The first three released now will be make up for last week, this week’s will be out along after RFTIW and SEAM. 1/3, ENJOY!!!
Announcement:
Also, if you guys haven’t already, please check out our site’s new addition, Immortals Farmland by Miranda and Nijima (her editor), It is a great read, please give it a go.
TLDP C078: Going to the Ancestral House
“Is there any way to recover it?”
“There is.” Long Chen nodded and said, “If you have True Primordial Qi, you will be able to properly use the Wind Thunder Fan. When I knew that I was going to die in the past, I poured my lifetime's True Primordial Qi into the fan, even someone without True Primordial Qi could use it. But I had never thought that you would squander and s**k dry the True Primordial Qi in it."
Having had dry cough twice, I replied, "I'm really sorry senior, but I have questions, what is True Primordial Qi? One thing that I can clearly feel is that the fan emits Yang energy!"
“That is because my True Primordial Qi is a positive energy, so its aura is similar with Yang energy. The so-called True Primordial Qi is a condensed energy of which, is more pure than True Qi. But not everyone can practice this True Primordial Qi since it requires the 'Bone Path' for one to be able to practice True Primordial Qi. This Bone Path is a type of special const.i.tution and is suitable for practicing True Primordial Qi. Someone who has this special physique can quickly cultivate True Primordial Qi. However, people who don't have this Bone Path, even if they cultivated for 10 years, their results couldn't be compared to one year of the ones who have it."
With some expectations, I asked, “Senior, do I have that type of bone?”
Long Chen shook his head, “You are not suitable for cultivating True Primordial Qi. That's why I said that the Wind Thunder Fan has been discarded. But you don't need to blame yourself. I have given the Wind Thunder Fan to you, so how you manage it, it depends on you."
Since I was feeling quite guilty, I quickly s.h.i.+fted the topic, and asked Long Chen about my Thumb Sword Qi."
Long Chen replied, “If there was still True Primordial Qi in the Wind Thunder Fan, its might could have been more powerful than your Thumb Sword Qi!” My heart was really itchy since I did want to see whether this fan was truly powerful as Long Chen had described. But unfortunately, the fan's True Primordial Qi had been transferred into the charm amulets. Long Chen also said that the True Primordial Qi also had a more powerful restraining effect toward spirits compared to Yang energy. So the charm amulets did have that formidable power.
We also talked for a while about Miss Daiyu. After which, Long Chen then said that he was going to return to the tomb and close up. He said that if I had something that required his a.s.sistance, I could find him in the tomb or also summon him using Dao charms.
It turned out that the last time Miss Daiyu vanished for a long time, she was looking for Long Chen and wanted to entrust my study to Long Chen. This reminded about the first time I met with Miss Daiyu…
Long Chen then left. He came in a flash and left in a blink of an eye also.
Since I couldn't cultivate True Primordial Qi, I might as well study the Innate Force. What the Old Swindler had revealed was truly shocking since he was able to eliminate the Red Haired Zombie in only seconds and gave me the full confidence about this Innate Force! So I took out the Old Swindler's notes and fully immersed myself in them.
****
The next day.
I came to the photocopying shop. Jiannan was sitting in front of the computer and it seemed like he was studying something. When he heard that someone was coming in, Jiannan didn't even lift his head and only spoke, “Photocopying 5 copies, printing at the same place, st.i.tch 5 shoes, and make 2 keys."
I instantly turned silent on the spot while asking myself, when the h.e.l.l did my shop turn into a shoe repair shop? What the h.e.l.l with this key-making service? Holy c.r.a.p! Was my photocopying shop alright? Then, I asked, “Jiannan, you don't even lift your head to look up, what things you are seeing huh?"
Hearing my voice, Jiannan finally lifted his head up, and then replied in an excited expression, “Big Brother, I want two days off!"
“Why?”
“I want to partic.i.p.ate in Men's Masturbating Style Tournament!”
It was just like being struck and charred by thunder inside! Rendering me speechless, so asked him in a crushed expression, "”W-W-What m.a.s.t.u.r.b.a.t.e… What the f**k with this match?”
“It's a Men's Masturbating Style Tournament. I heard that if you have good rubbing styles, then you can partic.i.p.ate in the Olympic Games and compete with other contestants from various countries! While also bringing glory for the country at the same time, and also could make a very good name for myself! Ah, Big Brother, can you help sign me up?" He asked in a serious expression.
Which idiot would want to enter this kind of compet.i.tion in the Olympic Games huh? I grimly asked, “From whom you have heard this?"
“I saw it on the Internet.” Jiannan replied in a slightly afraid expression.
“You believe those stuffs on the net?” I furiously snapped, “70% of them are hoax, 30% are lies, you mustn't leave! There's no way I'll give you even a day off!!!"
****
In an instant, 3 months had pa.s.sed.
This day was January 15th 2012. This week, we were going to celebrate a Chinese New Year. And at this time, Xu Xiaoling and I were sitting at the airport's terminal, waiting for flights to the capital.
Xu Xiaoling said that although she didn't like her family, especially her father. But she must go back to celebrate Chinese New Year and thus reunite with her father.
The winter in Qiling City was very cold so I bought her thick clothes and used it to cover her, making her look like a very cute penguin.
Big Sis Xiaoling also bought me thick clothes, and this white jacket I was wearing was exactly the one she had bought for me.
I originally wanted to buy a New Year’s gift for the Xu Family’s Head, but Xu Xiaoling stopped me and said, "The Xus are never short of anything."
But Big Sis Xiaoling had bought my parents a New Years gift…
Shortly after, nearing the time to board the plane, I escorted her the departure gate as she kissed my mouth and spoke in a soft tone, "I’m off now, I'll call you when I arrive at the Capital Airport.”
I smiled and nodded, then watched her enter the departure gate. In the last few months we were really inseparable and had long had our first kisses. With our good understanding and care for each other, we were very happy and had never had any quarrels.
Her flight had taken off and then I left the airport. I intended to rush over to the train station to go to Yuanyang city to celebrate Chinese New Year at my ancestor's place. My grandpa had died while grandma was still living in the country. I have been gone for 5 years and this year, my aunt was organizing the event so all relatives returned home to celebrate New Years in our ancestral home, so we have had this event planned out.
Mom and Dad had already left a few days ago while I was waiting to send Big Sis Xiaoling and didn't go with them. But I had long booked a ticket through Jiannan's help.
Jiannan was also going home to celebrate the New Years. In the last 3 months, business was relatively few since we only got customers twice and only earned less than 10,000 yuan. But for celebrating this Chinese New Year I gave 5,000 yuan to Jiannan in a red envelope, making him wild with joy, rus.h.i.+ng over, he wanted to kiss me. But I reacted swiftly, kicking him and making him fly…
It was only a short time after I separated with Zhang Zixuan, that he gave me 2 million yuan as payment. The people from the Eight Prominent Families were really filthy rich. It was 2 million for G.o.d's sake! But for him, it was just like he was only spending 200 yuan. But I thought that it was also proper though, since I was the one who captured that Water Demon. Had I not did that, he couldn't have known about the cultural relics in the mountain, while those cultural relics' value was also more than 20 million yuan.
I pilfered the ring back then and gave it to Xu Xiaoling. But I didn't dare to tell her that the ring was stolen from the mountain and only said that she didn't need to ask too much and to wear it, as to make her look more beautiful.
I took the taxi to the train station and it was really crowded there! But it's the Spring Festival after all and a lot of people even slept in the station on the floor. I was very lucky that Jiannan had bought a ticket for me beforehand, or else I could have gotten the ticket for the standing cars. Suddenly, I felt a kind of affection toward Jiannan as I held the ticket and felt thankful.
****
The train was very crowded, even two cars were added. The station's corridor was also full of people, however, people's complexion were excited and every one of them were all rus.h.i.+ng home to celebrate Chinese New Years.
The journey was very far and the location was very remote. It would take a day and night to travel there by train. I wanted the sleeping compartment before, however, Jiannan didn't buy the ticket for it and instead bought the hard seat. But even so, I was very satisfied.
We had been celebrating Chinese New Years at home in the recent years, since journeying to our ancestral house was very far, so we rarely back to visit the ancestral home.
But why would Auntie organize all the relatives to go back to the ancestral home this year? I heard that she had spent her money to rebuild our ancestral home, and also built a second floor for our ancestral home. It was said that she had spent more than 700,000 yuan. She possibly wanted to show off, so she asked us to come.
Speaking of my Aunt, I had no particular impression of her except that my Aunt's family was very rich and had a jade carving business. She usually never contacted us—her poor and dest.i.tute relatives—and also rarely went back to the ancestral home. IMoney was much more important than family to her. But never once had I thought that some evil spirits had bewitched her to actually become generous, to spend hundreds of thousands of yuan to reconstruct our ancestral home, of which, made the others a little puzzled.
Grandma gave birth to five children, four sons, and a daughter. Auntie was the third and Dad was the fourth. So I had 2 uncles and all of them were farmers, and living in rural areas. Those 2 uncles and my family had a good relations.h.i.+p. My second cousin usually accompanied me when I was 5 years old. But now, he had gotten married and also had a 4-year-old child. We hadn't seen each other for many years, and this time since we have reunited, we should talk about the old days…
After having sat for more than 40 hours on the train, I finally arrived and Dad found a van in the countryside to pick me up. Upon seeing me come empty-handed, Dad laughed and spoke, "Little b.a.s.t.a.r.d, you haven't come back for several years, but yet you don't know to bring some little gifts, huh.”
I put on an aggrieved look and replied, “Old man, your words are wrong, the train is packed with people, bringing large bag is simply doing sin and is a crime. But well, as long as we have the money, I can buy anything. Isn't it the same if I buy those gifts here, right? Aren't there specialized tobacco and liquors being sold at that corner? All right, I'll go buy some pack of cigarettes there."
Dad quickly grabbed me and said, “Let's talk about it later; we have to rush to the airport to pick up the others."
“The airport? Who are we meeting up with?”
“Picking up your big uncle and your older female cousin,” said Dad.
“Cousin?” I thought a second and then asked, “Wait, that fatty? Is she the one that had always made me a punching bag?”
Dad replied with a laugh, “Hahaha, d.a.m.n right she did, but she isn't that fat anymore. There's a saying that girls will always go through 18 changes, with each change making them more attractive. Your aunt has shown us her photo a few days ago."
I pouted my lips and then spoke, "Old man, I want to go home."
“What's up? A grown up man like you afraid of a girl?"
“Bah, I’m afraid that she will hit me, and because she was so fat, she could have beaten me,” I teased back.
While we were joking in our chat, we headed to the airport with the car's driver. Dad enthusiastically introduced us and said that the vehicle's driver was also our distant relative, and told me to call him Uncle Zhao.
When we came to the airport and waited for more than an hour, my big uncle and that older female cousin of mine finally came and walked slowly. Dad hurriedly greeted them, and since I saw Dad was up, I also followed him and helped them to carry their stuff onto the van. That older female cousin of mine then spoke in discontent, "Hey, third uncle, how could you pick us up with this broken van?"
I smiled and said, “Yo, cousin, having a car is already good enough."