Lame Li passed on the Seven-Star Soul Stabilizing Talisman technique to Shui Miao. One reason was that Shui Miao had saved him, and the other was due to what Xiong Ying had said.
The technique was simple, just a few sentences.
However, using this talisman was quite complicated and required Shui Miao to worship immortals and offer sacrifices…
After explaining the specific steps of the worship ritual to Shui Miao, Lame Li intentionally spoke loudly, “Child, I don’t have any demands on you, but this technique must never be revealed to outsiders. Only when you take on a disciple of your own and pass it down to my grand-disciple, can it be shared. Otherwise, absolutely no spreading.”
The implication in Lame Li’s words was clear—he now considered Shui Miao his apprentice.
Hearing this, Xiong Ying inwardly sneered. This lame Li really overestimated himself! Thinking that a questionable and uncertain technique would be enough to claim Shui Miao as his disciple, without even asking whether he, the master, approved. How conceited could one get?
As for Lame Li’s request, naturally Shui Miao nodded in agreement.
Never in his wildest dreams had Shui Miao imagined that releasing a single turtle would bring him such unexpected benefits.
Yet, he had missed the hidden meaning in Lame Li’s words—those remarks were actually meant for Xiong Ying.
Shui Miao didn’t care much about that. As long as he had learned the skill, everything was fine.
After thanking Lame Li, Shui Miao didn’t linger and left immediately with his grandfather.
Watching Shui Miao’s retreating figure, Lame Li felt a complex mix of emotions, silently lamenting how such a promising child ended up calling someone else “grandfather.”
※※※
On the way back, Xiong Ying asked Shui Miao how he planned to spend all that money.
Did he need to worry about where to spend it? Shui Miao wasn’t foolish—he knew his grandfather was eyeing his money, hoping he’d hand it over for safekeeping.
So, Shui Miao earnestly laid out his plans: first, rent a house in Zhonghai. Property prices were high there—buying a house cost over a million, even renting cost several thousand per month. Then, rent a storefront to open a small shop, start a business with Chenxiang, and if things went well, later buy a house and a car in Zhonghai…
Shui Miao detailed many plans, methodically and thoroughly, leaving Xiong Ying quite stunned.
Xiong Ying never cared much for money. He had lived in a small tile house his whole life and never considered buying property. If he ever had money, his first priority would be gambling, and the second would be traveling. He didn’t concern himself with Shui Miao’s future life—his philosophy was to take care of himself and enjoy life while it lasted.
Everyone had their own life philosophy, and Shui Miao and Xiong Ying respected each other’s choices.
With the money topic settled, Xiong Ying changed the subject to gambling. He was very curious why Shui Miao always won. Even with good luck, could someone really never lose?
Shui Miao didn’t want to reveal too much, so he simply insisted it was just luck. Xiong Ying, hearing this, could do nothing but feel envious and frustrated.
Back home, Xiong Ying received a call—his old friends had already arrived in the city.
Since there was nothing else to do, Xiong Ying packed a few things and prepared to leave immediately.
Seeing his grandfather leave in such a hurry, Shui Miao suddenly felt a sense of loss. He had never really repaid his grandfather for all he’d done. So quietly, he took out 100,000 yuan in cash, wrapped it in a bag, and placed it into his grandfather’s suitcase as a token of filial piety.
Then, he called Lin Haiyang, who happened to be free, and asked him to drive over. Soon, Lin Haiyang arrived and picked up both Shui Miao and Xiong Ying, heading together to Hongguang Hotel in the city.
Hongguang Hotel was an ordinary, old-fashioned hotel near the train station.
After parking the car, Lin Haiyang was about to get out when Xiong Ying spoke up, “Shui Miao, I left all the notes and things for you in the drawer by your bed. Keep them safe. Also, when we go in, greet everyone and then you two can leave. Don’t worry about me—I live better than you two. One more thing: if anything comes up, call me on my mobile.”
“Got it, Grandpa.”
Shui Miao was used to this. It wasn’t the first time his grandfather had traveled. Now that he had a mobile phone, there was even less to worry about.
“Oh, and one more thing—Chenxiang takes after her mother. She’s a good, honest girl. When you take her out, make sure to take care of her. Think things through, and don’t get stuck in your ways.” This time, Xiong Ying was unusually talkative—not because of anything else, but because he secretly didn’t plan to come back.
“Don’t worry, Grandpa. I’ll definitely take good care of her.”
Shui Miao responded brightly, then opened the door and got out, joining Lin Haiyang to each grab a suitcase from the trunk.
“Sigh…”
Sitting in the car, Xiong Ying softly sighed, as if he had more to say.
Room 209
Inside, a group of elderly men around Xiong Ying’s age were chatting. When they saw him arrive, they all stood up to greet him. The scene was warm and heartening, filled with the joy of old friends reuniting.
Shui Miao had met these old men before. Though he didn’t know them well, he roughly knew their surnames.
After greeting them all, Shui Miao and Lin Haiyang followed his grandfather to his room to drop off the luggage.
“Grandpa, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going?”
After setting down the suitcases, Shui Miao was eager to leave.
He wanted to take this opportunity to ask Lin Haiyang to drive him to Group 4 of Jiuzao Village. Even though Sun Jihong was dead, that 40,000 yuan still unsettled him.
“Don’t rush off. Let me treat you two to a meal.”
Xiong Ying stopped Shui Miao, speaking earnestly, not just out of politeness.
This time, Xiong Ying was unusually extravagant, ordering several expensive dishes and even a few lobsters from the sea, spending over 3,000 yuan. During the meal, he remained mostly silent, occasionally serving Shui Miao food, but barely eating himself. He seemed reluctant to part. Shui Miao assumed his grandfather wanted money but was too embarrassed to ask, so he didn’t think much of it, just eating heartily with Lin Haiyang until their stomachs were full and they were burping contentedly.
After dinner, Xiong Ying saw Shui Miao and Lin Haiyang to the car, repeatedly reminding Lin Haiyang to drive carefully.
As the car drove away, Xiong Ying didn’t immediately leave. Standing at the corner, watching the car disappear, he felt a deep sorrow—this might be the last time he ever saw Shui Miao.
But not long after, his phone buzzed with a message.
He picked it up and read the text: “Grandpa, I don’t have much to give you, but I’ve placed 100,000 yuan in your suitcase. Hurry back and secure the money. Don’t be too frugal on your trip. If you run out, call me—I’ve memorized your bank account number. Have a safe journey and enjoy yourself.”
“…”
Reading the message, Xiong Ying’s eyes welled up. He tightly pressed the phone to his chest, unmoving for a long time.
※※※
“Xiao Shui, your grandpa was pretty generous today!”
Lin Haiyang, driving the car, was still savoring the feast. Although he ran a dog breeding farm, he had just started and hadn’t made much money yet. He would never have splurged like that on his own.
“Yeah, my grandpa rarely splurges, and you just happened to be there. You sure have good luck.”
Just then, Shui Miao spotted a gas station and quickly said, “Come on, let’s stop and fill up the tank.”
“Filling it up will cost a lot. Just add a little.”
Lin Haiyang knew Shui Miao didn’t have much money. He had intended to pay himself, but he knew Shui Miao would never allow it.
“Don’t argue. I’ve got money. And after this, let’s head to Group 4 of Jiuzao Village. If everything goes well, I’ll treat everyone to another big dinner tonight.” Besides the 100,000 he had given his grandfather, Shui Miao still had 200,000 left. He dared not reveal it, or else his friends would constantly hassle him for feasts, and he’d soon be broke again.
“Wow, what’s going on today? Did you win the lottery?”
Lin Haiyang glanced around, turned the steering wheel, and pulled the car into the gas station.
Shui Miao smiled slightly and said, “I’m officially a feng shui master now. A few days ago, I did a feng shui reading for someone, and they promised me 40,000 yuan. You’re coming with me to collect it today. If everything goes smoothly…”
Before Shui Miao could finish, Lin Haiyang slammed on the brakes in disbelief, “How is that even possible? Are you dreaming, kid?”
“Hmph, you really underestimate me.”
Shui Miao shot Lin Haiyang a glance, then opened the car door and shouted at the attendant to fill the tank.
Lin Haiyang got out and waved his hand, “Stop, stop shouting. This is a self-service station. You pay first, then pump the gas yourself.”
“…”
Shui Miao was momentarily stunned. He had completely forgotten.
※※※
Half an hour later, Lin Haiyang pulled up in front of Shen Weimin’s house at Group 4 of Jiuzao Village.
From a distance, Shen Weimin’s house was just two dilapidated tile houses, surrounded by wild grass. The wooden doors were wide open, and from inside came a thin, mangy yellow dog, looking listless and half-dead.
Seeing this, Lin Haiyang swallowed hard, turned to Shui Miao with doubt, and asked, “You’re sure this is Shen Weimin’s house? Not Zhang Weimin or Zhou Weimin?”
“How could this be?”
Shui Miao clicked his tongue, feeling disheartened. Could such a poor household really come up with 40,000 yuan?
“Let’s go in and ask anyway. Maybe there are two Shen Weimins.”
Shui Miao opened the car door and walked over with Lin Haiyang. Surprisingly, the yellow dog didn’t bark at them but wagged its tail, as if greeting a long-lost relative.
Shui Miao approached the doorway and called out, “Is anyone home?”
Immediately, a weak male voice responded from inside, “Yes… Who is it? Come in…”
“Okay…”
Stepping inside, Shui Miao saw a messy, dirty house with a musty smell. On a grimy bed lay an old man wrapped in a tattered cotton coat. The man was extremely thin, probably no more than seventy or eighty pounds.
“Who are you looking for?”
Seeing strangers, the old man looked confused—why would anyone visit his house?
“Oh, we’re looking for Shen Weimin. Excuse me, is there another family in Group 4 of Jiuzao Village named Shen Weimin?”
Shui Miao was sure he had the wrong house. This family probably couldn’t even come up with 4,000 yuan, let alone 40,000.
“No, I am Shen Weimin! What do you want?”
The old man blinked, staring at Shui Miao.
Shui Miao frowned, “Do you know Sun Jihong? He sent me.”
“Sun Jihong? You mean my daughter’s boyfriend?”
To his surprise, the old man knew the name.
Shui Miao’s heart skipped a beat. He suddenly noticed a photo frame on the wall, containing pictures of a young girl. He quickly asked, “Sir, is this your daughter?”
“Yes, although this is a photo from when she graduated elementary school. She’s grown up now, very beautiful. But she hasn’t come home in months. Are you friends of Sun Jihong? Have you met my daughter?”
The old man asked hopefully.
Shui Miao’s heart suddenly stirred, and he hurriedly asked, “Sir, what’s your daughter’s name?”
“Oh, she used to be called Shen Hui, but now she goes by Shen Li’e.”
The old man answered slowly.
“What…?”
Upon hearing this, Shui Miao’s heart jolted. Instantly, goosebumps covered his body. Instinctively, he quickly activated his qigong, opened his yin-yang eyes, and looked around in alarm…
“Ahh!”
Suddenly, Shui Miao spotted a dark, ominous aura gathering at the entrance of the side room. He was so frightened that he instinctively took several steps back!!
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