In an instant, the smell of incense mixed with the smell of fireworks hit me in the face.
The eight large tables in the courtyard were filled with all kinds of delicious dishes, including chicken, duck, fish and meat. A large group of people sat around the table talking and laughing, and they didn't even notice the person who opened the door.
Chen Banxian, who had been here several times, was very familiar with the place. After pushing the door open, he was like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey. His movements were faster than Qi Mi's. He quickly found a seat and sat down, waiting for the meal with great interest.
Qi Mi looked around vigilantly. Just as he stepped onto a stone staircase, a gong sounded from somewhere. The next second, the people who were chatting and laughing seemed to have paused. The laughter stopped abruptly and everything became strangely quiet.
The originally smiling faces suddenly changed to become serious and heavy. Even the people who were eating melon seeds kept the melon seeds in their mouths and looked straight ahead with an expressionless face.
For a moment, Qi Mi held his breath and didn't dare to move forward.
Clang! The second gong sounded, and everyone adjusted their posture in unison, sitting upright and facing the food on the table. Even Chen Banxianer joined them, trying to keep a straight face, not speaking or moving.
Just like the motionless paper figures, the lively atmosphere was suddenly replaced by the word "gloomy".
It was not until the third gong sounded that the people who had been sitting stiffly in silence began to react. They picked up their bowls and chopsticks and started eating. But it was still eerily quiet. There was no talking, no chewing, and the only sound in the space was the subtle clatter of bowls and chopsticks colliding.
Qi Mi glanced around, then silently walked to the empty seat next to Chen Banxianer. As soon as he sat down—
[Your durability value -1, current durability value is 92]
She looked up and saw that all the people dining at the same table were looking at her as if they wanted to kill her. Because they couldn't speak, these people's eyes were like knives cutting her alive, full of curses and malicious intent.
Qi Mi's eyes flashed, and she immediately retracted her gaze. After two seconds of reaction, she realized that she must have broken the rules again, because all the people sitting at the eight tables were men, and there was not a single woman, so her health points decreased when she sat down.
She stood up slowly and turned around to see Chen Banxian with a speechless expression that said, "How can I say hello to you?"
On the way, he had already told Qi Mi that the rule of the Kuai family was that [women were not allowed to eat at the table]. At that time, she nodded twice, but he didn't hear a word he said.
At that time, Qi Mi really didn't pay attention, his mind was full of thoughts about what to do in the future.
She smiled awkwardly at Chen Banxian'er, and under the malicious gaze of the Kuai family man, she walked along a corridor. When she entered the door just now, she noticed that the person serving the dishes came from this corridor, so the kitchen should be on this road.
Since I'm already here, I might as well go and take a look.
As soon as I turned the corner, I found the kitchen by smelling the fragrance.
The kitchen window was half-open, and several women in mourning hats could be seen eating silently inside. Just like the situation outside, apart from the tiny sounds of bowls and chopsticks colliding, there was no sound even from them drinking soup.
As she was looking, her eyes wandering over the various ingredients in the kitchen, she suddenly heard the sound of something heavy falling to the ground.
Qi Mi was stunned for a moment, then looked at the women who were eating. They exchanged glances with each other and continued eating without saying anything, as if whatever happened during the meal had nothing to do with them.
Even if you see a thief, you may have to wait until you finish your meal before taking any action.
She looked at the women for two seconds, and after confirming that they were not moving, she followed the direction of the loud noise and saw the girl with half of her body thrown out of the window.
The window was low and faced the corridor. The girl's thin and petite body was awkwardly half hanging on the window sill, her hands frantically grasping at the air to find a place to hold on.
But despite this, she didn't scream.
Perhaps she struggled too hard, and her whole body was unable to resist the attraction and flipped out of the low window, landing in the corridor with a bang, and making another loud noise.
Qi Mi saw it and hurried over to help her.
The girl looked very young, and her fair face was full of fear. After she stood firm, she kept bowing her head and saying thank you.
Since she didn't say anything, Qi Mi also followed the rules and didn't say anything, smiling and waving at her.
The moment her eyes moved down, she noticed that the girl's waist was wrapped with a red cloth, which was very tight and made the girl's waist look very thin. It was only two-thirds of her waist.
That’s not all. The girl’s ankles were also wrapped with the same red cloth, and even when walking, she had to rely on her feet to move forward slowly. These were the small steps she would take when performing on stage. This is probably what it feels like to be a lady from a noble family.
The girl frowned worriedly and pointed towards the eaves as if seeking help.
Qi Mi looked up and found a butterfly entangled in a spider web under the eaves, struggling before its death. She understood what was happening and lightly jumped up, took the butterfly off and handed it to the girl.
The corners of the girl's lips raised into a beautiful arc, she mouthed "thank you", then raised her hand and watched the butterfly fly away.
The butterfly flew higher and higher, and gradually left the house.
The girl nodded slightly to Qi Mi in thanks, lowered her head and took small steps back to the room. When she was about to close the window, she saw that she was still looking at her, so she turned her head away a little awkwardly and quickly closed the window.
Qi Mi stared at the window for two seconds before looking away.
Just now when the girl turned around, she noticed a red mole on her neck, which looked very much like the cinnabar that Chen Banxianer mentioned for the perfect marriage.
It is absurd no matter how you think about it that such a lively and vibrant girl is going to marry an invisible and intangible god.
Qi Mi sneered and turned back when she heard the fourth gong sound. Suddenly, hurried footsteps were heard in the courtyard. The men who had put down their bowls and chopsticks immediately came over to chase her, and behind her, the women who were eating in the kitchen also came out and surrounded her in the narrow corridor.
Chen Banxianer, who was standing in the direction of the gate, yelled at her, "Miss, I've left properly. Just take care of yourself!"
After hearing this, Qi Mi jumped up with all his strength and grabbed the eaves with both hands. He used the force to flip over and landed on the roof, then turned around and landed on the ground. In just over ten seconds, he was out of the old house effortlessly.
At this time, Chen Banxianer didn't know that she had escaped. She stood against the wall at the door, listening to the movement inside with her ears perked up. Feeling the footsteps of a large army approaching the door, he didn't care about his loyalty and ran away.
Just as he ran across the street, he found that Qi's fans had been waiting for a long time. Suddenly, his dark and fat face was full of smiles, as if he had found a treasure: "Amazing girl, it turns out that my old Chen has the best eyesight, and he didn't make a mistake!"
Qi Mi ignored the compliment and looked him up and down. He looked rounder after coming out. She didn't know what was hidden in his clothes. His sleeves, trouser legs and belly were all bulging.
Chen Banxian understood her look, and mysteriously took out two boiled sweet potatoes from his left sleeve and two boiled corns from his right sleeve. He stuffed melon seeds, peanuts and candies into his waist and trouser legs, a typical example of "you can't eat it all without taking it with you".
Seeing that Qi Mi was still so thin, he curled his lips and said, "Don't tell me you just visited the kitchen and didn't take anything out."
"If I take it out, can it be called 'taking'? That's called 'stealing'. I have hands and feet and I won't do such illegal things." Qi Mi said, and unconsciously reached out to grab the melon seeds in his hand like a little ghost holding hands.
Chen Banxian'er rolled his eyes almost to the sky, and quickly retracted his hand and put it behind his back: "Okay, you are so noble, but I just like to do this kind of thing. If you have the guts, don't try to help me!"
Seeing Banxian'er like this, Qi Mi was indeed a little angry. He smiled awkwardly and said, "That's not what I meant. I mean, relying on this method to get things is not a long-term solution. Where is the market nearby? I have money in my pocket, so I can go buy something and try. It's better than you taking things so nervously every time, right?"
Chen Banxian'er wasn't such a stingy person. Seeing Qi Mi smiling and throwing out a staircase, he walked down and nodded in one direction: "Okay, it's not far over there. Make sure you have money in your pocket, don't try to blackmail me."
"Sure, I have money in my pocket." Before leaving, Lao Wei stuffed all his belongings worth several hundred dollars into her pocket. Now buying something to eat was no problem.
The two of them left the archway and walked towards the market, eating melon seeds and chatting about the girl with the red cloth wrapped around her body.
Just as Qi's fans had imagined, the girl was the divinely chosen bride. Her name was Kuai Alua, and she was the daughter of a small branch of the Kuai family. Ever since the divine had chosen her at the age of sixteen, she had been illuminated with cinnabar and taken to a house near the main family to be cared for. Meanwhile, because of her "one person's enlightenment brought prosperity to the whole family," their small branch had moved from a remote village to settle in the main family.
The two red cloths were also wrapped around Kuai Alua on the day of applying cinnabar. It is said that girls with thin waists and light steps can please the gods more.
Qi Mi snorted coldly, feeling speechless and unable to find any words to complain.
She didn't know if it was her illusion, but she felt relaxed and refreshed after leaving Kuai's Manor. Even the smell of the earth she breathed in smelled much better.
The market is quite close to Kuai's manor, it is lively and noisy, and the shouts can be heard from far away.
In addition to shops, there are many street stalls. It seems that except for living underground, this is just an ordinary night market on the ground. Every stall is either hung with lanterns or wrapped with colorful lights, which is friendly and full of fireworks.
"These people are all from the surrounding villages, with some money at home. They set up a small stall here because they have leftovers, so they can trade with other stalls. Secondly, they want to help homeless people like us, which can be considered as doing good deeds." Chen Banxianer walked leisurely in a square step, and he felt like he was out shopping.
Qi Fan: "Do they get things the same way as the Kuai family, either by using dead people or by arranging marriages with the gods?"
"Every village in the area is the same, relying on this method. It sounds ridiculous, but it works. Take the death, for example. As soon as the funeral is over, all kinds of food and silk actually appear out of thin air in the house, and they keep coming. It works every time I try it, who would dare not believe it?"
Chen Banxian shook his head and said, "Now I am the only one who feeds my whole family. If I still have a wife and children, I would have to die to protect them. This method is really simple. As long as I die, I can protect my whole family from worrying about food and clothing. This deal is quite cost-effective."
"Is that really the case? Just living a life of eating and waiting to die?" Qi Mi hit the nail on the head.
These people living underground have no other way to obtain food and wealth. The only two known methods are [Blessing of the Dead] and [Marriage with Heaven], and they always work. Naturally, no one would want to try a third way.
Not wanting to struggle is the norm, and it is also very applicable in the real world. After all, who doesn’t like to sleep until they wake up naturally every day, count money until their hands cramp, and have delicious meals every day without doing anything?
Thinking of this, Qi Mi began to understand these people a little.
but.
"Why are all the people who are paired with the heavenly marriage a girl?" She couldn't accept it.
Chen Banxian was stunned for a moment, then said as a matter of course, "Because the Kuai clan's deity is male."
"so what?"
"So it's a woman, what else is there to ask?" Chen Banxianer said this without thinking. After she finished speaking, she suddenly thought of something and smiled meaningfully. She half covered her mouth and said, "Hey, little girl, you have a wide range of knowledge. Your little idea is very dangerous."
Qi Mi blinked, realizing he had misunderstood. "That's not what I meant. I've never heard of gods marrying wives since ancient times. Besides, gods don't necessarily have genders, right? How did the Kuai family know for sure that the god they worshipped was male?"
"Well, that's a very good question."
Chen Banxianer thought about it and was very sure of her point of view. Then he stopped in front of a pork shop, pointed at a piece of pork belly, and said, "Buy this. We'll grill it tonight when we get home."
Qi Fan: "..."
The butcher must have recognized him, and without even looking up, he ordered him to leave: "You, we're not compatible, I won't sell you anything!"
This time, Chen Banxianer came prepared. He raised his chin proudly and pointed at Qi Mi calmly: "It wasn't me who bought it, it was her."
On the way, he had already calculated Qi Mi's fortune and knew that the girl's horoscope was quite compatible with the Kuai family, so he thought that the first thing he would do when he came in would be to buy a piece of meat to avenge the fact that he had not been able to buy pork for so many years because of the incompatibility of his horoscope.
Sure enough, the boss calculated with his fingers that it was ready to sell, so he happily wrapped up the piece of premium pork belly and handed it to Qi Mi.
Qi Mi took it and was speechless when he saw his boss's expression change faster than turning the pages of a book.
Chen Banxianer did it completely on purpose. As soon as Qi Mi took it, he took the piece of pork away in front of the pork shop owner, saying that he was afraid that the meat was too heavy and would tire her out, but in fact, he had already perfectly interpreted the word "cocky".
The boss gritted his teeth and angrily slammed the big kitchen knife in his hand onto the chopping board.
Chen Banxianer, shaking his head while carrying the meat, walked around the corner and laughed loudly: "I wonder who dares to stop me from buying meat in the future!"
The sound was so loud that passers-by stopped to watch.
Qi Mi couldn't bear to see him throwing this person away, so he turned around and went to buy other vegetables.
Thanks to her horoscope being compatible with the market, she had a great harvest this time. She bought chicken, duck, fish, meat and other ingredients without even spending a single red note.
Now, as long as the market does not go bankrupt and as long as she still has money in her pocket, the children will not go hungry.
The problem is the money.
"Where do you usually work to earn money?" she asked.
Chen Banxianer: "There's a paper figurine place a kilometer away. You can try it. The salary is good and each paper figurine you make restores one health point."
"Is making paper figures the only job?" This job can restore health points, which is quite tempting, but these things are really not suitable for taking children. Everyone's health points have dropped a little, so we still have to find a way to help them recover as soon as possible.
Chen Banxianer thought about it and said with embarrassment, "That's a bit troublesome. The only places to work here are the paper-making workshop and the embroidery workshop. The embroidery workshop specializes in making wedding clothes and shoes. The work is large and time-consuming. For the same amount of time, making paper figurines is more cost-effective."
Qi Mi exclaimed.
The embroidery workshop and the paper-making workshop, one is for joy and the other is for mourning.
The humans here rely on these two feasts to survive, so it is reasonable that these are the only two ways to make money.
After she stopped talking, Chen Banxianer also fell silent, and the two of them walked with their heads down, carrying large and small bags.
After an unknown amount of time, Qi Mi sniffed the increasingly familiar smell of earth and looked up at the land above him. He asked, "When did you start living underground?"
Chen Banxianer subconsciously looked up. "Then it goes back a long time, maybe two hundred years. I heard from my elders that legend has it that the gods in the sky got angry and rained down fire on the earth. In order to escape, humans were forced to live underground. But that's just a legend. No one knows the exact reason."
Another god...
It feels like the people here live by the gods.
Qi Mi glanced at the dead eye on her left hand, and after thinking for a moment, she asked again, "What kind of legend is it? Can you tell me in detail?"
Chen Banxianer looked at the road and saw that there was still some distance to go. He thought it would be good to chat to kill time, so he began to recall the ancient legend.
[Legend has it that there is a temple in the sky far away from the earth. Anyone who can reach the temple can make a wish to the gods, no matter what it is, and the gods will fulfill it for them.
So in order to get to the temple, people tried every possible way to build a ladder to reach the place they longed for. Finally, the sincerity of mankind moved the gods. While they were building the ladder, the gods chose a little human girl as the messenger of the oracle in their dream. Through that little girl, the gods could issue oracles to bless all living beings and show favor to mankind.
Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. The girl who conveyed the oracle was seduced by an evil spirit and issued a false oracle to humans. The ignorant humans were deceived by the girl and did things that made the gods angry.
The god thought that humans had disobeyed his oracle, but he didn't know that those poor humans were also victims. They were just deceived by that hateful girl.
In the end, the gods rained down fire from the sky, killing countless people and causing widespread grief. The lucky ones hid underground and have survived to this day.
Chen Banxianer sighed deeply, and when he heard no sound, he turned his head.
Qi Mi listened attentively, staring at the ground without saying a word.
"This incident happened so long ago that no one knows whether it's true or not. Anyway, the rule passed down from generation to generation by the elders is that no matter what happens to the descendants, they must never return to the surface. So to this day, no one dares to poke this land."
Speaking of this, the temple was only a few steps away. Chen Banxian took a look and immediately took the big piece of pork and fresh vegetables, and trotted to the temple door as if to ask for credit.
Soon the noisy laughter of children could be heard.
Perhaps knowing that Qi Mi was behind them, Zheng Yuanyuan and a few other kids ran out happily to greet him.
"See, I told you that Teacher Qi is super awesome and will definitely bring back a lot of delicious food! Just eat it, this is delicious. I give it to you because you are my good friend." Wang Xiaohu said proudly to Xiaolai, the fourth son of Sister Li, and quickly stuffed a piece of chocolate into Xiaolai's hand.
Xiao Lai looked embarrassed and kept pushing to return the chocolate to Wang Xiaohu. Wang Xiaohu screamed and ran in circles, with Xiao Lai chasing him.
Zheng Yuanyuan came over and took the bag from Qi Mi, helplessly whispering, "Sister Li didn't let them eat anything. The four children only ate grass roots and potatoes. I had no choice but to bring the ten children out and only let them into the temple after they had eaten. I didn't feel comfortable letting them see us."
Qi Mi seemed to be thinking about something, and she grabbed Xiao Lai who was still running in circles. The touch of her hand startled her instantly.
The child was so thin that when she held her hand over him, she could only feel a thin bone. It was hardly noticeable because he was wearing thick clothes. Only when she held his arm could she feel that the child's arm was only about as thick as two of her fingers.
Although the kids in the Douding class have become thinner after two apocalypses, they still feel fleshy to the touch, unlike Xiao Lai, who is really just skin and bones.
Qi Mi squatted down and his hand naturally touched Xiao Lai's head.
[Your durability -1]
Qi Fan: "..."
As a kindergarten teacher, she would subconsciously touch the children's heads when comforting them. She never expected that in this world, touching the head is prohibited.
Chen Banxianer once said that touching the head is to put out the fire on the head, so no one’s head should be touched.
She withdrew her hand awkwardly and said with a smile: "Xiao Lai, this is a gift from Brother Xiaohu, just keep it."
"But mom..." Xiao Lai murmured, and it was obvious that he wanted to eat too.
Qi Mi thought for a moment and said, "How about this, Auntie will take you there to ask Mom again. If Mom agrees, you can put it away, okay?"
Xiao Lai's eyes lit up and he nodded.
Finally, after Qi Mi and Zheng Yuanyuan's earnest persuasion, and the ten kids acting cute and coquettish, Sister Li nodded in agreement, and repeatedly reminded everyone that they could only take one.
The four children were very excited and immediately joined the ten other children to pick out the snacks from the pile.
After finishing her selection, Zheng Yuanyuan put away all the remaining snacks to prevent the children from eating poorly. Peng Yichen didn't have enough for lunch and was about to ask for another cake when Du Rui cleared his throat.
The boys in the Douding class are mainly taken care of by Du Rui, and everyone is well aware of his warnings.
Peng Yichen was startled and immediately looked at Du Rui with grievance, his eyes red. "Teacher, I'm really hungry."
Du Rui looked around and took out a warm corn from one of the bags and handed it to him.
Peng Yichen was a glutton but not a picky eater. He would eat anything when he was hungry. But when he saw corn, his tears welled up in his eyes. He had just taken two bites when his brows suddenly furrowed. He sniffed the corn and pouted, "Teacher Du, this corn stinks!"
Qi Mi suddenly realized that the corn seemed to have been taken out from Chen Banxian'er's sleeve.
Chen Banxian, who was sitting on the side picking his feet, asked: "?"
It smells delicious when I eat it.
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