binnovel Chapter 112 Old Taoist
Chapter 112 Old Taoist
The morning after the letter was sent, the Li family welcomed an unexpected guest. Looking at the old Taoist priest sitting regally in the main room, Li Xiaonuan felt that happiness had come too suddenly.
"Grandpa, when did you get back? Didn't you say you were going for ten days? Today is only the ninth day." Li Xiaonuan was somewhat incoherent.
The old Taoist stroked his beard, looking at Li Xiaonuan with disdain, and said with dissatisfaction, "What, do you have to decide when I'll come back?"
Li Xiaonuan was speechless. Wasn't this what Zhao Wangchuan had told Xiaogang himself last time?
"Grandpa, I didn't mean it that way, really. I just didn't expect you to come to my door in person, so I was a little surprised."
The old Taoist priest glanced at Li Xiaonuan before reluctantly speaking, "If it weren't for your good fortune, I wouldn't have come to your door in person. Alright, tell me about those two books."
Li Xiaonuan hurriedly replied, "Please wait a moment, sir, I'll go get the books right away." After saying that, Li Xiaonuan quickly went back into the house and took out the two books that were in the brocade box.
The old Taoist priest took the two books, first flipping through them from front to back. Only after confirming that they were indeed the books he had left behind did he carefully examine them with particular care. But as he flipped through them, the old man became angry.
"These bastards, they even have to make rubbings of the title page. I wonder if they can even understand it." After cursing, the old Taoist carefully put the book down, took out a stack of papers from a black wooden box on his left, and handed them to Li Xiaonuan.
Li Xiaonuan took it and saw that it was a nautical record with illustrations and text. She casually flipped through a few pages. Although the illustrations were drawn roughly, the accuracy was not a problem and it did not affect the reading experience.
"Old man, thank you for helping Xiaonuan. Xiaonuan really doesn't know how to thank you enough. How about I kowtow to you a few times?" After saying that, Li Xiaonuan got up from her seat, knelt down on the ground, and really kowtowed to the old Taoist priest several times.
The old Taoist priest calmly allowed Li Xiaonuan to kowtow. In his view, this was only right. After Li Xiaonuan finished kowtowing, he casually said, "I generally don't accept people kneeling before me, except for my disciple. Now that you've knelt before me, are you trying to take advantage of my disciple?"
Li Xiaonuan was taken aback, unsure how to respond. Logically, the old Taoist should know that there was absolutely no possibility between her and Zhao Wangchuan. But why was he saying this today? Was he joking?
“Grandpa, please don’t joke around. I’m just expressing my gratitude. Since you know everything, you should understand that what you did saved the lives of our entire clan,” Li Xiaonuan said.
The old Taoist snorted coldly and said lazily, "I'm not joking. If my disciple hadn't asked me to help you, I would have gone to great lengths to cause trouble for you just because you gave someone else a copy of my book."
Li Xiaonuan was completely speechless and didn't know how to respond. After taking a couple of sips of honeysuckle tea, the old Taoist priest spoke up again: "What, do you think my disciple isn't good enough for you?"
Li Xiaonuan rolled her eyes, gaining a completely new understanding of this idle old Taoist priest. As a cultivator, he spends all his time wandering around, and has been at sea for several years. Fine, consider it that he's been preaching overseas. But now, getting concerned about matters of the heart... isn't that a bit much?
“Grandpa, thank you for your kindness. I’m just a common village girl, I don’t know anything except farming, I’m really not good enough for Brother Zhao. Besides, Brother Zhao’s conditions are really not a good match for our family. You should find someone else,” Li Xiaonuan said.
The old Taoist priest glanced at Li Xiaonuan again and said matter-of-factly, "That's true, you really are not worthy. Since you are so self-aware, I won't make things difficult for you. Just tell me, what is the use of those peanuts?"
Li Xiaonuan sat up straight, ignoring the old Taoist's irritating look, and said, "Peanuts, also called groundnuts, are fruits that grow after the plant flowers, when their roots take root in the soil."
"Peanuts have many uses. Besides eating them directly, they can also be used to extract oil. There are even more ways to eat peanuts: raw, roasted..."
The old Taoist priest listened as Li Xiaonuan went on and on about all the ways to eat peanuts and their benefits. His final question, however, was: "You mean peanuts can be used to make oil, just like soybeans? Is that right?"
Li Xiaonuan nodded and replied, "Yes, and peanuts have a much higher oil yield than soybeans. Furthermore, peanut oil is very fragrant, unlike soybean oil, which always has a beany smell."
The old Taoist stroked his beard and nodded seriously. He said "Oh" and asked, "Then how much higher is the oil yield of peanuts than soybeans?"
Li Xiaonuan replied, "To give you an example, if one pound of soybeans can produce one and a half ounces of oil, then one pound of peanuts can produce three and a half ounces of oil."
The old Taoist priest rarely showed such a surprised expression, and asked incredulously, "Is the oil yield really that high?"
Li Xiaonuan nodded affirmatively and said, "Of course it's true. But it also depends on the quality of the oil pressing equipment. Otherwise, even the best peanuts won't yield any oil."
The old Taoist nodded knowingly and continued, "Have you ever seen what a peanut stalk looks like? Or perhaps you come from a place where peanuts grow?"
Li Xiaonuan looked at the old Taoist priest in astonishment, unsure of the meaning behind his words. The old Taoist priest curled his lip and delivered the final blow to Li Xiaonuan.
“You’re right, I know you’re not one of us. No, I should say your soul isn’t one of us. Tell me, what do you have that Qisong doesn’t?”
Li Xiaonuan felt a chill run down her spine. Her fear of Prince Jing stemmed from the fear of being burned alive as a demon, which would then implicate her family. But this old Taoist priest could see right through her past—how could she not be terrified? This was a fear that emanated from the depths of her soul.
Seeing that Li Xiaonuan was somewhat lost in thought, her face pale, and her lips trembling slightly, the old Taoist said in an annoyed tone, "Hmph, how can you be so spineless? No matter where your soul comes from, as long as it doesn't violate the laws of heaven, naturally no one will make things difficult for you. Besides, that's your destiny, and no one can control it. Look at you, you really are not worthy of my disciple."
Li Xiaonuan pursed her lips tightly, not daring to relax her tense body even after the old Taoist said that. Seeing this, the old Taoist sighed and said, "Don't be afraid. I am not a demon-slaying expert. Looking at the whole world of Qi and Song, apart from our sect's grandmaster, I am the only one who has the ability to judge people."
"However, being able to judge people isn't a real skill, because situations like yours are all arranged by Heaven. If it were in accordance with Heaven's will, it would simply ignore you. But if someone with wicked intentions tries to defy Heaven, they will ultimately face divine retribution. So, rest assured, this old Taoist priest still wants to live a few more years."
Li Xiaonuan asked hesitantly, "Is the old man really telling the truth?" Her voice was somewhat faint and trembling.
The old Taoist priest retorted indignantly, "Do I look that much like a bad person? Look at your spineless appearance, I really don't know how you'll survive in this world."
Li Xiaonuan was stunned. Yes, with such limited abilities, how could she possibly survive? First, she helplessly fainted at Prince Jing's place. Then, with the old Taoist priest, just a few words were enough to throw her off balance. She was truly utterly useless.