Chapter 202 - Chapter 202: Chapter 197 The Pattern is Too Small_i (2/2)
The three thousand ducks rented to Daoyuan Village, together with some more they managed to gather on their own, indeed had a good effect in pest control.
“Master Qin!”
From afar, Tang Fang spotted Qin Niu and immediately quickened his pace to greet him.
“I happened to pass by and wanted to check on your village’s pest situation. Is everything all right?”
Qin Niu asked with concern.
“Thanks to your blessing, with the three thousand ducks you lent us and the defensive lines constructed, we have barely managed to control the pestilence. Other villages have suffered misfortunes, though, with many having their crops completely devoured by locusts. Alas, when will this plague finally end!”
Tang Fang lamented.
“Master Qin, come to my house for tea! Haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? I haven’t either, so if you don’t mind, come eat at my place!”
“No, no, I have things to do in a bit.”
Qin Niu politely declined.
As they were talking, someone received the news, probably to report to the village head.
The old Tang Family Patriarch came over, leaning on a walking stick.
Accompanying him was Tang Cai Xian, whom he hadn’t seen in many days.
She seemed to have become thinner, yet somehow grew even more charming and captivating. Observing the way she walked—lighter than before—
He assumed she had been cultivating at home all these days.
“Qin Niu!”
She called out crisply, her expressive eyes fixed on him.
But there was a deep, unyielding affection and yearning in her gaze.
“You’ve lost weight! Did you receive the pork I sent you?”
Seeing her slimmer figure stirred a feeling of pity in Qin Niu.
“Mhm, thank you for the pork you sent. They were quite special and greatly beneficial to me.”
She gave a slight nod, her face filled with gratitude and a hint of sweetness.
Qin Niu had sent her several batches of prime pork.
“Master Qin rarely visits Daoyuan Village, and I see Cai Xian is really fond of you. Why not come to our house for a visit, have a chat?”
The Tang Family Patriarch was quite astute.
Noticing the young man and woman exchanging glances, he promptly tried to matchmake, giving them an opportunity to talk of love.
“I’ll come by some other day! Not today, though. I see Daoyuan Village’s pest control is holding up, but recently some particularly fierce locusts have appeared, so you still need to remain vigilant and be careful. You can make hand nets to manually catch them.”
Qin Niu gave a suggestion, then looked toward Tang Cai Xian.
“Cai Xian, join me for a walk around Daoyuan Village.”
“Okay!”
She happily agreed.
Tang Family Patriarch and Tang Fang, among others, all showed understanding smiles, leaving the two to their private time.
“This river was my favorite place to play as a child. I used to pick wildflowers by the riverbank, watching the boys catch fish, and wanting to join in the fun. Once, when stepping down the riverbank, I accidentally tumbled down. It was fortunate that there were adults around to quickly pull me out of the water…”
She shared stories of her childhood, both fun and embarrassing moments.
After listening, Qin Niu found this girl to be quite down-to-earth.
The faint fragrance wafting from her was enough to stir his senses.
Yet, whether the two of them would ultimately find themselves together remained an uncertainty.
In a world where everyone could cultivate, one could choose mediocrity, to live as an ordinary person, or strive in cultivation, seeking every chance to enhance one’s strength.
Qin Niu always harbored a distant goal in his heart; he aspired for eternal life, to exist forever like the heavens and the earth.
For he felt that the mere decades of a mortal life were no different from a single season of flora.
Having come into this world, he wanted to live significantly, to roam freely between heaven and earth, to be a carefree traveler.
Because his aspirations were so lofty, finding a companion who only desired a simple life would make it difficult for them to be together.
Falling in love with someone is easy, but forgetting them is hard.
He didn’t want to bear the sorrow and pain of parting.
“When I was a kid, I was much naughtier than you. However, Old Man Liu, who took me in, never scolded me. He only prepared a thick branch of thorns and told me if I dared to misbehave again, he’d whip me with it. Despite being scared, the thrill of playing often overpowered my fear. Old Man Liu raised that branch many times, but it never once touched me.”
Speaking of the deceased Old Man Liu, his heart was still filled with endless sorrow.
Regrettably, he was too weak and young back then, barely thirteen years old, and didn’t even have the means to bury Old Man Liu, who died of illness. It was the villagers who helped bury him.
Qin Niu had bowed to each of those helpful villagers.
He always remembered their kindness.
His reluctance to fight over land with his neighbors was for this very reason.
The kinship with fellow villagers mattered, not a life-and-death struggle, unless someone like Xie Laizi acted foolishly, with no sense of right and wrong, in which case, he’d have no choice but to send him to meet Buddha.
“How fortunate for you to have been adopted by Old Man Liu, who was so caring. Now that you’ve become successful, I believe Old Man Liu would smile from the netherworld. If ever you’re unhappy or wish to confide in someone, you can always come to me. I might not be good at comforting people, but I will be a good listener.”
She could sense the sadness emanating from Qin Niu.
Yet, she didn’t know quite how to console him.
After all, their relationship hadn’t even begun, and in these times of strict etiquette, girls were very reserved.
Aside from their husband, they did not engage in intimate contact with others.
“Thank you!”
Qin Niu could feel her kindness.
“By the way, how is your cultivation going?”