Chapter 12: Take Your Seat, Serve the Tea!
The villagers around remained silent, their initial excitement upon seeing a master gradually giving way to endless sighs. With the death of Zhou Dalao, half of the Zhou family had already collapsed. They had exhausted their last bit of savings arranging his funeral.
No one truly knew how Madam Zhou would manage to raise Xiao Wu alone.
They wished to help, but in the end, they themselves lived frugally, tightening their belts just to get by.
How much could they really offer?
So, in the silence, the villagers quietly took on whatever tasks they could manage—tidying the disorderly house, preparing Zhou Da’s remains, arranging the burial, and so forth.
Du Yuan observed all this closely.
But as he looked around, a strange thought crossed his mind: where was the well-dressed man from the beginning?
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A little earlier in time, it was Du Yuan who had summoned the Buddha’s light to subdue Zhou Da.
The man was left wide-mouthed in astonishment.
Nearby children, seeing this, thought his mouth could probably fit two or three goose eggs.
The man, staring at Du Yuan with his mouth agape, excitedly babbled incoherently.
After a moment, he slapped himself across the face hard, managed to regain some composure, and hurriedly headed south of the village.
Qiaoshui Town was divided by a small river into northern and southern parts.
The north was where Du Yuan stood now—home to the poorest families, packed with people but scant in money and land.
The south was Du Yuan’s destination. There, wealthy households resided, especially the Zhuang family, the richest clan in Qiaoshui Town and well-known gentry across Qing County.
They were almost considered an illustrious lineage.
The elderly master of the Zhuang family had three sons, each praised by renowned tutors as promising candidates in the imperial examinations.
Thus, the old master spared no effort investing in his three sons, hoping they could enter officialdom and truly secure their place among the aristocracy.
Even a minor noble family was noble indeed!
Social standing, family name, rank and privilege—all centered on that prestige.
Inside the Zhuang family estate,
the old master paced the square courtyard, hands clasped behind his back, gazing gloomily at the clear sky.
His eldest and second sons had already departed for the capital to prepare for the spring imperial exams.
The youngest son was about to take the provincial exams.
Though many said the emperor’s recent large-scale imperial examinations were futile and that local recommendations were the true state policy, these rumors had circulated for over a decade and still persisted.
Clearly, the great families could not shake the emperor’s resolve.
The imperial examination path was the only way for people like himself to ascend socially.
After all, in this era of peace and order, how else could they rise?
Yet, bribery and connections were still indispensable.
At first, when he learned of the Zhou family’s misfortune, he was delighted, for it meant he wouldn’t have to wait for natural disasters to acquire the Zhou lands.
This sentiment held firm until he discovered that Zhou Dalao had truly become a zombie.
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Because he knew the Purple Cloud Taoist Master!
A famous master—what was a zombie that couldn’t even leave its room?
But when he heard that all the masters summoned, including the Purple Cloud Taoist Master, had fled in panic, he belatedly realized that those so-called experts were nothing but frauds who scammed food, money, and favors!
He had once witnessed the Purple Cloud Taoist Master strike through a mountain with a single palm, stirring a bamboo forest.
Now, reflecting on it, that must have been a trick—perhaps something hidden in the bamboo to deceive him.
Faced with a real zombie, the master’s true colors were exposed, making him a laughingstock.
Anger flared in the old master’s nostrils—he had spent hundreds of taels of silver on the Purple Cloud Taoist Master over the years!
But thinking about it now was useless. The real problem was how to deal with the zombie.
Besides, his two sons were about to take the spring exams, yet a zombie had appeared in his hometown. Was this some ill omen?
Would the Zhuang family suffer disaster because of it?
One problem piled upon another, nearly driving him mad.
Just then, a servant hurried in to report:
“Master, the new batch of useless men was scared off again!”
Hearing this, the old master cursed loudly:
“A pack of beasts! No skill at all, yet they dare accept our offerings—scoundrels, simply scoundrels!”
Soon after, another servant came running:
“Master, master, I just heard a young gentleman arrived at the town’s entrance and took on this matter. He’s heading to the Zhou family to subdue Zhou Da!”
“Again? What use could he be?” the old master snapped, furious at another incompetent arrival barging in.
But the servant continued:
“Master, this one seems different. From afar, I saw this young gentleman remain composed. Perhaps he really has skill?”
Half doubtful, the old master said:
“If that’s so, then bring him here. No need to prepare tea or chairs—I’ll question him right here.”
The servants immediately prepared.
Before they could leave, the well-dressed man from earlier dashed in, wiping sweat.
“Master! Master! Bad news, bad news!”
Alarmed, the old master’s face changed.
“Could it be that Zhou Da escaped? Daring to show up in broad daylight? Quick, close the gates and bring out the sticky rice and fire oil!”
“No, no, it’s not that. Zhou Da hasn’t come out.”
Seeing it wasn’t Zhou Da, the old master’s expression grew stern.
“What then?”
The man stepped forward and pointed behind him:
“A young gentleman just arrived, claiming he can subdue Zhou Da.”
“I know that already,” the old master said impatiently.
But then the man excitedly added:
“This one truly has skill! The moment he acted, golden light blazed forth and he restrained Zhou Da!”
“Ah?! He really has skill!” the old master exclaimed, shocked.
Turning to two servants still present, who also looked astonished, he ordered:
“Hurry! Clean the main hall, prepare tea, prepare plenty of tea! I will entertain this gentleman before our ancestors’ ancestral tablets!”
The servants hurried to comply.
The man wanted a drink but was immediately kicked by the old master.
“Go to the accounting office and withdraw, uh, fifty taels of silver. I want to reward this gentleman.”
Money was tight even among the wealthy these days, with expenses everywhere.
The man nodded and turned to leave.
But just as he stepped forward, another tenant farmer rushed in excitedly.
“Old master! Old master! The Living Buddha has arrived!”
“Living Buddha?!” the old master asked, puzzled. Why had the Living Buddha come again?
The tenant farmer glanced at the well-dressed man and realized the topic was about Du Yuan.
He added:
“Master, you don’t know, but that young Living Buddha’s power is boundless and his divine abilities astonishing. Not only did he subdue the zombie Zhou Da, but with a minor ritual, he even called Zhou Da’s soul back from the gates of the underworld.”
“Now he has fulfilled Zhou Da’s last wish, allowing him to rest in peace!”
“My heavens!” the old master exclaimed.
He kicked the man again.
“What are you standing there for? Go at once!”
The man hurriedly said:
“Alright, I’m going to the accounting office to withdraw fifty taels now.”
Hearing this, the old master exploded:
“Fifty taels? How dare you say that? Two hundred taels! Withdraw two hundred taels and bring me that lingzhi mushroom. I want to offer it to the Living Buddha!”
Then the old master turned to the other servants and tenants:
“Also, quickly clean the rooms. Perhaps I’ll have the honor of inviting the Living Buddha to visit the Zhuang estate. Such a blessing is no small matter.”
“If anything goes wrong, I won’t show mercy!”
With his commanding presence, all nearby bowed their heads in fear and obedience.