After returning from my cultivation journey, I built a farm through fortune telling.

Chapter 52 (Revised)
The bamboo grove was very shady. Because it was close to the river, there was a large patch of plants that looked like taro on the outside, but had poisonous roots and were inedible. The egret didn't know what they were called.

Large swathes of them, growing lush and verdant.

The bamboo forest was full of bamboo husks. When Bai Lu was a child, she would often take a fertilizer bag and fill it with bamboo husks to start a fire, because her family still had an earthen stove back then, and bamboo husks were easily flammable.

It was like I had a mission. Every day after school, I would carry a bag of them home. Sometimes I was in a hurry to do my homework or go play, so I would just stuff them into the bag without even looking. I didn't even realize I had taken a bamboo leaf green pepper with me.

While tending the fire, Qin Xiu wasn't paying attention. She reached in and touched something slippery. When she pulled it out, she saw a small, bright green snake with its mouth wide open, bleeding. If she hadn't reacted quickly, she would have been bitten.

This stuff is extremely poisonous!
Getting bitten would be terrible!
Qin Xiu was terrified and never let Bai Lu collect bamboo husks again.

Taking advantage of everyone's inattention, the egret subtly moved its wrist, and a surge of spiritual energy coursed through the bamboo forest, causing plump white bamboo shoots to sprout from every corner of the grove.

The egret broke off a branch with its bare hands, then weighed it in its hand; it must have weighed three or four pounds.

"These bamboo shoots are growing so well, the bamboo will definitely grow well next year!" Grandpa Bai said.

That won't last until next year.

The egret thought to itself, "I'm going to eat it now!"

"This is also selling for thirty-one jin?"

Uncle Bai was stunned when he heard this.

Although both are wild, wild vegetables and bamboo shoots are quite different. Wild vegetables can sell for 30 yuan per kilogram, which is a relatively high price, but reasonable, since they are seasonal. However, bamboo shoots selling for 31 yuan per kilogram is really outrageous.

Bamboo shoots at the market are only five yuan a pound!
The bamboo shoots here aren't the small, hand-peeled kind. Each bamboo shoot weighs at least three or four pounds. That means that at my niece's house, each bamboo shoot costs close to a hundred yuan, or even more. Which family can afford that?
Poverty truly limited his imagination.

—Buying such expensive food, do you think it will make you an immortal?

That's why Bai Jiang and Bai He are said to be brothers!
When it comes to food and drink, there is a high degree of consensus.

But since my niece said she wanted to dig bamboo shoots, then let's do it.

—Listen to the boss.

"Lulu, it's so expensive, will anyone actually buy it?" Grandpa Bai asked.

In his spare time, he would dig up some bamboo shoots and sell them in town, but he couldn't sell them for five yuan a pound. In a day, he couldn't even sell fifty yuan worth.

"Of course!" Bai Lu showed Grandpa Bai the orders in the mini-program.

"I just put 50 bamboo shoots on the shelves, and 49 of them have already been sold out in seconds. Each bamboo shoot costs 100 yuan and weighs between 3.5 and 4 jin."

Grandpa Bai: "..."

He asked uncertainly, "Is buying groceries on a mobile phone really that expensive?"

Then why buy it on your phone?

Walking a few steps to the market, will your legs break?!
Bai Lu explained, "People these days love good food! As long as it tastes good, they're willing to pay any price! Our wild vegetables and bamboo shoots are all organic, pesticide-free, and pollution-free. Selling them at this price isn't unreasonable!"

“That’s true!” Uncle Bai agreed. “I see these things all the time on Douyin. A box of red plums, which only has 6 plums and weighs a little over a pound, costs 99 yuan! A small box of marshmallow green grapes costs 122 yuan, and the most outrageous thing is that a box of white strawberries, which only has one strawberry, costs 128 yuan each! What are these things? Can eating these things make you immortal? Why are they so expensive?”

Compared to Bailu's "thirty yuan", this price is simply incomparable!
Aunt Bai also said, "I've seen it too. Some people drive and fly to eat at newly opened trendy restaurants, spending thousands of yuan in the process. Thousands of yuan just for a meal? Are they going to eat themselves to death or something? I don't know what these people are thinking!"

Today, Grandpa Bai and Grandma Bai have truly seen something new. Having lived their entire lives in the village, they never imagined that the world outside had become so crazy!

Therefore, the "cheap" price of thirty yuan for Bailu was well accepted.

Any price that can be sold is a good price!

Grandma Bai held the sickle, aimed at the base of the bamboo shoot, and with a forceful cut, a plump white bamboo shoot was cut off. She carefully put it into the feed bag—a precious thing worth a hundred yuan a piece, what if it gets bumped or damaged and doesn't look good?
"The bamboo shoots here aren't bitter. They're delicious stir-fried without blanching. Back when we had a famine, your grandpa would come over in the middle of the night and dig up and eat all the bamboo shoots that hadn't even sprouted yet. The few that he couldn't finish, he blanched and dried. Our village is right next to this bamboo and sweet potato field, and we had the fewest people who starved to death among the surrounding villages!"

The egret knows about this.

Most of the villagers are surnamed Bai. A few years ago, they compiled a family genealogy, which recorded the great merits of sweet potatoes.

Bamboo shoots were packed into bags, filling two whole bags. Bai Lu estimated there were about sixty or seventy shoots. She called Bai Chen over, grabbed the tied bags, pulled with her left hand and lifted with her right, and carried the bag of bamboo shoots on Bai Chen's shoulder. He then walked away, holding the bag lightly with one hand.

Bai Jiang and the others: "..."

Bai Jiang picked up the other bag and weighed it in his hand, estimating that it must weigh about a hundred pounds.

His frail eldest daughter, who couldn't do farm work... when did she become so strong!
……

In the evening, they ate dinner at Bailu's house again, and they also tried the bamboo shoots that cost 100 yuan each!

A soup of shredded bamboo shoots and lean pork, and a stir-fried bamboo shoot with pork, were enough to win over Uncle Bai and his friends' taste buds. Even the main dish—braised pork ribs—could not be taken away from their chopsticks.

Because of Bailu's large appetite, Qin Xiu always cooks large portions, otherwise, it really won't be enough for her!
But towards the end of dinner, an unexpected incident occurred.

Aunt Bai froze, her eyes glazed over, and she fell to the ground, chair and all. Her fingers stiffened into claw-like shapes and began to twitch, while she foamed at the mouth.

Uncle Bai reacted quickly, stuffing a soup spoon into Aunt Bai's mouth to prevent her from biting her tongue.

Bai Lu was stunned for a moment, then immediately channeled a wisp of spiritual energy into her. She was not a medical cultivator and did not know how to cure diseases.

In modern times, epilepsy cannot be cured, only alleviated, so Bailu doesn't know whether her spiritual energy will have any effect on her illness.

But the results proved that some were true.

When Aunt Bai has an attack, it usually lasts for two or three minutes, but today she recovered in half a minute. Having had countless attacks since childhood, Aunt Bai's first reaction was to apologize: "I'm sorry, I had another attack and made a mess of the floor. I'll clean it up right away."

She knows that people like this are very disliked because you never know when she might have an episode. If you did something like this during a meal, it would not only be frightening but also disgusting!
Therefore, Aunt Bai usually doesn't go out much, and because of her mother's situation, Bai Qing basically doesn't mention Aunt Bai in front of her classmates.

Grandma Bai often said that it was already a blessing from God that Bai Qing wasn't mentally challenged when she was a child.

Because Aunt Bai could be smiling and holding the child, making him laugh, one second and then suddenly throw the child away because of a seizure. She couldn't even take care of herself, let alone the child.

The baby, who had just finished his postpartum confinement, fell and got a bump on his forehead the size of a quail egg. After the baby fell twice, Grandma Bai was afraid to let her look after him anymore.

"I'll take care of it, you can rest for a bit."

Uncle Bai helped her up, wiped her mouth with a tissue, and then started cleaning up the kitchen because Aunt Bai had vomited a little.

Qin Xiu didn't say anything, after all, it was an illness that couldn't be controlled by human intervention. She was even concerned about how Aunt Bai was feeling!
But I simply couldn't eat this meal.

Bai Chen and Bai Wei helped clear the table.

Aunt Bai clutched her chest, feeling embarrassed, but she wondered if it was just her imagination, but this time the attack didn't feel as bad as before.
Bai Lu seemed to be deep in thought. If the spiritual energy really could help his aunt's illness, that would be wonderful.

Because Aunt Bai fell ill, Grandpa and Uncle Bai didn't stay long before going back home.

Qin Xiu sighed heavily: "Six thousand a month it is, just pretend we didn't make any money from the bamboo shoots today—your uncle's family also has a share in this bamboo forest!"

孽 孽!
Aunt Bai has been married into the family for over ten years, and this isn't the first time Qin Xiu has seen her have an episode, but every time she does, she feels sorry for her.

When Bai Jiang saw Qin Xiu say this, he looked at Bai Lu. Although Bai Lu was his daughter, she was the one paying for the farming now, so she was the boss. Of course, a worker should listen to the boss.

The egret naturally had no objections.

She wasn't doing it selflessly; Uncle Bai had to put in the work.

……

After a few days of shortage, wild vegetables were finally back on the shelves, and they were snapped up in the mini-program. Bai Chen's previous batch of stock was sold out in seconds, and some people who couldn't buy them were cursing and complaining in the group.

【Ahhhhh! What a surprise! Bamboo shoots! They actually sell bamboo shoots! I love bamboo shoots the most!! Boss, put more on the shelves!】

[After saving up for three or four days, this is all we've produced!! Not even one serving per person! Boss, you're not doing well! Quickly replenish the inventory!!]

Please, I just wanted some food. Whoever ordered too much, please cancel the order!

Bai Chen issued an announcement stating that from today until Qingming Festival, wild vegetables and bamboo shoots will be available for sale every day, with the quantity unknown and subject to availability on the day of purchase. The goods will still be picked up from the Chengnan Market.

As for the purchase limit that the group has been demanding, Bai Chen and Bai Lu have not paid attention to it for the time being. After all, there are still dozens of acres of land. Let the storm rage on!

After compiling the list, Bai Chen and Bai Wei went back to their rooms to cultivate, and also to study the complete guide to spells that Bai Lu had given them.

Bai Lu was drawing talismans in her room, using only the best materials!

Although it can't compare to the professional quality of the cultivation world, it's already quite good.

This was because Master Qingxu knew she wanted to draw talismans, so he gave her a batch of high-quality cinnabar and talisman paper, and even replaced her brush.

A total of 398 talismans were sold.

Income of nearly eight million.

Due to account limits, the full amount has not yet been received.

After returning home, Bai Lu exclaimed for the umpteenth time, "Making money is just too easy!"

This is the first time in my three lifetimes that I've been so brazen!

But earning those millions was easier than breathing.

However, she didn't intend to sell many of these amulets; in fact, she didn't intend to sell multiple amulets to the same person.

Two tickets per person is really the limit.

Because her amulet has spiritual power, its effects are so great that it can truly change a person's destiny—

I was going to have a car accident and die today, but the amulet helped me avoid it.

I was going to fall down the stairs and die tomorrow, but the amulet helped me avoid it.

I was going to drown while swimming the day after tomorrow, but the amulet helped me avoid it.

What was supposed to be a certain death was averted entirely thanks to the white egret's amulet!
It's terrifying to think about. A person has the opportunity to change their fate, but the consequences of this talisman will fall on the person who drew it, Bai Lu.

Imagine you're drowsy while driving and about to crash into a large truck, but because of the amulet, you regain your senses, swerve sharply, and avoid hitting the truck, but instead kill a pedestrian waiting at a traffic light!

The other person was living a perfectly good life, but died because of the egret's "interference." The egret has to bear most of the blame for this!

The egret is silly!

It's clearly a losing proposition!

But this is something Bailu just realized, and it scared her into a cold sweat. She felt that she couldn't earn too much of this kind of money. In the future, these talismans from the mortal world should be regulated. They can't be sold to just anyone!

She now understood the subtle look in Master Qingxu's eyes when she agreed to sell nearly four hundred peace talismans.

Isn't she just a complete idiot?

If she continues like this, it won't be long before the underworld officials come knocking on her door.

However... you can draw more talismans for the underworld!
These talismans are only effective against evil spirits in the underworld; they are ineffective against normal people, so they don't really disrupt the order of the mortal world.

Around eight or nine o'clock, Bailu paused in her talisman-drawing motions and stared intently in the direction of Chen Dajiao's house through her own wall.

Chen Dajiao's family was in the living room. The elderly couple were watching TV, and Chen Dajiao and her husband could tell from their conversation that they were watching short online dramas.

"You dare to mess with the second young master of the Chen family?"

"Paws!"

"Snapped-"

Then came a series of slapping sounds.

The plot sounds absolutely explosive.

But halfway through the movie, Chen Dajiao's phone rang. She answered it, laughing, "Big brother, what's up? Oh! How could that be!"

Her smile froze. She didn't even have time to hang up the phone or change her clothes before running out in her slippers. Bai Jian quickly chased after her: "What's wrong?"

"My mom...my mom was in a car accident! My brother said...she's dead!"

"what!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Jian quickly went to get the car.

Chen Dajiao's in-laws were stunned: "This...this...this? What's going on? I saw my mother-in-law in town a couple of days ago when I was buying groceries!"

Chen Dajiao was trembling with sobs when her older brother hung up the phone. His phone continued playing a short drama, in which a woman was screaming heartbreakingly, "Mom!"

She wanted to shout too, but her throat was sore and she couldn't say a word. Even when her husband helped her into the car, she couldn't stop crying.

She just couldn't accept it; how could a perfectly healthy person just leave like that!

They had already agreed that she would go back to her parents' home to make wine cup cakes together after the Spring Equinox!

How could they be separated by death today?!
In the hospital morgue, Chen Dajiao held the old lady's stitched-up arm and cried her eyes out.

The deceased is gone, and Chen Dayong and Chen Dajiao are taking care of the old lady's funeral arrangements.

According to custom, a Taoist priest was invited to perform a ritual for the old lady. The ritual lasts at least three days and at most seven days. The Chen family performed the ritual for seven days. The old lady had already suffered enough by not passing away peacefully, so her funeral must be a grand and dignified affair.

Everything was normal until the seventh day. Chen Dayong, dressed in mourning clothes, knelt in the mourning hall with a group of relatives and friends. A middle-aged man in a yellow and black Taoist robe flicked his whisk and drawled, "Raise the spirit—"

The four pallbearers immediately began to lift the coffin, but it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and the four strong men couldn't lift it an inch.

The mourners immediately fell silent.

"What's going on? Why can't we lift the coffin?"

"Yes, is there some unfulfilled wish on the old lady's part?"

"Dayong, do you know what your mother still can't let go of?"
Chen Dayong had no idea. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the old lady in the coffin: "Mom, rest in peace! Everything is fine at home, so don't worry. My dad is still waiting for you over there!"

In rural areas, if a coffin cannot be lifted, it means that the elderly person has unfulfilled wishes and does not want to leave this world.

But the body that was injured in the car accident has been repaired, he knows where the family's savings book is, and his grandchildren are all doing well, so what else does the old lady have to worry about?
"Master Huang!" Chen Dayong looked anxiously at the man in the yellow and black Taoist robe.

"Don't panic—"

Master Huang remained expressionless, but inside he was terribly flustered.

Having worked for so many years, I've seen this kind of strange thing before. But when filial sons and grandsons guess the old woman's obsession, they can send her away quickly. But for some reason, this old woman was perfectly normal for seven days, without any abnormalities. And then she did this at the very end!
According to local custom, the body must be buried within seven days; otherwise, it will not be able to be reincarnated!
We have to kill him!

An old lady!

If you don't want to leave, can't you just say so earlier?
He also has plenty of time to call in reinforcements!
While wondering who he could turn to for help, Master Huang held a bell, closed his eyes, and circled the coffin, his lips moving but no one could hear what he was chanting.

But it had no effect at all. Master Huang knew it wouldn't work, after all, he was just a corpse-keeper who knew a little about funeral culture, and he couldn't compare to those real Taoist priests who caught and fought ghosts!
Chen Dajiao and Chen Dayong became extremely anxious when they saw that Master Huang had been chanting for a long time but still couldn't move the coffin.

The body lay in state for seven days. The weather wasn't hot at this time, and the body was kept warm with ice. However, the body, which had been relatively fresh before, started to smell bad, and the stench grew stronger and stronger until everyone in the room could smell it.

"Is the corpse about to rise up?!"

Someone said fearfully.

People who are superstitious all believe in ghosts, but how many have actually seen them?

Just when Chen Dayong was at his wit's end, a Taoist priest entered the mourning hall. He was dressed in a dark blue Taoist robe, with white hair and a youthful face, and had the air of an immortal. Just from his appearance, he looked more professional than Master Huang and the others.

"Master Qingxu?!"

Master Huang is anxiously making phone calls. His connections are limited, and the earliest he can help is tomorrow.

tomorrow?

Tomorrow won't do!
By tomorrow, he will be completely disgraced in the funeral industry!

Who knew that after all the darkness, a new path would open up!
He saw Master Qingxu!

Outsiders may not know Master Qingxu, but in their circle, he is synonymous with power and is also an official spokesperson!
He's here today!
That's it!

Master Huang hurried over: "Master Qingxu! What brings you here! No, no, no, you've come at the perfect time, this old man doesn't want to leave!"

Master Qingxu nodded slightly. He walked to the coffin and could feel a faint yin energy emanating from it. This was because the old woman's soul was sitting on top of the coffin. As it was a new soul, her consciousness was somewhat hazy, and she was muttering something indistinctly.

Upon closer listening, it turned out to be: "Burial is illegal!"

Master Qingxu was quite surprised; this was actually a law-abiding old lady.

In accordance with traditional customs, there are very few elderly women with this kind of awareness anymore.

Although burial is explicitly prohibited, many backward mountain villages, taking advantage of their remote location and lack of direct access to the central government, still insist on practicing burial according to local customs.

The same applies to Chen Dayong's family.

Who knew that the coffin wouldn't even leave the funeral hall?

Chen Dayong immediately asked, "Master, do you have a solution?"

They have a saying here: if a deceased person is not laid to rest within seven days, they will never be reincarnated!
Master Qingxu said, "The method is very simple, just send it to the crematorium. The old lady said, burial, according to the ritual."

"what?"

“The crackdown has been strict lately, and your mother was worried that burial would cause you trouble, so she was unwilling to leave in peace even after death.”

This reason was something Chen Dayong and Chen Dajiao never expected.

Following Master Qingxu's instructions, the old woman's body was cremated, and her ashes were placed in the coffin. Then, the coffin was smoothly lifted back up.

This time, it was much lighter.

Those present watched this scene in astonishment, exclaiming, "Master Qingxu's cultivation has reached a new level!"

"Yes, it's all thanks to Master Qingxu!"

Master Qingxu is quite famous in the Sanqing Mountain area. Many people know him and know that he is incredibly accurate in fortune telling, but his fees are extremely high. Ordinary people like them can't afford to have their fortunes told by him.

Chen Dayong expressed his deepest gratitude to Master Qingxu: "Thank you so much, I have no way to repay you. Master, please feel free to make any requests you may have. As long as I can do it, even if I can't, I will find a way."

Chen Dajiao nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes, yes!"

Master Qingxu, feigning profound knowledge, calculated a direction and said to Chen Dajiao, "Esteemed benefactor, is your home in Dongshi Village?"

Chen Dajiao was filled with awe: "Yes, yes, yes, Daoist Master, you are amazing!"

“I am just passing by and happened to encounter your family in need. I should have done this as a courtesy and should not have asked for anything in return. However, I have just consulted the oracle and found that your family has a jujube tree in Dongshi Village. If you are willing, you may give this jujube tree to me.”

"Ah?" Chen Dajiao exclaimed in surprise, "That jujube tree was struck by lightning some time ago, and we don't know if it's dead or alive. What does the Taoist priest want it for?"

“I will naturally use it. If the benefactor is unwilling, then just pretend I didn’t say anything,” Master Qingxu said with a smile.

Chen Dayong quickly nudged Chen Dajiao and whispered, "Why say so much! It's given, it's given!"

Giving jujube trees is better than giving money.

You should know that Master Qingxu charges very high fees!
Besides, these capable people, if they ask, they'll take it!
If you're sensible, you should hand it over quickly. If you're not willing, then it's not impossible for them to take it from you without your knowledge.

It's better to just agree readily; that way, you might get a better deal!
(End of this chapter)