"People are always too busy and don't know what they have done in their lives. I have given birth to children, and they have fought in many places, but the end of being busy is only death, and nothing else is left. After losing my loved ones, I wondered what the purpose of life is. Later I realized that this is how people are, doing meaningless things over and over again."

"Fortunately, I can practice. If I were an ordinary person, it would be even more pathetic, unable to break free from the simple constraints of three meals a day. Although this may seem a bit foolish, it has also created a brilliant civilization. It is precisely because of countless young people like you who are dedicated and ambitious that Xishu can move towards a brighter future."

"But I made up my mind a long time ago. I have experienced all kinds of human life. There is nothing left. That's why I live in seclusion here, accompanied by the Chaoyang Bamboo Spirit all day long. I don't think about leaving. During this period, many people have come to me, but I have been an elder, a mother, a wife, and a daughter. Now it's time to be myself."

"When you have some free time, you should also think about what kind of life you want to live. Although life is long and full of things, there is always a stage when you can stop being busy and do what you like. I am not a philosopher, nor am I good at speaking. No one has come to see me for a long time, so I just grow some flowers and plants and make some cakes for the bamboo spirits to make a living. But I am sorry that I cannot agree to go to the deserted palace. Please go back as soon as possible, or go to the next place, and don't waste your time here and get bored."

Granny Smallpox was used to people standing up when they heard this, but Xia Xiao took the lead in bowing and indeed stopped trying to persuade them, but said:

"I am ignorant. I don't know that you have experienced all kinds of things in the world and should rest for a thousand years. But before I leave, can I ask you one thing?"

"But it's okay."

"My Ah Zhu really loves the sweet tea and dried sweet potatoes that you made. Can you come visit me again in the future?"

oh?

Not to mention Granny Smallpox, even Ah Zhu didn't expect Xia Xiao to say this at this time. However, seeing Xia Xiao's smiling face, Granny Smallpox smiled kindly and agreed:

"Of course, I'll wait for you."

"Thank you, senior."

Ah Zhu also stood up and saluted. Although she didn't understand why Xia Xiao gave up so quickly and didn't talk to Granny Tianhua again, he must have his reasons for doing so, so she just followed him.

"Senior, we won't bother you anymore."

"There is a lot of time to come. When you are done with your work, you can stay for a while. I will take you to the lake under the waterfall to pick lotus roots."

Xia Xiao and Ah Zhu nodded, with smiles on their faces as if they would definitely come. Granny Tianhua also smiled when she saw them, but waved her hand to signal them to take the gifts away, but how could Xia Xiao agree? He had already taken them out, so he had no intention of taking them back.

Granny Tianhua was stubborn, and Xia Xiao also became stubborn and refused to take it back, causing the former to sigh helplessly, but also smiled:

"This is the first time I've met someone more stubborn than me!"

"Senior, please accept it, otherwise we will have a hard time explaining it!"

"Okay, but wait a moment, I have something for you too."

Granny Tianhua was in high spirits, happily packed a bag of dried sweet potatoes, handed it to Ah Zhu, and then gave Xia Xiao a piece of bamboo board. This bamboo board looked ordinary, but it was not made of bamboo. It felt delicate, making Xia Xiao think it was jade. There was even a lot of source energy fluctuations in it, which made him a little puzzled, not knowing what it was used for.

"Take this jade bamboo with you. If the Desolate Palace is really in trouble, crush it and I will appear."

Xia Xiao and Azhu were delighted and bowed immediately.

"Thank you, senior!"

"You two are quite likable guys. Now that we have it, we can report back to the mission."

Granny Smallpox had driven away countless people who had tried to persuade her to step into the mortal world, but she had never given her a piece of Polygonatum. These were her toys from her youth, and she had never expected that they would still be useful now.

After watching Xia Xiao and Ah Zhu walk out of the villa gate and down the steps with great courtesy, Granny Tianhua walked back to the front hall and cleaned up the wooden cups and small plates with the bamboo spirits. Granny Tianhua couldn't help but smile when she thought of Ah Zhu's enjoyment while drinking tea, and then she looked at the wooden cups and small plates, and the tea and dried sweet potatoes were all gone.

"Do you think my decision is correct? With Yuzhu, they can include me in the ranks of elders."

The bamboo elves did not answer, but were extremely frustrated, which made the very straight-limbed Grandma Tianhua scold them for being useless.

"Go get it from the bag yourself, it's like you're missing out on food."

The bamboo spirits didn't care and rushed away. The smallpox lady in floral clothes also watched the swarms of fireflies go away and whispered, "Thank you for your hard work." Then, as usual, she checked the growth of the potted plants with the greedy bamboo spirits who were thinking about dried sweet potatoes all day long, and weeded and killed insects from time to time.

The bamboo spirits were very happy today, and they found that Granny Smallpox was also happy. Xia Xiao and Ah Zhu were naturally in a good mood, but while chewing dried sweet potatoes, they asked Xia Xiao why he stopped persuading her. Was it because continuing to persuade her would not produce any results? Xia Xiao nodded and explained with a smile:

"Yu Shangyan described Granny Tianhua as stubborn. Although Granny has a good temper, if we keep trying to persuade her, there will be no good results, and it will be the same as the people who came to her before. Granny also said before that her children all fought in the world and are probably dead now. It would be a bit aggressive for us to ask her to come out again."

"I can't bear it either. I think it's best for my mother-in-law to be in this place."

Even when persuading people, we must pay attention to individual differences. Zhao Xinluo is arrogant, so we can use our hands to convince him. Su Ran needs the sacred fruit and medicinal materials, so we can use them as conditions to negotiate with him. Zhang Jinchui is purely a coincidence, but it can also be regarded as their clever use of interpersonal relationships, but these don't work on Granny Smallpox, so why bother to say more?

The two were in a good mood and felt that the bamboo forest in the early morning was particularly refreshing, with an indescribable natural breath. Xia Xiao and Ah Zhu walked in it, down the stone brick steps, all the way to the foot of the mountain, and then looked back with a meaningful look.

Xia Xiao felt that what he had done this time was not bad. Only in this way could he separate himself from those people in the past, gain the trust of his predecessors, and maintain contact naturally. But he didn't know when he would come next time. However, Xia Xiao and Azhu were very envious of Granny Tianhua's life. At this moment, they looked at each other and wanted to transform the small mountain village into this one in the future.

With anticipation, Xia Xiao and A Zhu opened the scroll and started looking for the last person. When they first started looking, they felt it was extremely difficult and they didn't know how long it would take to succeed, but now it's almost over. Xia Xiao and A Zhu were both excited. If it ends soon, they can stay in the Desolate Palace for a while and then talk about the Great Desolate.

Their return to the Great Wilderness was a big deal, and they couldn't be careless, so they had to plan ahead. Ah Zhu didn't care much, just that they would return in a month, but Xia Xiao had planned it perfectly in his mind. So when he set off, he looked at Ah Zhu beside him and couldn't help but smile. The latter was even happier when he saw it.