Chapter 447 The sooner the better
late at night.
Song Chunxue and Master Zhang sat cross-legged around the tea stove.
On the kang table were fried dough cakes and buckwheat buns prepared for tomorrow morning, as well as a plate of sliced cured meat and three yellow soft pears.
The tea canister was bubbling away as the Taoist priest, holding a long handle made of twisted wire, poured tea for the two of them.
Then, the Taoist priest picked up the teapot, added cold water to the tea canister, and put in a small rock sugar.
The Taoist priest flicked his long sleeves, picked up the teacup, and took a sip. Just from the sound, he could tell that the tea was incredibly fragrant.
Song Chunxue also took a sip, and seeing the dust on her senior brother's meticulously styled black hair, she couldn't help but laugh, "Senior brother, you didn't go digging up graves again, did you?"
Judging from my senior brother's complexion, he must have gained a lot from this retreat. His eyes are still so bright even though he's up late at night.
The senior student looked up and asked, "Didn't you brush the dirt off your head?"
"It's alright, it's like a formality. Senior Brother's hair is always clean, so I'm a little surprised." Song Chunxue picked up a piece of dried meat and put it in her mouth. "What does Senior Brother want to tell me?"
The Taoist priest took another sip of tea and pressed down the goji berries and longans in the tea canister with a wooden stick. “I met a very wealthy merchant who said he wanted to build a Taoist temple for the patriarch and find some disciples to guard the mountain for me, which would also be good for him.”
Song Chunxue couldn't help but move forward a little. "Is there really such a good thing? Doesn't this save us money? So where does Senior Brother plan to build it?"
“I was thinking of talking to my senior brother about this a few days ago. When will that courtyard on Wuquan Mountain be demolished? It’s very difficult to haul things up the mountain. What percentage of the silver would they be willing to pay?”
The Taoist priest seemed to be deep in thought. "We don't need to worry about the money. So you're not staying at the courtyard anymore?"
Song Chunxue asked in confusion, "Why would I occupy such a large courtyard by myself? Didn't we originally plan to buy the courtyard to build a temple? Is my senior brother afraid I won't agree?"
The Taoist priest picked up a buckwheat bun and said, "I thought you were going to retire there. You and Lord Xie, it's over?"
"Your senior brother can figure it out, you should know." Song Chunxue smiled slightly. "It's still better to be alone and free. Even if I agreed, I'm afraid we'd have to divorce soon. It's fine as it is now. I can go wherever I want."
"So you're quite disappointed." The Taoist priest took a big bite of the buckwheat bun. "This bun probably wasn't made by you; the taste is a bit off."
"Really?" Song Chunxue also took a bite. "It was my eldest son who did it. I still gave him a push in the end, and made him divorce Chen Feng."
Afterwards, she told her senior brother about her eldest son's marriage to the Xu family girl and asked him to help her calculate the auspicious date.
The Taoist priest understood. "I understand what you mean. A three-year-old child needs a woman to take care of him. Otherwise, the eldest son will be busy with work in the fields, and the child will definitely be neglected."
Song Chunxue handed their birth dates and times to her senior brother.
"September 23rd or 28th is fine."
It's been a while since we last spoke. Today is September 21st, and the 23rd is the day after tomorrow.
“Then it’s twenty-three. I watched him bring the person into the house and then go back to the county. Although I wanted to stay in this house for a few more days, it was inconvenient to eat and drink, and the blankets were not light enough.”
The Taoist priest looked at her and said, "You previously said you wanted to travel around the world, stopping and starting along the way. There will inevitably be times when you are in the middle of nowhere. You may not be able to endure hardship."
Song Chunxue's eyes lit up. "Senior brother, are you taking me? When? After the New Year or before? Can we go straight to the warmest place to spend the winter?"
She learned from the book that the southeastern coast is indeed not very cold, and winter is just like spring here.
Senior brother can fly on his sword; wouldn't it be much easier to just fly there directly?
She was fine before, but now that thought was gradually taking root in her mind, she didn't want to wait even a day longer.
"It's a bit uncertain before the New Year. Since you're willing to give up that courtyard to build a Taoist temple, I'll be going to Jincheng to find that wealthy merchant in a few days. His family lives in the city," the Taoist priest said earnestly. "Don't rush. Rest and recuperate. In the next few months, practice your swordsmanship, cultivate your inner energy, and learn some self-defense techniques. There are all sorts of people out there, and the martial world is not easy to navigate."
“That’s true. It’s better to learn more so as not to run into someone powerful and hold my senior brother back. If we go and don’t come back alive, it’s not worth it.” Song Chunxue nodded, suppressing her eagerness. “Then I’ll prepare properly.”
Jiang Huan's crying could be heard again from the west room.
Song Chunxue put down her teacup. "It's too late, Senior Brother, aren't you going to sleep?"
"Now is the perfect time for meditation, when yang energy is rising and one can seize the secrets of heaven. If you are sleepy, junior brother, go to sleep. I will go outside to meditate."
As he spoke, the Taoist priest retracted one leg and prepared to get off the kang (heated brick bed) and leave.
“But the other rooms haven’t been cleaned. It’s very cold outside at night, and there’s still dew before dawn.” Song Chunxue pulled her legs up and prepared to get off the kang. “I’ll sweep the east room and then I’ll go there to meditate. Senior brother, you stay here.”
The east room hasn't been cleaned yet; it'll probably be colder inside than outside.
"Alright, it's just meditation. Let's just sit here and wait until the east room is tidied up. It will be dawn by then." The Taoist priest sat back down. "Don't bother with that. Just focus on your meditation."
Song Chunxue sat cross-legged and said, "Okay."
...
After daybreak, Sanwa and Mulan came to find Song Chunxue, as they were returning to the county that day.
After we go to my older brother's house for a bite to eat, they should set off.
With a creak, Song Chunxue opened her eyes and woke up from her dream.
It turned out that she had fallen asleep during her meditation, and her senior brother had left without her noticing.
They were probably afraid of being seen by Sanwa and his friends, which would cause a misunderstanding.
"Mother, let's take Jiang Huan to find eldest brother first. Do you want to come?" Sanwa asked in surprise when he saw the tea stove on the kang table. "Has the Taoist priest been here?"
Song Chunxue nodded, "It was him. He said he was passing by in the middle of the night and came to have tea with me. I guess he went out to meditate."
Mulan looked at the Taoist priest who was carrying firewood into the gate and couldn't help but smile, "The Taoist priest went to the kitchen."
Song Chunxue got off the kang (heated brick bed). "Then you guys go first. Senior brother probably needs to boil water to wash his hair. I'll go find him a washbasin and a cloth. We're probably out of ash for washing his hair."
"Alright, then let's go to my older brother's house. Mother will come later."
"Oh, by the way, tell the boss not to go see the geomancer anymore. Senior brother has calculated the date, and the 23rd will be good. Tell him to get ready quickly."
Sanwa was astonished. "Isn't that the day after tomorrow? Won't that be too rushed?"
He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Maybe I should wait two more days before going back. Anyway, the teacher said I can study at home."
"No, you should go back as soon as possible. How can you concentrate on reading at home?" Song Chunxue urged. "Anyway, the fourth and second sons are here. You and your sister's family can go back and look after the house."
Sanwa stopped insisting and left with Mulan and the still-sleepy Jiang Huan.
In the kitchen, the Taoist priest was boiling water, and a piece of soap was placed on a plate on the cutting board.
It turns out my senior brought shampoo.
Song Chunxue continued to light the stove and brew tea in the pot. She was feeling a bit drowsy sitting up and needed the tea to perk her up.
I went outside and cut a few sections of apricot wood sticks. These are similar to charcoal and burn very slowly.
"Aunt Jiang, you're back!"
Cheng Laowu's wife was carrying a bucket of manure towards the ditch when she saw Song Chunxue and put the bucket down.
"I heard you divorced Chen Feng, is that true?" Despite her short stature, she carried a heavy burden. She brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead, her tone tinged with reproach, "Chen Feng is about to give birth, how could you be so heartless? She's carrying the child of your Jiang family."
P.S.: Happy Qixi Festival, everyone!
Let me adjust my state and I'll update again tonight. I'm too exhausted from going out.
Just to let you know, the prototype of Zhuanglang County was called Huizhou, Huining Prefecture, Zuli County, Huining Prefecture, etc. in ancient times.
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