Chapter 232: Uncle Wa's Gift of Gratitude

"Dongxu, Dongxu, did you really fall into the toilet?"

"No, Dad, you'll know once you come in."

"Ugh—" Lao Jia had just rushed into the toilet when he was smoked right back out.

"I've put the bucket of water by your side, hurry up and wash yourself off first."

"..."

"Brother, what's going on?" Seeing Lao Jia carrying a bucket and rushing out, only to return empty-handed, Yan Bugui couldn't help but ask in confusion.

"Ahem, it's nothing."

Lao Jia couldn't exactly say his son had fallen into the toilet; and indeed, the stench on Jia Dongxu was truly potent, no less pungent than actual excrement.

Lao Jia fetched two more buckets of water, intending to head out, but after a moment's thought, he brought some soap along; he didn't believe that one bucket of water would be enough to get Jia Dongxu clean.

"Bang Geng, what exactly is going on with your dad? Why is your grandpa carrying water out again?"

"Uh, I don't know either. Anyway, my dad is covered in a stench, but he says he didn't fall into the toilet."

"..."

"Bang Geng, go call your great-uncle over to take a look."

"Oh, okay." Bang Geng ran quickly toward Zhang Ping'an's small courtyard.

"Great-uncle, hurry and go see my dad, my grandpa has already gone over."

"What's wrong, Bang Geng? Where is your dad right now?"

"The public toilet, my grandpa has already carried water over there."

"Uh, did your dad fall into the toilet?"

"He said he didn't, but he smells very bad."

Zhang Ping'an's heart suddenly stirred. Could Jia Dongxu have completed the Eighty-one Forms of Body Refining?

"Alright, I'll go over and take a look. Bang Geng, you go get a change of clothes for your dad."

"Oh, okay."

Yan Bugui was eating outside with his bowl in hand when he saw Zhang Ping'an rushing out. Feeling even more curious, he set his bowl on a stool and followed along.

"Dongxu, did you complete the Eighty-one Forms?"

"Yes, Uncle, but my dad insists that I fell into the toilet."

"Ahem, I heard it from Bang Geng too, and with that stench all over you, who wouldn't think that?"

"Hahaha, alright, hurry up and wash. Bang Geng has gone to get your clothes and will be here soon."

"Ping'an, is Dongxu... like what you said a few years ago?"

"That's right, San Jie Fu. Once Dongxu comes out, you should be able to see his changes."

"Teacher Yan, what are you looking at?"

Bang Geng was holding the clothes, watching Yan Bugui sneaking around the corner, peeking and poking his head out.

"Ahem, oh, it's Bang Geng. Teacher was just taking a walk after finishing my meal. What are you doing with those clothes?"

"Oh, it's for my dad. Um, did you not finish your meal?"

"Ah?"

"I see your food is still on the stool."

"Ah, right, the food was too hot, I was just thinking of letting it cool for a while before eating."

"But I just saw two cats meowing over there."

"What?" Yan Bugui was suddenly anxious. He couldn't care about watching the show anymore and hurried back to check on his food.

"Hehe."

"Grandpa, Great-uncle, I've brought the clothes. Hasn't my dad finished washing yet?"

"He should be coming out soon."

"Bang Geng, bring the clothes in."

Fortunately, it was already evening, so even if Jia Dongxu was bare-bottomed now, no one could see.

"Oh, okay."

Jia Dongxu walked out with a look of comfort. He felt light all over, and his whole person felt a bit floaty.

"How is it, Dongxu?"

"Hehe, it feels great. I feel like I could pin—uh." Jia Dongxu had just wanted to say he could pin Qin Huairu down, but realized it wasn't right and hurriedly stopped himself.

"Grandpa, Great-uncle, Dad, let's go back. I saw Teacher Yan sneaking over earlier, but I shooed him away."

Bang Geng wasn't stupid. He had said it twice, and both his grandpa and great-uncle thought his dad had fallen into the toilet. Although he thought so too, he couldn't tell outsiders.

"Let's go, let's go." Lao Jia also wanted to go back early to see the changes in his son; it was pitch black outside now and he couldn't see anything.

The group returned to the Jia Family. Under the light, Jia Dongxu's previously haggard face had become ruddy, his muscles were smooth and defined, and his slight belly was now six-pack abs. In short, he had been completely reborn.

"Hmm, not bad, not bad. Ping'an, can Dongzi and Donglai practice this?"

"They can, but they need to supplement with a large amount of meat in the early stages. I originally wanted to let Dongzi and Donglai start at ten, but in these times..."

"Hmm, that's true. Then we'll have them practice later."

"There's no need to rush this. As long as one can persist—Dongxu only started at seventeen or eighteen; if he had been able to persist all along, he would have succeeded long ago."

"Ahem, Uncle, I was just busy," Jia Dongxu explained awkwardly.

"Hehe."

Jia Dongxu returned home, coaxed his son and daughter to sleep, and couldn't wait to spar with Qin Huairu. Sure enough, he was now able to handle it with ease, while Qin Huairu was the one who couldn't keep up.

"Brother Dongxu, how did you suddenly become so powerful?" Qin Huairu panted.

"Hahaha." Jia Dongxu didn't hide it and told her the whole story.

"In two years, I will personally guide you, Bang Geng, Xiao Dang, and Xiaoling. By then, you will be able to be like me. Come, while there is still time, let's have another son."

Yes, Jia Dongxu already had three children, one son and two daughters: Bang Geng, Jia Dang, and Jia Ling.

"Oh my~"

Seeing the four sons in his uncle's home, Jia Dongxu naturally wanted a couple more himself; after all, it wasn't as if he couldn't afford to raise them.

Zhang Ping'an returned to the small courtyard, and Wang Xiaoling looked over at him.

"Did Dongxu finish his training?"

"Mm, he practiced for thirteen years, and today he finally made a breakthrough."

Zhang Ping'an even doubted whether Jia Dongxu could have persisted if not for the pressure from Qin Huairu.

"It was hard on him."

The next morning at work, Zhang Ping'an received a call from his grandfather.

"Ping'an, Watuo really did send me a sheep to thank you properly. Wasta is already able to get out of bed and walk now."

"Then you should just accept it. You can have some Lamb Soup since it's cold out. Wasta should still walk less and try to rest quietly for a month or so."

"Hahaha, good, I will tell Watuo."

The next day, Zhang Ping'an received a package from the Post and Telecommunications Bureau, saying it was sent from Beijiang. Zhang Ping'an opened it and saw Red Dates, raisins, walnuts, and various other dried fruits, probably forty or fifty jin in total. It was also sent by Watuo, and inside was a letter full of words of gratitude.

"Uncle Watuo is really too polite."

Returning home, Zhang Ping'an divided the dried fruits into five portions, sent some to his sisters' homes, and of course, Li Huaide had a share as well.

In the blink of an eye, it was June. There weren't many sweet potatoes and potatoes left in Zhang Ping'an's space, most of the pumpkins had been harvested, and the corn cobs were what remained the most.

Ever since he learned that his master's family was leaving, Zhang Ping'an changed from accepting cash to accepting gold. Although his father-in-law's family also had quite a few Small Yellow Fish and Yellow Fish, his own children would be going along too, so he had to contribute something, didn't he?

"Brother Daoba, from now on, we will trade five times a month. We don't have any stock on hand now, so we have to source goods from the outside bit by bit."

Zhang Ping'an's ten mu of land in his space could only be harvested three times a month; he couldn't keep up with his previous frequency of ten large-scale transactions a month.

"Done."

Although Daoba felt some regret in his heart, he was content. After all, since the New Year, they had already traded over four or five thousand tons of grain, as well as quite a bit of meat. Even if Zhang Ping'an said he was stopping the trades, it was within reason.

Zhang Ping'an's trade with the remnants of the old nobility was an unlimited supply; he had to spoil their palates first so that he could better exchange for antiques during the ten-year period.

Early the next morning, Zhang Ping'an went to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and bought a radio. The previous one had been taken back by his grandfather, and now buying one to take home could help his parents pass the time.