Chapter 007: Retention

To purchase some land is even more of a luxury, as the price of land in this world has reached several taels per mu.

Madam Liu has been waiting for this day for several years. Now, Qiaoyun has finally fallen into her hands

Wang Dashanren, upon hearing this, quickly said to Yang Heng beside him: "Daoist, why don't I take you to see that land temple now? It can still accommodate people."

After giving instructions to Butler Liu, he turned to Yang Heng and said: "When we arrive at the destination, if there is anything unsatisfactory, just have them rearrange it. If anything is missing, send someone back to inform me, and I will certainly prepare it for the Daoist priest."

Yang Heng once again expressed his gratitude to Wang Dashanren and then followed the servant away

This Wang Dashanren is not an ordinary person; although he is merely a local landlord from the countryside, his eldest son holds the position of governor in the south

In the end, Wang Dashan had no choice but to tie up his wife and send her back to her parental home, allowing her to take a temporary respite.

Wang Dashanren, seeing Yang Heng's strange expression as he sat there, smiled and said: "Perhaps you are unaware, Daoist, but our village originally had a land temple. However, some time ago, the temple's caretaker suddenly passed away, and as a result, there is no one to oversee the land temple. If you are willing to stay, you could temporarily serve as the caretaker of the land temple. What do you think of this proposal?"

I do not know what happened, but within a day or two, this Mrs. Liu became somewhat mentally unstable, and in the end, she acted like a madwoman, brandishing scissors and attempting to commit suicide

Soon, Butler Liu entered with a relatively honest servant

However, Wang Dashanren is already quite old, and apart from the initial period when he could still work hard, in the days that followed, although he continued to dote on Qiaoyun, he rarely spent the night in her room.

This time, Wang Dashan did not decline and directly instructed Steward Liu, "Send a reliable and honest person to take the Daoist priest to the Land God Temple. From now on, Daoist Yang's monthly salary will be two taels of silver."

Therefore, Yang Heng quickly stood up, deeply bowed to Wang Dashanren, and then said: "Thank you, sir. If you have any requests in the future, please do not hesitate to ask."

Wang Dashanren's words were like a pillow sent to Yang Heng when he was feeling drowsy

What is going on, Steward Liu? I do not accept rewards without merit

How could I dare to trouble the esteemed elder? It would suffice to send a servant to guide me.

With the little money he has in hand, he can only afford to buy half an acre of land

Upon hearing Wang Dashanren's call, Steward Liu, who was waiting outside, hurriedly rushed in with great eagerness

Today is the Great Zhou Dynasty, but it has no relation whatsoever to the empress of the surname Wu

Particularly Mrs. Liu of the large house, she hears a female ghost crying incessantly outside her window every night

Currently, the location where Yang Heng is situated is near Kaifeng in Henan.

Daoist priest, I was quite rude yesterday, and I ask for your forgiveness.

Daoist priest, our master has observed your exceptional magical abilities, and therefore has generously rewarded you with an additional sum, totaling twenty taels. Please accept it.

Steward Liu

How could I possibly do that

And Aunt Qiaoyun finally breathed her last under this myriad of torment

Yang Heng glanced with the corner of his eye, and the two ingots of silver in his hand were evidently substantial, likely exceeding the seven taels of silver that Steward Liu had promised him.

However, as time went on, an incident occurred. For some unknown reason, this Aunt Qiaoyun unexpectedly became pregnant

After saying this, Steward Liu looked around and, finding no one else present, approached Yang Heng's side

However, this female ghost was not prepared to let this family off so easily. Unable to find Madam Liu, she roamed around the house every night, crying and causing chaos, disturbing the entire household.

Wang Dashanren soon felt that he was under a green cloud.

Next, Butler Liu led the way ahead, while Liu Yangheng followed behind. Upon arriving at the rear courtyard, they encountered the long-absent Wang Dashanren in the main hall.

His seven taels of silver, if he wishes to purchase a decent house, will likely need to be multiplied several times to achieve that goal

Therefore, in a fit of anger, Wang Dashan entrusted his concubine Qiaoyun to his legitimate wife, Madam Liu, for her to deal with.

The stone ring in his hand, which had seemed so insubstantial before, now appears to have solidified somewhat, no longer resembling the illusion it once was.

If the Taoist priest truly has nowhere to go, it would be better to settle down in our village

Yang Heng stood up and repeatedly said: "I dare not"

Yes, my lord, I shall go at once

Sir, the land temple has been tidied up.

Butler Liu responded and then withdrew.

Upon hearing this, Wang Dashan's face immediately lit up with joy

If it were not for my good fortune in encountering their family performing a ritual, I would have had no time to go to the county town to find a master.

At this moment, Wang Dashan inquired, "Are you passing through here, or are you visiting relatives and friends?"

It is unlikely to even say that this is a place to settle down and establish oneself; it would be quite fortunate if one could at least have a full meal here

Go tidy up the Earth God Temple, send over some commonly used items from home, and also deliver some rice, flour, oil, vegetables, and other goods, as the Daoist priest will be temporarily residing in the Earth God Temple

Blessed be the Infinite Heavenly Sovereign, thanks to the benefactor's grace, the poor monk rested well yesterday

This is fine, this is fine

Then please have Butler Liu lead the way, I will go to pay my respects to the old gentleman now

Yang Heng felt a bit embarrassed by his question; apart from the twenty taels of silver given by Butler Liu, he could be said to be completely broke

As a result, Madam Liu was immediately enraged, and said, "Since you refuse to speak, I will ensure that you can never speak again"

Upon seeing Yang Heng enter, Wang Dashanren immediately stood up and took a few steps forward to greet him

It was only after inquiring that it became clear this world is not any dynasty from the history familiar to Yang Heng

In the end, it was Butler Liu who came up with an idea, which was to give Aunt Qiaoyun a grand funeral. Furthermore, he suggested inviting a Taoist priest to perform rituals, so that she could be reborn in paradise and no longer linger at home to bring misfortune to others

Regardless of whether this stone ring becomes the key to returning to the modern era or his golden finger, it will enable him to secure his livelihood and existence

The current national surname is 'Qian', and the dynasty has been established for over 200 years. The current emperor is considered wise. Although there are some disturbances in the realm, overall it can still be regarded as peaceful.

The more one thinks about the result, the more it becomes a source of annoyance

Because he had just inquired with the servants, although this is ancient times, the price of the house is still not low

Wang Dashanren and Yang Heng chatted for about half an hour, when Steward Liu hurriedly came in to report back

How could I possibly do that

Yang Heng thought, what could be wrong with this? Moreover, having taken so much money from the other party, the host would want to meet him; how could he refuse such a request?

Thank you, Daoist. Please take a seat.

However, Yang Heng is an honest person. Now that the other party is asking, he simply answers truthfully, "I have embarrassed Mr. Wang. To be honest, I have nowhere to go at the moment"

After that, Yang Heng did nothing else, had a few bites of a late-night snack, and went straight to bed to sleep

As everyone can imagine, despite being subjected to all kinds of brutal beatings, Aunt Qiaoyun still refuses to reveal who is responsible for her pregnancy

Then, Madam Liu personally sewed shut the mouth of Concubine Qiaoyun with needle and thread, and then blinded Concubine Qiaoyun by stabbing her eyes with a needle

What is there to feel embarrassed about? If the Daoist priest could stay, I would still like to thank him

Alright, Daoist Xitan, please walk this way

Daoist, you are awake. Did you rest well last night

He had nowhere to stay, and then the other party provided him with a place to settle down; this truly felt like a pie falling from the sky

Yang Heng is also someone who often reads novels. Now, analyzing the plot from the novels, it seems that this stone ring is a key. Once the stone ring is completely solidified, it is likely that there will be unexpected changes.

Yang Heng also took this opportunity to indirectly inquire with Wang Dashanren about some basic information regarding this world

It is said so, but Yang Heng has already placed these two heavy ingots of silver in the hidden compartment of his Daoist robe

Upon learning of this situation, Yang Heng was also deeply surprised by his own luck

The two individuals then took their seats as host and guest, after which the maid brought in fragrant tea

Then he took out two ingots of silver from his bosom and placed them into Yang Heng's hands

Speaking of this Aunt Qiaoyun, she is quite favored by the benevolent Wang. Since marrying her, this Aunt Qiaoyun has enjoyed the exclusive favor of the benevolent Wang

As soon as Yang Heng received it, he felt a heaviness in his hand, and he almost dropped the silver.

Dear Daoist, yesterday my master was deeply saddened and it was inconvenient for him to meet you. Last night, Aunt Qiaoyun was already buried, and he has felt much better mentally. He knows that it was you who performed the rites for Aunt Qiaoyun, and therefore he wishes to meet you. I wonder if you would be gracious enough to grant him this opportunity

Let us not dwell on these matters; instead, let us discuss Yang Heng. Currently, he is alone in his guest room, contemplating how to spend the seven taels of silver he will receive tomorrow.

Yang Heng spoke in such a manner, yet his hands tightly grasped the silver. If Steward Liu truly wishes to reclaim it now, it is likely that his companions will be anxious.

Wang Dashanren's smile became even more radiant upon hearing Yang Heng's promise

Thus, the aforementioned stories came to be

The next day, after Yang Heng woke up and completed his grooming, he had a breakfast brought to him by a servant, and then energetically went out to ask Steward Liu for money

Therefore, the county magistrate of this county, upon seeing him, must also show a degree of courtesy, addressing him as "Old Sir".

Everyone thought this matter was over, after all, a concubine bought back, if she dies, she dies, she is merely an object

The day after Aunt Qiaoyun's death, the house began to be haunted

As soon as he stepped out, he saw Butler Liu hurrying towards him.

The old gentleman is overthinking; I, a humble monk, have not taken it to heart at all

Once this person relaxes, it becomes easy to feel drowsy. As Yang Heng just set his worries aside, he felt a wave of sleepiness continuously assaulting him

Perhaps there are other matters that Wang Dashanren can tolerate, but when it comes to the issue of what hat to wear on his head, Wang Dashanren is absolutely intolerant

Yang Hengyue grew increasingly angry, and involuntarily glanced at the stone ring on his left hand. This glance momentarily stunned him, and then he was filled with ecstatic joy

Master, do you have any instructions?

Next, Wang Dashanren accompanied Yang Heng in this hall to engage in conversation about various topics

Yang Heng looked up and saw that the old man had kind eyes and a gentle expression, making one feel a sense of familiarity upon meeting him