Chapter 308: 308

308 「Buy, knife, hemp？」

The family of four stayed at the old residence until the fifteenth of the first month, returning to Shengshi Haoting only after the Lantern Festival.

Tushan Jiu still had half a month of leave, plus a month of annual leave, more than enough for the whole family to go on a trip.

By the way, she would finish last year's and this year's KPI all at once, so this year she wouldn't have to remember the credit‑knife business.

Ten days later, the family of four set off and went straight to Yuan City to have fun.

After playing for a few days, Tushan Jiu then began taking the children to do credit‑knife.

Xie Shiyu followed along, serving as the little attendant for the mother and two kids, carrying the two youngsters' commonly used items.

They walked the streets and alleys for several days straight.

Only one knife remained in her hand.

The three of them wandered aimlessly while looking for the final target.

Not far away, a group of vendors sat together cracking melon seeds and chatting.

One elderly man raised today's topic, asking them: "Hey, have you heard? The credit‑knife practitioner has reappeared after several decades!"

A woman took the melon seed from her lips and excitedly shared: "Exactly, exactly, yesterday my cousin personally saw her doing credit‑knife for the people of their village, but......"

The person beside her asked: "But what?"

The woman was about to speak when suddenly, the few people gossiping were interrupted by a child's unclear utterance.

"Yes, na, ma?"

Everyone turned to look.

All they saw was a beautiful woman in a white traditional‑style new Chinese dress, holding two one‑ to two‑year‑old children.

She turned to the child in her right arm and softly said: "Xiao Bai, is it credit‑knife? Credit~"

"Credit~"

"Yes, great, next, knife~"

"Knife~ hemp?"

On the other side, Tushan Xi also spoke: "Knife~ credit~"

Tushan Jiu looked delighted.

Her two sons were extraordinarily smart, in no way resembling children under two years old.

This is also thanks to their never lacking nourishment from ghostly power since childhood.

Every month, Tushan Sheng and Gu Meng alone would send over a five‑hundred‑year‑old ghostly power supply, used to make various baby food supplements and snacks, all of which they personally made after work.

Tushan Sheng also hawked melons like an old‑woman vendor, claiming they were his own, clean and healthy.

Tushan Jiu hearing this was also speechless.

What technology or tough work could ghostly power possibly have?

The woman pointed at the mother‑and‑two‑kids trio and blurted: "What I want to say is just this, but have you ever seen a credit‑knife practitioner bringing kids to do credit‑knife?"

Tushan Jiu curled her lips into a smile: "Well, aren't you seeing one now?"

The people around laughed and approached, asking Tushan Jiu if she could do credit‑knife.

Tushan Jiu pointed to Tushan Bai and Tushan Xi: "You can ask my sons to see who they want to give credit‑knife to."

Upon hearing this, everyone thought her approach was far too hasty—how could a prophecy allow two children who still can't speak to be accurate?

Moreover, it has been passed down since ancient times that a credit‑knife practitioner's prophecies are mostly cryptic sayings; otherwise there would be no saying that payment is collected only after the cryptic saying comes true.

Yet some people still want to know their own cryptic saying in order to avoid it.

But in today's society, most people are prudent and self‑protective; seeing Tushan Jiu let the two kids joke around like that, they didn't voice their opinions outright, after all ruining a signboard is one's own affair, and at worst they'd just refuse to pay for the knife—there's no room for them to gossip.

However, a few older folks muttered, "These youngsters really think up one stunt after another—no wonder the tradition never ends."

Tushan Jiu didn't lift her eyes.

Because just now, as she approached, she had already seen clearly the latter half of this group's life fortunes.

Her reason for letting the two youngsters choose was also to train them from an early age.

She called it "cultivating them from childhood," so she could then become a hands‑off manager.

Without waiting for Tushan Jiu to speak, Tushan Bai tilted his head at the speaking old man and said: "Credit, knife, hemp?"

Unable to say more, Tushan Xi counted Tushan Jiu's hairs without lifting her eyelids, repeating after her brother: "Credit, knife, hemp?"

Tushan Jiu raised her head, looking at the old man with a darkened Yintang, and asked: "Want credit‑knife?"

Old man: "......"

He had wanted to say no, but he couldn't resist his curiosity about what prophecy this seemingly unreliable credit‑knife person would give him.

So the old man said yes, but he thought, with so many people watching, if it's wrong he might as well treat it as a free knife—why not?

Tushan Jiu produced a kitchen knife: "The deal is tentatively settled; in five days, when your lifespan ends, I will come to collect payment."

They still needed to stay here exactly five days; after five days they could settle the account.

This is her habit of finishing the credit‑knife KPI: she likes to predict near‑future events so she doesn't have to store predictions for years, and although she now has Xie Shiyu managing the accounts, she'd rather not keep books.

When Tushan Jiu's cryptic saying was spoken, the surrounding people sucked in a breath of cold air.

They looked at the old man.

This old man is a well‑known "Health Specialist" in the area; he gets a checkup every six months and is in superb health, so how could he have only five days left to live!

Everyone expressed disbelief; even the old man himself looked scornful and laughed, saying: "I just had a checkup the day before yesterday, and the doctor said my body is healthier than yours youngsters—well, I get a free knife, what a bargain!"

Others also laughed.

Tushan Jiu didn't mind; she was long used to such reactions.

The last knife had been given on credit, and the KPI was complete.

Tushan Jiu picked up the children and turned to leave.

Xie Shiyu was still waiting over there for them and their mother.

Just now he got a phone call; it's really noisy here, so he had him wait outside for them.

The sun was just about to set, and the evening sun shone on people's faces, warm and cozy.

Xie Shiyu walked over toward them.

The two little ones, seeing them, no longer wanted to be held; they wanted to get down and walk.

Tushan Jiu put them down, and she followed half a step behind them, a happy smile on her face.

Tushan Bai and Tushan Xi ran toward Xie Shiyu and went over to him.

In a daze, one after another scene appeared before Tushan Jiu's eyes.

Afterwards, in countless moments of them running toward her and Xie Shiyu, their steps grew steadier and their height gradually increased.

However, it vanished in just an instant.

She curled the corners of her mouth; the fastest thing is time, because it slips away unnoticed.

After Xie Shiyu drew near, he opened his arms.

The two little ones thought he was going to hug them, so they also opened their arms and went up to meet him.

But the next second, their father went past them and first gave the mother behind them a hug.

Tushan Bai and Tushan Xi were stunned.

Huh?

How come it's not quite what they imagined?

Aren't they little kids?

Can you really hurt their tender little hearts like that?

Seeing the two brothers pout but look accustomed to it, Tushan Jiu couldn't help but laugh and pat Xie Shiyu's hand.

Xie Shiyu shrugged, "They'll get used to it; once they have their own wives, they'll understand."

Tushan Jiu looked speechless: "... They're not even two weeks old yet."

Xie Shiyu gave a faint smile without a word, kissed her on the cheek, then turned to go hug the two brothers.

One in each hand, then he walked ahead.

The sunset sank, and Tushan Jiu watched the shadows of the father and son trio stretch out endlessly.

She thought, if she had given birth to a girl, what would Xie Shiyu be like then?

But she was just thinking.

After all, the chance of the Tushan family having a girl is quite small.

The last girl born into the Tushan family was over a hundred thirty years ago; how could there possibly be girls in two consecutive generations?

"Wife?" Xie Shiyu saw she had fallen a few steps behind, stopped, turned around and called to her.

Tushan Jiu shook her head, dispelling that thought, stepped up to catch up with the father-son trio, "Coming!"