"This... never bore any fruit."
Xu Qing looked at the increasingly mature peach tree and shook his head.
"Hey! Even the flat peaches in the Immortal Peach Orchard bloom and bear fruit. This obscure wild peach tree neither blooms nor bears fruit, nor does it spread its branches and leaves. What's the point of keeping it, dear brother? You might as well uproot it to use as firewood to keep warm in the winter or for cooking!"
Xu Qing quickly held back his monkey brother, who was rolling up his sleeves, and said with a throbbing head: "Hold on, hold on! This tree is an old friend of mine, even if it doesn't bear fruit, it can still be used for shade and coolness..."
"Shade and coolness? If you're too hot, brother will borrow a palm leaf fan to cool you down, there's no need for an unproductive tree to block the view."
Shi Sun rolled his eyes, suddenly looked up and turned around, pointing to the figure hiding in the tree eating a melon and watching the drama: "You ignorant peach tree, listen up! Your uncle is doing my dear brother a favor today by sparing your life. If your uncle comes again next time and still doesn't see you spreading your branches and leaves, I will uproot you to show you what true morals and ethics mean!"
Tao Sanmei, who was eating melon, was so frightened that she trembled and fell into the courtyard with a thud. This wicked guest who once held the fate of countless peach trees in the Immortal Peach Orchard and even knocked down the Ginseng Fruit Tree with a single strike was truly terrifying!
It's not that she didn't want to bloom and bear fruit. For spiritual trees and roots, it's naturally difficult to become spirits and take shape. Once they do, wanting to bloom and bear fruit requires following the principles of yin and yang, seeking partners, and so on. How can she be blamed for not knowing the way?
If blame is to be placed, it should be on the wooden ones outside. Bullying a spiritual house tree, is that the act of a hero?
On one side, the Sea Assembly Great God, who had transformed into Daoist Lianpeng, seemed to have found something amusing. He asked Xu Qing, imitating the jest: "Younger Brother Xu, years ago, I encountered a rustic mountain god who had become quite influential. She seemed to also belong to a mountain you nurtured. Did any little mountain sprout from it?"
Xu Qing's eyelids twitched uncontrollably as he listened. Even though he was beyond the Three Realms, outside the Five Elements, he almost broke into a cold sweat!
Trees falling is one thing, but talking about causing mountains to rise and fall? What nonsense is this use of divine techniques?
Xu Qing awkwardly chuckled, avoiding a response: "The Qishan Clan, upon your suggestion, went to Shennong Valley to seek the reclusive ways of the sages and hasn't returned yet..."
Hearing this, Daoist Lianpeng could no longer jest recklessly and responded ambiguously: "Indeed, that's the case. Back then, she sought my advice, and I guided her to Fire Cloud Cave to seek the shelter of sages, to prevent future retaliation by mountain authorities."
"Brother's kindness, Qing will remember in heart!"
Seizing the opportunity in conversation, Xu Qing hastily left the Funeral Shop, fearing this vegetative man might dig out some giant pit for him in deep mountains again!
Here, Sect Leader Xu finally managed to slip away, and outside the shroud shop, Boss Liu, who had been waiting for a while, greeted them with a bow—
"Ms. Liu of the Xu Family greets the two elder brothers."
It's important to know, during the reign of Emperor Shi, women only referred to themselves by their maiden names, not taking their husbands' surnames. For example, if a lady surnamed Jiang from Chu Kingdom married into the Lu Kingdom, she would at most be called "Chu Jiang," with Chu being her husband's state and Jiang her maiden name, which was always retained.
By the time of King Tang, during Shi Sun's westward journey through the Two Realms Mountain, married women were also often using their maiden names, like Li or Wang, or 'Miss Li', 'Miss Wang'. There was still no habit of prefixing the husband's surname.
After King Tang's reign, the custom of self-addressing as 'Zhang Miss Li' or 'Wang Miss Zhang' began to emerge, gradually placing the husband's surname in front, but often adding an "A" in between.
By the time Xu Qing was born, it became popular for married women to call themselves 'Zhang Wang's', 'Zhao Li's', and this way of combining the husband's surname and maiden surname with 'Shi' became a common self-address for married women.
To this day, though the rites and music are no longer observed, and the terms 'Zhang Wang's', 'Zhao Li's' are out of use, it doesn't mean that people like Xu Qing and Shi Sun, who have lived through changing eras, don't understand it.
Boss Liu referring to herself as Ms. Liu of the Xu Family, with a face full of bashfulness, made it hard not to misunderstand!
Xu Qing, who hadn't taken a breath for a while, finally couldn't resist taking a deep breath.
Why are you acting all shy?
This isn't a new bride meeting her in-laws, but if my brothers misunderstand me as being amorous, wouldn't my lifelong reputation be ruined?
Nevertheless, when Xu Qing saw Shi Sun and Lianpeng, the two elder brothers, producing gifts far beyond those for regular sect disciples, he suddenly felt that among his friends at the incense shop, paper mache shop, Shuimen Bridge Villa, and Funeral Shop, there were quite a few of the opposite gender...