Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 159 The Jiang Family Repays Their Benefactor's Kindness

Jiang Yi wiped his hands on the hem of his clothes, stood up, and went to greet him.

Those eyes, calm and deep like an ancient well from years of tending herbs, glanced at the eldest son, Jiang Ming, but only lightly, before settling on the face of the girl beside him.

He raised his voice again towards the house, summoning Liu Xiulian out.

The family stood in the courtyard, separated by more than a year and a few steps, the words on their lips, yet they didn't know where to begin.

It was Jiang Ming who spoke first, leading the girl into the house and having her sit down at the table.

He then stood in front of his parents, poured them a cup of water, and then subtly pointed at the girl.

"Father, Mother, this is Miss Jin Xiuer. She will be staying with us for a while from now on."

Though spoken softly, to Jiang Yi and Liu Xiulian it was like a pebble thrown into a calm teapot, creating ripples in the still water.

Jiang Yi's hand, holding the teacup, paused for a moment in mid-air.

The smile on Liu Xiulian's face faded slightly, replaced by an almost imperceptible scrutiny.

Upon hearing this, the girl named Jin Xiuer gracefully rose, curtsied, and gave a deep bow to the two elders.

Her voice was clear and her words were respectful: "Xiuer greets Uncle and Aunt."

Every move he made was as if measured with a ruler, so meticulous that not a single flaw could be found.

Liu Xiulian was the first to regain her senses, a smile returning to her face. She stepped forward to help Jin Xiuer up, murmuring:

"Good child, get up quickly. Since you brought him back tomorrow, settle down and make yourself at home."

She took the girl's hand, glanced around the house and the surrounding area, and then smiled:

"Come, Xiuer, let me show you the house."

Jin Xiuer remained as respectful and polite as ever, bowing slightly to Jiang Yi and Jiang Ming before following Liu Xiulian out.

His footsteps were light and quick, his posture upright, like a wisp of wind guided by rules.

The courtyard gate opened and closed, and the changing light and shadow kept the two women's figures outside.

The room fell silent.

Jiang Yi put down his teacup, the bottom of which made a soft "tap" sound as it hit the table.

He raised his eyes and looked at his eldest son, whom he couldn't quite understand, and his brows finally furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"what happened."

He asked directly, without any room for ambiguity.

Jiang Ming, however, seemed oblivious to the weight of the words. He sat down at the table, poured himself a glass of water, blew on it, and then spoke slowly and deliberately.

"It's a long story. I owed someone a favor because of Liang'er's investiture as a god."

He took a sip of tea and continued:
“That benefactor… well, he has a descendant who wants me to take him back to the mountains to find a quiet place for him to cultivate himself. I thought the back mountain of our house was quiet enough, so I agreed.”

These words were spoken so flawlessly, as if they were merely recounting an ordinary errand he was doing while traveling.

Jiang Yi stared at his face, noticing his composure as he spoke, but his brows remained furrowed.

He could hear the evasiveness in her words, and he could also sense the deliberately smoothed-out edges.

Since his son didn't say anything, the father couldn't very well press him for details.

Asking too many questions can actually create distance.

He picked up his teacup and swallowed down all his questions along with the warm tea.

Well then, now that the person has been brought back, the Jiang family will accept this favor.

Jiang Yi finished the slightly cooled tea, then leisurely took something out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

It was the Yin-Yang Twin Fish Iron that Ao Yu had given him.

The room was not very bright. The iron block was half dark black like ink and half warm and smooth like milk, clearly distinct yet perfectly integrated.

Lying quietly on the rough wooden table, it seems to absorb some of the surrounding light.

Jiang Ming, who had been leaning back in his chair, leaned forward slightly, his gaze suddenly sharpening, and the usual indifference in his eyes was broken by a flash of light.

"This thing... is a treasure."

He reached out and picked up the iron block, weighed it between his fingertips, and then carefully stroked the seamless texture at the boundary between black and white:
"The interplay of Yin and Yang is a perfect harmony. Father, you are a divine soul of both Yin and Yang, so it would be most suitable to forge a handy object from it, whether for daily nurturing or for fighting with others."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi nodded noncommittally.

He picked up the empty glass, examined it against the light, and then slowly began to speak:
"But... I always feel like something's missing."

He put down his teacup and tapped his knuckles lightly on the table twice. "This iron block is pure in yin and yang, but it might lack the power to suppress evil spirits and malevolent forces."

Having said all that, it couldn't be clearer.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ming immediately understood his father's intentions. He smiled, dispelling any awkwardness between father and son.
"That's easy, Dad, just watch."

As he spoke, he stood up, not even bothering to finish his hot tea, and turned to walk out, heading straight for the orchard behind the house.

Before long, he had filled his arm with all sorts of spiritual fruits. Then, without looking back, he dashed into the path leading to the back mountain, and his figure was quickly swallowed up by the deep forest.

Jiang Yi stepped outside and glanced around the courtyard.

Liu Xiulian was leading Jin Xiuer around the house, chatting about everyday things to make her feel more relaxed.

But the girl's steps were already somewhat unsteady, and her pretty face was slightly pale, as if she had drunk too much and was not able to support herself.

Jiang Yi saw this and understood the situation.

He didn't say much, only speaking softly after Liu Xiulian led the group closer:
"The old house at the foot of the mountain is still empty. Let Miss Jin rest there for now."

Liu Xiulian was a perceptive person, and she immediately understood that the girl couldn't withstand the increasingly rich spiritual energy on the mountain.

Today, the Jiang family courtyard is no longer an ordinary household. Even the old house at the foot of the mountain has been transformed by the lingering charm of the spiritual spring behind the mountain, making it no longer a mundane place.

However, Kim Soo-ah did have some foundation, so she was able to manage living in the old house.

Liu Xiulian responded and then helped Jin Xiuer down the mountain.

A short while later, she returned alone, a thoughtful look on her face. She walked to Jiang Yi's side and said:
"They're all settled. They seem tired from the long journey and the sudden exposure to spiritual energy, so they've already gone to rest."

Jiang Yi nodded and led her back into the house, then repeated what his eldest son had said earlier.

Liu Xiulian listened quietly, her beautiful brows furrowing slightly as she looked at her husband: "What do you think?"

Jiang Yi shook his head, his gaze falling on the yin-yang double fish iron on the table, as if he were looking at the iron, or as if he were looking at something else.

"There's something I'm keeping from Ming'er; I haven't said it outright."

He paused, tapped his knuckles lightly on the table twice, and lowered his voice even further.

“I just saw that Miss Jin… the way she exudes energy and the breathing techniques she uses are exactly the same as our family’s breathing methods.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiulian's eyelids twitched slightly.

"Look at that skill level, it's very raw, clearly someone who has only recently started. If I'm not mistaken, it must have started practicing after meeting Ming'er."

There was a moment of silence inside the room.

Liu Xiulian nodded slowly. She naturally knew the foundation and significance of her family's breathing technique.

Jiang Yi continued, his voice low, yet like a small hammer, striking Liu Xiulian's heart again and again:
"The other party is happy to send a young woman back with Ming'er, saying it's for cultivation, but not mentioning taking her as a disciple. Sending her over in such an ambiguous way, their intentions... are actually quite obvious."

He paused for a moment, then voiced his guess:
"That benefactor probably wants the two of them to develop feelings for each other over time and get married."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiulian's originally calm eyes suddenly brightened, as if a lamp wick had been turned on.

She has worried a lot about her eldest son's marriage.

Now that she's almost thirty-four or thirty-five, and her second brother is practically a grandfather, while there's still no sign of him, how could she not be anxious?

However, his thoughts only wavered for a moment before he quickly calmed down and asked, "So what's your opinion?"

Jiang Yi pondered for a moment, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards the mountain behind the house. After a long pause, he slowly spoke:

"From a purely pros and cons perspective, it might not be a bad thing. However..." He changed the subject, "In the end, we'll have to see what he really thinks tomorrow."

Upon hearing her husband's words, Liu Xiulian immediately understood what he meant.

There was clearly no intention to obstruct in those words.

Her bright eyes gleamed even more, and it was unclear what she was plotting in her mind.

As dusk approached and smoke began to rise from the chimneys in the courtyard, Jiang Ming returned from the back mountain.

The man showed no signs of fatigue, yet he held a rough earthenware tile in his hand. On the tile was a pool of nearly solidified brass, its luster almost dazzling. Liu Xiulian had prepared a welcoming feast, with chicken, duck, fish, and meat laid out in abundance.

But the father and son seemed not to notice. They each picked up their bowls, ate a few mouthfuls of rice with the dishes on the table, and then put down their chopsticks.

The two exchanged a glance, stood up in unison, and walked one after the other to the back of the house.

In the darkness of night, Jiang Yi picked up a wood-chopping knife from the corner of the wall and walked to a spirit fruit tree that was growing well.

After gesturing for a while, he found a straight, smooth branch about the thickness of a wrist, and with a "snap," he chopped it down.

He carried the newly cut tree branches, while Jiang Ming carefully held the tile. Under the moonlight, the father and son headed straight for Tang's blacksmith shop.

……

The next day, as dawn broke and the morning mist lingered, the father and son returned, their clothes soaked with dew.

Jiang Yi now had a stick in his hand.

The stick was about five feet long, and the handle was made from the branch of the spirit tree from yesterday. It was smooth and glossy, and the natural wood grain seemed to shimmer in the morning light.

Strangely, at both ends of the stick, one end is fitted with two bright yellow copper hoops, sandwiching a milky white iron hoop, which is as smooth and warm as jade. This is the yang side of the Yin-Yang Twin Fish Iron.

At the other end, there were also two copper hoops, sandwiching a jet-black iron hoop, which was as deep and unfathomable as an abyss, representing the yin side.

An ordinary wooden stick, once bound by these six clamps, suddenly acquires a certain inexplicable and indescribable legality.

Jiang Yi hadn't slept all night, but his face showed no signs of sleepiness; on the contrary, he was full of energy.

He stood in the courtyard, and with a gentle turn of the stick in his hand, there was not a sound of wind, only an invisible ripple that caused the air to distort slightly.

The stick sinks, which is yin; the tip flicks, which is yang.

Each move, though seemingly simple, causes the body's energy to flow continuously.

The alternating warmth and coldness of the staff perfectly matched the yin and yang duality within his soul.

That's what I call being handy.

Life on the mountain passed by like flowing water.

A girl surnamed Jin joined the small courtyard, but life didn't seem any different.

Jiang Yi still fiddled with his herbs every day, or practiced his staff techniques with the newly acquired stick.

The smoke from Liu Xiulian's stove remained steady and gentle.

The family got up early as usual to go to the ancestral hall to listen to Jiang Ming preach.

However, the scene beneath the surface of the water was stirred by some subtle ripples.

Jin Xiuer was a sensible girl. Every morning she would help sweep the courtyard or help Liu Xiulian pick up vegetables. She rarely spoke and was very diligent.

The more thorough she was, the more Liu Xiulian's thoughts became.

That afternoon, Jiang Ming was sitting on the veranda, carefully whittling a section of bamboo with a small knife, preparing to make a few bamboo whistles for his two children.

Jin Xiuer stood aside, helping Jiang Xi sort the herbs that had just been picked.

Sunlight slanted down from the eaves, casting long shadows of the two people that almost overlapped.

Liu Xiulian, who was inside the room, smiled more deeply as she watched, and gently nudged Jiang Qin and Jiang Jin, who were practicing calligraphy, with her elbow.

The two little ones exchanged a glance, then dashed off in a flash.

One child clung to Jiang Ming's leg, while the other wrapped their arms around Jin Xiuer's. Looking up, they asked in childish voices:
"Uncle, Sister Xiuer is so skillful. How about she helps you organize your textbooks from now on?"

"Aunt Xiuer, my uncle knows everything. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask him!"

Children speak without restraint, yet their words are like hooks.

Jin Xiuer paused in her movements, her pretty face flushed red, like a ripe persimmon in the yard, even her ears turned pink.

She tried to pull her hand back, feeling somewhat helpless, but the little girl held her tightly.

Jiang Ming's hands were very steady as he shaved the bamboo; the blade's trajectory didn't deviate even slightly.

He merely raised his eyelids, glanced at the embarrassed girl, a faint smile playing on his lips, before slowly speaking to the two younger ones:

"Go away and play somewhere else. Don't disturb your Aunt Xiuer's work."

The words were a rebuke, but they sounded like a pebble thrown into water, creating only a ripple before dissipating.

Seeing this, Jiang Xi smiled, pursing her lips. She picked up the conversation, seemingly casually saying to Jin Xiuer:

“Xiuer, don’t pay attention to them. But what my elder brother said is right. There are many ways to get around in this mountain. You’re new here, so if there’s anything you’re not used to, you should talk to him. He may seem quiet, but he’s very thoughtful.”

These words were much more organized than those of the two younger ones.

Jin Xiuer lowered her head, only glancing quickly at Jiang Ming with her eyes before lowering them again. She let out a soft "hmm" in a voice barely audible, while her hands, which were sorting through the herbs, became somewhat disordered.

This enthusiasm became even more pronounced at dinner time.

Liu Xiulian deliberately had Jin Xiuer sit next to Jiang Ming.

During the meal, she kept putting food on Jin Xiuer's plate, muttering to herself:

"Xiuer, you're too thin, eat more."

As he spoke, he gestured to Jiang Xi with his eyes.

Jiang Xi understood immediately, ladled a bowl of soup for Jiang Ming, but instead of handing it to him directly, she turned and presented it to Jin Xiuer, smiling as she said:

"Xiuer, please pass this to my elder brother."

The eyes of everyone at the table then subtly turned towards them.

Jin Xiuer held the bowl of soup, feeling the rough porcelain bowl in her hand burning hot.

She stood up, bowed slightly, and carefully placed the soup bowl beside Jiang Ming, saying softly:
"Brother Jiang, please have some soup."

Throughout the entire process, she didn't dare to lift her head, like a performer going on stage for the first time, unsure of what to do with her hands and feet.

Jiang Ming took the soup, not even looking at her, and said to Liu Xiulian, "Mother, let's eat, the food is getting cold."

With a single sentence, he effortlessly reduced the tension at the table by seven or eight parts.

Liu Xiulian glared at him reproachfully, but didn't say anything more.

Only Jiang Yi, sitting in the corner, held a wine glass, taking in all of this without comment.

He always believed that people destined to be together would naturally come together, and there was no need for others to match them up.

As the sun began to set that evening, it gilded the outlines of the distant mountains with a golden hue.

Jiang Yi pointed out the secrets of planting medicinal herbs to the young men from the Gujin Gang at the edge of the field, before carrying his hoe and slowly walking home.

The earthy scent mingled with the fresh fragrance of grass and trees on the ridges of the fields, a smell that brings peace of mind.

Before even entering the courtyard, I could hear a noisy chatter coming from the backyard.

He went around to take a look and laughed.

In the orchard behind the house, Jin Xiuer was bending over with her arms outstretched, trying to gather a group of newly hatched chicks into the newly built chicken coop.

These furry little creatures, without any of the discipline of adult chickens, scurried around in the grass, making the usually well-mannered and proper young lady quite disheveled.

Her skirt was smudged with mud, and a few stray strands of hair fell loose from her temples, clinging to her slightly sweaty forehead, making her look more down-to-earth than usual.

Seeing this scene, Jiang Yi couldn't help but smile.

He leaned the hoe against the wall, intending to go over and lend a hand.

Just then, one of the most energetic chicks, in its panic, crossed the invisible boundary and fluttered into the area behind the mountain.

Jin Xiuer was in a hurry and panicked. Without thinking, she subconsciously rushed in and disappeared behind the trees.

Jiang Yi's smile froze for a moment.

He stopped in his tracks, a sense of foreboding washing over him.

It looks like we won't be able to get out until midnight.

But just as the thought arose, a clear voice rang out from behind the tree, carrying just the right amount of respect.

"Uncle, you're back."

Jiang Yi looked in the direction of the sound and saw Jin Xiuer walking out gracefully, lifting her skirt, amidst the swaying shadows of the trees, holding the lost chick in her arms.

She walked with ease, a faint smile on her face as always. Her hair and clothes were perfectly neat, as if she had simply gone to her backyard and picked up something casually.

(End of this chapter)