My Apprenticeship to Uncle Jiu: I Was a Warlord in the Republic of China

When the shopkeeper heard that it might take a year, he shook his head like a rattle and said, "I'd better trouble the Taoist priest to give me a ready-made peach wood sword!"

At this time, Jiang Li said, "To be honest with you, shopkeeper, we came here originally to buy your century-old peach tree, but after seeing the Feng Shui layout of your house, we didn't tell you."

"But we still have to tell you that we are willing to use a ready-made peach wood sword and ten dollars to buy this branch of yours to make a magic weapon."

The shopkeeper thought for a while and then said, "Then you have to give me a few more talismans."

When Uncle Jiu heard that it was going to be done, he immediately agreed and said, "Okay, I'll send the peach wood sword and talisman tomorrow."

After that, they exchanged pleasantries for a while and then left Zhoujiaji. On the way, Uncle Jiu said to Jiang Li with a somewhat unpleasant look on his face, "You are using this kind of rhetoric again. Don't you take what I said to heart at all?"

Jiang Li knew that Uncle Jiu would definitely not tolerate such things, but he did not explain and instead asked, "Master, do you think it is more important to be honest and tell the truth, or to solve the problem?"

Uncle Jiu replied unhappily, "Both are important. Telling the truth can also solve the problem."

Jiang Li smiled and said, "Master, look at the shopkeeper Li in front. If he asks you to help him bury his old father, and you see that his father has turned into a corpse and will get up at night to harm people, do you want him to burn the body in public or what?"

Uncle Jiu thought for a while and said, "It would be safest if we burn it."

Jiang Li knew that Uncle Jiu would say that, so he asked, "Do you think he will agree?"

Uncle Jiu was stunned and said, "If I explain it clearly, he should agree."

Jiang Li said, "I don't think so. Ordinary people can accept burial, but they may not accept cremation. After all, there are thousands of years of tradition here."

Uncle Jiu said, "If I explain it clearly, he should be able to accept it. After all, it is a matter of life and death for him."

Jiang Li said, "It might work if it's done alone, but it won't work in public, because China has always been governed by filial piety. Burning corpses is considered unfilial in the eyes of others. If your reputation gets ruined, it will be difficult to move forward in the future."

"So Master must either spend more time and effort to bury the body intact to avoid future troubles, or he must change his mindset and find a way to get him to agree to burn the body."

Uncle Jiu frowned after hearing this, and said after a long while, "But you are suspected of deceiving others. If you are not careful, you will go astray."

Jiang Li smiled and said, "Maybe it would be like this in the past, but it's different now. I have a good master who will correct me in time and keep me on the right path."

Uncle Jiu snorted as soon as he heard it, "I still say the same thing. Don't use this method again in the future, otherwise I will blame you for not considering the relationship between master and disciple."

Jiang Li hesitated for a while and said, "Master, rest assured, I will remember this and will never use this trick again in the future."

Uncle Jiu then smiled and said, "Then you better be careful. I am very strict. If you do something wrong in the future, don't blame me for being cruel."

Jiang Li smiled and said, "Master, just wait and see. If I make the same mistake again, please remind me in time."

Then the two of them smiled at each other and continued talking about the peach wood magic weapon.

Soon Jiang Li and Uncle Jiu arrived at Jiang's house. Shopkeeper Li also returned to his furniture store. Before leaving, he asked Uncle Jiu for a peach wood sword. Uncle Jiu also agreed to sell him one after the wood was dry.

In the Jiang family courtyard, Jiang Li looked at the peach wood and said, "Master, should these woods be transported to the charity cemetery or just kept at my house?"

Uncle Jiu said, "Since you bought it, just put it here. Just make sure it is ventilated and waterproof."

Jiang Li said, "That's fine. After all, it's more than 20 miles away and it's not convenient to go back and forth. After they are completely dry, we can saw them into planks so that they can be transported later."

Then Jiang Li asked again, "Master, what materials are needed to make magic tools and train spirit beasts? Do you need me to buy some more?"

Uncle Jiu said guiltily, "Not for the time being. After all, it takes at least half a year to dry the wood in the shade. It would be bad if we buy the material now and it gets damp."

"As for the matter of feeding the spirit beast, I'll find a way."

Jiang Li did not ask any further questions. After having dinner early, Uncle Jiu went back to the charity cemetery. The next day, Uncle Jiu borrowed a donkey cart, took the money and the wooden sword with the talisman, and went to Zhoujiaji, and brought back the piece of peach wood.

...

Half a year passed like this. During this period, Jiang Li was still the same as before, spending seven days at the charity cemetery and two days at home to recuperate. Jiang Kaishan also bought the entire barren mountain according to Jiang Li's suggestion.

They bought a few mules, donkeys and eight sheep, and hired several landless farmers to help with the reclamation. Now the Jiang family owns 150 acres of mountain land.

There are also a hundred acres of orchard where saplings have been planted, a hundred acres of grassland, and a hillside covered with miscellaneous trees where some firewood can be cut.

The porridge shop in the town has also expanded a lot, and some soy milk and tofu businesses have been added. It now earns three or four dollars a day.

Both the orchard and the grassland were planted with some medicinal herbs that did not require high growth requirements. The most important thing was that with the help of Uncle Jiu, a reservoir with groundwater was dug, which solved the irrigation problem to a large extent.

On this day, Jiang Li and Uncle Jiu invited a carpenter to their home to help split the wood, of course, according to Uncle Jiu's requirements.

At this time Jiang Li asked, "Master, your previous recipe doesn't seem to work. Although the two roosters have changed a little, they don't seem to be much smarter."

Uncle Jiu explained awkwardly, "It's really hard to find a spiritual beast like this. Although the two roosters are somewhat extraordinary, they still can't get any closer. I've taken out all the precious medicinal herbs, but it still doesn't work. I can't do anything about it."

Jiang Li asked without giving up, "Is there no other way?"

Uncle Jiu thought for a while and said, "There is no way for now. Let's collect some precious medicinal materials and try again later."

Jiang Li sighed after hearing this and said, "That's the only way."

Soon the carpenter cut the trunk of the peach tree into many suitable small sections. Jiang Li picked up a three-meter-long square wooden strip with a diameter of five centimeters and said to Uncle Jiu, "Master, you think it would be suitable to use this wooden strip to make a long spear or a stick."

Uncle Jiu said, "Not bad, not bad. Unfortunately, Master, I have never learned spear and stick techniques, so I am afraid I can't teach you anything."

Jiang Li smiled and said, "What's the big deal? I can just go to a martial arts school in the city and learn a set of stick techniques. They teach martial arts for money anyway, so this shouldn't be considered a betrayal of the sect."

Uncle Jiu glanced at Jiang Li and said, "It's okay as long as you don't become my disciple."

At this moment, a breathless man ran in from outside the yard and shouted directly after entering the door, "Uncle Jiu, help me."

Uncle Jiu saw that he looked exhausted, so he stepped forward and asked, "I am Lin Jiu. I wonder what you want from me."

The man then told the truth. It turned out that he was a villager of Wangjia Village. Because there was a snake demon in the village, he was assigned by the village chief to go to the charity cemetery to find Uncle Jiu.