Xiao Fan: (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ
With keen interest, Xiao Fan peered through the skylight, overlooking the interior of the Temple of the Lord of Heaven.
It appeared that this temple was not just a symbolic structure, but also a spiritual haven and a miraculous remedy for calming the hearts of the residents of Shule Town. Therefore, even if Yao Xi did not wish to be the Saintess, for the sake of Shule Town's people, she had to pretend to be one.
Yao Xi explained to Xiao Fan that she, along with Gao Cunzheng and Lu Yang, had built this Temple of the Lord of Heaven to listen to the people's prayers and help them with their life's troubles as much as possible.
Xiao Fan understood and felt a surge of joy in his heart, "Then I will also listen to their wishes. If it's within my power, I will help make them come true."
Hearing Xiao Fan's words, Yao Xi's face broke into a sweet smile, which delighted Xiao Fan immensely.
The temple's main gate slowly opened, and numerous tiny figures lined up in an orderly fashion, entering the Temple of the Lord of Heaven to pay their respects.
Yao Xi stood in the main hall of the temple, where the main seat held the idol of the Lord of Heaven. Meanwhile, the real Lord of Heaven, Xiao Fan, was watching from the skylight above.
A villager knelt before the idol of the Lord of Heaven, respectfully kowtowing five times, praying, "May the Lord of Heaven bless us with favorable winds and rains, and a bountiful harvest."
Xiao Fan thought to himself that the villager was probably referring to the newly cultivated wasteland outside Shule Town. All villagers, as well as refugees seeking shelter, were allotted a piece of land for farming if they weren't assigned other jobs.
This wish was already Xiao Fan's intention. To ensure the villagers could farm, he had constructed a canal leading to the outskirts of Shule Town. Moreover, with Xiao Fan present, artificial rainfall could be summoned anytime to alleviate any drought.
"Yao Xi, tell him that I grant this wish," Xiao Fan confidently stated, feeling truly like the Lord of Heaven at that moment.
Yao Xi, standing beside the statue of the Lord of Heaven, heard Xiao Fan's words and quickly assumed a dignified demeanor, saying to the kneeling villager, "Please stand up. The Lord of Heaven has heard your prayer and has personally granted your request!"
The villager, still kneeling on the ground, was momentarily stunned, then his face lit up with immense joy, "Really? Did the Lord of Heaven truly grant my wish?"
"Of course, it's true. The Lord of Heaven just granted it personally," Yao Xi gently smiled in response.
Hearing Saintess Yao Xi's words, the villager was so excited that he almost ran out of the temple, fearing the Lord of Heaven might change his mind. But after taking a few steps, he suddenly remembered his impropriety might offend the Lord of Heaven. He hurried back into the temple, kowtowed a few more times to the statue of the Lord of Heaven, and then ran outside shouting, "The Lord of Heaven has granted it! Next year we can finally plant crops again! Hahaha, after three years of drought, we can plant crops! May the Lord of Heaven bless Shule Town with favorable weather, assuring a bountiful harvest next year!"
Hearing the villager's shouts, the faces of the surrounding people also lit up with joy. As farmers, favorable weather was their greatest hope.
At that moment, a woman surnamed Li, laughing, teased the villager, "If you really do plant crops next year and have a harvest, don't forget to fulfill your promise! Ha ha ha!"
The villager, looking at the woman, quickly replied, "Of course, with the blessing of the Lord of Heaven, if we harvest the crops, we must fulfill our promise to the Lord of Heaven!"
Seeing this scene, the other villagers also became excited, each hoping to make a wish to Saintess Yao Xi and the Lord of Heaven. Soldiers of the Tang Dynasty's Anxi Army smiled as they maintained order, allowing the villagers to queue up orderly and enter the Temple of the Lord of Heaven to kowtow and make their wishes.
"Saintess and Lord of Heaven, please bless my fields to yield a few more bushels of grain next year."
This situation presented an interesting challenge for Xiao Fan, who thought, "This isn't difficult at all. I can just arrange some fertilizer for him. There are plenty of plant nutrients and fertilizer granules on the ecological box workbench."
"Yao Xi, tell him, it's granted."
Yao Xi solemnly relayed the Lord of Heaven's decree and simultaneously consoled the refugees from Beiting, who had fled to the Tang Dynasty.
The refugees from Beiting, hearing Yao Xi convey the Lord of Heaven's blessing, showed expressions of astonishment, their hearts filled with excitement and gratitude. Some even cried tears of joy. They kowtowed in thanks and then left the Temple of the Lord of Heaven, their hearts brimming with happiness. "Hahaha, it's wonderful, the Lord of Heaven has granted my wish, wuu wuu wuu… hahaha…"
Next in line to make a wish was Zhao Liu, a somewhat clever and slick individual. He knelt before the statue of the Lord of Heaven, kowtowed several times, and prayed, "I beseech the Lord of Heaven, umm... I wish that, you know, my 'thing'(brother) down there could grow a bit bigger and last longer, so my wife will respect me more!"
Zhao Liu voiced his wish, but Yao Xi looked confused. She didn't understand what he meant, wondering if carving an image of the Lord of Heaven was not enough to earn his wife's respect. Why would he need to make such a specific wish to the Lord of Heaven?
However, Xiao Fan, being well-versed in risqué jokes, immediately understood Zhao Liu's implication.
That Zhao Liu would express such a lewd wish in front of Yao Xi, a pure and innocent girl, infuriated Xiao Fan.
Xiao Fan: (・Д・)ノ
"Damn it, get out! Tell him to get out now!" Xiao Fan said furiously.
Yao Xi was startled, wondering why the Lord of Heaven was angry. She awkwardly said to Zhao Liu, "The Lord of Heaven is angry. He commands you to leave immediately."
Hearing this, Zhao Liu's face turned pale, and in a panic, he scrambled away, fearing divine punishment from the Lord of Heaven.
Throughout the morning, over a hundred villagers came to make their wishes. Most of their desires were about harvests and basic needs, which were easy for Xiao Fan to handle.
However, there were some requests for children or a spouse, with which Xiao Fan could not help. After all, he was single himself.
After listening to the villagers' wishes all morning, Xiao Fan felt tired. He asked Yao Xi to record the repetitive wishes so he could address them together later.
Xiao Fan stood up from beside the ecological box, stretched lazily, and was thinking about what to eat for lunch when his phone rang. It was Fatty's call.
"Hello? Fatty, what do you want with your dad?" Xiao Fan spoke bluntly.
"Xiao Fan, Dad, remember the expert who bought the micro-carvings last week? He's come to me again. Are you free now? I'm inviting you to lunch!" Zhao Teng's voice was excited on the phone, calling him dad without hesitation.
Xiao Fan's thoughts shifted. He hadn't expected the micro-carvings to be so popular. He hadn't had lunch yet, and he also wanted to create some "good stuff" for Shule Town in the ecological box, all of which required money.
"Alright, wait for me. I'll take a taxi over."
"Got it! I'll be at our usual spot."
Xiao Fan took a taxi to the familiar restaurant, where Fatty had already arrived and was visibly delighted to see Xiao Fan.
After greeting each other, they followed their usual routine: eating first, business second. Once they had their fill, Zhao Teng began to discuss the matter at hand.
"Xiao Fan, Fan, no, Fan Dad, that buyer from before wants to purchase a few more micro-carvings. Do you have any ready-made ones?" Zhao Teng asked excitedly.
"Are these things really selling that well?" Xiao Fan was somewhat puzzled, as he didn't know much about antiques.
"Absolutely! The last one sold for 6666 chinese yuan, and it was a steal. By the way, I remember you mentioned that you know a master micro-carver. Can he take custom orders?" Zhao Teng inquired tentatively.
"Custom orders? Of course. What kind of micro-carving does he want?" Xiao Fan nodded.
"The guy has a pretty bizarre request. I'm not sure if your master can handle it?" Zhao Teng looked a bit uneasy.
"Oh? What's this bizarre request? Let's hear it."
"He wants even smaller pieces! Preferably smaller than the one-centimeter micro-carvings from before, around five millimeters. Can your master do that?" Zhao Teng stretched out his hand, indicating the size. Five millimeters was indeed very small.
"..." Xiao Fan was momentarily silent.
Xiao Fan: (;゜０゜)
Seeing that Xiao Fan didn't respond immediately, Zhao Teng's face turned pale. He knew that the request was a bit excessive. A one-centimeter micro-carving was already extremely difficult, and now the client was asking for five millimeters, a true challenge to the limits of craftsmanship.
However, after a moment of silence, Xiao Fan's lips curled into a mysterious smile, thinking to himself: Isn't this perfect timing? It just so happens to be right up my alley!
Xiao Fan: ( ^ω^ )
Dear Readers, Thank you all for your continued attention and for reading my work. Today marks another day in 2024. On this special occasion, I want to extend my sincerest New Year wishes to each of you. May this new year bring you joy, health, and success. Happy New Year! Author: XIXIYANG