Chapter 96: The Ancient Well of Stillwater Village

Sister Tang’s face indeed felt warm and flushed.

She knew within herself that this was due to the excitement from Xiao Tudou’s prediction of good fortune, and also from embarrassment. She had doubted Shui Miao and refused to lend him money. Yet Shui Miao, instead of holding a grudge, had repaid her five hundred and even given her an additional five hundred. She felt ashamed and embarrassed, which caused her face to flush.

However, when Xiao Tudou mentioned Sister Tang’s good luck was on its way, she didn’t take it seriously at all.

Shui Miao noticed Sister Tang’s complexion had indeed improved compared to before, but he remained skeptical about whether this could truly change her fortune.

The three arrived at Chen’s Dumpling Shop, ordered several steamer baskets of dumplings and bowls of porridge, and enjoyed the pickled radish and salted soybeans with great relish.

Xiao Tudou was a regular customer, usually eating up to five yuan’s worth.

Today, he indulged himself, eating ten yuan’s worth, yet surprisingly felt completely satisfied.

Sister Tang had been job hunting and was so exhausted she hadn’t eaten yet. She devoured three bowls of porridge and three vegetable dumplings before finally feeling slightly full.

Shui Miao slowly savored the vegetable dumplings and actually detected a faint trace of earthly spiritual energy within them.

After spending what felt like ten thousand minutes dining, Shui Miao paid the bill and then asked the shop owner where the vegetables were sourced, curious about their excellent taste. The owner, delighted by the compliment, told Shui Miao that these vegetables were personally grown by his father, who lived in a village called Jing Shui Cun (Tranquil Water Village) on the western outskirts of Zhonghai City.

Jing Shui Cun—the moment Shui Miao heard the name, his heart stirred. Wasn’t that the very village where the Lingyin Taoist Temple was located?

It seemed the feng shui of Jing Shui Cun was indeed extraordinary!

As Shui Miao was chatting with the owner, Sister Tang’s phone suddenly rang.

After answering the call, Sister Tang excitedly told Shui Miao that it was from Lin Qing’er. Lin Qing’er, out of respect for Shui Miao, had decided to give Sister Tang another chance, letting her resume her position as restaurant hostess. For Sister Tang, who had been struggling to find work, this was undeniably tremendous good news.

It had actually come true just as Xiao Tudou predicted. Shui Miao was astonished.

After thanking Shui Miao and Xiao Tudou, Sister Tang hurriedly flagged down a taxi and rushed back to the hotel to start her job.

“Ding ling ling…”

No sooner had Sister Tang left than Shui Miao’s phone rang too—it was also a call from Lin Qing’er.

As soon as the call connected, Lin Qing’er’s urgent voice came through, “Shui Miao, where are you? Do you have time to come to the hotel? I have an urgent matter to entrust to you.”

“I have time, I’ll come right away. But Lin Jie, if you’re free, could you first tell me over the phone what’s going on? Why are you in such a rush to have me come?” Xiao Tudou seemed a bit reluctant to leave, but Shui Miao grabbed his arm and headed out onto the street.

Lin Qing’er was sitting in her office, already packed for departure. “It’s like this—something has come up at my family’s home in Taiwan, and I must return immediately. I’d like to ask you to temporarily manage the hotel on my behalf. Of course, Huang girl will fully support you. You can just go ahead and do as you please.”

“Manage such a big hotel?!”

Shui Miao was momentarily stunned. He had already considered quitting, yet now he was being dragged back into an even heavier responsibility!

“It’s not that bad, really. Everything at the hotel is already arranged—I just need someone to make administrative decisions. After considering everyone, I think you’re the most suitable. If you don’t have much time, you can come once a day or every few days—it’s fine either way!” Lin Qing’er spoke earnestly. Based on Shui Miao’s previous successful reorganization of the hotel, she firmly believed he could manage it well.

If Lin Qing’er had other options, she wouldn’t be begging him like this. She had great connections and had always been so kind to him—he couldn’t let her down. Besides, he might need her help in the future for avenging his father. After a brief pause, Shui Miao exhaled and said, “Alright then, I’ll do my best. But if there’s anything I can’t handle, I’ll still have to call you for help.”

“No problem. Come quickly—I’ll gather the staff and make the announcement. I need to catch my flight in thirty minutes.” Lin Qing’er checked the time—it was truly urgent.

“Okay! Ten minutes will be enough.”

Shui Miao estimated the travel time and quickly pulled Xiao Tudou into a taxi.

“Senior Brother, are you coming back tonight? I grew up here—if I can’t eat these dumplings anymore, I’ll go crazy.” Xiao Tudou’s meaning was clear: without the earth’s spiritual energy present in the vegetables from the dumpling shop, he would be unable to continue his cultivation.

Shui Miao chuckled and shook his head. “You’re too naive, kid. Didn’t you see me asking the owner where the vegetables were from? Later I’ll send you to live in Jing Shui Cun—I guarantee you’ll have more vegetables than you can eat.”

“Jing Shui Cun!”

The taxi driver suddenly spoke up, “So you guys like the vegetables from Jing Shui Cun, huh? Haha, what a coincidence—I grew up in Jing Shui Cun myself. The water and soil there are great. The vegetables, grains, and even the chickens and ducks raised there all taste better than those from other places. But you might not know—what Jing Shui Cun is most famous for isn’t actually vegetables, but rather an ancient well left over more than a hundred years ago.”

“An ancient well!”

Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He hadn’t expected to encounter a clue like this along the way. Politely, he asked, “Uncle, could you tell us the story about that well? My younger brother and I both love listening to stories.”

“Hehe, this isn’t just a story—it’s real history.” The driver continued driving as he spoke, “My grandfather told me that over a hundred years ago, many families lived in the village. Every household worshipped statues of the Three Pure Ones. On auspicious days, villagers would go to the Lingfeng Taoist Temple at the village entrance to burn incense. Inside the temple lived a Taoist priest named Lingfeng, who possessed powerful Taoist techniques and a compassionate heart. Master Lingfeng could exorcise ghosts and demons, use talismans to heal people, and most miraculously, his spirit communication abilities were unparalleled—truly without precedent or successor.”

“How was he so unique in spirit communication?” Shui Miao asked curiously.

The driver paused, then continued, “Let me give you an example. Back then, a destitute scholar wandered into our Jing Shui Cun. Hearing of Master Lingfeng’s profound abilities, he sought him out for spirit communication. Master Lingfeng directly guided the scholar’s soul to the underworld to visit his family, even inquiring from the judge about the scholar’s lifespan and future destiny. After returning, the scholar indeed turned his luck around—he passed the imperial exams, enjoyed smooth sailing in life, eventually returned to his hometown as an official, and donated his entire salary to the Lingfeng Temple. He built a well there. That well was very mystical—it often emitted gusts of wind, sometimes accompanied by roaring sounds. At first, the villagers were terrified, but over time, they discovered that the well wasn’t blowing wind—it was actually emitting legendary spiritual energy. One by one, villagers began cultivating by the well. After cultivation, they felt refreshed, no longer hungry, and gradually stopped working. Without labor, the crops failed, and without harvests, they couldn’t pay taxes. The local officials were furious and sent people to seal the well. But several groups were scared away by the roaring wind from the well. Finally, the corrupt official himself came to investigate, then went north to summon a shaman who used black magic to alter the well’s energy. Anyone who inhaled this energy would fall ill. The official also ordered the temple to be demolished and all the Taoists executed!”

“Despicable barbarian!”

Shui Miao felt a surge of hatred. A perfectly good well had been destroyed, and likely remained useless to this day.

“Yes, the barbarian was despicable, but the common people were powerless. It wasn’t until the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic era that the villagers rediscovered the ancient well. However, since the shaman had interfered with it, the well no longer released spiritual energy. Although the well still exists today, fewer and fewer people pay attention to it. Everyone now regards this merely as a story.”

The driver shook his head in lament.

It was clear he truly believed this tale.

Shui Miao thought for a moment, “Uncle, do you know where those Taoists were buried?”

“They say it was in a reed field on the southern edge of the village.” The driver shook his head. “I’m not too clear on the details. Young man, judging from how interested you are, could it be you know something about feng shui?”

Indeed, this must have been the burial site of the Taoists he and Lin Qing’er had visited!

Shui Miao was deeply moved. Perhaps it was the old Taoist’s spirit watching over him, allowing him to meet this driver and learn these stories. “Uncle, you’re right—I actually do know a bit of feng shui. Moreover, I plan to fund the reconstruction of the temple. I believe we’ll meet again in Jing Shui Cun before long.”

The taxi had already arrived at the entrance of Linhai Hotel. Shui Miao handed the driver a hundred yuan note and told him to keep the change.

The driver stared in surprise as Shui Miao entered the hotel. As soon as he walked in, hundreds of employees bowed in unison and shouted, “General Manager Shui, good day!”

“Goodness gracious! This young guy is the general manager? I should’ve asked for his business card earlier. Maybe I could get some work repairing the temple later.” As the driver muttered to himself, a female security guard in camouflage approached and gave him a sharp military salute.

“Excuse me, sir. This is not a parking area. Please leave as soon as possible.”

“Oh… oh…”

Only then did the driver notice that inside and outside the hotel, there were many female guards dressed in military camouflage. Startled, he quickly drove away.

※※※

In front of all the employees, Lin Qing’er officially announced Shui Miao as the new general manager, granting him authority over all department managers, including the power to appoint or dismiss personnel and manage hotel funds.

Lin Qing’er’s trust in Shui Miao was absolute—100%.

By normal standards, this would be absolutely unthinkable, yet Lin Qing’er did it, leaving no room for disbelief.

“Alright, everyone, return to your posts.”

After the announcement, Lin Qing’er turned to check the time and said to Shui Miao, “I need to leave now. Come with me to the airport, and later help me drive the car back. From now on, my car is your car.”

“But I don’t know how to drive!” Shui Miao blushed with embarrassment.

Lin Qing’er smiled and shook her head. “I’ve already arranged a driver for you. Let’s go.”

Beside Lin Qing’er, Wang Xiaomi saluted Shui Miao. “General Manager, Officer Wang Xiaomi reporting for duty!”

“…”

Seeing how militarized Lin Qing’er had made the hotel, Shui Miao felt a bit overwhelmed. But upon reflection, perhaps this unique style could actually be a good thing.