After that, the funeral went smoothly. With a single order from the county magistrate, a lot of manpower and material resources were gathered.
They invited the supervisor, set up an accounting room, looked for a pole house and coffin, set up a shed, ordered a banquet, and bought paper dolls and paper horses from a white goods store. Finally, amidst the sounds of gongs, drums, and suona, thousands of people escorted Zhong Kui to a place with good Feng Shui, where his ashes were buried.
Zhong Kui's temple was also under construction. Ishii Zhen had already invited Zhong Kui's memorial tablet to be worshipped in the Zhong family's ancestral hall. However, to truly become a god, it would take time, a miracle, and Zhong Kui's abilities as a ghost hunter would be unleashed.
Xu Xian heaved a sigh of relief. He had fulfilled a promise, but there was still no news of Zhong Kui. Xu Xian often rode on a cloud to search for Zhong Kui's whereabouts in Mount Zhongnan, but Qin River stretched for eight hundred miles. Zhong Kui's figure was nowhere to be found. Instead, he encountered many mountain spirits and ghosts, so he wanted to leave.
The sound of gears hummed, and the silk threads weaved into a fine cloth.
The woman rolled up her sleeves, and her jade-like wrist did not stop. When the sound of gears ended, it was followed by another, stacking and forming a buzzing sound.
Together with the sound of birds chirping in the early morning, it sounded like a special tune.
The sound of gears stopped abruptly. The woman looked out the window at the bamboo forest outside, but she was lost in thought. She sighed softly, and the gears started again.
Light footsteps could be heard. Zhong Li looked back and smiled, "Sister Yun, you're awake. You're early today!"
Yun Yan was still a little sleepy, and her hair cascaded down past her waist. She stretched lazily and covered her mouth to yawn, "It's so noisy so early in the morning, how can I sleep?"
"Ah, I'm sorry." Zhong Li quickly stood up.
Yun Yan pressed her back into the seat, and hugged her neck from behind. She smiled, "Help me comb my hair, and I'll forgive you."
"Okay."
Zhong Li blushed. She was embarrassed by such an intimate gesture, but she felt warmth in her heart.
They leaned against each other, their cheeks touching. They were both beautiful, but one was alluring and charming, while the other was simple and elegant.
"Didn't I tell you?" Yun Yan said, "You don't need to weave anymore, that fellow is very rich. Now that he is an official, I guarantee you won't have to worry about food and drink." She showed a boastful expression; obviously she was very insightful about 'depending on the mountain to live from the mountain, depending on the river to live from the water'.
Zhong Li shook her head and said, "I already owe Prince Xu a huge debt of gratitude. How can I use his money?"
Yun Yan patted her cheek. "He doesn't care whether it's a great favor or money. Why do you have to make things difficult for yourself?"
Zhong Li said resolutely, "But I care. Although I'm a woman, I understand the principle of repaying kindness."
Yun Yan teased, "Are you planning to repay him by weaving?"
Zhong Li said, "The cloth I weave, even the old tailor in the town's cloth shop says that I weave well." As she spoke, her voice became softer and softer. "This is also the only thing I know how to do."
She had once borne most of the family's expenses and helped Zhong Kui pass the Juren examination. This was a skill that she was quite proud of, but at this time, it was like trying to put out a cart of firewood with a cup of water.
Putting aside this debt of gratitude, Xu Xian had spent five thousand taels of silver for Zhong Kui's funeral. She did not know how much cloth she would need to weave to repay him. For a moment, she was at a loss, but she immediately became determined.
Zhong Li clenched her fists and said, "I've read about the story of the foolish old man moving the mountain and the elite guards filling the sea. As long as I don't slack off, one day I will be able to repay this debt."
Yun Yan did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Didn't you intend to repay him with your body?"
She was already his. Was there a need to repay him?
Although Zhong Li was already mentally prepared, when she heard Yun Yan suddenly mention this word, she could not help but blush. She mumbled, "Other than washing and cooking, I only know how to spin and weave."
Yun Yan said, "What do you think you are going to do by marrying him?" She felt that her understanding was a little off.
Zhong Li blushed and said in a soft voice, "It's … it's to get married!"
"And then?"
"You have to listen to him, and serve him."
"And then?"
"You have to work hard."
"Work?"
The corner of Yun Yan's mouth twitched. She seemed to understand what Zhong Li was thinking, but from a certain point of view, she was right.
Zhong Li only knew that getting married was a very shameful thing, but she didn't know the specific details at all. What she had to do after getting married was even more puzzling. From what she had heard, she probably had to do laundry, cook, feed chickens and ducks, and help plow the land. Therefore, she was deeply worried about whether she could repay Xu Xian after she gave her heart to him.
Yun Yan rolled her eyes. "Are you going to get married to work?"
In fact, to a farmer's family in the countryside, this kind of work was more important than the so-called "supporting husband and children". A full meal was also more practical than a romantic relationship.
After being reminded by Yun Yan, Zhong Li suddenly seemed to remember something. After hesitating for a while, she said, "Sister Yun, let me ask you something. You must not tell anyone else!"
"Okay, I promise not to."
Zhong Li's big black eyes widened, and she asked in an unusually serious tone, "Where can I find a child?"
"What?" Yun Yan was a little suspicious of whether she was being hunted.
"Where can I find a child?
It's best if it's a boy, "Zhong Li repeated, then said resolutely," I want to help Prince Xu raise a son. "She suddenly remembered that the most important job for a woman after getting married was to raise a child.
What a heroic declaration!
What an inconceivable logic!
For the first time, Yun Yan felt that she could not understand a person. "Why do you want to find a child?"
Zhong Li blinked. "Aren't children … all found?" Her voice gradually became softer. She also felt that something was wrong.
There was no need for Yun Yan to ask who told her this. Probably every child in the world had asked their parents the same question, and the answers they got were all kinds of strange, such as jumping out of a stone or crawling out of an armpit. It was obvious that this was the answer Zhong Li got.
However, most children would slowly grow up and discover the truth after being influenced by what they heard and saw, or their mothers would pass on the real 'secret' to their daughters at a critical moment. However, Zhong Li clearly did not have such conditions. Her parents died young, and they were isolated from the world. Her only brother, Zhong Kui, would not be so beastly as to tell such things to his own sister.
As a result, a certain child who had been deceived for more than a decade slowly grew up, and on a certain day, in order to repay a certain man's kindness, she decided to find a child for this man. Hmm, it's best if it's a boy!
"Alright, you can discuss it with him when he comes back."
"Discuss what?" Xu Xian's voice suddenly came from outside the window.
Zhong Li quickly waved her hands. "No … nothing!"
Xu Xian did not think much of it. Before the sun rose, he went out to look for Zhong Kui again, but to no avail.
"Miss Zhong, it's been quite some time, and your brother hasn't returned yet. We should set off."