Chapter 8: The Faces Of All Living Beings
Scholar Ma’s touched and ashamed face was still vividly in sight.
Chen Shun’an pushed the cart, carried the poles, shuttling through streets and alleys.
Regarding Scholar Ma’s stubbornness and rigidity, Chen Shun’an had long stopped trying to persuade him.
If persuasion worked, Scholar Ma would have long spent money to bribe officials and buy an official post.
He wouldn’t have ended up in such a state today.
Scholar Ma’s former classmates, even those whose talent and character were far inferior to his, many had already become Eighth Rank instructors or eighth-rank directors.
That Instructor Shen was his former desk mate, with whom he had talked late into the night and practiced calligraphy together.
Unfortunately, one wrong thought made all the difference between a noble family and a poor one.
Chen Shun’an’s plan to gather wish and harvest incense was to use gifting ‘Blessed Water’ as an excuse.
He would pay out of his own pocket to subsidize the well, sell Turbid Water cheaply, thereby winning others’ gratitude!
In short, it was dividing water, pay-to-win, buying incense!
The Changbai Sacred Dynasty banned evil gods and lewd worship. Except for ancient temples like ‘Tanzhe Temple’ endorsed by the Sacred Dynasty, other privately spread folk faiths were not only despised by scholar-officials but also met with heavy blows from the Sacred Dynasty!
Therefore, aggressive methods like compiling doctrines, carving steles and statues, manifesting divine power in public to openly harvest incense were things Chen Shun’an didn’t even dare to think about.
At least not yet.
Haste makes waste; the road must be walked step by step, the meal eaten bite by bite.
As the Water Origin Great Emperor, Chen Shun’an decided to act conveniently, fully leveraging the power of money in the early development stage.
Earning incense wasn’t shabby.
However, the recipients of the ‘Blessed Water’ gifts had to be carefully selected.
Those with affluent family backgrounds were out, as were those who repaid kindness with enmity.
Fortunately, after delivering water for over ten years, Chen Shun’an knew the temperaments of his clients inside out.
At this moment, after a little thought, he preliminarily confirmed the first batch of potential believers to excavate and develop.
…
In a hut built of branches and thatch.
A woman with a sallow face held one child in her arms, another on her back, and had yet another in her belly.
Her husband even said he wanted a few more children; more sons, more blessings.
“Master Chen, why have you come?”
Seeing Chen Shun’an stop the cart outside the hut, the woman was stunned, then quietly slipped out, not daring to wake her husband who was snoring thunderously on the thin bed board.
“Did Little Confucius go catch scorpions and snakes again yesterday?”
Chen Shun’an glanced inside the hut.
It wasn’t that Little Confucius was lazy.
Rather, his livelihood required working day and night upside down.
Wuqing County had several specialty scorpions collectively called ‘Green Scorpions’, which were potent in medicine, detoxifying and dispersing knots. The rare ones were key ingredients in preparing ‘Five Poisons Marrow-Cleansing Pills’, a first-rate pill.
By the time summer entered the hottest period, Green Scorpions were already plump.
As soon as the second watch drum sounded from the drum tower, people would carry clay pots at their waists, hold shit-monkey lamps in their left hands, bamboo tweezers in their right, and go in groups of two or three to ruins of collapsed houses or the city wall base to catch Green Scorpions.
Unfortunately, this livelihood was one of three years without opening for business, then opening and eating for three years.
It seemed this year, Little Confucius hadn’t opened for business yet.
The woman forced a smile: “You know his stubborn temper; he insists on ancestral teachings, determined to catch that Thousand-Year Green Scorpion hidden in Wuqing County.”
Chen Shun’an chuckled and shook his head, turning to fetch a bucket of water.
Seeing this, the woman became anxious.
“Master Chen! We don’t buy water; using eaves water is enough for us!”
Chen Shun’an repeated the same spiel he gave to Scholar Ma.
Upon learning that just one copper coin could get a pole of Blessed Water.
Though reluctant to take advantage of Chen Shun’an, the woman looked at her children’s filthy diapers and shit pouches, and could only say with reddened eyes,
“Thank you, Master Chen.”
…
“Your old lady died? When? Last time I sang celebratory songs, wasn’t she beaming with joy?!”
“Last night. The old lady had uterine prolapse, it fell out, and she kept it from us. She secretly boiled herself a bowl of brown sugar eggs, then used scissors to cut off the uterus, lay on the bed, and died.”
Looking at the man in mourning clothes before him, his face numb, Chen Shun’an sighed, filled both of their large water vats, then took one copper coin and left.
Another old immortal gone.
…
Back to the well to draw water, load the cart, carry the poles, fill the vats.
All day long, Chen Shun’an went back and forth between the water station in Weihang Street and his various clients.
In the end, he selected only seven or eight households as Blessed Water recipients.
Chen Shun’an had a clear positioning for himself.
Better to lack than to have excess; take the elite route first, selecting potential believers with hope for rapid development.
He wouldn’t touch any with risks or possibility of backlash exposing him.
After delivering the last trip, Chen Shun’an stood at one end of a stone arch bridge.
On the other side of the stone arch bridge, wine banners fluttered, silk shops, fur stores, apothecaries, gilded signboards glowing vermilion in the sunset.
Far away, the dock and ferry dozens of li off could be seen, ships coming and going like clouds, exceedingly prosperous.
This street was Mingqing Street, with one Fresh Water well and two Turbid Water wells, covering dozens of large and small streets and alleys on both sides, totaling a thousand clients.
This was already outside the Grit Well’s area, belonging to other water stations.
In contrast, Weihang Street had only one Turbid Water Well, with over two hundred clients, many of whom bought Fresh Water from Mingqing Street.
There was a world of difference between water stations.
Not to mention those controlling Sweet Water wells.
“The Grit Well is after all just a Turbid Water Well, with a small coverage area and limited client purchasing desire. Even if I split lean meat from crane legs, it’s hard to develop a large number of ‘beneficiaries’ in a short time.”
“It has to be Fresh Water wells… But perhaps I can first help other brothers deliver water, and shift some rundown clients over?”
Whether it was Qing Ji’s upgrade, selecting the next Divine Aspect, or even upgrading the Grass Talisman…
Every aspect required incense power.
Chen Shun’an gazed deeply at Mingqing Street with a mix of anticipation and envy.
He turned the cart around and headed back to Weihang Street.
…
Dusk fell.
Chen Shun’an, in his long robe, had two rounds of tea at the teahouse.
After hearing the storyteller recount ‘His Majesty the Emperor’s Nine Complete Martial Arts battle to pacify the evil swords of Shu Mountain’, he exchanged pleasantries with familiar tea friends, then returned home.
On usual water delivery days, Chen Shun’an would end up with sore back and waist, needing to puff a bag of tobacco fiercely and sit in the teahouse for half an hour to relieve the fatigue.
But today, Chen Shun’an still felt energetic, especially his Achilles tendons and Wei Zhong Great Tendon, as if fully tempered, hot and steaming, sending waves of warmth.
“Choosing 【Qing Ji】 was indeed a wise decision; legs grow armor and horses!”
Chen Shun’an inwardly marveled, then began calculating the accounts.
The price difference from gifting Blessed Water was definitely covered by Chen Shun’an himself, subsidizing the well.
So today alone cost over a hundred copper coins.
In Tongzhou Wuqing County, due to proximity to the Capital City, prices were fairly stable; 1 tael of official silver exchanged for about 800 copper coins.
1 tael of silver could buy 2 shi of rice, 3 cotton cloth garments, 50 jin of pork.
Ordinary folk’s median daily income was around 60 copper coins, of course, artisans earned more.
By this measure, a month’s income for commoners was 1.8 tael.
But living in the Capital City was expensive, money spent everywhere, and without stable income, very little could actually be saved.
So this over a hundred copper coins wasn’t insignificant; in a month, it would be nearly 6 tael!
Chen Shun’an’s monthly wage was only about 5 tael!
At this calculation, Chen Shun’an’s heart was bleeding!
Fortunately, clients didn’t buy water every day; usually three times every seven days, or even less.
But this would lower the efficiency of gathering wish.
A dilemma.
With contemplation in his eyes, Chen Shun’an pushed open the courtyard gate and saw Wan Niang taking in the clothes.
Seeing Chen Shun’an return, Wan Niang said ‘Brother~’, then quickly folded the clothes and put them back in the bedroom.
She brought the still steaming dishes from the stove to the table.
Chen Shun’an washed his face, sat at the table, wielded his chopsticks like flying, yet chewed slowly, almost grinding the bone scraps and swallowing them.
Wan Niang did not sit at the table.
Seeing Chen Shun’an nearly finished, she took out a yellow brocade bag from her own package, embroidered with Eight Trigrams patterns.
“Brother, this is the Tai Sui Brocade Bag that Zhang Shi’s mother sought for you at Tanzhe Temple; it says it can dispel Tai Sui and keep you safe.”
Wan Niang watched Chen Shun’an’s expression and said softly.
The Zhang Shi’s mother Wan Niang mentioned was Chen Shun’an’s fifth wife Zhang Shi’s mother.
Also Chen Shun’an’s mother-in-law.
Chen Shun’an’s relationship with the Zhang family was not harmonious, especially after Zhang Shi’s death, it had frozen over.
Zhang father had bustled for years to return to the main family and re-enter the clan registry, naturally hoping Zhang Shi would marry into a matching good household.
Unfortunately, Chen Shun’an popped up and took his daughter.
Naturally, Zhang father gave Chen Shun’an no good face, even threatening to sever father-daughter ties.
During Chen Shun’an’s recent serious illness, Zhang father never inquired.
Fortunately, Zhang mother had a soft heart, especially knowing Chen Shun’an’s tough childhood with much suffering, which added three parts pity.
She often secretly helped this small family behind Zhang father’s back.
Wan Niang was the messenger in between.
During this serious illness, Zhang mother had secretly invited Wuqing County’s famous physician Golden Needle Li, skilled in internal medicine, to treat Chen Shun’an.
Unfortunately, Zhang Shi passed away before she could bear Chen Shun’an a son or daughter to ease relations between the families.
Chen Shun’an calmly took the Tai Sui Brocade Bag and said,
“Help me tell the old lady thank you for her kindness; when she turns eighty, I will surely visit to celebrate.”
Hearing this, Wan Niang subtly breathed a sigh of relief.
“By the way, Wan Niang.”
Chen Shun’an set down his chopsticks, went to the bedroom, and soon came back out with two money bags in hand.
The copper coins clinked crisply, landing heavily on the table.
Pleasing to the eye and ear.
“The left one is your this month’s stipend, half a string plus 60 copper coins. Use the extra to get Chun Hong a summer outfit; take a bolt of cloth from me. A girl can’t skimp when she’s grown.”
“The right one is for next month’s dishes. From tomorrow, refined meat cannot be missed for breakfast and dinner: fish, shrimp, chicken, duck, beef, lamb… I’ll give you a list later; ensure the full amount of meat each day.”
Poor for scholars, rich for martial arts.
For martial artists, the muscle strength gathered and vital energy nurtured weren’t baseless; all drawn from diet and tonics.
The previous Chen Shun’an, with Root Bone Set and no hope ahead, naturally reduced meat intake to bare minimum.
But now, with a smooth path ahead, Chen Shun’an naturally had to ‘supplement’!
Not saying three oxen a day or Great Medicine every meal, but for now, lean meat must be guaranteed.
Though expenses would grow ever larger.
Though puzzled inwardly, Wan Niang wisely didn’t ask more.
She thanked Chen Shun’an twice and happily took the stipend.
Wan Niang quickly washed the bowls and chopsticks, cleaned Chen Shun’an’s changed smelly short jacket, then hurriedly left.
“Having someone to serve is truly comfortable… If only Wan Niang knew massage and Guiding Qi.”
After practicing Lightness Skill in the courtyard for an hour, the tired Chen Shun’an lay on the bed, slightly closing his eyes, feeling the soreness from torn muscles.
Both fulfilling and satisfying, yet wincing.
This feeling, he hadn’t experienced in many years.
Night fell.
The jade disc hung high.
Vaguely, murmurs like whispers sounded in his ears again—
“Brother Shun An gifting Blessed Water is false; helping me Ma Mou is true. This small kindness must not be forgotten.”
【Wish +2】
“Luckily we have Master Chen’s two poles of Blessed Water; otherwise, we adults could endure, but how could the two children? They’re nearly getting sores.”
【Wish +1】
“Old Chen is kind-hearted; the old lady often spoke of him, saying Old Chen is an upright man. Sigh, Blessed Water, blessings came, but I have no mother now.”
【Wish +1】
…
“Pah! What damn Blessed Water; passing off two buckets of Turbid Water on me, Cripple Pan?! Better give me the money directly! I’ll keep playing Old Chen for now; freebies aren’t to be refused.”
On the bed.
Chen Shun’an suddenly opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them.
“Cripple Pan? You’re well hidden! I’ve got you marked.”
