"Junior brother, I think you've really gone crazy for money. You're only making five silver dollars these days when you're out doing business?"
At this moment, Shi Jian and his apprentice walked over.
Just like in the original story, Shi Shaojian took the opportunity to secretly pluck a hair from Mary's head.
"Junior brother! Look at him..." Jia Le, being straightforward, wanted to go up and stop him as soon as he saw the situation.
However, Lin Yu stopped them. It was just a strand of hair; if they rushed up rashly, he could just toss it away, and they wouldn't be seen as heroes, but as troublemakers.
"Senior brother, be careful, your disciple has wicked intentions."
Uncle Nine looked at Shi Jian with a worried expression.
Although Uncle Nine didn't know what Shi Shaojian's purpose was in plucking the girl's hair, he knew that if a Daoist priest had someone else's hair, he could use many evil spells.
"We're talking business right now, where did you get to?"
"Boss Qian, remember, you get what you pay for. What can you possibly know about a five-dollar bill?"
Shi Jian quickly changed the subject, putting on an act of "I'm thinking of you."
After hearing this, Boss Qian was in a dilemma. He looked at Uncle Nine and then at Shi Jian, unsure of who to choose.
"Uncle Jian, let's go over there and talk."
In the end, as a businessman, Boss Qian decided not to offend either side, so he took Shi Jian to the other side to discuss the matter.
"Sigh, let's go."
Seeing this, Uncle Nine knew the deal was off, so he and the two men prepared to leave.
He naturally has his pride; since you won't choose me, then you should find someone else.
"Hey, don't you want your pork chop anymore?"
At this moment, Mary also came out carrying a tray, only to see that the group had already left the restaurant.
"No"
Seeing that Uncle Nine didn't seem inclined to respond, Lin Yu had to reply himself.
"It's all done, how about I pack it up for you?"
She had been curious about this little brat ever since, and he didn't have any of the innocence and naivety that children have. Instead, he seemed cunning and shrewd.
"If you take this, that guy has wicked intentions. He plucked a hair from your head and might use it to persecute you with evil magic."
Lin Yu looked at the fragrant roasted pork chops and couldn't resist the temptation, but he couldn't just eat someone else's food for free.
So he gave her a Protection Talisman and pointed in Shi Shaojian's direction to explain it to her.
Mary was still a little skeptical, but she had indeed felt a stinging pain on her scalp just now, and she thought it was a problem with the hair clip.
Now that Lin Yu has said it, even if she doesn't believe in this feudal superstition, she can't help but believe it to some extent deep down.
Thinking this, she wanted to go up and confront the lecherous thief, but Lin Yu stopped her.
"You're just an ordinary woman; you can't defeat him. Besides, he won't admit anything without evidence. If you find anything amiss, remember to come find my master."
Lin Yu picked up the packaged pork chop from the table, waved it at the girl, and said with a smile, "We're even now. Remember to come to the mortuary to find my master if you encounter any danger."
"Okay, thank you."
Mary stood silently at the door, watching Lin Yu and the others leave.
"Junior brother, what were you doing just now?"
Jia Le looked on curiously as they caught up and asked.
"It's nothing, I just went to rescue some troubled girls."
Lin Yu opened his lunchbox, picked up a fragrant pork chop, and stuffed it into his mouth.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Before he could even taste it, Uncle Nine slapped him on the head.
"Ahem, Master is like that, isn't he? That Shi Shaojian is obviously no good person. He'll definitely use evil magic to take advantage of Boss Qian's daughter tonight. I'm just trying to save her..."
Before Lin Yu could finish speaking, he saw Uncle Nine raise his hand again, so he quickly swallowed the pork chop in his mouth and ran away.
"That's your senior brother. Don't talk about it outside. Aren't you afraid someone will overhear?"
Uncle Nine didn't really intend to take action, but when traveling, it's easy to overhear people talking about others behind their backs, so it's best to say as little as possible.
"Understood, Master."
"Hey, Master, try it, it's delicious!"
As Lin Yu spoke, he picked up a fragrant pork chop and handed it to Uncle Nine.
His master was too proud to admit his mistake; if people disagreed, he would leave without even eating the delicious food.
Seeing Jia Le's drooling and longing expression, Lin Yu gave him a piece as well.
Inside the mortuary
"Senior brother!"
"Ouch! Ouch! What are you doing, junior brother?"
Lin Yu looked at Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng sleeping on the recliner and "accidentally" hit their bruises with his palm.
The two of them jumped up from the recliners in pain.
"It's nothing, just checking if you're asleep."
Lin Yu stared innocently with his big eyes, giving him an expression that said, "I care about you guys."
"He's awake now."
The two of them stared at Lin Yu with resentment on their faces.
"What are you doing? Trying to hit someone? Get back to printing banknotes! If you don't finish printing them before the Ghost Festival, you two go down and explain to the ghost officials."
Uncle Nine walked over and slapped Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng on the head, glaring at them.
"Oh~"
The two of them immediately deflated, pushing their aching bodies to the backyard to start working overtime.
"Keep it up, senior!"
Lin Yu cheered them on from behind, hopping and skipping, and also pulled Jia Le back when she wanted to help.
One should bear the consequences of one's actions; the eldest uncle is right.
Since they're the ones who caused the trouble, let them experience the consequences of having no one to clean up their mess.
In the original story, Uncle Nine spent all his savings and bought up all the paper money in the surrounding villages just to shut the ghost messengers up.
Lin Yu stopped them, letting the two of them print it themselves, and also letting them experience some hardship, otherwise they wouldn't be as sensible as an eight-year-old like him.
Sigh, he's really worried himself sick.
Night
"Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang!"
"Help!"
There was a knock on the gate of the mortuary.
"Ha~ Here it comes!"
Wen Cai had spent the afternoon printing paper money, dragged his tired body and opened the gate of the mortuary.
"Ah! A monster!"
Instantly, the person at the door erupted in a piercing scream.
"Monster? Where's the monster?"
Wen Cai was so frightened that he turned around and looked around.
"Senior brother, she said you're a monster, you idiot," Lin Yu said as he slowly walked out.
"Are you blind? How could I, a living, breathing person, be a monster?"
Realizing what had happened, Wen Cai, filled with shame and indignation, questioned the woman outside the door.
"I'm sorry, I misread it."
The woman apologized to Wen Cai with an embarrassed expression.
"Pfft~ Senior brother, you can't blame him, you really do look scary right now."
Lin Yu looked at Wen Cai eye socket was swollen with a large purplish-blue bump. Because of the afternoon's hard work, his dark circles were comparable to those of a panda, and his cheeks were also covered in bruises. It was indeed frightening.
"Hmph, who are you looking for, so late at night?"
Wen Cai turned his head away in shame and indignation, thinking, "It's all your fault!" But he dared not say anything and could only turn to look at the woman at the door.
"Little brother, that lecherous thief really did come, just like you said, but he... he's not human."
Mary saw her savior and immediately hugged Lin Yu tightly.
Unfortunately, our Lin Yu is not even up to her chest, so he can only be passively held by the woman like an octopus.
At this moment, Wen Cai was able to see the appearance of the person who had come in by the light of the mortuary.
Looking at the pajamas that were slightly disheveled from the vigorous exercise, and the glimpses of pink skin that were exposed.
Although he couldn't see anything, this scene was still quite shocking for him, a virgin who had never even touched a girl's hand.
This late-night perk instantly made Wen Cai blush, and tears welled up in his eyes.