Chapter 104 Master Zhang
Are there harmful talismans in the thatched kiln?
Song Chunxue looked at the thatched kiln in surprise, and the eldest brother was coming out of it.
His eyes were half-closed by the sunlight, making it impossible to discern his emotions.
“This guy is just like any other conman, but he insists on waiting for his mother to come back before he talks to her. He tells her not to fall for his tricks. I think he just wants to scam people out of food, drink, and money.”
Just as Song Chunxue was about to say something, she saw Chen Feng lift the curtain and look over with a frightened expression.
Why is she so guilty?
Although Song Chunxue did not completely believe the Taoist priest, he was different from other swindlers. He did not say that he was begging for alms, nor did he offer to tell her fortune as soon as they met.
Most importantly, he didn't say "fellow practitioner," which is a term used by Buddhists to address laypeople, and is also a term often used by fake Taoists.
Song Chunxue felt that this Taoist priest was most likely genuine.
It was just a meal anyway, and seeing Chen Feng repeatedly lifting the curtain, she really wanted to hear what this Taoist priest had to say.
"Never mind that, go about your business." Song Chunxue pointed to the courtyard. "Please come in, have some water first, and we can go inside and talk slowly."
"Mother, how can you bring other men into the house like that..." The eldest son couldn't help but stop him.
"Why didn't you stop Li Guangzheng when he came?" Song Chunxue glared at him. "I can hit him or kick him out whenever I want, it's none of your business."
"..." The boss was speechless for a moment.
He thought that his mother's attitude towards him would improve if she asked Sanwa to bring him meat.
The Taoist priest stood up, looked at the eldest brother, and shook his head.
Song Chunxue happened to see it.
"Did you see something, Taoist priest?"
The Taoist priest patted the large cloth bag hanging on his shoulder, "It cannot be said, it cannot be said. Please trouble the believer to give me a bowl of water to drink."
"Please sit in the courtyard for a while, Master. I'll be right there."
As Song Chunxue walked into the kitchen and scooped water, she suddenly realized that the Taoist priest had asked her in surprise about her age. Could it be that he could tell that she had actually lived for many years and that her soul was older than her body?
Thinking this, she took a plate, filled two bowls with warm water, and a dish of yellow rice steamed buns.
"Daoist Master, let's talk in the north room." Song Chunxue smiled and raised her hand. "It's too sunny outside, it's cooler inside."
“No problem.” The Taoist priest stood up from the steps. “This late summer heat is still quite intense; it’s making my neck ache.”
"May I ask your surname, Taoist priest?"
Song Chunxue instinctively felt that the Taoist priest in front of her was real, and out of curiosity, she decided to ask him some questions first.
"Just call me Master Zhang," he said, drinking two bowls of water in one gulp and wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "This fennel stalk water is delicious."
"I'm glad you don't mind, Daoist Master." Song Chunxue sat on the stool. "Daoist Master, please eat first. I'll cook later. Didn't you say there were harmful things in the thatched hut outside? What exactly happened?"
The Taoist priest was sitting on an old wooden chair in the north room when he saw a woman who had just given birth flash past the courtyard gate.
“There’s something buried behind the door in that room. It looks like it was just buried not long ago.” Master Zhang narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “You can’t be too careful. They’re willing to try any kind of evil or crooked method.”
"What do you mean by that, Daoist Master?" Song Chunxue asked curiously, wondering if it was related to her boss.
Only the eldest son and his wife lived in that house. If it wasn't buried for long, it can only mean that the eldest son buried it.
"Mother, who is this?" The fourth son came in from outside after finishing his IV drip, cautiously examining the Taoist priest in front of him.
Master Zhang also sized up the fourth brother, "Is this the believer's son?"
"Yes, this is my fourth child." Song Chunxue was too curious and couldn't help but lower her voice to ask, "The Taoist priest said he wanted to get rid of the talismans that were causing trouble. How exactly is that done?"
The fourth son frowned and looked at Song Chunxue. "Mother, don't be fooled. This is a scam to swindle money. I've seen it all before in school. They've all encountered Taoist priests begging for alms."
"The one begging for alms is a monk, not a Taoist priest. I earn my living by my skills. I tell fortunes about the future and marriage prospects of rich men and change their feng shui. I'm not short of money."
Master Zhang tapped the table lightly with one hand, his sharp eyes scrutinizing the fourth brother. "You don't seem like the type to be diligent, yet you manage to herd sheep so peacefully. That's rare, not bad."
"..." The fourth son's cheeks puffed up with anger. He turned to Song Chunxue and said, "Mother, go cook. I'll have a good talk with this liar."
Song Chunxue was itching with anticipation, but the Taoist priest wouldn't tell her anything, so she had no choice but to get up and cook.
"Master, you don't have any dietary restrictions, do you?"
"Apart from beef, I don't have any dietary restrictions."
Taoist priests actually have "four things they don't eat": besides beef, they also don't eat snakehead fish, wild geese, or dogs. But the other three are things that ordinary people don't eat.
Dogs are the most common animals in this barren and arid mountain area, but the people here do not eat dog meat.
After Song Chunxue left, the fourth brother moved a wooden stool and sat down. "Tell me," he said, "how did you lie to my mother?"
The old Taoist priest swallowed the yellowish-brown steamed bun in his mouth, clapped his hands, and leaned forward.
"Has your mother's personality changed drastically or her behavior become abnormal six months ago?"
The fourth son was stunned for a moment. Now that he heard this, it seemed that his mother had suddenly distanced herself from the eldest son about half a year ago, was wary of him in every way, and had even started to favor the third son.
If it weren't for that, he would still be in school, studying freely.
“That’s right,” the old Taoist priest leaned back in his chair, crossed his left leg over his right knee, picked up a yellow rice bun and took a bite. “Hmm, your mother’s cooking is quite good.”
The fourth child's curiosity was successfully piqued. "Why are you being so mysterious, you old Taoist priest? What happened to my mother? Could it be that she is..."
"Don't worry, your mother is still your mother. However," Master Zhang shook his head slightly, "you must be filial to her. Her life has not been easy. She raised five children all by herself. Don't upset her. It's good for yourselves."
"..." The fourth brother felt that the old swindler was cursing.
"You're too arrogant, yet you can't endure hardship. Young people should be down-to-earth and persevere." The old Taoist priest chewed on a yellow rice bun, swinging his legs slightly, looking nonchalant.
He said leisurely, "Although I think it's a bit foolish to just suffer all the time, you really should suffer a bit. Only by enduring hardship can one rise above others. If you only think about taking shortcuts, you'll suffer in the future."
“As long as you survive past thirty-five, wealth and honor will come naturally,” he said, leaning closer and pointing to the fourth son. “A wife who has shared hardship should not be abandoned. You should treat her well in the future. One should not forget one’s roots.”
The fourth brother was completely confused, but it all sounded like he was being insulted.
Song Chunxue stood outside the door, listening to the Taoist priest's words.
He was indeed a Taoist priest with real skills.
In her previous life, the fourth son did indeed become wealthy when he was almost forty. After she passed away, he learned from the third son's children that the fourth son had actually kept a mistress and could only see his wife a few times a year.
She brought in some melons, saying, "Taoist Master, try these melons and see if they're sweet."
"Mom, where did this melon come from?" He remembered that they didn't grow melons at home.
"Master, may I ask..."
“You want to ask about talismans, right?” The Taoist priest stood up and clapped his hands. “If you trust me, I’ll go and dig them up right now and show them to you. Just wait.”
As he spoke, he took light steps and left the courtyard in the blink of an eye.
Song Chunxue quickly followed.
"Mother, what kind of talisman?"
Song Chunxue stood at the door and reached out to stop him. "Wait here."
"What are you doing, you liar? Get out!" Chen Feng shouted anxiously. "I'm still in my postpartum confinement period, you stinking Taoist priest..."
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