Chapter 307 It's Raining
Upon arriving at the solemn and imposing courtyard, Song Chunxue unconsciously lowered her voice as she spoke, drawn by the three gates.
"Senior brother, this family was very wealthy back then. The owner of this courtyard must have owned more than one property. How could he bear to sell it?"
The senior brother pushed open the door and lowered his voice as well, "Our family has fallen on hard times, there's nothing we can do about it. But many people have taken a liking to this courtyard. The owner of this house is quite kind. Knowing that I want to build a temple here, he has been reserving it for us. I just don't know if we can afford it."
"We are not..."
"Please come in, esteemed Taoist priests."
Song Chunxue looked up and saw a man in his fifties, dressed in fine clothes, who extended his hand and bowed slightly to invite them into the backyard.
She was holding a stone, wanting to throw it away but not wanting to, wanting to hide it but not having time, so she simply held on to it without a care.
These pickled vegetables made with stones aren't perfectly round, but they'll definitely look great in water.
She thought that if she carried it down the mountain, she might be able to sell it for a few coins.
They passed through two covered walkways and arrived at a quiet courtyard planted with green bamboo.
A man with gray hair and a weak body leaned against the table, holding a string of Bodhi seed beads in his hand.
As you get closer, you can hear that he's breathing somewhat labored and that there's something stuck in his throat.
Such a large courtyard, yet there were only two people inside, and the house was empty; it seems the valuables had already been moved away.
"Please have a seat, esteemed Taoist priests." The gray-haired man gestured with his hand. "Steward Liu, serve tea."
"Yes." The man who had led the way turned around slowly.
Song Chunxue looked at her senior brother, who glanced at the stone in her arms but ultimately said nothing.
"Do you two Taoist priests really intend to buy this courtyard of mine?" The man raised his hand to his lips and coughed softly twice. "How much money did you bring?"
"That depends on how much you're willing to pay. Although we don't have much money, we can raise the funds once you set a price. Our senior brother has his eye on this courtyard for many years. We can raise whatever price you ask for, but you must reserve it for us."
"Ahem," the Taoist priest coughed twice. "Mr. Zhao, my junior brother is speaking nonsense, so there's no need to pay him any mind. But I would like to hear how much silver you are willing to pay to leave this courtyard."
Before long, the butler brought in hot tea.
Mr. Zhao took two sips before slowly looking at Song Chunxue.
His gaze fell on the stone in her arms. "Where did this stone come from? May this old man take a look?"
Song Chunxue glanced at the Taoist priest, wondering if the old man recognized the stone and was planning to take it back.
"Let him take a look," the Taoist priest said gently. "Anyway, you'll just be pickling vegetables with it when you take it back."
That's true, but she thought the stone looked better soaked in clear water.
She read a book on feng shui and thought about taking it home to soak in a water tank and raising a fish.
Although there aren't even any fish vendors in Zhuanglang County.
When she returns from Liangzhou, she will definitely buy a fish from Jincheng to take back with her.
Song Chunxue placed the stone on the tea table in front of the old man.
The old man couldn't help but touch it, and then found a delicate glass mirror from somewhere, carefully examining the stone.
If I'm not mistaken, that glass mirror can magnify things.
After climbing the mountain for an hour, Song Chunxue was thirsty and drank two bowls of tea in one go.
"In my opinion, if you give me this stone, this yard will be yours."
After examining it for a moment, the old man said this, stood up and stretched out his hand, "Butler, take the stone with you, let's go."
The Taoist priest stood up. "Sir, there's no need for that. We know this courtyard is priceless. If it weren't for the lack of funds, you certainly wouldn't hesitate to sell it..."
"Daoist Master, you seem to have forgotten what I do."
Master Zhang recalled briefly, "The gentleman dealt in antiques and curios; how could this stone possibly catch his eye..."
"On the contrary, this stone is not simple. I will go down the mountain and break it open to take a look. Even if it is just broken stone inside, I will accept it. Anyway, this courtyard is not a place for ordinary people to live in, so we will not occupy the territory of our ancestor."
"Giving this to the Taoist priest is a way to accumulate good fortune for the Zhao family." With that, the old man waved his hand. "This courtyard is yours now. The key is on the main table. If you have any further questions, just come to the Zhao residence at the foot of the mountain."
Seeing that he had made up his mind, the Taoist priest said no more and simply followed to see the gentleman out of the mansion.
Song Chunxue was a little reluctant to part with it; the stone was really beautiful.
But having saved so much money, she had no choice but to give up and stay where she was, drinking tea instead of moving.
I didn't notice earlier, but this dessert is quite good, very tasty.
By the time her senior brother returned, Song Chunxue had already finished two five-nut pastries.
"Senior brother, are you hungry? Try some snacks." Song Chunxue pushed the plate forward. "They taste good."
The Taoist priest stood at the door, his hands clasped together, staring at Song Chunxue.
Song Chunxue quickly stood up. "What are your instructions, Senior Brother?"
"It's nothing," the Taoist priest grinned broadly. "Junior brother, you always impress your senior brother. The stones you picked up could buy this whole courtyard, saving us money."
As he spoke, the Taoist priest casually sat down in his chair, crossed his legs, and analyzed, "I reckon that old man thinks the stone you picked up is a treasure, and he can't wait to open it up."
"That man loved gambling on stones. His family fell into poverty because his children were even more addicted to gambling than he was. They lost several thousand taels of silver since the beginning of spring this year."
Song Chunxue stared in disbelief, "Several thousand taels of silver?"
"That's right. When this person was young and at his richest, he probably had several million taels of silver and countless properties and shops. It's a pity that his fortunes didn't improve in his old age."
Seeing her senior brother sitting cross-legged in a chair, leisurely grabbing a snack, Song Chunxue became curious.
"Senior brother, aren't you good at fortune telling? Do you think that stone of his is real?"
"It's hard to say, but he will definitely have some benefactors to help him in the next few days. Once he gets through this, he will overcome the danger, and his family will be able to settle down. Once bitten, twice shy. This old man has recently bought several courtyards and shops. I bet his kids have been spanked a lot and won't dare to gamble anymore."
Before long, a cold wind swept in, bringing with it a refreshing and humid atmosphere.
Soon, the sound of raindrops hitting the ground could be heard from the yard.
"Is it raining?"
"Well, we'll have to stay on the mountain tonight. I wonder if all the bedding in the room has been taken." The Taoist priest remained seated. "But it doesn't matter. I used to sleep in the trees on the mountain. At least this place can keep out the wind and rain."
Too.
Song Chunxue got up and went to the door.
"I wonder if that old man has come down the mountain yet, and if they brought an umbrella?"
"They came down the mountain in a carriage. You should worry about whether they'll change their minds and take the courtyard back tomorrow." The Taoist priest looked around. "This place has excellent feng shui. I wonder how much silver we have left to build a temple after spending so much money to buy it?"
Looking at the increasingly heavy rain, Song Chunxue said, "Didn't Senior Brother say that there's always a way out? As long as Senior Brother has this thought, the Ancestral Master will definitely send you money."
The Taoist priest disagreed.
"I've had this idea for ten years, but I've never seen the Patriarch so compassionate before?"
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