Chapter 103: The Mother's Hundred-Family Cloth Robe

Xu Jia listened to Xu Mu speaking like this and put on a worried expression: "The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every man."

Xu Mu said: "That has nothing to do with you either. It is truly important that you don't run into any more accidents. I only have one son like you now; who is so vicious as to coax you into throwing your life away?"

Xu Jia also understood Xu Mu's meaning; there was naturally a sense of attachment, no wonder the ancients always said: "The body, hair, and skin are received from one's parents. Not daring to damage them is the beginning of filial piety."

Apart from one's parents, who would be filled with fear and anxiety just because you suffered some minor skin-deep injury? If one insists on entering dangerous situations, disregarding sacrifice, in the end, it is always the white-haired sending off the black-haired.

Xu Jia previously only regarded these words as the pedantry of the ancients, but now, savoring them carefully, he felt much more moved.

He did not argue with Xu Mu again and again; Xu Mu did not understand those grand principles, she only possessed a heart of love and protection.

Seeing Xu Jia silent, Xu Mu asked cautiously: "What exactly went wrong?"

"A small problem." Xu Jia inexplicably gained some confidence and also learned this habit of reporting good news but not the bad. As for the matter of Yushan, firstly, the heavenly secrets could not be leaked, and secondly, telling his parents would be of no use.

At this moment, Xiao Hong came over: "Young Master, shall I boil water for you to bathe and change clothes? Ever since you recovered, Mistress has been begging for cloth from a hundred families, and now she has sewn a Hundred-Family Cloth robe. She is just about to have you try it on to see if it fits!"

Hearing this, Xu Jia was moved: "This, begging from family to family? How come I didn't know? When did this happen?"

Xu Mu shook her head: "It can't be called begging. I went to a few families, and the aunts were all very enthusiastic. They told each other, and before I could walk much further, they sent it over."

"Apart from worshipping Buddha, I just thought about what I could do for you. Last time you drew some kind of Talisman, I carefully arranged the threads and stitched it into the lining of this garment."

Last time Xu Jia opened the altar, he had a little Dharma Power left over, so he drew two Houshenfu and gave them to his parents.

Both Buddhist and Daoist traditions have the custom of making Hundred-Family Cloth robes. There are also mothers who, because their children are ill or suffer many calamities, will go to beg for cloth to make wrapping cloths, praying for protection.

After Xu Jia died once and then returned to soul, Xu Mu had this idea. Even so, she still felt it wasn't sincere enough, not having personally walked to one hundred and eight households to beg for the cloth scraps.

"This garment should be worn after bathing and cleansing the body. Speaking of which, this size is still the measurement from when we measured you for a burial shroud. You are only sixteen, I'm afraid your frame will still grow..."

Xu Jia gave a hum and took the initiative to go bathe and change. Not only did he need to bathe, but he also had to burn incense and recite incantations. Xu Jia recited the Cleansing Heart Incantation, the Cleansing Mouth Incantation, and the Cleansing Body Incantation.

Harmonizing the Primordial Spirit until the heart is upright; when the heart is upright, the Qi is upright. Heaven and Earth Intercourse is what is called "Heaven Clear Earth Tranquil."

Xiao Hong called from outside the door: "Young Master, do you need hot water?"

Xu Jia's body was already burning hot; what would he need hot water for?

After refusing, Xu Jia got up, circulated his Qi to steam the moisture on his skin dry, and put on new silk undergarments.

This silk was woven from silkworms raised by Xu Mu herself. The threads were fine but woven densely; it was cool, comfortable, and fit closely to the body. She didn't make buttons but used knotted cords instead. After putting it on, he looked like those withered old men practicing Supreme Ultimate in the park.

Xiao Hong had already placed the Hundred-Family Cloth robe at the door. Xu Jia put it on; the garment was indeed pieced together, but it had two layers: an outer layer of cloth and an inner lining.

The outer cloth consisted of scraps of various materials and colors, generally limited to black, white, blue, red, gray, and earthy yellow. The shapes of the cloth were also strange—long, square, triangular, or diamond-shaped—pieced together one by one to form color blocks and grids.

The inner lining was made of fine linen. It was not coarse sackcloth, nor was it kudzu or summer cloth; it was refreshing, breathable, and not heavy. On the back of this garment, a protective spiritual Talisman was embroidered with red thread. Xu Mu did not know how to consecrate it or recite incantations, but the stitches were already very uniform, and having injected her faith and wishes into it, it emitted a faint red light. Faith makes it efficacious; Xu Mu chose to embroider such a Talisman, so naturally, she believed.

The collar and lapels had trim made with a Mugwort pattern. Mugwort can ward off evil, which is a very good omen.

At the cuffs, there was a circle of ruyi, auspicious clouds, and lingzhi patterns.

This work was quite time-consuming and could not have been done in a short period.

Xu Jia stroked it for a moment and put the clothes on. Xiao Hong brought a pair of new shoes. She helped Xu Jia comb his hair into a bun and inserted a plain silver hairpin, letting Xu Jia look into the bronze mirror: "Young Master, you look like a monk!"

Xu Jia saw himself in the bronze mirror: his forehead was full, his eyebrows were like swords slanting into his temples, and his eyes were narrow and long, actually resembling fox eyes. He didn't know if it was because he had borrowed the Life Fire before or because he had spent a long time with the fox and formed a bond. However, looking at the spirit in his eyes, they were calm and self-possessed, like the clear light rippling on a lake, resembling the rotation of eternal stars.

His face was flushed with a peach-blossom glow, and his skin was white and translucent, proving that his blood and Qi were sufficient. He was at the proper age of youth; his nose was high and straight, his mouth small and thin, and when he revealed his teeth, they were very neat.

His two ears had very large lobes, like pearls of flesh, which is a sign of good fortune and longevity.

If viewed through Purple Star Astrology, his calamities had already been transformed and nobility revealed; there was an air of nobility between his brows.

Ordinary people might not be able to tell what it was, but they would just feel that he was good-looking, not like a child from an ordinary family, but rather like one raised in a house of princes and nobles.

In Xu Jia's previous life, when he was young, his skin was decent, and even after he grew old, he showed no signs of decay; his complexion was ruddy and his skin firm. However, his cultivation only had minor Achievements, and he only entered the Small Heavenly Circuit after the age of thirty-five, so even if his appearance was young, he was still thirty or forty.

Now at sixteen, he was a true "Born Daoist Seed." Although he dared not claim to be an Immortal descended to earth, he looked just like that Jade Universe Immortal Child.

But no matter how handsome he was, he could not compare to even one-tenth of you, dear readers.

Stepping out the door, Xu Mu had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Xu Jia wearing the Hundred-Family Cloth robe, there was a faint air of transcendence about him, making his temperament stand out even more than in ordinary clothes.

It looked as if he were about to break through the door to become a monk and wander the four corners of the earth from now on, which made Xu Mu feel a pang of regret.

"Beautiful! Truly beautiful!" The older women all praised: "Mistress's embroidery is truly amazing. We have clumsy hands and feet and couldn't do such work."

Xu Mu said: "I am still rushing to make you a pair of shoes. The soles need to be stitched with more layers so they are soft to walk in and not tiring. It just so happens that your father has the spring exam, so I am making him two pairs carefully. It's just that when I make them for him, I take my time and am not in a hurry, but when I make them for you, it's as if someone is chasing me."

"Mother, you don't need to overwork yourself. This Hundred-Family Cloth robe is very good, I like it very much, it's enough to wear."

"That's good." Xu Mu walked up and stroked the hem of the garment: "It looks much better than I imagined. Is it too big for you?"

"It fits just right, it's comfortable!" Xu Jia laughed: "It's a pity I have no one to show off to, otherwise I would tell people a hundred times."

"You're such a grown man, yet you're still like a child!"

Xu Jia sighed: "The reason I cultivate and cultivate is precisely to cultivate myself into an innocent child!"

(End of chapter)