Chapter 564
Chapter 564
Chapter 564
The warm winter sun, without any wind, is as pleasant as an iced drink in summer.
Li Sanjiang sat on a rattan chair on the terrace, a cigarette between his left hand and a pen between his right, looking at the account slips and ledgers in front of him with difficulty.
Turning his head, he looked at Yayoi, who was chanting sutras on the prayer mat next to him.
Li Sanjiang smiled.
Yayoi was doing her homework, but in Li Sanjiang's eyes, it was Tang Seng finally settling down and honing his acting skills.
"Young Marquis Yuan, Young Marquis Yuan!"
Downstairs at the card table, Wang Lian, who had no turn, called out:
“The two kids are in the basement, they can’t hear me, I’ll go call them for you, Uncle.”
Before Wang Lian could even get up, she saw Li Zhuiyuan come out of the basement:
"Grandpa."
"Young Marquis Yuan, come up here."
"coming."
After Li Zhuiyuan went upstairs, he consciously pulled out a small stool, sat down, and took the pen from his grandfather's hand.
He finished checking the accounts on the river in the morning, and in the afternoon he had to check his own accounts.
The boy quickly flipped through the account slips, then opened the ledger, scanned the messy notes from before, and began to organize them.
There's no need to go into too much detail; the old man just wants to know the result.
"Grandpa, look."
"What, this is all the income we've had this year?"
Li Sanjiang scratched his head, unable to believe he had only earned so little this year.
"We bought a lot of things this year, so if we factor in depreciation, our income will be very high."
“I understand the reasoning, but I don’t have much silver in my pocket, so I’m not at ease.”
“The newly contracted land, tractors, houses, and the brick kiln that were built—all of these cost money.”
"That won't do. If I kick the bucket one day, how can I let you sell all this? I need to leave you some extra cash."
"May your great-grandfather live to be 150 years old."
"Hahaha."
"Grandpa, I'll go down now."
"Okay, go ahead and do your thing."
After Li Zhuiyuan went downstairs, Li Sanjiang looked at that page of paper again and muttered to himself:
"This account looks like he only earned enough for a meager meal in a year."
Yayoi opened her eyes: "Next year, this humble monk will earn money with you."
Li Sanjiang tapped the ledger with his fingers and said, "Monk, this is the open account, but there's also a hidden account."
Yayoi: "Is it a debt?"
Li Sanjiang: "Not entirely. In the village, in the town, among familiar faces, you owe me, I owe you, and while we're busy paying back, we keep owing each other, and that's how relationships are maintained."
Yayoi: "Little monk, I understand."
Li Sanjiang: "What did you understand?"
Yayoi: "The debt of favors."
Li Sanjiang: "That's right, I won't tell Xiao Yuanhou these things. He's not going to make a living in this industry anymore, so he doesn't need to know. But you're going to make a living, so I'll tell you this: from now on, you'll be responsible for the favors I owe you."
Yayoi: "Thank you, senior."
Actually, Yayoi thinks that Xiao Yuan is very knowledgeable... Xiao Yuan is currently in the basement, preparing to do this.
When Li Zhuiyuan left the basement earlier, he handed the list to A Li, and now the girl had already picked out all the cultivation manuals.
Some of the manuals were concise and to the point, just a thin book, while others were sets of twenty or thirty books, which Ah Li filled two large fertilizer bags with.
Some of the manuals were made of paper that was not as good as the Buddha's paper, but they were still extraordinary. The artistic conception was not entirely presented through words. In short, the workload was too large, and Li Zhuiyuan did not have time to copy them, so he simply sent the originals.
The boy walked to the dam, pushed the cart against the wall into the basement, put the two burlap sacks on it, and when he pushed it out again, Liu Jinxia asked curiously:
"Hey, what are you doing here?"
"Selling scrap."
When Li Zhuiyuan pushed the car down the steps of the dam, he was a little tired. A Li walked beside him, one hand on the handrail, and the boy immediately felt relieved.
However, Li Zhuiyuan stubbornly continued to grip the handrail with both hands.
Liu Yumei and Jiang Xiuzhi, who were playing cards, exchanged a glance and both laughed.
Jiang Xiuzhi: "This is the first time I've seen Xiaoyuan like this."
Liu Yumei: "Don't even mention you, I've rarely seen you before either."
"Pop!" "Pap!" "Pap!"
The sounds of children setting off firecrackers echoed throughout the village.
Aunt Zhang's stall sells all kinds of small firecrackers. They are very cheap, but they are still a luxury for children. The elders will buy them and have enough to set off, but they still cherish them and wish that every little firecracker could be set off in a spectacular way.
If they ran out of their own incense, they would watch others set them off, offer suggestions, and if they were lucky, they might get a chance to get incense to light for them once or twice. If someone set off a string of firecrackers, some children would go to the scraps of paper to pick up any that had escaped the net. However, those fuses burned quickly and would explode if lit, so most children only dared to pick them up but not to set them off.
As Li Zhuiyuan pushed his cart across the cement bridge, he saw Lei Zi, who was already on holiday, excitedly shattering the ice on the river with Shi Tou Hu Zi and a group of his younger siblings.
Lei Zi has a salary, and he lavishly buys fireworks for his younger siblings to enjoy.
"Touko."
"Brother Lei."
"Let me help you push it."
"No need, it's very light. It's just a few steps to the brickyard."
Lei Zi smiled and didn't invite his younger brother to come down and set off firecrackers with him.
When Yuanzi first arrived in Nantong, he really acted like a younger brother, always smiling as he took him fishing and catching birds. But ever since Yuanzi moved into his great-grandfather's house, he felt that his younger brother had suddenly become his elder.
A motorcycle was parked at the entrance to the village road, and Panzi and his wife were talking together.
Li Zhuiyuan didn't intend to eavesdrop on the young couple's whispers, but he had good hearing, and even from a distance, the wind still carried the sounds over.
"Aren't you tired? Can't you take a break during the New Year?"
"It's tiring, but during the Chinese New Year, there are plenty of jobs at the airport, mostly long-distance, and you don't have to haggle much."
"Our salaries are enough to live on, we don't need this little bit of money. Don't ruin your health, if you do, who will I rely on?"
"Why don't you find someone else?"
"I'm not looking for anyone better than you."
Pan Zi smiled and got on the motorcycle. He didn't know if the motorcycle was full of gas, but he had filled it up.
Because they were facing away from each other, they didn't see Yuanzi behind them. Li Zhuiyuan also turned onto another dirt road without disturbing them.
When they arrived at the brickyard, a white rat wearing an apron was washing pots and dishes.
During the Chinese New Year, he closed his stir-fry restaurant and devoted himself to cooking at the brick kiln.
It's no longer just for late-night snacks, but encompasses all three meals a day, and you can order food at any time.
These are all big shots, and big shots who have just made a lot of money. The white rat served them with great enthusiasm and excitement.
As he scrubbed the pot, he flicked his bangs, revealing a fair face and flowing black hair. His former shifty eyes were gone, and he was now so handsome he could almost be on a poster.
Upon seeing Li Zhuiyuan arrive, the white rat stood up, intending to run over and help push the cart. However, upon seeing Ah Li's gaze, the white rat immediately sat back down.
Inside the kiln, there were many people, including his followers, and the air was filled with a strong smell of herbs.
After a period of rest and recuperation, everyone was in good spirits.
"Brother Xiao Yuan."
"Brother Xiao Yuan."
Everyone gathered around, with the lamplighters in the front and their attendants standing behind. Everyone tried to appear friendly, but in doing so, they ended up appearing very distant.
At this stage, only Chen Xiyuan could laugh and joke around in front of the young man, but even she was terrified when her family stood on the opposite side.
Li Zhuiyuan didn't intend to force everyone to act like friends. He was tired of acting and didn't want to force others to act either.
The boy lowered the cart, opened the fertilizer bag, and said:
"Those who have called their names, come up and get it. Zhu Yiwen."
Zhu Yiwen stepped forward and took a set of books from Li Zhuiyuan.
Upon seeing that it was the complete book, and an authentic copy at that, and that the manual perfectly aligned with his cultivation path, Zhu Yiwen's eyes widened.
I knew there would be a big project, but I didn't expect it to be this big. The value of this set of books alone is enough for my family to open up another line of inheritance.
Just as he was pondering how to express his gratitude, Li Zhuiyuan waved his hand:
"Next up, Feng Xionglin."
Zhu Yiwen's lips twitched, and he stiffly turned around and walked back, clutching the book.
Feng Xionglin habitually touched his hair, and when he got closer, he quickly wiped the remaining hair mousse off his clothes and took the book with both hands.
Even though he had such an exchange experience before, he was still so shocked when he obtained another complete set of body-refining techniques that were now lost that his wig stood on end.
They even managed to clear a plot of land from their own ancestral graves to build a separate library for this set of books. From then on, members of the Feng family who wanted to cultivate themselves could choose one of the two options.
"Xu Mofan".
Xu Mofan stepped forward, took a precious spear manual that was no less valuable than the Xu family spear technique, and nodded slightly to Li Zhuiyuan, saying:
Thank you.
People who use guns are like that; no matter the situation, they always like to act nonchalant.
When Li Zhuiyuan handed him a book titled "Examples of Instantaneous Formation" written by himself, in addition to the spear manual, Xu Mofan's face began to tense up. He knew that this was for his maid, Xia He.
Tao Zhuming whispered to Ling Wuxing, "Look, every time this spear gets cocky, it immediately bends down."
Ling Wuxing: "Aren't you envious?"
Tao Zhuming: "I'm not arrogant."
Ling Wuxing: "I didn't ask if you wanted to be gay."
Tao Zhuming: "You mean standing there handing out winter break homework? Sorry, I wouldn't even dare to think about it."
Tao Zhuming.
Tao Zhuming raised his hand: "Teacher, I'm here!"
After taking the manual and glancing at the name, Tao Zhuming swallowed hard. Sure enough, he couldn't afford to post this assignment.
The Dragon King's Clan has no shortage of inherited cultivation techniques, but the secret techniques treasured by major powers are usually kept secret. It is already difficult to obtain even a fragment and have the elders of the family deduce and supplement it. How could they just hand over a complete set so easily?
Holding the book, Tao Zhuming stood back beside Ling Wuxing, took a deep breath, and said:
"I knew Qin Liu had a deep background, but I didn't expect it to be this deep."
"Have you forgotten? Before Brother Xiao Yuan lit the lamp, he didn't make any agreement."
"Then these..."
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. All I know is that this thing is very precious to us, but it's nothing to Brother Xiaoyuan. The most precious thing is that he offers up his own family's secret technique so that he can help you improve."
"Brother, why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"You're just taking advantage of your clean reputation and don't cherish it."
Li Zhuiyuan's ability was the reason that initially shocked Liu Yumei.
However, this ability is a curse when you are weak. Only when you have stood up and can withstand the storms can you use it to create your own waves.
"Wang Lin."
The chubby boy was the most special one. While others went up to collect their homework, he carried a bag and handed in his homework first.
This was a deal between him and Li Zhuiyuan. The boy would select items from the chubby boy's catalog that he was interested in but didn't have, and let him read them, then exchange them with him.
Because it's a reward, the exchange ratio is two to one.
Ah Li carried the bag the chubby boy gave her, while Li Zhuiyuan continued to register.
In the martial arts world, such a high-level transmission of skills and techniques would be worthy of a grand ceremony with many guests, but now it is being carried out in this kiln in an extremely simple and hasty manner.
Many of the followers are worried that when they tell their stories to their descendants, will the descendants think they are making up stories and bragging?
The last person to report their name was Mu Qiuying.
But when she stepped forward, the cart was empty; there were no books inside.
Li Zhuiyuan: "Yours are at home. Remember to take them after dinner."
Mu Qiuying bowed to Li Zhuiyuan:
"Thank you, Patriarch!"
After Mu Qiuying retreated empty-handed, Li Zhuiyuan faced the crowd and said:
"I'm sorry, time and energy are limited, and there's no time to make a copy; after you go back, please make a copy of your reflections on your own, and return it to me when you come next time."
"We obey!"
"The powerful artifacts you choose will be distributed by Luo Xiaoyu. You can pick them up from him later, and he will also give you a copy of the sealing method for that artifact."
The spoils of war are stored in the peach grove, but it's impossible for Qing'an to distribute them. Otherwise, given Qing'an's temper, anyone who goes to collect them will probably be hung up and beaten by him to vent his anger.
Luo Xiaoyu already lived in the peach orchard and was familiar with Qing'an, making her a suitable candidate for warehouse manager.
"Thank you so much, Brother Xiaoyuan!"
"You're welcome, everyone deserves it."
Furthermore, I mainly don't want to delay everyone from going out to obtain opportunities through merit, so let's wait until next time. Next time, everyone can bring their own secret techniques or methods, and I'll take a look and make some changes.
Even those who had experienced such treatment before began to feel their hearts race and their mouths go dry after the young man explicitly stated it. No one thought the young man was trying to trick them into giving him the cultivation technique; his act of distributing the inheritance earlier showed that he didn't care about these paltry sums. Besides, everyone believed the young man was capable of doing it.
The Dragon King of their generation was truly different from those of other eras.
The ancestors of other eras followed the Dragon King to suppress evil spirits in the martial arts world in order to realize their own life values and uphold the code of the martial arts world. In addition to these, they could actually eat meat with him, and they ate meat with their mouths full of oil.
For a moment, everyone wanted to say something, but because they were still in shock, no one spoke up, and they were also worried about not being able to keep up, so they remained silent.
Li Zhuiyuan looked at the white rat.
The white rat brought up the wine bowls that had been prepared beforehand and handed them to everyone. These wine bowls were specially purchased so that they could be smashed loudly after the wine was finished.
The bowls held by Li Zhuiyuan and A Li contained soy milk.
"I place high hopes on you all, and I hope that whether on the river today or on the shore in the future, we can work hand in hand."
I believe that this world will eventually be handed over to us, whether it is willing or not.
Therefore, I hope that when we meet again, your growth will not disappoint me.
Everyone present raised their glasses simultaneously, drank them in one gulp, then smashed their bowls in unison, responding:
"We will certainly not fail the Dragon King's expectations!"
……
Afterwards, Li Zhuiyuan and A Li pushed the empty cart home.
After collecting their wares from the peach grove, everyone at the kiln was ready to head home.
Not only is it because the end of the year is approaching and we don't want to delay everyone's return home for the New Year, but also because Nantong has Qing'an, which is too clean and special. So many people with great merit gather here, so it might not be very convenient for them to spend their money.
Furthermore, they also need to return to their respective family clans and sects to seize power and reorganize.
Mu Qiuying came over to eat dinner with us.
After the meal, her great-grandfather asked her to sing and play an opera, and he gave her a red envelope in return.
The main reason was that the young woman didn't seem to have any work, and the old man was worried that it would be inconvenient for her to go back home, so he wanted to support the business.
Mu Family Village is located outside the Dragon King Willow Gate, so the treatment is different.
But there was another person who received even more special treatment; she wasn't even notified to go to the brickyard to deliver the work in the afternoon.
Under the starlight and moonlight, Li Zhuiyuan held A Li's hand with his right hand and helped A Li carry the blood porcelain bottle with his left hand as they arrived at the bearded man's house.
Benben sat on the small cement wall of the dam. All afternoon, he watched as groups of people came to the peach orchard to receive the shiny things.
He remembered that Clown Girl's crib was decorated with sparkly stars, and Clown Girl would giggle as she stared at them. But Benben looked left and right and still couldn't figure out the mystery of those "stars".
Benben had an idea: when Clown Girl comes here to celebrate the New Year with her grandparents tomorrow, should he go into the woods and bring out something to show Clown Girl?
Li Zhuiyuan and A Li had already crossed the dam when, out of the corner of their eye, they caught the joy and anticipation in Benben's eyes. The boy then turned back to the dam and tapped Benben on the head.
"No."
Li Zhuiyuan didn't use much force, but the sound really startled Benben, causing him to tremble and fall forward. Luckily, Xiao Hei was lying below, acting as a cushion.
He looked at Li Zhuiyuan timidly, but he wasn't surprised that this person could guess his thoughts.
"Everything in the house will be yours in the future. When you grow up, you can lend it to others or give it away. But remember, one of your responsibilities is not to let these things go out of the house and cause trouble."
Benben nodded, and Xiao Hei wagged its tail.
Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest standing nearby almost lit up with excitement as he looked at his future grandson-in-law!
Li Zhuiyuan and A Li entered the peach grove, where a duet had just ended.
"Little brother, you've come."
"Practicing swordsmanship."
"okay."
Chen Xiyuan stood obediently and waited for the red line to connect.
After Li Zhuiyuan released the red thread, he immediately heard Sister Chen's joyful cheers in his mind:
"I want to be a female knight-errant, I want to be a female sword immortal, I want to practice swordsmanship, hahaha!"
"Quiet."
Because Miss Chen's inner monologue was so vivid, Li Zhuiyuan's thoughts failed to catch her attention.
Li Zhuiyuan could only show a serious expression.
Chen Xiyuan fell silent.
Qing'an leaned against an ancient bell, his feet resting on a jade ox, holding a wine cup in his right hand and using a bronze dagger as a back scratcher in his left, leisurely watching the show.
immediately,
The wind rises, its force gathers, the waterfall flows, and the sword is formed.
Chen Xiyuan swung her flute down, and with a loud "boom," the peach trees in front of her slid and collapsed.
The wine in Qing'an's glass swayed slightly.
This was the first time he had ever seen a young person teach, and yet, a person whose swordsmanship was barely at the basic level had unleashed such a sharp sword strike.
Back then, this group of people would also ask Wei Zhengdao for things that interested them.
The Black Book Secret Technique was what he had pestered Wei Zhengdao for.
Wei Zhengdao is very generous; he will give, but he won't teach, because these people are all capable of learning and understanding on their own.
The way Heaven treated this person differently from Wei Zhengdao, leading them down two different paths.
The wine glass tilted, the wine spilled out, and the fallen peach tree returned to its original position.
"boom!"
Chen Xiyuan unleashed her second sword strike, felling another large group of people.
Since they were kindred spirits, Qing'an wasn't angry and repaired it again.
Choosing to teach here was unavoidable. Chen Xiyuan's domain combined with the Liu family's swordsmanship made each sword strike incredibly powerful, and Li Zhuiyuan's dojo and kiln could not withstand such destruction.
"boom!"
After the third sword strike, the boy severed the red thread.
Li Zhuiyuan: "How much of these three sword techniques have you grasped?"
Chen Xiyuan: "I... I think I've forgotten everything."
Li Zhuiyuan nodded: "Then you're not far from mastering it."
Chen Xiyuan: "Little brother, you don't need to comfort me like that, really."
Li Zhuiyuan looked at A Li.
Ah Li reached out, drew the Blood Porcelain Sword, and stood in front of Chen Xiyuan.
"From now on, you are only allowed to use sword techniques to fight."
"it is good!"
Ah Li drew her sword, and Chen Xiyuan raised her flute.
"boom!"
Chen Xiyuan was sent flying backward, crashing into several peach trees and collapsing them.
As Chen Xiyuan staggered to her feet, Ah Li's sword strike came again, and Chen Xiyuan was sent flying once more.
Li Zhuiyuan walked up to Qing'an and sat down.
Qing'an: "Unique teaching methods."
Li Zhuiyuan: "Teaching according to aptitude."
Qing'an: "What are your plans next?"
Li Zhuiyuan: "I need to go to Qilongwang's temple to investigate the matter of the Eye of Drought Demon; I need to go to the Liu family's ancestral home because the poor relatives there are planning a rebellion; I need to go to Fengdu to bring back a companion."
Qing'an: "Then why do you look so relaxed?"
Li Zhuiyuan: "Let's spend the New Year at home first."
Qing An: "You still care about this?"
Li Zhuiyuan: "My great-grandfather cares about it."
Even if they went to Qilongwang's dojo, they definitely wouldn't find any clues. It's been so long; the people must have been wiped out.
The poor relatives at the Liu family's ancestral home gave them plenty of time and there was no rush.
The group of friends hasn't fully recovered yet, so even if we set off for Fengdu right now, we won't have time to bring Yin Meng back for the New Year. There's no rush.
Qing'an: "I can see that you're climbing higher and higher on the ladder."
Li Zhuiyuan: "It's alright."
Qing'an: "But it seems like I'm getting further and further away from death?"
Li Zhuiyuan: "We've come this far over the years, what's a little longer?"
Qing An: "How long is 'a while'? Don't wait until after you've passed away to try and take me with you, or I won't be buried with you."
Li Zhuiyuan: "After all, it's a one-time thing, so let me choose carefully again."
Qing An: "Let's make this clear beforehand, if you don't choose, I'll choose for you, either from your enemies or just you."
Li Zhuiyuan: "The teaching over there is finished."
The boy got up and walked to the training ground.
Chen Xiyuan raised her flute, successfully channeling the sword-style intent, but it was a bit slow, and A Li's sword arrived first.
"boom!"
Chen Xiyuan was knocked away again.
Seeing Li Zhuiyuan come out, A Li sheathed her sword.
Sister Chen, leaning against the peach tree, stood up, panting and blaming herself:
"Little brother, I learn things very slowly, and I feel very stupid."
Li Zhuiyuan is not Zhao Yi, and does not have angina.
"You should take care of yourself first, and we'll continue tomorrow night."
As the boy walked out of the peach grove, he happened to run into Luo Xiaoyu and Sister Hua, who were leaving the grove from the other side.
Luo Xiaoyu stepped forward to report:
"Brother Xiaoyuan, the items have all been distributed, and the sealing methods have been tested by them and confirmed to be effective."
"You're going back to your sect?"
"Hmm, when I get back I'll beat up all my senior and junior brothers, then kick some of my senior uncles and aunts, and finally confront my grandmaster."
This was a scenario that Luo Xiaoyu had dreamed of countless times. In her midnight dreams, she could see the bewildered, confused, and regretful expressions on her senior and junior sisters' faces.
But when he talks about it now, it sounds as if he's simply taking some time to go back to the sect and go through a formality.
Having seen higher views, my threshold for appreciation has been raised, and the scenery on the mountainside has become rather uninteresting.
Li Zhuiyuan asked:
Do you regret it?
Luo Xiaoyu was taken aback, not expecting this person to ask such a question. He thought about it carefully and answered very seriously:
"I'm so... so regretful!"
It's not that I regret not appreciating the beautiful scenery along the mountain path, but rather that I felt sorry for myself for being so happy on the way up.
Li Zhuiyuan and Luo Xiaoyu walked together onto the village road. Luo Xiaoyu bowed again to say goodbye, and then sadly sat on the cart, which was pushed back to the sect by Xiaoxiao Huajie.
A golden thread flew from his fingertip. Li Zhuiyuan turned around and looked at a furtive figure behind him. It was Chen Xiyuan.
"Oh, little brother, what a coincidence! You're still taking a walk, hahaha!"
Because of his conversation with Luo Xiaoyu, Li Zhuiyuan was delayed. When Chen Xiyuan came out of the peach grove and saw her little brother there, her first reaction was to open her domain and hide. However, she felt that it was not appropriate to hide next to her little brother. While her mind was still weighing the options, her legs took the first step and she was discovered.
After a failed lesson, I felt like I hadn't learned anything, and as a result, I went straight to the convenience store after class. I felt quite embarrassed.
Are you going to the brickyard?
"I……"
"The white rat hasn't left yet?"
"I ordered late-night snacks..."
"Then go ahead."
"Okay." Chen Xiyuan ran a short distance, then stopped and turned back. "How about we go together?"
Li Zhuiyuan shook his head; he still had to wait for someone.
Chen Xiyuan will not trigger the golden thread to fly out because Sister Chen will not curse herself.
After Miss Chen, who had just been beaten up, happily ran away, a very dissatisfied voice rang out nearby:
"I'm saying, this is so unfair! You're already cautious to the core. If you were made to be a bodhisattva who could perceive cause and effect, what the hell would those people who wanted to ambush you do?"
Zhao Yi's figure emerged from the darkness.
His stealth skills were no match for Tan Wenbin's, but Chen Xiyuan hadn't noticed his presence just now.
Li Zhuiyuan: "You're quite impatient."
Zhao Yi: "How can I not be in a hurry? Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and I have to pay my respects to my godmother and kowtow to her. Of course, I can also kowtow to my ancestors now."
Li Zhuiyuan: "I can give you a set of books from the basement."
Zhao Yi: "Hey, you surnamed Li, don't ruin your reputation!"
Li Zhuiyuan took the key to the basement iron door from his pocket and handed it to Zhao Yi:
"Go in and choose for yourself."
(End of this chapter)