Chapter 9

After Chen Jiu swallowed the first wisp of purple energy in the world, his eyes slowly opened. A hint of purple light flickered in them, gradually fading away.

Looking at the sleeping fatty and Uncle Zhong, Chen Jiu quietly stood up. However, he soon caught a foul smell emanating from his body.

Seeing the layer of grease on his body, Chen Jiu smiled lightly and walked towards the river. Although the grease was unpleasant, it was not annoying, as it signified the beginning of the process of purifying his body.

The morning river water was still quite cold, no, it was bone-chillingly cold, but he couldn't face people with this stench.

With a "plop," Chen Jiu jumped into the river without hesitation. He remembered that in his previous life, a certain great man enjoyed winter swimming. Chen Jiu was about to embark on the path of cultivation. Although his body was weak, he wouldn't be inferior to that great man.

He scrubbed and scrubbed, washing over and over again, before finally getting out of the water and changing his clothes.

During this time, two unfortunate fish disturbed Chen Jiu's bath and were unhesitatingly thrown onto the shore, becoming breakfast.

When Chen Jiu returned, the fatty was still sound asleep, but Uncle Zhong was already awake. Chen Jiu nodded, then lifted the fish in his hand and suddenly said, "How did a thief come last night, and the treasure is gone?"

At the sound of his words, the fatty sprang up in a sudden movement, "What, the treasure is gone?"

The fatty looked around, and only after seeing the intact package did he breathe a sigh of relief. However, seeing the teasing looks of Chen Zhong and Chen Jiu, he smiled awkwardly and sat down, embarrassed.

Using the remaining charcoal from the night before, they quickly started a fire. The two fish were just to whet their appetites, but now none of them had the heart to stay here any longer, wishing they had more legs to leave this place of sin.

The three of them traveled east, passing through countless villages, and finally arrived at a very remote village with about three hundred households.

After a long and dusty journey, their clothes were covered in dust. Seeing this village in the deep mountains, they hurriedly walked towards it.

A series of barks woke the villagers. Chen Jiu's thin body came to a wooden door and knocked "bang," "bang," "bang."

"Who is it?" came the voice of an elderly woman from inside.

"Granny, we are travelers passing through your village. We have been on the road for a long time and would like to stay for the night and wash up. Is that okay?" Chen Jiu, who was about fifteen or sixteen, sounded like a child due to his thin and underdeveloped body, but he was indeed a child.

The wooden door creaked open, revealing a weathered face.

The old lady looked at the three of them and nodded, "Come in."

The wooden house was very simple, with only basic pots and pans and a few separate rooms.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, my house is very simple, I hope you don't mind."

Chen Jiu shook his head, "Granny, we are merchants who got lost and were robbed by bandits on the way. We have been on the road for a long time and need to wash up."

As he spoke, he took out a silver ingot and handed it to the old lady. This family didn't seem wealthy, and with their big appetites, this meal would probably deplete their food supply.

Seeing the old lady's hesitation, Chen Jiu smiled, "Granny, this is our token of appreciation. If you don't accept it, we wouldn't feel right staying here."

The old lady smiled and took the silver ingot.

Chen Jiu looked at the fatty, "Go heat some water. We all need to wash up."

After chatting with the old lady for a while, Chen Jiu learned that her son and daughter had gone to work in the city and wouldn't be back for another half a month.

Soon, the water was heated, and Chen Jiu, being the youngest, went to bathe first.

After washing, he indeed felt different, his body feeling refreshed and comfortable.

Chen Jiu looked at Chen Zhong and the fatty, hands behind his back, "I think this small village is nice. Why don't we settle down here?"

Uncle Zhong had no objections, and the fatty, being the least influential among the three, had no right to speak.

After dinner, Chen Jiu looked at the old lady, "Granny, is the area around this village peaceful? Are there any bandits?"

Bandits, meaning robbers.

The old lady smiled, "The security here is quite good. The army is stationed nearby, so no bandits would dare to set up camp here."

Chen Jiu nodded, "That's good. We have accumulated some wealth over the years, but the outside world is too chaotic. We might lose our lives at any time. This village seems nice, and we are thinking of settling down here."

The old lady looked at the three of them, "Settling down here is not a problem. The village has nearly a thousand people, and it wouldn't matter if you three joined us."

Chen Jiu smiled, "Granny, what do you think of my two companions?"

The old lady looked at the cunning fatty and the loyal Chen Zhong under the lamplight and smiled, "One is cunning, the other is honest. How did these two extremes end up together?"

Chen Jiu, "......"

Chen Zhong, "......"

The fatty, "......"

After a moment, Chen Jiu smiled, "Granny, these two have suffered a lot with me over the years. We haven't established a family, and I'm worried about them. I was thinking of finding them good matches."

As he spoke, he patted the package, "As for the dowry and the matchmaker's fee, that won't be a problem."

Chen Zhong and the fatty were stunned, not expecting him to start looking for wives for them before they even settled down.

The old lady smiled, "That's easy. I'll take care of it. There are a few young girls in the village who are eager to get married."

She glanced at the blushing Chen Zhong and the fatty.

Clearly, the old lady mistook their unease for shyness.

After resting for a day, the old lady brought a man in his forties. Looking at Chen Jiu and the others, the man smiled, "Are you the three who want to settle in our village?"

Chen Jiu stood up, recognizing the man's identity from the old lady's demeanor, "Nice to meet you, Village Chief."

The Village Chief took out a ledger and a brush, "The state has regulations. New residents must be registered, but this is a loose requirement, so it's not a problem."

Chen Jiu gave the fatty a look, and the fatty took out a silver ingot, "Please, Village Chief, help us with the formalities."

The Village Chief didn't refuse, took the silver, and looked at the three of them, "Find a place in the village to build your house. If you don't want the trouble, someone in the village is moving out, and you can buy their house and land together."

Chen Jiu signaled the fatty to take out another silver ingot, "Please handle it for us, sir."

The Village Chief looked at Chen Jiu, impressed by his approach.

"I'll go talk to them now. You can move in the day after tomorrow. For today, you can stay at the old lady's house." The Village Chief hurriedly left, clearly eager to handle the matter after receiving the bribe.

Chen Jiu watched the Village Chief leave and then looked at the old lady, "Thank you for your hospitality, Granny."

The old lady shook her head, "It's nothing. As for the marriages, we can discuss that later."

Speaking of marriage, Chen Zhong and the fatty had no objections. They were both of age, and marrying a good woman would be a joy. As for marrying a noble lady, that was out of the question; they were just country bumpkins.

Chen Jiu looked at the two of them and took a bite of a corn cake, "Once we settle down, the past will be the past. Don't get involved in any illegal activities, or the peace we've worked hard for will be ruined."

Chen Zhong and the fatty both nodded.

But the fatty's next words almost choked Chen Jiu, "Xiao Jiu, you found us wives, but what about you? We can't leave you alone."

Chen Jiu gave him an exasperated look, "Just focus on your own life."

The fatty awkwardly swallowed the corn cake, took a sip of water, and continued eating.

Sighing, Chen Jiu thought about the eight years of habits he needed to change and felt a sense of uncertainty about the future.