Chenxiang said that all the demons in Chang'an were in the West Market, and he was not joking.
In places unseen by mortals, the elegant snake-like gentleman, with his long tongue flicking out, strolls through the market with a tiger-headed beauty, holding a folding fan. Meanwhile, an old man with white hair, selling ginseng, takes advantage of the fact that no one is looking to cut a ginseng whisker from the head of a ginseng doll with scissors.
A fox with a beautiful head, speaking in a coquettish voice; a horse-faced monster with a pair of horse hooves under his robe; a gray-furred rat walking in a string, leading by its tail; a carp spirit holding a fish tank and hawking goldfish; a tree spirit selling hot jujube tea; a mother and daughter badger brewing a pot of cool tea for people to drink...
Looking around, West Market is practically a paradise for outcasts.
Mo Xuan usually handles the purchasing for the restaurant. Xu Milu is a homebody and lazy, so this is the first time she has seriously visited the West Market. But she didn't come here just to buy a ginseng root to make ginseng soup.
As you walk further in through the horizontal gate, you see more and more strange people in the market.
Some lesser demons, whose illusion skills are not up to par, might suddenly shrink in size while walking, turning into a lively white fish. Their companions would immediately pick it up and throw it into a water tank, then continue strolling around as if nothing had happened.
—In this way, Xu Milu and Chen Xiang, the black-haired, black-eyed senior and junior siblings, became the most eye-catching pair.
Many monsters in Chang'an knew about the "Lady Xu" outside Huasheng Temple, so even though the two seemed easy to bully, no foolish monsters came to cause trouble for a while.
"Outside Hengmen, thirty-three households west of Fufeng Prefecture on the north side of the city... this should be the place."
Xu Milu looked up as she searched for her destination. After passing a shop selling mountain products, she could see a small shrine tucked away in a corner.
The shrine seemed to be erected by a person, with a red roof and flying eaves. Inside was a statue of the Earth God, and in front of it were several plates of fruit and cakes that looked a little not very fresh. In her eyes, she could see faint golden light rising from here to the sky.
—The City God is of the seventh rank, the Mountain God is of the eighth rank, and the Earth God is of the ninth rank. There are more than a thousand Earth Gods of all ranks in and around Chang'an. It can be said that there is a god every hundred steps and a temple every thousand steps. If described in modern terms, the Earth God is the most basic civil servant in the Heavenly Court's political system.
Following the instructions of the day-roaming deity, Xu Milu took out the offerings from the basket and replaced the dry cakes with them:
Today, she specially fried some fragrant red bean spring rolls. The thin spring roll wrappers were filled with red bean paste and fried in oil until golden and crispy. When you break them apart with your hands, you get a handful of crispy, crumbly skin. Inside is a smooth red bean paste with the skins removed. It's neither too dry nor too wet, and it's oily and delicious. Even the pickiest eater can eat a whole plate of it on its own.
The spring rolls were carried in a basket all the way here, and they were still hot. The spring roll wrappers were a little soft, but this did not affect their deliciousness.
Just as Xu Milu finished placing the offerings, a wisp of white smoke suddenly rose from the shrine, like a scene from an old cartoon. A three-inch-tall old man with a white beard "whooshed" out of the shrine.
"Ah...it smells so good."
The image of the local earth gods varies from place to place. Most of them were kind and benevolent during their lifetime, bringing benefits to the people in their villages. Only after their death were they designated as local earth gods to protect the people in their area.
But the land gods also have their own tempers. If someone offends the land god, then the harvest in his land will not be good the following year.
The fact that the local official in charge of the West Market had a sweet tooth, especially for fried treats, was an insider tip obtained by Xu Milu from bribing the Day-Walking God with perforated glutinous rice cakes.
Xu Milu pushed the plate of fragrant fried spring rolls aside and said with a smile:
"I have heard that the Earth God knows all the demons, big and small, inside and outside Chang'an, and even newly born demons are registered here. Therefore, I have something to ask of you, so I have come to pay my respects."
The white-bearded earth god was taken aback at first, then jumped onto the shrine, leaning on his cane, and carefully examined Xu Milu. As if startled, he slipped and almost fell.
"No, no, Madam Xu is a disciple of the Great Sage. This is too much for this humble deity. Oh dear, quickly take down these offerings! The golden light of merit emanating from Madam Xu is so dazzling it hurts our eyes!"
As he spoke, he squinted at Xu Milu, his thoughts unreadable. He didn't even ask what Xu Milu wanted him to do before readily agreeing:
"Although I am not as powerful as Madam Xu, if you need my help, you can simply send someone to give the order. Why do you have to come in person?"
"There is a proper attitude when asking someone for a favor. The Earth God has lived in Chang'an for a long time. If we talk about understanding the demons and monsters of Chang'an, I am the junior."
After a few pleasantries, Xu Milu explained her purpose:
“I have a batch of seeds, mostly fruits and vegetables. I want to find some fairies to clear the land and grow vegetables. When the fruits and vegetables are ripe, I will send them to Chang’an to sell. That will be a way to make a living.”
"Hiss, if it's just ordinary fruits and vegetables, my lady, it would be safer to find a broker in the mortal world and buy one or two estates. Why recruit demons?"
Land scratched his head, a look of confusion on his face:
"Could it be that my wife has another plan?"
"It's not exactly a scheme. First, the seeds I have are somewhat special. Although they are not rare or exotic fruits, they are still quite mysterious. If I were to ask ordinary people to plant them, I'm afraid they wouldn't be able to keep them. Second, if this matter is accomplished, it will also benefit the Tang Dynasty. I will inevitably be able to share some of the merit. Therefore, I thought of finding some seeds to sell to them, which can be considered as giving them a way to make a living."
Xu Milu spoke sincerely. In the past, she always kept a low profile and dared not bring any magical seeds to the Journey to the West world, for fear that one day she would be captured by gods and Buddhas to be used as a mount.
Now she has some confidence, and once the tomatoes arrive in the capital, she can subtly bring some fruits and vegetables that were not available in the Tang Dynasty to Chang'an.
Although it was the prosperous Tang Dynasty, the people suffered greatly. When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should help others. Since she had the ability to do it, and it wouldn't do her any harm, she should just do it.
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