Chapter 202 Heavenly Secrets Must Not Be Revealed

On New Year's Eve, many people set off firecrackers, but the third brother and the fourth brother bought very few.

Since their father passed away, they have rarely enjoyed playing with firecrackers during the Lunar New Year.

In previous years, everyone celebrated the Lunar New Year at home, but this year it's suddenly very quiet.

The second son is gone, and the eldest son has separated from the family.

Fortunately, a Taoist priest came this year, which added to the liveliness.

Unexpectedly, the Taoist priest took out a lot of firecrackers from his cloth bag.

As midnight approached, the people in the village began to light firecrackers.

"Here, you two go set them off. It's New Year's Eve, so it's good to have some fun. Anyway, you're not in a hurry to go to sleep."

The third child accepted the large bouquet with both hands, both surprised and delighted. "Did the Taoist priest buy this especially for us?"

"I guess so. There was an old man selling firecrackers who couldn't sell them, so I bought them all. Anyway, we can always burn them all." The Taoist priest stood at the doorway watching the two of them. "Go set them off at the door, be careful."

"Fourth brother, let's go."

"Give me a handful." The fourth brother happily took the two incense sticks and followed the third brother out of the yard.

Song Chunxue looked at the dark doorway and said, "I should have bought two red lanterns this year, but I forgot."

"I brought two, do you want them?"

Song Chunxue looked at him in surprise, "You bring this with you when you go out?"

Then it wasn't something he brought along casually; he must have prepared it specifically for this purpose.

A smile shone in her eyes. "Senior brother, you've been wanting to come to my house for the New Year for a long time, haven't you? You've made such thorough preparations, and you still say you're just passing by. Are you afraid I'll look down on you because you're a man, afraid the people in the village will gossip and not want you?"

Master Zhang laughed, “That’s not it. If you were afraid of gossip, you wouldn’t have recognized me as your senior brother in the first place.”

He looked up at the starry sky and said, “I did want to come a long time ago, but I was afraid that the ritual would not be done well. I would have to stay at their house for a few more days and find someone who would not mind my humble origins so I could spend the New Year with them.”

He sighed, "I have traveled to many places alone. I am not afraid of being alone on other days, but I really do not want to spend the New Year alone."

Song Chunxue felt a pang of sadness. "Then you can come to my house every year from now on, and you can call me junior brother. We're different from others."

The Taoist priest turned to look at Song Chunxue, his eyes sparkling. "Alright, then senior brother, you must keep your word."

For some reason, Song Chunxue's nose felt sore.

She nodded emphatically, "Of course it counts. Why would I lie to my senior brother? After the children leave, we brothers and sisters can celebrate the New Year together. It's better than being alone listening to other people's firecrackers and not being able to eat or sleep well."

The Taoist priest turned and went into the room, where he saw a stack of paper ingots placed on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Folding paper ingots for your deceased husband?" He casually picked up one. "Then you've come to the right person. Paper ingots folded by a Taoist priest are guaranteed to be authentic."

"Really?" Song Chunxue picked up a paper as well. "Then you should fold a lot. I heard that burning paper money for the deceased is like accumulating wealth for yourself."

"Hmm, that's right, sincerity is key." The Taoist priest took off his shoes and sat cross-legged on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed). "Then tonight we'll fold paper ingots together to keep vigil. Tomorrow I'll teach you something else."

Song Chunxue asked curiously, "What other things?"

You'll find out tomorrow.

"Senior brother is still keeping us in suspense," Song Chunxue said, feeling a warm feeling in her heart as she listened to the crackling firecrackers outside. "It's definitely better to be lively; that's how the New Year should be."

"Well, even I, a lone wolf, can feel lonely on such a lively day, let alone ordinary people."

Song Chunxue couldn't help but look at the Taoist priest. His quilted blue robe looked thick, and he wore a lighter-colored long gown over it.

The shoes she was wearing were long boots, somewhat worn and not very thick.

"Does the Taoist priest have chilblains on his feet? His shoes don't look warm."

The Taoist priest was very fast; in the blink of an eye, he had already folded three ingots and placed them on a long wooden plate.

"It's a little itchy, but I haven't gotten chilblains. My socks are crocheted from wool and are very warm. It's just a pity that I only have two pairs, and one pair is already torn and being patched up."

He said regretfully, "If only I had learned how to crochet socks from that old woman back then, they would be warm and durable."

Speaking of crocheting, in Song Chunxue's previous life, when she was in her sixties, the women in the village were following the latest fashion, saying that southerners liked crocheted socks and trousers.

At that time, Song Chunxue learned to crochet socks. Her family raised sheep, and she made strong and durable yarn from their wool, although it was a bit prickly.

After that gust of wind blew over, the people in the village stopped weaving.

Firstly, there is no yarn available in the market, and making it yourself would be time-consuming and laborious. Secondly, crocheted items are much more expensive than those made of cloth.

Farmers never finish their work in the fields and at home, and if they frequently crochet, it takes up a lot of their rest time.

“I can crochet, and I also know how to make yarn. My family has not yet sold the wool we shorn this year. Tomorrow I will heat and wash some wool, make some yarn, and crochet two pairs for my senior brother.”

The Taoist priest looked up, seemingly disbelieving that she could do such delicate work, "When did you start bragging?"

Song Chunxue said irritably, "Have you forgotten that I've lived many years longer than others?"

"I almost forgot, you were given a second chance by the King of Hell. How does it feel to start over?" The Taoist priest heard Sanwa and Lao Si chatting and laughing outside. "Your Sanwa got a good deal."

"It feels great. Things I couldn't understand before are now crystal clear. I thank God for his help." At this point, Song Chunxue lowered her voice, "Senior brother, could you please take a look at Sanwa? Will he be very successful in the future?"

The Taoist priest quickly flipped through the silver paper in his hand, smiled slightly, and said, "That depends on what kind of success you're referring to."

"..." This question stumped Song Chunxue.

"Actually, they are all very promising. Everyone has their own destiny, it's just that their timing is different. This time, Sanwa will live a good life as you wish. As for the rest, it's a secret that cannot be revealed."

Song Chunxue nodded, "What Senior Brother says is true."

"I heard from Xie Zheng that you not only bought two courtyards, but also land. Are you worried about your money being stolen?"

"Yes, several people have come to borrow money in the past two days. I chased one away before you came. I'm worried that someone might climb over the wall to steal it in a few days." She sighed, "Sigh, having a lot of money also has its troubles."

The Taoist priest laughed and scolded, "If you think it's too much, give it to me, I'll spend it for you."

"You didn't spend all those silver bricks last time, did you?" Song Chunxue asked curiously. "Have you thought about buying a courtyard house somewhere, at least to have a home for yourself? In case you want to get married and start a family someday, you can't have your wallet emptier than your face, can you?"

Sanwa and Lao Si's faces were red from the cold, and they rushed to the brazier to warm their hands as soon as they entered the house.

"Mom, there are still people setting off fireworks over at the Li family's place. There will probably be more later. Do you want to watch?"

Song Chunxue looked up and saw the two little wolfhounds trembling with fear from the noise outside, squeezing towards Sanwa and Lao Si's feet.

“I don’t care, it’s pointless. Come over and fold paper ingots for your father. Maybe he can guarantee you wealth and success.” Song Chunxue said bluntly, “To be honest, if you go with those unreliable classmates, you’ll just be hitting a wall.”

"Huh?" The fourth brother looked at the Taoist priest. "The Taoist priest figured that out?"