Although heavy snow was still falling outside, Xuanyu seemed ready to leave. Lu Qingjiu also knew that he had come here for other reasons, not to ask for vegetarian food, but rather to remind Lu Qingjiu of something.
After walking Xuanyu to the door, Lu Qingjiu wanted to lend him an umbrella, but Xuanyu smiled and shook his head, pulling out a flowery umbrella from his bag that looked completely out of place. The umbrella looked a bit worn, with a bright red peony embroidered on it. The embroidery was exquisite, but the bright and vibrant style was a far cry from Xuanyu's cool temperament.
However, Lu Qingjiu felt strangely that this umbrella looked familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before. He frowned slightly and was about to ask when he heard Xuan Yu's gentle voice: "Many years ago, it was also snowing heavily like this. I came here to ask for vegetarian food, and it was your elder who lent me a place to stay for one night."
When he said that, Lu Qingjiu immediately remembered that his grandmother had a red umbrella exactly like it. It was said to be a dowry brought by her when she was young. The embroidery on the umbrella was all hand-made by her grandmother. Lu Qingjiu had seen it in his childhood, but had forgotten it later.
Although Xuan Yu looks young, his actual age is probably beyond Lu Qingjiu's imagination.
"Do you know my grandma?" Lu Qingjiu asked.
Xuan Yu said, "It's just a chance encounter." He opened his umbrella and walked out into the snow. His cold voice was muffled by the whistling wind, becoming somewhat unclear. He said, "Donor Lu and your elder do bear some resemblance..."
Lu Qingjiu wanted to call him and ask more questions about grandma, but he did not stop and walked to the gate of the yard. Before pushing the door open, he slowly turned back and said the last sentence.
He said, Mr. Lu, I remember that your elders prepared a birthday gift for you before they passed away. I wonder if you can see it?
Lu Qingjiu was very confused when he heard this and asked, "Birthday gift? What is that?"
Xuan Yu shook his head, did not elaborate, and pushed the door open and walked out.
Seeing this, Lu Qingjiu hurriedly chased after him, but when he went out, he saw nothing. There was only heavy snow and an empty village. Xuanyu was no longer there.
Lu Qingjiu felt lost. He vaguely felt that the young monk Xuanyu in front of him seemed to have some connection with his grandmother.
When his grandmother suddenly fell ill, Lu Qingjiu rushed home, but it was too late. He didn't even have time to say a word to her. Finally, after suffering the death of his relatives one after another, Lu Qingjiu held a funeral for his grandmother in a daze...
But from beginning to end, Lu Qingjiu never saw the gift Xuanyu mentioned. Disappointed, Lu Qingjiu turned back home. When he reached the door, he tripped over the threshold. This trip reminded him of something, and he rushed into his bedroom. On the bedside table, he saw the black wooden box with a lock.
This was the most peculiar object he had found at home. Lu Qingjiu stroked the smooth surface of the box and had a guess in his mind... If what Xuanyu said was true, and this was really a birthday gift from his grandma, then he should try to open the box again on his birthday.
Perhaps the contents of the box could give him some important answers.
After seeing Xuanyu off, Lu Qingjiu carried Yin Xun and the other little guys into the living room, frowning and looking at them with embarrassment. Xuanyu said it would take three days for them to recover, so they would probably remain in the scarecrow form for the next few days...
But in this case, wouldn’t Yin Xun be able to go home and renew his incense and candles? Lu Qingjiu suddenly remembered this matter and became worried. He thought for a moment and decided to go to Yin Xun’s house to see if he could help him renew his incense and candles.
It was still snowing heavily outside, the wind whistling snowflakes all over the sky. Lu Qingjiu grabbed an umbrella and headed towards Yin Xun's house. The wind was so strong that it was difficult to walk inside. Lu Qingjiu had to lower himself very low to avoid being blown backwards. Large flakes of snow were blown by the wind and poured into Lu Qingjiu's neck. He shivered with cold all the way, gritting his teeth as he moved forward step by step. What should have been a few minutes of walking took him almost half an hour to reach his destination.
Since returning here, Lu Qingjiu has rarely been to Yin Xun's house. At most, he would go to his yard and living room to sit for a while. On weekdays, it was almost always Yin Xun who ran to Lu Qingjiu's house. Yin Xun's yard was not locked, and the door was wide open. The yard was empty, with no trace of human life. Lu Qingjiu took out the key he had found on Yin Xun's body, and with difficulty opened the living room door. After entering, he closed the door, and finally had a chance to breathe.
The furnishings in the living room were very simple, just a table and a few chairs, with no trace of incense. Lu Qingjiu decided to go to the bedroom. He stood up, brushed the snow off his legs, turned on the flashlight, and walked along the corridor near the guest room towards the bedroom.
Rural houses are all self-built, usually with many rooms, arranged in a U-shaped pattern to form a courtyard. The left side is the master bedroom, where the owner sleeps.
Lu Qingjiu took a few steps to the left and smelled a strong scent of incense and candles. He sniffed and found his target through the window - a bedroom with incense and candles.
The bedroom was locked. Lu Qingjiu opened it with the key and tiptoed into the room.
But after entering the house and taking a closer look at the furnishings, Lu Qingjiu felt a chill run down his spine. The small room was filled with densely packed memorial tablets, each with a different name. In the most prominent position, a tablet with the Chinese characters "Yin Xun" written on it caught Lu Qingjiu's attention.
A single incense stick sat before the memorial tablet. It was nearly finished, and red wax, like teardrops, had accumulated at the bottom. Lu Qingjiu frantically searched the room, but after searching the entire room, he couldn't find a replacement. The candle had already burned to the very bottom, and at its current rate, it would likely go out in half an hour or so.
Lu Qingjiu searched all the other rooms but couldn't find the candles. In desperation, he could only call Bai Yuehu again to ask him about the candles.
"Are you at Yin Xun's house now?" Bai Yuehu, who received the call, asked after learning about Lu Qingjiu's situation.
"Yeah." Lu Qingjiu said, "He was turned into a scarecrow, so I was wondering if his candle would burn out. Then I came over and saw that the candle was indeed about to burn out, but I couldn't find a replacement..."
Bai Yuehu thought for a moment and said, "Wait a minute, I'll be back soon."
Lu Qingjiu said: "Okay, I'll wait for you, hurry up."
After hanging up the phone, Lu Qingjiu sat at the door and waited for Bai Yuehu. He didn't know how Yin Xun had gotten through all these years. The house was completely deserted. Except for the sleeping area, everything was covered in dust, as if no one had lived there for a long time.
As the incense and candles gradually burned out, the flames became weaker and weaker. Lu Qingjiu, who was sitting at the door waiting, suddenly heard a very strange sound. At first he thought he was having an illusion, but soon, the sound became louder and louder.
"Crack, crack, crack!" Lu Qingjiu turned, shining his flashlight towards the source of the sound. When he saw what was making the noise, he froze in his tracks. The densely packed memorial tablets in the room began to tremble. The trembling was faint at first, but as the flames of the incense and candles grew dimmer, the vibrations grew more intense... It was as if something was pressing down on the tablets, ready to push them over and crawl out.
Although Lu Qingjiu didn't know what was under the tablet, he knew it was definitely not a good thing. If the incense and candles were to go out like this...
At this critical moment, Bai Yuehu finally appeared at the door. After he appeared, he did not speak to Lu Qingjiu, but ran straight to Xiangzhu, took out a sharp knife from his arms and cut his wrist.
Red blood gushed out from his wrist and poured onto the incense candle that was about to go out.
Lu Qingjiu was terrified watching from the side. He was really afraid that the candle would go out if Bai Yuehu's blood was poured on it. However, Bai Yuehu was clearly aware of what he was doing. As soon as the blood came into contact with the candle, a sizzling sound was emitted. Then, the candle, which was almost burned out, suddenly rose from the ground, continuously merging with the blood, and turned into a brand new red candle.
The tablet that had been making noises before quieted down again, and the place returned to its original silence.
"Yuehu, is your hand okay?" Lu Qingjiu saw that the incense and candles were relit, and hurried forward to grab Bai Yuehu's wrist.
Bai Yuehu said, "It's okay."
Lu Qingjiu asked, “Does it hurt?”
Bai Yuehu looked at Lu Qingjiu without saying a word. He could have let the wound heal directly, but facing Lu Qingjiu's worried look, he actually felt a subtle sense of happiness. So he nodded in obedience and said frankly: "It hurts."
Lu Qingjiu looked at the hideous wound on Bai Yuehu's beautiful wrist and said anxiously, "Such a big cut, how much blood must have been lost? I'll kill a chicken tonight and heal it for you..."
Bai Yuehu said, "I can't kill him."
"Why?" Lu Qingjiu asked curiously.
"It's all turned into straw." said Bai Yuehu.
Lu Qingjiu: "..." He had completely forgotten about it. The chickens had always lived in the chicken coop, and his attention was on Yin Xun and the others, so he naturally didn't notice that his chickens had also turned into scarecrows. It was just that the scarecrow had the appearance of a chicken... and it couldn't be eaten for the time being.
Bai Yuehu said, "Let's go. Let's light the incense and candles and go back."
Lu Qingjiu said, "The incense and candles are renewed with blood? Then do we have to come here again tomorrow... and Yin Xun..."
Bai Yuehu shook his head. "The Mountain God Clan has its own way of renewing the incense and candles. Without incense offerings, I can only use my blood. You don't need to come tomorrow. My blood can sustain the incense and candles for at least thirty days."
Lu Qingjiu heaved a sigh of relief when he heard this. Bai Yuehu's words helped him answer two of his biggest concerns. Since neither Yin Xun nor Bai Yuehu had to bleed, that would naturally be the best.
Compared to when she left, Bai Yuehu was wearing a thick white cloak. The cloak seemed to be some kind of animal fur, snow-white, soft, and very warm. Before the two of them left, Bai Yuehu naturally took off the cloak and put it on Lu Qingjiu's shoulders.
Lu Qingjiu was stunned for a moment, then looked up at Bai Yuehu. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Bai Yuehu say, "You're afraid of the cold, put on some clothes."
"What kind of fur is this?" Lu Qingjiu rubbed it with his hands. The fur was soft and firm, without a single stray hair, and had a slight luster of the light color of high-quality fur. As soon as Bai Yuehu put this thing on his shoulder, he felt a surge of warmth in his body.
"I don't know either." Bai Yuehu said, "He lost to me."
Lu Qingjiu asked: "Lose?"
Bai Yuehu said: "Yes, we took a gamble."
Lu Qingjiu didn't ask any more questions after hearing this. He just thought that gambling is really harmful to health. Losing money is fine, but he also lost the skin...
Wearing a thick cloak, Lu Qingjiu held an umbrella and walked into the heavy snow with Bai Yuehu. He didn't know if it was Lu Qingjiu's psychological effect, but he always felt that on the way back, the wind and snow were much smaller and his body was not cold anymore.
After arriving home, Lu Qingjiu moved all the scarecrows out and hung them in the living room. Luckily, there were hardly any visitors this winter. Otherwise, if someone walked into the house and saw all the scarecrows spread out on the floor, they would probably have had a heart attack.
Xuan Yu said that they would be able to return to normal in three days, so during these three days, only Bai Yuehu and Lu Qingjiu were left at home.
Bai Yuehu and Lu Qingjiu both preferred quiet personalities, so living this way was quite comfortable. Lu Qingjiu found an opportunity to ask Bai Yuehu about Xuanyu. Bai Yuehu only gave a very rough introduction to Xuanyu. He said that he was a high-ranking monk who should have become an immortal long ago, but because of some circumstances, he stayed in the mortal world. He was a rare and powerful figure among humans, but he rarely participated in worldly affairs. The last time he appeared was more than ten years ago.
"Then why did he come to my place?" Lu Qingjiu asked.
"Maybe he wants to see old friends." Bai Yuehu replied.
Old people? Probably referring to Lu Qingjiu's grandmother, but he didn't know what kind of story he had with her. Lu Qingjiu felt a little regretful. He found that he didn't know much about his grandmother. She was ignorant when she was young, and when she grew up, she had already left Shuifu Village. When she returned here again, everything had changed.
On the morning of the third day, Yin Xun, who had transformed into a scarecrow, finally returned to human form. Along with him, Xiaohua, Xiaohei, and the little fox… and Yu Shiqi, hidden in the little fox's furry scarf. Honestly, because she was often absent, Lu Qingjiu had almost forgotten about her…
The few who had turned back into humans hugged each other and cried loudly. Yin Xun was crying with tears and snot, which made Lu Qingjiu look very disgusted.
"Jiu'er, you are such a good person." Yin Xun said, "That monk is really too much. He actually wants to burn us. Wuwuwuwu, I am just an innocent little mountain god!"
"Yes, yes, I'm just an innocent little pig." Xiaohua howled beside Yin Xun.
The little fox also chirped and looked sad and tearful.
Lu Qingjiu felt helpless, unable to persuade them, and could only let them continue to howl. He then realized that after being transformed into scarecrows, they were still conscious, able to hear people talking outside and see images. It was conceivable that if Lu Qingjiu really chose to burn them all, they would be heartbroken.
After a while, Lu Qingjiu had a splitting headache from the howling: "Stop crying, okay? I'll make you something delicious, okay?"
Yin Xun: "You don't love me at all, and you don't care whether I'm doing well or not——"
Lu Qingjiu: "I shouldn't have given birth to you."
Yin Xun wanted to continue crying, but Bai Yuehu, who came in from outside, glared at her. She quickly quieted down and said, "Okay, I won't cry anymore. Just make me something delicious."
Lu Qingjiu: “Alas!”
It was really cold that day. In Yin Xun's words, you should never pee in the wild, otherwise after you pee, some part of your body will become disposable.
When the weather gets cold, people don't want to move much. If it weren't for comforting Yin Xun, Lu Qingjiu really didn't want to make particularly troublesome meals.
Because of the power outage, their refrigerator had long been moved into the snow. If you think about it carefully, it is not a refrigerator but a hot box, because the temperature in the freezer is slightly higher than outside.
Lu Qingjiu asked Bai Yuehu to bring back a fresh onion deer that night. The meat of the onion deer was so good that it tasted delicious no matter how it was cooked. Lu Qingjiu asked Bai Yuehu to cut the onion deer and save the ribs. He stewed the bones with the meat, stir-fried the meat, and grilled the ribs over charcoal.
The bones of onion are thinner than those of sheep, and have no mutton smell. There is no need to worry about not being able to handle it properly. First, marinate the meat carefully with marinade for a few hours, then roast it slowly over charcoal fire.
The room soon began to be filled with the rich aroma of roasted meat. The thin layer of fat on the edge of the ribs sizzled as it roasted, and the fat dripped into the burning brazier, making crackling sounds.
Lu Qingjiu gave the roasted meat to Bai Yuehu and Yin Xun to satisfy their cravings, and also let the other three little guys have a taste.
"It's delicious. Jiu'er, you should eat something quickly." Yin Xun took a bite, and there were still black marks on the corners of his mouth. He quickly said to Lu Qingjiu, "Eat it while it's hot."
Lu Qingjiu smiled and said, “You guys eat first, I’ll wait for the next piece.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Yuehu, who was sitting next to him, naturally handed the untouched lamb chops in his hand to Lu Qingjiu's mouth.
Lu Qingjiu was stunned at first, then lowered his head, smiled, and took a bite. It was indeed delicious. The outside of the short ribs was a little crispy, but the meat inside was very tender and juicy. After being marinated for a long time, the short ribs were also flavorful, with the right amount of saltiness and the fragrance of spices.
When Lu Qingjiu was in his mouth, he felt that it would be more perfect if there was a fresh lemon to squeeze the juice on it.
Yin Xun watched the interaction between Bai Yuehu and Lu Qingjiu and swallowed hard, but he didn't dare to say anything. Instead, he lowered his head and continued to gnaw on the ribs in silence.
Bai Yuehu didn't think there was anything wrong with her behavior and ate the spareribs, still bearing Lu Qingjiu's teeth marks, quite naturally. The bone soup in the pot was almost done and very delicious. It was a refreshing drink after getting tired of spareribs. The soup also warmed my body. The sweet potatoes roasted in the charcoal pot were also a good staple. They were sweet, soft, and sticky, and Lu Qingjiu loved them.
Lu Qingjiu grilled and ate at the same time, and unknowingly he was a little full. Yin Xun was about the same as him, his stomach had become round. He touched his stomach and burped, his expression was stunned for two seconds: "Did I forget something important?"
Lu Qingjiu: "What?"
Yin Xun, who had been eating at Lu Qingjiu's house all day, suddenly stood up, slapped his head and shouted in horror: "Fuck, fuck! I forgot to go home and continue the incense!!"
He turned around and ran away. Before Lu Qingjiu could call him, he saw him running out like a frightened rabbit and never coming back.
Lu Qingjiu: "...How come he runs so fast?"
Bai Yuehu said: "It can be regarded as his only advantage."
Lu Qingjiu: “…” Yin Xun’s memory is really bad. By the time he remembers, the table in his house might have been burned through.
Yin Xun, who ran home frantically, called Lu Qingjiu after discovering that his family's incense had been renewed. Lu Qingjiu was soaking her feet, and while soaking, she naturally stroked the furry tail of the White Moon Fox with her hand. It must be said that humans really have an indescribable complex about furry things, and they are simply unable to maintain self-control in the face of such a huge temptation.
Hearing the phone ringing, Lu Qingjiu picked it up lazily, deliberately holding the phone farther away from his ear.
As expected, the next moment, Yin Xun's horrified cry came from the phone: "Lu Qingjiu, how come my family's incense has been continued? It can't be you? It can't be you——"
"It's not me." Lu Qingjiu said, "It's Bai Yuehu."
Hearing Lu Qingjiu's answer, Yin Xun breathed a sigh of relief: "It's okay, it's okay, I was scared to death."
Lu Qingjiu asked, "Are you okay over there?"
Yin Xun said, "It's nothing serious."
Lu Qingjiu asked, "What if the incense is cut off?"
Yin Xundao: "Ah... then something big is going to happen."
Lu Qingjiu said: "Since it is a serious matter, why should we ask you to guard it? I don't think you are a powerful person." To be honest, after spending some time together, he did not feel any characteristics related to God in Yin Xun. In his eyes, Yin Xun was just a childhood friend who was a little unreliable. If he had to say that there was something about Yin Xun that was related to God, then Lu Qingjiu could only say that he was sometimes quite crazy.
Yin Xun: "You'll easily lose me as a friend if you talk like that."
Lu Qingjiu: "It doesn't matter, I can capture you and make you my pet then."
Yin Xun: “…” Lu Qingjiu, please be a human being.
Lu Qingjiu could even guess Yin Xun's aggrieved expression as he wanted to refute but couldn't find the words to say. He laughed and said, "Okay, I won't joke with you anymore. I'm going to bed. Good night."
"Good night." Yin Xun hung up the phone.
After hanging up the phone, Lu Qingjiu yawned lazily and habitually dragged the big furry tail to his side. However, he vaguely felt that something was wrong while dragging it. When he looked down, he was completely dumbfounded.
Lu Qingjiu raised his head stiffly and saw Bai Yuehu sitting by the window, eating melon seeds. He didn't notice what was happening. He spoke with difficulty, "Yuehu..."
Bai Yuehu turned around: "Hmm?"
Lu Qingjiu said: "That's what I want to ask."
White Moon Fox: “?”
Lu Qingjiu chose his words carefully and said with great difficulty, "What would happen if the fox spirit's tail accidentally fell off?"
Bai Yuehu's expression froze for a moment, and he obviously understood the meaning of Lu Qingjiu's question. He slowly lowered his head and saw that the nine fluffy tails had separated from his body and were now being held submissively in the arms of Lu Qingjiu, who looked terrified.
Bai Yuehu: “…” Something is wrong.
Lu Qingjiu: “…Moon…Fox…?”
The author has something to say: Lu Qingjiu holds the tail: Aaaaaaaaaaaaa the tail fell off!!!
Bai Yuehu: ...Tsk, quality issue.
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