I am a wandering immortal in the mortal realm.

The Zhuang and Zheng families had a long-standing and close relationship, dating back to their ancestors. It was only in Zheng Baozhu's generation that the relationship became somewhat strained. However, the relationship between Zheng's father and Zhuang's father was exceptionally good, and upon hearing the news of their deaths, everyone was inevitably saddened.

A short while later, a man burst in from outside. He was short and stout, with a large build, short eyebrows, shallow eyes, and a shrewd, worldly air about him.

However, two tear tracks were now visible on his frivolous face, and his eyes were quite swollen, clearly indicating that he had just been crying.

When he saw Zheng's mother at home, he was slightly taken aback, and after a moment he said, "Why is Auntie home today?"

Mother Zheng nodded and replied, "Today, the embroidery warehouse leaked and soiled more than a dozen bolts of cloth. The manager was taking inventory with his staff, so we had to stop our work for half a day."

"I see!" The visitor nodded, looking dejected.

Seeing this, Zheng's mother sighed and said, "Ping'er, we already know about Brother Zhuang's situation. He's worked hard all his life, and finally settled his children down. He even saw his grandchildren born, and now three generations live together. He probably has no regrets. Now that he's out of illness, it's not necessarily a bad thing. You... you still have to look forward and not worry too much!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Ping nodded and said sorrowfully, "Thank you for your comforting words, Aunt. I know what's important!"

"Brother Ping, please accept our condolences!" the Zheng siblings whispered.

Zhuang Ping wiped away his tears and replied, "Thank you for your concern, younger brothers and sisters!"

Only Zheng's father remained silent, his face grim, until all the parties had finished their conversation. Only then did he speak, asking, "Ping-ge'er, Brother Zhuang has just passed away, and the family is leaderless. Why aren't you presiding over your father's funeral arrangements? What are you doing here?"

Zhuang Ping quickly cupped his hands and said respectfully, "I am currently in a state of utter confusion and have no idea what to do. There is something I would like to ask Uncle Zheng for help with."

Seeing the bitter look on his face, Zheng's father's expression softened slightly, and he nodded: "Speak!"

Zhuang Ping swallowed hard, glanced at everyone in the room, and after a long pause, carefully spoke: "Uncle Zheng knows my family's situation. Qing'er is only half a year old and hasn't been weaned yet. His health has never been very good. Now, with another death in the family, the next few days will inevitably be chaotic, and we'll lack care. If we're not careful and get into trouble..."

After a moment of silence, Zheng's father nodded and said, "Your considerations are reasonable. Qing'er is indeed a bit weak. How about this, for the next few days, bring Qing'er to my house, and I'll ask your aunt to help look after him for a couple of days."

Zhuang Ping's face froze for a moment, and he waved his hands repeatedly, "Uncle Zheng, Uncle Zheng, that's not what I meant!"

Zheng's father frowned and looked at him with hostility.

Zhuang Ping quickly explained, "I would like to ask my aunt for help with the funeral arrangements. It would be a waste of her talents to only look after a child."

Father Zheng softened his expression and nodded, saying, "There's no need to say anything more. Given the relationship between our two families, it's only right that your aunt goes over to help."

"In that case, let Baozhu take care of Qingge'er. Although she's young, she's very attentive and should be able to take care of him for a few days without any problems. Have your wife come over every day to feed him a few times. You don't need to worry about anything else!"

Zhuang Ping froze, pursed his lips, but did not respond.

Father Zheng's face fell, and he said in a deep voice, "Ping-ge'er, do you still have any concerns?"

Zhuang Pingqian chuckled, "I certainly trust Baozhu, but Qing'er is shy around strangers. Without his mother's care, he cries day and night. If he starts making a fuss, you might not be able to control him..."

Father Zheng lifted his eyelids, waiting for what was to come, when he heard Zhuang Ping cautiously say, "Therefore, I would like to ask you, Uncle, to come to my house as a steward, to help preside over the funeral, to check for any omissions or deficiencies, so that I may have some extra money to take care of Qing-ge'er."

"Pfft!"

After Zhuang Ping finished speaking, the room fell silent, but then a sudden laugh rang out, and everyone immediately looked towards Zheng Baojuan.

Zheng Baojuan, a man of few words, stepped forward when everyone looked at him, grinning, and said, "Brother Ping, I don't understand what you're saying. If you were too young to manage the household, my father would gladly lend a hand. But you are the only male in the Zhuang family, and now you even have a son, yet you refuse to take care of all the affairs left behind by Uncle Zhuang, instead making my father worry about it. Do you perhaps consider my father Uncle Zhuang's son as well?"

Zhuang Ping blushed, but before he could speak, Zheng's father shouted, "Shut up!"

Zheng Baojuan snorted and reluctantly stepped back. Turning his head, he saw his sister giving him a thumbs-up and grinned secretly with delight.

"Uncle Zheng..." Zhuang Ping, his face exposed by Zheng Baojuan, hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "I was really overwhelmed with work, I had no intention of doing so, I..."

Father Zheng waved his hand, stopping him from continuing. After a moment of silence, he calmly nodded, "I understand what you mean. Don't worry, we'll discuss Brother Zhuang's funeral arrangements together. You go back first, I'll change my clothes and come over!"

"Father!" Zheng Baozhu called softly from behind. Seeing Zhuang Ping leave happily, she gritted her teeth in anger. "I don't usually know what Brother Ping is thinking, but you knew he was plotting against you, so why did you agree?"

Of the family, only Zheng's mother seemed confused. Upon hearing this, she exclaimed in surprise, "Zhu'er, what are you saying? Didn't Ping'er ask your father for help? Why are you talking about scheming now?"

"Mother, you're being too naive!" Zheng Baojuan interjected, offering a disdainful remark. "How can you possibly manage the affairs of the farmers?"

"You know what kind of person Brother Ping is. He's stingy, penny-pincher, and utterly irresponsible. If we were to hand over the money and supplies to Father, he would definitely just wash his hands of it."

"If the funeral is handled well, people will only praise him for being capable. But if there is even the slightest mistake, then Dad will have to take the blame."

"Leaving aside any other ulterior motives, what if halfway through things they say they're short of money and force Father to pay for it? A large sum is fine, but if it's just a small amount like three or five hundred coins, do you think Brother Ping will voluntarily pay it back afterwards?"

"No...no way!" Zheng's mother stammered.

Zheng Baojuan snorted, "Mother, don't you know how much Brother Ping has borrowed from our family over the years? It was only because Uncle Zhuang was kind that those things were returned. Now that Uncle Zhuang is dead, Brother Ping will surely become even more greedy!"

He glanced at the silent Zheng father and muttered, "You always say the younger generation isn't close to the Zhuang family, but who would dare to get close to someone like Brother Ping!"

"Oh dear!" After Zheng Baojuan said that, Zheng's mother suddenly understood and clapped her hands, complaining, "How could Ping-ge'er be like this? Zhuang-dage is such a good person, how could he have given birth to such a child, even calculating his funeral arrangements like this? You, as the head of the household, watched him grow up!"

Zheng Baozhu was also worried: "Father, why don't you decline this task? If it's difficult to explain, then let Fourth Brother handle it. Anyway, he's shameless and not afraid of offending anyone."

Zheng Baojuan: "..."

He shouted angrily, "What do you mean by shameless? Zheng Baozhu, explain yourself clearly!"

Before Zheng Baozhu could speak, his mother slapped him: "Just listen to what your sister says. She's not wrong; she's doing this for your own good!"

Zheng Baojuan: "..."

I feel humiliated!

Just then, Zheng's father spoke up. He sighed deeply and said slowly, "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. I'm too old to care about what will happen to the Zhuang and Zheng families in the future. But the friendship between Brother Zhuang and me over the years cannot be explained in just a few words."

Since he has passed away, I will naturally wish him a peaceful end.

Moreover, Ping-ge'er is not a capable person. Even if he hadn't come today, I would have taken the initiative to visit him.

What's a little loss? At least... it'll preserve the friendship between me and Brother Zhuang!

"Father, I was wrong!" Zheng Baozhu apologized softly after a moment of silence.

Mr. Zheng simply smiled and shook his head.

"Since Brother Ping has entrusted all the funeral arrangements to Father, I wonder which Taoist priest you have invited for the ritual of keeping the body in state?" Zheng Baozhu composed herself and prepared to start soliciting business for the Taoist priest.

Mr. Zheng shook his head: "I don't know yet, I'll have to go over there and ask."

Zheng Baozhu's eyes darted around, and she smiled, "In that case, how about I recommend one to Father?"

"Oh?" Mr. Zheng raised an eyebrow, quite surprised.

Zheng Baozhu then recounted the story of the Taoist priest once more.

After listening, Zheng's father remained calm, while Zheng Baozhu, noticing his somewhat anxious expression, asked, "Dad, do you think it's okay?"

Father Zheng knew exactly what his youngest daughter was thinking, so he stopped teasing her and just smiled and said, "Of course I can, but I'm afraid your brother Ping won't agree."

Zheng Baozhu was puzzled: "The current market price for ritual fees is two taels, and the Jade Emperor Palace demands a full three taels. Master Shen only takes half. Given Brother Ping's stingy nature, why would he disagree?"

Father Zheng explained, "You don't understand. Although your brother Ping is stingy, he always puts on a good show. He must have calculated exactly where to cut corners and was afraid of what outsiders would say, so he asked me to be the scapegoat."

However, he only paid lip service to inviting the monks; even if he were stingy, he wouldn't skimp on this.

Moreover, the Yiyuan Temple has been abandoned for over ten years; he certainly wouldn't agree to it without a compelling reason.

Zheng Baozhu bit her lower lip, pondering for a long time. Suddenly, something occurred to her, and her eyes lit up. She smiled and said, "Father, you are mistaken. Although Yiyuan Temple is in ruins, its lineage has not been severed. Moreover, it has been established for a hundred years, and everyone in Linquan knows it. It is not an unknown figure. Most importantly, Master Shen comes from Yuanjing, which is right under the emperor's nose, the most virtuous place. Even the abbot of the Jade Emperor's Palace cannot compare to him. With such qualifications, how could Brother Ping be embarrassed?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng's father laughed heartily, his eyes full of approval: "In that case, we should give it a try!"

"Thank you, Father!"

Zheng Baozhu was overjoyed and, imitating the manners of a young lady from a prominent family, curtsied, but in her heart she was thinking about how to curry favor with him the next day.

……

"You...can really breathe fire?"

The man and the ox shared a bowl of porridge, but Shen Yuan remained absent-minded. Finally, after finishing his bowl, he asked the question he had been wanting to ask all along.

"Woof!"

The takin poked its head out of the jar, let out a howl, and swallowed the rice porridge stuck to the corner of its mouth with a flick of its tongue.

Shen Yuan wasn't sure if this counted as an answer, so he paused for a moment and then asked, "Then why didn't you use it on me before?"

The takin glanced at him sideways, then lowered its head to eat its porridge.

Shen Yuan couldn't help but chuckle: "I didn't realize you were so kind-hearted, but those horns of yours are just as good as your fire-breathing skills!"

"Woof!"

That's right, that's right. Breathing fire is exhausting, but hitting people is still the most comfortable.

Niu Niu is so proud!

Shen Yuan smiled slightly, thinking of the wooden sword on his body. It seemed that the fact that the other party could breathe fire was not so unacceptable.

After finishing the porridge, the takin refused to leave, stubbornly lying in the corner of the main hall, ignoring Shen Yuan's threats and intimidation.

Helpless, Shen Yuan suddenly remembered the day the original owner went up the mountain and was immediately pushed aside upon entering. A flash of inspiration seemed to strike his mind.

"No wonder it's so angry, nudging everyone it sees; it's treating the Taoist temple like its den!"

Shen Yuan seemed to understand something, and looked at the pitiful takin in the corner with a strange expression.

No wonder there were so many branches and dry grass there; I thought they had been blown in by a strong wind!

The case is solved! The case is solved!

Even so, Shen Yuan couldn't bear to share a room with a cow, but to forcibly evict it seemed too heartless...

After thinking for a moment, he took out the written document from his package and went to the takin.

The takin thought the Taoist was really going to hit it, and it trembled with fear.

But the Taoist priest said earnestly, "See that? The contract is right here. Although you came first, I am still the owner of this temple. However, a sale does not break a lease, and I am not an unreasonable person. If you behave yourself, you can continue to stay here..."

"Woof!"

Have you ever heard of sharing an apartment?

"Woof!"

"I'll treat you as my tenant now, so let's make some rules—first, you can't urinate or defecate anywhere; second, you can't hurt anyone..."

"If you violate even one rule, you'll be struck with a sword once. If you repeatedly fail to correct your behavior, you'll be expelled!"

"Oh, right, one last thing, you need to pay your rent!"

"Woof!"

The takin's ears twitched, its eyes were big and wet, and it looked a little silly.

Shen Yuan sighed and said, "I guess you don't have any money either, so let's settle the debt with work. From now on, you'll be responsible for all the work, from pulling carts and grinding grain to weeding and carrying bricks. It's fair that you earn your wages through your labor!"

Shen Yuan rambled on for a long time, then took out his pen and ink, wrote down each clause, waved it in front of the takin, and said, "Have you read it clearly?"

"Woof!"

The takin had no idea what it was about to face and continued to call out foolishly.

"Look carefully, then sign it!"

Shen Yuan wrote his name with a straight face, but he ran into trouble with the takin.

This cow... it doesn't have a name!

"Hey, do you have a name?" Shen Yuan asked it.

"Woof!"

Shen Yuan chuckled and teased, "Hey, how about I give you a name?"

"Woof!"

"What about Boyi?" Shen Yuanlang recited. "He did not lower his aspirations, nor did he humiliate himself; he did not hold grudges, and his resentment was minimal. He was a great sage, more than a match for you, you stupid ox!"

"Woof!"

Shen Yuan laughed heartily: "Since you agree, I will call you Boyi from now on."

After saying that, he wrote three words in the "Party B" column of the contract: "Niu Boyi"!

Then, through a combination of coercion and deception, Shen Yuan finally managed to print a small hoof print on the paper.

Thus, the contract is complete!