Family Cultivation: My Ancestral Home Gets Infinite Upgrades

"Oh dear, why did you leave so suddenly, without even having a meal? I wanted to talk to Zhiwei a little longer."

At one of the tables at the Wang family banquet, an elegant old man shook his head and sighed softly.

He was the father of another girl with three spiritual roots, and also the county magistrate, Sun Xiuyuan.

Upon hearing this, a well-off middle-aged man standing nearby laughed heartily:

"Lord Sun, you'll have to get used to this. Once your children enter the immortal realm, there's a clear distinction between immortals and mortals."

"Look at my daughter, she left less than half an hour after she came back. I, her own father, only said two words to her."

This man was named Ma Ping. He was the son-in-law of the Wang family and the biological father of the newly promoted Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Wang family.

He smiled and raised his glass, gesturing to Jiang Fu'an and Sun Xiuyuan, whom he had specially invited to sit down:

"Gentlemen, we can be considered to be in the same boat."

"Come, to this缘分 (fate/destiny), let us drink this cup to the brim!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Fu'an dared not delay and quickly picked up the wine glass with both hands.

Sun Xiuyuan and Ma Ping were both extraordinary individuals; one was his local official, and the other was a Qi Refining cultivator.

If it weren't for the fact that all three of their daughters had become disciples of the Miaoyin Sect, he probably wouldn't have been able to share a drink with these two at the same table.

Fortunately, the shared topic of daughters helped to warm up the atmosphere at the table.

The three of them frequently raised their glasses, and their conversation became increasingly congenial.

Yue'er and Shi Tou, who were standing to the side, didn't care what the adults were talking about and kept putting food into their bowls with their chopsticks.

During the conversation, Jiang Fu'an gradually realized that the spiritual root test was a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Ma Ping's daughter happened to be on a sect mission nearby, so she decided to visit her family and have her spiritual roots tested for the children of the appropriate age in the clan and the homes of distinguished guests.

As for the female cultivator who resembled He Miao, she was indeed surnamed Jiang and was the senior sister among the five people in the group. It was said that she already had the cultivation level of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

……

As the sun began to set, Jiang Fu'an, still faintly smelling of alcohol, returned home in the twilight, holding Yue'er's hand in one hand and Shi Tou's in the other.

She was collecting the clothes that had dried in the yard when she saw him return. She came up to him, took the child, and patted the dust off his shoulders.

When they heard that the seedlings had been found to have spiritual roots and had already left with the immortal sect.

Although Su Wanqing's reaction was indifferent at the time, she became unusually clingy that night, contrary to her usual gentle demeanor.

She only fell into a deep sleep after Jiang Fu'an taught her everything he knew.

Jiang Fu'an knew that she also wanted to have a child with spiritual roots.

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Three days later, under the old banyan tree in Xujia Village.

"Thump—!"

A melodious gong sound broke the tranquility of the village.

The villagers pushed open the wooden doors and gathered in twos and threes at the village entrance.

Ten bailiffs dressed in uniform indigo official robes and with swords at their waists escorted a middle-aged man in neat official robes as they walked toward the village.

The man had a refined appearance and was none other than Sun Xiuyuan, the county magistrate.

Sun Xiuyuan looked at a village woman who was watching the commotion and asked:

Do you know where Jiang Fu'an lives?

The village woman was flattered and immediately bowed.

"My lord, I know the way. I'll lead the way for you right away!"

After saying that, she turned and ran towards the small brick courtyard at the east end of the village, shouting at the top of her lungs as she ran:

"Fu'an—come out quickly! An adult is looking for you!"

More and more villagers followed along the way, forming a slowly moving stream of people, and a buzz of discussion arose:

"What happened?"

"The officials have entered the village; could it be that Fu'an has committed a crime?"

"No, it doesn't seem like it. Look, the magistrate is smiling..."

At this moment, Uncle Xu walked out of the crowd with his hands behind his back, his chin slightly raised, and a hint of smugness in his voice:

"You all don't know yet, do you? That girl He Miao was found to have spiritual roots a few days ago, and a nearby cultivation sect has accepted her as a disciple!"

Uncle Xu always liked Jiang Fu'an's three children, especially He Miao, whom he treated like his own granddaughter.

Now, as she talks about it, the wrinkles on her face smooth out.

These words were like a pebble thrown into water, causing an uproar among the crowd.

When everyone looked at Jiang Fu'an, who was coming out of the courtyard to greet them, their expressions changed completely—

Envy, jealousy, surprise, eagerness...

"Lord Sun, you've come a long way, please come in and have a seat."

Jiang Fu'an bowed with his hands clasped in greeting, his tone composed.

He was not surprised by Sun Xiuyuan's arrival.

The two had already arranged to visit each other today when they parted ways at the Wang family courtyard three days ago.

The imperial court has always rewarded families who send their children to the immortal sects.

Upon entering the courtyard, Sun Xiuyuan didn't exchange many pleasantries. He stood in the center of the main room and said solemnly:

"Jiang Fu'an, I am here today on behalf of His Majesty to thank you for nurturing such a talented cultivator for our Song Kingdom."

"For this reason, His Majesty has bestowed upon us: one thousand taels of silver, ten bolts of brocade, two luminous pearls, and one piece of Hetian jade."

Jiang Fu'an bowed deeply:

"This humble subject kowtows to express his gratitude for Your Majesty's great kindness."

Since this reward was issued according to precedent and not by imperial decree, he was not required to kneel to receive it.

Two constables then carried in a heavy wooden box, which, when opened, shimmered with silver light and shone like brocade.

The villagers who had gathered outside the gate stood on tiptoe and peered in, letting out low gasps of amazement.

Having finished discussing the important matters, Sun Xiuyuan's expression relaxed, and a smile appeared on his lips:

"Brother Fu'an, although your courtyard is tidy, it is still a bit small."

"Next year, we might build two more rooms so that when our daughter comes back, she'll have a place to rest alone."

"You can also acquire more farmland. If you have children in the Immortal Sect, you can enjoy a tax reduction or exemption for 1,000 mu of farmland."

Jiang Fu'an's heart skipped a beat.

This was an unexpected delight.

In this way, the pressure of purchasing the thousand acres of fertile land needed for the upgrade of the ancestral home was greatly reduced.

He immediately replied with a smile:

"What you say is true, sir. That's exactly what I was thinking too. If you don't mind, why don't you stay for lunch?"

"Regarding matters such as building houses and purchasing land, I still need to consult with you, sir."

Sun Xiuyuan stroked his beard and smiled:

"Haha, even if I wasn't invited, I would still have to bother you for a meal today."

"I also have something I'd like to ask Brother Fu'an for advice on."

Jiang Fu'an hurriedly invited Sun Xiuyuan to sit in the main room and brewed him a pot of tea.

He then instructed Uncle Xu to help settle the ten constables before returning inside and asking:

"What can I do for you, sir? Please speak freely."

"Why……"

Sun Xiuyuan sighed deeply:

"Since Zhiwei left home these past few days, I have lost my appetite and feel like she is still wandering around the house. I can't even muster the energy to do my work."

"That day I saw that the wood carving you gave to your daughter was very lifelike, so I wanted to learn from it and carve one in the likeness of Zhiwei."

As early as the last banquet, Jiang Fu'an noticed that the county magistrate was a "doting father" and was very concerned about his daughter.

He naturally did not refuse, and immediately went to the woodpile in the corner of the yard, picked out a piece of wood with fine texture, took out a carving knife, and explained in detail as he made his cuts.

Jiang Fu'an's carving skills were self-taught.

When he first came into this world, without a mobile phone or computer, he was bored for long days, so he thought about finding something to fill his free time.

The cost of carving is low; a piece of wood and a knife can be spent half a day, and gradually one can even develop some skills.