Chapter 8

"Brat, although the *Duren Jing* can dispel evil qi, it shouldn't work so quickly. How did you manage to do it?"

The old Taoist, who had been taking a brief rest, suddenly felt a change in the elemental energy of heaven and earth. When he opened his eyes, he found that the evil qi in the courtyard had completely disappeared, which was a shock.

You must understand that a person who has practiced cultivation has a particularly strong magnetic field, and such a person has a significant impact on the surrounding magnetic field. If the old Taoist were to personally perform a ritual to dispel evil qi, it would be much more effective than that of ordinary high monks.

But Ye Tian was just a child. How long had he been practicing the art? He managed to completely dispel the evil qi in such a short time, something even the old Taoist himself couldn't do.

Hearing the old Taoist's words, Ye Tian, with a candy skewer bought by Aunt Miao in his mouth, mumbled, "I don't know. Master, the *Duren Jing* is really quite effective..."

Ye Tian had made up his mind that he wouldn't tell anyone about this. Perhaps the old Taoist would believe him, but if he told his father or classmates, they would surely think he was crazy.

"Strange, truly strange..."

Seeing that Ye Tian couldn't explain it, the old Taoist stroked his beard, a puzzled look on his face. However, modern society was different from the past. With the advancement of technology, many things were hard to predict, and the old Taoist was helpless.

Ye Tian, being a child, couldn't sit still for long. After a while, he stood up and said, "Hehe, Master, I'm going to the town fair. I'll be back for dinner..."

The town of Maolu was several dozen miles away from where Ye Tian lived. Even during holidays, he rarely came here. If it weren't for the softness of his tongue, Ye Tian would have run to the town long ago.

The old Taoist waved his hand and said, "Go ahead, but remember this house. Don't get lost when you come back..."

With the old Taoist's permission, Ye Tian ran out happily. As he was about to leave, Aunt Miao stuffed a ten-yuan note into his pocket, which made Ye Tian almost burst with joy.

You must understand that in those days, even during the New Year, adults would only give children a few jiao or a yuan in new bills. For weddings or births, the gift money was usually one or two yuan.

Moreover, it was still two years before the fourth series of RMB was issued in 1988, and a ten-yuan note was the largest denomination in circulation.

So, for Ye Tian, this ten-yuan note was like a huge sum of money. He had only seen such a large bill in his father's hands and had never touched one himself.

...

Rural markets were usually the busiest in the morning, but even after noon, there were still many people. Ye Tian, not shy, heard the sound of gongs and drums and squeezed his way in.

"Hey, monkey show..."

Taking advantage of his small and agile body, Ye Tian squeezed into the crowd and found an old man with three monkeys performing in the middle of the venue.

"Dear fellow villagers, those with money can contribute, and those without can lend their presence. I thank you all..."

After one of the monkeys did a few somersaults, the old man bowed to the crowd. The monkey immediately held a tin can with its two paws and started asking for money from the people around.

Those with money threw in a few fen, while those without money moved back. Ye Tian touched the ten-yuan note in his pocket, thought for a long time, and then stepped back.

The old Taoist had once taught him that everyone in the world has their own difficulties. If Ye Tian was unwilling to part with the ten yuan, he didn't feel right watching the show for free.

Fortunately, there were other performances in the market. After leaving the monkey show, Ye Tian went to watch a man breaking stones with his chest and selling Shaolin strength pills.

By the time he had wandered around the market for a few hours, it was already three or four in the afternoon. Ye Tian stopped at a sugar figure stall.

The stall was actually a pole with a long rectangular cabinet on one end. Below the cabinet was a semi-circular wooden cage with a small charcoal stove inside. On the stove was a large spoon filled with sugar syrup.

The wooden frame had two layers, each with many small holes, filled with sugar figures that had already been blown.

The vendor took a small amount of hot sugar syrup with a small shovel, kneaded it on his hand covered with talcum powder, and then put a piece in his mouth. After blowing it into a bubble, he quickly placed it in a wooden mold coated with talcum powder and blew hard to shape the sugar figure.

The children around watched with eager eyes. Those with money reached out to buy, while those without money just stared, unwilling to leave.

This wasn't very expensive; a sugar figure could be made for ten fen according to one's request. However, after standing there for a long time, Ye Tian, feeling the ten yuan in his pocket, decided to leave.

You must understand that Ye Tian's father, as a young man who had not returned from the countryside, had married a woman from a different place and had no land to farm. Although Ye Dongping had skilled hands, working as an electrician and carpenter, he could earn at most twenty yuan a month.

Although Ye Dongping often caught fish for his son, in general, the two of them lived a very frugal life. Ye Tian wanted to take the money home for his father.

Just as Ye Tian was about to turn away, he heard a voice, "Ye Tian, hey, is that really you? What are you doing here?"

Ye Tian looked in the direction of the voice and saw a chubby boy about his age excitedly waving at him, with a digital watch on his wrist.

"Guo Xiaolong?"

Seeing this person, Ye Tian couldn't help but show a bitter smile. The more he tried to avoid something, the more likely he was to encounter it. With Guo Xiaolong's personality, he would probably spread the news about Ye Tian's attire throughout the school after it opened.

But there was no avoiding it. Guo Xiaolong had already come to his side and pointed to an adult, saying, "Ye Tian, that's my great-uncle. He's from America, and I brought him to the market..."

Although Ye Tian and Guo Xiaolong had a good relationship at school, they weren't that close. Ye Tian knew that this kid was showing off, so he laughed and said, "Ah, that's great, Xiaolong. Your digital watch is really nice..."

"Of course, my great-uncle bought it for me. I'm the only one in the whole school with one..." Hearing Ye Tian's words, Guo Xiaolong puffed out his chest and lifted his wrist to look at the time.

Ye Tian was a popular figure at school. Although he was mischievous, his academic performance was always the best. Now, having the chance to show off in front of Ye Tian, Guo Xiaolong wouldn't let this opportunity pass.

"Xiaolong, who is this?"

The old man, whom Guo Xiaolong had pointed to, saw his junior talking to a young Taoist and became curious, so he came over to the stall.

"Great-uncle, this is my classmate, Ye Tian..."

"Ah, your classmate? Then why are you dressed as a Taoist?"

The old man was curious. When he left his hometown, he was only a teenager, not much older than these two children. After forty years, he now felt a deep nostalgia for his hometown.

"I don't know..."

Guo Xiaolong scratched his head and looked at Ye Tian, asking, "Ye Tian, why are you dressed like this? Did you really go to the mountain to become a Taoist?"

"I'm not a Taoist. My master is the abbot of a Taoist temple on the mountain. I'm just accompanying him today, and this outfit is more convenient..." Ye Tian explained to Guo Xiaolong. He didn't want to be teased about this when school started, as it would be embarrassing.

"Ah, the Maoshan Taoist Temple was burned down by the Japanese. When I left the mainland, it was just beginning to be rebuilt. I should find time to visit it..."

Hearing Ye Tian's words, the old man sighed, a hint of sorrow in his eyes. However, he quickly smiled, thinking it was inappropriate to feel sentimental in front of children. He then pointed to the stall and said, "Xiaolong, go get a sugar figure for your classmate..."

"No, thank you, Grandpa, I don't want one..."

Although his family wasn't well-off, Ye Tian, having grown up with his master, a worldly-wise old Taoist, understood that greed often leads to loss. He couldn't accept things that weren't his, and he couldn't take something for free without putting in any effort.

"Here, child, you can't just call me Grandpa without getting something. I bought it for you..." The old man smiled and handed Ye Tian a sugar figure of Sun Wukong.

This Sun Wukong sugar figure came with a bowl of glutinous rice. Inside Sun Wukong's belly was a lot of sugar syrup. When you were done playing, you could poke a small hole in Sun Wukong's bottom, let the syrup flow out, and catch it in the bowl, eating both the bowl and the syrup. It was a favorite among children but also the most expensive, costing eighty fen.

Being able to show off in front of his classmate, Guo Xiaolong was very pleased. Seeing Ye Tian keep refusing, he said, "Ye Tian, my great-uncle gave it to you, just take it..."

Ye Tian really liked the Sun Wukong sugar figure. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Alright, I can't refuse a gift from an elder. Thank you, Grandpa!"

"Hehe, Xiaolong, your classmate is very polite..."

Hearing Ye Tian's words, the old man smiled. There was only one Sun Wukong sugar figure left on the shelf, so he paid for two and then watched the vendor blow sugar figures, a skill that could only be seen in China.

"Maybe I should read his face for him..."

Ye Tian still wasn't comfortable accepting things for free. After thinking for a moment, he looked at the old man and silently chanted, "Turtle shell, turtle shell, come out..."

Unfortunately, the turtle shell in his mind was unpredictable, and Ye Tian didn't know how to summon it. After chanting "turtle shell" for a long time, there was no response.

"Secret Technique!" In desperation, Ye Tian suddenly remembered the two characters in the center of the turtle shell and tried to chant them in his mind.

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PS: This chapter contains some memories from my childhood, which are now rare. Perhaps you can still see them at some temple fairs. Hehe, if you have similar feelings, feel free to discuss them in the review section.

And, as always, I would appreciate your support with recommendations and member clicks. Thank you all.