Chapter 34

On the ninth day of the ninth month, the Double Ninth Festival, also known as the Mountain Climbing Festival, the Taoist priests of Yuxu Palace and the Zhong family, who had arrived at the temple the day before, inserted dogwood and admired chrysanthemums, drank chrysanthemum wine, and worshipped the gods for longevity. Then they were to climb high and eat Double Ninth cakes. Yuxu Palace was built on a mountain, making it easy to climb high. After a round of calling friends and companions, the Taoist priests and the Zhong family happily climbed the Baojin Mountain behind Yuxu Palace.

Baojin Mountain was not very high. After less than an hour, everyone, except for Madam Zhong and her husband, had basically reached the top. The clear blue sky, the majestic mountains, and the lush trees on the mountain made everyone feel refreshed. They spread out a few tablecloths on the grass, placed the Double Ninth cakes, chrysanthemum wine, and various snacks on them, and sat in circles, chatting and waiting for the Zhong couple who were lagging behind. After about half an hour, the Zhong couple finally climbed to the top. Everyone welcomed them to sit down, and then they began to drink and chat merrily, eating and drinking with laughter.

After eating a few bites of Double Ninth cake and drinking two cups of chrysanthemum wine, Wang Xiaojun started chatting with the Zhong family. After a bit of casual conversation, Wang Xiaojun got to the point and told Mr. Zhong about the encounter with the Huang girl in Liangxiang County, hoping to hear Mr. Zhong's opinion and asking him to use his connections in Liangxiang County to investigate the background of the Huang girl. After listening to Wang Xiaojun's introduction, Mr. Zhong stroked his beard and thought for a while before saying, "From the introduction just now, this Huang girl does not seem to have any ill intentions towards you. Based on my judgment, she is likely a courtesan, most probably a so-called 'qingguan' who sells art but not herself. Such people rely on music or dance for a living, so it's not surprising that she is eager for the poetry of Chief Zhang. However, Chief Wang's concerns are also reasonable; one must always be cautious. I will take care of this matter. Tomorrow, I will send someone to Liangxiang County to ask Magistrate Hu to send capable people to investigate her in detail. Once there is a result, I will immediately inform Chief Wang."

Wang Xiaojun hurriedly bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Mr. Zhong. Here, I will toast you a cup."

Mr. Zhong, while raising his cup, said, "Chief Wang, there's no need to be so formal. We are all friends. Always saying 'thank you' makes us seem distant." After that, they clinked their cups and drank them all down.

After drinking two more cups of wine, Mr. Zhong saw that everyone around was drinking and chatting happily, and he gave Wang Xiaojun a look, indicating that he wanted to talk to him privately. Wang Xiaojun, not knowing what he wanted to say, got up and followed him to a place away from the crowd. Mr. Zhong seemed a bit embarrassed to speak, and after some hesitation, he said, "Chief Wang, there is something I want to discuss with you."

Wang Xiaojun, seeing him suddenly become hesitant, was puzzled and quickly said, "Mr. Zhong, please speak your mind."

Mr. Zhong hesitated again before finally making up his mind and said, "This... It's like this, my daughter has been frequently interacting with your cousin Wang Feng these past few months. Of course, I trust Wang Feng's character and believe he would not do anything to disgrace his family. I am also very satisfied with him and do not oppose his interaction with my daughter. However, my daughter is still an unmarried girl, and her reputation must be considered. Since they are in love, as parents, we should..."

At this point, Wang Xiaojun had already understood Mr. Zhong's meaning. He was worried that the frequent interactions between Zhong Ziqi and Wang Feng might lead to gossip and damage Zhong Ziqi's reputation, and he hoped to formalize their relationship as soon as possible to prevent such talk. Since Mr. Zhong approved of their relationship and knowing his cousin's feelings, he seized the opportunity and said, "Mr. Zhong's meaning is that we should consider the young couple and make their relationship official."

Mr. Zhong, seeing that Wang Xiaojun understood his meaning, stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "Exactly, exactly, that is precisely my intention. What does Chief Wang think?"

Wang Xiaojun also smiled and said, "I have also had this idea for a long time. However, I was concerned that Wang Feng might not be able to support himself and is quite a bit older than Miss Zhong, so I did not dare to mention marriage. Now that Mr. Zhong approves of him, how could I not agree?"

Mr. Zhong clearly did not agree with Wang Xiaojun's words and said, "Chief Wang, what are you saying? I value his character and talent, not his wealth or status."

Wang Xiaojun hurriedly bowed and said, "Mr. Zhong, please don't be upset. I was just overthinking it. Please forgive me."

Seeing that he was sincerely apologizing, Mr. Zhong's dissatisfaction subsided. Thinking that he had finally completed the task given by his wife and daughter, he smiled again. Wang Xiaojun, seeing that he was no longer angry, said, "I have another matter to consult with Mr. Zhong."

"Chief Wang, please speak."

"I have just returned from abroad and am not familiar with the customs here. I wonder if there are any restrictions on a Taoist like Wang Feng getting married, and what procedures need to be followed."

Mr. Zhong, hearing his questions, laughed and reassured him, "Chief Wang, there's no need to worry. The laws of the Liao Dynasty do not prohibit Taoists from marrying. I have also asked Daoist Yuxu, and the sect you belong to does not prohibit marriage. Therefore, there is no need for any special procedures; just follow the normal wedding procedures."

Wang Xiaojun was relieved and said, "If that's the case, I am at ease. However, my companions and I are not familiar with the local customs, so we need Mr. Zhong's guidance on how to arrange the wedding to avoid any breaches of etiquette."

Mr. Zhong naturally agreed and said he would send specialists to assist Wang Xiaojun, teaching them all the necessary etiquette and procedures to ensure that no one would mock them, as it would also affect his reputation. As for the specific timing, Wang Xiaojun hoped to delay it a bit, preferably after the fine wine auction. He thought that at least the proceeds from the auction could be used to arrange the wedding for Wang Feng, as it would not be appropriate for the bride's family to prepare everything. Moreover, it would be embarrassing for Zhong Ziqi to live in Yuxu Palace after marriage. If Wang Feng were to live with the Zhong family, he might not agree, as even modern couples do not want to live with the bride's family.

Although Mr. Zhong did not want the wedding to be delayed too long, he knew his daughter well. Given her frequent visits to Yuxu Palace and her attitude towards Wang Feng, he was a bit worried that they might do something inappropriate before the wedding. However, Wang Xiaojun's reasoning was also valid, and he did not want to offend him, so he nodded in agreement.

They finally agreed to hold the auction after the weather turned cold next month. Before that, Wang Xiaojun would take one of the high-end wine sets and have Mr. Zhong bring it to a trusted jewelry shop in Liangxiang County, the Fang Family Jewelry Shop, to be temporarily stored by his friend, Mr. Fang Yingyu. This would allow a few familiar wealthy merchants to preview the items and verify that they were genuine treasures, serving as a form of promotion for the auction. After the auction, depending on the results, they would arrange the wedding for the two in December of this year or January of next year, with the specific date to be determined later.

After the matter was settled, the two returned to the group and continued to drink and chat merrily. The others were all in high spirits and did not pay much attention to their behavior. Only the Zhong family's little sister, seeing her father give her a look indicating that the task was completed, felt both happy and shy, her cheeks turning red as she lowered her head and smiled. Her mother, Madam Zhong, smiled and whispered something in her ear, making the little sister bury her head in her arms, not lifting it again.

After eating and drinking, everyone sat on the mountain for a while, enjoying the autumn scenery of Baojin Mountain. According to Daoist Yuxu, the scenery on Baojin Mountain would be even better in late autumn, with the leaves turning red, creating a beautiful scene from the top of the mountain. Unfortunately, the weather was not yet cool enough, and it would probably take another month to see that picturesque beauty.

In the afternoon, everyone went down the mountain. The Zhong family returned to their home in Huangshandian, and the Taoist priests of Yuxu Palace continued their daily routines. Wang Xiaojun called Wang Feng aside and told him about the wedding arrangements discussed with Mr. Zhong. The young man was so excited that he almost jumped up to the trees, and if Wang Xiaojun had not held him back, he might have done a somersault. Of course, he was a bit upset that the wedding would not take place for another three or four months, but Wang Xiaojun's question, "Do you want the Zhong family's little sister to live in Yuxu Palace?" silenced him. However, he did not give up and consulted Zhang Weixin and Daoist Yuxu to see if there was a way to get a marriage certificate in this era, hoping to at least get legal recognition to satisfy his "vicious intentions" of pushing the little sister over. Unfortunately, he was disappointed again. Finally, he went to the back mountain of Yuxu Palace to cut trees, claiming he would build a small wooden house to have his first "property." Wang Xiaojun was both amused and exasperated but did not stop him.

In Wang Xiaojun's view, the young man was a bit too excited. Letting him do some physical labor to release his energy was not a bad idea to prevent him from getting into trouble. However, what he did not expect was that this idea would quickly catch on, and the "real estate development" on the back mountain of Yuxu Palace became extremely popular. Zhao Dawei, Liang Ziyue, Liu Wendong, and Xu Shaoguan, who had official wives but rarely saw them, and those who had quasi-wives but also rarely saw them, were inspired by Wang Feng and joined him in "developing real estate" on the back mountain—of course, their properties were spaced out to avoid mutual interference.

For a time, the "construction" enthusiasm on the back mountain of Yuxu Palace was high, making Wang Xiaojun marvel at the incredible initiative and physical potential of people. However, after cutting trees for several days, these energetic guys had to stop and look at the pile of thick logs, realizing that none of them knew how to build a house. Not only them, but none of the穿越者 (time travelers) or the Taoist priests in Yuxu Palace were familiar with construction. They had the materials but could not achieve their goal. After being depressed for a few days, Wang Feng found a solution. He borrowed some silver from Daoist Yuxu, had Qingchen lead the way, and went to Liangxiang County to find a construction worker, who would take on the project and gather people to build five wooden houses on the back mountain of Yuxu Palace.

Just a few days after the five energetic guys started cutting trees, on the 15th day of the ninth month, Daoist Yuxu came to find Wang Xiaojun and Zhang Weixin early in the morning, handing them a letter. Wang Xiaojun opened it and saw that it was left by Fuyaozi, the old ancestor Chen Tuan. The letter only said, "I have returned to Huashan." There were no other instructions or information about when he would return. After reading the short letter, Wang Xiaojun asked, "When did Grandmaster leave, and why didn't he notify us to see him off?"

Daoist Yuxu, seeing his question, also had a bitter smile and said, "I also do not know when Grandmaster left. Otherwise, I would have notified all the junior brothers. I found this letter in his room this morning when I went to greet him. It seems Grandmaster is used to coming and going alone and did not like the idea of everyone seeing him off, so he left before everyone woke up."

Zhang Weixin comforted him, "Grandmaster has always liked peace and freedom, coming and going as he pleases. It is already quite rare for him to have taught us for so long in Yuxu Palace. In my opinion, he must have gone to Huashan to focus on researching Tai Chi. Once he makes progress, he will certainly return to teach us. We just need to be patient." Wang Xiaojun, hearing this, knew there was nothing else to do and went with Zhang Weixin and Daoist Yuxu to find Xu Shaoguan to inform him of the news and announce it to all the time travelers who had taken disciples.

After breakfast, Zhang Weixin set out with Zeng Zhilin, Liang Ziyue, and Lu Yue to maintain the vehicles at the East Mountain crossing point. This was a decision by the committee, requiring a visit every ten days to start the vehicles and check the operation of the machinery, in case of emergencies. In reality, the off-road vehicles parked on the cliff, though not high, were surrounded by trees, making it difficult to drive them down. No one knew if it would be possible to drive them down in the future, but this was just a form of self-comfort. As for the three armored vehicles in the valley, it would be even more difficult to drive them out unless a slope with an acceptable gradient was dug at the edge of the valley.

The committee was more concerned about the usability of the equipment on the vehicles, especially the communication and electrical equipment. The most pressing issue was communication. Lu Yue and Zhong Tao were eager to use the shortwave radio on their vehicle and the shortwave and ultra-shortwave radios on the three armored vehicles in the valley. If suitable antennas were set up, they could maintain smooth communication with Yuxu Palace while conducting various tasks in Liangxiang County and Youzhou Prefecture.

The most challenging part was the power supply. These radios were vehicle-mounted and primarily powered by the vehicle's power source. Although each vehicle had a generator, especially the three armored vehicles with DC generators that could directly power the radio, the problem was that these generators were driven by the vehicle's engine. Without the vehicle, generating power was difficult. Additionally, although the radios had batteries, the battery life was limited and could not support long-term use. Without a stable power supply, the batteries would run out, and there would be no way to recharge them.

Lu Yue and Zhong Tao put a lot of effort into solving the power issue. With the help of other members of the technology group, they successfully modified two folding bicycles, connecting them to a generator through various transmission devices, allowing the generator to run. Although the power generated by human effort was not as strong as an engine, it was sufficient to ensure the radio's operation. Today, they planned to take advantage of the vehicle maintenance to dismantle another engine and two shortwave radios, aiming to achieve long-distance communication before the auction. When Zhang Weixin set out, Xu Shaoguan also left with Sun Yangyang, Tang Chao, and Zhong Tao for the West Valley crossing point.