Like everyone else who came into the world of the painting, the Meng family members quickly got into character.
However, the difference lies in the role of the participants they take on.
The Meng family of four entered into the role of indigenous people.
Meng Wanwan said, "If we want to know the mystery, we have to integrate into this world. Think about it, who knows more about what's happening in this world than the people here?"
"As an outsider, the best strategy is to infiltrate the area. Simply asking the people here for superficial information will probably not yield any answers."
Meng Xiuyi nodded: "For hundreds of years, the Shangguan family has been unable to find the answer to the riddle, so it's unlikely that we'll find it too easily. Therefore, let's not think about a quick solution. Like the child said, let's settle down here first."
So, while other cultivators were inquiring about the various special events happening in this world, the Meng family of four started... building a house again.
This is a small town with a small population. Perhaps due to the climate, people live in wooden houses.
This was convenient for the Meng family of four, as they had plenty of timber to build their house.
So they decided to find an empty plot of land to build a house.
Even mortals in power have their own rules; if they want to build houses, they must also abide by those rules.
From what we can see so far, apart from those cultivators who are obviously depicted in the paintings, the other natives in the paintings are all ordinary mortals.
So the father and daughter dressed up and knocked on the door of a house next to the open space.
The girl who opened the door was about fourteen or fifteen years old. She had a round face with baby fat, but her arched eyebrows and big eyes gave her a gentle and graceful appearance.
The girl was dressed in a gray-blue cloth dress, just like an ordinary peasant girl.
"Who are you looking for?" The girl's pure eyes held a hint of doubt.
Meng Xiuyi bowed and said, "We apologize for bothering you. We are from out of town and want to settle down and buy property here, but we don't know the local customs, so we came here to ask you for advice."
The young woman quickly returned the greeting and said, "Does the young master intend to build his own house? If so, he will need to pay the town mayor to reserve a plot of land. If he intends to register his household there, there should be no other requirements, only an identity token."
An identity token is a form of identification issued to a person by the local government where they were born, bearing their name and place of birth.
Of course, these things are also imbued with magic, capable of verifying a person's identity through blood.
It's actually just like the tokens used by sects, only much more basic.
Meng Xiuyi came from a respectable ordinary family, so naturally she possessed such qualities.
As for the smaller ones, they are not necessary.
After thanking the girl and asking about the town mayor's location, Meng Xiuyi took Meng Wanwan to the town mayor's house.
Meng Wanwan said, "Father, this world system is so complete. It doesn't seem like it could be depicted in a painting. It's like a real world."
Meng Xiuyi nodded slightly: "It seems we were right. This painting is indeed not simple, and the so-called mystery cannot be solved with just a few words."
The father and daughter arrived at the town mayor's house. The town mayor's family must be a wealthy household in the town. Meng Wanwan was a little envious of the two-courtyard house with its blue bricks.
The town mayor was a young man in his thirties. After the father and daughter explained their purpose, he enthusiastically had someone write a contract and then took them to claim the land.
The town mayor sighed, "Mortals always flock to places where immortals live, so there aren't many people in our Fengling Town. It's probably because it's in a remote location with little spiritual energy, and usually no immortals pass through our Fengling Town. I don't know why, but there are an unusually large number of outsiders today. But you're the only ones who have settled down."
"You two are both exceptionally handsome and capable; it's truly an honor that you've chosen to settle in our Fengling Town." The town mayor sighed deeply, then added, "It's even harder for a man raising a child. Ah, once you're settled here, find a wife, have a son, and you can live a peaceful life. With your charm, my dear brother, I'm afraid all the women in Fengling Town will be vying for your attention..."
Blah blah blah...
The expressions on the father and daughter's faces gradually changed from cautious to numb.
When they arrived at the destination, the town mayor saw two more boys.
His expression stiffened slightly, and he paused for a moment before saying, "There are widows in our town with two or three children... Men, what they want is a wife, children, and a hot meal, right? More children mean more fun. I think you're a refined man, so I'll ask someone to find you a job someday. You can earn enough to support your family."
After saying that, he felt that what he said made a lot of sense. He reached out and flicked Meng Wanwan's braid. His not-so-handsome face had a bit of the demeanor of a neighborhood director.
"Don't you think so, little girl?"
Meng Wanwan suddenly clapped her hands and nodded vigorously: "Yes! Dad, that's what my mother said before she died."
Her gaze fell on Yun Zhao and Chu You, and she raised her eyebrows sharply.
Chu You was a little slow on the uptake and didn't understand what she was going to do. Then she heard Yun Zhao next to her say in a very indifferent and calm tone, "Yes, that's what my mother said before she died."
Chu You scratched his head: "My mother didn't..."
Yun Zhao poked Chu You in the waist with one finger. Chu You was jolted awake, and in a flash, it became clear to him: "My mother didn't have time to say it."
Mayor: "..."
The mayor coughed violently, which attracted the land surveyors to rush over and pat him on the back.
The town mayor waved for people to leave, then rubbed his back with a sorrowful expression: "Sigh, a person's life is only a hundred years, why ask for so much? Just bear with it, and this life will pass. Um, have you measured it? This spot will do. Fengling Town hasn't had any new residents for a long time. You can use this place, no need to pay anything yet. I have something to do, so I'll leave now. The household registration can be taken care of once the house is built."
After saying that, he left without looking back.
Meng Xiuyi covered his forehead and remained silent for a while. Meng Wanwan gave him a wink with a grin, and Meng Xiuyi tapped his forehead in response.
"Naughty."
Meng Wanwan said with a grin, "It's to save Daddy trouble."
Judging from Meng Xiuyi's appearance, if the town mayor really arranges a marriage for him, then things will get really out of hand.
Building a small wooden hut is not difficult, since it is only a temporary dwelling. For those who cultivate themselves, it is enough to provide shelter from the wind and rain.
So they weren't in a hurry. Instead, they waited until nightfall when no one was around, and then the family found a secluded spot to take the wooden planks out of the storage bag and move them little by little to the open space.
Fortunately, Bai Meng's storage bag was relatively large, unlike the two people from Shanglin Sect whose storage bags were only a tiny bit.
By the time everything was ready, the moon was already high in the sky.
The family sat in the open space, preparing to meditate and spend the night.
Just then, the door to the small house next door suddenly opened.
The little girl peeked out, smiled slightly at them, and whispered, "Are you hungry?"
Meng Wanwan's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously: "Hungry!"
The little girl covered her mouth and chuckled before carrying out a tray with two dishes and four steamed buns on it.
"This is all that's left for tonight. Make do with it. I know you've just arrived and have been busy working without eating anything."
The girl handed four steamed buns to the four people and continued, "The food is a little cold, but please make do with this. My grandfather is asleep, so I don't dare to light a fire for fear of waking him up."
Meng Wanwan squeezed next to her, raised her cute little face and asked, "Sister, you're so nice. Thank you, sister. My full name is Meng Wanwan, and my nickname is Wawa. What's your name, sister?"
The girl took out a bamboo tube from her bosom, opened it, and a sweet aroma wafted out.
The girl smiled and handed the bamboo tube to Meng Wanwan: "My name is Zhu Ting, Ting as in pavilion. This is a bowl of soup I saved for you."
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