When the seventh strand of true qi condensed within my body, I was immensely excited.
I hadn't expected myself to break through my cultivation framework again in such a short period.
Opening another meridian and cultivating another strand of true qi, I reached the mid-stage of Qi Accumulation.
This way, I was one step closer to the Soul Palace realm.
As soon as I reached the Soul Palace realm,
I would be able to see Qing Dai's appearance. The thought alone made me very happy.
I calmed my emotions and adjusted my internal breath.
My cultivation was still unstable right after the breakthrough.
There was a possibility of regression, so I meditated for a good while.
When I finished, my qi settled in my lower dantian.
It was already four in the morning. Unknowingly, two to three hours had passed.
Even though I had to wake up early tomorrow, the improvement in my cultivation made it all worth it.
I took out some Spirit-Nourishing Tea and brewed a bowl for myself.
This stuff was truly good.
After drinking it, I set my alarm and then went to sleep.
By eight the next day, after sleeping for over three hours, I was woken up by my alarm.
Today was the first day of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
I had a three-day holiday, and my grandmother was waiting for me at home.
Although I was still very sleepy, the thought of going home quickly energized me.
I put on my clothes, packed my luggage, and left.
As I was leaving, I ran into Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang.
Seeing that I was going home, they warmly greeted me and even gave me a mooncake.
Since I hadn't eaten yet, I ate it.
I took a car directly to the bus station.
At the station entrance, I bought a few new clothes and some nutritional supplements for my grandmother.
I didn't earn much when I worked at the factory before. Now that I could earn money, it was time to properly honor my elder.
It took a two-hour bus ride from the city to our Qingshui Town, and then half an hour by motorcycle from the town to the village.
It was just past nine in the morning, so it was perfectly fine to get home in time for lunch.
As soon as I got on the bus, my grandmother called me.
I told her I was on the bus and would be home for lunch.
My grandmother was very happy upon hearing this and said she would cook and wait for me at home.
I rarely went back home throughout the year,
but every time I did, I was exceptionally happy.
This year's trip was even more exciting.
Because I had earned money, over thirty thousand in three months.
In the past, I couldn't save even five thousand yuan in an entire year, even by being frugal.
I dozed off on the bus for a while.
When I woke up, I had already arrived at the town.
The familiar town, the familiar small place.
Qingshui Town was the largest town in the vicinity.
Although the place wasn't big, there were still quite a few people.
As soon as I got off the bus, I saw two old classmates and greeted them warmly.
Then I took a motorcycle taxi back to the village.
Although it was a village, now all villages had paved roads, and they were all cemented.
The roads were good, and it only took twenty minutes to reach the village.
After paying the fare, I walked towards my house.
I greeted the familiar faces and elders in the village enthusiastically.
But the atmosphere in the village felt very oppressive.
And many houses were hanging white cloths.
It seemed someone had passed away...
There was no festive joy, and the entire village felt very somber.
I didn't pay much attention to it, as there were many elderly people in the village now.
When I reached the doorstep, white smoke curled into the air.
I impatiently shouted loudly:
"Grandma! Grandma, I'm back!"
I was very excited and happy.
Soon, I saw a somewhat stooped figure wearing an apron coming out of the house:
"Zewa'er, Zewa'er is back!"
That was my nickname, which some people in the village called me.
Hearing it now felt exceptionally warm.
"Grandma, look what I bought for you."
I smiled happily and walked towards her.
Grandma had aged a lot, but her spirit was still good.
Seeing me with bags of gifts, Grandma chided me a few times for being "extravagant and wasteful."
But I could tell she was actually very happy.
When we got inside, I found that Grandma had already prepared many dishes.
There was cured meat and sausage, of course, and my favorite braised pork, and chicken stewed with wild mushrooms.
Grandma kept putting food on my plate.
I felt warm and deeply moved.
"Grandma, you eat, you eat too!"
Grandma smiled and said:
"Grandma knows, you eat more. Try to bring back a grandchild-in-law by the end of the year."
I smiled and vaguely replied, "I'll try."
As soon as I finished speaking, the sound of firecrackers crackled outside, along with the beating of gongs and drums.
Hearing the commotion, I couldn't help but look outside.
"Grandma, whose house in the village is having a celebration, with gongs and drums?"
But Grandma, sitting opposite me, looked utterly shocked.
She quickly put down her bowls and chopsticks, hurried to the door, and quickly closed it.
Then she turned and said to me:
"Eat your meal, don't ask too many questions."
Seeing Grandma's rather serious expression, I became even more curious.
With gongs and drums and firecrackers, it must be a happy occasion?
What couldn't be asked about?
"Grandma, what's there to not ask about with gongs and drums?
What happy event has happened in the village?"
Seeing my persistent questioning, Grandma could only lower her voice and replied:
"It's not a happy event.
It's a great funeral.
Your Sixth Uncle is getting married tonight!"
Hearing this, I almost choked on my rice.
My Sixth Uncle was a simpleton. He had a fever as a child that damaged his brain.
His intelligence was only at the level of a five or six-year-old, and he drooled when he spoke.
He could get married? Wasn't he ruining a girl's life?
"Grandma, did you perhaps remember wrong?
Isn't Sixth Uncle an idiot?
Can he even find a wife?
Which girl would it be, isn't this ruining her life?"
I widened my eyes, asking with some astonishment.
Upon hearing this, Grandma sighed:
"A girl!
If it were truly a girl,
I wouldn't say it was a great funeral.
Little Six isn't marrying a girl.
He's going to the mountains to be a live-in son-in-law, serving the old immortal..."