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Chapter 121 New Year’s Eve Dinner

Xu Yuan handed over the plaster and the wine gourd together: "You have two plasters left, I brought them back for you. I also gave you a gourd of wine as a gift."

Uncle Shen smiled happily and took the wine gourd. "You still remember to bring something for the old man. Great! I went to Qihetai when I was young. I remember there was a family named Liu in the town who made wine. It had a unique flavor..."

"This is not the Liu family's wine." Xu Yuan thought of Liu Laoguan and sighed in his heart.

"It's not from the Liu family?" Uncle Shen uncorked the gourd and took a sniff. His expression changed. "Where did you get this wine?"

"An old fox plotted against me. He made me do him a big favor, but the reward he gave me was not enough. How could I bear this loss? I argued with him, and he gave me this gourd of wine as a reward."

Uncle Shen seemed to understand something, his expression shifted, and he finally sighed, "It's good wine. But you really can't drink it, so leave it for me, old man."

"It's just to show my respect to you."

Uncle Shen pointed at the two plasters and said, "Keep them for use."

"But you..."

"I'm not going to die yet!" Uncle Shen glared, "There's no way I'm going to take back what I gave you!"

Xu Yuan had no choice but to put the plaster away again: "I am going to Luocheng Prefecture with the Department of Expelling Filth. Do you have any instructions?"

Uncle Shen waved his hand and said, "I won't explain. Your nagging Aunt Wang will definitely explain everything you need to explain."

"That's what you said."

Xu Yuan said goodbye to Uncle Shen and went out of the alley to the livestock market. He found a donkey slaughterhouse and negotiated with the boss that he only wanted the black donkey heart.

The boss picked out a black donkey to slaughter and gave him the donkey's heart for one penny of silver - a little more than the normal price because the boss had to sell the rest slowly.

Xu Yuan originally wanted to ask for a few more black donkey hearts, but there was only this one black donkey today.

Afterwards, Xu Yuan went to another shop that specialized in selling black dogs.

Evil spirits are everywhere, black dog blood is a good thing, and therefore very expensive.

More than a hundred years ago, alchemists figured out a way to preserve black dog blood for a long time.

But Xu Yuan wants fresh ones, so the price will naturally be more expensive.

After bargaining with the boss for a long time, I bought a wooden barrel of black dog blood for three taels and two cents of silver.

The last place we went to was a midwife in the city who raised many wild cats.

Xu Yuan spent another three hundred coins to buy a black cat.

The midwife provided attentive service and the animal was slaughtered cleanly.

Xu Yuan came back carrying all the things.

There are a few houses in the alley, but their gates are all closed. However, the inside and outside are clean, and there are no fallen leaves in front of the gates or in the courtyards.

When Xu Yuan is at home, he opens the door to clean every day.

After Xu Yuan went to Qihetai, it was Lin Wanmo.

There are seven or eight households in Hegong Lane, to be precise, eight households with six surnames.

Except for Xu Yuan's family, Uncle Shen, Aunt Wang and Uncle Mao, the other four families looked like this.

The yard was desolate, the doors and windows were closed, and the windows were nailed shut with wooden boards, not letting in any light.

Xu Yuan opened the door and said, "Uncle Chen, I'm here to see you."

The room was filled with a thick, gloomy aura that hit me in the face, and it was as cold as an ice cellar.

The moment the door opened, more than a dozen phosphorescent flames lit up in the empty room, floating like souls for a moment before slowly going out.

It was like... something in the darkness opened its eyes, looked over, saw that it was an acquaintance, and then closed its eyes again.

Some magical objects are placed on the ground in special positions.

Surrounding a pitch-black coffin in the center of the room.

On the coffin were placed two small coarse porcelain bowls, one large and one small, filled with yellowed rice.

When Xu Yuan shouted, something in the coffin knocked on the coffin lid twice, as if in response.

Xu Yuan entered the house and first scooped out some of the black dog blood from the bucket, filling the largest coarse porcelain bowl in the middle.

The rice in the bowl absorbed the blood and swelled to the size of mung beans, each one dark red and shiny!

But it didn't last long before they all shrank back down and turned back into the shape of rice.

There was a gulp of swallowing sounds coming from the coffin.

Then Xu Yuan cut the black donkey heart and black cat meat into four portions, took out one portion and placed it in two small bowls.

The rice swarmed up like living worms, burying the black donkey heart and black cat meat.

Then it slowly sank, and the sound of crunching and chewing could be heard again from the coffin.

After finishing everything, Xu Yuan added another bowl of black dog blood: "Uncle, eat slowly, don't choke."

After drinking another bowl of the contents of the coffin, he burped, knocked on the coffin lid, and then Xu Yuan stopped.

"Uncle, I'm going on a long trip. Don't worry, I'll definitely come back, but it will probably take a while. I came here to talk to you..."

I walked past the four houses one by one and took out all the things I had prepared.

Among the four elders, Uncle Chen eats the most, while Aunt Zhou has the smallest appetite.

In the past, during the New Year, Xu Yuan would follow his father to buy black donkey hearts, black dog blood, and black cat meat, and he knew their appetite very well.

Inviting them to dinner today is actually preparing a New Year’s Eve dinner for everyone in advance.

……

Uncle Mao hadn't gone out to work for the past two days. He hid behind the door, listening to Xu Yuan walking back and forth in the alley. He even went to say goodbye to those four dead ghosts, but he just passed by his own house without entering. Uncle Mao remembered scratching his head, but was too embarrassed to come out and ask directly.

Finally, Xu Yuan came out of Aunt Zhou's house, carrying an empty wooden barrel. Uncle Mao bravely opened the door and said, "A Yuan."

"Fourth Uncle." Xu Yuan greeted him with a smile and turned to leave.

"Hey hey hey!" Uncle Mao was furious. "You little bastard, I've loved you for nothing!"

Xu Yuan turned around with a playful smile and said, "Fourth Uncle, you can go and see for yourself whether they are doing well or not. Miaopo Village is not far away.

If I say "OK", will you really feel relieved?
Besides, weren't you the one who made all the furniture in her new house?"

Uncle Mao blushed. "I always carry it over after it's done and put it somewhere not far away. She'll pick it up herself when she sees it."

Xu Yuan was so disappointed: "She already picked it up, but you still can't express your attitude? Fourth uncle, you are so disappointing at your age!"

Uncle Mao was so confused that he didn't realize that what this kid said was really unpleasant!
"You don't understand, our alley... I don't want to implicate her, alas!" He sighed.

Xu Yuan said seriously, "Fourth Uncle, do you trust me? I will definitely allow everyone to live a decent life!"

Uncle Mao opened his mouth, but in the end, he only said three words: "You don't understand."

Uncle Mao waved his hand dejectedly and went back with his head down.

Xu Yuan also knew that no matter what, Uncle Mao had no confidence that he could really change the situation in the alley, so he shook his head and said, "When I succeed, I will give them a grand wedding."

When the time comes, wake up Uncle Chen, Aunt Zhou and the others, and have them listen to the conversation and make a fuss in the bridal chamber!

Let’s have some fun together.

Uncle Mao will definitely be grateful to me!

Xu Yuan was thinking and shaking his head. After all this busy work, it was almost noon.

When he returned to the courtyard, he saw Yu Yunhang standing there waiting for him: "Master, you are back. The commander said they left first. You should settle the family and catch up later."

(End of this chapter)