I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 41 Paper Donkey
This time, they are heading northwest to visit Luoyang first.

Luoyang must be one of the largest and most prosperous cities in the world today, a city steeped in poetry, wine, and the influence of foreign cultures. The Tang people revered peonies, and Luoyang was considered the epitome of this.

They traveled on the official post road, also known as the main road, which was made of rammed earth and was considered smooth.

Jiang She hadn't planned on eating much while traveling, but he hadn't expected to be traveling with such a large group. Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu had even prepared quite a lot of things, and Yuan Danqiu, lacking horses, grumbled that they would buy some in the next county town.

So at noon, the group stopped in a nearby village and rented a few places.

They were tall and strong, and they brought a horse-drawn carriage, which made them look intimidating.

After asking several households, I was finally allowed to enter.

He was a wealthy man in the village, surnamed Zhao, in his thirties, with two sons and two daughters. He also had a wife and an elderly woman.

Upon seeing these guests, the children looked around curiously.

Few people come to the village, and they rarely see outsiders. Besides, they have cats and horses.

That would be even stranger.

Jiang She smiled and gently brushed away the child's hand that was trying to touch the cat, saying in a gentle voice, "This cat likes to be free and probably doesn't like to be too close to people. Young lady, please don't hurt yourself."

The young woman was dressed in a traditional Chinese dress, with her hair styled in two buns and adorned with red velvet flowers in her hair; she was clearly a pampered daughter.

Zhao Erniang stared intently at the cat.

She asked in a very soft voice, "Second Aunt, if I can't touch it, can I just look at it here?"

"of course can."

The owner of the manor was very hospitable, and the food he provided was all good. There was also a bowl of mutton soup on the table. The group tidied up their luggage and took a short rest.

The food hasn't all been served yet.

Li Bai borrowed a table from the Zhao family and took out writing brushes, ink, and paper from a chest.

He simply wrote down the reason for the matter and gave it to Meng Haoran.

Adding another line, "A year from now, there will still be peaches, plums, and pomegranates ripening in the courtyard, with excellent flavors. Master Meng may have a taste."

He then laughed and said that as he left, he heard the sound of drums and gongs, and many people were worshipping. He heard from the Deer Mountain God that the governor and county magistrate wanted to build a temple for Mr. Jiang.

Those people were unaware that they were traveling through the mountains and forests.

The distinction between immortals and mortals.

And that's where you can see it.

Li Bai wrote with incredible speed, almost without thinking, just like when he wrote poetry; he could finish in one stroke, and his servants could wait as long as they were on horseback. After he finished writing, he would blow the ink dry on the paper and put it away in a box.

Li Bai asked Master Zhao, "How far is the nearest post station?"

"It's about seventeen li. Just keep walking north."

At this time, the post stations were set up every thirty li, and the number of stations varied depending on the north and south and the local conditions. However, Xiangyang was a thoroughfare with frequent trade routes, so the establishment of post stations strictly followed this rule.

From afar, Master Zhao observed these men. They possessed an extraordinary bearing and appeared to be scholars, dressed in fine clothes. Beside them was an elderly man of considerable age, whose every move sent shivers down one's spine.

No wonder the other villagers dared not greet them.

These people must be carrying valuable items, and there is also an elderly man in his eighties. If something goes wrong, what will happen?
Master Zhao asked, "Where are you guests headed?"

Jiang She said, "Let's go to Luoyang."

Master Zhao stroked his beard: "Luoyang is nice. Are you going there to visit relatives and friends?"

Jiang She smiled.

As if he had received some kind of answer, Master Zhao, seeing that the group looked like scholars, called over his two sons, the older one thirteen and the younger one nine, both by the traditional Chinese age reckoning. He asked them to recite the Book of Documents and the Classic of Filial Piety for the guests.

The two children were playing wildly with the horse outside.

Having been captured by the servants, the eldest son was somewhat listless, while the younger son, covered in quills, was furious and about to breathe fire. Both of them were still thinking about the big horse outside and were momentarily distracted.

He only started reciting when he saw that we were guests, and he looked rather pitiful.

Jiang She couldn't help but laugh.

He interrupted the child's recitation, saying, "The village teacher's children are well-educated."

Master Zhao, beaming with pride, straightened his sleeves and laughed, saying modestly, "Not at all, they're just two little troublemakers, always causing me endless worry."

After talking for a while, the group became somewhat familiar with each other.

After thinking for a moment, Master Zhao offered another word of advice.

"It's not proper to say this, but if you guests don't rest here today, you can prepare to set off again tomorrow and continue your journey to the next post station without stopping along the way."

"You wouldn't know, but that nearby post station has been haunted for the past two years, there's a lot of talk about it!"

Master Zhao glanced at the group, his gaze settling on the old man. He advised:
"Especially since you have an elderly person with you, they certainly can't endure such hardship and setbacks. Let's rest for the night and set off quickly tomorrow!"

Old Deer Mountain God never imagined that one day he would become a burden.

He smiled and stroked his beard.

Jiang She became interested.

"What kind of ghost is it?"

Why would Master Zhao inquire about such things? He was trying to avoid it as much as possible, shaking his head, "How would I know?"

At this point, the last two plates were served: steamed pork and chicken with scallions and vinegar.

Master Zhao was warm and hospitable, and the food on the table smelled delicious. There was a basket of flatbread, a large bowl of shepherd's purse soup, chives, cabbage, mutton soup, and finally, steamed pork and scallion and vinegar chicken, with dipping sauces in the middle.

The cat also had its own food, a small portion of meat that Jiang She had brought himself.

He asked someone to set up a small table just for her, and the cat ate ravenously, barely chewing her food.

"Thank you, Master Zhao."

"Mr. Xiang is such a kind person."

The group thanked them and then began their meal.

The pig was bought from the villagers and slaughtered, the chicken was raised by themselves, and the vegetables were grown in the fields. From picking to serving, it took no more than an hour. They were fresh, delicious, and had a unique aroma.

I saw that the young man, who was called "sir," had also set up a small table for the cat.

They all laughed.

The youngest son of the Zhao family asked, "Do cats need to eat like people?"

“Yes, I will,” Jiang She said. “Although the cat is small, it understands human feelings and should be treated well.”

"What about the pigs we eat? Don't they feel pain?"

Jiang She thought for a moment.

"So you should finish your meal properly."

Master Zhao tapped his youngest son's hand with his chopsticks, "What are you asking all this questions about? Hurry up and eat!"

The youngest son of the Zhao family lowered his head and ate only the steamed buns in front of him with a spoon, refusing to eat the other dishes.

Jiang She said with a smile:
“When children are young, they are completely ignorant. When they see people in distress, they feel compassion. This is innate kindness. Your son has acquired this.”

Master Zhao felt pleased by what he said, and his face glowed with happiness. He then stopped blaming his son.

After they finished their meal and were about to leave, Jiang She spoke up.

Do you have paper and scissors?

"Jiang asked me to borrow it."

The servant brought it over, and Jiang She summoned the Zhao family's children, who had just been very interested in the tall horses outside.

The four children watched, wondering what this guest was going to do.

Jiang She roughly cut out a donkey shape with scissors, creating a donkey-shaped piece of paper. It was slightly asymmetrical and might be a little lame, but it didn't matter.

He took out a medicine bottle from his sleeve.

I poured out a drop.

The bluish liquid spread, leaving a faint bluish hue on the paper before quickly disappearing. Several children tilted their heads to watch. The eldest son, unaware of what the guest was doing, also watched.

Jiang She blew a breath.

The paper donkey suddenly stood up.

He said mischievously, "I saw you liked horses earlier, so I'll give them to you to play with."

The eldest son hesitated before asking, "Mr. Jiang, how do we play with this piece of paper..."

Zhao Erlang reached out to grab it.

Then we saw the donkey encounter people.

Suddenly it floated to the ground and transformed into a somewhat lame, grayish-brown donkey with a short mane, thin tail, and long ears. Upon seeing the four children, it raised its head and sniffed.

"Whoa—whoa—"

They cried out.

　What should I name the kitten...?

　　I'm constantly asking for monthly votes and recommendation votes =v=
　　
　
(End of this chapter)