Level 3, Underground
anything good.Lin Yanhuan, after hearing my words, whispered: "This is an old friend of my father. He shouldn't harm him, right This old man usually doesn't seek fame or fortune.""Um, I'm just worried...Qingluan stared at him blankly. I don't think she understood everything I said, but it seemed like she got my brother's point. She looked wronged and pouted her lips before getting up and moving to the side.
"Little Qiao, Old Madam Shen called us to speak. Are you going" My brother frowned a little unhappily.
"What's wrong It's just a few words, go if you want to... why do you seem so reluctant to go"
“Talking isn't a big deal! The problem is, she asked us to go to her Shen family ancestral hall to talk! Damn it, does this mean we have to kowtow I don't want to recognize her Shen family as relatives! Besides, according to seniority, if we kowtow and acknowledge our kinship, we'd even have to call Old Mrs. Shen 'aunt'! Go to hell!” My brother really dislikes Old Mrs. Shen and doesn't want to be related to her.
Qingluan quickly chimed in, "Hey, isn't this a good thing After all, they're family. No matter how distant the relationship, blood ties cannot be erased. There will always be connections in the unseen world. It's best if everyone gets along peacefully! Besides... The Empress is the wife of the Heavenly Emperor, that is, my and Qingrui sister's mistress, and someone the Shen family should treat with respect. No one dares to use seniority to pressure you!"
So, Your Majesty, could you please help me out… She looked at me pitifully with pleading eyes.
I pretended not to see it.
My brother tilted his head and thought for a moment: "You're right, your Emperor is my sister-in-law's husband. At least for this lifetime, I can act arrogantly, right"
On the way to the ancestral hall, I saw a small attic which was specifically dedicated to worshipping Beitaidi Jun by Shen's family. They would bow three times a day, and burn incense twice during the morning and evening.
Such deep respect must stem from Jiang Qiyun's extraordinary favoritism towards the Shen family over the past half century. It is also the reason why the Shen family has flourished so greatly.
There's no memorial to my mother in the ancestral hall, but there are ones for my maternal grandparents. We still pay our respects, it doesn't feel like we're shortchanging anyone. It's just that when we offer tea to Mrs. Shen, that "auntie" feels so awkward coming out of my mouth.
Because my brother and I have Jiang Qiyun backing us up, Old Madam Shen didn't make things difficult for us. Instead, she gave us a cold look and told us to sit down and talk.
"The two of you, how did you make enemies with the corpse-chasers from Xiangxi Why did they come looking for revenge on you yesterday with their undead"
My brother told me all about the situation when he took us to Huangdao Village, and also about how their eldest son had been recently abducted and held captive.
I thought Old Mrs. Shen was going to scold me for being reckless and adding to my karmic burdens, but who knew she let out a cold snort: "The group of corpse collectors you've gotten yourselves involved with aren't orthodox; they're the heretical branch. Sooner or later, we'll have to face them!"
Huh Does she mean to stand up for us
"Now everyone in the circle is saying that the Shen family and Mu family are joining forces. You two should know your limits when you do things, don't ruin our Shen family's reputation, understand" Old Mrs. Shen said reluctantly.
My brother’s lips twitched as if he was about to scold someone. I quickly suppressed his anger and replied, “No one really comes looking for us to do things. Most of the business is still my dad’s, so it won’t disgrace the Shen family.”
The old woman slightly softened her expression and beckoned to a Kūn behind her with a finger.
That Kun Dao brought over several ancient books. Shen Lao Tai Tai said, "These are the drawings for the Fu You Fu (Ghost Dispelling Charm). You should draw them yourselves in the future and buy fewer charms from outside families. With the Shen family's Yu Xuan Ji
(Jade Ruler), you actually still go to buy charms from other sects It's truly shameful!"
My brother was so excited, he almost cried out "Dear Aunt!" When he heard that a copy of the Yu You Fu charm cost thousands. If we could learn to draw them ourselves, we'd save so much money!
"Also, the Shen family will introduce you to some small jobs in the future, but according to the rules, you have to give one-third of your income to the Shen family, understand" Old Madam Shen looked at us both with a headache.
It must have been a really tough decision for her, right
"......Are you on the wrong meds" My brother said bluntly.
Grandma Shen glared at him, her gaze falling on me as she spoke slowly, "The Celestial Emperor punishing Qing Rui must mean he wants her life… We completely obey the Celestial Emperor's orders and should make our next move as soon as possible."
"What do you plan to do" my brother frowned. "Let me make something clear first: My little sister Qiao's surname is Mu, not Shen. If you think getting Qiao back to the Shen family will earn continued favor from the Divine Emperor, then you've miscalculated."
"Humph," Old Mrs. Shen let out a cold snort, and with an indifferent flick of her sleeve, she left.
My brother dragged me away from the Shen family: "Come on, come on, dealing with this family is too tiring. Xiao Qiao, let's go home. After the New Year, I have to go to the hospital for internship."
》》》
My brother said he was interning, and I thought he was joking. This guy spent the first half of the semester at home playing games as a tycoon. Is he even able to intern now
Who knew that after the seventh day, he truly packed his bags and went to the hospital for an internship. It was a large hospital in the Xincheng District. My brother's connections really surprised me.
During my winter vacation, I saw him every day at the shop. Old Chen brought his wife and little baby here. Every day he did odd jobs, bought groceries, boiled water, cleaned the yard, washed the car, and did the dishes—everything. He said he only took half the salary and considered it repayment. This guy is really shameless.
Although I'm too lazy to argue with him considering how he spends his days glued to his phone,
I still have to save money for him and pay back Lin Yanhuan!
My brother, on the third day of his internship, couldn't take it anymore and called me to complain: "Little Qiao, sweetheart... Am I cursed Why do I always run into bad luck even during internships Ugh, can you come over tonight I'm working the night shift."
Of course I can go, but I have to wait for Jiang Qiyun to go with me. Otherwise, he'll see that I'm not in the room and will have an excuse to "punish" me again.
Jiang Qiyun doesn't appear at midnight like he used to. Sometimes he shows up at 10 o'clock, or even 9 o'clock, in my room.
"What's so strange about encountering a ghost Aren't you two used to seeing ghosts by now" Jiang Qiyun frowned nonchalantly.
"Must be a hassle, huh My brother can't possibly bring talismans and magic artifacts to his internship every day..." I came out the side door and stood on the roadside, intending to flag down a car.
I was hunched over my phone, checking the map, when a taxi pulled up in front of me. I didn't even look up and was about to keep walking——
Jiang Qiyun forcefully grabbed my arm, pulling me back to his side and snarled at the taxi driver, "Get lost!"
It startled me. I quickly looked up at him, and he was looking at that taxi.
My god, this is a hearse!
Have I been acting spooky lately too!
In this circle, there's a saying about cause and effect. Even if I see a ghost, as long as it doesn't harm me or others, and I haven't received a commission from anyone to deal with it, I basically pretend I didn't see it.
Monks are not saviors and cannot take in every ghost they encounter. These spirits became wandering ghosts due to their own karmic obstacles. We simply see more than others, and we should not interfere.
When I found my brother in the hospital duty room, he was eating instant noodles bought by a nurse on shift change. He was chatting with the nurses who were changing shifts, and he seemed so lively! You wouldn't believe he had been possessed!
"Xiao Qiao, Xiao Qiao, don't be angry with me. I really saw a ghost! Truly! There's something in the underground third floor here—"even rumors that her paper figures' eyes could move..."What's the point of having moving eyeballs Our Aunt Zhang back home is still able to work...It seems that Old Madam She's "territory" should be...