Chapter 207

On a winding field path, a carriage moved slowly forward.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and the warm breeze entered the room, ruffling Lin Qingyue's sideburns, her dark hair fluttering with the flowing wind.

"Are we not there yet? I remember the map marked that the county town should be nearby."

Dongfang Qi pointed to a row of houses reflected in the sunset ahead and said: "After walking past this field, it is Long Xian."

Hearing the words "Long Xian," the oil-paper fan placed at hand trembled.

Lin Qingyue knew that "Long Xian" was the place where Lao Gui had been the Magistrate for over a decade before his death. Now that he was returning to his old home, it was inevitable that he would be emotionally agitated.

"Wait another half an hour; after the sun sets, you can come out."

The soul hidden in the umbrella calmed down, and only an old voice drifted out leisurely: "I wonder what Long Xian has become now, and whether the fellow villagers are still well?"

A quarter of an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of an inn in the county town.

Dongfang Qi lifted the carriage curtain and reached out: "We are here."

Lin Qingyue looked down at his hand, and Dongfang Qi said without changing his expression: "Just treat me as an ordinary carriage driver."

An ordinary carriage driver?

Lin Qingyue snorted arrogantly and jumped off the carriage.

Dongfang Qi was not annoyed that his plan failed, and followed with a smile: "Are you hungry after sitting in the carriage for so long? I just asked Lao Gui; he said this place is rich in mushrooms, and the three-fresh mushroom soup is the most delicious. How about..."

Lin Qingyue found an empty seat and sat down, and seeing Dongfang Qi also following to sit, she said: "Didn't you just claim to be a carriage driver? Which carriage driver can eat at the same table as the master?"

Dongfang Qi: "... Wasn't that... just a joke? Then, then I will change to another table?"

Lin Qingyue said: "I was also joking; who told you to like being a carriage driver?"

And so Dongfang Qi sat down consciously again: "It seems we are both people who like to joke, not bad..."

It really is a perfect match!

The two ordered a portion of three-fresh mushroom soup, and also ordered some grilled meat skewers and a portion of steamed fish.

There were not many guests here, and including Lin Qingyue and Dongfang Qi, there were only three tables in total.

However, the speed of serving dishes in the shop was extremely slow; it had been almost an hour since they ordered, and not a single dish had been served.

Even someone with a good temper like Dongfang Qi was waiting impatiently.

"Waiter, is your chef asleep? Why has it been so long and no dishes served?"

"Guest, don't be anxious, I will go and urge them for you."

After a long while, two flatbreads were served.

Lin Qingyue said: "It seems your chef is not only asleep, but also can't be woken up. Within a quarter of an hour, if the dishes are not served, we won't want them."

The waiter said: "Guest, don't be angry; listening to your accent, it doesn't sound like you are a local, so you don't understand our customs here. We believe in the Guiyuan Great God here, and the people must not harbor thoughts of killing."

"If one commits bloodshed or killing thoughts, one must sincerely pray to the gods and ask the gods to forgive one's sins. The dishes you ordered happen to be meat."

"So our chef has to pray in front of the statue before cooking, and only after obtaining the god's forgiveness can he cook for you."

"Guest, please wait a little longer; the god is about to forgive the chef, and your dishes will be in the pot immediately."

Lin Qingyue was speechless after hearing this, and silently said to Dongfang Qi: "I will go and take a look."

When she arrived at the back kitchen, she saw a burly man holding a freshly slaughtered fish, kneeling in front of a shrine, crying bitterly:

"God... I have committed heavy sins! Wuu wuu wuu... I don't want to harm an innocent life either. But I am a cook, shouldering the livelihood of my family, I have to cook for greedy diners..."

The greedy diner Lin Qingyue spoke up, unable to bear it any longer: "Since you are so uncomfortable, then I won't eat this fish."

The waiter was anxious upon hearing this: "How can that be? The fish has been killed, it cannot be returned!"

Lin Qingyue said: "Then stop talking nonsense; within a quarter of an hour, if it is not served, I will cook all of you in the pot!"

The threat was very effective; within a quarter of an hour, all her dishes were served.

The chef put down the plate and hid far away, still muttering: "God, merciful God! Please eliminate the violent energy on that female guest! People are full of sins; if they cannot obtain the god's forgiveness in this life, they will sink into the Sea of Suffering in the next life..."

His voice was not loud, but Lin Qingyue had excellent hearing and heard all those rustling sounds.

And the diners at the other tables didn't rush to eat even after the food was served, but crossed their hands on their chests and muttered:

"Thank you for the god's gift, today we can have a full meal again. God, your grace is greater than the sky..."

At this time, a ragged, sallow, and thin little boy walked in from outside the shop, holding a broken bowl, swaying as he came in to beg.

Dongfang Qi handed over a flatbread, but the little boy didn't even say a word of thanks, ran to the corner of the wall outside with the flatbread, squatted down, and also started muttering:

"Thank you for the food given by the god; this flatbread is my everything, I am willing to offer it to the god, please let the god eat first!"

Saying this, he put down the bread and bowed toward the sky.

Dongfang Qi poked his head out of the window and asked the boy: "I am the one who gave you the bread; it is fine if you don't thank me, but why do you run to thank some god?"

The little boy said righteously: "Although you gave the bread, it must have been the god borrowing your hand to give it. Of course I have to thank my god."

Dongfang Qi saw that his complexion was very poor and he was speaking weakly, so he didn't bother to argue with him too much, only saying: "You should save some energy and eat the bread quickly."

The boy said: "I have to let the god enjoy the bread first, so that the god can see my sincere offering, I... I..."

Before he finished speaking, the little boy rolled his eyes and fell to the ground, motionless.

Lao Gui's soul swooshed out of the umbrella, floated to the boy's side, and looked, feeling heartbroken: "Dead, he actually starved to death!"

"Stupid." Lin Qingyue snorted coldly, picked up the meat skewers, and ate heartily, not taking the boy's death to heart at all.

And those who kept saying that killing should not be committed, and who would repent for half a day even for killing a fish, turned a blind eye after the boy died.

Dongfang Qi only felt it was absurd: "What kind of god is that? Teaching people to be kind on one hand, and treating human life like grass on the other? Isn't that self-contradictory?"