"Report, report my ass!" Lin Kun and Yue Ting almost had a heart attack when they heard the young man say he was going to call the police. Lin Kun immediately kicked the guy in a fit of rage, while Yue Ting swung her handbag at his head.
Call the police? This was like inviting a curse of thunder upon themselves!
Seeing Lin Kun and Yue Ting both lose their tempers, the young followers were completely dumbfounded.
What was this tempo? Were they going to just let this go?
Holy shit, no way! Lin's father was a big shot in Changxi County with influence in both the underworld and lawful society, and Ting's background was even more badass — her father was the boss of the largest enterprise in Changxi County, her uncle was the Deputy Director of the Changxi County Public Security Bureau, and there were rumors he might be promoted next year. Big shots like these, in such a rural place, got beaten by a teenager and they were just going to swallow it?
"I'm warning you, don't bring up today's events ever again. Also, whenever you see Dongxu and the owner of this family inn, show some damn respect, or take a detour around me! If any of you dares to trouble them, don't blame me for not recognizing you as friends," Lin Kun warned viciously.
"The same goes for me!" Yue Ting added, her face cold and stern.
What could they do? Didn't Taoism and Buddhism talk about karma and causation? If they troubled Ge Dongxu and his family, wouldn't they be inviting misfortune upon themselves?
The experiences inside the house had thoroughly terrified them!
"Kid, what exactly did you do to them? There's nothing wrong, right?" Inside Ge Family Village, in Shengming's family inn, Ge Shengming held a thousand yuan, feeling uneasy.
"Relax, Dad, what could possibly go wrong? I just scared them a bit to prevent them from troubling our family later," Dongxu said with a relaxed smile.
"Really, there's nothing wrong?" Ge Shengming put away the thousand yuan but was still somewhat anxious.
"Really, nothing's wrong, Dad, I've got a sense of measure," Dongxu had to reassure once more.
"That's good. I know you've learned some skills from your master. Although the times have changed, and things like Talisman Drawing and exorcism are not as dangerous as they were in your master's days when people were paraded and jailed, who knows how the world will change? Be careful, and when you go to the county town, you must study hard and never show off any skills you learned from your master to avoid trouble," Shengming advised earnestly, relieved that his son had consistently assured him that there was nothing to worry about, but still concerned enough to remind him.
"Dad, I understand that! I wouldn't have resorted to intimidating them if I weren't worried they'd bother us later," Dongxu said with a trace of youthful earnestness, nodding gravely upon hearing his father's words.
Because he knew much more than his father did about the extraordinary nature of the skills he had learned, which were completely out of step with society and the times. Moreover, his master, facing his last moments, had also specifically reminded him to be cautious about this. His master's frequent bouts of madness were deeply tied to that special era of the "Four Olds" campaign.
"Alright, that puts my mind at ease," Shengming nodded.
"If there's nothing else, I'm going to help Qiuzi tidy up the house," Dongxu said.
"Go ahead," Shengming gestured with a wave of his hand.
Dongxu saw his father wave and hurried out of the inner room. They had discussed matters that were better not overheard by others, so Shengming had specifically called him into the inner room to talk.
City folks usually left Baiyun Mountain and headed back to the city around dusk, so the family inn actually only did business at noon; by evening, there were no more customers.
During the day, his mother Xu Suya had gone back to her parents' home, so she wasn't there. When evening came, and she returned from her family home, she cooked some homestyle dishes, and the family sat in the small courtyard to eat.
The mountain breeze fluttered gently, stars sparkled, cicadas sang and insects chirped, a family gathered around a small wooden table in their courtyard to eat, exuding exceptional warmth.
"Dongxu, you've been sensible since you were little and capable too, normally Mom wouldn't worry, but thinking about how you've never been to the city alone, my heart still feels uneasy. Once you're in the city, be sure to take care, focus on your studies, and strive to get into a good university in the future." While eating, Xu Suya couldn't help but express her concern as she remembered her son would leave for Changxi County tomorrow.
A mother's concerns travel a thousand miles with her son!
"Mom, don't worry! I'll be careful," Ge Dongxu had never worried about going to Changxi County on his own, but seeing his mother's anxious face, he couldn't help but feel a twinge in his nose and hurriedly said.
"Mhm," Xu Suya nodded, then added, "Aren't you looking for a place to rent outside because it's not suitable for you to stay in the school dormitory due to your training? Today I went to your grandfather's house and asked him to call your eldest uncle. No matter what kind of person your eldest aunt is, your eldest uncle is still our kin, and staying at their house is better than staying outside."
"Mom, what are you doing? Do you want me to face more disdain from my eldest aunt? I'm not without money, why should I stay at her house!" Ge Dongxu immediately became displeased upon hearing this.
His maternal grandfather had three sons and two daughters, and was well-off; Xu Suya was the youngest and, though a girl, had attended high school.
Back then, for someone of Xu Suya's age to attend high school was quite an achievement. She could have found a decent job in the town or Changxi County, but due to an accidental encounter, Xu Suya met Ge Shengming, took a fancy to him, and insisted on marrying into the impoverished Ge Family Village. Thus, Xu Suya, the youngest, became the Xu family member with the least favorable conditions.
That shouldn't have been a big deal, good conditions or bad, it's all a matter of choice, and everyone leads their own life. However, the wife of her eldest uncle from her grandfather's side was a typical snob – because the couple worked in the county, she looked down on their family. When Ge Dongxu was young, he didn't notice, but once he understood these things, he came to detest his eldest aunt.
"You child, even if your eldest aunt isn't nice, she's still your aunt. Why are you holding a grudge against her?" Xu Suya scolded, and she even sent Ge Shengming a meaningful look.
"Ahem, you know our Dongxu has always been more sensible than others, and now he's sixteen. In the past, he could have already been establishing his own family and business, so there's really no need to worry about him renting a place on his own. Since he doesn't want to stay at his eldest uncle's house, let's leave it, so we don't put your brother in a difficult position," Ge Shengming said hesitantly.
He didn't want his son to endure the cold treatment from the family of his eldest brother like he did.
Xu Suya saw Ge Shengming defending their son and was about to get angry, but then the voice of Ge Dongliang from the village store calling out for Aunt Suya came from outside; he said there was a phone call for her.
In the nineties, installing a telephone wasn't cheap, and not every household was willing to get one. Especially in a small mountain village like Ge Family Village, apart from the head of the village, only the village store had one, and of course, that was to make money.
Seeing that there was a phone call for her, Xu Suya temporarily suppressed the anger in her heart and got up to answer the phone.
"Well, you go find a room to rent yourself, but be mindful in all aspects." After returning from the phone call, Xu Suya's face looked somewhat upset.
"Was it your brother who called?" Ge Shengming asked cautiously.
"Mhm!" Xu Suya nodded.
Seeing his mom nodding, Ge Dongxu knew it must be that his eldest uncle couldn't persuade his aunt, afraid his dad might say the wrong thing, he quickly kicked his dad's foot under the table, and his dad's open mouth clamped shut again.
Thus, because of this small interlude, the atmosphere at dinner became somewhat subdued until laughter gradually returned later on.
ps: This is the second update, the third update will be around seven o'clock in the evening. The new book is in the ranking contest, seeking collections and recommendations. Thank you very much.