Granny Meng squinted as she watched Fan Tong carefully place the five taels of silver at her feet. She was so angry she wanted to kick him.
He's supposed to be a wealthy man in Qingshui Town, yet he's so stingy. But no worries, she has plenty of ways to get him to part with his money.
She kept her eyes closed, muttering to herself.
One moment he's jumping around, the next he's spouting nonsense.
Sometimes he shook his head, sometimes he stamped his feet.
After all that commotion, she suddenly opened her eyes, her face grave, and began to threaten.
“Master Fan, the evil spirit in your mansion is too resentful and its magical power is far superior to mine. I am really unable to subdue it by myself. Now it has been completely enraged. If you want to subdue it, you must ask Laozi to come and help.”
Master Fan was completely terrified, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. If he were really harmed by evil spirits and his family was destroyed, who would he leave his huge fortune to?
Thinking of this, he quickly bowed and said, "Granny Meng, as long as this evil spirit can be subdued, please just tell me what you need me to do."
Mrs. Fan, her face pale, echoed, "That's right, that's right, our family is not short of money."
Granny Meng was secretly delighted, but she pretended to be calm. "Inviting Laozi is not an easy task. The cost of the offerings, the incense, and the drain on my magical power will be at least fifty taels of silver."
Chen Qingqing raised an eyebrow, watching Granny Meng act up. Demanding fifty taels of silver right off the bat—she was really good at extorting money, even more heartless than Chen Qingqing herself.
However, people have their own code of conduct, and thieves have theirs; they're all just trying to make a living, so she didn't intend to expose her.
Fan Tong looked troubled. Although this was a serious matter, the thought of taking out money still stung him deeply.
But the thought of his home being tormented by vengeful ghosts forced him to reluctantly nod.
"Alright, fifty taels it is. As long as the evil spirit can be subdued, I will do whatever you say, Master."
Only then did Granny Meng show a satisfied expression. She then picked up the peach wood sword and began her charade again, shouting loudly…
"Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, Lao Tzu, please show your power..."
After a while, she stopped what she was doing and let out a long sigh. “Master Fan, Laozi has agreed to help, but he needs me to go to the mass grave at the east end of town at midnight tonight to assist him in exorcising the wandering ghosts there. So I need to add another twenty taels of silver.”
For the sake of peace and tranquility in his home, Fan Tong gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, twenty taels it is."
Granny Meng was secretly delighted, and picked up the peach wood sword again, hacking around wildly.
She felt it was about time, so she stood still, calmed her breathing, and said, "Master Fan, the evil spirit has been subdued and will never bother you again."
"Good, that's great, thank you for your help, Granny Meng."
Fan Tong breathed a sigh of relief, secretly pleased. Although it had cost him a hundred or so taels of silver, he felt it was worth it.
After all, distributing porridge costs over a hundred taels a day, which is much more expensive than this.
Now that the vengeful spirit has been subdued, there's no need to accumulate merit or do good deeds anymore.
But just to be on the safe side, she still asked, "Master Meng, now that the vengeful ghost has been subdued, will strange things stop happening in our house?"
"Master Fan, there's no need to be afraid. I've already cast that evil spirit into the eighteenth level of hell, where it will never be reincarnated. It won't have the chance to come out and harm people anymore."
"Meng Zhao, do you mean I no longer need to cook porridge to do good deeds?"
Hearing Fan Tong's words, Chen Qingqing raised an eyelid slightly. Fan Tong, you really won't shed a tear until you see the coffin!
They're already in such a sorry state, yet they're still trying to save money.
She glanced coldly at Granny Meng; as long as she had a shred of kindness, she wouldn't stop the distribution of porridge.
She wouldn't hold it against her, and wouldn't let her take a single penny less of the money she'd been tricked out of.
But if she dares to spout nonsense and mislead Fan Tong, causing the porridge distribution to stop, then don't blame her for being impolite.
At this moment, Granny Meng thought to herself that while giving out porridge and doing good deeds was a good thing, even if the Fan family gave out porridge for a month, the money wouldn't go into her pocket. She might as well take this opportunity to squeeze a lot of money out of the Fan family.
Having made up her mind, she pursed her lips, smiled with narrowed eyes, and...
"Master Fan, you can rest assured. The evil spirit has been exorcised, and there is no need to distribute porridge anymore. It would be a waste of time and money, and you would be doing all the work for nothing. Instead, use the money you save to buy a talisman and stick it on your front door. It will ensure the safety and prosperity of the Fan family."
Fan Tong's eyes lit up with joy. "What the sorceress says is absolutely right. In that case, I'll ask for a talisman."
"How much is one of these talismans?"
"My talismans can ward off evil spirits and protect your home. I won't discuss the price; Mr. Fan can give me whatever he thinks is fair." Granny Meng said with an expression that suggested she wasn't greedy for money.
Fan Tong raised his hand and scratched the back of his head. The money in the house was saved by him bit by bit, and it didn't come from thin air. How much should he give her?
He was reluctant to give too much, but worried that giving too little wouldn't be effective, leaving him in a dilemma.
Granny Meng squinted at Fan Tong, noticing his calculating expression, and knew he wouldn't be generous. Before he could respond, she quickly reminded him with a smile.
"Sincerity brings results. The more money you give, the more sincere you are, and the more the talisman will protect your home. If you don't know how much to give, Master Fan, just give a little less. Fifty taels of silver will suffice as a token."
Mrs. Fan was already terrified, but she understood the principle of paying money to buy peace of mind.
She made the final decision: "Master, as long as our family doesn't attract any more evil spirits or heretics, fifty taels of silver is worth it!"
“Alright, I will listen to you, Madam.” Fan Tong agreed and took out a fifty-tael silver note from his pocket, handing it to Granny Meng. “This is a small token of my appreciation. Please bestow upon me a divine talisman, Granny.”
Granny Meng stared wide-eyed at the silver notes in front of her, her heart pounding with excitement.
There are fools every year, but this year there seem to be more than usual. Someone actually got incredibly lucky and caught a rich man.
I've made a fortune today! With this money, I won't have to worry about food and drink anymore!
"Alright, I'll draw a spirit talisman for you right away."
Seeing their disregard for the lives of the disaster victims, Chen Qingqing's eyes darkened.
She's so greedy, but you can't blame her. She won't let Granny Meng take a single coin of this silver today.
Having made up her mind, Chen Qingqing asked solemnly, "Master Fan, do you really believe this sorceress's nonsense, and believe that the vengeful spirit of the Fan family has been subdued?"
"Miss Chen, what do you mean by that? Is the evil spirit that's been wreaking havoc in my house still around?" Fan Tong looked around in horror, feeling the fear he had just suppressed return.
Granny Meng's face darkened. "Miss Chen, are you questioning me?"
"It's not a question, it's that the vengeful ghost is still there, can't you see it?"
Chen Qingqing stared intently at her, determined that since Granny Meng was faking her wealth through trickery, she would naturally create a ghost story to break the spell...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
