pjbooks Chapter 138 Spirit Stones Pave the Way, Wine Gives Courage
Chapter 138 Spirit Stones Pave the Way, Wine Gives Courage
If Yue Kaishan Fu Qing knew that he owed so many military merit points, he would surely be so worried that he would fall ill.
The road was short and wouldn't take long to walk. Yue Kaishan stiffly greeted his father, "Dad, I'm back."
"Um, who is this...?"
"This is my brother who would risk his life for me, Brother Cuihong from Maoshan Taoist Temple."
"Hello....."
The conversation between father and son seemed awkward; rather than chatting, they seemed to be more harmonious by each making their own requests to share household chores.
"Hello, Brother Yue's father." Zhong Ming greeted the serious man with a smile. It seemed that everyone would fall into the same awkward situation in front of him, that is... after saying a sentence, they would not know what to say next.
"If you don't mind, you can just call me Old Man Yue, Dad, okay?" Yue Kaishan seemed to be used to it and said somewhat presumptuously.
"If you think it's okay...would you like to stay together for a few days? I'll go and clean a guest room for you. You can treat your friends well."
After saying that, he walked very calmly towards a side room. Although he walked normally, it looked like he was fleeing in panic.
Yue Kaishan said nonchalantly, "Brother Cuihong, don't mind him. That's just how my dad is. He'll welcome you. We'll chat over a few drinks."
"Drinking? Oh right, I went to get a congratulatory gift for Brother Yue Xingtian, strong liquor, I'll drink it in a bit..."
"Let's not go today. We have to get up early for the wedding tomorrow."
A loud shout came from next door: "Hey kid! What does your friend like to eat? Does he have any dietary restrictions?"
The father and son began to operate around the entire house with remarkable tacit understanding, like a sophisticated instrument. Yue Kaishan would even clean the cabinets and put the plates that he usually hid on the table, so that his father could take them when he passed by. He could also judge what level of dishes to prepare for Zhong Ming by the price of the plates.
"Thank you, Uncle Yue."
"It's alright, just sit down and make yourself at home." The old man handed over a cup of brewed tea, then turned and went into another cubicle.
Yue Kaishan walked in almost seamlessly, carrying a plate of fruit and snacks.
The two men took turns keeping busy for a while, or rather, forced themselves to keep busy to avoid getting into a conversation with each other.
Zhong Ming said with a clear conscience that he was treated very well, so well that he wanted to cry. He could no longer remember his father's back. His memory was filled with countless fragmented moments. His father was always there, but he was never in sight.
Or perhaps an old, large hand leads him, swaying him in front of his eyes as they walk through a bustling street; or perhaps he is carried high on the shoulders, able to see everything in the distance, but unable to see his father nearby.
That night, they had a very lavish meal, their mouths greasy with oil, the home-style meat dishes were plentiful and flavorful.
Yue Kaishan recounted his experience with his robotic arm and then performed a set of Kaishan boxing techniques after the meal to prove that he could still practice.
Old Man Yue didn't say much, he just sat in the courtyard smoking, tapping his pipe on the bluestone at the door.
That night, Zhong Ming slept soundly. It was wonderful to know nothing and not have to think about anything.
The next day, everyone got up very early, as the day's tasks were heavy.
Of the three letters and six rites, the betrothal, asking the name, accepting the auspicious omen, accepting the betrothal, setting the date, and welcoming the bride, only the last step is left, which requires three things: the betrothal letter, the gift letter, and the welcoming letter.
Today we're going to the far end of town. The bride is from the renowned Tang family, which is thousands of miles away. But we can't really travel that far, since it's a family of cultivators and everyone is in a hurry. So the bride's side bought a large piece of land at the southernmost end of Yuejia Town, including a sizable house and warehouse, which can be considered the bride's home. A large number of relatives and friends have gathered there to wait for the wedding.
The process is slightly simplified compared to that of ordinary people, but it is still quite lively.
The suona horns blared deafeningly, and the "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" performance was magnificent, with a very large procession, complete with eight-person sedan chairs and tall horses.
The group arrived at the bride's house in a lively atmosphere, where some awkward moments naturally followed.
Zhong Ming and Yue Kaishan were waiting, having prepared some small props with a distinctly military style.
At the gate of the compound, a best man shouted at the top of his lungs, "The bride's family is here to pick her up!"
The door was knocked on three times, indicating that the other party had acknowledged the event and that it was officially starting.
Yue Xingtian immediately ordered, "Brothers, form a battle formation!"
One by one, the strong and sturdy groomsmen took out large packages from their storage bags, which were full of silver ingots, gold ingots, and some of the higher-grade ones also contained low-grade spirit stones and dried fruits (spiritual fruits).
Zhong Ming and Yue Kaishan spread out the cloth, posing as if they were launching a catapult, ready to throw all the good stuff over the wall at a single command.
"Ready? (whispering) Congratulations..."
Led by Yue Xingtian's uncle, a large number of Yue family members and ordinary people cheered loudly: "May the Tang and Yue families live in harmony forever..."
While everyone was talking, Yue Xingtian gestured, and Zhong Ming used all his strength to twist his body and throw the bag of treasures over the wall.
A commotion immediately broke out on the other side of the wall. It was hard to tell whether they were too happy or hurt by the large gold ingot. In any case, cultivators have good physiques, so it didn't matter.
A few old buddies acted on the spot, with bottles of liquor slung over their waists and two wine glasses in their hands. With a light leap, they jumped onto the top of the wall, found their targets, and started shouting to the people blocking the door of the Tang family, "It's a joyous day, come and drink!"
He jumped into the courtyard, dragged people away to drink, and then opened the courtyard gate.
As soon as the vermilion gate opened, the sound of suona horns immediately shook the heavens and the earth, and firecrackers went off. All the "elite" rushed into the Tang family compound.
It was quite chaotic inside. In this respect, no one had agreed on any specific customs or activities. In any case, the basic principles remained unchanged: spirit stones to pave the way and wine to embolden people.
Upon entering, you'll find a staircase leading to a cascade of fine wines.
It's mostly ordinary wine, since it's not a real banquet and there's no need to use spirit wine.
An old man from the Tang family also shouted at the top of his lungs: "Welcome the bride! Cross the ladder to heaven, traverse the sea of wine, may your marriage last to the ends of the earth. One cup of wine, one year; a thousand autumns and ten thousand generations, it's never too much."
The long staircase of fine wine, with twenty cups in each row, has twenty-five rows in total, symbolizing five hundred years of history, which may not even be enough for a Golden Core cultivator's lifespan.
If you drink it all, you won't get drunk, but your stomach will feel bloated.
The groomsmen remained calm and rushed forward, clearing a path with spirit stones while chanting, "May the spiritual energy be abundant and long-lasting, and may happiness and fulfillment come year after year." As they chanted, they tossed spirit stones into the wine glasses.
Countless drops of fine wine overflowed, soaking the wooden planks beneath, and were completely absorbed by them.
After a glass of fine wine was tossed into a spirit stone, almost half of it overflowed, leaving very little.
Zhong Ming was startled. "It's my turn to perform! We'll even save on the 'imported wine'!"
He and several groomsmen stepped forward, each grabbing a wine cup with both hands and pouring it into their mouths. After drinking, they placed the cups and spirit stones together on the tray of the Tang family's maid, meaning that this event alone consumed five hundred spirit stones!