Chapter 114 The Dragon Enters the Sea
Jiang Mingyue's arrival was warmly welcomed by Old Madam Yan.
Aside from getting a chance to exchange pleasantries at the beginning, Old Master Yan was excluded from the conversation and couldn't get a word in edgewise afterward.
Jiang Mingyue gave the painting to Old Madam Yan, who was overjoyed and told Yan Qian to have it framed the next day.
"It hangs in my bedroom so I can see it all the time."
Yan Qian readily agreed, as long as it wasn't hung in the living room, otherwise the younger generation would be nagged by the old man every day.
During the meal, the old lady and the young lady got along very well. From the programs Jiang Mingyue had participated in to her expertise in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, the old lady knew them all like the back of her hand, just like a devoted fan.
Yan Qian remained silent throughout, quietly providing service. Seeing that Jiang Mingyue liked seafood soup, he served her another bowl.
Grandpa Yan witnessed the whole scene. He didn't look down on his grandson for being unambitious, but only sighed that the iron tree had finally blossomed.
After dinner, Grandma Yan took Jiang Mingyue for a walk in the garden. Grandma Yan sat in her electric wheelchair and did not need Yan Qian to accompany her. She wanted to have some private conversation with Jiang Mingyue.
Yan Qian tactfully waited to the side, reminding the old lady not to go too far, as she needed to take her medicine in half an hour.
Grandma Yan waved her hand impatiently, "I know, stop nagging."
After complaining, Grandma Yan quickly put on a smile again and affectionately took Jiang Mingyue's hand, "Mingyue, do you think I talk too much?"
Jiang Mingyue is very popular with the elders. From Shao Quan to Qin Xue, then to Professor Wu, and now to Grandma Yan, they all like her very much.
"No, having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. I enjoy chatting with you."
Grandma Yan was amused. She let go of Jiang Mingyue's hand and continued to move forward in her wheelchair.
"It's all Yan Qian's fault. He's good in every way, except he's a mute and doesn't like to talk. He didn't tell me earlier that he knew you. If Bai Xun hadn't let it slip yesterday, I don't know how long I would have been kept in the dark."
The old lady seemed to dislike her eldest grandson, but in reality, she was praising Yanqian's composure.
Jiang Mingyue smiled slightly and followed up, "I was quite surprised when Yan Qian said you were my fan."
Grandma Yan smiled broadly, "I was a fan of celebrities when I was young. If it weren't for my husband interfering, I would have married a singer long ago."
Wow, it turns out our elders were quite fashionable when they were young too.
Jiang Mingyue deliberately feigned reluctance, telling the old lady not to speak, claiming it was her privacy and that she was not at liberty to listen.
Grandma Yan waved her hand dismissively, "There's nothing I can't say, let me tell you..."
Half an hour later, the old woman and the young man returned to the living room on time. It was getting late, and Grandma Yan, true to her biological clock, yawned.
Grandma Yan wanted to persuade Jiang Mingyue to stay the night, but when she learned that the young girl had to return to Huai County early the next morning, she was very reluctant to part with her.
She held Jiang Mingyue's hand and earnestly instructed, "Mingyue, you must come and visit often when you have time."
Jiang Mingyue bent down and hugged the old lady, then squatted down and took out a gourd bracelet from her pocket, personally putting it on the old lady's left wrist.
"Grandma Yan, please get some rest. I'll definitely come over often when I have time."
Grandma Yan's eyes lit up, and she raised her wrist to show off to the grandmother and grandson beside her, "Look, this is a gourd bracelet that my father gave me. You two don't have one."
Old Master Yan felt that his wife was too childish, chasing after celebrities at her age, so he turned away in annoyance, preferring not to see her.
Yan Qian couldn't help but chuckle, "Grandma, Mingyue gave you a gourd bracelet, aren't you going to give her something in return?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Mingyue glanced at Yan Qian and disagreed, saying, "The gourd bracelet is worthless. I gave it to Grandma Yan as a small token of my appreciation, not as a gift in return."
Yan Qian raised his hand and touched his nose, not daring to refute at all.
Grandma Yan watched the interaction between the two and was secretly delighted. She quickly smoothed things over, saying, "You don't need to remind me. I was already prepared. Mingyue, you must accept it."
Grandma Yan gave Jiang Mingyue two boxes of Longquan ink paste, each weighing thirty grams and worth ten thousand yuan.
One tael of Longquan wine is worth five taels of gold.
This generous gift touched Jiang Mingyue's heart. Qin Xue gave her a seal engraved with her name, and now this seal has finally found the right ink for it.
On the way back, Yan Qian drove himself without having any bodyguards follow him.
"Mingyue, my grandma didn't say anything bad to you, did she?"
Jiang Mingyue raised her hand to pull her collar tighter, preventing the night wind from getting in. "No, we were just talking about idol worship."
The old lady did talk about him, but there was no need to tell him.
The light ahead was red. Yan Qian glanced at her briefly. Her expression was calm, and he couldn't discern her thoughts.
"Have a safe journey back tomorrow. I'll go to Huai County in a couple of days."
He didn't mention Don Juan giving her the gift, which made him seem exceptionally magnanimous.
Jiang Mingyue nodded, "Mm."
We then chatted about the Shark Organization, and before we knew it, we arrived at Mao'er Hutong.
The car couldn't turn into Mao'er Hutong, and all the nearby parking spaces were full. Jiang Mingyue indicated that he didn't need to get out of the car to see her off, and that she could go back on her own without any problems.
"That won't do. I have to see you go in with my own eyes."
Yan Qian parked his car on a wide road and put up a temporary parking sign. He didn't care about getting a ticket.
Seeing this, Jiang Mingyue stopped dawdling, took the gift box, and got out of the car.
The lights in the alley were dim tonight; several seemed to be broken, and no one was passing by, making it look rather eerie.
Of course, Jiang Mingyue wasn't afraid. In Yan Qian's eyes, it was a matter of inadequate municipal management. Luckily, he got out of the car to see her off.
Yan Qian had a lot to say, but in the end he said nothing and left after dropping the person off at their doorstep.
Jiang Mingyue guessed his thoughts, but didn't mention anything about the length of time, saying it was still too early.
The following day, Jiang Mingyue hitched a ride in Don Juan's RV south and returned smoothly to Huai County, where she went directly to the new home address given to her by Qin Xue.
Shao Quan was also there. The two masters were preparing dinner. They invited Tang Juan and his assistant to dine with them to thank them for bringing Jiang Mingyue back and for bringing back a bunch of things for Qin Xue.
"If you don't mind, Xiao Tang, you can stay here tonight. There are plenty of guest rooms."
Don Juan declined, saying that he had to attend an international conference that evening and talk to his colleagues about work, which would affect them.
Seeing this, Qin Xue didn't try to persuade him further and invited him to come over for dinner again tomorrow night.
Around 8:30, Don Juan said goodbye to his assistant and left. Jiang Mingyue made an appointment with him to meet at 8:00 the next morning, when she would take him to stroll through the old street.
Don Juan told her to sleep until she woke up naturally; there was no need to be strict about the exact time.
Jiang Mingyue smiled and said, "I usually get up early, so I'll take you to the old street for breakfast."
"Okay, see you tomorrow morning."
After Don Juan and his assistant left, Jiang Mingyue finally had time to stroll around Qin Xue's courtyard house.
It's not a single courtyard house, but a villa complex, built in the style of a traditional Chinese courtyard house. It's said to be a project developed by Jinghua Construction.
The courtyard house that Qin Xue bought has two courtyards and is larger in area than No. 63 Mao'er Hutong.
There are six guest rooms in the courtyard. Shao Quan and Jiang Mingyue each got one. She will sleep here tonight to add some life to the courtyard.
Don Juan stayed in Huai County for three days. He originally planned to spend a week there, but things didn't go as planned. Director Lin Zi'an called him back to do additional dubbing for the movie.
Jiang Mingyue gathered a bunch of local specialties from Huai County for Tang Huang to take back, and invited him to come and visit again when he had time.
Don Juan looked at a basket of free-range chicken eggs and a basket of free-range duck eggs, along with some slaughtered and sealed chickens, ducks, and geese, and didn't know what to say.
City dwellers love to buy free-range poultry from the village, and Ms. Wu is no exception; Jiang Mingyue would give them as gifts.
"Your birthday is at the end of June. Wei Lai and I will come over again. Take good care of yourself and don't work too hard."
Jiang Mingyue smiled and nodded, "Brother Tang, you too."
After Don Juan left, Jiang Mingyue's life returned to normal. She studied painting with Qin Xue in the morning and continued to learn double-sided embroidery with Shao Quan in the afternoon.
I sleep in Qin Xue's courtyard house on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; return to Sun's family compound in Dahuai Village on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays; stay at Jinghua Shoufu with Sun Aimei on Sundays; and take Sun Aimei to school on Monday mornings.
Life is fulfilling and pleasant.
On May 22nd, the weather turned cloudy in the afternoon, followed by torrential rain and thunder.
Jiang Mingyue stood under the eaves of the courtyard house, calculating the time with her right hand. The opportunity for the earth dragon to transform into a dragon was tonight!
11 p.m., Dahuai Village, Dahuai Riverbank.
After the rain, a strong, fishy stench filled the air, not just from the water plants, but also from a strange, indescribable smell.
Li Er is a dragon chaser. Ever since a dragon mysteriously appeared in Dahuai Village, he has been following the trail. He rented a house at the east end of the village and set up a stall at the village entrance using his dough figurine skills.
Feng Chunbu, a villager from Dahuai Village, was not hostile to this outsider craftsman. On the contrary, some neighbors were hospitable and would give him vegetables every now and then.
Based on over a decade of experience tracking dragons, I've learned that dragons typically appear during heavy rain, and over 80% of the time they appear near large lakes with abundant aquatic plants.
Wearing night vision goggles and fully armed, Li Er lay down in the bushes, and no one could detect his disguise.
He was absolutely certain that the source of the stench all around was the dragon!
He pointed the night vision camera at the Huai River. If he managed to capture a dragon on camera tonight, he would sell it to an online forum and make a fortune.
The earth-dwelling dragon at the bottom of the river was restless and agitated. With the tribulation of lightning imminent, the great-aunt who had helped it transform into a dragon had not yet appeared, and it was very suspicious that it had been tricked by her.
Li Er's eyes gleamed; he was reacting. The ripples on the river surface were growing larger and larger, as if some enormous creature was stirring up the riverbed.
He's going to be rich! He's going to be rich! He's finally going to make a fortune!
Time passed quietly, and a surge of energy coursed wildly within the Earth Dragon's body. It could not control itself and was eager to break free of the water.
The moment the dragon's tail swung onto the river, a stench filled the air, accompanied by a gust of wind that ripped the straw hat off Li Er's head!
Li Er was dumbfounded when he saw the tail of a creature thicker than a water bucket flash across the river!
The next second, he quickly pressed the shutter button in his hand.
It's a dragon!
It's a dragon!
The earth dragon sensed the presence of living people and suddenly emerged from the riverbed, its gaping maw darting toward the people hiding on the bank.
Li Er was so frightened by the sudden appearance of the enormous creature that he dared not move and almost had a heart attack. He immediately retreated, but found that his legs were as weak as mud and he fell to the ground after running only a few steps.
He saw a dragon!
The stranger's intrusion into the territory of the Earth Dragon thoroughly enraged it. The Earth Dragon glared at the man and opened its mouth to bite.
In the blink of an eye, a clear, cold voice suddenly descended from the sky!
"Little Dragon! Don't ruin your thousand years of cultivation!"
The Flood Dragon froze, caught red-handed by its aunt for doing something wrong, feeling embarrassed.
Sun Aimei twisted her ankle in a fall at school. Jiang Mingyue had just arrived from the hospital when she saw Zou Dijiao bullying a stranger.
Before Li Er could even see who it was, a dazzling white light suddenly rushed towards him, and the next second, he fainted.
Another burst of energy struck, and the side of Li Er's night vision recorder stopped working.
With a deafening roar, thunder echoed through the night sky, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and a strong wind blew.
Without delay, Jiang Mingyue formed hand seals, and her inner energy surged into a wall of wind, enveloping the ground dragon within it and sending it to the mouth of the Huai River.
The transformation of a land-dwelling dragon into a human dragon requires passing through three tribulations: the Heavenly Tribulation, the Earthly Tribulation, and the Human Tribulation.
The Heavenly Tribulation is a lightning tribulation, which the Earth Dragon must overcome on its own. Jiang Mingyue only helps it overcome the Earth Tribulation and the Human Tribulation.
In folk tradition, many bridges have swords hung under them to slay dragons and prevent them from causing floods.
The Dahuai River meanders through the Yellow Sea, flowing eastward. Along its course, there are more than one dragon-slaying sword hanging in the water.
Jiang Mingyue directly protected her body with her inner energy, sending it quickly through the tribulation to the estuary.
The tribulation is the act of seeking a title. If someone says that it is a very big fish, the earth dragon's transformation into a dragon will fail!
When Eric appeared in Huai County, Jiang Mingyue deliberately let the Earth Dragon appear in dragon form, as if to ask for its title in advance.
About half an hour later, the Earth Dragon successfully arrived at the estuary. Thunder roared in the night sky, and bolts of lightning struck the Earth Dragon.
Jiang Mingyue stood on a tall tree branch, her body protected by a protective aura, unaffected by lightning.
"What a huge dragon! Go, Dragon!"
When the first lightning bolt struck, the Earth Dragon sank into the sea with a splash and almost couldn't climb out. But its aunt's words gave it courage; it couldn't let her look down on it!
Just as the Earth Dragon struggled to emerge from the seabed, the second lightning tribulation struck it accurately, tearing its skin and leaving it covered in blood, before it fell back into the seabed once more.
Jiang Mingyue silently watched this scene unfold, clenching her fists. She could only rely on her fists to withstand the lightning tribulation; she couldn't intervene.
About half an hour later, the Earth Dragon emerged from the seabed, and the third lightning tribulation struck it again.
Jiang Mingyue held her breath.
Longlong, you must succeed!
A miracle occurred: a black-bodied ground dragon sprouted two horns and five claws, soared into the sky, and tumbled and leaped through the dark clouds.
The next instant, a giant white dragon swooped down toward Jiang Mingyue. Jiang Mingyue's eyes lit up with surprise. She lightly touched the ground with her toes and easily leaped onto the dragon's body, straddling its back.
"Hahaha, 15888, congratulations on successfully landing!"
The ground-dwelling dragon—no, the white dragon numbered 15888—almost lost its balance while flying. Humph, why do humans have the right to give it a number?! Who gave them that right?!
Jiang Mingyue touched the white dragon; the fishy smell had lessened considerably, and there was still a faint smell of burning from being struck by lightning.
As soon as Bailong looked up, Jiang Mingyue guessed what it was thinking. "You think this name doesn't sound good, right? Let me think of something nicer for you."
"Yes, I met you at the Dahuai River, so you can be called Longhuai."
Bailong, Longhuai accepted this name, carrying Jiang Mingyue as they surveyed the land of China and roamed the skies.
Fishermen living by the sea who were getting up in the middle of the night were caught off guard when they saw a white dragon flash across the sky, and it seemed that the white dragon was carrying a person on its back...
What is that?
The fishermen were dumbfounded. They rubbed their eyes again and looked, but there was nothing there. They must have been seeing things.
This isn't a myth; how could anyone ride a dragon?
Author's Note: Hahaha [Three-colored cat head emoji] Three months of serialization has been exhausting. I'll adjust the word count this month; if I can make it, I'll reach 5,000 words, if not, 4,000. Hahaha
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