My Childhood Sweetheart Is a Crazy Beauty
Chapter 213: Quirky

Chapter 213: Chapter 213: Quirky

"Peculiar?"

"Of course it’s peculiar!"

Tang Chuxia could clearly see that. What piqued her curiosity wasn’t this, though, but the areas where Tang Wanqiu deviated completely from the plot of the book.

Despite endlessly analyzing, she couldn’t pinpoint the specific details.

While Gu Beihuai and the others were busy, it was Tang Chuxia, Lin Qingchen, and the four elders who had plenty of time on their hands.

They gathered around the piece of jade, and Tang Chuxia, rubbing her little chin, asked, "Is this jade valuable?"

The four elders looked somewhat disdainful at her question. The jade was indeed very valuable to begin with, but now it was broken into many pieces.

Even the most valuable of items were no longer worth as much.

"Do you really need money that badly, girl?"

Elder Huang remembered Tang Chuxia taking quite a lot of herbs from him, her fried goods business was looking to expand, and now the pockets of the local children were filled with melon seeds she had produced.

Seeing Elder Huang’s disbelief, Tang Chuxia hurriedly explained, "Didn’t we have the earthquake recently? Those impoverished children didn’t have nearly enough winter clothes, so I had my brother and Gu Beihuai buy things to send over with the money I had earned, and now I’m broke!"

The four elders looked at her.

Especially Lin Qingchen, "I have some money too, I can contribute!"

Tang Chuxia waved her hand, "Your money — you should save it for your master’s Taoist temple repairs!"

Lin Qingchen laughed. He didn’t explain that they didn’t really lack funds; his master didn’t renovate the temple because he was worried it would attract too much attention.

Tang Chuxia rubbed her hands together, "Grandpas, if I sell this jade and we split the money, what if each of us takes a portion to donate to an orphanage? It’s all about doing good deeds and accumulating virtue!"

The four elders looked at her with contempt.

Their gazes almost outright said, could you be any more calculating?

"Ten stewed chickens!" the old Taoist demanded, swishing his duster.

"Ten stewed chickens! Just like him!" the old monk said, bringing his hands together in a pious gesture that seemed more like one-upmanship.

"Ten stewed chickens! After all, I’m your grandpa!" Third Grandpa followed suit, not to be outdone.

"Ten’s a bit much, I’ll take nine!" After Elder Huang spoke, the other three elders looked at him with disdain.

Breaking formation!

Don’t they know the rules?

Tang Chuxia was exasperated.

A moment ago no one cared for money, but now they shamelessly asked for ten stewed chickens.

"You take all the money, do whatever you want with it. As someone who stands apart from this world, how can I let material possessions of the mortal realm bind me?" the old Taoist sighed retrospectively.

Why didn’t he say that when he was asking for ten stewed chickens?

The old monk too chimed in with an "Amitabha Buddha," "Buddha must not be tainted by worldly possessions!"

Tang Chuxia almost laughed in his face.

Your Buddha would probably faint from the greasy fumes watching you eat meat every day.

As for Third Grandpa, there was no room for debate; in his words, "As someone who deals with corpses all day, I need to eat some meat to boost my yang energy!"

Alright, you all have your reasons. Tang Chuxia finally looked at Elder Huang.

Elder Huang was even more self-assured, "Considering all the herbs you took from me, are nine chickens too much?"

After thinking it over, Tang Chuxia realized that the value of those herbs really did exceed the amount.

"I’ll give Grandpa Huang ten as well!"

Grandpa Huang nodded in satisfaction, "The girl has grown up, knowing how to honor me now!"

Tang Chuxia felt helpless.

She had no biological grandfather, but as it now seemed, honoring a grandfather didn’t diminish just because one’s biological grandfather had passed away.

Beside her, Lin Qingchen maintained a smile; he didn’t want the braised chicken but simply said, "I can help with the construction of the orphanage!"

Participating was also about checking the Feng Shui, and he would surely find a geomantic gem, so the children could have a bit of fortune in their future.

Tang Chuxia monopolized the jade, although Gu Beihuai and the others planned to take it away, Third Grandpa whispered something to him, and Gu Beihuai stated, "I’ll have someone handle the items. All the money from the sale will go to you!"

Tang Chuxia was pleased.

She saved herself from contacting buyers and could make some money—why wouldn’t she be happy?

While the jade was being cleaned up, the old Taoist grabbed a small piece and tossed it to Tang Chuxia.

"Polish it, and twirl it in your hands when you have time!"

Tang Chuxia quickly pocketed it; she wasn’t completely ignorant, after all. That piece of jade was the core of the entire stone, and surely the most valuable part.

Gu Beihuai wanted to say something, but seeing that Tang Chuxia had already pocketed it, he ultimately remained silent.

Once they finished tidying up, the night had deepened, and the four seniors had dissipated. Lin Qingchen escorted Tang Chuxia back home.

It wasn’t that Gu Beihuai didn’t want to escort her; he just had other matters to attend to.

On the way back, Tang Chuxia played with the piece of jade in her hand.

"You should keep this jade with you; it’s good for your health!" Lin Qingchen reminded her.

Tang Chuxia lifted the jade towards the moonlight, and a faint blue light twinkled within it: "Is it the talisman that sucks blood, or is it this piece of jade?"

Lin Qingchen took the jade from her hand, merely rubbing it a few times in his palm. The jade, which had seemed somewhat dull, now became clear and lucid, and when held up to the moonlight, something inside seemed to be moving.

"It’s the jade!"

After saying that, Lin Qingchen added, "However, when your great-uncle used it, it was because of the talisman!"

Tang Chuxia felt the calm waters in her mind begin to churn, naturally realizing that this jade was no ordinary piece.

"I’m home now. Thanks for your hard work today!"

Tang Chuxia stood at her doorstep while Lin Qingchen smiled and said nothing.

"You also have ten braised chickens, don’t worry, you won’t be left empty-handed!" Tang Chuxia blinked, her face full of slyness.

Lin Qingchen laughed out loud, "Alright!"

He gestured for Tang Chuxia to go inside, and once he saw her open the door, he turned and disappeared into the night.

Tang Jianjun and Tang Jianbing, who had been waiting at home, hurried out to greet her, breathing a sigh of relief when they saw Tang Chuxia safely returned.

They had truly been afraid that something might happen to Tang Chuxia.

"Brother, I’m tired. I’m going to sleep first!"

Tang Chuxia didn’t tell them about the evening’s events; the commotion in her mind was too intense, and she had to check it out in her room before anything else.

Tang Jianjun was also worried about Tang Chuxia’s well-being and, after confirming that she was just tired and not injured, let her go back to her room to rest.

Tang Chuxia lay on the heated brick bed, placing the piece of jade beside her, closed her eyes, and attempted to investigate the situation in her mind. These supernatural occurrences were difficult to explain, and she couldn’t describe them, but it felt like the entity in her mind wanted the jade.

She didn’t know how to give it to them, so she simply placed the jade on her forehead.

Immediately she felt dizzy and then truly passed out.

She had no idea what happened after she lost consciousness, sleeping straight through to the next afternoon.

The reason she woke up was that Madam Tang came to call her.

Madam Tang, who always doted on her daughter, called her name twice and seeing no response, she was about to lift the blanket to wake her. However, before she could lift it, she screamed at the sight of Tang Chuxia’s face.

The Tang Family members, hearing the commotion, rushed in, and one by one, their faces turned peculiar.