Chapter 31: Chapter 31: The Ancestors Know Nothing
Mr. Cao suppressed his anger and answered the phone.
It was his wife, Wang Lijuan, calling to tell him to come home for dinner that night.
Mr. Cao glanced at his leg and was about to say that he wouldn’t be able to make it home tonight.
However, Wang Lijuan added that tonight was their son’s engagement party, and it would be inappropriate for him not to attend.
Mr. Cao’s expression instantly stiffened, and the words he was about to say got swallowed back down; he could only agree to come.
Jiangli and Xia Xin had a meal outside before leaving the mall.
As Xia Xin flipped through his phone’s navigation, he asked, “Ancestor, are we going straight back, or?”
“We are going to buy some Talisman Paper.” Jiangli himself was not picky about Talisman Paper, but those who were unacquainted with the craft could be quite choosy.
Outsiders still think the more formal Talisman Papers are better.
Jiangli, having seen this situation many times, was quite experienced with it.
At once, Xia Xin agreed and took Jiangli to a shop he often visited in the past.
The shop was located on Antique Street. The store was small, with a modest storefront and only a few shelves inside, looking rather ordinary.
But nearby Taoist Temples and monasteries often came here to buy supplies.
Xia Xin had often come here himself; this place specialized in selling all kinds of Talisman Paper and Vermilion, with different colors, sizes, and materials available.
“Hey, Xiaoxin, what brings you here today?”
When Xia Xin came in with Jiangli, the shopkeeper was counting inventory and greeted him upon seeing him.
Xia Xin chuckled, “I’m bringing our Abbot over to buy some items.”
The shopkeeper looked at the person beside Xia Xin with confusion, “The Abbot of Jiaoyang Temple?” He remembered that Xia Xin’s master had passed away.
Xia Xin explained, “This is the new Abbot of Jiaoyang Temple.”
The shopkeeper raised his eyebrows, “Is she also a disciple of your master? How come I’ve never heard of her before?”
When the old Taoist died, he had even attended the mourning. He had thought that Xia Xin would surely be the next Abbot.
After all, he had heard from the old Taoist that he had only one disciple, Xia Xin.
“No, she… she is not my master’s disciple. She comes from outside.” Xia Xin couldn’t directly say that Jiangli was the Ancestor, so he just gave a dry laugh and brushed it off.
The shopkeeper was also considered a part of the Xuanmen community. Although he had never cultivated, he knew quite a lot about Xuanmen affairs.
He had also heard that many Taoist Temples, when their own members were few and they had no successors, would invite someone from outside to take charge.
Upon this reflection, he suddenly understood and said, “Ah, so it’s like that. Well then, Young Abbot, what are you looking to buy?”
“Vermilion, Talisman Paper.” Jiangli had already taken a look around the store, and answered directly when she heard the question.
The shopkeeper smiled at Xia Xin, “So, as usual, shall we get a few sets of Talisman Paper and Vermilion?”
“A set?” Jiangli, not understanding the term, asked blankly, “What we are buying is Vermilion, not meals.”
The shopkeeper paused: “…”
Looking at Xia Xin with confusion, he wanted to ask if there was something wrong with the new Abbot’s mind?
Meeting the shopkeeper’s gaze, Xia Xin awkwardly explained, “That, that thing, she’s from the mountains, there’s no much network there, she’s not very familiar with these things.”
The shopkeeper nodded, “Ah, I see, that makes sense. If it weren’t for someone coming from a poorer Taoist Temple, who would agree to take charge of Jiaoyang Temple.”
“What I mean is…” While the shopkeeper was lost in his thoughts, Xia Xin ran over to Jiangli and quietly explained, “A set isn’t any kind of meal, it’s just a bundled sale offering. The shopkeeper has a combo where you get five hundred sheets of Yellow Ritual Paper with a box of Vermilion, and it’s cheaper than buying them separately.”