Chapter 281 The Dragon Boat Festival is Approaching

Mei Yang was personally escorted to the door by the Taoist priest.

Song Chunxue and Yao Man went inside to whisper to each other.

As soon as they entered the house, Yao Man eagerly pulled Song Chunxue aside and inquired about the Taoist priest.

Song Chunxue didn't like to talk about these things. She understood that Yao Man was asking about these things out of curiosity, not out of concern for her.

Although she is now close to Yao Man, she was initially willing to lend her money because she knew Yao Man was a good person and trustworthy.

But after spending time together, Song Chunxue discovered that they were two different kinds of people.

Chatting with Yao Man was a bit of a struggle for Song Chunxue.

She was a quiet person, while Yao Man was a businesswoman who was good at dealing with people and was very talkative.

Song Chunxue is usually quiet, but she becomes very talkative when she's trying to get something out of things.

But when Yao Man asked, she still gave a general account of how she met the Taoist priest, so as not to be misunderstood.

"Oh? So, your sudden stroke of good fortune started with the wealth-bringing talisman the Taoist priest gave you?"

"Then I'll buy a few more from the Taoist priest. How many can I buy at most?" Yao Man asked curiously. "Is twenty okay?"

Song Chunxue smiled and said, "Then go ask the Taoist priest."

"Don't rush, I just want to ask, do you really not have any other intentions with the Taoist priest?"

Song Chunxue nodded, "No."

"Yes, that's true. Although it's possible for a Taoist priest to get married, a person who cultivates will definitely have entanglements if they get married, which is not good for their cultivation. Generally, Taoist priests with profound Taoist skills do not get married. You shouldn't let yourself have such thoughts, or it would be bad if it ruined the Taoist priest's cultivation."

"The Taoist priest is the savior of many poor people. There are many people like you who have received his kindness. If you take him home, he will have to save fewer people in the future."

"Being able to become a fellow disciple with the Taoist Master is already a blessing you've accumulated over several lifetimes of cultivation. No one is worthy of someone as otherworldly and refined as the Taoist Master."

"Since you have also embarked on the path of cultivation, then cultivate diligently and do more good deeds in the future, and help us ordinary people who are suffering in dire straits, right?"

What he said made sense, but Song Chunxue still felt that something was off.

Upon closer reflection, Yao Man was saying that she was not worthy of the Taoist priest.

This is the truth, but the truth is hard to hear.

“Then I’ll go find the Taoist priest and buy a few lucky charms.” With that, Yao Man stood up and said, “I have to go back and take care of the business, so I won’t chat with you anymore. Come to my tavern another day, and I’ll introduce you to that private tutor, okay?”

Song Chunxue quickly composed herself and replied calmly, "Okay, I'll come see you another day."

Although she said that, Song Chunxue was somewhat displeased.

Why did Yao Man also feel that she absolutely needed a man?

Song Chunxue followed Yao Man into the courtyard and watched as Yao Man bought a lucky charm from the Taoist priest.

"One hundred coins per sheet?"

Upon hearing the price, Yao Man hesitated.

She glanced at Song Chunxue, but said nothing.

"Then I'll buy two and try them out to see if they work. I'll come back to buy more once they do."

The Taoist priest nodded, "Alright."

He looked at Song Chunxue and said, "Junior brother, go to the table in my room and get two sheets."

"Oh wait, I think I've run out of drawings. How about I give you two of the ones my junior brother drew?"

Song Chunxue looked at Yao Man and, sure enough, saw hesitation and displeasure in her eyes.

The Taoist priest smiled slightly and said, "My junior brother's wealth-attracting talisman is very well drawn, even more effective than mine. Don't you want it, believer?"

Yao Man smiled and looked at Song Chunxue, saying frankly, "You know how it is among acquaintances. No matter how well Sister Song draws, it's not as effective as a Taoist priest who has cultivated for many years. Why don't you ask the Taoist priest to draw two for me? I'll be waiting."

The Taoist priest slowly stood up. "Alright, please wait a moment, believer."

Song Chunxue remained expressionless, pointed to the stone bench, and said, "Sit down and have some tea."

"Okay." Yao Man looked at Song Chunxue a little embarrassedly. "It's not that I dislike the lucky charm you drew. I'll buy another one you draw next time, okay?"

"Well, it's alright. After all, my senior brother is a proper Taoist priest. I've only been learning for a short time, so it would be strange if I painted well." Song Chunxue smiled slightly. If it were her, she would also buy from the Taoist priest.

A short while later, the Taoist priest came out of the house with two talismans in his hand.

Yao Man took out two hundred coins, thanked them profusely, and left.

The gate closed, and the courtyard returned to silence.

The Taoist priest changed the tea leaves again, brewed a pot of it, and poured it into her teacup.

Are you feeling uneasy?

"A little."

Song Chunxue sighed and said with a half-smile, "But what they said is true. I don't need to listen to others picking on me. We're not that close yet, so let's just have less contact in the future."

No matter how well she is doing now, in Yao Man's eyes, she is still that farmer in Lijiazhuang, facing the loess soil with her back to the sky.

If it weren't for a stroke of luck, she would still be stuck in that remote mountain village, toiling away in the yellow earth.

"True friends are hard to find, and businessmen are driven by profit, so don't be sad. Your friend is trustworthy and has good fortune. Just don't get too close to him, lest you be left alone to grieve in the future."

"Junior brother is easily misled by others. In the future, you should be more reserved when dealing with people. Be three parts sincere and seven parts well-mannered. Don't be too serious."

As he spoke, the Taoist priest took out a bracelet from his sleeve. "These are beads made of peach wood struck by lightning. Wear them casually for fun."

He placed the bracelet on the stone table and poured himself a cup of tea. "When I come across a jujube tree struck by lightning in the future, I'll make you another one."

Song Chunxue was surprised and picked up the bracelet to take a look. It was smooth, round and very symmetrical, but the beads were very large, so it belonged to her senior brother.

"Senior brother, you're not trying to comfort me, are you? You're treating me like a child, aren't you?" She handed the bracelet back, laughing helplessly. "At my age, would I be sad and cry over something like this?"

“I know that peach wood is good for warding off evil spirits. You’ve worn this bracelet for a long time and have become attached to it, so don’t give it away easily. I don’t like wearing these things; they get in the way when I’m working.”

The Taoist priest stood up. "You still don't appreciate it? Forget it, it's a waste of time. I'm going to take a nap."

"A gentleman does not take what others love. I just learned it. Anyway, it's a waste to keep it in my hands. My senior brother might be able to use it to fight ghosts tonight."

The Taoist priest walked leisurely towards the west room with his hands behind his back. "You guessed right. This bracelet really did fight ghosts, and it did so three times."

"..." Song Chunxue just said it casually.

"I'm not going out today. I'm going to eat potatoes and sleep under the covers tonight."

"Okay, then I'll pick a bunch of scallions."

"Potato Covered with a Blanket" is, as the name suggests, a dish of stir-fried potato strips covered with a blanket.

The potato strips are stir-fried until they are very oily. After boiling them with plenty of water, they are covered with rolled buckwheat noodles.

Some people call it braised noodles, because you can braise all kinds of noodles on top of potatoes, and even braise steamed buns.

This dish is usually made on rainy days because it's a bit dry and hard to swallow on a sunny day.

The Taoist priest drank too much tea today, so he probably wanted to eat.

As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, the streets are gradually becoming more lively, with more and more people selling various sachets and colorful ropes, creating a vibrant and colorful scene from afar.

During the Dragon Boat Festival, everyone ties flower ropes on their hands, which is said to prevent snakes from entangled them.

This custom dates back to when Song Chunxue could remember things, so it's estimated that snakes have been around for a long time.

There have been so many snakes these past few years; you can encounter them everywhere you go.

Some are coiled on the road, some are in holes in the wall, and they can be found in the grass and around the house.

But five or six years later, the climate here changed drastically, and not a single snake could be seen.

"Mom, you can sew sachets too?"

Seeing Song Chunxue holding a needle and thread and embroidering a tiger head in a very professional manner, Sanwa was surprised and curious.