The Little Fox's Immortal Cultivation Encyclopedia

Upon hearing this, the courtyard fell silent.

Mr. Xu's expression changed, but before he could speak, the matchmaker continued, "Madam Xu, do you still remember Master Wu? You mean the wealthy Mr. Wu who owns the silk shop? He and Master Xu are like brothers, and the two families were very close back then."

"He has a daughter named Yu Jiao, who is sixteen years old. She is incredibly beautiful, and not only is she gorgeous, but she is also proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and has excellent needlework skills. So many families in the county have come to propose marriage to her, but Master Wu has not agreed to any of them!"

"My father has been gone for fifteen years," Xu Sheng interrupted. "In these fifteen years, Master Wu has never set foot in my house."

"Oh dear, Master Wu said it himself. He's been thinking of visiting you all these years, but he was afraid that if he came too soon, people would gossip, saying that the Wu family is trying to curry favor with the Xu family just because they have some money, or that the Wu family is here to give alms. That's why he hasn't come. He's thinking of your reputation."

Without batting an eye, Matchmaker Liu continued, "Now that Mr. Xu has reached marriageable age, it's the perfect time to fulfill the marriage agreement between the Wu and Xu families."

"A marriage contract?" Xu Sheng looked at his mother, who nodded.

"When you were first born, your father was overjoyed and hosted a banquet. Master Wu also came. After drinking too much, your father and Master Wu started talking nonsense. They talked about how the two families would become in-laws and that girl would be your wife," Mother Xu said slowly. "Later, your father had that incident, and then..."

"Oh, see? I wasn't lying." Matchmaker Liu interrupted Xu's mother. Her eyes darted around, and instead of looking at Xu Sheng, she stepped forward, pulled a red invitation card from her sleeve, and handed it to Xu's mother.

"Madam Xu, I must say something: the whole town knows about Miss Cheng's affair. It's good that your son is loyal and righteous, but Miss Cheng is no longer with us. He's the only heir in the Xu family; we can't let the family line die out, can we?"

Xu's mother was slightly shaken, and the strength in her hands weakened a bit.

Seeing that Madam Xu did not refuse on the spot, Matchmaker Liu felt reassured. She leaned forward further, lowered her voice, and pretended to be concerned for the Xu family: "Miss Cheng is, after all, a ghost. Can she continue the Xu family line? You are the only heir in the Xu family. If you really cut off the lineage, how will you explain it to Master Xu in the afterlife?"

Her voice was loud enough for everyone in the courtyard to hear: "Besides, it's a ghost after all. I've heard that ghosts need to absorb people's yang energy to survive. After Miss Cheng became a ghost, why didn't she immediately look for her parents? Instead, she came looking for Xu Sheng. This, tsk..."

"Have you thought about the future?" Matchmaker Liu looked at Xu Sheng again, put her hands on her hips and said, "I've lived this long and seen a lot. Those young people who are obsessed with ghosts and gods, who swear that if they can't marry a certain girl, they would rather remain unmarried for life, nine out of ten of them regret it when they get old."

Xu's mother's eyes flickered.

"Besides, I think Miss Cheng's days are numbered. With you all so conspicuous, I'm sure the underworld officials will come to arrest you."

"That's enough," Xu Sheng said calmly. "I have three questions for Mother Liu."

"Firstly, have you ever personally witnessed a ghost sucking away a person's yang energy?"

That's what they say...

Xu Sheng looked at the old man in plain clothes, who shook his head: "E Niang is not like that."

"Sir has already communicated with the underworld. If Madam Liu does not believe it, she can ask him herself after he contacts the underworld again."

Before Liu, the matchmaker, could speak, Xu Sheng continued, "Before Xue'e disappeared, she was about to come looking for me. The last person Xue'e wanted to see before she died was me. The last person Xue'e thought of was also me. Mother Liu, do you think there's anything strange about Xue'e coming to find me?"

"The third thing, Madam Liu mentioned incense offerings." Xu Sheng's voice remained calm. "Does Madam Liu understand the meaning of the words 'incense offerings'?"

"Incense represents the ritual of sacrifice, and fire symbolizes the continuation of tradition. The unbroken flame of incense signifies that descendants do not forget their ancestors, and that annual sacrifices provide a place for their spirits to rest," Xu Sheng said, enunciating each word clearly. "If I were to marry another woman and abandon Xue'e today for the sake of continuing the family line, how could I face my father? If he asked, and I said, 'Your son divorced your daughter-in-law to continue your family line,' do you think my father would be happy?"

"Aunt Liu, there's no need to say any more. You have not wronged me, how could I wrong you? Please ask Aunt Liu to relay my message to Master Wu. I am unworthy of the Wu family's daughter. Miss Wu is at the prime of her life and should find a better family."

Liu the matchmaker opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but when she met Xu Sheng's eyes, she couldn't say anything. She finally put away her smiling face and waved to the porters behind her.

"Let's go, let's go. If they don't appreciate it, what's the point of us clinging on?"

Two porters carried the dowry out with the matchmaker. The matchmaker stepped out the door with one foot, then turned back to look at Madam Xu: "Madam Xu, this is all a small token of Master Wu's appreciation. I'll take it back with me today. Please think it over. If you've made up your mind, please send someone to find me anytime."

The courtyard gate closed, and the matchmaker finally left.

Xu Sheng sighed and stepped forward to hug his mother: "Mother, they only came to find me now that I have passed the imperial examination. They are not good matchmakers."

Xu Sheng stared at his mother's face. Her once elegant and pampered face was now covered with the marks of time. In order to raise him, his mother had suffered too much and bowed her head too much over the years. Her originally spoiled nature had gradually become timid and helpless.

He could tell that his mother was hesitant, but as her son, what could he possibly condemn her for?

He reached out to snatch the red invitation from Xu's mother's hand, but she gripped it tightly. After a moment of tension, she released her grip, saying, "Don't panic, son. I know what to do. You can handle it yourself."

Xu Sheng breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at E Niang. The girl stood there quietly, and when she saw him looking over, she smiled slightly.

"It's fine."

Xu Sheng didn't say anything, but walked over and took her hand.

The old man in plain clothes quietly shook his head. He had seen too many people, and he could tell that Xu's mother feared ghosts and gods like snakes and scorpions. She had only endured it for the sake of her son. This matter would not end like this.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment, everyone's feelings were complicated.

……

But the joys and sorrows of humans and foxes are not the same.

The fox wasn't perched on the wall today, as the view from there was blocked by the umbrella. Instead, it squatted next to the goose cage, watching with great interest as people argued in the yard, occasionally nudging the goose with its paws to see how it was scratching its prickly body but couldn't catch anyone.

However, the fox didn't come here today just to have some fun. It recognized E Niang. On that Mid-Autumn Festival, some of the spirits melted away in the moonlight, and some were cleansed of their impurities by the moonlight. Many of these spirits disappeared afterward, while others, like E Niang, returned to their old homes.

The old man in plain clothes has already reported to the underworld, and people from the underworld will come sooner or later.

The fox felt it necessary to check the situation beforehand, lest it be blocked at the door by the underworld officials.