Longevity, starting from traveling and telling stories

Chapter 179 Return to Qingshi Town, Pretty Widow Ren Youlan
Ye Beixuan's footsteps were quick and heavy. He moved like the wind as he passed through the narrow alley and finally arrived in front of the familiar courtyard.

However, the scene before him made him breathless.

The courtyard wall was already dilapidated, the gate was closed, and the iron lock on the door was rusty.

Ye Beixuan stood in front of the door, feeling an ominous premonition in his heart.

Without hesitation, he lightly stepped on the ground and leaped in as fast as a swallow.

look around.

The family of three that Niu Niu had carved on the wall was now blurred, with only a few faint traces left. He felt a sudden pang of sadness in his heart.

The ancient well in the courtyard was covered with moss at the wellhead. The orange tree beside the well was still lush and leafy, but there were piles of fallen leaves under the tree, and it was obvious that no one had cleaned it for a long time.

He walked quickly towards the house. The lock on the door was also rusty. Without hesitation, he waved his hand and the lock opened.

When I opened the door, the room was dark and the air was filled with a faint musty smell.

The tables and chairs were covered with thick dust, obviously no one had lived there for a long time.

Where had she gone? His brows knitted together, the uneasiness in his heart growing stronger.

His eyes scanned the room, and suddenly, a letter on the table caught his attention. He dodged and was in front of the table in an instant, picking up the letter in his hand.

The envelope was written with "Personally addressed to Mr. Ye".

The handwriting was trembling slightly.

Open the envelope and take out the letter.

What caught my eye were some blurry handwritings, as if they had been soaked in water, and even the ink had spread a little.

"From Mr. Ye himself."

I don’t know if my husband can see this letter. When he left, he didn’t even want to ask my name. I guess I’m just being too sentimental, but I still want to tell you my name. My name is - Ren Youlan.

The reason I left this letter is that I hope my husband can see it one day. Niuniu is missing. I was going to look for her, but she suddenly disappeared.

Ye Beixuan's breath choked and he clutched the letter tightly.

He quickly turned to the second page and continued reading.

My memory is getting worse and worse. I have forgotten who my husband was. But after seeing you, my memory miraculously stopped declining. After you left, I missed you every day. Until Niu Niu was lost, my memory started to deteriorate again. I am gradually forgetting Niu Niu. I dare not delay, for fear that I will never find her again. I must find her no matter where I am. Please forgive me for breaking my promise. I can no longer wait for you, my husband.

Ren Youlan, last work.

Ye Beixuan's chest seemed to freeze even his breathing.

Niu Niu was missing. That cute little girl who unconsciously called him "Daddy" was actually kidnapped? Niu Niu's innocent smile emerged in his mind, and his heart ached.

This matter must be investigated immediately.

He took a deep breath, quickly folded the letter, put it in his arms, turned and walked out of the house.

The orange tree in the yard still stood there quietly. Ye Beixuan waved his hand casually, and large leaves fell. Then he grabbed with his five fingers and sucked, successfully collecting the leaves.

He walked to the well, picked up the wooden bucket that Ren Youlan had used before, and started to draw water.

Just as he bent down.

Suddenly, a dazzling burst of blood light burst out from the ancient well!
Before he could react, a beam of blood shot out and instantly pierced Ye Beixuan's chest.

The intense pain made him stagger, and then the blood light turned into a huge bloody hand and slapped him hard on the head.

Ye Beixuan's body flew backwards like a kite with a broken string and fell heavily to the ground, his life or death unknown.

A burst of wild laughter came: "Hahahaha, I'm finally unblocked!"

The figure of the Blood Demon slowly rose from the well. His bloody body and bloody eyes stared at the unconscious Ye Beixuan, with a cruel smile on the corner of his mouth.

He raised his hand to deliver the second and final blow.

Suddenly, at this moment, a faint flawless light suddenly appeared in the well, and the Blood Demon paused.

At this moment, a broken mirror flew out from Ye Beixuan's chest. The mirror surface was emitting a soft halo, which instantly enveloped the Blood Demon and continued to decompose his body.

Good opportunity! Ye Beixuan instantly stood up and shot out with Zhuxie.

With a sizzling roar, Zhuxie, with the Southern Ming Lihuo, instantly pierced through the Blood Demon.

"Ah!" The blood demon let out a painful roar, turned into a streak of blood and quickly escaped.

The light curtain of the Samsara Mirror was still covering Ye Beixuan who was vomiting blood. At the last moment when his consciousness completely fell into darkness, he thought to himself: I was careless. I didn't expect that the Blood Demon was sealed here.

His body also quickly disappeared from the spot along with the light of the mirror.
"Want to search across time and space for the Samsara Mirror? The Lord has already anticipated this." With that, the Blood Demon emanated blood power and headed in the direction of the Samsara Mirror: "You will be lost in the long river of time and space forever!"

at the same time.

Somewhere in a dark place, Hou Fangting, filled with demonic and ghostly energy, slowly raised his head, a strange smile playing on his lips: "The Blood Demon is finally complete? This time I want to completely control the power of the Blood Demon."

Ye Beixuan was once again pulled into the mysterious galaxy.

In the vast and boundless universe, the sky is filled with twinkling stars, and the light is interwoven into a long and dazzling river. This is the long river of time and space.

Ye Beixuan's body was constantly pulled by the Samsara Mirror and fell into the galaxy.

He could feel that there seemed to be the aura of the fragments of the Samsara Mirror in that place.

However, just as he was about to fall into the galaxy, a huge sea of blood suddenly emerged around him, with rolling waves of blood and a fishy smell, instantly blocking his way.

Countless blood-colored chains appeared from the sea of blood, locking him firmly in place and making him unable to move.

Ye Beixuan's brows furrowed, a surge of anxiety forming in his heart. What was going on? The Blood Demon, while powerful, couldn't possibly affect him from such a distance. Could it be the sea of blood? Only it could do that.

Helpless! He tried to communicate with the power of the Samsara Mirror, trying to break free from the constraints of the sea of blood. However, the radiance of the Samsara Mirror was of no avail. The sea of blood locked him tightly, and even the power of the Samsara Mirror could not shake him in the slightest.

Just when he was at his wit's end, a Moonlight Box suddenly flew out of his chest and floated in front of him. The box's surface shone with a faint moonlight, and a line of spells written by him appeared on the box.

Ye Beixuan was stunned and wondered: When did I write on the treasure box?

However, at this moment, he had no time to think about it. He had to escape as soon as possible and calm down. He took a deep breath and whispered the spell: "Heaven and earth, may the treasure box open and bring good mood."

As the spell was recited, the Moonlight Box suddenly burst out with dazzling moonlight light, instantly pushing away the surrounding sea of blood and forming a passage to the Star Road.

Ye Beixuan only felt his body lighten, and then he felt a strong sense of falling, falling rapidly towards the depths of the Star Road.

however.

Just as he was about to fall into the galaxy, the sea of blood suddenly condensed into a huge bloody hand, which slapped his head fiercely across time and space.

Ye Beixuan only felt a black screen in front of his eyes, and his consciousness instantly became blurred.

"Thump..." With a dull thud, the body fell heavily to the ground.

In a trance, his consciousness seemed to travel through countless epochs of time and space, and he saw a strange picture: a man was holding a book emitting colorful light, and the pages of the book were turning quickly, which contained a large number of stories.

And he was fighting a giant covered in blood.

The blood-red giant held a huge axe in his hand, and every swing of the axe brought with it the power to destroy the world. The axe chopped fiercely at the colorful book. The book was covered with cracks under the chopping of the axe, and finally could not hold on, and exploded in an instant, bursting out a huge colorful light.

The blood-colored giant was instantly attacked by the colorful light, and his blood-colored body gradually disintegrated and turned into a sea of blood again.

And in the end, only a torn piece of paper remained of the colorful book, which quietly disappeared through the cracks in time and space.

"Ah..." Ye Beixuan suddenly sat up from the bed, covered in cold sweat.

He raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and said, "Why did I have this dream again?"

Since coming here, the dream has appeared in his mind more than once.

There was a squeak.

Just then, the door was gently pushed open.

A young girl came in carrying a bowl of steaming medicine.

She had a slender figure, a gentle face, and a pair of big watery eyes. She looked ahead and blew a gentle breeze from her mouth, trying to cool the hot medicine a little.

She came to the bed and said softly in a gentle voice, "Brother Niu, your head isn't healed yet, why are you up again? Lie down and rest."

Ye Beixuan or Ye Aniu.

He looked up at the girl and smiled: "Oh, thank you, Youlan."

He took the bowl of medicine and drank it in one gulp.

Ye Aniu was picked up by the girl Youlan in the yard a few days ago.

That morning, Youlan found him unconscious beside the ancient well in the yard, so she took him home to take care of him.

Ye Aniu is handsome and gentle. Although he has lost his memory, he is down-to-earth and hardworking, and has some cultural knowledge. He quickly won the favor of Youlan's parents.

Seeing that Youlan had good character, his parents decided to take him in as their son-in-law.

Her family makes a living by selling tofu. Although their life is hard, the family is harmonious and warm, and they feel comfortable. Now that they have a satisfactory son-in-law, their life is naturally even more comfortable.

Youlan's beauty is well-known far and wide. Many rich young men have come to propose marriage to her and want to take her as a concubine, but Youlan's parents only have this one daughter and cannot bear to let her become a concubine. They hope to find a cultured son-in-law so that their daughter will not have to live a hard life like them.

However, most scholars were proud and arrogant and were unwilling to marry into a poor family that sold tofu. Therefore, Youlan's marriage was delayed after many discussions.

It was not until Ye Aniu appeared that Youlan's parents decided to take him as their son-in-law.

Although he had lost his memory, he behaved well and spoke eloquently, and it was obvious that he had received a good education. He often helped others compile stories in the inn and helped himself sell tofu. If he studied hard and passed the imperial examination in the future, he might be able to make a fortune.

More importantly, he was very grateful to Youlan. After spending these days together, their relationship had quietly changed. "Brother Niu, did you have that nightmare again?" Youlan saw that he looked dazed and asked in a soft and concerned tone.

Ye Aniu nodded and said with a wry smile: "Yeah, it's just a strange dream, no big deal. I won't remember it when I wake up anyway."

Youlan stretched out a slender jade finger, touched Aniu's forehead, and said softly: "Don't think too much, take care of your body first."

Ye Aniu looked at Youlan's gentle smile and felt a warm feeling in his heart.

He nodded and said softly, "Okay, thank you, Sister Youlan."

"Still calling me sister?"

The next day, tofu shop.

Outside the window, the sun shines into the yard, and the aroma of the tofu shop fills the air.

Ye Aniu felt a little uneasy in his heart.

He noticed that there was something wrong with Ren Youlan's expression, and there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.

He put down the work in his hands and asked with concern: "Madam, what's wrong with you? You don't look happy."

Ren Youlan raised his head and forced a smile, but there was a hint of mist and obscurity in his eyes.

She whispered, "Brother Niu, we can't sell any tofu now. If this continues, I'm afraid we'll just run out of money."

Ye Aniu was startled when he heard this and asked in confusion, "Has everything been fine all along? Why did it suddenly become like this?"

Ren Youlan sighed, lowered his head slightly, and his voice trembled a little. It turned out that there was a large tofu shop in Qingshi Town. They kept the price of tofu very low, and the Ren family's small workshop could not compete at all.

"And...and that tofu shop owner's son, Zhou Xiancai, he...he..."

At this point, Ren Youlan's voice became smaller and smaller, and he seemed to be finding it difficult to speak.

Seeing this, Ye Aniu became even more confused and asked, "Zhou Xiancai? What happened to him?"

Ren Youlan bit her lip and finally mustered the courage to speak: "He...he has some feelings for me and has always wanted to take me as a concubine. Now his family is deliberately lowering the price of tofu, just to force our family into a desperate situation so that I will agree to his request."

Although Zhou Xiancai's name is Xiancai, he is actually a well-known scoundrel who is idle all day long and is proficient in eating, drinking, whoring and gambling.

After hearing this, Ye Aniu frowned and said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, I'm here!"

Ren Youlan saw Ye Aniu was silent. After spending the past few days together, she knew Ye Beixuan's character. He was very kind and upright, but she also knew that others must not provoke him, otherwise
She quickly grabbed his sleeve and gently advised, "Brother Niu, don't be impulsive. They are rich and powerful. We can't defeat them. At worst, we can stop selling tofu and do something else to live happily."

Ye Aniu looked at Ren Youlan's worried eyes and knew what she meant. This girl was just too kind and worried that he would get into trouble, so she advised him like this.

He held Ren Youlan's hands, patted the back of her hands gently, and said softly: "Don't worry, my lady, I won't be reckless, but we can't just give up like this."

Ren Youlan nodded with relief, buried her body in his chest and listened to his heartbeat.

She said softly, "Brother Niu, I feel much more at ease when you say that."

Ye Aniu smiled slightly, took a deep breath, and smelled the girlish fragrance emanating from her body. However, he had already started to think in his heart that it would be difficult to compete with the Zhou family by making tofu alone, but there was still hope.

Perhaps, a breakthrough can be found elsewhere.

In the next few days, Ye Aniu began to inquire about news everywhere. As the saying goes, only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle. He disguised himself and went around to inquire about the news of Zhou's Tofu Shop.

He found that the tofu from the Zhou family was cheap but not very good in taste, while the tofu from the Ren family was more expensive but tasted more unique.

Ye Aniu suddenly had an idea. Since they started with the price, why don’t I start with the taste?
He found Ren Youlan and suggested: "My wife, although our tofu tastes better than Zhou's, the taste is not good enough for others to buy it at a low price. We need to re-research it."

"Also, we can try some new dishes, such as dried tofu, tofu skin, and even tofu pudding, to attract more customers."

Ren Youlan's eyes flashed with joy after hearing this, and he nodded and said, "Brother Niu, you're right! We can try making some new varieties, maybe we can make a breakthrough."

They acted immediately and Ye Aniu and Ren Youlan worked together to try to improve the taste of tofu.

They carefully thought about it and conducted repeated experiments, and finally made dried tofu and tofu skin with a unique taste.

In order to attract customers, they also launched a free tofu pudding tasting event.

Sure enough, not long after, the Ren family’s tofu stall became lively again.

Old customers flocked back to support the restaurant, and new customers were drawn to the new products. Although the price was slightly higher than Zhou's tofu, Ren's tofu was of excellent quality and its reputation was growing.

Zhou Xiancai was very annoyed to see that Ren's business was booming again. He tried to lower the price many times, but it was of no avail. Old customers all chose Ren's tofu.

Seeing that the hard way didn't work, Zhou Xiancai came up with another trick. He also tried to make dried tofu like the Ren family, but he didn't get it right, and the taste was not good, which ruined his reputation.

As the days passed, the Ren family's tofu business became better and better, and their lives gradually improved.

Ren Youlan's face was filled with smiles again, and she said to Ye Aniu: "Brother Aniu, thanks to you, you are the lucky star of our family."

Ye Aniu smiled and said softly, "We are a family."

"Yes, Brother Aniu, my husband, we will always be a family." Ren Youlan looked at Ye Aniu, his eyes full of gratitude and dependence.

The old couple of the Ren family are both kind people.

They saw their daughter and Ye Aniu working day and night to revive the family tofu business.

They all saw it in their hearts, watching their daughter and future son-in-law stick together every day, sometimes discussing in low voices while doing work, and sometimes laughing heartily.

Mr. Ren doesn't talk much on weekdays, but he is very thoughtful.

Although Ye Aniu has lost his memory and his identity is unknown, he has good character, is hardworking, and is dedicated to the Ren family. I have long recognized this young man.

One evening.

Mr. Ren called Ye Aniu to the yard.

The afterglow of the setting sun fell on the two of them.

Old Master Ren patted Ye Aniu's shoulder and said in a gentle tone, "Aniu, you've worked hard these days. I can see that you and Youlan are in love with each other, and I only have this one daughter. Her happiness is my greatest wish."

When Ye Aniu heard this, he was shocked and said quickly: "Old man, you have been so kind to me, and I should do all this."

Mr. Ren waved his hand and continued, "I know. Let's find some time to hold the wedding! You don't have much savings right now, so I'll pay for the groom's suit."

Upon hearing this, Ye Aniu felt both moved and a little overwhelmed.

He lowered his head and was silent for a moment, then said solemnly: "Don't worry, old man, I am sincere to Youlan. As long as you don't despise me, I am willing to take care of her for the rest of my life."

After hearing this, Mr. Ren smiled with satisfaction. He nodded and said, "Okay, I'll discuss the wedding with Youlan's mother and choose a good day so that we can have a grand wedding."

Ye Aniu nodded gratefully. Although he had lost his memories of the past, this sense of belonging had never been so strong.

At dinner that night, Mr. Ren brought up the wedding again at the table and told his wife and daughter about it.

When Ren Youlan heard her father's words, her face suddenly flushed and she lowered her head shyly, but her eyes were full of joy.

She secretly glanced at Ye Aniu and saw that he was looking at her with a smile, which made her feel even sweeter in her heart.

Aunt Ren also smiled from ear to ear. She took her daughter's hand and said, "Youlan, Aniu is a good child. I am relieved that you two are together. You should support each other in the future. Aniu, don't make tofu anymore. Focus on studying and getting a good reputation."

"I understand, auntie." Ye Aniu replied happily.

"Still calling me aunt? It's time to change your tone." Old Mrs. Ren said that the more the mother-in-law looks at her son-in-law, the more satisfied she is.

".mother."

Ren Youlan raised his head and looked at Ye Aniu, his eyes full of tenderness: "Brother Aniu, we will be a family from now on."

Ye Aniu nodded.

night.

The stars were shining brightly, the silver moon was in the sky, and Ye Aniu was staring at the starry sky in a daze.

Suddenly, a piece of clothing was draped over his shoulders, and a soft voice came: "Brother Niu, why aren't you sleeping yet? Are you tired of studying?"

Ye Aniu shook his head and said, "I wonder if there are gods living in the stars in the sky."

Puff! Ren Youlan smiled and said, "Brother Niu is really good at joking. There are no gods in this world. If there are, then Brother Niu is the god-like husband sent to me by God."

"Maybe there really are no gods!" Ye Aniu said slowly, "But a story suddenly popped up in my mind. I wonder if it's something I read before I lost my memory."

"Oh?" Ren Youlan's big eyes blinked like stars in the sky, and he asked curiously, "Brother Niu, what's the story? Tell me quickly."

"This story." Ye Aniu thought about it carefully and said, "This story is called Su Dan's Immortality."

So, Ye Aniu began to narrate, speaking eloquently. Ren Youlan felt as if he was born to be a master storyteller.

After finishing the story, Ren Youlan said with a sad look on his face, "After Su Xian left, his mother must have been so sad... Brother Niu, do you think you will leave one day too?"

"No, I will definitely come back."

stare.
Ye Aniu was stunned. He found an orange tree seed in his hand. What the hell was this? Could this tree cure diseases and remove toxins when it grew?

Just when he was full of doubts, a pair of hurried footsteps accompanied by exclamations were heard.

"Oh no, oh no." Aunt Ren shouted hurriedly: "Youlan, Aniu, something terrible has happened."

"All our tofu has gone bad."

"Broken?" Ye Aniu was puzzled. He and his wife had always been very careful when making tofu. How could they make such a low-level mistake?
"I don't know what happened. Someone blocked the ventilation holes in our house. Now all the tofu has gone bad. What should we do?" Aunt Ren said anxiously.

"Let's go take a look."

(End of this chapter)