Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 21 My Beloved Disciple's "Boasting"

Since they had run into each other, Zhang Chengdao didn't refuse anymore. The group simply put together a large table, with the Liu family patriarch as the host, and ordered a table full of dishes.

Chang Ping'an took the opportunity to introduce him: "Master, this is my senior brother whom I met at the Sword Forging Manor. His surname is Xu. He left the manor in anger because he suffered injustice and has nowhere to go for the time being. I dared to ask him to come with me."

Xu Ying was also very accommodating, and greeted him with clasped hands: "I am Xu Ying, courtesy name Zhongping. I have come to see Immortal Zhang. I have heard of your extraordinary demeanor and admire you greatly. I have come uninvited, and I hope Immortal Zhang will forgive me."

Since his apprentice had brought a child over, Zhang Chengdao certainly couldn't be rude and disrespectful to his apprentice. So he nodded in a friendly manner and said, "Xu Ying, right? Since he's Ping An's friend, there's no need to be so polite. Just make yourself at home!"

The patriarch of the Liu family was thick-skinned, and seeing this, he also came over and bowed to the three of them: "Immortal Zhang, two little immortals, my surname is Liu, and my name is Liu Dahu. I have met all the immortals. I don't know this, this, this, immortals, do you have any requirements for accepting disciples?"

When Master Liu asked this question, everyone in the shop perked up their ears, afraid of missing a single word from Zhang Chengdao.

Zhang Chengdao understood what Master Liu meant, but he could barely support one apprentice, so how could he possibly create trouble for himself by taking on a new one?
Moreover, the reason Chang Ping'an was taken as a disciple was purely because Chang Ping'an was the chosen one and the protagonist template. As long as he didn't have the surname Tang, he wouldn't be sacrificed as the old grandfather by the protagonist's side, and he might even be able to gain some benefits.

But this nouveau riche in front of me...

With a big belly and cheeks as chubby as a hamster, he doesn't look like a protagonist at all. In a novel, he might not even get a proper name. There's absolutely no need for him to take on apprentices!

So Zhang Chengdao shook his head and said, "The relationship between master and disciple depends entirely on fate. Besides, I have only just taken on one disciple and have no intention of taking on any new ones for the time being."

The patriarch of the Liu family wanted to try harder, but he was afraid of offending Zhang Chengdao, so he awkwardly changed the subject and began to introduce the dishes in the restaurant.

Perhaps because Feihu County is such a small place, the restaurant doesn't have many dishes. The table is full of only a dozen or so dishes, and most of them are stewed or steamed.

Although the dishes were rather bland, they were still quite palatable thanks to the freshness of the ingredients. The lamb was particularly delicious, especially the roasted lamb, which was incredibly tender and had a milky aroma.

But soon, the restaurant had to start serving the same dishes repeatedly.

Because Chang Ping'an can eat so much!
He devoured six steamed buns by himself, almost licked the plates clean of all the dishes on the table, ate a whole roast chicken, and even ate a leg of lamb all by himself. Not to mention the Liu family patriarch, even Xu Ying, who was somewhat acquainted with Chang Ping'an, was dumbfounded.

Zhang Chengdao remained relatively calm until Chang Ping'an let out a pathetic burp, at which point he brought up the character panel to check on his apprentice's status.

After all, sometimes burping doesn't necessarily mean you're full!
To my surprise, as soon as I brought up the character panel, I suddenly discovered that there was a new character card in the previously empty character slot, and the name was in blue!

Zhang Chengdao stared thoughtfully at a character card with a blue name and a character card with a gold name in the character list.

He initially thought the golden name on Chang Ping'an's character card was a normal display, but upon comparing it with the newly appeared card, he realized that the color of the name probably represented the character's own qualities or rarity.

For example, the newly appeared character card is named "Xu Ying", its color is blue, its relationship column shows "none", its cultivation level is the same as Chang Ping'an's, "uncultivated", and its status bar is also empty, with nothing there.

Zhang Chengdao raised his head and examined Xu Ying discreetly.

He wasn't very old, but he was probably in his twenties, with a very noticeable stubble on his chin.

He doesn't talk much, and he eats very little, less than one-tenth the amount his cheap apprentice eats.

Does that mean people with higher talent have a larger appetite?
The random thought that popped into Zhang Chengdao's head made him chuckle. Ignoring all that, he stared at the blue-named character card, feeling somewhat hesitant.

Taking on disciples is out of the question. He only has one set of cultivation books, and even his weapons are only enough to give to one disciple for now. He really can't support another one, let alone a character with only a blue-name aptitude.

But this is like the villagers who knock on your door seeking refuge in the original game system. If you take them in, they become new laborers, at least helping to chop down trees and gather materials. If you just let them go, it's a real loss. Of course, more importantly, who knows if the protagonist's cheap apprentice is a villain who betrays his brother, or a loyal follower who would give his life for the protagonist?
I don't have the eye of God, so I can't tell the difference!

This hesitation lasted for a long time, until the shopkeeper Zhao sent out his assistants and the Liu family's steward arrived, Zhang Chengdao still hadn't figured out what to do.

The Liu family's steward didn't come alone; he was followed by a laborer carrying a load on a shoulder pole.

Once inside the shop, Zhang Chengdao saw that the load in the carrying pole was indeed a pile of copper coins. Although it only covered the bottoms of two bamboo baskets, it looked quite heavy.

Master Liu originally didn't want to accept Zhang Chengdao's gold brick—once the money was exchanged, it would be difficult for him to continue building a relationship with Zhang Chengdao!

But when Zhang Chengdao's face hardened, he dared not insist any further. If he offended the immortal, even their friendship of today would be destroyed!

However, immortals are not without desires; it's just that their desires are... rather strange!
"What? Five hundred catties of soy sauce? Five hundred catties of salt?"

Not to mention Master Liu, even Manager Zhao, who had patted his chest and guaranteed that he had everything, was dumbfounded upon hearing this.

Zhang Chengdao didn't notice anything amiss, and even added, "There are also star anise, Sichuan peppercorns... um, about ten catties, and hemp rope, more hemp rope, at least a hundred feet!"

Aside from Chang Ping'an, who didn't see anything wrong, almost everyone present was stunned.

Manager Zhao was really embarrassed to say that he would cover everything this time, because these alone would not only cost him ten strings of cash, but he would probably have to add a lot more to make up for it!
Zhang Chengdao wasn't stupid. Seeing everyone looking at each other blankly, he realized that he had asked for too much and that the other party couldn't afford it. So he changed his mind and said, "If you can't provide enough, a hundred catties will do!"

"To be honest, Immortal, let alone a hundred catties, I can't even produce fifty catties!"

Manager Zhao looked distressed and said with difficulty, "In the whole of Feihu County, I have the most soy sauce, but I only have two large barrels, about thirty catties, all of which I just brewed myself not long ago! As for salt, I don't have much at all. I can only give you two dou at most. With this, I'm afraid my restaurant will have to be closed for quite a while!"

Was consumption really that low in ancient times?

Zhang Chengdao was somewhat surprised, but he nodded and accepted what Manager Zhao had suggested.

On the contrary, once the level increases and more buildings can be constructed, functional buildings for brewing soy sauce and salt production such as brine wells and salt fields can be unlocked. At that time, there will be no need to purchase them separately, and self-sufficiency will be more than enough.

Seeing that he couldn't help in time, Master Liu became anxious.

He first ordered the servants brought by the steward to buy hemp rope from the cloth shop, then turned to Zhang Chengdao and began to fawn over him: "Immortal Zhang, how about this, you tell me a place, and I'll have someone pack it up and carry it over for you, otherwise it'll be difficult for you to move all this soup and water!"

Zhang Chengdao smiled and said, "It's alright, I have my own way of taking it away. Just take me to the container with the soy sauce."

Although Master Liu was not entirely convinced, he dared not question it. Xu Ying, however, could not contain his curiosity. He gently tugged at Chang Ping'an's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "How is Zhang Xianren going to carry dozens of kilograms of soy sauce and salt?"

Chang Ping'an didn't lower his voice deliberately and replied with a normal expression: "My master knows the art of hiding things in a sleeve and hiding objects in a mustard seed. Not to mention tens of kilograms, even hundreds or thousands of kilograms can be taken away."

Hearing his cheap apprentice's boasting, Zhang Chengdao's originally light steps suddenly became a little heavy.

How did I become someone who "holds a universe in their sleeve" or "hides something in a mustard seed"?
Tomorrow we'll be testing the waters!
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(End of this chapter)