Chen Xuandu waved his hand gently, "Go forth, Fourth Brother. Since this man possesses true skill, rember not to underestimate him. Set aside the usual tricks of the Jiang Xiang Faction and contend with him using your genuine abilities. After all, you represent the face of our Longhu Taoist Temple, and I don't wish to tarnish our reputation in my later years!"
The young Taoist nodded and bowed before turning to leave.
Chen Xuandu's brow furrowed as he stroked his beard, deep in thought. Master Xia Tian? Whose disciple could he be...
At this mont, Xia Liang was blissfully unaware that he had unwittingly offended Chen Xuandu. Inside his villa, he was focused intently on carving a Fengshui Stone. On a nearby table, several finished pieces already rested: Golden Toads, Pixius, Xuan Guis, and Kylins. All kinds of figures were there, each uniquely ford and lifelike. He worked late into the night until all the Fengshui Stones were complete.
Looks like I still need to make five more... Xia Liang looked at the semi-finished products before him and shook his head with a wry smile. He was all too aware of his custors' tendencies. Among them were so with considerable wealth who would eagerly snap up anything produced by Xia Liang without a second thought; even the Ice Heart Talismans, ant only for cooling, were hot sellers.
The sa went for the peace charms. Luckily, Xia Liang was so skilled that he had substantially increased his talisman-making speed. He could produce a day's worth of peace charms and Ice Heart Talismans in just an hour; otherwise, he would have been worked to death by the end of the day.
"Their enthusiasm is hard to refuse... There's no helping it," Xia Liang sighed lightly and shook his head as he continued carving.
「Early the next morning.」
By the ti Xia Liang woke up, ng Kezhong was already waiting for him downstairs. Upon seeing Xia Liang, ng Kezhong hurriedly approached. "Master Xia Tian, the workers have been gathered. We can start work the mont you give the order."
When they arrived at the Old ng Family's cetery, Xia Liang saw two excavators already breaking ground. They were working on the new gravesite he had designated, which was now mostly level.
Xia Liang asked ng Kexi, "All these workers were born in the year of the Dragon, right?"
ng Kexi nodded. "Yes, they were all selected according to your instructions."
There must be dozens of workers here. The Old ng Family really has so clout to be able to summon so many Dragon-born workers overnight.
As for how to handle the repositioning of the graves, Xia Liang had already instructed the ng brothers. It wasn't until noon that the first row of burial chambers was completed.
Xia Liang checked the ti. "ng Kexi, rember what I told you. You must bury the Three-eyed Golden Toad in a fish tank on the upwind side of the cetery grounds. The toad's mouth must face the direction of the ancestral grave. Then, keep nine Fengshui Fish in the tank. If the fish are fine by tomorrow morning, bring them ho and take good care of them. But if they have died, co find . Understood?"
The ng brothers nodded repeatedly, their chubby cheeks quivering in unison.
Xia Liang had just returned to his shop when he found many custors waiting for him, despite his two-day absence. Upon seeing him, the crowd greeted him enthusiastically.
"Master Xia Tian, you're back?"
"Where have you been these last two days? I've been queuing daily until my feet have gone numb."
"Master Xia Tian, please open for business! We can hardly wait!"
Facing his eager custors, Xia Liang greeted them with a smile, though he felt a hint of helplessness inside. As capable as I am, I'm still just one person. With Little Liu Lian at the other store, there's no one to take over the fortune-telling duties here if I have to step out. The two won here can only manage the sales of talismans and Fengshui Stones. Ask them to tell fortunes? They don't have that ability. And fortune-telling isn't sothing you can just hire soone off the street for. For one, there aren't many people with genuine skills these days. For another, even if I did hire soone, any mistakes would tarnish my own reputation.
Just then, Xia Liang noticed a strange-looking young man standing at the entrance of the store. The young man was clad in tattered clothes, covered in dust, and wore a pair of yellow rubber shoes. He had a simple and honest look about him.
Xia Liang raised an eyebrow. Soone still wears yellow rubber shoes? How rare... Yellow rubber shoes had been standard attire in the 1980s but had all but disappeared by the mid-1990s. The young man wasn't in line; clearly, he was waiting specifically for him.
"Are you here for fortune-telling or a Feng Shui consultation?" Xia Liang asked.
The young man appeared startled for a mont before his face lit up with joy. "Sir, you're the owner of this shop, right?"
Xia Liang nodded indifferently.
The young man drew a deep breath before asking, "Excuse , are you hiring?"
"Hiring?" Xia Liang asked with a slight frown. "For what position?"
"A Fortune Teller!"
A fortune teller? Xia Liang mused. He had considered the idea, but he wasn't willing to hire just anyone and risk ruining his own reputation.
The young man continued, "I co from a remote village. My grandfather was a Fortune Teller."
This piqued Xia Liang's interest. He made a few quick calculations with his fingers, and a smile gradually appeared on his face. This young man really is from a remote mountain area. And he's read a lot of Taoist School texts. There's truth to the old saying: imrse yourself in the classics, and you'll absorb the knowledge. This Zhang Xiaokui really has so skill. He just doesn't realize his own strength because he's always lived in the countryside.
After a mont's thought, Xia Liang said, "Zhang Xiaokui, is it? You can have a trial run. If you're competent, I'll hire you officially."
Zhang Xiaokui nodded eagerly and followed Xia Liang into the shop. Before long, he was sitting in Xia Liang's usual spot, ready to attend to the custors.
But before Zhang Xiaokui could even start, the custors began to grow discontent.
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