Moving House

"What?"

When Zhang's Mother learned that Zhang Yuan, who had just returned, had already bought a house and registered his household in the County Town, she could hardly believe her ears.

Although Zhang Yuan had mentioned it before.

And she had agreed.

She had never imagined that Zhang Yuan would act so quickly!

Zhang's Mother could not help asking, "Where did you get the silver?"

Zhang Yuan smiled. "Yesterday, I found a Rock Ginseng in the mountains. This morning, I took it to a pharmacy in the County Town and sold it for over a hundred taels."

He had not told his mother about it, saving it up to give her a huge surprise.

Zhang's Mother was both delighted and reproachful. "You child!"

Such a major matter as buying a house and registering his household, yet Zhang Yuan had secretly taken care of it all by himself.

She could not resist reaching out to touch her son's face. "Yuan'er, you've really grown up!"

Zhang's Mother had originally called Zhang Yuan "Yuan Baby." Now, with the word "baby" gone, the meaning was self-evident.

"Of course."

Zhang Yuan said proudly, "Mother, from now on, you can enjoy life with your son in the County Town!"

Zhang's Mother smiled as she wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes, then gently pushed him. "Hurry and light an incense stick for your father. Let him keep watching over you and keep you safe and sound."

"Mm."

Zhang Yuan did as she said and offered incense to Zhang's Father.

The Zhang Family had come from elsewhere. After family members passed away, their memorial tablets could not be placed in the ancestral hall of Chen Family Village.

So they could only be worshipped at home.

In truth, Zhang Yuan had little impression of his deceased father. After all, the latter had died far too early.

Before he was ten, he had lived in a muddle. Only when the memories of his previous life gradually awakened did the gears of fate begin to turn!

That night, Zhang Yuan brewed another pot of medicinal liquid and took a medicinal bath.

Host: Zhang Yuan

Realm: First Order (Bright Force)

Divine Nest: Level 1 (30%)

Host Body: Level 2 Black Giant Ant (18%) / 4x Strength

Host Body: Level 1 Jade Mantis (38%) / Beginner Blade Technique Mastery

Vitality: 106/106

Source Essence: 0

He had already fed all the Source Essence gained from the earlier sacrifice to the Jade Mantis, raising its evolution progress to nearly forty percent.

But Zhang Yuan still felt it was a little too slow.

And to speed up the leveling of his second host body, he needed to invest even more Source Essence.

Source Essence!

Zhang Yuan took a deep breath and suppressed the restlessness in his heart.

After changing clothes, he quietly went out into the small courtyard and began practicing the Boulder Foundation Skill, burning off his overly abundant vitality.

Whether soaking in a medicinal bath or cultivating this basic technique, both could increase the upper limit of his vitality.

Although the effect now was far inferior to the first time, a thousand hammerings could forge steel, and dripping water could pierce stone. If he persisted in accumulating bit by bit every day, the time would surely come when quantity transformed into quality!

Zhang Yuan calmed his mind and immersed himself fully in his cultivation.

Sweat soaked through his clothes, drop after drop splashing onto the ground.

The long night stretched on, and another day passed.

The next morning, after breakfast, Zhang Yuan slung the prepared luggage onto his back and took Zhang's Mother and Da Hu toward the County Town.

He sensed that Chen Family Village was showing signs of becoming a place of trouble, which was why he had not hesitated to borrow at usurious rates to buy a house and register his household.

Now that he had settled down in the city, naturally he had to leave as soon as possible, lest anything unexpected happen.

Zhang's Mother was, in truth, somewhat reluctant.

After all, she had lived in Chen Family Village for nearly twenty years and knew all the neighbors well.

The County Town, on the other hand, was a completely unfamiliar place.

Along the way, they encountered several villagers heading to work in the fields. Everyone could not help feeling curious about Zhang Yuan and his mother, who were carrying large and small bundles.

Someone asked, "Sister-in-law Zhang, where are you going?"

Zhang's Mother smiled. "My son and I are going to visit relatives. We may stay away for a while before coming back."

Zhang Yuan had told her not to tell anyone about buying a house and registering their household in the city.

People resented what others had and mocked what they lacked. There had never been a village with truly simple, honest folk customs. Even if most people were good, there would always be a few narrow-minded people, green with envy.

And Chen Family Village was in the midst of troubled times now, so there was even less need to broadcast it!

The villagers understood. "So that's how it is."

Though in all these years, they had never seen Zhang's Mother leave to visit relatives elsewhere.

But visiting relatives was perfectly normal, hardly something worth making a fuss over.

After bidding farewell to the villagers, Zhang Yuan and Zhang's Mother continued onward, gradually leaving the mountain village behind them.

Once they had passed the rugged mountain road, Zhang Yuan had his panting mother rest by the roadside.

After waiting for half a shichen, they caught a passing ox cart heading for the County Town.

He spoke with the uncle driving the cart, then paid five copper coins and rode the ox cart to the County Town.

By the time they reached Fishmonger Alley, it was already noon.

When Zhang Yuan unlocked the door with his key and led his mother into their new home.

Zhang's Mother was stunned. "Such a nice house!"

In truth, this small residence was quite ordinary in the County Town, nowhere near comparable to the homes of wealthy families.

But compared to the earthen huts and thatched houses of Chen Family Village, it was an entirely different world!

Zhang's Mother was both astonished and delighted as she walked through the main house, side rooms, guest room, and kitchen, inspecting every corner inside and out.

The crow's feet at the corners of her eyes stretched open with joy, making her seem several years younger.

Zhang's Mother was not that old to begin with. Recently, she had been eating her fill and drinking medicinal tonics, replenishing some of the severe deficits in her body, and her condition had already improved greatly.

Now, it would only get better.

And seeing how happy his mother was, Zhang Yuan felt heartfelt joy as well.

All his hardship and effort had been worth it!

Mother and son worked together to scrub the small courtyard and several rooms until they were spotless.

Giving the home a completely new look.

While the two were busy, Da Hu secretly urinated in a corner by the wall, then ran about excitedly.

He did not care whether he lived in a broken hut or a new house.

As long as he could stay by the side of a master like Zhang Yuan, that was a paradise of happiness.

Since the previous owner had left behind quite a bit of furniture, Zhang Yuan did not need to buy anything else.

As for pots, bowls, ladles, basins, rice, oil, salt, sauce, smoked meat, and other daily necessities and food, he had brought them all over as well.

As night fell, a fire was lit beneath the kitchen stove, and before long, the fragrance of rice and steamed meat wafted through the air.

Making Da Hu, lying in the courtyard, drool endlessly.

Zhang Yuan and his mother's first meal in their new home in the County Town was simple, yet they ate it with exceptional warmth and satisfaction!

Even Da Hu got a large basin of smoked meat mixed with rice.

"Days like this... we truly never dared dream of them before!"

Zhang's Mother was deeply moved. Then she suddenly said, "Yuan'er, now that you have a house in the County Town and have registered your household, it's time to find you a suitable marriage match."

"Once you marry a wife and have children, then Mother will truly be at ease!"

Zhang Yuan did not know whether to laugh or cry. He hurriedly said, "Mother, I'm still young. Let's talk about that later."

"Don't worry. When the time comes, your son will bring home eighteen wives as lovely as flowers and jade, then give you eighty grandsons and granddaughters. They'll pay their respects to you every day and call you Grandma!"

Zhang's Mother reproached him, "What nonsense!"

But when she imagined her son truly marrying so many wives and having so many children gathered happily at her knees...

That would be wonderful too!