EFB Chapter 96 "...Joy..." "Happiness..."
Chapter 96 "...Joy..." "Happiness..."
Chapter 96 "...Joy..." "Happiness..." (First update, 6600 words)
"I put it on the table for you~"
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yuan nimbly opened the door and slipped out.
Before leaving, he glanced back at the room one last time before carefully closing the door.
Eek~
She even got shy!
After Lu Yuan left, the string of candied hawthorns lay quietly on the bill.
Gu Qingwan's figure disappeared into the heavy coffin with a "whoosh" and was never heard from again.
Lu Yuan put this little incident out of his mind and hummed a tune as he headed straight for the dining hall.
Today's meal was quite good; braised pork with vermicelli, glistening with oil and smelling delicious.
Lu Yuan found a corner and devoured two large steamed buns in a whirlwind, along with a whole pot of stew.
After eating and drinking his fill, he loosened his belt, patted his round belly, and strolled back to the side hall, completely satisfied.
"Northeast China is my hometown~"
"The suona is playing—"
As soon as I entered, I saw the old man hunched over his desk, intently writing talismans.
"Have you eaten?"
Lu Yuan asked casually.
The old man didn't even look up; his voice came from the tip of his pen.
"I ate it already."
Lu Yuan said "Oh" and then walked straight toward Gu Qingwan's large coffin without saying anything more.
His gaze fell on the bill.
The two strings of candied hawthorns remained quietly there, seemingly untouched.
Lu Yuan glanced again at the tightly sealed coffin.
Hmm, did Gu Qingwan eat?
He began to have doubts and strolled over to the candied hawthorns.
He picked up one of them and examined it for a few seconds.
Then, Lu Yuan put a string of candied hawthorns into his mouth.
Immediately following was a crisp sound of icing crumbling.
"Snap!"
A crisp sound of icing sugar cracking.
Immediately afterwards————
"Hah!!!"
Lu Yuan's face contorted in pain instantly. He grabbed a blank piece of yellow paper from the side and spat out everything in his mouth onto it.
The old man who was concentrating on drawing talismans was startled by the commotion and turned around with a look of astonishment on his face.
"Alas!!!"
The old man stared wide-eyed at Lu Yuan as if he were a lunatic.
"You're really not satisfied, aren't you!"
"You dare put food that a ghost has finished eating in your mouth?"
"Didn't I tell you before? The taste of offerings that have been eaten by demons completely changes!"
Lu Yuan didn't bother to reply. He grabbed the teapot on the table and poured the tea into it.
It took a lot of effort to get rid of the indescribable sour and bitter taste in my mouth.
He took a long breath before speaking: "I did say that, but I've never tried it before. I'm just curious and want to experience it for myself."
This candied hawthorn has indeed been "eaten" by Gu Qingwan.
That taste was no longer the sweet and sour of the human world, but a kind of bitterness and astringency that seeped into the very marrow.
Fortunately, Gu Qingwan ate the candied hawthorn after she left.
I thought she was angry and hadn't eaten.
The old man looked him over with a strange expression, then picked up the talisman brush again.
"curious?"
"When we used to go out on errands together, performing rituals to appease evil spirits and the dead, we set out so many offerings, why didn't you ever try any of them out of curiosity?"
Lu Yuan answered the question with confidence, but also with an undisguised hint of disdain.
"nonsense!"
"Can I eat the things those things have eaten?"
"Just thinking about it makes my stomach churn; I could never bring myself to eat it!"
The old man was amused by these words. He looked up and glanced at Lu Yuan.
"What?"
"You don't mind what she eats?"
Lu Yuan shook his head, looking completely matter-of-fact.
"How can that be the same? We're all family, what's there to complain about?"
Upon hearing this, the old man pursed his lips, lowered his head, and continued to struggle with the talisman in his hand, too lazy to pay any more attention to this bewitched disciple.
Lu Yuan put the two strings of stale candied hawthorns back on their original place, turned around, his expression becoming serious, and said to the old man, "Qingwan's situation is definitely related to that Ghost-Controlling Liu family."
"The copper nails on that evil god's body and the amulet coins pressed on her acupoints are exactly the same method."
The old man's hand, which was writing the talisman, paused almost imperceptibly.
Immediately, the brushstrokes flowed as usual.
"It doesn't matter anymore."
"We can now use our faith to break free from her restraints, and we can handle the rest ourselves."
"As for revenge, so many years have passed. The person who used such a vicious trick on her back then is probably already ashes."
At this point, the old man slightly raised his head, glanced at Lu Yuan, and then said, "As for anything else, such as the matter of performing a ritual to help her pass on to the afterlife—"
"Anyway, I have to find them eventually. Once I find them, I'll get to the bottom of things."
Hearing the old man's confident tone, Lu Yuan couldn't help but feel curious.
"Can we find it?"
The old man lowered his head and let out a soft snort through his nose.
"able."
In short, decisive.
Lu Yuan didn't ask any more questions. If the old man said it was possible, then it definitely was.
It's likely that the old man used his secret methods to interrogate Tan Jiji's body thoroughly, asking her everything she should and shouldn't have asked.
When the old man takes charge, he's worth two men!
Lu Yuan stopped bothering him and turned back to the coffin.
He reached out a finger and tapped lightly on the heavy coffin lid, lowering his voice as if he were telling a little secret.
"Once you've eaten my candied hawthorn, you can't be angry anymore~"
"Let me see how well the curse on your head is healing."
After saying that, Lu Yuan took a deep breath and used his shoulder to push against the heavy coffin lid.
"Squeak—"
—
A sickening scraping sound rang out as Lu Yuan forcefully pushed open a crack in Gu Qingwan's coffin.
hey~
Lu Yuan grinned.
I knew he wasn't really angry.
She's surprisingly easy to coax.
He quickly stepped forward and peeked into the gap.
At first glance, Lu Yuan was taken aback.
Immediately afterward, he turned his head sharply, his face filled with uncontrollable ecstasy, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Old man! Old man!!"
"Almost gone! The curse is almost gone! There's only a tiny bit of hair left!!"
The loud shout startled the old man, who was focused on his work. He trembled, and the talisman brush in his hand tilted, instantly destroying the entire talisman with a cinnabar mark.
"knew!!"
The old man turned his head, gritting his teeth, blowing his beard, and glaring.
"You scared the hell out of me!"
Having said that, he angrily crumpled the useless talisman in front of him into a ball and started a new one in a huff.
Lu Yuan completely ignored the old man's anger. He turned back and continued to cling to the seam of the coffin.
He checked it over and over again, his joy barely concealed.
"Judging by this, it'll only be a day or two at most!!"
"Great! Once this curse is gone, we can change Qingwan into some nice clothes and start removing those vicious spells from her!"
The old man didn't turn his head, but simply hummed in response.
Lu Yuan became more and more excited as he spoke, pacing back and forth excitedly.
"That's wonderful! That's wonderful!"
"It's the perfect time to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new!!"
He clapped his hands abruptly, turned to look at the old man, and spoke in a tone that left no room for doubt.
"I have to go to the market tomorrow!"
"I'm going down the mountain to pick out some new clothes for Qingwan for the New Year!"
At this point, Lu Yuan pointed to himself and the old man.
"We both need to get some new clothes!"
"Aunt Qin and Aunt Qiao'er donated so much money for incense this year, so let's get some nice new Taoist robes for the two of us, that way we won't cause any trouble!"
The old man's head was throbbing from his noise, so he waved his hand, too lazy to pay attention to his overly excited apprentice.
"Whatever you want! Whatever you want!"
The next day, the sun rises three poles.
Lu Yuan stretched on the heated kang bed, his joints making a series of comfortable cracking sounds.
This is definitely the most restful sleep I've had in a long time.
At nine o'clock in the morning, it was the busiest time of the market in Qixia Town at the foot of the mountain.
Lu Yuan pocketed the money and leisurely descended the mountain.
-
Instead of wearing his conspicuous Taoist robe, he changed into a slightly worn indigo cotton short-sleeved shirt.
He wore a fluffy felt hat with ear flaps on his head and thick-soled cotton shoes on his feet.
Dressed like this, he blends into the crowd and looks like a spirited and handsome young man from the countryside.
The snow on the mountain road was compacted by the footprints of passersby, and under the warm winter sun, it looked like a layer of scattered diamonds.
On the bare tree branches by the roadside, a few faded red cloths were hung by some child, swaying in the mountain wind, becoming the simplest "New Year's flavor" on this mountain.
The air was filled with the crisp scent of burning pine branches, mixed with the sweet aroma of fried cakes and roasted chestnuts wafting from the distant market.
Lu Yuan took a deep breath, and the warmth traveled through his nasal cavity, soothing his heart.
The market at the foot of the mountain was already bustling with activity.
These are all villagers from the neighborhood. It's almost New Year's Eve, and if they don't buy now, it will be too late.
From afar, one could see a bustling crowd, with the signs of various stalls fluttering in the wind.
Two teenagers, dressed like cotton balls, were standing on tiptoe, hanging the last red paper carp lantern on an old locust tree.
Under the lamp, there is a square painting with the words "May you have abundance every year" pasted on it.
An old man was squatting nearby, smoking a pipe, his eyes squinting and a smile playing on his lips.
The market is small, but it has everything you need.
The shouts, the sounds of bargaining, the laughter of children chasing and playing, and the muffled thuds of pounding rice cakes in the distance all blended together into a lively scene of everyday life.
The most classic one has to be the little whip that the kids throw out out of the blue, making a "snap" sound that always gives you a fright.
The eye is filled with festive red.
Red couplets, red "Fu" characters, red lanterns, and red velvet flowers in the hair of young women and wives.
Lu Yuan first bought out all the candied hawthorn stalls, then took one for himself, savoring the sweet and sour taste before getting down to business.
He had a clear goal and headed straight for the largest fabric and general merchandise stall at the east end of the market.
The stall owner was a brisk woman in her forties, and behind her, the wooden rack was filled with a dazzling array of fabrics.
From thick, coarse home-woven cloth and crisp indigo fabric to rare soft satin and brocade.
There was even a small roll of light purple fine cotton cloth that was said to have come from the south.
Although it can't compare to the fashionable ones in Fengtian City, it's still pretty good.
Lu Yuan examined the fabric closely, running his fingers over its thickness to check the texture and the evenness of the dyeing.
He first ruled out those who were extremely popular and famous, as Gu Qingwan's aloof personality made her unsuitable.
He then thought the coarse cloth was too rough and might hurt her, so his gaze finally fell on two pieces of cloth.
One piece of cloth was a fine cotton fabric, the color of a sky after rain, its color elegant and soft, like the sky after the rain has cleared.
One piece was a soft, moon-white satin, shimmering with a warm, pearly luster, and cool, smooth to the touch.
After thinking it over, Lu Yuan still chose the moon-white soft satin.
"Auntie, how much is this horse?"
After hearing the price quote, Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow and chuckled.
"Alas!!"
"Auntie, I'm from Zhenlong Temple on the mountain. I'm here to get some clothes for my junior sister for the New Year. Please don't overcharge me."
Upon hearing that he was a young Taoist priest from Zhenlong Temple, the auntie's already warm smile became even more respectful.
Looking at Lu Yuan's handsome appearance, after a few words, they readily rounded down the price.
Finally, they also gave me a small bag of matching Chinese knot buttons and two strands of embroidery thread.
After picking out a piece of cloth for Gu Qingwan, Lu Yuan casually tore off a piece of resistant black cloth for himself and the old man.
Turning around, he collected the silk thread and buttons, and stopped in his tracks as he passed an old woman's stall selling velvet flower hair ties.
He chose the simplest jade-colored hair ribbon, with only two rice-grain-sized white jade beads at the end.
"This is good, it's simple and clean."
Lu Yuan tucked it into his pocket with satisfaction.
The fabric was sent directly to the tailor shop in town. The shopkeeper was an old acquaintance; all the Taoist robes in the temple were made by his family.
After handing over the materials, the shopkeeper gave an OK sign and said, "Don't worry, it'll be ready before dark."
Seeing the shopkeeper's expression, Lu Yuan chuckled and said, "Oh~"
"They've even started using foreign languages?"
The shopkeeper said smugly, "Knowing when to keep up with the times!"
Lu Yuan then went to buy other things, squeezing into the cooked food stall and buying half a pound of pig's head meat and a smoked chicken.
I bought half a pound of flaky pastries sprinkled with white sesame seeds from the pastry shop.
A packet of amber-colored stove sugar, used for offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God.
I saw some frozen pears for sale. They were black and hard like iron eggs, so I bought a few. When I got home, I rinsed them with cold water and they turned into sweet and juicy smoothies.
I bought some new red candles; I'll light them tonight.
A stack of gold paper printed with the image of the God of Wealth, and several couplets and the character "福" (fortune/blessing).
Logically, this should be written by oneself, but the old man was busy making talismans, and Lu Yuan's handwriting was terrible.
Passing by a stall selling local produce, I saw some nice-looking dried mushrooms and black fungus, so I bought a bag of each. They'll make a delicious stew in winter.
Finally, Lu Yuan stopped at a stall selling small items such as combs and mirrors.
Pick up a palm-sized brass hand mirror with smooth edges and a magpie perched on a plum blossom pattern engraved on the back.
Lu Yuan looked at himself in the mirror and nodded: "Wrap this up too."
Lu Yuan thought that once her eyesight improved and she could see herself, she would need a mirror.
In the afternoon, Lu Yuan got hungry and ate a bowl of big meat noodles nearby. He then wandered around the market and played around.
-
-
As the sun began to set, Lu Yuan, carrying a bulging satchel on his back, walked contentedly up the mountain.
I need to hurry back and make dumplings, or I'll be late!
The setting sun cast a warm golden glow on the distant snow-capped mountains and the nearby villages.
Smoke began to rise from the chimneys of every household, and the aroma of food filled the air even more.
As they passed the village entrance, several playing children recognized Lu Yuan and called out to him, "Little Taoist priest, you're back from the market!"
Lu Yuan smiled and took out a few extra pieces of candy he had specially bought from his pocket and gave them to the children, who cheered and ran away.
Back on the mountain, as I pushed open the door of the side hall, a familiar scent of incense and warmth wafted towards me.
The old man was still drawing talismans at his desk when he heard the noise. He glanced up, then lowered his head again.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan couldn't help but exclaim, "Eek!!"
"How many talismans are you trying to store?!"
"It's been a whole day and night!"
The old man, without even looking up, said, "Mind your own business!"
Lu Yuan curled his lip, ignoring the old man, and walked straight towards Gu Qingwan's coffin.
He first put down the large and small bags, and then carefully placed the hastily made moon-white soft satin new clothes on the coffin lid.
Then, he took out the jade-colored hairband and the brass hand mirror from his pocket.
He had just put his things down when he looked up and saw Gu Qingwan's figure already hovering in mid-air.
She was still dressed in that scarlet outfit, and those empty eyes were silently "watching" him.
Lu Yuan gently placed the two items in his hand on the coffin lid and grinned, "Take a look, do you like them?"
"These are the new clothes, hairband, and mirror I bought for you."
At this point, Lu Yuan suddenly realized that Gu Qingwan was still blind.
Coming to his senses, Lu Yuan quickly corrected himself, saying, "You'll be able to see it right away—"
Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a clear and slow voice.
Floating in mid-air, Gu Qingwan parted her red lips slightly.
"----happiness----"
"joyous----"
Well----
Lu Yuan grinned, his eyes almost overflowing with warmth.
"If you like it, that's good."
"From now on, every time I go down the mountain, I'll bring you something new and interesting."
After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the old man, grabbing the talisman paper from the table.
"Alright, stop drawing!"
"It's getting dark, hurry up and make dumplings!"
The old man didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, and he dragged out his voice.
"What should I wrap?"
"The dining hall is all prepared, it's ready to go."
Lu Yuan shook his head vigorously, like a rattle-drum.
"How can that be the same?"
"The dumplings for Chinese New Year have to be made and eaten by ourselves to taste the right way!"
"The key is, we still have to put money in there!"
Before he could finish speaking, Lu Yuan, regardless of whether the old man was willing or not, grabbed his arm and dragged him outside.
"Perfect timing, let's three of us make dumplings together!"
The old man, who was forcibly dragged away, instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
"Oh shit!"
"I've really lived long enough to be making dumplings for Chinese New Year with a female ghost—"
"How could I possibly encounter something so bizarre!"
Soon, a bowl of kneaded dough and a bowl of finely chopped, fragrant minced meat were carried into the warm and cozy side hall.
During Chinese New Year, dumplings have to be meat-filled.
Meat represents "abundance," signifying having enough to eat and drink, and a surplus for the coming year.
Pay attention!
The bill was completely cleared out, and the table became the three people's exclusive dumpling table.
Lu Yuan, young and strong, was in charge of rolling out the dough. The rolling pin in his hand flew up and down, making a series of rhythmic "clattering" sounds.
Gu Qingwan lowered her eyes, her slender fingers picking up a piece of dough and deftly filling it with meat filling.
Every now and then, he would pick up a shiny little silver coin from the small dish next to him and quietly slip it into a dumpling.
The dumplings she made were all round and plump, like little gold ingots.
The old man, on the other hand, euphemistically called himself the "overseer".
He sat to one side with an air of nonchalance, a pot of wine in his left hand and a piece of pig's head meat in his right, taking sips from time to time.
Then he leisurely arranged the dumplings that Gu Qingwan had wrapped onto the mat, looking extremely content.
"I said."
As Lu Yuan quickly rolled out the dough, he glanced sideways at the old man and said, "When we cook dumplings on New Year's Day, you'd better not eat two of the ones with money on them!"
The old man let out a satisfied burp and lifted his eyelids slightly.
Why?
Lu Yuan immediately glared at him, raising his voice eight octaves.
"nonsense!"
"How old are you? You don't go out and earn money."
"If there's money in the dumplings we eat during Chinese New Year, doesn't that mean next year will be all about spending money?"
"Getting sick costs money, drinking costs money, everything costs money!"
He got more and more excited as he talked, pointing to himself and then to Gu Qingwan.
"This money should be saved for the two of us to eat!"
"We're young and have plenty of money, which means we're going to make a lot of money next year!"
The old man hiccuped, pointed at Gu Qingwan, who was intently and adorably focused on making dumplings, and said, "She looks over a hundred years old."
"I'll be sixty-five before the New Year."
Lu Yuan: "...
The three were busy wrapping up the clothes when a loud voice suddenly pierced through the doors and windows, echoing in the quiet backyard.
"The Celestial Crane has arrived!!!"
Lu Yuan and the old man inside the room froze simultaneously, their faces full of question marks.
Who?
Why is he here?
This shouldn't be!
The Luotian Grand Ritual outside the pass is opening today, isn't it?
The two looked at each other and saw deep astonishment in each other's eyes.
Without a second thought, they immediately put down what they were doing and rushed out the door.
As soon as they stepped outside, they saw Crane Patrol Celestial Venerable leading Song Yan and his entourage in a grand procession.
Song Yan, with his sharp eyes, immediately greeted them with a beaming smile and clasped his hands in greeting.
"Greetings, Martial Uncle, Junior Brother—"
Crane Patrol Celestial Venerable also bowed slightly to the old man, as if to pay homage to a peer.
Lu Yuan was still a little confused, so he quickly returned the greeting.
The old man frowned and spoke first.
"What are you doing here?"
"Isn't the Luotian Grand Ritual opening ceremony in Fengtian City today?"
Crane Patrol Celestial Venerable waved his hand dismissively, looking disgusted.
"The opening ceremony was so complicated and tedious, I couldn't be bothered to stand there and freeze."
Upon hearing this, both Lu Yuan and the old man were stunned.
Too lazy to go?
Lu Yuan knew very well that this senior master was very particular about appearances and face.
The Luo Tian Grand Ceremony, especially with the abbot of Tianlong Temple, one of the three upper sects, attending, represents the highest level of prestige among all the Taoist sects outside the Great Wall!
Why didn't he go to such a prestigious event?
Before Lu Yuan could figure it out, Crane Patrol Celestial Venerable's gaze had already fallen on the old man, his tone tinged with emotion.
"It's been so many years since we celebrated Chinese New Year together."
"We've finally got this opportunity, so let's celebrate the New Year together as fellow apprentices. We don't know when we'll have another chance."
The old man didn't say anything, but silently took another sip of wine.
Crane-Patrolling Celestial Venerable's gaze then shifted to Lu Yuan, and upon seeing the white powder smeared on his clothes and hands, he immediately chuckled.
He enthusiastically gathered his sleeves and strode forward.
"Making dumplings?"
"Come on, I'll go with you two."
Lu Yuan was startled and reacted instantly, quickly stepping forward to stop him.
"No, no, no, Senior Uncle!"
"No need, no need, there are plenty in the dining hall, and we're almost done!"
Hearing Lu Yuan's words, Crane Patrol Celestial Venerable shook his head and said, "~~"
"You just don't understand!"
"For Chinese New Year dumplings, you have to make them yourself, cook them yourself, and even stuff some money inside—that's what makes it feel like the New Year!"
Lu Yuan:
Oh shit!
He was using only his own words!
After saying that, Crane Patrol Celestial Venerable grinned and said, "Of course, we two old men will have to eat less."
"You and Song Yan should eat more!"
After saying that, he tried to bypass Lu Yuan and rush into the side hall.
Lu Yuan was so scared he almost flew out of his skin. He darted to the door and blocked the entrance, babbling incoherently.
"No—that—Uncle-Master, it's really no trouble for you. We'll take care of everything. You and your brother can rest."
As he spoke, he frantically winked at the old man next to him, his eyes practically twitching.
But the old man seemed to be blind, just standing there, slowly taking another sip of wine, and even letting out a comfortable burp.
Lu Yuan: "????"
Crane Patrol Celestial Venerable was getting impatient and frowned as he looked at Lu Yuan.
"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"
"We're all family, why are you taking a break?!"
After saying that, he reached out to grab Lu Yuan.
Just as Lu Yuan was preparing to resist to the death, the old man's leisurely voice drifted into his ears.
"Let him make the bag if he wants to."
Lu Yuan: "???"
The next second, he was pulled away by Crane Patrol Celestial Venerable.
"that is!"
Crane-Patrolling Celestial Venerable pushed open the door of the side hall triumphantly, muttering to himself.
"Making dumplings, what's so troublesome about that? —"
The door was pushed open.
His words got stuck in his throat.
Crane Patrol Celestial Venerable's smile froze on his face, his eyes staring straight into the hall, blinking repeatedly as if to confirm whether he was seeing things.
After a few seconds of deathly silence.
boom! ! !
He slammed the palace doors shut with all his might!
Crane Patrol Celestial Venerable was pressed against the door like a plaster, his back against the door, his face pale, and his calves visibly trembling.
Immediately afterwards, a heart-wrenching scream, completely unlike that of the "Celestial Venerable," echoed throughout the entire back mountain of Zhenlong Temple.
"I—I'm fucking insane!!!!"
"What the hell are you guys doing?! What kind of thing are you keeping at home?!?!"