Chapter 103: Two Months

The city was very lively, with people coming into the city to buy New Year's goods everywhere, and all kinds of vendors were everywhere.

It was rare for Xu Qing to enter the city, and she found everything novel. After walking for a while, her hands were full of things: candied haws, ghost masks, windmills...

Xu Yang bought her everything she wanted until both her hands were full, and only then did the two of them begin to buy New Year's goods.

Ham, peanuts, melon seeds, glutinous rice...

In the end, the two of them really couldn't carry it all, so they found a cart to pull it home.

In the blink of an eye, it was New Year's Eve. Today, the Liu family had let them, these retainers, return home, and they would go back on the third day of the New Year.

Xu Yang got up early, ate, and took Xu Qing up the mountain to pay respects to their mother.

When they returned, they saw three people standing at his door, two of whom were carrying loads, and one standing empty-handed.

Seeing Xu Yang return, the person standing empty-handed hurriedly stepped forward and cupped his hands: "Greetings, Master Xu."

He had also become a person of the 'Master' generation.

This person was none other than Wang Xinggui, a small leader sent by the Sanhe Gang to manage the collection of money in Bai Shi Workshop.

Xu Yang nodded lightly, his gaze sweeping over the loads on the backs of the two people behind Wang Xinggui, seeing that the loads contained some melons and fruits, cloth, yellow wine, as well as rice and meat, etc.

"Master Xu, the Gang Leader is worried that you are busy with cultivation and don't have time to prepare New Year's goods, so he asked me to send some over." Wang Xinggui bent his waist, his face full of flattery and fawning.

Xu Yang's early stage of Qi Gathering and the matter of him beating Hong Feng to death had spread, and Li Sanhe had already come once to send gifts.

He didn't expect that today he would specifically ask Wang Xinggui to send New Year's goods; he was very good at doing things.

"Thank Gang Leader Li for me!" Xu Yang smiled.

It used to be that he needed to fawn over the people of the Sanhe Gang, but now the situation had reversed.

"Okay, I will definitely convey it."

Wang Xinggui said, hurriedly asking his two subordinates to send the things into the house, and then took his leave.

Xu Yang didn't try to keep them, watching Wang Xinggui and the three of them leave, his gaze gradually turning gloomy: "Sooner or later, I'll slaughter you all."

The day of major success in Qi Gathering would be the day of Li Sanhe's death.

He wouldn't truly reconcile with Li Sanhe just because of Li Sanhe's few overtures of friendship; he hadn't acted only because his strength wasn't enough.

On the first day of the New Year, Xu Yang accompanied Xu Qing into the city to listen to operas and watch juggling.

On the second day of the New Year, he took Xu Qing to his uncle's house to pay New Year's calls. After staying for a while, he left Xu Qing at Zhou Shunchang's house, then bought gifts on the street and came to the Weiyuan Hall to pay New Year's calls to Lin Shi.

This was the first time Xu Yang had seen Lin Shi's family: one legitimate wife and three concubines.

The ages of those three concubines looked to be only in their twenties, with cherry mouths and willow-leaf eyebrows, and their appearances were all very exquisite.

There was also a young girl of seventeen or eighteen, full of heroic spirit and a capable temperament. Sun Tao introduced her as Lin Shi's youngest daughter, named Lin Wei, who practiced martial arts at the Sunutang and rarely came to the Weiyuan Hall.

As for Lin Shi's other offspring, they were not here, so Sun Tao didn't introduce them.

Many fellow disciples came today; apart from the inner and outer courtyard disciples, there were also many who had long since left the Weiyuan Hall.

The Weiyuan Hall was simply like a marketplace, with people coming in and out.

Xu Yang only had the opportunity to say "Happy New Year, Master; disciple pays New Year's respects to Master" before others came forward to take his place.

He went to pay New Year's respects to the several Mistresses one by one, stayed for a while, and then left.

Then he went to the Qiu family to pay New Year's respects.

Qiu Wenjie had a good relationship with him, and Qiu Yongqiang had supported him before he gathered Qi. He regarded Qiu Yongqiang as an elder, so naturally, he had to pay New Year's respects.

Half a day passed just like that. He took Xu Qing back to Bai Shi Workshop and went to his uncle's house to pay New Year's respects.

During the years when Xu Laoer didn't care about him and Xu Qing, only his uncle's family would give them a bite to eat. Several times, if it hadn't been for his uncle's help, he would probably have starved to death.

Xu Yang brought many gifts: tea, fruit, rice, meat, and cloth, all of which made Xu Laoer, who was living in the cow shed, feel a wave of jealousy.

He came up to talk, but Xu Yang didn't pay any attention to him, and Xu Qing didn't take the initiative to talk to him either.

Now, Xu Laoer looked full of vicissitudes, with many more wrinkles on his face, and his skin had turned much darker.

Having been snubbed, he could only sigh and return to the cow shed.

It was said that that woman Zhang Cuiting still couldn't forget him and wanted him to go back, but Yang Jun just wouldn't agree.

Time passed quietly, and the weather gradually warmed up. Before he knew it, it was March.

The Martial Scholar examination was in July; there were still four months until the biennial Martial Scholar examination.

In the room, Xu Yang's bones made a crackling sound, like frying beans.

His skin was crimson, his whole body was sweating, and an uncomfortable numbness and itchiness penetrated deep into his bone marrow, but his face was full of smiles.

"The innate talent has finally entered the Grade B-high level, the same as Lu Ren's."

Xu Yang felt relaxed all over, as if he had shed a layer of shackles.

【Innate Talent: 60】

【Comprehension: 60】

【Cultivation Base: Early Stage of Qi Gathering】

【Cultivation Method: Turtle-Snake Stance - Minor Success (205/300), Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist - Minor Success (452/500), Diamond Body Technique - Entry Level (197/1000)】

【Skill: Mining lv. 3 (283/400)】

【Remaining Lifespan: 62】

【Martial Dao Longevity Points: 33】 ===== CHAPTER 104 =====