If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 874 Congratulations on the Million Dollar
Old man Liu was woken up by a gentle push from his wife.

Being woken up in the middle of the night, he was very angry and wanted to yell, but Li spoke first and whispered, "Listen, there is a thief outside the house."

Old man Liu listened carefully and indeed heard abnormal noises in the yard, as if something was being moved.

"It's not a thief, it's that beast Lao San who is back!" Old Man Liu said gritting his teeth.

"The third brother hasn't come back tonight. It's the middle of the night now, and he's still stealing things. How could it be him?" Li was a little suspicious.

"I knew it was him from the sound of his footsteps."

Old man Liu lifted the quilt, rubbed the oil lamp on the bedside to light it, and then walked out with the lamp. As expected, he saw Liu Laosan acting furtively and rummaging through something in the warehouse.

"Old Third, where have you been? Why did you come back just now?"

"Dad, where is our shovel?" Liu Laosan was looking for farm tools.

"Where's the shovel? You prodigal son of a bitch. You lost twenty taels of silver in gambling. All the ironware in the house was taken away by Master Yong. Not even your mother's scissors were left." Old man Liu lowered his voice and cursed angrily.

"That bastard Yong Chi did such a ruthless thing. Sooner or later, I will settle the score with him!"

Liu Laosan muttered, and started to search again, "If we don't have a shovel, a wooden shovel can also be used to shovel the soil."

The iron shovel is made of fine iron, while the wooden shovel is made of wood. It has a larger shovel surface and is generally used to shovel grain.

For example, when drying millet and wheat on the ground, winnowing the millet and wheat, and collecting and bagging them, a wooden shovel is needed.

This kind of wooden shovel can also be used to shovel garbage and loose soil.

Before the appearance of bronze and iron tools, ancient humans used it to dig the soil and farm!

"What are you shoveling the soil for?" asked Old Man Liu.

"Didn't you ask me to plant peach trees?" Liu Laosan found a wooden shovel and strode out.

Old Man Liu chased after him and asked in a low voice, "You have been away from home for most of the day. What have you been doing? Have you found the Taoist priest?"

"It seems like I found it, but I didn't find it either." Liu Laosan said dejectedly.

"Did you find it?" Old Man Liu asked curiously.

"I don't know." Liu Laosan recounted the incident of the old man throwing his shoes at him on the bridge.

Old Man Liu was not very excited, he just kept sighing, "Alas, you are indeed a person without immortal luck. The old immortal is obviously moved by your sincerity and plans to give you a chance.

Even though I gave you a chance, you are useless, you unlucky bastard!"

He understood his sons' habits and knew that even if he sat on the bridge pier and deliberately threw his shoes down, the third son would curse at him and would never go down to pick up the shoes.

All I can say is that he is indeed unlucky.

Liu Laosan complained, "The old immortal wanted to test my respect for the elderly and the wise. There are so many things I could do, why did he have to throw shoes? Is this something a normal person would do?
I bet anyone would call him an old crook tonight."

Old Man Liu sneered and said, "You can't do it, which only shows that you are an ordinary person. If the old immortal wants to grant immortal fate, will he give it to ordinary people?

If someone can really pass this test, he must be a truly kind and filial person.

Even as an old man, I am convinced that such a person can obtain the opportunity to become an immortal.

If a jerk like you could easily obtain the blessing of heaven, even if you were my son, I would not accept it.

At least I am better than you, why do I not have the blessing of immortality, but you do? "

Liu Laosan said angrily, "Why are you dissatisfied? My son has been blessed with immortality, how can he not rely on you?"

"I'm not talking nonsense with you! What if you dig up the peach tree late at night and cut off the roots? You are going to plant it on your mother's grave. How unlucky is a dead peach tree? Wait until tomorrow morning!" said Old Man Liu.

"Well, you come closer with the lamp, I'll be more careful. I have to go to the county for a banquet tomorrow morning, so time is very tight." Liu Laosan was busy digging the tree, with no intention of stopping.

"What banquet is there in the county? The feng shui of your mother's grave is related to your fate and the future of my Liu family. It is a big deal!" Old Man Liu said in a deep voice.

"A few days ago, an outsider named Lu Gong moved to our county. His family had settled down and he was going to hold a housewarming banquet.

All the important figures in the county went to give gifts and congratulations.

If I don't go, wouldn't that mean I have no face?" Liu Laosan said as he carefully dug the soil.

Old Man Liu was holding a lantern nearby and asked in surprise, "Who is the Lu family? All the prominent figures in the county are going there to give gifts?"

Liu Laosan said with a look of longing: "The Lu family is a real aristocratic family, a family with hundreds of years of history!

They are not comparable to the local rich families like the Wang family and the Yong family in our county.

You also know our father.

What an arrogant person he was, yet he was extremely respectful and close to Lu Gong.

You are more familiar with Lord Xiao, who is from the same village as us and often comes to our house to drink.

He has now become the chief clerk of the yamen, and has also taken the initiative to serve as the Lu family's receptionist.

The Xiao family is also a big family. They have extensive connections both inside and outside the city of Pei County and are real local tyrants.

But Lord Xiao behaved like this, Dad, think about it yourself. "

Old Man Liu asked in confusion, "Why would such a big shot move to Pei County?"

"I heard that they had made enemies with the Jing family of Dang County. The Jing family is the descendant of the royal family of Chu and a real aristocratic family. The Lu family must be no simple enemy to have made enemies with the Jing family." Liu Laosan said.

Now Liu Laosan has complete faith and respect for the "mysterious old Taoist priest" (the Liu family doesn't even know what the old Taoist priest is called).

He carefully dug up the peach tree, and then meticulously planted it next to his mother's grave according to the location specified by the old Taoist priest.

After Liu Laosan finished his work, he knelt in front of his mother's grave and kowtowed nine times, saying, "Mother, in the underworld, you must protect me and give me all the green energy.

When I become successful, I will definitely help you repair your tomb."

Old Man Liu said angrily, "Have you forgotten what I told you? Your mother's tomb is in a special location. It's best left like this now. You must not move it. If you dare to dig a handful of dirt, I'll kill you first."

"I remember that the Taoist priest said that the earth energy node is in the treasure cave. Hey, Dad, why did you chase me at that time? This is not the first time I have lost money. You should keep a close eye on the Taoist priest and don't let him leave. Ask him to explain clearly!"

"You still have the nerve to say that if you hadn't lost all the cattle, sheep, chickens and ducks in your family in gambling, would the Taoist priest have left quietly?

I have already made an appointment with the Taoist priest and will kill two chickens to entertain him.

Without chickens, I felt embarrassed to stay and left so as not to embarrass my family. It’s all your fault, you loser~~”

After the father and son complained to each other, they returned to their rooms and went to bed.

The next day, Liu Laosan got up late.

"Dad, what did I tell you last night? Why didn't you wake me up earlier? It's almost noon now."

Old man Liu said angrily, "Our rooster was caught by Uncle Yong. Without a rooster to crow, the whole family got up late today."

Mrs. Li and the second sister-in-law standing by looked at Liu Laosan with resentful eyes.

"It's not like we're the only family with a rooster." Liu Laosan muttered.

"Alas, Lu Wan next door is also a good-for-nothing. The chickens in his home were used as gambling capital a long time ago, and he lost everything." Old Man Liu sighed.

Liu Laosan was speechless. He wiped his face with a towel and said, "Dad, Mom, give me some money. I want to go to the county for a feast."

"Where is the money? There is no money at home~" The second sister-in-law shouted first.

Liu Laosan frowned and said, "I really have something important to do today."

"No more money." His stepmother, Li, said slowly, "your second brother took the only two strings of copper coins left in the family yesterday afternoon and went to the market to buy a calf. Look, it's locked in the shed.

Two strings of money are not enough, and now I owe Tang Yahang forty big coins!
Fortunately, you still have some face outside.

Tang Yaxing said, "Since my eldest brother's family wants to buy an ox to plow the fields, we have to sell it today even if we lose money."

But we can't take advantage of him like this. After we harvest the wheat and beans, we must pay him back the forty coins.

The more respect people give you, the more respect we have to have, right?"

Liu Laosan sighed silently, turned around and walked out of the house.

He got up very late, and Zhongyangli was still dozens of miles away from Pei County!
Fortunately, his internal strength is still strong.

I ran nearly a hundred miles yesterday afternoon, but now I only ran forty or fifty miles in an hour.

When we arrived at the county town, it was almost time for lunch.

Liu Laosan quickly found the "Fan Family Dog Meat Shop" at the city gate.

"Brother Ji, you're here, come in, I'll prepare a pot for you!"

At lunchtime, many guests came to eat dog meat. Fan Kuai and his two servants were busy.

Seeing Liu Ji coming, Fan Kuai, the boss, immediately came out, greeted him personally, and pulled him into the store.

"Brother, do you have money? Lend me some. I want to go to Lu Gong's house for a banquet."

Liu Laosan felt more comfortable than at home.

He opened a dog meat casserole with ease and grabbed a piece of meat from it and started chewing it.

When he heard about borrowing money, Fan Kuai, who was originally very enthusiastic, immediately showed an embarrassment and stammered, "Brother Ji, don't even mention borrowing money. You have come to me so many times, and when have you ever paid me back?
But we just opened today. How about I chop half a rack of dog meat for you so that Lu Gong can taste my cooking skills? "

Liu Laosan glared and said, "Dog meat is not served at the main table, and it is shameless to give it as a gift. Brother, today I am telling you this: all the important people in the county must attend the celebration of Lu Gong's new house. If you go empty-handed, you will lose face."

Fan Kuai sighed helplessly, brought the money box over, opened it in front of him, and said, "Brother Ji, take a look for yourself. That's all. I can only give you a hundred coins at most."

Liu Laosan looked inside and saw only a small amount of silver coins in the box, the rest were copper coins, but there were only two or three hundred of them.

Considering that Fan Kuai had such a big store to run, lending him a hundred coins was really the limit.

"Okay, one hundred coins, plus half a stick of dog meat, I want it to be fatty," he said.

"Isn't dog meat not allowed to be served at the main banquet?" Fan Kuai asked.

"Is your dog meat the same as others'?" Liu Laosan patted Fan Kuai's shoulder with his greasy right hand and whispered, "The Lu family is a wealthy family. I have asked Lord Cao about it. Mr. Lu's family assets are millions, and his eldest son Lu Ze is currently the doctor of the Suiyang garrison camp, with 5,000 soldiers under his command.

If he had not offended the Jing family, a powerful family for thousands of years, the second son of Lu Gong, Lu Shizhi, would have almost become the commander of Dang County.

If we curry favor with such an important figure, how can we brothers not benefit from it?"

The promises made by other bosses and senior managers to their subordinates are mostly empty promises.

Although Liu Laosan, the "big brother", is not very reasonable and reliable, he never makes empty promises. Whenever he has half a piece of cake in his hand, he will share it with his brothers.

Fan Kuai didn't quite believe that Brother Ji could get much benefit from the Lu family, nor did he think that Brother Ji could curry favor with the Lu family.

But he fully believed that if there was a great benefit, he would definitely get a share of the profits.

"Brother, people like us have nothing to do with the noble families, so you should be more down-to-earth.

Thinking too much will only lead to greater disappointment. This time, I just need to not offend Lu Gong."

"You don't understand. Your elder brother's ancestors' graves have been in great trouble recently." Liu Laosan pulled Fan Kuai to a corner, and proudly and mysteriously told him the "secret that absolutely cannot be told to anyone" without any error.

Fan Kuai was skeptical, but he did not discourage his elder brother's belief. He said, "Brother Ji, I will chop the meat for you. You should go to Lu's house quickly. It's already noon."

When Liu Ji arrived at Lu's house carrying a basket of dog meat, the door was already full of cars.

The worst is also the donkey cart.

Liu Ji walked over on his own two legs without any embarrassment or shame.

He greeted the servant at the door, then walked straight into the yard and headed towards the front hall.

"Hey, Master Xiao, are you waiting for me?"

As soon as I entered the yard, I saw a man with a long beard and a black robe standing in the middle of the courtyard, talking to the Lu family's housekeeper.

The table next to it was piled with gifts.

Most of the gifts were silver and money, which were put directly into bamboo baskets.

There was also a red paper booklet and pen and ink on the table, which should be used by the ceremonial officer for registration.

"Liu Ji, why are you here just now? The banquet has already started."

Xiao He was a few years older than Liu Bang, probably in his fifties.

But she has taken very good care of herself, with fair cheeks and a slightly plump face, and looks to be in her early forties.

"I live outside the city and walked here on foot." Liu Ji said as he leaned over to look into the hall.

The banquet had indeed begun, and more than a hundred guests had arrived, toasting, eating, drinking, chatting and laughing.

"How much money did you bring?"

Xiao He didn't bother to talk nonsense with him. He immediately went back to the table, picked up a pen, and prepared to register for Liu Laosan.

"One hundred coins, is that enough?" Liu Ji put a purse on the table.

Xiao He nodded and said, "That's enough, you can find a seat downstairs."

Liu Ji held down his pen and squinted his eyes and said, "My seat is at the bottom of the hall. Should I sit with those idiots?"

Xiao He took a look around the court and saw that many of them were officials from the yamen, and the rest were wealthy families from Pei County.

"If the gift money is less than one thousand, you can only sit in the hall. This is the rule." Xiao He said.

"You bastard, why don't you just go and rob me for a thousand coins?" Liu Ji cursed.

The steward of the Lu Mansion standing next to him glared at him with contempt.

"It's the same as sitting in the hall. It's just a meal." Xiao He comforted.

Liu Ji's eyes rolled, he took the purse on the table back, stuffed it into his arms, and shouted towards the hall, "Liu Ji, congratulations on the money!"

"Wow~~" The hall was quiet for a moment, and then there was a noise.

Some guests gasped, while others exclaimed in amazement.

Some guests also saw that the person who shouted "Congratulations!" was Liu Ji and sneered.

"You idiot, where did you get ten thousand dollars?" Xiao He shouted in a low voice.

"You are the ceremonial officer, you just need to register!"

Liu Ji carried the dog meat basket, strode with his head held high, a proud look on his face, and walked straight to the hall.

After walking seven or eight steps, he suddenly widened his eyes and stared at the old Taoist priest opposite Lu Gong. He stopped and murmured, "Master Xiao, I have a question for you. How much does it cost to sit at the same table with Lu Gong?"

Just after asking a question, he waved his hand again, "Forget it, I, Liu Ji (suddenly raised my voice), congratulations on a million yuan!"

(End of this chapter)