Chapter 009: New Neighbors
Even the collection of joyful emotions did not go as smoothly as Li Mu had anticipated
He originally planned to casually cook some porridge, but he changed his mind at the last minute
Yangqiu County is merely a small town, and significant events do not occur every day within the town. When there are no major cases in the county, the constables are actually quite idle, symbolically patrolling the streets a couple of times each day, which suffices to avoid any neglect of duty
The young girl nodded and said, "There is only our neighbor on the left remaining, I will go deliver it now"
Although the initial progress on the path of soul condensation was smooth, Li Mu had never relaxed because of it
The price of the talisman paper and cinnabar itself is not cheap, and the rare materials used in cultivation that have aged over the years are even more exorbitant. Moreover, Li Mu also desires a better quality of life, which cannot be guaranteed solely by his monthly salary of 500 wen.
In the yard separated by a wall, a graceful and beautiful woman stamped her foot and gritted her teeth, saying: "I am so infuriated!"
After patrolling the streets for a long time, Li Mu found no opportunities to help others and did not encounter a ghost with unfulfilled wishes. As mealtime approached, he had no choice but to return home to prepare dinner
He returned to the room, closed the doors and windows securely, covered himself with the quilt, and soon fell asleep again
The girl fell silent, and then Li Mu heard a cheerful sound of footsteps, along with the woman's admonition: "Make sure to eat well outside before you come back, and don't let me see you, nor let me smell you..."
Among the seven emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hatred, and desire, the easiest to attain is joy. He utilizes his identity as a constable to punish evil and promote good, to catch adulterers and eliminate wickedness, which also serves as a shortcut to gather the joy and gratitude of others
Li Muxin thought that the little maid had a good eye, when suddenly a cold snort from the woman reached her ears
Ah, why is that?" The young girl looked puzzled
The woman let out a cold snort and said, "Aren't you afraid he will bully you?"
The woman followed his words and said: "I sing songs in my own yard, what business is it of yours!"
He brought a stone slab, cleaned it thoroughly, placed it in the yard, propped it up with a few stones, and prepared to grill meat
The woman placed the wooden basin on her hand, let out a cold snort at Li Mu, and turned to walk back to the courtyard
Why is it that others are not disturbed, yet it is you who is disturbed
The woman then said, "You go out and buy something to eat, don't worry about me"
and a pig
After the events of the morning, although the two had not formally met, Liang Zi had already established a connection.
... ...
Liu Hanyan waved her hand and said angrily, "That family is not delivering anymore!"
The rules of these bookstores are largely similar; from the date of submission, one may inquire about the selection of the manuscript seven days thereafter
After submitting the manuscript, Li Mu routinely patrolled the streets, seizing every opportunity to collect the seven emotions.
The young girl expressed her concern, saying: "Miss, you are not eating again..."
But how can the other six emotions be obtained, aside from joy
No sound came from the neighboring yard, and Li Mu walked into the kitchen to prepare a meal
Today, there were no unruly children flying kites, nor any lost old women. The stray dog in the alley was still there. Li Mu spent a few coins to buy a chicken leg for it, and from that, he drew forth a meager sense of joy.
They have just moved here for two days, thinking of the two vulnerable women from out of town, unfamiliar with the surroundings, and realizing that daily life might be quite inconvenient. Therefore, they bought some pastries and dried fruits as small gifts to give to their neighbors, hoping to get acquainted with them. In the future, if any issues arise, it would be easier to ask for their assistance.
Continuing like this is not a solution; at this pace, he will likely end up as a ghost after all
To help others attain joy and gratitude while simultaneously inciting anger, disgust, or even fear in them is inherently contradictory. As for sorrow, Li Mu has no clues whatsoever. The most troublesome aspect is desire; he wonders how he should act to evoke in others a strong and sufficient desire for him—just thinking about these matters gives him a headache.
The girl expressed disbelief: "How is that possible? He doesn't look like a bad person at all, and he is so good-looking..."
Although Li Mu did not know this woman, it was not difficult to guess from her attitude towards him that she was likely the one who scolded him in the neighboring courtyard in the morning
He first copied several drafts of "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio" multiple times and submitted them to several bookstores
"Who would write the words 'bad person' on their face? Wanwan, remember this: the more handsome a man is, the more likely he is to deceive. Some people may look presentable, but in reality, they can't even get out of bed in the morning..."
Speaking of the woman who sang early in the morning, Li Mu remembered that the neighboring courtyard had always been vacant until someone moved in, though he did not know when. Moreover, she appeared to be quite formidable, like a shrew. In their brief encounters, Li Mu found himself at a disadvantage and could only hope to avoid any further entanglements with her
Everyone around sent gifts, except for the neighbor who lived closest, which left the young girl somewhat puzzled
It has been proven that his attempt to reason with this woman was fundamentally misguided; not all women are as understanding as Li Qing
The woman said, "Eating in the afternoon is likely to lead to weight gain; I want to maintain my figure"
The pursuit of literary knowledge is often accompanied by financial hardship, and the practice of self-cultivation is indeed a costly endeavor
The girl obediently said: "Oh, I understand..."
He directed all of that woman's anger towards himself, and then happily returned to his room to catch up on sleep
The girl with twin buns ran out of the room and asked, "Miss, what happened? Who were you talking to just now?"
There was no sound coming from the other side, and Liu Hanyan said indignantly, losing all desire to practice her voice, she asked the young maid, "Has everything been delivered?"
A woman was holding a wooden basin. Initially, she did not notice Li Mu, but when she saw him standing in front of the adjacent door and taking out a key from his pocket, she seemed to realize something, and a hint of anger appeared on her delicate face
He walked into the courtyard and heard the melodious and clear voice of the girl next door
It is extremely difficult to condense the seven spirits. He has only taken a small step. After replenishing his sleep, he must go out to help others and continue to harvest joyful emotions, striving to completely condense the first spirit within a month
Splash!
Li Mu clearly overestimated that woman's heart; her heart is in no way proportional to her bust.
Miss, it turns out our neighbor is a constable, so we no longer have to fear being bullied by bad people
Li Mu attempted to reason with her: "I sleep without disturbing others, but you have disturbed me."
Liu Hanyan said expressionlessly: "For no reason, I said I won't see you off, so I won't."
It was merely due to a minor conflict between neighbors that they slandered and defamed him behind his back; that girl appeared so innocent, and indeed, she had deceived him.
The other party is making a fuss and still thinks they are justified. Li Mu, facing the other side of the wall, said: "I want to sleep until whatever hour I choose, what business is it of yours?"
As I reached the doorstep, someone happened to come out of the gate next door
Li Mu slept until noon, feeling refreshed and invigorated. This was the most comfortable sleep he had experienced in recent days. It would have been even more perfect if he had not been disturbed in the middle of it
She was a woman of striking beauty, with a delicate oval face, eyes like water, a well-defined nose, and luscious red lips. She appeared to be in her early twenties, not only possessing outstanding looks but also a graceful and alluring figure, exuding an air of maturity in every aspect.
Oh... it seems that the young lady is in a bad mood. The girl secretly glanced at the wall of the neighboring courtyard and did not dare to ask again
... ...
In order not to disturb her neighbors, she only began to practice her singing at the hour of the snake. Ordinary people usually start their day at the hour of the rabbit, yet who would have thought that someone would sleep until the hour of the snake? Moreover, to say that her singing is a "ghostly wail"—with such an attitude, how could she possibly endure it? How could she still consider giving him a gift?
"Miss, what are we having for lunch this afternoon?" Li Mu felt indignant in his heart when he heard the girl's voice again
In addition to the irritable voice, Li Mu also sensed a surge of anger.
She splashed the water from the wooden basin outside the door, nearly splattering it on Li Mu's feet. A girl of about sixteen or seventeen ran out from inside and hurriedly said: "Miss, just let me do these chores..."
He immediately employed the technique of guidance, drawing in that trace of anger. The second spirit, the master of consciousness, was born from anger, and any emotion directed towards him was of use and should not be wasted