Chapter 222: Inspection (Five More)
Chapter 222: Inspection (Five More)
Mo Hua returned home and took out the gifts from his storage bag, handing them to his parents to keep safe.
Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua exchanged glances, both a little taken aback.
Unbeknownst to them, their son had made quite a few friends among the cultivators, and most of them were influential figures in Tongxian City—palmists, registrars, clan heads, elders, and formation masters.
And now, during the New Year celebrations, he had received so many gifts.
Every time Mo Hua went out, he would bring back presents, and even when he stayed home, people would send gifts to their house.
Big and small packages piled up in the house, filling every available space.
Mo Hua put down his storage bag and slumped into a chair, sighing like a little adult, "So busy!"
Liu Ruhua smiled at his antics.
"Mom, I'm hungry," Mo Hua said.
"Save some room for dinner tonight. I'll get you some osmanthus cake first. Just have a little bite."
"Okay," Mo Hua nodded.
Liu Ruhua brought him the cake and poured a cup of tea. "Have you returned the gifts and thanked everyone properly?" she asked.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, mentally going through the list, "I've returned gifts to those I should, and thanked everyone I needed to. Now we can relax and enjoy the New Year."
Mo Hua finally had some peace and quiet and didn't need to run around everywhere. He stayed at home, looking forward to celebrating the New Year with his family.
He still woke up early every day to meditate and cultivate, then painted a few formations and studied formation books. In the evenings, he continued his practice on the Dao Monument.
The rest of his time was spent with his parents.
On New Year's Eve, the family enjoyed a joyful reunion dinner.
Liu Ruhua had prepared a feast, and as expected, Mo Hua ate until he was stuffed. He sighed and took out two pills given by Old Man Feng to aid digestion.
"Old Man Feng really is thoughtful," Mo Hua remarked to himself.
The next day, they began visiting relatives and friends to celebrate the New Year, and in the evenings, they strolled through the lively festivals that continued until the Lantern Festival. The entire Tongxian City came alive with vibrant celebrations each night.
Usually, the festivities wouldn't last this long, but this year was special. With the discovery of spirit mines, the establishment of the Artifact and Elixir Forging Houses, and the opening of the Fu Shan Lou, the lives of vagrant cultivators had improved, and they had more spirit stones to spare. So, the New Year celebrations were extended.
People didn't have to rush back to their arduous livelihoods as soon as the New Year ended, as they had in the past.
Mo Hua took advantage of this rare leisure time and strolled through the streets whenever he felt like it. He also managed to visit Fu Shan Lou and check in on An Xiaofu.
During the New Year, Fu Shan Lou was packed with customers, and An Xiaofu was running around, busier than ever.
When Mo Hua saw him, he was sitting in the main hall, gulping down tea straight from the teapot.
Despite his exhaustion, he seemed more energetic and cheerful than before.
He still looked chubby, though, and hadn't seemed to lose much weight.
Perhaps, despite his increased workload, his appetite had kept up as well.
After leaving Fu Shan Lou, Mo Hua ran into Zhang Lan on the street.
Zhang Lan was a member of one of the clans, and he hadn't taken any time off to go home for the New Year.
He knew a few people in the city, but he didn't have many friends, and the only one he could truly get along with was Mo Hua. So, he was delighted to see Mo Hua and immediately dragged him to continue strolling through the streets.
"Let's see what delicious food and fun things we can find. I'll treat you!" Zhang Lan offered generously.
"Thank you, Uncle Zhang," Mo Hua said, then added with a hint of confusion, "But, Uncle Zhang, you're not that young anymore. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you, an unmarried adult, to be playing with a child like me?"
"It's called retaining a childlike innocence," Zhang Lan replied.
"A perpetual child at heart?"
Zhang Lan ruffled Mo Hua's hair affectionately. "Somehow, everything you say sounds like an insult."
Mo Hua covered his head, looking displeased. "That's called venting your anger on the weak."
"Alright, I admit I can't win against you in an argument," Zhang Lan said helplessly, sighing. "What's so great about getting married and settling down anyway?"
Mo Hua's eyes lit up as he considered this, then he asked, "Are you trying to avoid an arranged marriage?"
Mo Hua looked directly at Zhang Lan and said, "You ran away from home because you don't want to be bound by the clan's arranged marriage, forced to spend your life with a woman you don't love, living a joyless existence."
Mo Hua nodded, satisfied with his own conjecture.
Zhang Lan sighed, "You're partly right, but not entirely. I just don't want to go back to the clan."
"Not even for the New Year?"
Zhang Lan replied earnestly, "I am now a Dian Si of the Dao Ting Si, responsible for maintaining peace in Tongxian City. On such an important day as the New Year, how could I possibly return home?"
"So, the Dao Ting Si isn't busy? They let you wander around like this?"
Zhang Lan replied with displeasure, "I'm on duty, not wandering around. The Chief knows, and he wouldn't say anything about it."
"Really?" Mo Hua was skeptical.
"Of course," Zhang Lan affirmed.
Mo Hua let out an 'oh', then pointed behind Zhang Lan, "It looks like the Chief is calling you over. He doesn't seem to know that you're 'on duty'."
Zhang Lan's body stiffened, and he slowly turned his head. Indeed, the Chief was beckoning to him with a smile that seemed to hold hidden meaning.
It was customary for the Chief to conduct inspections during major festivals.
On such occasions, the Chief would lead by example, patrolling the four directions to ensure that gatherings of cultivators did not cause any trouble.
Zhang Lan, who had been slacking off and wandering around, was now caught red-handed and could only offer a stiff smile in response.
Mo Hua felt a bit of schadenfreude, and as he was about to slip away, Zhang Lan grabbed his arm, "You're coming with me."
"Why should I go? I'm not even part of the Dao Ting Si."
"Come with me to keep the Chief company during his inspection." Zhang Lan didn't want to let Mo Hua escape.
"I'm not going."
"Countless cultivators in Tongxian City yearn for this opportunity, but you, at such a young age, have the chance to accompany the Chief on his inspection. You should feel honored."
"Well, you go ahead and feel honored then."
He was already acquainted with the Chief, and he had sent a gift during the New Year, so there was no need to force himself into the situation.
Besides, accompanying the Chief on his inspection would be dull and restrictive, whereas wandering around on his own was much more enjoyable.
But before Mo Hua could make his escape, he noticed that the Chief was also gesturing for him to come over.
Caught once again, Mo Hua could only sigh inwardly and reluctantly join Zhang Lan as they approached the Chief to greet him.
Chief Zhou had always found these inspections tedious, and those who accompanied him were usually elders from influential clans or sects, offering insincere flattery with fake smiles.
It was monotonous and boring.
Over the years, Chief Zhou had grown accustomed to it, but when he saw Zhang Lan and Mo Hua in the distance, strolling happily and freely, chatting animatedly, he felt a twinge of jealousy.
So, he beckoned to them, asking them to join him on his inspection.
Joy can be shared, and boredom can be divided.
With the young Zhang Lan and the child Mo Hua by his side, the inspection became much more interesting, at least not as dull as it used to be.
Mo Hua shot Zhang Lan a resentful glance, blaming him for not letting him escape earlier.
Zhang Lan winked at Mo Hua, promising to make it up to him later.
Mo Hua had no choice but to follow along with the inspection.
Chief Zhou would occasionally ask Mo Hua about various things, such as cultivator customs, demon beast materials, and local delicacies.
Mo Hua answered each question knowledgeably.
And so, Mo Hua was forced to spend the day 'on duty', accompanying the elderly Chief Zhou on a dull patrol of the city.
Chief Zhou was pleased, but Mo Hua could only sigh inwardly.
(End of Chapter)
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