Immortal Dao Fruits, Cards to Help Me

Chapter 137 Baby and Old Lady!
With Dou Zhongde and Mimi on board, the Azure Leaf Wind Boat, propelled by Chen Xiuxian's magic, flew southwest at a height of twenty or thirty meters.

The speed wasn't fast either, roughly equivalent to driving at 60 km/h.

However, traveling in a straight line in the air eliminates the need to worry about traffic accidents.
In less than an hour and a half, when Chen Xiuxian had used up about a third of his magical power, they arrived at their destination.

At this time, the snow on the ground had not completely melted, and some areas in the shade still had some white.

However, most places have already melted, revealing a vast expanse of fertile, oily black soil that is a delight to behold.

Looking down from mid-air, several winding rivers converge here, forming a complex network of multiple river bends.

The river surface had thawed by this time, but it hadn't completely melted yet. Water could be seen in the center of the river, while the ice along the banks was only beginning to soften.

However, the river surface is no longer safe for people to walk on. If someone reaches out to grab it, they will find that the seemingly thick ice surface is now full of upright ice shards, like a loose block of ice made up of countless ice skewers.

It breaks apart with the slightest force.

If you're reckless enough to go up there, you might accidentally step into a hole and fall into the icy river.

That would mean a near-death experience.

The countless green leaves swirling and dancing formed a green leaf boat, carrying Chen Xiuxian and the others soaring nearby.

Chen Xiuxian craned his neck to peer down, his eyes gleaming with golden light, and compared the terrain with some maps he had seen on the forum.

All he knew was that the key to obtaining the Water-Splitting Sword was in the home of a lonely old woman in a small village by the river.

However, there are five or six villages within five or six miles of the confluence of the three rivers, and there must be more than a thousand houses.

We really need to look for this.

After flying for another hour, Chen Xiuxian had no choice but to abandon the simple aerial selection, land on the wind boat, and decide to explore in person.

Actually, the goal is quite clear.

In the harsh living conditions of Liaodong, there are certainly not many elderly women living alone.

You only need to ask around in each village to find out.

Chen Xiuxian landed at a distance, then led Dou Zhongde toward the village.

These days, the environment is isolated, especially since it's just the beginning of spring and the snow has melted, making the ground very muddy.

Even peddlers wouldn't come at this time, so Chen Xiuxian, a stranger with an old man by his side, really attracted attention.

However, all he needs to do is show his face.

"Grandpa, I'm not a bad person!"

Very convincing!
The old man believed it!

Not to mention, Chen Xiuxian even pulled out a commendation certificate from the Liaodong General's Office—"Righteous Man of Liaodong!"
This thing is recognized by many official institutions.

It means: This is a capable person who has made contributions in Liaodong and deserves to be valued.

The old man was astonished to find that such a handsome young man, so striking that he could make anyone stare in disbelief, was actually a righteous man recognized by the General's Office. He immediately became filled with trepidation.

Then, amidst the old man's nervousness, Chen Xiuxian inquired about whether there were any single elderly women in the village.

Old man: Ah? This handsome official has such unique tastes? My granddaughter is only sixteen, and quite pretty...

Left with no other choice, Chen Xiuxian had to fabricate a whole story about "finding his relatives."

They said they were my grandmother's long-lost cousins ​​from many years ago, but they had lost contact for a long time. They only knew that the cousins ​​lived near the confluence of three rivers and were now all alone. They wanted to find them and take them back to care for them.

Upon hearing this, the old man thought, "This is a good thing!"
However, there were no elderly widows or widows in his village.

He wasn't too optimistic about the young man's chances of finding his family.

Because Chen Xiuxian made such a good first impression on him, giving him an instant +30 favorability points, he didn't choose to hide it. Instead, he subtly expressed his opinion—"I'm afraid you won't be able to find your great-aunt."

To put it simply, the coldest time of winter in Liaodong can reach minus forty degrees Celsius at night!
We need to heat the kang (a heated brick bed) again in the middle of the night!
Winter lasts for four months, during which time we can only stay at home and eat only grains and a few kinds of vegetables that can be stored for a long time.

Moreover, the severe cold is particularly unfriendly to elderly people.

In this village, you can count the number of people over sixty on one hand.

Despite his aged appearance, the old man is only 53 years old.

Even so, he had already begun preparing for his funeral—packing his clothes (burial garments) and preparing his coffin.

An elderly woman in her sixties or seventies lives alone. She'll probably die within the first two years!
It might take several days for the problem to be discovered—until the neighbors notice the chimney isn't smoking, and then they can be sure something is wrong.

If they lived far away, the corpses might have frozen solid all winter and only started to stink when they thawed in the spring.

In this situation, the probability of this young man finding his great-aunt is extremely low.

I hope he can find peace and take it easy.

Chen Xiuxian actually knew this principle, but he also knew that there was a treasure in the place where the old lady lived, which ensured that she would not freeze to death and that she was still alive and well.

……

Chen Xiuxian visited four villages before finally finding the old woman in a small village with forty or fifty households by the river.

The old lady's house wasn't too far from the river, and it was more than 100 meters away from her nearest neighbor.

But this old lady has lived alone for over ten years and has managed to support herself without any problems. In fact, she's quite healthy and can still get out of bed and do farm work!
Moreover, the villagers said that almost all of her relatives had passed away, and she only had a cousin in the next village. However, he was a distant cousin and didn't visit her often.

But the old lady just kept living!
It is said that the old lady's kang (heated brick bed) was very well made; in winter, it only needed to be heated once to ensure warmth for the whole night.

However, Chen Xiuxian knew that it wasn't the heated kang that was good, but rather the food on the kang!

I met the old lady; she was 69 years old, with a rosy complexion and a full head of silver hair, but she was full of energy and didn't look old at all.

"Oh my, what a handsome young man! Is there something you need from this old woman?" the old lady asked, her voice sounding quite healthy.

She didn't believe the whole story about her cousin's grandson coming to find his relatives.

Although I am old, I am not senile. Do you think I don't know how many cousins ​​I have?

My only living relative is my cousin from the next village. But we're not close; he doesn't visit often, and I don't go over to see him either.

I'm almost seventy, and I've lived a full life. I'll just wait and see when I die.

Chen Xiuxian saw that the old lady was very clear-headed and not confused at all. She didn't need to use empty words to deceive him, but instead spoke frankly and directly.

"Grandma, I apologize for bothering you. I'm here to borrow an item from your home for a while, but of course I won't use it for free. I'll arrange your retirement, and if you pass away, I'll also find someone to hold a funeral for you."

Upon hearing this, the old lady's face crinkled into a deep smile, revealing a tooth that hadn't fallen out yet. "This old woman doesn't even have two taels of silver in her house. What could you possibly need?"

“This is it.” Chen Xiuxian pointed.

The old lady followed the finger's pointing finger and said, "A back scratcher?"

It was a back scratcher made of bamboo.

Chen Xiuxian quickly shook his head, "No, no! It's this kang mat!"

Building a kang (heated brick bed) is a craft; a well-made one is very easy to heat, saves firewood, burns smoothly, and maintains the temperature for a long time. Chen Xiuxian didn't know much about these things.

His main focus was on the kang mat.

A layer of fine yellow soil is laid on the surface of the kang (heated brick bed) to insulate it, and then a mat is laid on top—you can't just lie directly on the soil, can you?

Just like a bed needs a mattress.

Some families would also put a layer of rice husks (rice bran) between the loess layer and the kang mat, which would make it much softer and more comfortable to lie on.

The kang mat at the old lady's house was unusual. Although it was just a normal kang mat woven from the bark of sorghum stalks, it looked like it had been rubbed until it was bursting with sap. It was a brownish-yellow color, crystal clear, and very smooth.

This kang mat has been passed down for several generations, but it hasn't been damaged at all.

The key to keeping the house warm all night by burning a little fire lies in the kang mat.

Chen Xiuxian needs this kang mat, but not too much, just a little will suffice.

He needs this thing for "lighting".

……

He asked the old lady, "You've lived at the confluence of the three rivers for so many years, you must have heard the story of the Tang Dynasty general's water-dividing sword, right?"

The old lady grinned and said, "I've heard of it, I've heard of it! I've not only heard of it, I've seen it!"

Now it was Chen Xiuxian's turn to be surprised: "You've seen it before?"

"Yes! That was more than twenty years ago. One night, the river was shimmering with a cold light, and someone remembered the story of the Water-Splitting Sword. The fishermen in the village tried casting a net, and you know what? They actually caught something!"

(End of this chapter)