A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 19 Heart (Please recommend and add to your favorites!)
"You spent so much money on furnishings, and you're not even going to the restaurant's opening?"

On Shiqiao Street, since Li Weizhou brought the old house back, this was the first time Li Delong had entered the house. Seeing his good-for-nothing nephew leisurely flipping through a book, he scolded him in an impolite tone.

This time, it wasn't the second brother, Li Chang'an, who was by his side; it was the eldest brother, Li Changping.

Li Delong was dressed in a jet-black official uniform, exuding a menacing aura.

Li Changping, however, wore a light blue robe, and because it was winter, he also wore a moon-white cotton-padded coat over it, which made him look quite refined.

Li Weizhou said, "I'm not a cook, nor a waiter, nor an accountant. Restaurants also have managers. What would I, as the owner, do there?"

Li Delong said with a dark face, "What if we have distinguished guests?"

Li Weizhou was even less concerned, saying, "I'm not trying to curry favor with anyone."

Upon hearing this, Li Changping seemed to have reached his limit and said, "Sanlang, if you're not going to curry favor with anyone, then what's going on between you and the madam of Zuixianglou? At your age, and still unmarried, what's the meaning of you going to brothels all the time? Especially with a madam..."

Before Li Weizhou could say anything, Li Delong scolded his eldest son, "Don't talk nonsense! That female demon is not easy to deal with. You keep calling her a madam. If this gets back to her, not only will the county magistrate not be able to protect you, but even your father-in-law won't be able to protect you."

Li Weizhou chuckled and said to Li Changping, "She is my business partner and cares about me a lot. When I was down on my luck, she gave me food. Brother, I should repay such a kindness tenfold."

He understood that Li Changping wasn't just disciplining him for the sake of disciplining him; he genuinely cared about him. Even though he didn't need it, he wasn't so blind to right and wrong or so disgusted with people.

Li Delong asked, "Is Zuixianlou a joint venture between the two of you?"

Li Weizhou nodded and said, "If it's feasible in Qingzhou Prefecture, we can open branches in Jingzhou Prefecture and Tongzhou Prefecture in Zhongzhou, and Jinzhou Prefecture in Shangzhou."

Li Delong laughed angrily, "Do you think opening a restaurant is so easy? Without local connections, how could you possibly keep it running?"

Li Weizhou didn't mind his ideals being ridiculed, saying, "It's all up to us. The formula is in my hands, and with Sister Qi Erniang's influence, there shouldn't be any major problems. If we really encounter an insurmountable opponent, we will choose to cooperate. If all else fails, we'll just open it in another location. Of course, this is just a plan for now, and the earliest we can do it is a year from now."

Telling them this is to reassure those who care about him that he hasn't wasted his time or become addicted to women.

Sure enough, Li Delong and Li Changping both looked much better.

Li Delong glanced at the book on the table, which had the words "Tongdian" written on it. He was a rough man and didn't know what kind of book it was. It didn't look like an erotic book either. So he turned and looked at his eldest son.

Upon seeing this, Li Changping praised him, saying, "Sanlang is reading history? Not bad, not bad. Reading makes people polite and wise. If you had read more in your younger years, you wouldn't have acted so impulsively in recent years."

"okay!"

Li Delong interrupted with disdain, saying, "I haven't read many books..." He then reminded him, "Didn't you have something to say?"

Li Changping was taken aback upon hearing this, then realized that the person had come to ask for a favor. Remembering his earlier demeanor, his face flushed red, and he said embarrassedly, "Sanlang, Master Qiu is from Hunan and has a fondness for spicy food. After eating hot pot at Zuixianlou, he lost his appetite and craved the spiciness. However, no matter how he uses dogwood, ginger, and garlic to season it, he can't recreate that spiciness. He would like to ask for your culinary expertise..."

"Rest assured, Master Qiu swears he will only cook and eat at home, never open a restaurant, and will never spread the word. Sanlang, Master Qiu never accepts gifts; he's an upright man, highly regarded by the county magistrate. He loves spicy food, but can't afford it often, so he rarely asks for it. You see…"

Li Weizhou chuckled and said, “Whether he’s difficult or not isn’t important. What’s important is that you, brother, have asked for it. The food at Zuixianlou isn’t made with dogwood, ginger, and garlic. It’s made with a special spice and a secret recipe. I’ll write a note. Take it to Zuixianlou and get a jar from Huang Shun to give to Master Qiu. Just say it’s a token of your appreciation. After you’ve finished eating, give it back to him. You can also give it to him as a gift for his birthday and other special occasions.”

Li Changping was stunned upon hearing this, looking at his cousin, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Li Delong burst into laughter, walking out as he did so, leaving behind the words, "Don't forget to bring Ximei home for the Mid-Autumn Festival next month." He had already walked out the door before he finished speaking.

Li Delong felt truly relieved and at ease!

He never imagined that his beloved nephew could be so intelligent!
Li Weizhou's words were quite profound; the use of the word "rare" was particularly apt.

This not only gave Li Changping ample face, but also served as a reminder that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Tsk, he's so experienced in human relationships and the ways of the world, what else could he possibly be worried about?
Li Weizhou glanced at his uncle's retreating figure, smiled, and said nothing.

Li Changping finally realized what was happening and looked at Li Weizhou with a strange expression, asking in confusion, "Sanlang, who... learned all this from?"

Li Weizhou pointed to several books on the table and said, "In the books."

Li Changping was stunned for a moment. After Li Weizhou casually found a piece of paper and wrote him a note, he took his leave with a complicated expression.

The book... the book is full of wise and virtuous teachings.

Does the Tongdian contain these social and interpersonal wisdom?
Have he been reading fake books all these years?
……

Ten days later.

Shiqiao Street, the back residence of the Li family.

When Li Weizhou finished his stance training once again and came out of the wooden barrel, he had even forgotten the pain...

"Dong dong!"

"Dong dong!"

"Dong dong!"

The strong, steady heartbeats eased Li Weizhou's furrowed brows slightly.

He didn't rush to test how much his strength had increased, because based on experience, progress doesn't happen immediately; it takes one or two days.

It was like waiting to digest and absorb a large meal. Li Weizhou glanced back at the wooden barrel and clicked his tongue.

As his practice of standing meditation has continued, the dosage he puts into the pot has almost doubled, with each session costing nearly 200,000 yuan, including over 150,000 yuan for ginseng alone.

Keep in mind that this is only one side; if you include the consumption on the other side of Earth, the daily cost is nearly 400,000.

If it were gold, it would be close to fifteen taels of gold.

This is because Earth has extremely abundant resources. If we were to buy ginseng or dendrobium in the Great Qian Dynasty, a single top-quality ginseng could cost more than fifteen taels of gold!

Don't even think about taking a bath with a pound of ginseng every day.

Such enormous consumption also enabled Li Weizhou to make rapid progress.

He had a feeling that the day when Qi Erniang, Song Shi, and others talked about opening the first acupoint of life, that is, opening the mind, was not far away.

Given the strength of my heartbeat right now, it could happen at any moment.

Li Weizhou was worried that his heart would explode if he didn't break through soon!

He felt a little uncomfortable from jumping...

"elder brother!"

Xi Mei's voice came from outside the side room.

Li Weizhou quickly put on his clothes and replied, "What's wrong?"

Xi Mei said with difficulty, "Second Aunt is here again, looking for you. I told you you were in seclusion, but she..."

Before the words were finished, another voice came from outside. Who else could it be but Qi Erniang?

She laughed and scolded, "What kind of seclusion are you talking about! You haven't even entered the seclusion, what kind of seclusion are you talking about?"

Li Weizhou did not show himself, but said, "Sister, go out and play. I need to talk to my second aunt."

Xi Mei obediently agreed, and was praised by Qi Erniang again. She left through the second gate with a smile.

Li Weizhou then opened the door and invited Qi Erniang inside.

But the moment Qi Erniang saw him, her expression changed drastically. She took a step forward and appeared in front of him, slipping her hand inside Li Weizhou's clothes from his collar to cover his chest.

Then, his expression grew increasingly strange. After seeing the messy things in the room, he looked at Li Weizhou incredulously and said, "You really took a medicinal bath?! Xiao Zhouzi, you...you're crazy!"

Li Weizhou felt a strange friction on his chest. He looked at Qi Erniang and smiled shyly, "Didn't you say that medicinal baths are the most effective?" He pointed to the wooden tub behind him and said regretfully, "It's a pity that I spent most of the money my mother left me this time. It was originally hidden in the old house for my wedding."

After taking a deep breath, Qi Erniang said, "Your mother is truly... an extraordinary person. I'm starting to wonder if people like that are really gone..." She then glanced at the murky soup in the wooden bucket not far away and said, "Was it worth the huge price we paid?"

Li Weizhou smiled and said, "I really want to learn martial arts. Second Sister, your hands..." He pulled his buttocks back a little, afraid of making a fool of himself.

The rubbing and rubbing was strangely stimulating...

Qi Erniang glared at him, but didn't pull her hand away; instead, she started rubbing it, saying, "You've absorbed so much medicinal power, which keeps accumulating in your heart meridian, but your heart acupoint hasn't opened. Luckily, I came today, or you would be waiting to die."

Upon hearing this, Li Weizhou blinked, then said dejectedly, "Still not working? What exactly is this 'heart aperture'? It's really hard to understand. It shouldn't be like a heartbeat... Sister, how did you experts activate it back then?"

Qi Erniang shook her head and said, "Let things take their natural course." After hesitating for a moment, she still advised, "Xiao Zhouzi, everything is preordained by fate, don't force it. Just like your business skills, how many people have them? Your mother isn't good at martial arts, but she has other skills that are just as amazing."

Li Weizhou was unwilling to give up: "Sister, just tell me directly, how long does it take for someone with natural talent to become enlightened?"

Qi Erniang twitched the corner of her mouth and said sympathetically, "Those with good aptitude and understanding in martial arts will have their mind's apertures opened after they master the stance training. Think about it, you can only truly enter the martial arts gate when you open three apertures. The lower three gates are alright, there are only about ten apertures. When you reach the middle three gates, the fourth gate requires opening twenty-four apertures, then forty-eight apertures, and then ninety-six apertures."

If it takes half a year to master just one acupoint, and it gets harder and harder as you progress, what will you do? And this is just the initial acupoint opening; there are also movement techniques, swordsmanship, and some martial artists even need to practice external martial arts… Those with poor comprehension might practice a swordsmanship for three years and still not grasp its essence. Therefore, a martial artist with superior martial talent can open one acupoint every ten days or more after opening the first one. Of course, the time spent opening and closing acupoints usually takes longer.”

Li Weizhou was almost in tears. How could he not understand the importance of talent?
In the same class, after the teacher finished explaining a formula, he struggled to even solve the homework problems. Those geniuses who are just scum can directly do the math olympiad. They're not human!

He's like a student who has access to the best resources but still doesn't understand anything.

Seeing Li Weizhou's utterly dejected appearance, Qi Erniang felt pity and smiled as she advised, "However, there are examples of late bloomers. It is said that the founding emperor of our dynasty was initially a stable boy who could barely open his mind, and he barely became a martial artist in the lower three passes when he was over forty. As a result, in the following twelve years, not only did his army grow larger and stronger, but his own martial arts skills also improved step by step, and in the end, he even achieved the Golden Body of the God of War, defeating all the heroes in the world."

Li Weizhou smiled helplessly, but had nothing to say.

These extremely rare cases are even scarcer than geniuses; it seems there's really no hope...

Seeing him so dejected, too weak to even speak, his spirit almost completely gone, Qi Erniang glared at him for a while before taking her hand out from inside his clothes, tapping his forehead hard, and cursing, "Stubborn brat! I really can't do anything with you..." Then she unbuttoned the buttons on his collar with one hand, took Li Weizhou's hand with the other, and placed it against her heart.

It is soft and smooth to the touch, and has a warm, fragrant aroma.

Li Weizhou: "..."

……

(End of this chapter)