Chapter 122: Rongcheng Steel Plant

On the offering table, blue smoke curled.

A boiled pig's head sat in the center, flanked by a boiled chicken and a duck. Behind them were three wine cups and a pot of wine. Finally, there were three bowls of congee made from the water used to boil the pig's head, chicken, and duck, mixed with greens, garlic sprouts, and giblets. Three pairs of chopsticks were placed by the bowls, with a cigarette laid beside each pair.

Many of the ancestors enjoyed cigarettes and alcohol, even though no one in the current household had these habits.

In the middle of the table sat a lump of yellow clay with nine incense sticks inserted into it. The festive red eternal lamp was also lit, filling the room with a red glow.

"Dingding, Xiaoyuan, come over to burn the paper and kowtow to the ancestors."

Lin Wanqiu called out.

Jiang Ding and Jiang Yuan tore open the offering paper sheet by sheet, spread them in the fire basin, lit them, and kowtowed.

"Ancestors, please bless me to get first place in the next semester, to grow prettier, and to grow smarter..."

Jiang Yuan muttered.

Jiang Ding, however, had no particular wishes.

Kowtowing and offering sacrifices was merely out of familial affection. Even if a so-called underworld existed and the ancestors had spirits, he did not need their blessings. Whatever he wanted, he would take for himself.

Crackle, pop...

After the ritual was complete, Jiang Ding lit a roll of firecrackers as long as his arm. Instantly, sparks flew in all directions, the explosions rang directly in his ears, paper scraps scattered, and the thick smell of gunpowder rushed into his nose and mouth.

After waiting a while for the thick smoke to dissipate, the family confirmed the house was intact, locked the door, and left for the grandparents' home.

At the grandparents' home,

After a flurry of activity, the whole family finally sat down for the New Year's Eve dinner after eight o'clock.

"Sigh, Yuanyuan isn't coming back for the New Year this year. I really miss him."

The wrinkles on Grandmother's face were deeper than last year. Looking at the large family, she felt both gratified and somewhat regretful.

"Mom, the Daoist cultivation stream is different from the ordinary stream. They have a twenty-year curriculum, with a summer break every two and a half years and a winter break every five years. It's the same if you chat with him on your phone."

Uncle Lin Yong explained again.

"Dingding, how is your studying this year?"

Grandfather Lin Gang, fearing Jiang Ding would think his wife was just an old-fashioned person who only cared about her grandson, hurriedly asked with concern.

"Much better than before, I've made great progress, Grandfather." Jiang Ding replied, then added, "I also have to thank Cousin Yuanyuan for that Azure Flower Foundation-Building Spirit Pill; it helped me a lot."

When he was just starting out, this spirit pill had been a great help to him. He would not forget this favor.

"Hey, why mention such things?"

Uncle Lin Yong took a sip of wine, his face glowing. His son getting into the university's Daoist cultivation stream was the proudest achievement of his life. "Dingding, no matter what, just study hard and strive, and try to get into the university's Daoist cultivation stream too.

Even if you can't get in, strive to earn a qualification as a Tier 1 Alchemy Apprentice or a Tier 1 Spirit Beast Master; your future won't be bad either."

"Mm, Uncle, I will."

Jiang Ding said with a smile.

"And Xiaoyuan..."

Nighttime.

The whole family waited until midnight to set off fireworks and open the "wealth gate" before finally falling asleep, exhausted.

Because there weren't enough rooms at the grandparents' house, Lin Wanqiu made a bed on the sofa in the living room, where only he slept.

Unable to sleep for a moment, Jiang Ding walked to the balcony and silently watched the fireworks blooming one after another in the distance. The smell of gunpowder tickled his nose, but he didn't find it unpleasant.

His grandparents' home was also a place he often visited as a child, so it didn't feel unfamiliar.

"... How much longer will such times last..."

He suddenly felt a sense of reluctance, wanting to stay in this moment forever and stop chasing after whatever lay in the distance.

Closing his eyes, he stood on the balcony and fell into a deep state of cultivation.

After the first day of the New Year, Lin Yong and Lin Wanqiu returned to their respective homes; they both had colleagues, friends, and relatives to entertain.

Jiang Ding also often helped with cooking and entertaining guests, but he never reduced his cultivation time.

His friends, Li Junhao and the others, were the same. Even during the New Year, they had almost no time for play; their study intensity was no less than at school, and in some cases, even exceeded it.

This was the norm for high school seniors.

Those who gave up were streamed into vocational schools or ordinary high schools after middle school. The Immortal Sect high schools invested heavily and, in reality, practiced elite education.

Jiang Yuan was different. From the first day of the New Year, she was nowhere to be found all day long. Either she was out setting off firecrackers with friends, watching fireworks performances, or attending class gatherings, picnics, and playing cards.

Regardless, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month passed unhurriedly, and the festive atmosphere began to fade.

"I don't want to go to tutoring!"

In the early morning, Jiang Yuan walked between Lin Wanqiu and Jiang Ding with a mournful face, carrying a schoolbag.

In fact, if Lin Wanqiu hadn't forcibly dragged her away last night, she had intended to stay up all night watching TV and playing games again. During the New Year, Lin Wanqiu hadn't managed her, and she had lived quite indulgently.

"No!"

Lin Wanqiu said with a stern face.

"Xiaoyuan, you need to work hard and learn from your brother. At the very least, we need to pass. Your Chinese, math, physics, and moral education are all below seventy points. You won't be able to contribute to the Immortal Sect in the future."

"I just want to be a good-for-nothing homebody."

Jiang Yuan said listlessly.

Lin Wanqiu: "..."

No matter how she slacked off, she was still dragged to the tutoring center by the two of them, and then they took a bus to the Rongcheng Steel Plant.

This was an industrial park covering dozens of acres with strict security measures. Entering the plant required passing multiple security checks; Jiang Ding even suspected one of the checks was aimed at the spiritual sense.

"Oh my, Wanqiu, is this your son?"

"Coming here for an internship? Sigh, my son, on the other hand..."

Along the way, Lin Wanqiu's colleagues kept greeting her, and they all looked at Jiang Ding with envy.

As veteran employees, they naturally knew how precious the internship spots at the Rongcheng Steel Plant were. If one's academic performance wasn't excellent, one wasn't qualified to come here and had to choose other small companies.

"Hello, Auntie Zhang, Auntie Zhou, Li..."

Jiang Ding politely greeted these elders.

"Oh, he just got lucky, it's nothing really..."

Lin Wanqiu couldn't hide her proud smile at all, yet she still had to pretend to be humble, which made her feel extremely stifled.

In the inner plant area,

Lin Wanqiu stopped and instructed: "Dingding, just keep walking straight. Someone will meet you. If you see unfamiliar buildings, do not enter them without permission."

"I understand, Mom."

Jiang Ding nodded.

Sure enough, after walking over a hundred meters, he saw Hua Bing and Wu Tianli had already arrived, chatting and laughing. Seeing Jiang Ding walk over, Hua Bing's face turned slightly red, and she immediately put on a serious expression.

"Happy New Year!"

After exchanging greetings, Jiang Ding went to a corner, closed his eyes to rest, and entered a state of cultivation, showing no interest in any gossip.

Hua Bing secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

After a while, a middle-aged woman wearing gray protective clothing, with an ordinary appearance and a serious expression, walked over. She had the cultivation of Qi Condensation Level 3.

"Hello, the three of you. I am Zhou Xiuyun, a quality engineer at the Rongcheng Steel Plant and a Tier 1 Artifact Refining Apprentice. You can just call me Engineer Zhou."

She said efficiently.

"Hello, Engineer Zhou."

Jiang Ding and the other two said in unison.

"The internship period is one month. Our plan for the first week is to visit and practice the sorting, crushing, smelting, and extraction processes of Law-Breaking Steel raw materials. The second to third weeks will be learning how to engrave arrays onto semi-magic artifacts with the help of optical array engravers. The fourth week will be learning how to engrave arrays onto magic artifacts under the guidance of Artifact Refiner Wu Chengzhong."

Engineer Zhou introduced simply while walking:

"Please follow me this way; this is the sorting and crushing workshop for iron, manganese, zinc, aluminum, and other ores..."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 123 =====