What about the others?"
Li Zhuiyuan: "It's also returning the item to its rightful owner."
With a smile, Liu Yumei flicked her finger, and the sword in Jiang Xiuzhi's hand flew into the bed in the east room, lying next to her own longsword.
Li Zhuiyuan: "Grandma, you two chat, I'm going upstairs first."
Jiang Xiuzhi didn't sit down again, but went into the kitchen and rolled up her sleeves:
"Come on, let me help you cook, Tinghou'er~"
Aunt Liu laughed so hard she bent over when she heard the accent.
Li Zhuiyuan came to the terrace, and A Li came out carrying an account book. The two of them sat down together on the rattan chairs.
The boy flipped through each page from memory, which contained illustrations and was a register of the spoils of war. The girl held a pen and filled in any gaps in the list, noting the extent of damage and the characteristics of the items.
Sitting below, Liu Yumei looked up and saw that the scene looked exactly like a young couple settling their household accounts.
Oh, right, those lamplighters are still recovering from their injuries at the kiln, and the two kids still have to plan how to give gifts and show their appreciation.
Turning his head, he glanced at the table full of ancestral tablets in the east room:
Sigh, it wasn't easy. In the past, I always saw the kids rummaging through the trash outside and bringing it home like treasures. This time, they really managed to bring back quite a few good things.
Liu Yumei couldn't help but wonder if Jiang continued to let the children follow this pace, her own Xiaoyuan might be able to amass a family fortune equivalent to an ordinary ancestral home by the time he becomes the Dragon King.
Chen Xiyuan skipped back, waving to Liu Yumei: "Madam!"
Then, Ms. Chen couldn't wait to peek inside through the kitchen window:
"Milk, milk, milk..."
Jiang Xiuzhi: "Oh dear, the sound is so loud it's making my ears go deaf."
"I wasn't that loud..."
"It's your stomach that's making thunder."
Chen Xiyuan pursed her lips, then immediately smiled. She had learned a lesson since she was a child: you can't be angry before a meal.
She snuggled up to Aunt Liu, gave her a hug, and casually pulled a handful of sunflower seeds from Aunt Liu's pocket. Chen Xiyuan leaned against the kitchen door frame, cracking sunflower seeds while watching the little brothers and sisters being taken care of.
"Grandma, it feels so good to build up a business with your own hands, bit by bit."
Jiang Xiuzhi picked up the spatula, tasted the saltiness, and said, "Hmm, but your grandma likes to eat it ready-made."
"That's so boring."
"It's not very interesting, but I still prefer to eat what's ready-made, Grandma."
"What are you saying? If my grandfather weren't the young master of the Chen family, would you have abandoned him, Grandma?"
"What are you saying? If your grandfather weren't the eldest son of the Chen family, would I even know who he is?"
The meal was ready. Aunt Liu walked to the threshing floor and called out to the people outside who were strolling and touching the power lines:
"Lunch is ready!"
Li Zhuiyuan closed the ledgers and finished counting. Not only were there no missing items, but there were also some extra items that shouldn't be there, such as spring water, spirit tree roots, and various seeds... Obviously, no one would take these things with them when they traveled across the river.
"We'll make arrangements for him separately once everything is settled at the kiln."
After lunch, Li Zhuiyuan went down to the basement. In addition to the promised share of the spoils, he also gave away cultivation manuals. In this regard, the young man had a good reputation for being generous.
Furthermore, Li Zhuiyuan needed the strength of the other teams to improve rapidly. The young man was not afraid of raising a tiger to cause trouble. In the current situation, as long as he was alive, they would obey him. If he died, they would be leaderless... Anyway, he was already dead.
Jiang Xiuzhi looked at her granddaughter, who was still fighting alone after everyone else had finished eating and left the table. Feeling a little embarrassed, she lowered her head. Seeing the materials piled up in the corner, she thought, "Why don't I skip playing cards this afternoon and help make some paper offerings to patch things up?"
Xiting Town.
The impressive two-story Western-style house is quite prestigious in the village these days, but unfortunately, it's only a facade because the interior is all cement walls and floors, without any decoration whatsoever.
Runsheng squatted by the brazier, keeping his grandfather company as he burned paper money.
There is a local custom of burning scriptures and offering sacrifices to ancestors during the Lunar New Year. Tomorrow is the Lunar New Year, but since Uncle Shan and Runsheng are going to Li Sanjiang's house tomorrow, they have already fed the ancestors a day in advance.
There are only two men in the house, and they don't talk much. In the cold winter, the house is cold, but the fire pit makes it even colder.
Grandpa Shan: "Mengmeng called this morning and told me that she received the package we delivered."
Runsheng: "Grandpa, what did you send?"
Grandpa Shan: "They sent some local specialties."
Runsheng: "Our local specialties are not really eaten when we send them out."
Grandpa Shan: "I didn't know what clothes to buy, so I bought some good fabric and sent it over."
Runsheng: "She can't sew clothes..."
Grandpa Shan glared at Runsheng: "Doesn't she have a tailor shop?"
Runsheng: "The tailor shop sells cloth."
Grandpa Shan tugged at his beard: "She loves spicy food, so I even sent her some chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns."
Runsheng: "Send chili peppers to Sichuan?"
Grandpa Shan took a deep breath and shouted, "I also put money in the package!"
Runsheng: "She doesn't lack..."
Grandpa Shan: "Grandpa earned this year, and Grandpa will stop gambling."
Runsheng fell silent.
Grandpa Shan lit a cigarette for himself, then took an incense stick from the offering table of the ancestors and handed it to Runsheng.
Runsheng took the incense, enduring the nausea and choking sensation. As he smoked, tears welled up in his eyes, which he wiped away with the back of his hand.
Seeing this, Grandpa Shan hugged Runsheng from behind, tears streaming down his face with heartache.
“Lord Runsheng, it’s my fault for holding you back. If you had followed the Marquis of Sanjiang since you were a child, you and Mengmeng might have gotten married long ago.”
"No, sir, it's the King of Hell who disagrees."
"What Yama? That's Mengmeng's elder. You damned Kangzi, how can you call someone's elder like that? Show some respect. It's normal for the elder to look down on our family's conditions. They just don't want the girl to suffer in our family."
"Grandpa, I'm going to Fengdu after the New Year."
"Yes, go ahead, go ahead."
"I want to bring Mengmeng back."
(End of this chapter)