Chapter 64

"Many thanks, true person!"

"True person is truly as kind as a mountain to us!"

The surprise and emotion of that group of merchants were even greater than those of the Shu Village merchants. At least they didn't know in advance and had no psychological preparation. Suddenly losing and regaining, they were almost crying bitterly.

It's not easy to run a business these days. Whether going to Jiangnan or the capital, a trip cannot be made back and forth in three or five days. Plus the risks to be faced on the road, the unavoidable sleeping in the open, it's a bitter job. And the status of merchants is not high. Only the most steady and hardworking people who are not afraid of hardship can persist. Therefore, many merchant teams are from the same village and clan, so they can help each other.

It's not easy to make money. Losing and regaining, they had to check repeatedly, only then did the illusory feeling in their hearts gradually return to reality.

"Where does the true person cultivate?"

"Mount Yishan, Fuqiu Temple."

"Mount Yishan?"

"A bit remote, not known to the world."

"Does the true person know what kind of spirits and monsters those stealing spirits and monsters are? The little ones only heard from people in the city who have seen them, saying they are little people not even knee-high!"

"They are a group of mouse yaoguai."

"Mouse yaoguai?"

"Speaking of which, they are not fierce, just have some meager abilities of spirits and monsters, making people fall into a deep sleep. If the blood energy is vigorous and the will is firm, and one can resist not sleeping and not be afraid of them, they are not difficult to deal with."

"Dare to ask the true person, can you get rid of them?"

"I don't know if they have been gotten rid of, and I don't know if in this city, this kind of spirit is only those from last night." Lin Jue sighed in his heart and shook his head. It was truly a helpless move to retrieve the money.

"If you are stolen again in the future, you can come to Mount Yishan Fuqiu Temple to find us." Seventh Third Third Shixiong pondered and said, "I happen to have a way to deal with them in the temple."

"Remembered, remembered!"

This group of merchants looked at each other, and an elder took a few pieces of broken silver and handed them to Seventh Third Third Shixiong.

"I heard that the road to Mount Yishan is remote. No matter what, the true person must accept it, as our incense money for the Daoist temple and the reward for the true person to subdue the demons. If fortunate, next time we must go to Mount Yishan to visit and thank you."

Seventh Third Third Shixiong accepted it.

Seeing this, the merchants of Shu Village also took out silver money, wanting to hand it over.

Seventh Third Third Shixiong looked back at Lin Jue, but refused, only smiling and saying that this was the help of fellow villagers.

Lin Jue pondered a little, then walked forward, took out his own savings from his arms, about twenty taels. He only kept five taels and handed over the fifteen taels.

"Just now I heard Shu San Shu Shu say that there was a big flood in the nearby area this summer. I don't know if the village was flooded. Even if it wasn't flooded, my eldest uncle's illness has just recovered and he also needs money." Lin Jue said, "Ten taels here are the travel expenses given by others when I helped people deliver letters on the road, and the rest is the reward money issued by the county magistrate when I killed the monster monkey. Please help me bring it back and give it to my aunt."

"This? Your family's affairs, we will naturally help. When you are outside, don't you need money?" Shu San Shu Shu didn't take it for a moment.

"I have already joined the Mount Yishan Daoist temple and have been cultivating in the mountain ever since. I have food and housing, and there is not much place to use money." Lin Jue said sincerely, "Please also tell my eldest uncle and aunt that I have already settled down outside and am living very well. Please don't worry. If I have time, I will naturally go back to visit them."

"Alright..."

The middle-aged man then took the money and put it away solemnly.

He thought to himself that the money for the help Lin Jue gave would also be handed over to his eldest uncle and aunt together.

Both sides said goodbye solemnly and left each other.

Seventh Third Third Shixiong weighed the broken silver in his hand, about six or seven taels. That group of merchants was very particular and gave about one-tenth of the reward.

"Don't think too much, at least the money was found back. The people in this city have already learned to be smart, all using iron-skinned boxes, and will not be easily stolen.

"As for those yaoguai and monsters who directed the mouse yaoguai behind the scenes, go back and report to Master, and let him decide."

As Seventh Third Third Shixiong said, he divided two pieces of broken silver and handed them to Lin Jue and the junior sister:

"This money is temporarily considered our extra income. Whatever you want to buy, go buy it, no need to save. Anyway, for the temple, money is enough whether it's more or less. If there is any left over, just hand it back to the temple."

"Ah?"

"Ah what ah? Fourth Third Third Shixiong told me to buy him a piece of ink, I'll go buy it for him first. Let's act separately and meet at the city gate at that time. If we walk together, I don't know how much time will be delayed. I'm afraid it will be dark when we walk back to the mountain." Seventh Third Third Shixiong said, "Rest assured, Yixian is also a big city. During the day, no yaoguai dares to make trouble in the city."

The two looked down, and the silver was already in their hands.

Irregular broken silver, but also heavy.

Seventh Third Third Shixiong turned and left.

"Let's go."

Lin Jue said to the junior sister, and then took a step.

The first thing he saw was a meat seller.

Lin Jue wanted to buy some lard to go back to boil pork lard, and at the same time looked down at the fox beside his feet, thought about it and said: "Last night you were a great contributor, let's cut a jin of lean meat for you first."

The fox turned its head to look at him, then turned to look at the meat shop.

There were already many people on the street. For a fox following a Daoist, they all felt it was novel and cast their gazes over one after another.

"What does junior sister want to buy?"

While Lin Jue was waiting for the butcher to cut the meat, he asked the junior sister again.

"I don't need to buy."

The junior sister said without thinking.

Her expression was as firm as if she were going into meditation.

Lin Jue saw that she was a person who didn't spend money indiscriminately. This might be related to her upbringing since childhood, and might be related to her poor background. He didn't say anything, just turned his head to look elsewhere.

There was a wonton shop.

After cutting the meat, the lard was put in the bamboo basket, and the lean meat was asked to be cut by the boss and wrapped in lotus leaves. Lin Jue took the fox and the junior sister straight to the wonton shop, asked for two bowls of wontons, and the lean meat in lotus leaves was placed on the ground, letting this little fox have a rare indulgent meal.

Soon the wontons were served.

The bone broth base, showing a bit of jade color, only added a little salt, and sprinkled with a few green onions, it was already very fresh. There wasn't much meat in the wontons, just taking a taste, but it was much better than the food in the temple.

The junior sister ate very happily.

Lin Jue was eating and thinking.

Last night he bought clear oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and spices. Just now he bought lard. This morning he had to buy some rice and flour early. It is inconvenient to purchase in the mountain. The cured meat and ham here are famous and easy to store and carry, so he had to buy some. If he met someone selling yellow wine, he would also buy a pot, and it would be even better if there was sugar for sale.

It seems that the salt in the temple is also running low.

He could also buy a pot of good wine for Third Third Third Shixiong.

As he was talking, he suddenly heard someone shouting to sell across the street:

"Ice cheese! Ice cheese from the capital! If you don't buy it, you won't be able to eat it in a few days! Jade comes to the bottom of the plate, snow melts to the mouth!"

Lin Jue immediately stretched his neck and looked up.

Looking at it, it felt somewhat familiar.

"Junior sister."

"Hmm? What's wrong, senior brother?"

"Ask for another bowl for you?"

"Don't eat, don't eat."

"Ask for another bowl of wontons."

Lin Jue shouted to the shopkeeper of the wonton shop.

The junior sister hadn't been able to refuse this extra bowl of wontons, when she heard senior brother ask: "Junior sister, have you eaten ice cheese?"

"Ah? What, what ice cheese?"

The junior sister was a little confused for a moment, and a little cramped.

"Here." Lin Jue raised his chin to the front, "It is said to be a luxury item from the capital."

The junior sister immediately became vigilant.

"It must be very expensive!"

Lin Jue looked at her with a smile: "Then you must have never eaten it, right?"

The little girl also looked at him seriously:

"Third Shixiong brother, I won't eat~"

"You can't eat it anywhere else."

"I'll eat wontons!"

"Didn't you hear the shouting? If you don't eat it, it will be gone in a few days. Last year's ice will be melted!"

"Don't eat..."

A moment later—

Two bowls of ice cheese, which were expensive and rare in this era, had appeared on the table of the two. This was a cold drink made of milk, eggs, sugar, starch, and ice. It looked like paste, exuding a milky and sweet fragrance, and was served in a small mountain on the plate. Thanks to the prosperous trade here in recent years, and thanks to this being the seat of the prefecture, otherwise I'm afraid it would really only be eaten in the capital.

Lin Jue took a bamboo piece and tasted it first.

But it was not just looking familiar.

It also tasted somewhat familiar.

Lin Jue immediately showed a look of recollection.

The junior sister learned from him and also scooped up a taste.

In the early autumn when the heat had not yet faded, it was originally hot, but this mouthful of ice cheese went down, and it was full of ice and coolness. It was smooth, greasy, sweet, and fragrant to the mouth, and it melted as soon as it entered, really like the shouting—

Like greasy and refreshing, just condensed and about to drift;

Jade comes to the bottom of the plate, snow melts to the mouth.

Where had the junior sister eaten this kind of taste? For a moment, she was surprised and amazed, and couldn't help but narrow her eyes.

When she opened her eyes, it was senior brother's full face of smiles.

"Delicious, right?"

"Delicious!"

"Never eaten it, right?"

"Never eaten it! Third Shixiong brother, have you eaten it before?"

"Me?"

Lin Jue was stunned for a moment, wanting to lie, but helplessly paused, and it became a sigh when it reached his mouth: "I haven't eaten it for a long time too..."

Looking down and tasting it again, it was all memories.

Memories gave it a new taste.

It was indeed as Seventh Third Third Shixiong said, the Daoist temple itself could be self-sufficient, and money was enough whether it was more or less. At this time, the two of them were like this, which was probably the greatest value of this little silver money.

After breakfast, a purchase, and meeting outside the city.

There was some powder scent on Seventh Third Third Shixiong's body.

However, except for the little fox, whose sense of smell was sensitive and whose mind was simple, feeling strange and sniffing him again and again, Lin Jue and the other two didn't speak, and one didn't smell it.

The three little Daoists took advantage of the early morning, led the donkey, gradually moved away from the official road, and went into the remote mountains.