Chapter 784 Longevity Lock
Manbao took out the longevity lock hanging around his neck and argued, "See? This longevity lock is only this big. Even if I take it out, my family will be bankrupt. We were quite wealthy before my fourth brother started gambling."
She sighed deeply, "Before that, I never had to worry about food and clothing, but after my fourth brother started gambling, even I had to worry about my livelihood."
County Magistrate Yang couldn't help but burst out laughing. Le asked, "How old were you then?"
Bai Shan said: "Four years old!"
He remembered it especially clearly because he had a fight with her shortly afterwards!
Many of my childhood memories are vague, but this one is particularly special and remains vivid.
Bai Shan glanced at Man Bao.
Manbao continued, "He's almost five years old now. So you see, even a child like me has to worry about making a living. That shows how poor my family was back then. So don't follow my fourth brother's example and gamble."
Magistrate Yang finally believed they wouldn't gamble, and nodded with a smile. His eyes swept over the longevity lock on Manbao's neck, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Huh?" He leaned forward to take a closer look, and asked with a smile, "Where did you get this longevity lock?"
"My parents beat me!"
County Magistrate Yang took another look at the longevity lock and asked with a smile, "Did your parents make it? Where did they make it?"
"Where else could it be made? At a silver shop," Manbao repeated her father's words. "My family spent a lot of money on this. I've been in poor health since I was born and always have to take medicine. I heard that wearing a longevity lock can prolong life, so my father used silver to make one for me. After I put it on, my health really improved a lot, so you are not allowed to take off the longevity lock."
"That's not what you said before," Bai Shan said. "You said before that you had been in poor health since you were a child, and then your mother took you to the Taoist temple to worship the Tianzun Master, and the Tianzun Master liked you, and then your illness was cured."
Bai Erlang said confusedly, "Didn't they say that eating egg water is good for health?"
Manbao: "...How should I know? My parents told me. You can judge for yourself."
Bai Shan and Bai Jilang: "...Your family has so many excuses."
County Magistrate Yang stared thoughtfully at the longevity lock on Manbao's neck. After a long silence, he smiled and said, "This longevity lock looks quite unique. Can you take it off and show it to me?"
"Aren't all longevity locks the same?" Bai Shan frowned slightly. "I have one too. Let me show you mine."
County Magistrate Yang tapped him on the head with his fan and said with a smile, "I just want to see Manbao's."
Manbao didn't mind and took it off to show him. Although her parents didn't let her take it off, they were afraid of losing it. County Magistrate Yang would never take her longevity lock away.
County Magistrate Yang took the longevity lock and walked to a lantern to look at it carefully. The three little heads also came over to take a look out of curiosity, and found that it was still a longevity lock and could not grow a flower.
County Magistrate Yang smiled upon seeing this, and returned the longevity lock to Manbao, then asked, "Did your parents really make it for you at the silver shop?"
When he asked this, Manbao hesitated. She knew that her father would brag occasionally, but when he braggarted, he naturally didn't tell the truth.
She nodded slowly, a little unsure herself, "Really?"
Yang Heshu patted her head and said with a smile, "Okay, this longevity lock is very unique. I want to make one for my child when I have one."
Manbao perked up and asked, "Master Yang, are you getting married?"
Yang Heshu nodded worriedly and said, "Yes, my family has already arranged a marriage, and I will be going back to get married soon."
Bai Shan then asked, "What about the spring planting?"
Isn’t it the job of a county magistrate to encourage people to engage in agriculture and sericulture?
"Fortunately, I got married and returned just in time for spring planting, so I was able to catch up."
The three of them opened their mouths wide, "Is it so urgent?"
Manbao hesitated and said, "My mother said that families who marry before spring planting are not good families."
Yang Heshu: "...Although my family also has land, my daughter-in-law doesn't have to work the land herself, so this rule is not suitable for judging the quality of my family."
Manbao breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought the Yang family was such a harsh family.
Yang Heshu's face darkened when he saw this, and Bai Shan was adding fuel to the fire, "But Lord Yang, that's too hasty. Why don't you get married before the New Year?"
Yang Heshu glanced at him and said nothing, because he didn't want to get married at that time.
As for why he wants to get married again now, it is naturally because he lost the fight and ultimately could not withstand the pressure from his parents.
Yang Heshu sighed deeply and said, "I originally wanted to wait until I became successful before getting married."
Manbao calculated Yang Heshu's age and said, "That's going to take quite a few years. Sir Yang, are you going to pay the single tax?"
Bai Shanze said, "You didn't set a good example. No wonder Zhou Liuge didn't want to get married after you became the county magistrate."
Bai Erlang said, "My eldest brother has also proposed marriage, but he doesn't want to get married either. He said he wants to get married only after he passes the Imperial College."
The three of them looked at Yang and the book together.
Seeing that they could even blame him for such a thing, Yang Heshu was furious and turned around and left. "Let's go, go back and pack up and go home. There shouldn't be anyone who will cause trouble for my son now."
Just as he said that, a bailiff came running to report, "Sir, there are two groups of people fighting in the south of the city, involving more than 18 people. The county lieutenant has already led his men over."
Yang Heshu immediately walked quickly and asked, "Is there any light? Be careful of fire..."
Manbao and the other two thought about it and decided that fighting, especially a group fight, was too dangerous. Since they were still young, they decided not to join in the fun. So they stood back and waved goodbye to Yang Heshu, "Master Yang, we'll go back first. See you later."
Yang Heshu didn't even turn his head, just waved back and left.
Manbao and Baishan Bai Erlang looked at each other, took out the three taels of silver, and the three of them laughed and ran to the street to buy things.
Daji followed behind, glanced at Manbao's neck, and followed quietly.
The prices in the county town were not high and there were few good things, so even though they bought as much as they wanted, they still only spent less than one tael of the three taels of silver. They did not divide the remaining money, but left it with Manbao, deciding to use it the next time they went out together.
As the night grew darker and the air became colder, the people holding lanterns and parading through the streets gradually grew sleepy and began to disperse and go home.
Those who lived in the city could walk a short distance to get home, but those who lived in villages outside the city would gather at various places and then go out of the city and go home in groups.
So the lights in the city gradually decreased, but instead, lights began to light up on the main roads and small roads outside the city.
A night watchman looked at the clappers and shouted faintly, "The weather is dry, there are many lanterns for the Lantern Festival, be careful with the candles——"
The next update will be around 6:00 PM
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
