"Have you forgotten that San Yatou followed a fairy? San Yatou is also a fairy now, so it's natural for her to be beautiful."
Several people surrounded Xu Chunniang and talked non-stop, their curious eyes constantly looking at her.
Every few years, gods would come to the nearby villages and take away one or two children who they said could become gods.
But after all these years, no one has come back.
Xu Chunniang was the first one to return from cultivating immortals, so how could they not be curious
"San girl, let me ask you, are you also a deity now? Can you fly and hide in the ground, and be immortal?"
The aunt who first recognized Xu Chunniang couldn't help but ask.
Xu Chunniang shook her head. "I'm not a deity. I just started on this path. I can't fly or live forever."
Hearing this, the aunt was a little confused, "Is it impossible? I remember when those immortals came, they all flew here, I thought you could do it too..."
"Aunt, do you know where my parents are now?"
Xu Chunniang felt a little embarrassed, so she quickly interrupted her and asked the question again.
The truth is that people in the world know too little about those who practice cultivation, and they think that because cultivators can fly and hide in the ground, they are omnipotent.
In fact, cultivators have merely embarked on the path to becoming immortals, but how far they can go on this path depends on their personal talent and destiny.
"Look at me. I was so busy asking questions that I forgot about this."
The aunt slapped her forehead and said, "Your parents moved to the county town many years ago, in the Shuanggui Lane area of Ping'an County. You just need to go to Shuanggui Lane and ask around, and you'll know the exact location."
Xu Chunniang thanked her aunt, left Xujia Village, and walked towards Ping'an County.
After this incident, her mood calmed down and she no longer felt the anxiety she had before.
From the moment she embarked on the path of spiritual practice, Xu Chunniang was destined to have a weak bond with her parents in this life, and she and her parents became people from two different worlds.
But they are her parents who gave birth to her and raised her. Humans are not plants or trees, so how can they be heartless
Those outer disciples who choose to be sent abroad, before their lifespan ends, all they yearn for is to return to their roots and their homeland.
The poor and backward Xujia Village was not her destination, but it was her starting point.
Xu Chunniang stepped into Shuanggui Lane and did not ask anyone. Instead, she walked from the entrance to the end of the lane.
All kinds of mundane things come to my ears.
There are children laughing, roosters crowing, dogs barking, old people whispering, and the hustle and bustle of the market.
When passing by a large blue brick and tile house, I suddenly heard a conversation coming from the yard inside.
"I found a match for Qiu Shou a few days ago. The other party is a relative of the county magistrate. He is good-looking and has a good personality. But Qiu Shou just refused."
"Qiu Shou is a man of his own ideas. He has his own thoughts. Don't worry about him, mother."
"Oh, I know, but seeing that he is already twenty-one and still hasn't married, I am worried.
He didn't marry, and Wu Ya's marriage was delayed. Wu Ya is about to turn 18, and in this world, it's hard for a woman to get married when she's older."
The man remained silent. In his heart he somewhat agreed with what his mother said, but his fourth brother and fifth sister did not want to get married, and he could do nothing about them.
Ever since my fourth younger brother passed the imperial examination two years ago and became a scholar master, he has become more and more opinionated.
Outside the house, Xu Chunniang's eyes were wet. It was the voices of her mother and second brother.
She pushed open the half-open door, which creaked, startling the two people inside.
"Who is it?"
Xu's mother asked casually, but didn't take it seriously.
They have moved to Shuanggui Lane for more than ten years and have long been familiar with the neighbors in this street and alley. It is common for people to visit them.
But the second brother was looking in the direction of the person coming, with a dazed expression, as if he saw an acquaintance but couldn't believe it.
Xu's mother was a little confused. She followed the second son's line of sight and looked towards the door. When she saw who was coming, her eyes became blurred unconsciously.
"You are... San Yatou?"
Although they had not seen each other for many years and Xu Chunniang had changed a lot, Xu's mother recognized the woman in front of her at a glance. It was her third child who had left home with the gods when she was young.
Not only because of the birthmark on the woman's face, but also because her facial features and the stubbornness in her eyes were exactly the same as those of the third girl when she was a child.
"Mother, second brother..."
Xu Chunniang was also a little choked up. Her mother had aged a lot and her hair had turned white. She almost didn't recognize her.
My second brother has also changed. He is no longer the honest boy in my memory. Now he is nearly thirty years old, and his face shows signs of vicissitudes.
"Third sister, it's really you who's back!"
The second son, Xu Dacai, had tears in his eyes. When the third sister left home, she was just a little kid, but now she has grown up.
The face of the third sister in my memory has long been blurred, with only a few fragments left. If it weren't for the birthmark on her face, I really wouldn't have dared to recognize her.
He originally thought that he would never see his third sister again in this life, but he didn't expect that they would meet again in his lifetime.
Xu's mother, who usually walked with a strong gait, now seemed a little unsteady. Her face was full of tears. She carefully reached out her hand and gently stroked Xu Chunniang's cheek.
"It's really you, San girl. Seeing that you are doing well, mother can finally rest assured."
Back then, Xu Chunniang passed the test of the gods. After being taken away by the gods, she felt uncomfortable for a long time.
It is said that if one is taken away by gods, one can become a god. However, over the years, at least twenty or thirty children have been taken away from nearby villages.
I have never heard of any child who went to cultivate immortality and ever came back. They all disappeared without a trace once they left.
Although it is unlikely that gods would lie, who knows what these children were taken away for
Now seeing the third girl standing in front of her in good health, Xu's mother finally felt relieved.
"It's good to be back, it's good to be back..."
The person in the house heard the noise and came out. He was stunned when he saw the scene.
"This is..."
Xu Dacai said quickly, "This is the third sister I told you about, who was taken away by the gods when she was young."
He turned to look at Xu Chunniang and introduced her somewhat embarrassedly, "This is your sister-in-law."
Xu Chunniang smiled at the woman and said, "Hello, sister-in-law."
The woman waved her hand, somewhat flattered, "Hello, Third Sister."
She was secretly surprised. This third sister was only eight years old when she passed away. She must be at least twenty-four or twenty-five now.
But now it seems that she would believe it even if someone said she was only seventeen or eighteen years old.
Mother Xu showed a relieved smile on her face. "It's daytime now, and there's not many people at home. The fourth child went to the county town and won't be back until the end of the month. The fifth child is helping out in the clinic and will be back in the evening. And your two nephews and nieces will be out of school soon."
Xu Chunniang nodded, but she was a little confused. Why had she not seen her father after coming back for so long
"Mom, where's Dad? Isn't he home?"
Mother Xu showed a sad look on her face. "Your father was unlucky. He didn't live to see you come back. He was in poor health when he was young. He caught a cold two years ago and passed away early."
When Xu Chunniang heard this, a look of grief appeared on her face.
In my memory, my father was an honest and taciturn man who worked in the fields all year round and had little rest.
She originally thought that after she went to Xiaoyao Sect, her parents would be able to live an easy life with the one hundred taels of silver as a settlement allowance.
I didn't expect that my father passed away so soon.