Inheriting a Taoist temple, the story begins with Wu Zetian offering incense.

Chapter 85 The Unhindered Talisman has worked! [Seeking monthly votes]

In the backyard of the elderly mobility scooter shop in Yunwu Town, Zhao Wei drove an excavator in with a rumble, preparing to dig up the willow trees in the yard.

The landlord, Lao Luo, followed on a scooter. Seeing Zhou Yi about to leave, he hurriedly said:

“Xiao Yi, don’t go. What if there’s something dirty on this tree? Last time, the owner of the elderly mobility scooter tried to dig it up, but he got sick as soon as he started. It was really weird.”

Zhou Yi pointed to Zhao Wei, who was operating the excavator:

"With Viagra around, nothing will happen."

Luo glanced at Zhao Wei on the excavator, puzzled.

"What? Is Xiaowei really that tough?"

"He has a safety license plate that he got from the mountain on his excavator, so he can do whatever he wants with it."

After saying that, Zhou Yi rode his motorcycle up the mountain. When he passed by Uncle Wu's stall, he bought a pound of layered pancakes and ordered a serving of cold noodles with chili oil from the stall next door.

It's hot today, and I'm too lazy to cook when I get home, so I'll just have a layered pancake with cold noodles for lunch.

Zhao Wei drove the excavator into the yard and said to Lao Luo and Jin Zhicai:

“If you two have no objections, I’ll start digging. This tree is short and sturdy, so the roots should be pretty good. We can make a chopping block and each of us can have one.”

The willow tree wasn't tall, but it was very thick, Old Luo said.

"When they first planted them, they said they were weeping willows and that the tops had to be cut off. But after twenty or thirty years, I haven't seen any branches drooping down... Xiaowei, you take care of it. Next year, I'll find someone to make a coffin. The coffins you buy aren't as sturdy as the ones you make yourself."

Zhao Wei took out cigarettes and handed them to Lao Luo and Jin Zhicai:

"What's the point of getting such a nice coffin? Do you still plan to be an Egyptian pharaoh?"

"Get lost, you little brat, you can't say anything nice... When you're digging, dump it at the front gate, don't break down the courtyard wall."

"Don't worry, I'll rebuild it for you if it collapses."

Zhao Wei got on the excavator and started using the bucket to dig up the tree roots.

As soon as the excavator started digging, the willow branches trembled. Then, the safety sign hanging on the excavator swayed gently, and the willow immediately returned to normal. The trembling seemed like an illusion.

Then, the golden characters on the peace plaque seemed to brighten even more, and no matter how Zhao Wei operated the excavator, the four characters "[No Taboos]" remained directly facing the willow tree.

As the excavator continued digging, the roots of the willow tree were gradually unearthed.

Looking at the black soil that had been dug out, Zhao Wei said regretfully:

"Oh dear, I can't make a chopping block now."

The presence of black soil indicates that the tree roots have rotted. This type of wood is not suitable for making chopping blocks because the roots will not be dense enough after rotting, and it will also have a strange smell.

Finally, the tree was dug up and felled. The area around the roots was full of black soil and emitted a foul smell.

Zhao Wei gave up the idea of ​​making a chopping block. Lao Luo took a closer look and found that the heartwood was rotten and hollow. He stopped arguing about making a coffin and decided to chop it up for firewood.

The "No Taboos" sign hanging on the excavator has been restored to its original state, although the lettering on it has faded slightly compared to before.

Zhao Wei used an excavator to drag the tree to the side, then dug out the black soil around the tree roots. He planned to call a dump truck later to bring in some yellow soil to fill the tree pit.

Jin Zhicai looked around the courtyard and said curiously:
"The tree's canopy wasn't very big, but why does it feel so much more open and spacious after it was cut down? The shop selling electric scooters for the elderly must have lost business because it was shaded by this tree."

The out-of-towners who ran the vehicle business have already left Yunwu Town, so there's no way to verify this.

After Zhao Wei called a dump truck to fill the tree pit, Jin Zhicai signed a lease agreement with Lao Luo, then returned to the old shop and loaded some inexpensive soybean oil into the cargo compartment of his Wuling mini-truck used for deliveries.

The five-liter container of soybean oil was worth 1,000 yuan, and Jin Zhicai added two more 20-liter containers of commercial soybean oil as an extra thank you.

The grain and oil business has always been characterized by high turnover and low profit. Cash inflows and outflows are enormous, but profits are not high. Zhou Yi's choice of soybean oil instead of cash is seen by Jin Zhicai as a way of taking care of his business.

Xiao Yi is taking care of the business, so as elders, we should give him more money and not let him suffer a loss.

After loading the car, they drove all the way up the mountain, where they happened to see Zhou Yi offering incense at the God of Wealth Temple. Jin Zhicai was intrigued.
"Xiao Yi, how much does it cost to get a statue of a deity from our Hunyuan Palace?"

“I can get statues for 10,000 or 20,000, or even 30,000 or 40,000. Uncle Zhicai, are you planning to get a statue of a deity?” Jin Zhicai nodded. After all, he was moving to a new shop and wanted to bring good luck. But he was worried that his elderly mother was a Buddhist and that putting a Taoist deity in the shop might upset her.

He voiced his concerns, which made Zhou Yi laugh heartily.

“Uncle Zhicai, many deities in Buddhism and Taoism are interconnected. Take Guan Yu, for example. He has been deified by Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Even people abroad worship him. If you want to invite a deity statue, just worship a deity that is shared by Buddhism and Taoism. The old lady will only praise you for your thoughtfulness and won't say anything else.”

Jin Zhicai's eyes lit up:
"How about I also put up a statue of Guan Yu?"

In Taoism, Guan Sheng Di Jun is Guan Sheng Di Jun, and in Buddhism, he is Jialan Bodhisattva, which suits Jin Zhicai's situation.

However, the Book of Changes does not agree with this:
“Your grain and oil business is closely related to people’s lives. The statue of Guan Yu is too imposing and will keep some customers away. You should worship a gentler and more benevolent deity.”

Jin Zhicai jumped onto the truck, preparing to unload the soybean oil from it:

"Is there a more suitable deity than Guan Yu?"

Zhou Yi nodded:

"The Taoist deity Yuantong Zizai Tianzun is more in line with your actual situation than Guan Yu."

This title surprised Jin Zhicai:
"Who is this person? He sounds like a spokesperson for YTO Express."

Zhou Yi pointed to the Guanyin Hall next to the Mahavira Hall and said:

"Taoism refers to this deity as the Perfect and Free Heavenly Venerable, while Buddhism refers to this deity as Guanyin Bodhisattva..."

Upon hearing this, Jin Zhicai quickly clasped his hands together in apology. He hadn't expected that the deity he had casually joked about was actually the famous Guanyin Bodhisattva.
"Shouldn't she be called Cihang Daoren?"

"This is an abbreviation. Guanyin Bodhisattva's full name in Taoism is Cihang Pudu Yuantong Zizai Tianzun. Ordinary people like to use Cihang Zhenren as an abbreviation, but those within Taoism prefer the title Yuantong Zizai Tianzun."

Jin Zhicai handed boxes of soybean oil to Zhou Yi, his desire to obtain the statues of deities becoming increasingly irrepressible.

"Here's what we'll do, Xiao Yi. Help me choose a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva. It just needs to be under 20,000 yuan. Nothing else matters."

After pondering for a moment and making some further calculations based on Jin Zhicai's birth chart, Zhou Yi said:

"Then let's have the ceramic Guanyin statue. If you're sure you want it, I'll order the statue now and enshrine it here for a few days. We'll move it over to the new shop whenever the renovations are finished."

Jin Zhicai agreed immediately upon hearing this:
"Okay, I'll transfer the money to you now."

Zhou Yi waved his hand:

"You should just make it into grain and oil for me."

He thought for a moment, and the statue cost 18,000 yuan, which would then be used to make 6,000 yuan worth of soybean oil, 6,000 yuan worth of peanuts, and 6,000 yuan worth of salt and sugar.

Oil, salt, sugar, peanuts, and flour are stir-fried together, which not only preserves the food for a long time but also effectively replenishes the energy and nutrients needed by the body.

With such a barrage of pungent energy, even Emperor Wu of Han might want a taste.

Jin Zhicai was surprised that Zhou Yi had once again patronized his business, and said happily:
"Then I'll get you more, so you won't lose out."

After unloading the oil, Jin Zhicai drove down the mountain, and Zhou Yi took out his phone and ordered a standing statue of Yuantong Zizai Tianzun from Uncle Ming's shop.

Although Yuantong Zizai Tianzun and Guanyin Bodhisattva are the same deity, their forms differ in Buddhism and Taoism.

Guanyin is depicted in both seated and standing forms, both resting on lotus pedestals and adorned with numerous Indian-style ornaments. She is barefoot and appears more prosperous.

Yuantong Zizai Tianzun wears traditional Hanfu, which is simple and conservative. Some of the statues even cover the hands and feet. The accessories are small and all are Chinese-style.

After Zhou Yi made his selection, he placed the order and continued transporting the flour.

At the same time, in the world of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, Wei Qing, mounted on horseback, looked at Zhang Qian, who had volunteered for battle, and asked:
“Ziwen Gong, you are already forty-two years old. Why did you risk joining Qubing’s assault team? The intelligence you brought from the Western Regions is enough to make you a marquis. Unfortunately, Emperor Gaozu left a will that ‘no one should be enfeoffed as a marquis without military merit.’ So His Majesty sent you to the army so that he could enfeoff you as a marquis in a fair and just manner, so as to avoid the ministers from gossiping.”

Zhang Qian dismounted and bowed deeply to Wei Qing:
"Qian wishes to kill the Xiongnu to avenge his blood feud; I humbly request the General's permission!"

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(End of this chapter)