The twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, new charms reflect on the old courtyard.
After finishing the year-end meeting at the Funeral House, Sect Leader Xu detoured to Old Feng's place; Old Feng was still alive and kicking, though he had lost quite a bit of weight, looking like a skinny monkey.
If one didn't know better, they might think Xu Qing had visited not the Feng family's mansion, but a mountain of red-tailed monkeys.
In the inner courtyard, Feng Xiaosheng still called Xu Qing "Uncle Xu" with a sweetness that could rot teeth! Looking at this family, Xu Qing seemed to calm down a bit.
It's said that mortals don't understand the delights of immortals, but immortals might not appreciate the joys of mortal life either.
Before leaving, Xu Qing gave Second Master Feng a gift.
"This little thing is quite unique; what's it for?"
Second Master Feng looked at the bumpy object in his hand, which was sort of a cube but not really, with some curiosity.
Xu Qing smiled and said, "This is a Luban lock, a puzzle toy for children to improve intelligence. Second Master can play with it like a walnut when you're free; it can prevent senile dementia."
"..."
Thanks a lot!
Second Master Feng was not too pleased; he wasn't stupid, so why was he being treated like a fool?
Once Xu Qing left, after playing with the Luban lock for a while, Second Master Feng began to doubt his life choices!
Why is this little lock so hard to assemble?
Could it be that I really have dementia?
What Second Master Feng didn't know was that this was an authentic Luban lock, made with genuine artisan techniques. Even a scholar would have to put in some effort.
"No way, that brat Xu must be playing a prank on me."
Having been in business his whole life, Second Master Feng was very astute. He promptly called his son, Feng Xiaosheng.
"This is a puzzle your Uncle Xu gave, meant for opening the minds of young children. Give it a try."
As Feng Xiaosheng studied the lock's joints, Second Master Feng resumed his chattering:
"Speaking of which, you're not getting any younger. The shopkeeper Sun's kid just turned fifteen and already has a child. You need to get your act together and stop fooling around at the foreign firm all day. What's there, women or grandchildren?"
Initially lax about assembling the lock, Feng Xiaosheng's mind and hands sped up as soon as he heard the old man urging him to marry.
Before Second Master Feng finished his sentence, the fully assembled Luban lock was already shoved into his arms by his ugly son.
"Dad, the lock's done! These are toys for kids, don't bother me with them anymore. I have something to do, so I won't hold you up for rest!"
Second Master Feng looked at the fully assembled Luban lock in his hand and felt devastated.
Why am I really starting to feel senile?
...
On Little New Year's Eve, as fresh couplets were pasted up, Underground Street finally had some festive hustle and bustle.
Even the new members of the Funeral Shop, a pair of downy chicks, sported red scarves.
These ugly little chicks, practically bald around the neck, treated the Golden Simurgh like their own mother, blindly following it everywhere.
If they didn't see the Golden Simurgh for even a moment, they would screech endlessly.
Xuan Yu enjoyed quiet; when the chicks cried, Xuan Yu would have the Transmission Hall search high and low, determined to find the irresponsible rooster that abandoned its offspring.
The Golden Simurgh was quite distressed. It was just tempted by some incense offerings; if Xu Qing hadn't promised ten thousand incense offerings for hatching a chick, the Simurgh wouldn't have agreed to such a task.
Xu Qing didn't tell it that after hatching the chicks, it would have to take care of them.
The key point was these weren't even its own chicks!
It's a proud, dignified Golden Chicken; an actual father, and yet, here it was, unable to hatch even two odd birds, which would be embarrassing if anyone saw!
Just as Xu Qing returned to Underground Street, he saw a pair of foot-and-a-half-tall chicks looking all around for their mother.
The widow, Cheng Caiyun, from the Incense and Candle Shop was munching on new-style popcorn and asked, "Where'd you snag these big geese? They're awfully ugly!"
Looking at the ostrich-like chicks circling him, Xu Qing made a point to correct, "Lack of good eyesight. These are imported, ever heard of cranes, Boss Cheng? These are exotic cranes, not our native Dayan cranes. People say 'riding cranes to the west.' I plan for these little ones to assist at funerals in my shop!"
"Bah! Talking about unlucky stuff during the holidays."
Despite complaining, she couldn't resist the rare novelty. Cheng Caiyun tossed some popcorn on the ground, and the little guys scrambled to peck it.
"What names did you give these two?"
Boss Cheng inquired.
"Starting and Ending."
"..."
Boss Cheng spat again; what foul names.
These two cranes, or rather, these two chicks treated whoever fed them as their parent. When their "mother," the Golden Simurgh, wasn't around, Starting and Ending clung to Cheng Caiyun. For several days, as soon as the Incense and Candle Shop opened, the two ugly birds would sprint over for food.
But when the Golden Simurgh returned with worms, the chicks would awkwardly scramble back to the Funeral Shop.
What was usually the stark, cold Underground Street was bustling much more this year thanks to these two exotic creatures.
...
Just after the new year, when the ground had yet to thaw, the zombies of the Funeral Shop were fully geared to head out hunting once again.
Xu Qing had a big household with airborne and landborne creatures; apart from seafood, he had nearly all the notable animals in Jin Sect.
With so many mouths waiting to be fed, he and Xuan Yu, the two stewards, had a lot on their plate.
One zombie, one cat: one tended outside, the other inside.
After instructing Xuan Yu to watch over the Immortal Hall store, Xu Qing once again opened the Twin Coffin and set out to the ominous Ancient Yin River Dao.
Compared to the magical energy-draining Divine Travel Celestial Scripture, Xu Qing preferred using the Twin Coffin, a more energy-efficient and eco-friendly mode of travel.