I consulted a feng shui master in Hong Kong.

After lunch, things proceeded much more smoothly at the old dyehouse.

Originally, these workers had some other intentions in mind when they accepted the job.

Thinking that Chen Qinghe was just a young Taoist priest who didn't know much about the prices of various items on the market, he figured he might be able to tamper with things.

But after what happened this morning, that thought vanished without a trace.

Carpenter Deng put aside his initial dismissive attitude. After finishing his meal, he even brought over a measuring tape and blueprints, squatted in the yard, and rechecked the dimensions with Chen Qinghe.

"We can keep three of the old pillars on either side of the front yard, but the innermost one won't do; it's been hollowed out by worms." Carpenter Deng drew lines on the ground with charcoal. "We can demolish two rooms in the back bungalow and keep three; that's fine. It's just that the area by the well needs to be leveled first, otherwise it will still accumulate when it rains."

Chen Qinghe nodded, holding a twig in his hand, and added two more strokes to the ground.

"Don't rush to pave the well; let it be cleared first. Raise a ring of low stones around the well opening and direct the drainage eastward; don't block it again. Leave two and a half steps of space on the west side of the backyard; we'll be building a small altar there in the future."

Carpenter Deng was taken aback.

"A small altar?"

"This is the rule of our Sanxuan Temple," Chen Qinghe explained.

The small altar is the foundation for the rituals performed at the Sanxuan Temple.

However, the things we are currently facing are not important enough for Chen Qinghe to perform a ritual.

Carpenter Deng then stopped asking questions and simply kept these arrangements in mind.

Those in their line of work are most afraid of their employers changing their minds frequently.

Today they say to demolish, tomorrow they say to keep; today they talk about the wall, tomorrow they complain about the cost.

People like Chen Qinghe, who know exactly how and why to change things, are actually the easiest to please.

As the sun began to set in the west in the afternoon, most of the well in the backyard was finally cleared.

The broken bricks, rotten planks, and mortar that had been covering the well opening were all moved away, revealing the well rim and water that could be vaguely seen at the bottom. The water wasn't clear, carrying a hint of gray from years of accumulation, but at least the well wasn't dead.

Old Zhou, who was cleaning the well, squatted by the well for a long time before looking up and saying, "Master Chen, this well is still alive, it's just been stagnant for too long. Dig down another foot and change the water twice, and it will be usable."

Upon hearing this, Huang Shouzhou immediately perked up.

"It's good that it works. It's good that it works. It would be nice if the temple had a working well in the future."

Chen Qinghe stood by the well, looked down at the sliver of light reflecting off the water, and his expression relaxed slightly.

Whether a temple has roots can be determined not only by its facade but also by the watercourse.

As long as the well is alive, the earth's energy in this place hasn't completely died out.

As he was thinking, a young man, about half-grown, came running up from Fu'an Lane, panting, and called out from the doorway, "Senior Brother Huang! Senior Brother Huang!"

Huang Shouzhou turned around and recognized him as the young errand boy he had just picked that morning, named A Xing. He was thin, fast, and had bright eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

Ah Xing, panting, leaned against the doorframe: "Someone came from Fu'an Lane, saying they wanted to ask Master Chen to look at their house. I told them Master Chen wasn't here today, but the man wouldn't leave. He insisted that he came from Kowloon, that something had just happened at his house last night, and that he absolutely had to see Master Chen today."

Huang Shouzhou was taken aback and subconsciously looked at Chen Qinghe.

Chen Qinghe did not move immediately.

"What is it?"

Ah Xing quickly said, "I didn't dare to ask in detail, but I heard him say that the old man in his family suddenly fainted twice last night. The doctor came to see him but said it didn't seem like an illness. These past two days, we've been hearing water running in the middle of the night, especially around the kitchen and the back door. He had heard the Huo family mention Master Chen before, so he rushed over early this morning."

Huang Shouzhou's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing "the Huo family".

This is not an ordinary neighbor coming to ask for a peace charm.

This is a legitimate job that I actively sought out.

And nine times out of ten, it's someone who can afford to pay.

He was about to suggest, "Why don't you go back and see him first?" when he saw Chen Qinghe simply nod: "Let him wait. I'll be back before dark."

Ah Xing nodded repeatedly and ran back.

As soon as Huang Shouzhou and the others left, he couldn't help but come over and say, "They're practically delivering money to your doorstep, aren't you going back now?"

"There's one thing we need to settle here at the old dyehouse today," Chen Qinghe said, looking at the well. "I won't feel at ease tonight until we get the wellhead and the main seat sorted out."

Huang Shouzhou was speechless for a moment, and had no choice but to swallow the rest of his sentence.

Only after the wellhead was completely exposed did Chen Qinghe order all the workers to stop.

The people in the courtyard were somewhat puzzled.

Carpenter Deng wiped his brow: "What's wrong, Master Chen?"

"That's enough for today." Chen Qinghe glanced at the sky. "The old building in the front yard is half demolished, and the well has been opened. Don't rush anything further. If you do, things will get chaotic."

Carpenter Deng originally wanted to work a little longer, but after hearing this, he nodded.

He now knew that the young Taoist priest had his own methods for doing things.

In some places, it's to save labor; in others, it's to follow the rules. If you don't understand, just follow the instructions.

After the workers gradually left, the old dye house became quiet again.

But this stillness is different from yesterday's.

Yesterday was empty, it was dead, it was the desolate emptiness of an old house devoid of human life.

Today, however, there is stillness after all the activity. The dust on the ground has been stirred up, the well has been opened, and half of the old pillars in the front yard have been demolished. Even the wind seems to be blowing more smoothly through the yard.

Huang Shouzhou stood in the middle of the backyard, looked back and forth a couple of times, and suddenly grinned.

"It actually does seem a bit like that now."

Chen Qinghe didn't speak, but took out a compass from his pocket and stood in the center of the courtyard again.

Huang Shouzhou immediately shut his mouth.

This time, Chen Qinghe watched for even longer than in the morning.

The front yard, the well, the back yard, the bungalow, and even the direction from which the air comes in at the street corner outside the door—everything was re-examined.

The compass needle trembled slightly, and when it finally came to a stop, Chen Qinghe walked to the threshold of the door between the front and back yards and used chalk to mark a very faint cross on the ground.

"Here, the midline begins."

Huang Shou-zhuo quickly memorized it.

Then Chen Qinghe took a few more steps forward and settled on the innermost side of the front yard.

"This is the main seat in the main hall."

He turned back to the backyard, half a step east of the well, and fell a little further.

"Here, at Anshui's eye."

Once these three points are in place, the framework of the entire old dyehouse is essentially fixed.

Although Huang Shouzhou couldn't fully understand it, he felt a slight warmth in his chest.

The Three Mysteries Temple is not just something to talk about.

It is truly taking shape little by little.

After doing all this, Chen Qinghe put away the compass and turned to leave.

"Back to Fu'an Village."

Huang Shouzhou hurriedly followed, still excited as he walked: "Tell me, who exactly was that guy from Kowloon just now? Could he be a big spender too? If we can get this job, the wages at the old dyehouse can last a few more days."

"Look at the person first, then the house," Chen Qinghe said. "People who are eager to give money are not necessarily hospitable."

Huang Shouzhou agreed verbally, but he couldn't suppress his anticipation.

When the two returned to Fu'anli, it was already dark.

Sure enough, there was a car parked under the old plaque of the Sanxuan Temple. Although it wasn't the most luxurious foreign car, it was still more respectable than what the average local resident would ride in.

A middle-aged man stood at the door, wearing a long gown and clean shoes, but he looked somewhat anxious.

Upon seeing Chen Qinghe return, the man immediately took two steps to greet him.

"Master Chen?"