Chapter 22: The Reward

“Old Immortal, although Liao is not highly talented, if Ye Tian were willing to go abroad, Liao would absolutely not let him suffer the slightest bit of hardship.”

Upon hearing the Old Taoist Priest’s words, Liao Haode hurriedly offered an explanation. His original intention was good-hearted, and it would truly be awkward if they misunderstood him.

“I won’t go, I won’t go. I’m not going anywhere. Grandpa Liao, if you dare say it again, I… I will…”

Ye Tian started shouting loudly. He was a boy who feared nothing in heaven or on earth. If Liao Haode dared mention sending him abroad again, this kid was even willing to sneak to the Liao family’s Ancestral Grave at Feng Family Village overnight to set up a deadly Feng Shui Arrangement.

“You kid, Grandpa Liao means well for you…”

Liao Haode gave a helpless, bitter smile and turned to look at Ye Dongping. In the minds of the adults, although Ye Tian was clever, such matters should still be decided by the parents.

However, if Liao Haode knew what Ye Tian was thinking at that moment, he probably wouldn’t have dared to continue. Offending a feng shui master was a major taboo in the Jianghu, even if Ye Tian was just a child.

“Mr. Liao, I appreciate your kind intention on behalf of my son. However, he is still young, and I am not comfortable letting him go abroad. It’s better for him to stay in China. Besides, although domestic education lags behind now, it will gradually improve in the future.”

Ye Dongping had seriously considered the matter for a long time and finally made his decision. Foreign countries were certainly good, but ultimately, only this land was the root of the Chinese people. Ye Dongping also did not want his son to become a “banana person”—yellow on the outside, white on the inside—in the future.

“Mr. Ye, won’t you reconsider? I can understand your thinking, but the education Ye Tian would receive abroad would definitely be better than in China.”

Liao Haode was somewhat surprised by Ye Dongping’s words. These were times when many domestic university students were rushing to go abroad. Ye Tian had such a good opportunity, but Liao Haode had not expected Ye Dongping to refuse.

Ye Dongping shook his head and said, “Mr. Liao, one can learn skills without going abroad. Moreover, Xiao Tian disagrees, and we should respect the child’s choice…”

“Well… alright then, Mr. Ye. If you change your mind in the future, you can contact me anytime. Even if Little Ye Tian wants to study abroad when he grows up, my promise still stands…”

After hearing Ye Dongping’s words, Liao Haode also knew that Ye Tian definitely would not go abroad. He immediately beckoned to Feng Kuang, took a black leather bag from him, and said, “Mr. Ye, this is a small token of gratitude for inviting Ye Tian to perform Geomancy and Feng Shui. You must accept it…”

“Grandpa Liao, didn’t… didn’t you already give me money?”

Seeing Liao Haode about to offer a reward again, Ye Tian couldn’t help but feel strange. The previous stack of banknotes already made Ye Tian feel it was somewhat hot to handle.

“Ye Tian, how can you take other people’s money so casually?” Before Liao Haode could speak after hearing Ye Tian’s words, Ye Dongping’s face had already darkened, and he glared at Ye Tian unhappily.

“That… that was Grandpa Liao who forced it into my hand.”

Ye Tian lowered his head and spoke softly. Although he was mischievous, he rarely truly made his father angry. Seeing Ye Dongping’s stern face now, he felt a bit scared too.

“Mr. Ye, that was just a bit of pocket money for Little Yezi. Don’t scold him. Take good care of the money inside here…” Seeing Ye Tian’s awkward predicament, Liao Haode quickly stepped in with a laugh, handing the black leather bag to Ye Dongping.

Ye Dongping didn’t pay much attention when he took the bag. However, when he casually pulled open the bag’s zipper and looked inside, his face immediately changed color. “This… this… this won’t do, Mr. Liao. I can’t accept this money…”

Inside the leather bag, which was slightly larger than Ye Tian’s schoolbag, were stacks of brand new ten-yuan bills. Even if each stack was only one thousand yuan, this bag likely contained ten to twenty thousand yuan.

Although Ye Dongping came from a big city, he had never seen so much money before. You must know, in those days, a “ten-thousand-yuan household” was already a synonym for a wealthy person. He dared not accept this money.

“Mr. Ye, this money is Ye Tian’s reward. To be honest with you, if one were to invite a feng shui master in Hong Kong or Taiwan, I’m afraid this amount wouldn’t even be enough. One could say I got a bargain.”

Before coming, Liao Haode had prepared for two scenarios. One was taking Ye Tian abroad, in which case this money naturally wouldn’t be given. The second was the current situation. If Ye Tian refused to go, then this money would serve as his reward for helping with the Geomancy and Feng Shui.

Upon hearing Liao Haode’s words, Ye Dongping became so flustered his face turned red. He repeatedly waved his hands and said, “Foreign countries are foreign countries, Mr. Liao. This is China. If I accept your money, wouldn’t that be promoting feudal superstition like Feng Shui and fortune-telling? The Police Station might come and arrest Ye Tian tomorrow.”

Although this place was at the foot of Maoshan, where Taoism flourished, and the state respected religious culture with strong support in recent years,

the repairs and reconstruction of the various Taoist Temples on Maoshan were all funded by the state or donations from believers. No one had heard of any Taoist priest daring to go down the mountain to perform rituals, see Feng Shui, and accept money.

People who lived through those turbulent years were very sensitive. Policies could change at any time. What if these actions were classified as Feudal Superstition? Wouldn’t Ye Tian then become the target?

When Liao Haode mentioned earlier that he had given Ye Tian some pocket money, Ye Dongping thought it was just ten or twenty yuan. If he knew Ye Tian’s small schoolbag contained over two hundred yuan, he probably would have made Ye Tian return it too.

After hearing Ye Dongping’s words, Liao Haode hesitated and said, “Mr. Ye, if we all don’t speak of it… this is a private matter. The state can’t control it, can it?”

“Mr. Liao, I appreciate your goodwill, but this money… truly cannot be accepted. If no money is taken, it can just be dismissed as a child’s nonsense. Once your money is accepted, the nature of it changes entirely.”

Ye Dongping kept shaking his head, adamantly refusing to take the bag Liao Haode offered again. Watching from the side, Feng Kuang was swallowing hard, cursing Ye Dongping in his heart as a bookworm—how could he not take money delivered right into his hands?

Just as Liao Haode was insisting on giving and Ye Dongping was insisting on refusing, the Old Taoist on the side spoke up. “Little Yezi, you should accept this money. It’s fine!”

“Old Master, how can you also be so confused? This money… can we accept it?”

Hearing Li Shanyuan tell him to accept the money, Ye Dongping became anxious. It seemed Ye Tian wasn’t your son, after all?

Hearing this, the Old Taoist curled his lip, looking completely unconcerned. “How much money is this anyway? Back in the day, when this old Taoist performed Fortune-Telling and Physiognomy and divined eight characters, one fortune cost at least a thousand silver dollars. If it was for Geomancy and Feng Shui, looking at Yin-Yang dwellings, I wouldn’t even go without two Small Gold Bars. Now, my apprentice accepts this little money—what is there to fear?”

“Old Master, what era was that? Can this… possibly compare?”

Upon hearing the Old Taoist’s words, Ye Dongping didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. What time was it now, and here he was adding fuel to the fire? Weren’t multiple wives and concubines legal in your day too?

“It’s fine. Society has changed now. Those things from before won’t happen again.” The Old Taoist waved his hand dismissively. The Occult Arts he studied ranged from minor things like reading Feng Shui and determining fortune to major ones like observing earth luck and determining national fate. The mysteries involved were far beyond what outsiders could understand.

Although the Old Taoist did not receive the complete inheritance of the “Burlap Robe Divine Physiognomy,” he could still perceive one or two things. In the coming decades, the country would not undergo any major upheavals again.