Chapter 010: Father

Alright, everyone move quickly. Once we finish this point, we can go drink and eat meat

Uh, this... this is what I said, why bother with so much? As long as you have wine to drink in the evening, that's enough

Looking at his son, Ye Dongping made a decision in his heart. His generation had already been delayed, but even if it meant returning to Beijing to pull a cart and risk his life, he could not afford to delay his child any longer

... ...

When Miao Laoda spoke these words, there was indeed a hint of envy; although the mountain peak occupied by the old Daoist was not well-known, the scenery was exceptionally beautiful

Early the next morning, several carpenters and builders arrived at the entrance of Miao's house. After Ye Tian and the old Daoist woke up, they sat on the tractor and headed towards Maoshan.

Upon seeing Ye Tian approaching, Boss Miao hurriedly inquired. However, it seemed somewhat ridiculous to others that only his boss, a grown man, was seeking advice from Ye Tian, a small child holding a sugar figurine.

Generally speaking, a new beam is only installed when building a new house. If a temple needs to replace its main beam, it is equivalent to a complete reconstruction, and the costs and repairs are not the same.

The old man chuckled upon hearing this, but he did not elaborate further. If this group of people were to find out that he was already over one hundred years old, who knows what kind of shock it would cause

Old Wu extended three fingers and said, "At least ... ... three thousand yuan!"

Erwa, be careful not to let your wife stop you from getting into bed if you drink too much. Otherwise... should I go sleep at your house tonight

... ...

"Second Uncle, why are you hitting me? My master is renovating the temple on the mountain and has asked Second Aunt to help with the cooking. She can earn two yuan a day; if Second Aunt doesn't want to do it, I will find someone else."

By the way, I can help my dad look at the photos. Speaking of which, he has never told me about the past...

After more than half an hour, a person resembling a craftsman approached, pulling out a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He carefully took out one and handed it to Boss Miao, saying: "Boss Miao, this temple is severely damaged. The main hall has been struck by lightning, and the beams need to be replaced. This is quite a significant project."

In the spacious courtyard of the Miao family, the electric lights have already been turned on, and several large round tables are filled with food and drinks. More than twenty strong men, after finishing their work, began to drink heartily, shouting and laughing.

Hehe, if Master Miao could set aside his family affairs and stay here for a while, his health would improve as well

Once Xiao Tian finishes elementary school, he should return; only by going back to Beijing can he receive a better education

Pushing open the gate of his home, Ye Tian first peeked his little head inside, only to unexpectedly make eye contact with his father, who was sitting in the courtyard, and could only walk into the yard with a sense of reluctance

Generally, for any labor-intensive tasks, we usually ask relatives, friends, and neighbors for help. Apart from building houses, tasks such as filling in a fish pond do not typically involve any payment; once the work is done, we simply share a meal and drinks.

In Jiangnan, there are many rivers. Miao Laoda had someone dig a ditch from the fish pond to divert the water into the nearby river. At this moment, in addition to more than twenty young men shoveling soil into the pond, several tractors were making a "putt-putt" sound, transporting the earth back and forth.

Father, are you enjoying the cool breeze

In Miao Laoda's heart, only high-caliber individuals who are indifferent to fame and fortune would reside in such a place. Coupled with yesterday's events, he has long regarded the old Daoist as a living immortal, and he would willingly spend any amount of money.

"It's nothing..." After hearing his son's words, Ye Dongping withdrew his thoughts

This temple features a main hall and two side rooms, each with a particularly large area. The difficulty of constructing it is not less than that of the large tiled houses of the people living below the mountain, and the price of three thousand yuan is considered reasonable

"Dad, what’s wrong with you?" Seeing that his father looked unwell, Ye Tian asked with concern

Seeing Miao Laoda busily directing, Ye Tian smiled and said, "Hey, Brother Miao, you are quite fast at this, aren't you?"

... ...

Hearing the roar of the engine coming from behind the house, Ye Tian did not enter the courtyard, but instead turned and made his way to the pond at the back.

Hey, you little brat, come here so I can give you a beating, we have nothing else to do

Compared to other children, Ye Tian is the one who is materially the worst off. However, this child has never asked for a single penny from me, nor has he ever complained. The father and son have relied on each other and lived together for over ten years.

Thus, Boss Miao was not surprised and began to discuss with Li Erlengzi. It would not suffice to rely solely on his wife; they also needed to mobilize some men to carry rice, flour, meat, and vegetables up the mountain

Ye Tian nodded, albeit somewhat perfunctorily. It was not that he did not wish to assist Old Miao further, but rather that the tortoise shell had ceased to respond to his commands. All the characters on it had turned a dull gray.

Upon hearing Ye Tian's words, Miao Lao shouted loudly: "Everyone, put in a little more effort. Once we finish this last bit, come to my house for dinner."

Miao Laoda also did not know how to explain it. If he were to speak the truth, it was likely that the police would come looking for him tomorrow. Wouldn't that clearly be promoting feudal superstition?

"Is this a little real person? Please take a look, will this pond be filled or not?"

Although it was learned from the villagers that his mother was very beautiful, Ye Tian had never heard his father mention her since he was a child. As he grew older, this became a source of concern for Ye Tian

"Accomplish it, three thousand is just three thousand, everyone work hard, let's get it covered up early."

Ye Tian was feeling quite bright inside. Upon arriving at the village, he headed straight to Li Erleng's house, intending to sneak a look at his wife taking a bath. As long as Erleng didn't make a fuss, his father might not necessarily beat him.

Seeing Ye Tian's bizarre outfit, Ye Dongping was both amused and exasperated. He had often punished this child since he was young, yet the results were always negligible; the more he punished him, the more resilient he became.

In front of the Taoist temple lies a grove of bamboo, beneath which is a small waterfall. Especially in summer, the mist at the waterfall swirls around, resembling a fairyland, leaving all who behold it feeling refreshed and invigorated

In the 1980s, three thousand yuan was sufficient to purchase a private courtyard of over one hundred square meters in the city. Therefore, even someone like Miao Laoda, who was a ten-thousand-yuan household, weighed the decision in his mind for quite some time before finally gritting his teeth and agreeing.

"Child, if others give you something, just accept it and don't spend it recklessly." Seeing his son being so sensible, Ye Dongping couldn't help but feel a bit emotional.

Two relatively large ponds have almost been filled in just this short afternoon. Regardless of the year, as long as there is money, things can always be handled easily

Ye Tian had already informed Miao Laoda before descending the mountain that he was neither a monk who had taken vows nor a Taoist priest who had received the talisman, and that his home was located in this village.

As Li Erleng stepped out of his home, he unexpectedly encountered Ye Tian, which instantly ignited his anger. The reason he was referred to as "Erlengzi" was not due to his inability to distinguish between grains, but primarily because of his stubbornness; when his temper flared, he enjoyed being confrontational, regardless of whether he was dealing with adults or children.

As soon as Miao Laoda finished speaking, everyone began to laugh and shout, "Come on, the people working here are all from the same village." After hearing Miao Laoda's words, they started joking with each other.

As the saying goes, "In desperate times, one seeks help from anyone." What was originally a hopeless situation was stirred by a single remark from Ye Tian. After searching around without success, Liao Haode hurried back to the village with his nephew to discuss the matter with others

Although Ye Tian passed by his own home on the way, he still did not dare to go back. Who knows if his father had calmed down? Peeking at a woman bathing is considered pure hooliganism in the countryside, and even a child would not escape a good beating.

Li Er was just taken aback, not foolish. These rural women, having nothing to do every day, would certainly not miss the opportunity to earn two yuan a day. Seeing Ye Tian turn to leave, she quickly grabbed his arm and said: "Hey, don’t go, Xiao Yezi, who said your second aunt isn’t going?"

More than half an hour later, a group of people arrived at the Taoist temple. The young men led by Miao were panting heavily from exhaustion, while Ye Tian and the old Taoist, one old and one young, appeared to have hardly broken a sweat.

Look at what you said, Boss Miao is treating us, how could there be no wine and meat

Get lost, I will break your dog leg...

A helper who was drinking water nearby asked, although we are all from the same village, it seems that since Miao Laoda became wealthy, he hasn't spoken to anyone with such respect, has he

Hehe, we are destined to toil, unlike the old immortal.

The wealthy are indeed more assertive. Upon hearing Miao Laoda's words, the man did not get angry; instead, he reluctantly took a shovel to work. Meanwhile, Miao Laoda turned his gaze back to Ye Tian, as this matter concerned their very lives.

However, the instigator Ye Tian leisurely played outside for a while, and only when he saw that the sky was gradually darkening did he head towards the Miao family's residence to read.

Ye Tian knew that his father agreed to let him learn ancient literature and national martial arts from his master, but he did not allow him to study those chaotic things like fortune-telling and physiognomy. Therefore, he did not dare to say that this money was earned by himself

Seeing that his father was not angry, Ye Tian's courage suddenly grew, and like presenting a treasure, he took out the already damp "Worker-Peasant-Soldier" note from his pocket and said: "Dad, my master helped someone with feng shui yesterday, and this is the money they gave me. Please accept it."

Well, I went down the mountain with my master to find someone to repair the Taoist temple

Ye Tian suddenly had such a thought, and once this idea emerged, it could no longer be suppressed, for Ye Tian had always harbored a mystery in his heart: he had never seen his mother

Old Immortal, your health is truly remarkable

Miao Laoda, who is this little fellow? Are there such young Taoists on the mountain?

In the mid-1980s, it was not only in rural areas but even in cities that one could hardly find a few legitimate engineering companies

"You little rascal, have you gone to find your master again"

Just fill it in, that's all

Even Ye Tian was honored with half a cup of wine by Boss Miao, but after downing that half cup, Ye Tian became lightheaded and lost track of his senses

Once the price was determined, it goes without saying that the craftsmen became busy. Ye Tian then led Miao Laoda down the mountain. With more than ten workers engaged in labor, someone surely had to cook, right? As the saying goes, "The rich water should not flow to outsiders' fields." Ye Tian had no choice but to head down the mountain.

Hey, Brother Miao, do you have any alcohol

Old Wu, please quote a price

After taking a brief rest in front of the temple, the craftsmen began to busy themselves, carefully inspecting every part of the area around the temple.

Alright, Second Uncle, you can talk to Brother Miao. I will head home first