Zhou Dashui pushed the window open a crack to let in the sound more openly.
"Brother Zhang, did you attend the Taoist gathering yesterday? I heard that Ge Shenxian gave holy water and holy medicine to the believers..."
"I don't have money to pay the membership fee this month, so I'm not eligible to go..."
"If that doesn't work, just sell the land. What's the use of those extraneous things?"
"..."
After listening for a while, Zhou Dashui understood that what the drinkers in the hall were talking about was something a church was trying to do.
The name of the immortal they talked about was Ge Qiu, an old Taoist priest whose Taoist name was Qingfeng Zhenren. In addition, he also has another identity, that is, the Taoist Association of Lantian County, which is quite prestigious locally.
The Taoist Association Secretary is the person who manages the Taoist Association at the county level. Its purpose is to promote Taoism and influence the world.
The establishment of such institutions has a long history. Since the previous dynasty, the imperial court has established Taoist associations in various places and given them certain rights. If they meet people who understand the scriptures and principles, they can directly ask the government for ultimatums.
There are also differences in the level of Dao Hui establishment. The national level is Dao Lussi, the provincial government is Dao Jissi, the state government is Daozhengsi, and the county level is Dao Huisi. They are independent of the administration and local officials have no right to interfere.
From a traditional sense, Taoism is a cultural inheritance, and its purpose is to guide people to do good. However, there are also people who deceive and deceive people under the banner of Taoism, such as the Ge Shenxian mentioned just now.
Zhou Dashui felt that this organization had seriously separated from traditional Taoism and created its own emperor-worshiping religion. It is said that saints are enshrined in the religion and they practice some fornication. From this point of view, it is a bit of a cult.
Qi Yu was also a little worried: "What cult members are best at is deceiving people, so everyone should hide as much as possible to avoid getting burned."
Zhou Dashui said: "The local officials have no right to intervene. I don't know if there will be trouble if this continues."
"Why are we so worried? We should eat and drink. Even if something happens, it will be the county magistrate's responsibility. What are we afraid of?" Zhou Dazhuang chuckled.
"Yeah, let's eat."
"..."
After lunch, Qi Yu specially informed his uncle that he was going out to buy some odds and ends.
This is a common characteristic of country people. If you go to the city and don't buy something, it seems like you are missing something.
Now that Qi Yu has money, his heart feels like a small balloon that is inflating. He feels uncomfortable if he doesn't let go.
So, go shopping.
When talking about shopping, I can't help but think of the women in later generations. Every day they have a rest, they would go for a walk. Whether or not to buy something is not a second priority. The key lies in the shopping experience.
Men, on the other hand, are just the opposite. When they see something good, they are forthright and take action without hesitation.
However, Qi Yu chose the former.
The shops in the county are not only grandly decorated, but also have a complete range of goods, which makes people feel dizzying.
I, Qi Yu, can be considered a rich man now...
It was time to replace the inkstone with missing corners, so Qi Yu walked into an elegant attic with a long step.
This bookstore is quite large, with shelves filled with all kinds of pens, inks, paper, inkstones, and classic literature.
"What do you want, sir?" When the old shopkeeper saw the customer coming, he hurriedly put on a smile and walked over to strike up a conversation.
"I want to buy an inkstone. Is there any good quality one?" Qi Yu said confidently.
To be good?
The shopkeeper was overjoyed when he heard this, but after seeing his muddy shoes, he calmed down. Then he pointed to another countertop and said, "The things on that cabinet are relatively cheap. You might as well take a look, sir."
Is this looking down on people?
I'm a rich man!
Thinking of this, the little balloon in Qi Yu's heart inflated further.
Qi Yu shrugged, and after feeling the weight of the baggage, the old god smiled and said: "Haha, money is not an issue, as long as the goods are good enough."
Did you make a mistake? Is the person in front of me a rich dude?
The shopkeeper's mind was racing, and his face turned into a smile again.
"I asked, how can I sell this square inkstone?"
"Young master, you really have a good eye. This is a newly arrived Taohe inkstone. The quality and workmanship are of excellent quality. It only costs five taels of silver."
burst!
The inflated little balloon was instantly pricked...burst!
Damn, a piece of broken stone costs five taels of silver? Still only for sale?
"Ahem... Shopkeeper, please be busy first, I'll just take a look."
The shopkeeper nodded, and finally showed an expression that was exactly what I expected. There was also a sense of teasing in his smile that made Qi Yu feel uncomfortable.
Hold on!
Qi Yu tried his best to keep a calm smile and walked around leisurely for a while. Finally... when the shopkeeper was not paying attention, he escaped with a whoosh.
Well...
It's not that we are reluctant to buy it, but that the people in the city are too unrealistic. One inkstone costs five taels of silver. Isn't this an obvious rip-off?
I won't be fooled!
Besides, is there a direct relationship between whether one can write good articles and the inkstone?
As long as the inkstone is usable, why waste money on it?
With the experience just now, Qi Yu directly listed those luxurious stores as hidden minefields. Finally, I finally found an inkstone at a remote street stall for only two hundred coins.
Look, it’s better to save it, right?
When it comes to shopping, you need to make all-round purchases.
The New Year is coming soon, so I need to pull on some cloth so that I can buy some new clothes for my family.
My mother's cold legs were most afraid of getting cold, so a leather cloak would keep them warm, so she bought one.
In the jewelry store, Qi Yu fell in love with another beaded flower. Well, it must look very good on a lady’s head.
When I was paying, I struggled for a long time and finally got the shopkeeper to agree to give me a pair of copper bracelets for free.
It was already dusk when he returned to his second uncle's house. When his uncle Zhou saw him carrying large and small bags, he felt happy.
My nephew has really learned to take care of his family, and he is no longer as carefree as before.
He stayed overnight at his second uncle's house and said goodbye in a hurry the next morning.
The joy of picking the prize was unparalleled. I wanted to spread my wings and fly over to share it with my wife. I seemed to see Liu Quan's adoring expression in my mind.
He was in a good mood and walked fast. Although he was carrying a lot of things in his hands, he still walked quickly. Before noon, I rushed back to my hometown - Taohua Village.
You can hear the crowing of chickens and the barking of dogs in the distance, and it is full of pastoral atmosphere. Yes, this is what hometown should taste like.
Mrs. Zhou was basking in the warmth in the yard at this time. Suddenly she heard that her son had picked up the silver reward, and she almost lost her temper with joy.
She kept stroking the silver and murmuring at the corner of her mouth. In her memory, she had only touched the silver a few times in her life.
Seeing his mother's satisfied face, Qi Yu was also very happy, and his heart felt as sweet as honey.
Regarding the leather cloak bought by her son, Ms. Zhou looked distressed: "Mom is getting older and she wears the same clothes. Don't waste money anymore in the future." After finishing her words, she added: "Say, what if the neighbor What will they say when they see me wearing this new dress?"
Qi Yu chuckled: "They will definitely envy your good fortune."
After chatting for a while, Liu Quan was still nowhere to be seen. Mrs. Zhou explained that her daughter-in-law had gone to work in the fields.
After thinking about it, Qi Yu decided to go to his family's fields to take a look and help his wife along the way. In his memory, the original owner was a person who never worked in the fields, and this must be changed.
As soon as I walked out of the courtyard, my mother's hearty laughter came: "His second aunt, take a look, do my clothes look good?"
"Oh! It looks like Mrs. Gaoming when she wears it. She's so rich..."
"..."
It is now winter, and the late rice has been harvested long ago. In order to prevent the land from being idle, most country people will plant crops such as seasonal vegetables. In addition to eating it at home, the excess can be sold for money.
In addition to vegetable patches, wheat is also grown in the fields. Although it is not the local staple food, some people often grow it.
The climate in the south of the Yangtze River is mild and humid, and spring is often the rainy season. Wheat is very susceptible to scab, so the scale of planting has always been small.
You have to plant even when there are risks. This is what farmers do. Only by constantly working hard and competing with the heaven and earth can they harvest the food they need to survive.
There are still many farmers working in the fields. They all looked at Qi Yu with confusion on their faces, as if they were looking at monsters...
Why are the people in long gowns here?
Qi Yu was embarrassed and thought to himself: Do I look like Kong Yiji?
snort!
So he quickened his pace and got away from them as quickly as possible. After walking for a while, he saw Liu Quan's figure.
Qi Yu trotted over and said with a smile, "I will do the rough work. You can rest for a while first."
Liu Quan's eyes flashed and he said calmly: "This is the first time you have come to the fields since we got married." He complained for a few words and then said: "There are not many yams in the fields anymore, and they can't be sold for much." Now, let’s keep it for ourselves to eat.”
Qi Yu smiled and said: "The yams are sold out, we can sell leeks."
"Where did the leeks come from?" Liu Quan looked confused. After taking a look at the green wheat field, he suddenly smiled and said: "You can't tell the difference between grains and grains when you read. This is clearly wheat seedlings, but what kind of leeks are they?"
Qi Yu's smile instantly broke. Ge Laozi, why do wheat seedlings and leeks look so similar?
Liu Quan stopped laughing and pointed to a field in the distance: "Those fields originally belonged to our family. Later, because we urgently needed money for your medical treatment, we had to sell them to my second uncle's family at a low price."
Qi Yu knew about the land sale. That uncle was from another branch of the family, and his name was Qi Qiuchuan.
Now, it's too late to talk about this anymore. The land sales are all sold out, so there's no point in worrying about it anymore.
Qi Yu quickly changed the subject: "I want to discuss something with you."
"Say it."
"I want to renovate our old house. If we don't repair it, I'm afraid it won't be able to withstand the wind and snow."
Liu Quan sighed: "Of course I know this, but our family has no money at all, so how can we repair it?"
"Rich!" Qi Yu smiled, "I was lucky this time and got the silver reward!"
"Really?" Liu Quan looked surprised. Even though he heard it with his own ears, he still couldn't believe it.
"Absolutely true!"
Seeing his wife's surprised expression, Qi Yu felt very satisfied.
"Madam...am I strong?"
What's the meaning?
Liu Quan glanced at him and said seriously: "Let's talk about some serious business when we have money. It's winter now, and it happens to miss the busy farming season. It's really the right time to repair the house. Well, I'll go buy some food and wine some other day so that I can get ahead of time. Make some preparations.”
…
In the countryside, it is very common for neighbors to help each other. For example, when repairing a house, as long as they are entertained with good wine and food, there is no need to pay any wages.
During dinner, Qi Yu told Mrs. Zhou this matter again. Although she agreed, she felt a little uncomfortable: She didn't have enough money to keep her warm, so she was going to spend it now?
Things seem to have changed a bit tonight!
When he pushed the door open and walked in, he saw Liu Quan sitting on the bedside, his eyes sparkling and not sleepy at all.
