I am about to die of old age, and I have awakened the character of longevity.

Chapter 171 Xiao He proposes marriage and goes to meet an old friend!
Su Yuqing called Zhao Qing'er, Wei Haoran, and Chen Tie, and told them to conceal the news of her coming to Qingwu County and to stay at Xie An's house temporarily.

If you encounter any problems, just go to Xie An's house privately.

These words surprised Chen Tie and others.

The dignified Princess Daqian wants to settle down in Xie An's house?

Zhao Qing'er even bought a large house in the county town, ready for the princess to settle down... She was about to say this when Chen Tie stopped her, "The princess's move is very appropriate."

Zhao Qing'er glared at Chen Tie, but finally swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Su Yuqing seemed to see what Zhao Qing'er was thinking and said softly, "If you have nothing to do, you can come to Xie's house and sit down. It's not far away."

Zhao Qing'er's mood improved greatly after hearing this. "I'll go visit the princess when I have time."

After finalizing the plan, Xie An and Yuhe welcomed the eldest princess back to the Xie Mansion.

After all, she was the eldest princess. Xie An suggested that Su Yuqing settle down in the central courtyard, but Su Yuqing refused and chose the backyard.

This made Xie An feel a little embarrassed, but he couldn't resist, so he asked Yuhe to go to the backyard to clean up.

Yuhe was very capable and soon she had a bedroom, tea room, and study ready, enough to meet Su Yuqing's daily needs.

Xie An's three-courtyard house is actually much larger than an average three-courtyard house. The front row of houses has eight rooms, and the corresponding backyard also has eight rooms. The backyard is spacious, has ample sunlight, and features a rockery, pavilion, and pond, making it a very comfortable place to live.

Although the stable is connected to the backyard, next to the east back door, there is no odor because it is separated by two archways.

What's more, the stable is currently empty and no horses are kept there.

After making proper arrangements for Su Yuqing, it was already late at night. Xie An returned to the courtyard and sat on the drunkard's chair in the yard. Since Yuhe was still talking to Su Yuqing in the backyard, Xie An brought the stove, kettle, and tea set himself.

Boil the well water and take out the teapot given by Su Yuqing.

The conditions at home were very simple, and they had no tweezers for picking up tea leaves, let alone the six gentlemen of the tea ceremony. Xie An grabbed a handful of purple bamboo leaves, dropped them into the teacup, and then poured in boiling water to brew it.

As the tea fragrance spread, Xie An took a long breath and felt refreshed all over.

Then pick up the teacup, blow on it to cool it down a little, and take a sip.

It leaves a lingering fragrance on your lips and teeth, and relaxes your internal organs.

"Although the tea set is simple, the tea fragrance is undiminished. This purple bamboo leaf is not ordinary purple bamboo, it must have been specially cultivated. Drinking it is very nourishing to the blood. This kind of precious tea is probably not available on the market even if you have money."

With Xie An's five senses of the Eighteen-Section Jade Master, he could tell that the purple bamboo leaves were extraordinary.

Drinking more can nourish the body, it is a rare precious tea.

With the princess around, Xie An no longer had to worry about the morning light being against him, and he felt much more at ease. He also felt relaxed and at ease, and finally had the mood to make tea and admire the moon.

After drinking several cups of tea, Xie An felt his five internal organs warm up, his muscles and bones become more active, and his body became full of vitality, and he felt more and more comfortable.

"If you give it to an elderly person, it might cure all diseases and even prolong their life."

While thinking, Xie An thought of Madam Li from Wuqiao Town.

He said he was seriously ill and didn't have much time left.

He had always wanted to visit him, but was delayed because of the Giant Whale Gang, Jin Xiaotang and other matters, which made Xie An feel anxious.

Now that the eldest princess was in charge, Xie An finally relaxed.

"I'll go to Wuqiao Town to visit Madam Li some other day, and give her this purple bamboo tea while I'm there. Maybe she can live longer and suffer less."

Thinking of this, Xie An closed the teapot.

Mrs. Li was about the same age as Xie An, Xie An was fifty-eight, and Mrs. Li was about sixty. For ordinary people, this was already an age close to death.

Madam Li has been managing the affairs of the Li Mansion for many years, and her life is extremely hard. I think she is already at the point of exhaustion.

But eight years have passed, and Xie An has not forgotten the kindness that Lady Li showed him.

Giving timely assistance is always more memorable than adding icing on the cake.

"Go pick up He Chunli tomorrow and then go to Wuqiao Town."

When Xie An left the Demon Suppression Division's main building just now, he privately asked Chen Tie about He Chunli's case. The princess agreed that He Chunli's merits and demerits should be offset, and he was released without charge.

But there are still paperwork to be recorded, files to be filed, etc. There are still some procedures to go through. I'll probably be released tomorrow.

Of course, the eldest princess can handle the matter specially, but since Su Yuqing intends to conceal her whereabouts, she naturally has to follow the procedures.

Everything is fine.

Not long after, Yuhe came out from the backyard and saw Xie An drinking tea leisurely. She came over and said with a smile, "Master, you seem to be in a good mood today."

Xie An was overjoyed to see Yuhe. He opened the tea jar and opened a new teacup to brew tea. "Yuhe, come and try the purple bamboo leaves the princess gave you."

"I'll do the soaking, Master, you lie down."

……

The next morning.

Xie An got up early, dressed neatly and went out.

The county town was far more prosperous than Shui Deng Town. Shops on both sides of the street were open early in the morning and were bustling with people. The breakfast shops were especially busy.

Those who could live in the county town had relatively good conditions. It was common to go out early in the morning to eat a tray of steamed buns and drink a bowl of soy milk.

Xie An packed two trays of large meat buns and fried dough sticks. Then he rushed to the prison gate just before the Demon Suppression Division's roll call.

Xie An did not use his personal power to request early release, and everything was done according to the procedures.

When the sun rose, a light sound of footsteps was heard. Xie An turned around and saw He Chunli, wearing shorts, slowly walking out of the prison gate.

This was thanks to Chen Tie and his team who had prepared new clothes for He Chunli to change into early on.

He Chunli walked out of the prison and looked up at the long-missed red sun in the eastern sky. His nose couldn't help but feel sore and his eyes moistened. Just then, he heard footsteps approaching, followed by a long, narrow shadow covering him.

He Chunli slowly raised his head and saw a familiar figure approaching. The person was holding hot buns and fried dough sticks wrapped in mulberry paper.

The man said, "You've suffered so much in there, eat some hot buns to fill your stomach."

He Chunli picked up the hot bun that was handed to him and swallowed it hard.

"Eat slowly, there is still more."

Hearing this all-too-familiar voice, He Chunli suddenly burst into tears. But without saying anything, he continued to wolf down his food, quickly finishing two trays of meat buns and two fried dough sticks.

The man said, "Remember this from now on. Don't be so impulsive. Even if you decide to do something, you must consider the option with the least risk. For example, if you wanted to kill Li Huwei, couldn't you do it secretly?"

thump!
He Chunli knelt on the ground and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Master. I will remember your teachings."

Xie An sighed softly and helped He Chunli up. "Get up and go home."

When he heard the word "go home", He Chunli could no longer hold back the emotions that had been pent up for a long time, and he crawled on the ground and cried loudly.

Xie An knew that He Chunli needed to release his emotions, so he waited for a while until He Chunli finished crying and calmed down, and then he took He Chunli out of the Demon Suppression Division.

Along the way, the morning light shines obliquely, warm as jade.

Arriving at Xie's house, Yuhe had already boiled water and prepared new clothes for He Chunli, which touched He Chunli deeply.

Xie An patted He Chunli on the shoulder and said, "Go take a shower and change into new clothes. This will be a new beginning."

"Thank you, Master, and thank you, Miss Yuhe."

He Chunli bowed to Xie An and the other man, then turned around to take a shower.

Xie An looked at the receding figure and felt very emotional.

Yu He said from the side: "Master, after this incident, your disciple has obviously become much more stable."

Xie An nodded in agreement.

We are master and disciple, but our fate will eventually come to an end.

He was only in Qingwu County now, but Xie An knew very well that as his strength improved, he would have to leave this place sooner or later and go to the bigger world outside.

When the time comes, we will part ways and never see each other again in this life.

He Chunli still has to walk the future path on his own.

You won't get far with such an impulsive personality.

This time he has Xie An's help, but next time... no one will care about him like this.

Not long after, He Chunli had changed into a new robe. Although there were still some scars on his face, they were no longer noticeable. He walked up to Xie An and bowed deeply.

His demeanor and manners were obviously much more mature and steady than before.

Xie An saw it all. "You seem to be much more stable. Every failure makes you wiser, which is a good thing. If you want to go see Chunlan, go ahead. I'll also go to the Li Mansion later to see Madam Li and Chunlan. Don't forget to ask for leave from the Weisheng Martial Arts School. Han Li will be guarding the Li Mansion these days, so remember to bring some food with you."

"Yeah, I went to see Chunlan, and then hurried back to make dinner for the master." He Chunli bowed and left, but halfway through he remembered something and turned back, hesitating and unable to speak.

Xie An said, "You're already in your twenties, what's so hard to say?"

He Chunli gritted his teeth and said, "Disciple... I want to... I want to..."

He said the word "I want to" several times, but then stopped.

Xie An shouted, "Speak."

He Chunli suddenly knelt down in front of Xie An and said, "I want to marry Chunlan. But I have no family. I would like to ask Master to make the decision for me."

Xie An was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help laughing. In Daqian, the master was like a father.

In the absence of family, the Master can act as a father figure.

This is all commonplace.

Xie An had long regarded these two disciples as half-sons, so he was naturally not opposed to such a proposal of marriage.

What's more, Xie An was really happy to see his disciple getting married.

Anyone who has been a father can deeply understand how gratifying it is to see the younger generation start a family.

Seeing Xie An didn't answer, He Chunli thought Xie An had some thoughts, so he immediately said, "Master, don't worry. Chunlan and I will be your children in the future. My sons and grandsons, several generations will take care of you in your old age and see you to the end."

Xie An's face was full of smiles.

I have a long lifespan, and I'm afraid He Chunli won't be able to survive me.

But he was indeed very happy in his heart. "Don't think too far ahead. You seem to be of family-oriented age. You should go to Wuqiao Town first. I will go to your house to propose marriage later."

Hearing this, He Chunli was overjoyed and kowtowed repeatedly, tears streaming down his face unconsciously. "Thank you, Master. I will work like a slave for you in my next life to repay your kindness."

He knew that without a master, he would still be a slave, and life would be difficult. As for things like getting married and starting a family, he dared not even think about it.

I can never repay my master's kindness in this lifetime.

"Get up. You'll have a family now. You don't have to kneel down all the time, and you don't have to be treated like a slave. Take good care of Chunlan and manage the household well. That will be the best way to repay your teacher." Xie An personally bent down to help He Chunli up, and then said to Yuhe, "Yuhe, go get two pieces of precious silver."

"okay."

Hearing such good news as the marriage proposal, Yuhe was in a very good mood and ran to the room to take out two pieces of precious silver.

The big silver ingot, weighing fifty taels, was heavy.

Xie An took the precious silver and stuffed it into He Chunli's pocket. "Use it to buy some clothes and gifts. Also, see what Chunlan likes and buy some gifts for her. And Madam Li, especially buy some gifts and supplements for her."

He Chunli took the precious silver and felt that the gift was too heavy. He was speechless for a moment and tears flowed.

Xie An didn't want to be overly sentimental, so he patted his shoulder and said, "When my master died on his bed, you were the one who waited on him. I was trapped in Dayin Mountain for four years, and you and Han Li went everywhere to raise money and gifts, and to seek help. You even dug up the mountain yourself. This little bit of precious silver is nothing. Take it, and don't be so shy."

He Chunli then said "hmm" heavily, then turned and left.

Yuhe advised from behind, "You'll be the groom soon, so you have to buy him some festive clothes to look splendid."

"understood."

He Chunli had gone far away, but he still remembered his promise.

Yuhe and Xie An stood side by side, watching He Chunli's departing back, with smiles on their faces.

Yuhe said, "Master, when Chunlan marries in, this house will be very lively. But... after Xiaohe gets married, he can't continue to live in the back house in the front row."

Xie An was not averse to excitement.

In life, Xie An likes both bustle and quiet. Finding peace in the midst of bustle is the most appropriate.

"Let's make do for now. If that doesn't work out, let them live in the east wing of the courtyard. If that's still inconvenient, then we can move to a bigger house. Or they can go out and buy a house of their own."

"No money."

Xie An: “…”

Thinking of this, Xie An took out the remaining four first-level internal energy pills given by Tang Zhengyang and handed one to Yu He. "Take them outside and sell them to a martial arts school. With the money, you can hold a good wedding for Xiao He. It will be a happy and festive occasion."

Yu He accepted the inner strength pill without hesitation, "Master is really good to his disciple. But don't worry, Master is now a fifth-rank general. At the wedding, many dignitaries and nobles came to give gifts. The gifts alone were more than a thousand taels."

Xie An was stunned, and his mind couldn't help but emerge the celebration banquet he held when he first took office as the incense master in the Xueling Black Market. The celebration banquet cost more than a thousand taels of money.

Now that he was a fifth-rank general, how much would the gift money be for holding a wedding for his disciple?
hiss.

Xie An was a little excited.

Once you become an official, there are many ways to make money.

But when he thought of the incense master... Xie An began to miss his old subordinates.

I don’t know how they are doing now.

"Then Yuhe, you go and take care of it first. I'll go to the Demon Suppression Division."

……

The Demon Suppression Division was some distance from Xie An's residence, spanning most of the county. When he arrived at the Demon Suppression Division, it was already three o'clock in the morning.

The Demon Suppression Division has been put into operation, and the martial arts arena is bustling with activity.

As usual, Xie An saw Chenxi instructing the Demon-Suppressing Guards to practice in the martial arts field.

The fairy queen seemed to enjoy instructing others on martial arts. However, when Xie An saw this woman again, he no longer felt guilty.

As usual, after greeting each other, Xie An went to the seventh floor.

Zhao Qing'er, Wei Haoran and Chen Tie were drinking tea around the tea table. When they saw Xie An coming, they all looked at him with envy.

Zhao Qing'er said sourly, "General Xie is really capable. You kidnapped the eldest princess right after she arrived."

Xie An: “…”

It was Chen Tie who came out to smooth things over. "Zhao Qing'er and the eldest princess are both royal relatives and have had frequent interactions since childhood. When Zhao Qing'er learned that the eldest princess was coming, she bought a house for the eldest princess to stay in. Unexpectedly..."

After a pause, Chen Tie continued, "Zhao Qing'er speaks frankly. Chief Xie, don't take it to heart. Please take a seat."

Xie An took the first seat, drank tea and chatted for a while, then changed the subject, "Deputy Director Chen, the matter of the Giant Whale Gang still needs to be concluded."

Chen Tie wasn't surprised at all. "It's only natural. After extensive investigation, it's been confirmed that the Giant Whale Gang is unforgivable. We should eradicate them completely. We discussed this last night when the Princess arrived. Wiping out the Giant Whale Gang would be a small achievement. Zhao Qing'er and Wei Haoran were vying for the credit just now. I don't know who to send, so it's a good idea for you, General Manager, to make the decision."

Zhao Qing'er said bluntly: "Thank you, General Manager. You have abducted the eldest princess. This small achievement must be given to me. Wei Haoran is reckless and he is not capable of it."

"Bullshit!" Wei Haoran, who had been holding back his anger for a long time, finally let it out. "This little achievement must be mine."

Zhao Qing'er took the lead and said, "Wei Haoran, you are just a sixth-rank official. Why do you think you can compete with me?"

"Because of my utter devotion to the Princess, and my selfless dedication to serving the court and ridding the people of harm!"

"Isn't my whole heart to rid the people of harm?"

"Who knows."

"Wei Haoran! You want to try my Dahe swordsmanship, right?"

"Just try it."

As they talked, the two men's faces turned red, one drew his gun and the other drew his sword, and they were about to start fighting.

Chen Tiedu lowered his head and drank his tea in silence. Xie An held his forehead with his hand and said, "How about this, both of you make concessions. I will accept this small favor with great reluctance."

brush!
Wei Haoran and Zhao Qing'er, who were arguing, suddenly stopped and turned to look at Xie An with disbelief on their faces.

They did not expect that Xie An, a fifth-rank general, would come out to take credit.

I wanted to refute, but I didn't know how to open my mouth.

Chen Tie then spoke loudly, "With the General personally coming forward, there will be no mistakes. I think this matter is settled. I will immediately dispatch a hundred elite demon-suppressing guards to infiltrate Shuideng Town and obey the General's orders."

When he said this, Chen Tie breathed a sigh of relief.

Otherwise, Wei Haoran and Zhao Qing'er would have to fight until the end of time.

Wei Haoran: “…”

Zhao Qing'er: "..."

"Thank you, Deputy Director Chen. I'll go first." Xie An didn't give Wei Haoran and Zhao Qing'er a chance to refute, and went first.

The argument between these two young men from aristocratic families is really frustrating.

slip away.

As soon as Xie An left, Zhao Qing'er said, "Brother Chen, according to Master Ye, Xie An went to get the triple inner strength pill a few days ago, so his strength may not have reached the triple inner strength level. It might be dangerous for him to go and destroy the Giant Whale Gang."

Chen Tie said, "So, I'll have to trouble you to go and assist us."

The two people had no choice but to agree, and they kept blaming each other when they left.

"Wei Haoran, this is all your fault. If you hadn't been fighting with me, this little achievement would have been mine. Now this county lord has been forced to do free labor."

"You didn't harm me? If you had given up earlier, there wouldn't have been so much trouble."

"Okay, okay, just wait for me. After we destroy the Giant Whale Gang, I'll come back and destroy you first."

"Oh, it seems like you can really destroy me."

"..."

……

Xie An returned to the Southeast Courtyard, changed into his official robes, donned his token, and took the Demon-Suppressing Sword. He also packed up the purple bamboo leaves, went to the stables and got a horse, and headed straight for the Blood Ridge Market in Shuideng Town.

"I've heard that the Blood Ridge Black Market has been upgraded to the Blood Ridge Market. The person in charge of the Blood Ridge Market is a big boss of the Giant Whale Gang, and he's also an official. I wonder how Brother Lin and Wang Xiang and the others are doing..."

(End of this chapter)