Xue Liangui was also coming to his senses at this time, realizing that the willow wood table was not fit to be shown. The furniture used for Ding's family wedding was all made of high-quality mahogany, except for that table, which looked like it was meant for the servants, yet they made a big fuss about it.
How could it be that the servants having no table to eat at, would delay their son's wedding?
It was obvious that the Ding family had set a trap, intending to default on the payment from the start. The carpenter regretted deeply, even his daughter Ranran had advised him not to take up the job, but he was tempted by the high wages offered by the Ding family and ended up taking this disgusting task.
Ranran had been listening by their side and saw her parents' indignation. She comforted Xue Liangui, saying, "Father, it's not worth arguing with such wicked people like the Ding family. Just consider it as making a free set of funeral furniture for them."
However, the carpenter couple are obviously not listening to their daughter's gentle persuasion.
Qiao Lian is a feisty woman, how could she tolerate her man being wronged like this?
Seeing their nearly empty rice bin at home, she couldn't hold back any longer. She put down the cooking spoon, hurriedly untied her apron and went to the village chief's house. She wanted to ask the village chief to accompany her to the Ding family's house to argue for their payment.
Xue Liangui, still anxious, told his daughter to eat first and hurried followed Qiao Lian.
Ranran, fearing her parents would get the worst of it, quickly changed into her outer garment and called out towards the yard, "Mother, if you really have to go, please don't quarrel with them. Just mildly lament about how we have nothing to cook with, heap praise their second son's good character, and say he will surely pass the provincial examination with flying colors!"
Unfortunately, Qiao Lian, in her anger, did not listen to her daughter's words—she would be crazy to praise that lecherous Ding family's second son!
By the time Ranran finished changing her clothes, her parents had already left. She hurried out, intending to catch up to them.
But just as she stepped out and looked up, she saw a man in faded green clothing standing in front of her house.
The man was very tall, and the petite Ranran could only look up at him. She realized he was wearing a hat, with a thick veil covering his face completely.
At this moment, the man seemed to be looking down at her as well. A breeze brought a whiff of chrysanthemum fragrance by the fence, blowing the veil slightly, but his face remained unclear.
Ranran froze for a moment before recovering. She was certain he was not from the village and quickly stepped back a few paces, watching him warily.
Clearly, he was waiting for someone, but it was unclear whom he was waiting for.
Just then, Grandmother Huang from next door drove a stout man from her yard by splashing a bucket of swill on him: "Just a few days ago, you came to our village to kidnap people and today you've come up with a new scheme to deceive us! Bah! What becoming immortal and achieving eternal life? Everyone in our family is living a long life!"
Yu Chen was unaware that Wei Jiu's disciples had recently caused trouble in the village. He had been accompanying his master in seclusion in the mountains for cultivation and had not visited the village in a long time. He did not expect people to have become more vicious.
He had just gone in to ask the old lady for some drinking water and casually inquired if there were any young men in the village who wanted to learn the Taoist arts of immortality. Before he could finish speaking, the old lady had already swung her bucket and splashed him with swill.
Regrettably even after years of cultivation, his intellect was rather lacking. Although he silently recited the Water Avoidance Chant, his control was not quite adequate. The sour and rancid slops splashed forcefully into his face.
Even though Yu Chen was well versed in martial skills, but the pride of a martial artist forbade him from beating up ignorant old women from the village. Instead, he could only roar angrily, his eyes widening as he snatched the wooden barrel and smashed it into bits with one strike.
This display of force frightened Grandmother Huang, who quickly closed and locked her door, afraid to curse aloud.
Xue Ranran was also frightened. Just as she turned to return to her yard, a tall and imposing woman with thick brows and bright eyes blocked her way.
She politely greeted Xue Ranran with a fist-and-palm, "Young lady, may we borrow your water bucket so that my elder brother can wash his face?"
Just then, the big man covered in slops also approached, staring at Xue Ranran as if she dared to say half a 'no,' he would smash her into pieces like that barrel.
Xue Ranran paused for a moment, and replied with a nod, "The water jar is in the yard, please help yourselves."
As the big man walked into the yard, Xue Ranran turned and ran. Since villains had entered her home, she had to quickly go to the village head and ask him to organize the young men to drive these people away.
Unfortunately, she had not run a few steps when her legs, as if no longer under her control, automatically moved towards her own yard.
As she entered, the yard gate also closed on its own, seemingly pushed by the wind.
Xue Ranran looked at her legs in disbelief; they had completely disobeyed her, as if possessed…
At this moment, the tall man with the veil was already standing in their yard, seemingly staring at her coldly through the veil.
But as the aroma of the rice filled the air, Xue Ranran… also got hungry.
She just couldn't stand hunger; If she was already going to die, she might as well eat to her fill and not go to the underworld with an empty stomach to drink Mengpo soup.
Since she couldn't go out to look for her parents, letting these two eat all the food would be even more of a loss, right?
Thinking of this, Xue Ranran turned and grabbed a pair of chopsticks, filled a bowl of rice and sat down somewhat shyly to eat with them.
The young lady seemed delicate and refined. When their eyes met, she would even smile shyly. But her bamboo chopsticks moved swiftly like flowing clouds and water. There were only a few thin slices of cured meat in the bowl of stir-fried green beans, and all were deftly picked out by the young lady straight into her mouth.
Even Yu Chen can't beat her; he felt the young lady was being deliberate so he glared at her. Unfortunately, Xue Ranran is always focused when she is eating, once she entered a state of bliss she paid no attention to others.
With Sue Yishui's cultivation level, he already no longer needed to eat three meals a day. So he didn't sit at the table. Instead, he stood by the side, looking at the corner of the yard where Dianthus were planted.
It wasn't the season for Dianthus to bloom, but the ones in the yard were exceptionally vibrant and lush, blooming brightly.
Sue Yishui slowly turned his head and asked, 'Who planted these flowers?'
Yu Chen looked at the young lady who was eating seriously, and prompted her,
'Hey, he's asking you!'
Xue Ranran's face was buried in the bowl as she mumbled, 'I planted them…'
Her father worked as a carpenter and strained his eyes, so she specially planted Dianthus to dry and make tea for her father.
couldn't bring himself to utter such flattering and insincere words.
A face sealed by the Melting face curse was indeed terrifying and scary. He and his sister had always been careful to avoid mentioning any topics related to appearances, and Su Yishui rarely showed his true face to others.
Unexpectedly, today his Master is acting out of character and used his ruined face to scare a little girl.
And when the girl said those dishonest words, her eyes were so sincere that they seemed to be rippling with clear autumn water, as if it was the truth!
Su Yishui seemed to be pleased by the flattery and releasing his hand, he slowly stood up and said,
"It's hard to find a confidante in life, and even fewer people who are not afraid of my appearance… Since we are fated, and I'm cultivating in the western mountains, why don't you follow me and cultivate the way of immortality together…"
Ranran quickly waved her hands in refusal and said, "I was born weak, and I'm just an ordinary person, how can I cultivate such an extraordinary skill?"
The man with the strange face countered unhurriedly, "The weaker the body, the more you need to cultivate the way of immortality to prolong life and maintain youth. Look, don't my chin and mouth appear very young?"
At this, even Yu Tong was left gaping.
Her Master had always been a man of few words since he was a youth. Even before he was cursed, he maintained a polite yet distant demeanor with others. Even when the female demon had teased him ever so often, her Master never showed the expressive emotions of ordinary youth. But now, seeing him being so talkative with a silly little girl, he didn't seem like her Master, who is normally aloof and cold as ice!