66 Matters of Ghosts and Gods
Upon entering the hall, I found it previously empty. There was only an old table with large patches of peeling red paint and a few old stools.
Now, all I see is piles of furniture: chaise lounges, recliners, high-backed rocking chairs, and cabinets. Everything is crammed full, while the old tables and chairs are relegated to a corner.
I sat down at the old table.
Yang Dexing poured his third uncle a pot of freshly brewed old-fashioned tea. His third uncle didn't mind at all, and said in a strong voice, "Coming so early, and there's no rush. What's the matter? Your brother went to get timber with some men before dawn."
If it's furniture or other items, you'll probably have to wait a few days; we haven't finished the work we just took on.
Then he whispered, "This was introduced by my sister-in-law; he's the head servant of the He family. You know the He family. All the furniture in this mansion needs to be replaced, including the doors and windows. And the price is fair; my sister-in-law knows we don't have that much capital, so she's already paid half the wages."
So everyone's rushing to finish this; we can't let anything go wrong, or we'll let my sister-in-law down!
Yang Dexing could tell from his expression that he must have been extremely busy making furniture these past few days. "Third Uncle, I came specifically to see you."
Then he approached, almost touching him. "Third Uncle, you always say the local City God is our Yang family's ancestor. That's absolutely true, isn't it?"
"It's true. We specifically checked the family genealogy; this City God was a general in our ancestor's family. Of course, not that high-ranking. He was upright and died for the people. After the Holy Emperor drove away the demons and monsters, he erected the City God here. We specifically looked up a lot of information about him."
The City God's surname is indeed Yang. That's why I told you to worship him often. These past few years, Huangtu County has been in chaos. I only go when I have time, I feel ashamed before my ancestors! 'After saying this, he sighed with shame.'
'Perhaps our ancestors are blessing us. Once this big order from the He family is completed, I'll see how much it costs. If it's a lot, I'll repair the City God Temple.' Yang Dexing looked at his third uncle's ashamed expression.
He thought to himself, 'It seems it really is true.'
So after thinking about it, I decided to tell my third uncle. At this point, since it involves one's own ancestors, the elders in the family cannot be bypassed when it comes to worshipping them.
Then I looked around and saw my nephew busy outside! My third uncle's wife was boiling water and preparing breakfast. I guess the men in the family have been very tired these past few days; they're having rice, tofu, and braised pork for breakfast. The meals have improved quite a bit.
"Third Uncle, yesterday I had a sudden urge to offer a portion of the finest tea from our home to the City God." She finished speaking and glanced at her third uncle.
Uncle San stared intently at Yang Dexing and asked anxiously, "And then what? Could it be?"
He nodded and said softly, "She appeared in my dream last night, firstly to thank me for the tea yesterday, and secondly to tell me that I don't need to spend so much money in the future." He didn't say the final reminder.
Uncle San remained silent for a long time after hearing this. Then he let out a soft sigh. 'Thank goodness! Alas, it's all because the younger generation is incompetent! Once we borrow the wages this time, we'll renovate the City God Temple.'
"Okay, Third Uncle, I should do my part then." After a few more brief words, he said goodbye and left.
'It seems the last official must be Lord He!' Yang Dexing thought to himself, then hurried home. 'I'll prepare a gift to send as a token of my appreciation.'
He Chen woke up refreshed in the morning. After dawdling for a while, they finally went out together. Butler Yang had already prepared breakfast. The table was full of delicious dishes, and after eating, he finally felt a little relieved of his fatigue.
Then they took out the box given by the City God. The group looked at the small box without asking any questions. They slowly opened it. Inside was gray, but with a hint of gold, as if gold powder had been mixed in.
Yun Su looked at it for a while. "Brother, where did you get this? This is a rare find. Su'er also has one; Father went out of his way to get it for her."
"Su'er recognizes this. What is it? The City God gave it to her yesterday. He said it can ward off evil spirits."
"Ah, brother, you've seen the City God! That's a very rare sight. This is ash made from incense smoke; it can ward off evil spirits. Compared to ordinary incense ash, it's extremely precious!"
After listening to Yunsu's explanation, "Make several more of these later, and turn them into sachets. Then each of you can take one and carry it with you."
"Thank you, sir." Bi Yunyan and Fanghua both nodded in agreement.
Then, he said to the girls, "Let's head to Hualin Town this afternoon! I need to go to the police station later; I promised last night to have a golden statue made for the City God."
Yun Su exclaimed in surprise, "Really? Then Su'er will have to contribute money too." She then took out a stack of gold leaves.
"We want to participate too!" Bi Yunyan and Fanghua both offered to contribute money.
'Okay. I've got it! I'll pay for you.'
"No, brother, we'll pay for it ourselves. It's our way of showing our appreciation!" They all refused.
"Okay!" I could only reluctantly agree.
The group went to pack their things. He Chen went outside, and the carriage was already waiting. He easily got on the horse.
'Go to the police station.'
"Yes, sir."
Gui San was tallying the accounts. A servant beside him whispered, "Sir, there have been many people wanting to join the police station these past few days. Did you know, sir, that what you said before about children attending the police station for free was true?"
"This is true. I was chatting with the lord earlier, and he gave this instruction. We'll begin implementing it after confirming with him again."
"Ghost Three said firmly," he added, "The taxes these past few days have been significantly higher than before! The lord suggests changing it to monthly, quarterly, or even annually. Work diligently. The lord is merciful; you won't be shortchanged."
The subordinate quickly nodded, saying, "Yes, yes, sir is right."
"My lord, Lord He has arrived," a young man in blue robes said hurriedly as he entered.
"I understand. Come with me to greet them." With that, he walked outside.
Upon being led to the main hall, the official said, "Sir, the after-tax income has improved significantly these past few days. We can try implementing your suggestion of collecting taxes monthly."
Furthermore, when the news of this free enrollment was released, the response was strong, and community cohesion increased significantly.
'Okay, let's implement it as soon as possible. Anyone from the local police station can participate. If revenue increases later, residents around the school can also be considered. Make sure to prepare free lunch and dinner.'
"It is indeed you, sir! Your merits are immeasurable!" Ghost Three exclaimed. "Sir, these are the spiritual materials from yesterday."
After taking the box, he glanced at it casually. Then he said, "Last night I promised the City God I would rebuild a new golden statue for him. This statue will be the same height as the existing one, so it will be hollow. A hollow golden statue. But you'll need to find someone to arrange the specifics."
Furthermore, the City God's weapons need to be reforged from refined iron. Also, the Black and White Impermanence need to have their bodies recast with silver. I'll cover all the expenses; no need to go through the police station.
Upon hearing this, Gui San immediately disagreed.
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