Chapter 390: Elder Sister Mei, Welcome Aboard

I stood blankly in front of the fridge, thinking about that. Just then I made a noise, and Li Qingying and Liu Junyan came over, asking what was wrong.

I just said I was getting too hungry too fast, and shared my guess.

Liu Junyan then took my hand and went to the west room.

I hadn't been to the west room for several days; upon entering I discovered that, at some point, a black cloth had been placed over the Copper Coin Person.

I was about to ask when Li Qingying said, "Xiao Jiu, you wouldn't want to see what it looks like now—it's pretty gruesome."

But the more she said that, the more curious I became.

Li Qingying took a small stick, lifted a corner of the black cloth, and I glanced at it and was instantly stunned.

The Copper Coin Person was originally gold; later some of the coins turned white, and part of its body was covered in white scales. Now, the coins and scales are gone, and the humanoid figure sitting cross-legged on the shrine's main seat has its surface covered in a layer of wrinkled skin.

That layer of skin bears many wounds, with dark blood congealed in them.

Without the black cloth, it really is an eyesore.

I instinctively asked Liu Junyan, "Does it still deserve to be enshrined here?"

Liu Junyan shook her head: "Because we're not sure, we dare not move it casually; let's cover it again for now and discuss later."

After the black cloth was replaced, Liu Junyan personally lit incense, inserting a whole handful of sandalwood into the burner.

The moment the sandalwood scent drifted out, I felt like an addict, wanting to flop beside the burner and inhale deeply.

The Mystic Cat also came out, drawn by the smell; it first ran straight to the incense burner, sniffed, then suddenly turned its head to look at my belly, its fur instantly bristling and its whole back arching.

But it soon relaxed, leaping down from the shrine and repeatedly rubbing its head against my belly.

This creature, truly spiritually perceptive, noticed that so quickly.

That night, I held the Mystic Cat and smelled three bundles of incense before finally leaving the west room satisfied; I guarded the shop until midnight, then returned to my room to sleep.

I slept exceptionally well; the next morning I woke up refreshed, with not a hint of hunger.

At breakfast, I didn't see Liu Junyan, so I asked Li Qingying; she said Seventh Lord had left at dawn, leaving a note that he'd return before lunch.

In the morning I went to the teahouse to look for Chen Fuying, but she wasn't there.

The townspeople of Wufu Town have all moved out; the whole town is empty and deserted, the teahouse's former liveliness gone.

I came over just to ask Chen Fuying what her plans are.

I turned and headed to the Assembly Hall in Wufu Town, and there, beside the stage, I saw Chen Fuying.

She sat at the edge of the stage, with Mei Lin Shuang beside her; a person and a ghost chatting and laughing, I didn't know what they were talking about.

Well, the two of them—one was the pillar of the opera troupe back then, the other born into an opera family—surely they share plenty of common ground, so it's natural they can talk together.

Coincidentally, I also wanted to ask Mei Lin Shuang about her future plans.

If she wants to be reincarnated, I can help using lamp oil to guide her passage.

As I was saying that, Huang Fan came in from outside, holding a large basket covered with a red cloth, and I wondered what was inside.

Upon hearing me say I could help guide Mei Lin Shuang's rebirth, he hesitated in his steps.

But he immediately stepped back to the doorway, not coming over to disturb us.

Mei Lin Shuang called out, "Huang Fan, what are you carrying?"

"Oh," Huang Fan replied immediately, "it's a thank-you gift sent by the parents of the babies who took refuge in the Assembly Hall earlier—all for you."

Huang Fan is tall and big, speaks in a stiff, earnest manner, looks simple-minded but actually has great determination.

Mei Lin Shuang then said, "For me? Then go ahead and bring it over so I can take a look~"

Mei Lin Shuang can serve as the troupe's lead performer; her singing is superb.

I remember when she first followed me back to the shop, she could hardly speak at all.

But now, freed from various suppressions and restraints, her speaking ability and singing, etc., have long since recovered.

Just that sentence alone—even Huang Fan aside, just hearing it made my bones feel a little weak.

I suddenly realized that Mei Lin Shuang and Huang Fan must have known each other for a long time, after all, Huang Fan is of the Yellow Immortal lineage.

Huang Fan's face turned a strange red.

He strode over with the basket, placed it beside Mei Lin Shuang, and lifted the red cloth.

Under the red cloth lay a basket full of incense, candles, paper money, and gold ingots, plus a merit list requested from the County City God Temple, its surface filled with the names of those making petitions.

Mei Lin Shuang took that merit list, looked at the names written there blessing her, and smiled radiantly.

As her eyes shifted, she looked at me and said, "Xiao Jiu, look—this is my answer. I don't want to be reborn; I want to join our shop and do more meaningful things in this world."

Li Qingying once begged me to keep Mei Lin Shuang, and I said then that we must respect her own choice.

In this life she has suffered too much; perhaps she doesn't want to stay.

But now Mei Lin Shuang wants to stay, and I naturally couldn't wish for more.

I reached out and lightly clasped her hand: "All right, Elder Sister Mei, welcome aboard."

Mei Lin Shuang laughed, and Chen Fuying joined in: "Congratulations, Sister Lin Shuang."

Huang Fan stood to the side, eyes on the outside, his cheeks still slightly flushed.

I said, "The shop will soon be assigned to the Nine Flames District; over there we need to set up an altar, and when the time comes all the enshrined tablets will be moved over. Elder Sister Mei, I'll have Elder Dou carve your tablet, and once the altar is established there I'll also move your tablet over—okay?"

Mei Lin Shuang said, "Everything as you arrange."

I smiled, turned to Chen Fuying, and asked, "Boss lady, what about you? What are your plans?"

"Since you call me boss lady, I'll naturally keep being the boss lady," Chen Fuying said in her sweet, soft accent. "Then I won't just reopen 'The Return of the Swallow'; I'll also open a larger teahouse on the busiest street of the Nine Flames District, with a stage inside. Sister Lin Shuang, you'll have to come help me hold down the fort."

Mei Lin Shuang covered her mouth and still smiled: "If you're not afraid I'll scare away your customers, I'll definitely come."

"No way," Chen Fuying said. "In each of those disturbances in Wufu Town, wasn't it you guarding the Assembly Hall, protecting the townsfolk and outsiders? Everyone remembers your kindness—who would still fear you?"

Everyone was talking and laughing.

After the ordeal, everyone relaxed, their mood exceptionally good.

Before lunch, Liu Junyan indeed returned.

He also brought back a large bag of things—precious medicinal herbs, dragon bone blood, some special spices and so on—and spread them out over a big table.

As it turned out, he had spent the whole morning busy with these things.

Is this because you're afraid I'll go hungry, or because you're afraid his child will go hungry…?

I thought that was already extravagant, but after lunch, wave after wave of good things kept being sent to Dang Pu.

Master Hui Quan sent a large incense burner filled to the brim with century-old incense ash.

Tang Tang sent a large bag of rare medicinal herbs, saying they were all gathered by the aunt from far and wide.

Even Fang Chuan Zong, when he came over, brought various bottles and jars, saying they were sent by Mount Mao for him to bring, all good things…