Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

A small town that isn't exactly remote.

It gets warmer earlier here.

As the last cold wind of winter blows, the harsh winter loses its strength, allowing warmth to revive the earth, carving out damp ice holes that creak underfoot, vaguely revealing the signs of spring.

Wang Dahe hung up the wrung-out clothes.

At this time of year, dripping water droplets no longer freeze, and clothes hung outside won't freeze stiff.

However, due to the melting snow and ice, the humidity is high, making it difficult to dry clothes.

Wang Dahe splashed the water from the basin into a corner of the yard, took the soapberry into the house, wiped it on his clothes, and dried his hands.

Not near Nanli, although he was just a laundry worker and his life wasn't easy, it was relatively stable.

At least the price wasn't driven down so drastically.

Moreover, Wang Dahe earns money by washing clothes for others, which not only supports his household but also allows him to occasionally have extra money to buy things.

He is diligent, honest, and hardworking.

There is only one small hobby—reading.

If he enjoys reading serious articles, some people will laugh at him for being arrogant and ignorant, saying he has no talent but ambitions that are higher than the sky.

If he likes to read miscellaneous books, some people will say that he has no proper conduct, only reads useless things, is pretentious, and doesn't know who he is.

There are people on both sides.

Most of the time, Wang Dahe would just scratch his head and give a silly smile, and he wouldn't argue with anyone.

But when I go to the bookstore, I have to avoid people and sneak around to buy books, like a thief.

Fortunately, the owner of the Ink Trace Bookstore here is mild-mannered and never fawns over the powerful or belittles the weak.

When she saw Wang Dahe arrive, she neither got up to greet him nor gave him a cold, sarcastic look.

He would just sit there quietly, waiting for people to choose their books, calculate the money, and settle the bill, never gossiping or talking behind their backs.

This attitude actually relieved Wang Dahe.

Therefore, he loved going to the Ink Trace Bookstore the most.

A while ago, the shopkeeper surnamed Ren, who rarely speaks, said:

"Don't take that book, read 'The Immortal of the Mortal World' instead."

At that moment, Wang Dahe looked down at the "Sword Immortal Master" in his hand and felt a little awkward. He responded and readily changed it to "Red Dust Immortal".

I liked it at first sight.

Therefore, he was even more curious about what was written in the book "Sword Immortal Master". It wasn't until he finally managed to exchange it for it in private that Wang Dahe understood why Manager Ren had reminded him.

That book, "The Sword Immortal Master," is also very good.

But it only fuels the discontent of ordinary people, who always feel that if the boy named Zhou Zhi in the book can do it, they can too, so they become restless with their current lives and change their temperament for no reason.

Wang Dahe's mother taught him to read when he was a child, and he also got bored while washing clothes for others and was always thinking about random things, so he was able to understand this.

At that moment, Wang Dahe felt a little uneasy.

Feeling looked down upon and somewhat ashamed, she wished she could never go to Mohen Bookstore again.

But in the past few days, as he returned clothes to various places, he kept hearing the story title "Three Generations Umbrella".

Moreover, it was accompanied by the pen name Youdao.

Wang Dahe had been thinking about it for a long time, and he went to other bookstores several times but couldn't find any. Or perhaps there were people who secretly printed copies but were unwilling to sell them to him.

After drying his hands, he opened the cabinet where the money was hidden.

After counting it two or three times, I gritted my teeth and put the money that should have been used to cut the cloth in front of me.

Although his mother was somewhat educated and taught Wang Dahe to recognize many characters, Wang Dahe couldn't understand the more difficult ones.

Mr. Wuyu and Youdaoshi are both scholars whose level of knowledge is just right for Wang Dahe to enjoy reading.

Instead of stopping by Mohen Bookstore while returning the clothes, he chose an evening when he had finished all his work and was feeling relaxed, so he made a special trip to Mohen Bookstore.

Wang Dahe also couldn't explain why.

Perhaps storybooks are exceptionally rare and precious, so one must be careful on the way to buy them.

That's what he thought.

Upon arriving at the entrance of Mohen Bookstore, Wang Dahe didn't have time to deal with his inner turmoil before immediately pushing the door open and going inside.

I was afraid that if I stood outside the door for too long, I would be recognized.

He missed the peak of the book's popularity; by now, he has already bought everything he could, and the only customer in the store is Wang Dahe himself.

His gaze swept across the shelves. Books with titles like "Chonglou Palace: Spring Returns" and "Heartless Water in the Center" were ones that Wang Dahe didn't recognize, and he generally wouldn't buy them.

He wasn't a particularly eloquent person; many of the words he used were learned beforehand or guessed after seeing them many times.

As for those he genuinely didn't know, Wang Dahe was too embarrassed to ask, so he could only keep it to himself.

Why didn't I see the "Three Generations Umbrella"...

Just then, he heard a commotion coming from Manager Ren's place. He quietly turned around and saw several books placed there. Wang Dahe's eyes lit up when he saw the words "Three Generations Umbrella".

"Manager Ren, how much for this storybook?"

"Seven qian."

"what?"

So expensive...

Wang Dahe was somewhat discouraged. This price was far beyond his means. It seemed that the novel, "Red Dust Immortal," was very well written, and he had arrived too late, so the price had been driven up too high.

"You can read it all here."

Manager Ren didn't even glance at him, but lowered his head and turned the page of his book, seemingly marking something with a brush.

Hearing this, Wang Dahe felt uneasy, like someone who was trying to freeload off a book and should be kicked out. He was even too embarrassed to thank them. He just slowly shuffled to the counter, took the book, and quickly hid inside to read it.

Wang Dahe is like this.

He came from a poor family, was concerned about his reputation, and lacked ability. He was not good at etiquette or knowledgeable, so he did not dare to thank them generously, feeling as if the book in his hand was stolen.

Because he had read the book, he had a slight sense of shame, so he lacked confidence; therefore, he was extremely self-conscious and extremely proud.

Wang Dahe breathed a sigh of relief as he unfolded the "Three Generations Umbrella"—

It's still as simple and easy to understand as ever, with hardly any unfamiliar characters. He felt that writers like Mr. Wuyu and Youdao should be revered.

Can someone who can write books be uncultured?

The intention of using such a simple writing style is to make it easier for more people to understand.

The story begins with an old woman singing opera in a very simple temple that is kept very clean. Now that it's time to worship at the temple, they need to invite a skilled senior to sing.

"The drums are beating—may Heaven not withhold our blessings, may next year the fields be laden with gold, may we pray diligently before the Fox Fairy Temple, may the holy light shine upon our hearts, may the gods protect us..."

Wang Dahe was immediately drawn to the somewhat mysterious atmosphere. Although life was not easy for him, he was still a "city dweller" and had participated in many sacrificial ceremonies in previous years, but he had never heard of such a wild god in the mountains.

What is a fox spirit?

After watching this opera performance, I didn't feel much of a sense of sacredness; instead, I had a rather eerie feeling...

After the worship ceremony, the old woman returned home, removed the wooden mask of the fox spirit, and soon after, it was not struck.

The village chief has arrived.

He asked with a hint of worry, "Still no response from the fox spirit this year?"

"Has the fox spirit abandoned us?"