Chapter 179

"My husband has already gone to Nanchang to study for the examinations."

Xu Mu came out and followed these two people to explain: "For this beam-raising ceremony, is there anything needed?"

"After all, it is Scholar Xu who stepped up to donate money to buy land for a temple and build a school. Therefore, the clan elders and the clan head asked us to invite Scholar Xu. Scholar Xu has official status; there are places that need calligraphy, such as plaques and couplets, all of which require him! But why has Scholar Xu gone to study again?"

"Preparing for the provincial examination," Xu Mu said. "Last time, Scholar Lu praised his essays as well-written, so he believed it and wanted to go one more time."

"Ah? That is a good thing! These provincial graduates are all Literary Star stars from heaven descending to earth; they are incredibly noble. It is just a pity he went a bit too early. Otherwise, to perform such a deed of Merit, with the protection of a God Immortal, that would be the most efficacious!"

After saying this, these two village men talked about which village had once worshipped a deity, gave birth to a son, and then he passed the top scholar examination and became a high official.

Then they cautiously added: "Nowadays, there is a God Immortal who is the most efficacious; it is a Fox Immortal Bodhisattva, but it seems not to be a proper God Immortal. Should we invite it into the temple to be worshipped?"

Xu Jia heard this and said: "Haha, this God Immortal, I am afraid it will come without being invited."

"My father is not here, so I will act on his behalf. If it is about writing, I can write quite well."

"Little Scholar Xu!"

"Little Scholar Xu is also a man of talent. I wonder if you have any official status?"

"None."

"The clan elders and the clan head said we must find a scholar with official status..."

Xu Jia said: "Then you should find someone else. Otherwise, people might think it was someone else who donated the temple!"

He then pulled the two of them directly: "Let's go, let's go! I can make this decision!"

The two farm men felt there was some sense in that: "Then we will trouble Little Scholar Xu."

Xu Jia called out, and Xun Taizi landed on Xu Jia's shoulder.

"How should I address you two clan uncles?"

"I am called Xu Yougen, and he is called Xu Youtian. Our father was a cousin to your grandfather."

Xu Jia smiled and said: "That is not far off. Why don't we see each other often?"

The two men stammered, talking about how busy the farm work was, always being a bit thin-skinned.

Xu Jia then asked: "Nowadays in the village, how many households are surnamed Xu? How much land does each household have, and how much tax do they pay?"

Xu Yougen said: "There are three major surnames in the village. There are about two hundred households surnamed Xu, about five or six hundred people. There are seventy or eighty households surnamed Wan, two or three hundred people. The ones surnamed Yan are fewer, only twenty or thirty households, less than a hundred people."

"As for the land, some families have more, some have less. The ones with more have twenty or thirty mu, the ones with less have only a few fen of land. This is something that cannot be helped. In years past when there was a Famine, we could only mortgage the land to trade for food to survive."

"As for paying taxes, we cannot say. The tax official says how much to pay, and that is how much it is; there is no fixed amount."

"Now that Scholar Xu is building this temple, allowing our children to study and recognize a few characters, even if they become apprentices in the future, it will be more promising than farming."

"Little Scholar Xu, if Scholar Xu passes the provincial examination, can we sell our land to Master Xu? We will become tenant farmers for Master Xu's family? Tenant farmers do not need to pay taxes, and a provincial graduate does not need to pay taxes." "That will have to wait until he passes," Xu Jia sighed. "If I become successful, how could I forget you relatives? As for saying it is troublesome, it is not really troublesome; it is just a matter of helping out. But we must become close first. I heard that when I was sick before, someone came to the door asking my father to adopt one of their children. Who had such thoughts?"

Xu Yougen thought to himself: Were you sick? Weren't you dead? How did you come back to life? Such a strange thing? But he did not want to offend either side, so he only said: "Ah? There was such a thing? Why have I not heard of it?"

Xu Jia smiled: "If you haven't heard of it, then forget it. I was just saying I would go over and acknowledge a brother."

As Xu Jia walked with them, he asked again: "I am young and have never paid respects to the ancestors. My father has never taken me to visit the graves. I don't know where the ancestral graves of our branch are?"

"They are in a mountain hollow. It is not the right time now, so we don't go there often. To pay respects to the ancestors, you can also do it in the ancestral hall."

Xu Yougen said: "This time building the temple, there is still some money left. We also planned to repaint the ancestral hall, but since Scholar Xu wants to take the provincial examination, if he passes, the ancestral hall will have to be rebuilt to be more imposing."

"We must burn incense and pray for the ancestors' protection."

The two men walked for a while and both felt a bit tired, but Xu Jia's steps were light and he was very comfortable. Added to the previous events, they kept a guard up. Seeing that Xu Jia had a shadow under his feet, they finally relaxed, but they were still puzzled: "How can such a scholar walk for so long without sweating or panting?"

Xu Jia Cun is near the Xin River, and there is a large Zhangshu at the entrance of the village. As Xu Jia approached the village entrance, in the Dharma Realm, the tree spirit of this tree began to vibrate. An old man emerged and bowed to Xu Jia: "This old one, Zhang Yi, pays respects to the True Person."

Xu Jia stopped: "You recognize me?"

"Nowadays, within the borders of Yushan, the affairs of True Person Xu have spread everywhere, especially among the birds. This old one naturally recognizes you."

"Why do you seek me?"

"Reporting to the True Person, this old one has been guarding the village borders since the Xu family settled here three hundred and seventy years ago. However, I have never held an official position. I was only pitied by the City God and made a third-rank Underground Lord. This time, when building the Earth Temple, I don't know why the Qingtian Land Deity was invited to reside here? This old one is not convinced; this old one should be the Earth Deity of this territory."

Xu Jia saw that he had some Merit and a face full of vicissitudes. Having endured for three hundred and seventy years to reach the position of a third-rank Underground Lord, he was indeed pitiful. However, he himself dealt with demons and ghosts and could not confer any divine titles. If he were to confer one, it would be a wild god, not a True God. So he said: "He was personally established by the government and recognized by the City God. Although you were planted by the ancestors, you are only linked to things like the ancestral hall. If you want to become an Earth Deity, you can only find a way to invest in a scholar. Once he has official status, he can support you to become an Earth Deity. You coming to beg me will not work."

Zhang Yi said: "I have provided support before! The True Person's grandfather became wealthy only after I provided him with twenty taels of silver, but later he donated for an official position and forgot about me."

Xu Jia calculated and found it was indeed so. The matter of the twenty taels of silver had passed for nearly a sixty-year cycle; it was fifty years ago.

Xu Jia nodded: "I already know about this matter, but I previously promised the Qingtian Dam Earth Deity. However, he truly has no merit in looking after this place. Like this, he is a Town Land Deity with a Ninth-rank Official Status. If you want to become an Earth Deity, you can only be a Village Land Deity. I will confer it upon you first. When my father passes the provincial examination and returns to burn incense and thank the four directions, the local Earth Deity will naturally push you to the divine position and replace that fellow."

Last time, the Qingtian Dam Earth Deity could not keep a secret and told the City God directly about Xu Jia's plan to set up Licentious Sacrifice and wild offerings. Fortunately, the City God was bluffed by Xu Jia; otherwise, there would have been trouble.

Zhang Yi heard this and quickly bowed: "Many thanks, True Person!"

"I should be the one thanking you. If you hadn't given my grandfather twenty taels of silver to start his business, my family wouldn't be in such a state today. Hmm, this matter is on me."

Zhang Yi spat out a bead: "This is a Bichong Bead, formed from camphor fragrance. Placed in a room, all insects will stay away. Held in the mouth, the corpse will not decay... I offer it to the True Person!"

Isn't this just a mothball?

Xu Jia did not stand on ceremony and accepted it: "This matter is done, I haven't even achieved anything yet and I'm already being thanked!"

(End of this chapter)