Promise!

Chapter 239, Farewell

In December, the year ended, and Zhuang Jin worked hard for more than half a month to obtain the "Intercepting Meridian Divine Sword: Gang Qi Chapter". The year had come to an end, and the sixty-first year of Qian Yuan had arrived.

……

On the third day of the first lunar month, at the Ji family's residence.

At the beginning of the new year, it is a time for relatives, friends, and business people to visit each other. That evening, the Ji family held a banquet for their guests.

As evening fell, heavy snowflakes drifted down from the sky, and the weather was chilly. But the area in front of the Ji family's house was bustling with activity, with people coming and going, all dressed in fine clothes.

Two inconspicuous figures walked over. One was a middle-aged man with a slightly shorter stature and calloused hands, wearing a half-new black fox fur hat. The other was a boy who looked young, with fine downy hair on his face, and appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen years old. They were a father and son. The father's name was Qiu Jude, and the son's name was Qiu Fengyi.

The Qiu family is not even a third-rate family in Cangzhou City. The oldest member of the family, the patriarch, is only at the Qi Condensation Eleventh Stage. However, he is qualified to come here today because he has taken over some business from the Ji family.

"I've brought you here today to broaden your horizons. Remember: look more, listen more, and speak less. These are important people in our family that we can't afford to offend, so please don't cross them."

Qiu Jude whispered his instructions again, while adjusting his son's collar. This was a piece of clothing bought from Tianyifang, which he rarely wore and was the most presentable garment in the house.

"Dad, I remember!"

Qiu Fengyi nodded vigorously and agreed earnestly, watching his father step forward with a smile, bow and show the invitation before leading him inside.

Outside it was freezing cold and dimly lit, but once inside, it became bright and warm.

Fireplaces emitted warm, golden light, adorned with colorful ribbons, creating a festive and lively atmosphere; potted fruit trees, each five feet in diameter, were laden with various fruits, their rich spiritual energy adding a touch of brightness to the monotonous winter day; even the floor was covered with a solid-colored carpet woven from the hides of beasts at the Refined Flesh Realm.

Qiu Jude watched his son curiously examining the place, his face full of amazement, looking like he'd never seen anything like it before. He quietly tugged at his sleeve and gestured towards a spot, saying, "That's the head of the Zhao family, a third-rate family; that's the head of the Miao family, a second-rate family; and that's the head of the Wei family, a first-rate family..."

Qiu Fengyi looked in that direction. He had only seen the head of the Zhao family from afar, and in his mind, he was already a very important figure. When he saw him that time, the other party was surrounded by people, and he was very arrogant and domineering. But now he was standing in the corner, smiling obsequiously, like a little lackey. The heads of second-rate and first-rate families who were more powerful than the head of the Zhao family were only sitting in the second position, surrounding a ruddy-faced old man in the very center.

"At the very center is the patriarch of the Ji family, Ji Gongji. I heard that the Ji family has climbed up to a Celestial Venerable, and they've really prospered these past two years. By the way, who knows, we might even get to see that Venerable today!"

As they were talking, a commotion came from the doorway, which spread rapidly like waves, and the originally lively and noisy atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

Qiu Fengyi followed the crowd and saw that the crowd parted and a man who looked about the same age as him, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, walked out. A step behind him was a woman in a white fur coat, with an air of heroism and nobility that he could not describe. She was the most elegant woman he had ever seen when he was fifteen or sixteen.

At that very moment, the Zhao family head, who was extremely imposing and dignified in his eyes, the Miao family head and the Wei family head, who were even more esteemed than the Zhao family head, as well as the Ji family patriarch who was surrounded by those family heads, all stood up to greet him.

This scene was so shocking that Qiu Fengyi was stunned. It was only after his father quietly pulled him back that he hurriedly followed the crowd to pay his respects: "Greetings, Venerable One!"

"No need to be polite."

'So this is the Venerable One. My father said he wasn't just any ordinary Innate Venerable One!'

As Qiu Fengyi heard this gentle and refined voice, such a thought came to mind. He saw the other person go to the main table, and his father led him to sit at the end table, out of sight.

With the guests and hosts present, the banquet will begin immediately.

The banquet featured a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and delicacies, including those that grew on trees, trellises, and soil, as well as those that ran on the ground, flew in the sky, and swam in the water—a complete array of rare and exotic foods.

You can also hear various discussions amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts.

"I heard that all the ingredients for today's banquet were ordered from Qian Shu Fang and Bai Guo Fang."

"No wonder the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is so abundant."

"Just the meat of this strange beast is enough to reach the Yi Jin realm."

……

'A beast at the Yi Jin stage? I know that's equivalent to a martial artist's Tong Mai stage, but even my grandfather, whose martial arts level is the highest, only reached the eleventh Qi Condensation stage. That means if the beast on this table were still alive, even my grandfather couldn't defeat it!'

Qiu Fengyi had all sorts of random thoughts in his mind, such as "his grandfather, who is the pillar of the family, can't even beat a dish of vegetables." He picked up a piece of the strange beast meat and found it to be extremely delicious. After eating it, a warm current rose from his stomach, making him sweat profusely. He quickly drank a sip of fruit wine to calm down.

At this moment, his father pulled him up. It turned out that the beautiful and elegant Sister Ji, who had been following behind that venerable one, had come over. As she got closer, one could feel her dazzling brilliance, like the bright moon in the sky, making one feel ashamed of oneself.

"Manager Qiu, this must be your son. If I remember correctly, his name is Qiu Fengyi?" Ji Tongxiu said the name. As a former caravan manager, this was a basic skill for her. After looking over, she handed over a New Year's gift wrapped in gold paper.

In this world, a boy is considered an adult at the age of sixteen. At this time, his meridians are fully formed, and he can learn martial arts. When paying New Year's visits, if a boy is under sixteen and the host is of high status, it is customary to give him a New Year's gift, which is a way of expressing good wishes.

Qiu Fengyi was surprised that this older sister knew his name. Overwhelmed with excitement and nervousness, he didn't know what to do with his hands. He was so dizzy that he didn't know what he was saying. It took him a while to calm down after Ji Tongxiu came over and sat down. Then, unable to suppress his curiosity, he secretly opened and looked at the New Year's gift in the gold paper package.

Six hundred and sixty-six yuan!
He knew all too well that his family could only earn this much in a good month's business. He felt a profound shock once more, and looking at the bustling scene in the hall, a thought inexplicably surfaced in his mind: 'This is what a family of high-ranking officials and wealthy families looks like!'

……

Ji Tongxiu, who had now reached the sixth level of the Meridian Opening Realm, was distributing New Year's gifts. She noticed that the recipients were all surprised and happy when they saw the amount in the gifts, to the point of losing their composure. Her first thought was: "It's only 666 yuan. That's about the price of one of her ordinary small accessories. It's not even enough for a piece of clothing. Is it really necessary to be so excited?"

But he quickly gave his own answer: As for!
The Ji family was only a second-rate family. If she had received such a large New Year's gift before she turned sixteen, she would have been just as happy.

But when did our concept of money gradually change, and how did we come to see hundreds or thousands of contribution points as insignificant?
After meeting Zhuang Jin!
Especially recently, with Zhuang Jin's promotion, Ji Tongxiu's various privileges as a deputy cardholder have also increased. Including her monthly allowance, the contribution points she can control in a month are higher than the net profit of the entire Ji family, a second-rate family!

'If I hadn't met Mr. Zhuang, I would probably still be traveling with a caravan to avoid the marriage arranged by that纨绔子弟 (spoiled brat) from the Xiantian family; during festivals, I would still be unremarkable among my cousins ​​and not valued; and I would still be preoccupied with a few hundred or a few thousand contribution points.' Thinking of all this, Ji Tongxiu felt incredibly fortunate to have met Zhuang Jin. Overwhelmed with gratitude, she subconsciously looked at Zhuang Jin, a bright smile appearing on her beautiful face.

……

"Fifth Aunt, why aren't you smiling when you're so happy today?"

Ji Tongxiao looked over and saw that it was her five-year-old nephew who had said this. Children speak without thinking, so she couldn't blame him. She could only force a smile and whisper, "Fifth Aunt doesn't like to smile."

As she spoke, she looked in the direction of her sister Ji Tongxiu, recalling how her sister had taken her to a gourmet restaurant a few days ago, where they encountered the wife of a celestial being. The wife had taken the initiative to come over, greeted them first, and was extremely polite.

This is naturally because of Zhuang Jin. Now that he has broken through to the Innate Qi Realm and advanced to the Black Python Token, Ji Tongxiu holds the only secondary card, and her status has also risen accordingly, making her more noble than the wives of ordinary Innate martial artists.

Ji Tongxiao felt a mix of emotions. She thought back to the day before, when her youngest sister, Ji Tongyi, from the Hong family, came to propose marriage.

She knew this was also because of Zhuang Jin, and thinking about herself, she probably would never get married in this lifetime.

Ji Tongxiao's current position in the Ji family is somewhat awkward.

Because she had once offered herself to Zhuang Jin, even though Zhuang Jin didn't accept her or care, and even now he wouldn't remember her unless they met in person, this connection meant that no one dared to propose to her, and the Ji family dared not marry her out, for fear of making Zhuang Jin uncomfortable.

Even if Zhuang Jin says he doesn't care, no one else would dare—what if Zhuang Jin says it's nothing but holds a grudge? Wouldn't that be like shooting yourself in the foot? Anyway, she's just a woman; there's no need, really no need!
In short, they dared not take any risks if there was even the slightest possibility of displeasing or making Zhuang Jin uncomfortable, and this became even more true as Zhuang Jin's cultivation level and status rose.

However, this matter has both advantages and disadvantages. Ji Tongxiao also enjoyed the benefits brought by this connection. The Ji family was worried that Zhuang Jin might think of Ji Tongxiao at any time. Therefore, Ji Tongxiao's position in the Ji family was extremely special.

In terms of food, drink, and daily necessities, although she couldn't compare to Ji Tongxiu, she was on par with the old man Ji Gongji. Apart from not being allowed to marry, she didn't have to bear any responsibility at all. She was just raised as a lucky charm. As long as she didn't do anything out of line, such as personal hobbies, she was given complete freedom, which was unprecedented for her.

Having finally achieved the freedom she had once dreamed of, Ji Tongxiao found herself not so happy.

She often thinks about her love, which had just begun to blossom and hadn't even blossomed before dying; she thinks about how she offered herself to Zhuang Jin and was rejected; she thinks about her sister's current status and honor.

Ji Tongxiao had to admit that she was not someone who didn't crave wealth and fame or was content with a simple life, nor was she the detached and indifferent person she imagined. She harbored an unspeakable envy and jealousy towards her sister, and often dreamed of the past... but when she woke up, it was all for naught.

It can only be said that many people may not even know what they want, or rather, once they get this, they want that, eating what's in their bowl while eyeing what's in the pot, standing on this mountain while looking at that mountain, until the moment they truly close their eyes and breathe their last, their desires will never end.

……

main table.

Zhuang Jin came over to show his face, sat for a while, then got up to leave. At the door, he saw Mu Bai, who was hanging his head with a bitter expression, holding a wine pot in one hand and a wine cup in the other.

Mu Bai had been waiting for him on purpose. When he saw Zhuang Jin, he immediately leaned over and whispered, "Brother-in-law, I know a secret about Xiu Xian... a secret I shouldn't know. I don't know if I should tell you."

"Then don't say it."

Zhuang Jin looked at the other person, already having roughly guessed what was going on, and patted Mu Bai on the shoulder, saying, "When you came to me and said those words, you already had the answer in your heart, didn't you?"

"Yes, I already have the answer in my heart. Those things are all in the past. After Xiuxian got married, she became gentle and considerate, and those things stopped. I only married a woman from a second-rate family because of my brother-in-law's family lineage. If it really ends, I can't find anyone better."

Every family has its own troubles, and every family in the world has its difficulties. What I should tolerate, what I should forgive… it's better to be ignorant; sometimes ignorance is bliss!

Thinking of this, Mu Bai tilted his head back and gulped down a glass of strong liquor. As it entered his throat, he felt a burning pain, unable to swallow it down, yet unable to spit it out. In the end, it only turned into drops of scalding hot liquid that spilled from the corners of his eyes, which he had to cover up so that no one else could see it.

……

Seeing that Mu Bai seemed to have come to his senses, Zhuang Jin went inside. Inside, all he could see were people in fine clothes, drinking and chatting, and the atmosphere was lively and bustling. Outside, snowflakes were flying, but they couldn't drown out the bursts of fireworks. The Third Ring Road was brightly lit. He was touched by this lively atmosphere, and the lines on his face softened a little.

“Mr. Zhuang, let me go with you!” Ji Tongxiu chased after him.

"Don't worry about me. They'll feel uncomfortable if I'm here. You should go back and come find me after things have calmed down."

Zhuang Jin watched the snowflakes fluttering down from the sky, waved her hand, and stepped inside: 'The flowers bloom the same every year, but the people change year after year. Another year has passed!'

……

The next day, Bi Boyi came over, and they drank tea and wine, chatting for half an hour, just like every other time.

As he was getting up to leave, Bi Boyi suddenly said, "Brother Zhuang, I'm leaving the city."

"Oh, when?"

"today."

Bi Boyi said casually, "Brother Zhuang, as you know, I come from a powerful family in the prefecture. I am the eldest son in my family. After I broke through to the Innate Realm, my family had two Innate Realm experts. My father is in good health. With him in charge of the family, I was able to travel and travel freely. Now that I have seen and experienced it all, it is time for me to go back."

"To be honest, Brother Zhuang, the city is so bustling and dazzling that I used to get caught up in it and forget to go home. But what happened last month was like a bucket of cold water poured over my head, making me feel like I had just woken up from a dream."

……

(End of this chapter)