Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 785

"Brother Chen, Sister Qianning, please have some tea. Be careful, it's hot. We don't have much to offer, so please don't mind." Soon after, Xiao Miao and Xiao Ya brought tea and poured it for everyone.

Chen Xuan picked up his teacup, blew on it, and took a sip of the scalding tea. He then said, "Thank you for your trouble, Xiao Miao. Please have a seat. You haven't had a break since you got back."

"It's no trouble at all," Xiao Miao smiled and sat down as instructed. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Chen Xuan and the others did not mind the poor quality of the tea.

Actually, this was the best tea she could offer. It cost her half a month's income to buy, and she usually stored it carefully, not wanting to drink it, just so that she would have something to serve Chen Xuan and the others if they came.

She herself was reluctant to spend spare money, wishing she could split a single copper coin in two, but if it were Brother Chen, she would be willing to give up everything she owned.

At this moment, Chen Xuan noticed that Xiao Miao had changed her clothes at some point. Her hair had been combed and adorned with hairpins, and she was wearing a beautiful light blue dress. She was no longer the rustic little girl she used to be, but rather a charming young lady.

This outfit was a gift from Chen Xuan and the others; it looks brand new, clearly something they've kept hidden away and never worn.

Xiao Miao doesn't usually pay much attention to her appearance, as long as she's clean and tidy, but she tries her best to present her best side to Brother Chen.

Noticing her subtle thoughts, Chen Xuan didn't say anything, and casually asked, "Xiao Miao, do you guys usually have any difficulties in your lives?"

"No, Brother Chen, everything is fine now. I have no worries about food and clothing, and I can even save a lot of money every month. I plan to renovate and rebuild the yard at the end of the year. Fugui is getting old, and I plan to save money to find him a wife with a good personality who can take care of him," Xiao Miao replied with a smile. She has a clear plan for the future and is not living a muddled life.

She is already extremely content with her life now. She never dared to dream of it before. She just hopes it can continue like this forever and doesn't dare to ask for more.

The little princess was secretly moved upon hearing this. Xiao Miao had already planned out a wealthy future for herself, seemingly without considering her at all. The eldest sister was truly like a mother to her.

Nodding, Chen Xuan added, "By the way, Xiao Miao, has this long drought affected your water supply in the city?"

Xiao Miao shook her head and said, "Brother Chen, don't worry. There's a public well not far away, so it's very convenient to get water. It dried up once before the New Year, but the government sent people to fix it within two days. They dug down about ten feet, and now the water source is plentiful and even overflowing."

"That's good," Chen Xuan smiled, relieved of a worry. It seemed that Lao Gao had truly put the governance into practice, prioritizing the water supply for ordinary people during the drought.

The little girl looked around and, seeing a corner of the yard, exclaimed in surprise during a break in Chen Xuan's conversation, "Sister Miao, you like peaches too?"

There was a peach tree over ten feet tall, with lush branches and leaves, and slightly red peaches hanging on its branches. It would be ready to be picked soon. It was clearly well cared for; otherwise, it would be a miracle if it hadn't withered after such a long drought, let alone borne fruit.

"Yes, there was some empty space in the yard, so I planted one. It can be a treat when it matures, and the extras can be sold to supplement the family income," Xiao Miao replied with a sweet smile.

Ordinary people like her don't need to be stingy with money to buy fruit; why spend money if they grow their own?

The main reason is that ever since she met Chen Xuan many years ago, she has seen him plant a peach tree that never grew big, so she planted one herself.

I didn't mean anything by it. How could a peach tree not grow big? The one I planted is already flowering and bearing fruit, but when I went to Brother Chen's place a few months ago, the peach tree there still hadn't grown much. It's really strange.

With so many people coming to Xiao Miao's house, the neighbors stared at her from afar. Some kindly approached and asked if Xiao Miao needed any help, but she politely declined with a smile.

There are still many kind-hearted people in this world. The neighbors were actually worried that the Miao family might have some trouble. They were relieved to see that the Miao family got along well. If they really had trouble, they might not be able to help much, but they could still call on them if they could.

As they chatted, time passed without them realizing it. As the sun began to set, Fugui returned carrying large and small bags. Entering the courtyard, he first gave Chen Xuan a simple, honest smile, then said to Xiaomiao, "Sister, the vegetables are here."

Xiao Miao quickly got up and stepped forward to help, saying, "Leave the rest to your older sister. Fu Gui, you're all sweaty, go back to your room to wash up and change your clothes. I've put them in your room, don't leave them in the yard, Brother Chen and Sister Qian Ning are there. If you're rude, I'll teach you a lesson!"

"Mmm," Fugui nodded emphatically, handed the things to Xiaomiao, and obediently went back to his room.

Without greeting anyone else, his simple mind couldn't comprehend such complex social dynamics; listening to his sister was definitely the right thing to do.

Fu Gui bought quite a lot of things, and Xiao Miao couldn't carry them all. The little girl stepped forward and said, "Sister Xiao Miao, let me help you. You definitely can't manage all this by yourself."

"No, please sit down and rest. I can manage on my own."

"Oh dear, do we need to be so formal?"

At this moment, Yunlan and Yunxin also stood up and said, "Since we're just idling around anyway, let's do our part."

However, Xiao Miao said somewhat awkwardly, "Thank you both, but really, it's not necessary. The kitchen at home is too small; it can't accommodate so many people."

"Well... alright then, just let us know if you need our help," Yun Lan and Yun Xin smiled helplessly and had no choice but to give up.

It's true that the Miao family's kitchen is small, but Yunlan and Yunxin's attire at the time also made it really inconvenient for them to work in the kitchen.

A moment later, Fugui came out of the house, looked around at the door, scratched his head with a puzzled look, as if he couldn't figure it out. Then he stopped thinking about it, glanced at everyone, revealed a silly smile, and then picked up a bucket and prepared to go out.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan stood up and said, "My wife, you rest here for a while. I'm going out for a walk."

"Well, husband, go ahead. It'll probably take a while for the food to be ready," the little princess said with a smile.

Following Fugui's steps, Chen Xuan stepped forward to stand beside him outside the courtyard. Under Fugui's questioning gaze, Chen Xuan asked curiously, "Fugui, what were you thinking about at the door just now?"

He blinked, then grinned and said haltingly, "Strange, it's sunny, summer, and I'm at home, but it's not hot."

Chen Xuan immediately understood. He had returned from grocery shopping drenched in sweat, yet the courtyard was as warm as springtime. No wonder she looked puzzled. He might be simple-minded, but he wasn't oblivious to the changing temperature. It was because Chen Xuan and the others had secretly used their internal energy to lower the surrounding temperature; otherwise, the pregnant princess wouldn't be able to withstand such heat.

It was difficult to explain to him, so Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Fugui, if you practice what I teach you diligently, you'll be able to do it too in the future."

"Hmm," Fu Gui nodded and grinned, believing everything Chen Xuan said.

There was no way to have a normal conversation. He had to figure things out on his own when he was with Fugui. Chen Xuan asked to himself, "Does Fugui carry water every day?"

"Yes, the water tank needs to be full, sister, we need it," Fugui answered as best he could, then, as if remembering something, added quite seriously, "We also need to water the house, we're afraid of fire."

His water tank was almost always full, and it's highly likely that Fugui never let it run dry. In this kind of weather, fire prevention is indeed very important, and watering the house is undoubtedly the simplest and most effective way. Luckily, there was no shortage of water, otherwise, people wouldn't have had enough to drink and there would have been so much waste.

The two walked towards the well, exchanging a few words every now and then. Chen Xuan did most of the talking, while Fu Gui answered if he could, and remained silent if he couldn't.

From him, Chen Xuan learned quite a bit about the situation, such as that the siblings lived a stable life without encountering any trouble, and that any people who occasionally saw Xiao Miao acting on impulse were all chased away by Fu Gui and the matter was left unresolved.

Xiao Miao is good-looking, so it's inevitable that not everyone will recognize her and her brother. They will occasionally encounter drunkards and the like. Fortunately, they have Fu Gui as a bodyguard. As for any subsequent revenge, Chen Xuan has already arranged for someone to secretly take care of it.

The two arrived at a well a few hundred meters away. It was more like a spring than a well. Several washing troughs were built with stones. The water source was plentiful and overflowed to other places. Many people came here to fetch water to wash clothes and vegetables.

After observing the situation firsthand, Chen Xuan felt relieved. If this spring, along with the underground river, dried up, everyone in Mo City would have to flee elsewhere. Therefore, there was no need to worry about the water supply for Xiao Miao and the others.

Fu Gui didn't even greet his neighbors. He easily filled two buckets with water and headed back. People knew he had mental problems, so they didn't laugh or joke at him. Instead, they were mostly filled with emotion.

On the contrary, people couldn't help but take a second look at Chen Xuan, who came with them, even though they didn't recognize him and didn't ask him any questions.

Following Fugui back, Chen Xuan chuckled as he watched his retreating figure, thinking to himself that carrying water was a skill in itself. Fugui carried it steadily without bending his back or using his hands for support, without spilling a single drop. It was all out of habit; even he himself couldn't do it.

Back then, when Xiao Gao joined the agricultural cooperative at the academy, his first time carrying water was a chaotic affair. He ended up with only half a bucket of water left when he got to the field, even though he had considerable skill and good coordination. Of course, he adapted very quickly.

After following Fugui for a while, Chen Xuan stopped following him. He filled the water tank back and forth, then continued to fetch water, splashing water all over the front and back of the house and the roof. When he had nothing else to do, he was like a tireless robot, running to a corner to quietly and meticulously practice the Four Directions Fist that Chen Xuan had taught him. Every movement was standard, just like a textbook, and powerful and heavy, with each strike producing a deep hum.

After observing for a moment, it became clear that diligence could make up for lack of talent, which was perfectly embodied in Fugui. He had truly mastered every move to the bone marrow, cultivating considerable internal strength from the outside in. Perhaps the quality of his internal strength was only half, but its solidity made him a formidable opponent in the martial arts world. However, with his intellect, his actual combat ability would be greatly reduced. Well, it's not impossible that his combat power would multiply when he went berserk, regardless of the consequences. It's just two extremes.

In any case, with him protecting Xiao Miao, ordinary thugs can be easily dealt with; one punch is not an exaggeration.

"Husband, Aunt Mei sent someone to bring some things. Should we give them to Xiao Miao in person or...?" While Chen Xuan was watching Fu Gui practice his boxing, the little princess leaned closer and asked in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan turned around and saw a carriage parked not far from the courtyard, half-loaded with local specialties that Chen Xuan and his companions had bought along the way. He did not approach it immediately.

Chen Xuan thought for a moment and said, "Let's quietly put them in their rooms. There's no need for them to keep making excuses to us. They'll find out after we leave."

The little princess immediately understood and quietly waved to signal Xia Mei, who then silently placed the gift at Xiao Miao's house.

The single-minded Fugui noticed and subconsciously stopped what he was doing to look at Chen Xuan. Chen Xuan gestured for him to be quiet, but he grinned and went back to practicing his punches, pretending not to know anything.

Turning his gaze away, Chen Xuan sighed inwardly. His cultivation level was not high enough to allow his spiritual power to truly penetrate into Fu Gui's mind. Otherwise, he could have tried to help Fu Gui restore his normal intelligence, but unfortunately, he couldn't do it now.

On the way to fetch water with him before, Chen Xuan had tried using the Purple Mystic Illusion Eye. Fu Gui was stupid to begin with, his mind was blank. Given his trust in Chen Xuan, there was no need to use such a method to answer every question. It was completely meaningless.

In fact, Chen Xuan had also thought about teaching the wealthy Qin Ruyu the Butterfly Transformation Heart Sutra. That thing cultivates the spirit and will. If the spirit and will are strong, a person will also become smarter, right?

However, it simply wouldn't work. The Butterfly Transformation Heart Sutra was too advanced. Fu Gui couldn't even calculate one plus two, so how could he cultivate it? He had no choice but to give up.

Fu Gui can only practice rudimentary martial arts that don't require much thought. Perhaps one day he can use this to reach the Innate Realm, undergoing refinement and sublimation from the inside out, and perhaps he can recover to be a normal person. Even if that day comes, he will definitely still maintain his childlike heart, and then his future will be limitless.

However, that's almost impossible; let's just hope he can pull off a miracle.

Chen Xuan has already given him the 'key'; whether he can open that door is up to him.

As the sun began to set, Xiao Miao called everyone to eat.

Her main room was too small to accommodate many people, so she had to set up the table in the yard. The table was full of more than a dozen dishes, including chicken, duck, fish and meat, as well as vegetables. There was also a jar of ten-year-old wine specially prepared for Chen Xuan. This was the greatest sincerity that Xiao Miao could offer.

It could be said that the siblings had never had such a lavish feast during the New Year. They usually lived frugally and were reluctant to spend so much, but they were afraid that they hadn't done enough to entertain Chen Xuan and his family.

"Xiao Miao, you've worked hard. Don't just focus on us, sit down and eat with us. We can't finish all this food, so don't waste it," Chen Xuan said casually, sitting down as if it were his own home. The more casual Xiao Miao sat down, the happier she was.

Xiao Miao, sweating profusely from her busy work, nodded happily and said, "It's not hard work at all, Brother Chen, please have a seat. There's also a tofu and fish head soup, it'll be here soon."

As she spoke, she called out to Fugui, "Little brother, what are you standing there gesturing for? Go and have dinner with Brother Chen and the others. You need to have a few drinks with Brother Chen, understand?"

“Okay, I can drink with Brother Chen,” Fu Gui nodded emphatically, extremely serious and earnest.

Chen Xuan couldn't refuse Xiao Miao's kind offer, but Fu Gui's mind wasn't very sharp to begin with, and he was still growing. How could he let him drink alcohol and continue to damage his brain? So he simply secretly tricked Fu Gui with sugar water and repeatedly warned him that any wine that didn't taste like this was fake and he shouldn't drink it.

Fu Gui patted his chest and carefully memorized the words; he believed Brother Chen implicitly… (End of Chapter)