The roast chicken is not just any roast chicken, it is a signature dish brought back from the restaurant.
The chef first stuffs spices into the cleaned chicken's stomach, then spreads soy sauce on the outside to marinate it, and when the time is up, puts the whole chicken into the oil pan and deep- fries it.
Pause for nearly a minute, pick up the chicken and put it back into the pan.
After repeating this three times, the whole chicken is golden brown and crispy on the outside, and the meat inside is soft and tender, and easy to remove from the bones.
Because there were a lot of dishes packed back, Zhao Xunchang resisted his craving and said he would save them for tomorrow. However, after he had finished digesting the food, his craving was aroused again.
He cleared his throat and pretended to stroll into the kitchen, but when he opened the refrigerator, there was only an empty plate with some chicken skin crumbs on it!
At this time, Chen Ling walked to the halfway point of the mountain carrying the roast chicken.
The courtyard is not directly facing the Yuheshan Cemetery, but is behind it. It takes twelve minutes to walk from the foot of the mountain to the cemetery.
Wu Weiwei had his hands in his pockets, his shoulder muscles tense. He glanced back quietly and saw Jiang Yu following slowly behind him.
"Brother Chen, why did Brother Jiang follow us?" He pointed at the bag in Chen Ling's hand, "And this roast chicken... Didn't the old man say to save it for tomorrow?"
When he left the house, he thought he was here to find a burial place for the remains. But now the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. Seeing how his brother Chen looked, he looked like he was here to visit a grave.
Chen Ling said directly, "Come and burn incense for your brother Jiang."
Wu Weiwei scratched his ears and asked, "Huh?"
Chen Ling: "According to the rules, I have to come twice a day, but I've been too busy lately, so I might as well do a big one today and give you some good things."
Wu Weiwei was stunned for a long time before he came to his senses, "I thought that Jiang Ge's grave was just there so I didn't have to worry about it, why do we still need to burn incense?"
"Why not?" Chen Ling said, "Since we want to fake his death, we have to do it in a complete way. What if some ghost messenger wanders in here one day and finds something unusual?"
It sounded so real that Wu Weiwei believed it and nodded in agreement: "Then I'll burn it with you."
Chen Ling paused, thinking that there is strength in numbers, and if more people showed filial piety, the ancestors might be happier.
After getting Brother Chen's approval, Wu Weiwei took the paper bag from him. He couldn't help but look back again and found that Jiang Yu's gaze, which was looking straight ahead, actually contained a mystery, and was clearly aimed at the back of Brother Chen's head.
Wu Weiwei asked strangely, "Wouldn't it be strange for Brother Jiang to come along?"
You are still alive, but you have to watch others visit your grave. Does it make you feel uncomfortable
Chen Ling couldn't figure out what the old ancestor was thinking, so he shook his head and said, "Maybe he has a special hobby."
Wu Weiwei: “…”
Jiang Yu: “…”
The sun had already set and construction on Yuhe Mountain was suspended.
Contractor Yang was squatting on the ground smoking. When he saw Chen Ling and his men coming up, he put out his cigarette, pulled his clothes, stood up, and greeted them with a smile.
"Mr. Chen, come up for inspection?" the contractor joked.
Chen Ling: "Come up and take a look at the tomb where the monument was just erected."
The contractor said, "Oh!" and looked up at the top of the mountain. Then he remembered what the young boss had told him to do. He reported, "The two tombstone pedestals you asked me to build are already built. When the tombstone is ready, we can just put it in there."
Chen Ling looked towards the two children's graves. The graves were half the size of ordinary ones. They sat quietly on the edge of the planned area, like two little grasses looking out for each other.
The graves of Gao's dead baby and Xiaobao were different from the ancestor's grave. They were not buried underground, but protruded three inches outwards.
"I understand." After Chen Ling finished speaking, the contractor suddenly became confused.
Contractor Yang rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again, and pointed stupidly at the backpack hanging on Wu Weiwei's shoulder: "Mr. Chen, I, why do I see something moving inside!"
Chen Ling took the contractor and walked around behind Wu Weiwei, opened the backpack a little, and let the weasel stretch out a little paw.
The light orange claws had nails and several pads underneath. Feeling a finger touching it, the weasel's claws hooked.
The contractor's eyes widened in surprise: "Cat? But a cat's claws should be able to retract."
"It's a weasel." Chen Ling gave the answer calmly.
"Yellow, yellow, yellow..." The contractor's tongue was tied. He raised his hand and slapped his mouth. Now he could speak fluently. "Weasel? Mr. Chen, where did you get this? I heard that they like to steal chickens, but they don't eat them. They just bite their prey to death and then suck their blood."
Chen Ling comforted him, "Don't worry, it's usually well-fed and won't steal chickens."
On Yuhe Mountain, ever since the chef arrived, in order to allow the workers to keep up with the physical strength, he bought a group of cheap half-grown chickens and raised them near the shed.
The contractor was worried and repeated in disbelief, "You really didn't steal the chicken?"
"Brother Yang, when have I ever lied to you?" Without some substantial assurance, it would be hard for the other party to believe, so Chen Ling said, "If it steals one, I will give you ten old hens that lay eggs, how about that?"
Yang, the contractor, believed it now and said, "Okay."
"I'm telling you, if it mischievously runs off to the mountain someday, you and your fellow workers shouldn't be afraid or hit it. It's just taking a stroll and will go home when it's tired."
Was this talking about the weasel or educating the child? The contractor was full of doubts, but he was tactful enough not to ask any more questions. He just told Chen Ling not to worry and that he would pass the matter on.
"That's it for now. I'll go check on those two kids."
After saying goodbye to the contractor, Chen Ling and Wu Weiwei continued forward and stopped in an inconspicuous corner.
He walked forward and brushed the dust off the tomb cover, then separated two chicken legs from the roast chicken that he was going to give to his ancestor and placed one on each side of the two small graves.
Then he said to Wu Weiwei: "Let's go upstairs."
The higher you go, the greener the road beneath your feet becomes. The dead grass can no longer cover up the new life growing underneath. The tender green grass sprouts are growing wildly as if they have absorbed high levels of nutrients.
"Our Yuhe Mountain changes every day." Wu Weiwei sighed.
Chen Ling felt a little proud. He walked forward a few steps and saw the conspicuous white marble stele and the shallow grass near the stele that was more lush than other places.
Wu Weiwei couldn't hold it back for a few seconds and burst out laughing, "Brother Jiang, you have a cuckold on your head."
Chen Ling: “…”
Jiang Yu's expression remained unchanged, except for his eyes which were cold and dark.
A gust of wind suddenly blew around.
Wu Weiwei held down his hair that was messed up by the wind, and felt a chill on his neck. He mustered up the courage to look at Jiang Yu, then shut his mouth and dared not say anything more.
Chen Ling's mouth curled up uncontrollably, and it took a lot of effort to hold back his laughter. He pretended to be serious and patted the man's shoulder to comfort him: "There are many graves like this abroad. The green grass on top symbolizes flourishing life and the upcoming new life. Don't get the wrong idea."
"I didn't." Jiang Yu's voice was cold, but his eyes were like substance, sweeping across the young man's face, "I think you are thinking the wrong thing."
"I didn't, absolutely not." Chen Ling raised his hand and swore.
Wu Weiwei kept his mouth shut and also raised his hand to make a promise.
Jiang Yu snorted coldly, but the stern expression on his face did not diminish.
Chen Ling had a headache because of this incident. He originally wanted to come up and thank his ancestors, but ended up offending them.
He glared at Wu Weiwei fiercely and bared his teeth at him.
Wu Weiwei knew he was wrong, he was just joking, but he didn't know Jiang Ge would take it seriously. He walked up to Jiang Yu and apologized under the invisible pressure, "Jiang Ge, I'm not a good person, please don't take it seriously."
"No." Jiang Yu's emotions and tone were very calm, and nothing unusual could be heard.
Wu Weiwei became more and more anxious and tried to save the situation, "How about I go down the mountain now to get some more paper money and help you burn it with Brother Chen?"
"I only want him." Jiang Yu rubbed his brows, "I don't like such jokes. This is just one time, and it won't happen again."
"Yes, yes, I promise there won't be a next time." Wu Weiwei said hurriedly, feeling weird in his heart.
What do you mean I only want him
If the eight characters are not compatible, can't we burn paper and incense for Brother Jiang? But isn't this just a show for the ghost messenger
Wu Weiwei felt that his brain was not enough and scratched the back of his head.
I squatted quietly aside for a while, but the doubts in my heart did not disappear, but grew bigger.
Swallowing his saliva, he approached Jiang Yu cautiously, "Brother Jiang, do you... have a partner?" Otherwise, why would he mind a joke so much.
"Why do you ask that?" Jiang Yu glanced at him, "Do I look like him?"
Wu Weiwei shook his head honestly, "Not like that." Seeing that the other party didn't let go of his coldness, he continued, "People who have a partner will often hold their phones and chat with their partner. If the partner is around, they will definitely go over to show off their love. None of these things have anything to do with you."
It was rare for Jiang Yu to say a few more words to him, "Because it's not the right time yet."
After a brief pause, he narrowed his eyes slightly, his sight passed through the sunlight and breeze, and stopped at Chen Ling's face, "But, sooner or later it will happen."
Wu Weiwei noticed that Jiang Yu's eyes had changed, and combined with what he had just said, his heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Brother Jiang really had someone in his heart
He blurted out: "Who is it? Do we know each other?"
Jiang Yu has a cold and slow personality, and he doesn't seem like the type of person who would fall in love at first sight, unless he had met that person long before Lai Yuheshan became a manager.
Jiang Yu did not deny or refute. He lowered his eyes and his gaze slid from the young man's profile to the tombstone.
This meant that he didn't want to answer anymore. Wu Weiwei was so anxious that he scratched his head in his heart.
I shouldn’t have asked if I had known. Now my curiosity is piqued and it’s so uncomfortable!
Realizing that he was being watched by two people not far away, Chen Ling felt a little nervous for some reason and straightened his back subconsciously.
He calmed himself down, wiped the dust off the tombstone for his ancestor, then took the roast chicken and the plate he brought from the bag, put them on the ground, and placed them in the center line right in front of the tombstone.
Chen Ling took a breath, took out three incense sticks and lit them.
He put his thumbs together and overlapped the other four fingers. He held the incense between his thumb and index finger and placed it vertically between his eyebrows.
Just as she was about to bow her head, she heard the man’s harsh reminder, “Keep your head down and calm down.”
Chen Ling lowered his eyes and glanced at him secretly. No wonder he followed him. It turned out that he came here specifically to correct his incense-burning posture.
While he was complaining in his heart, his body unconsciously changed according to Jiang Yu's reminder.
He pursed his lips, closed his eyes, and bowed three times to the tombstone. Not hearing the man's picky voice, Chen Ling then stuck the incense into the soil.
The sandalwood smoke lingered and spread out like wisps of silk. Except for Chen Ling, Wu Weiwei did not notice that the smoke did not disappear into the air, but instead lingered around Jiang Yu.
When the incense was about to burn out, Chen Ling pulled the incense handle out of the soil and held it in his hand.
While Wu Weiwei turned around to clean up the roast chicken, he quickly asked Jiang Yu in a low voice: "Let me buy you a small incense burner. It's not good to stick it directly into the soil." Not only will it affect the environment, it is also not up to the standard of the ancestors.
Jiang Yu didn't react much, just hummed lightly, but Chen Ling noticed that the corners of his lips changed.
He also laughed and asked, "What should we do with the roast chicken? Can we still eat it? Master is still thinking about it."
"Yes." Jiang Yu usually doesn't have a big appetite. The food from the world of the living is dispensable to him and does not make him feel full. There is no harm in eating it, but there is no benefit either.
Those things that bring life energy to humans, after entering his stomach, are nothing more than a bit of thin spiritual energy.
Chen Ling breathed a sigh of relief. That was good, otherwise the master would get angry because he couldn't find the roast chicken.
He didn't know yet that Zhao Xunchang had already gotten angry and was sitting on a stone bench in the yard, guarding the gate with his arms folded, waiting to catch a rabbit.
After a while, Wu Weiwei put the roast chicken into the bag and brought it over.
Chen Ling glanced at the backpack hanging on his shoulder and said, "Put it out to get some fresh air."
Before Wu Weiwei could make a move, the little weasel had already pushed the zipper open with its nose and jumped out. Knowing who was the leader of the group, it excitedly pounced on Chen Ling, wanting to rub against him to express its gratitude.
The weasel moved as fast as lightning, but still could not escape the fate of premature death as it was stopped by a hand halfway.
Jiang Yu's hands were on its body, his eyes half closed, looking down at it: "Don't jump on him."
The weasel tried its best but still couldn't make a sound. It had no choice but to open its round eyes and try to fight its way out by acting cute, but the next second it was frightened by the breath released by the man and trembled with fear. Its tail curled up to protect its soft belly and trembled non-stop.
It's so pitiful.
Chen Ling couldn't bear it anymore, so he reached out and snatched the weasel away. Fearing that his ancestor would go crazy, he didn't hold the little guy in his arms, but gently put it on the ground.
He patted the weasel's butt and said, "Go play, and go home by yourself later."
Ordinary weasels may not know the way, but Wong Tai Sin does. Since Chen Ling decided to bring it back to Yuhe Mountain, he never thought of restraining it. Only when it is free can it thrive.
Wu Weiwei looked at the furry figure running away and asked, "Brother Chen, where is the immortal's nest?"
Chen Ling: "In the yard."
There are many places where weasels like to build their nests, such as in piles of firewood, caves on the banks of rivers, cemeteries with few people, piles of rocks and tree holes. Unfortunately, there is no place on Yuhe Mountain that can satisfy Huang Daxian's preferences.
Chen Ling: "Let's go to the next hill and pick up some firewood and build a temporary shelter for it."
Wu Weiwei: "Okay."
Wu Weiwei and the little weasel were both newbies, so he felt very pity and loved it. After receiving the order from his superior, he carried out it quickly. In just over half an hour, he picked up a bag full of dry firewood from the next hill and brought it back.
Chen Ling went with him to carry the firewood home. When he saw Zhao Xunchang with a dark face, he was startled and quickly put down the firewood. He brought the roast chicken without two thighs to the master and said flatteringly: "I took the legs to share with the two children. Master, you won't be angry, will you?"
How could he, an old man over fifty, argue with a child? Zhao Xunchang snorted and went into the kitchen with the roast chicken.
Chen Ling breathed a sigh of relief, turned around, picked up the firewood on the ground, and squatted on the ground with Wu Weiwei to build a nest. Jiang Yu sat on a stone table not far away and drank tea.
After eating the roast chicken, Zhao Xunchang came out and sat opposite the old ancestor. He silently poured himself a cup of tea and talked about Yuheshan’s new project.
"Mr. Jiang, I heard from Chen Ling during dinner that Hengjiang Group and the Rare Bird Breeding Base are going to cooperate to build a breeding pilot project in our Yuhe Mountain?"
"Yes." Jiang Yu put down his teacup and said seriously, "Hengjiang Group has been participating in national public welfare projects in recent years, with remarkable results. Since February last year, they have been planning to participate in the national animal protection plan."
Hengjiang Group is a large private enterprise that refuses to go public and only engages in industry. It is involved in a wide range of industries, from aerospace to small components of electronic products in daily life.
Zhao Xunchang: "I have also heard about the greening charity project that Hengjiang participated in, but this breeding pilot project in Yuhe Mountain is more or less related to Xiaolan. The money can't just be paid by the Jiang family. I have to pay for it too."
Jiang Yu's attention was all on Chen Ling. He tapped the table lightly with his fingertips and lowered his eyelids to hide his emotions: "No need, just consider it as a betrothal gift."
Zhao Xunchang: “…” So direct
Thinking of his and his apprentice's empty wallets, as well as the huge project on Yuhe Mountain, Zhao Xunchang was silent for a long time, "Does he know?"
Jiang Yu was about to speak when his brows suddenly furrowed. He stood up and walked straight towards Chen Ling.
Zhao Xunchang thought something had happened, so he stood up as well, craning his neck anxiously to look at the corner.
It’s better not to look at it, but once you look at it, you will wish you were blind.
Chen Ling was fine. He just squatted down and leaned forward. His clothes naturally moved up a little, revealing a small piece of fair skin.
Jiang Yu pulled his clothes down for him and stood behind him like a city wall without moving.
Chen Ling's ears turned red, and he freed one hand and put it behind his back to grab his clothes.
Wu Weiwei didn't understand the situation and kept urging: "Brother Chen, hand me that stick. Yes, the one on the left..."
Zhao Xunchang wiped his face, not wanting to watch any more, and went into the house with the teacup.
Less than five minutes after the new house was built, the little weasel climbed over the wall with a few dry branches in its mouth.
The nest in front of it was decorated extremely beautifully with clean branches. It opened its mouth slightly in surprise, and the branches fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
The little weasel turned its head and looked behind it. Chen Ling and Wu Weiwei were standing there bent over, looking down at it.
And the big purple-blue parrot flew over from the shelf at some point and flew around the small nest, "Welcome, welcome, warm welcome."
Zhao Xunchang stood in the house, looking at the warm and velvety scene outside. He had an idea and took out the cushion that his little apprentice had bought for him for winter use and stuffed it into the weasel's nest.
The little weasel's black eyes looked as if they had been washed by spring water, sparkling and translucent. It bowed to everyone, crawled into its beloved nest, and rolled around happily in it.
Zhao Xunchang couldn't help but smile, and suddenly put his arm around his apprentice's shoulders and said, "Our Yuhe Mountain will get better and better."
Little Blue circled around and landed back on the shelf, excited, "It's getting better and better, better and better!"
The small courtyard was bustling with activity, which aroused the curiosity of the people outside the gate, who couldn't help but look in.
Chen Ling knew that this was Li Guifang who lived not far away, so he greeted her, "Aunt Guifang."
After being caught peeking, Li Guifang simply walked into the yard. She looked around curiously at the people present and said with a smile, "Xiao Chen, I'm here to talk to your master about something."
Chen Ling shouted "Master" towards the door, and Zhao Xunchang walked out with his hands behind his back.
Li Guifang took the initiative to step forward, rubbing her hands awkwardly and said, "Mr. Zhao, I know that the cemetery being built above belongs to your family. I have a relative who is seriously ill and I'm afraid he won't live long, so I wanted to find a place to bury him."
Zhao Xunchang nodded to indicate that he was listening.
Li Guifang pursed her lips and continued, "We live so close that we can be considered neighbors. It is said that a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative..."
After hearing her talk, Zhao Xunchang asked impatiently, "You want us to get a cheaper price?"
Li Guifang stopped talking and said with a wandering look: "I do think so. It's mainly because my relative is not well off and has limited ability, so I want to find a cheap one."
Zhao Xunchang stepped aside and pointed at Chen Ling and said, "My apprentice is the boss of Yuheshan Cemetery. If you have anything to say, talk to him."
Chen Ling came over and said, "Aunt Guifang, I'm sorry. As you know, Yuhe Cemetery has not been repaired yet. I'm afraid I can't help you."
"I can help, I can help." Li Guifang lowered her voice, "You helped Zhang Xiaoxia and the Gao family bury their children, I know everything. Xiao Chen, please do your aunt a favor and sell a grave to my relative. Of course, we can't give you that much for the price."
If she really had financial difficulties, the price could be negotiated, but Chen Ling knew that this woman was not telling the truth.
There was always a reserved look on her face, especially when facing her master, her eyes were sometimes wandering and she didn't dare to look him in the eye.
Chen Ling always spoke coldly to such people: "Aunt Guifang, the children of the Gao family and Sister Zhang are special cases. I believe you have heard the crying of babies at night before..."
The young man always greeted everyone with a smile. Li Guifang thought he had a good temper, but she didn't expect him to suddenly tell a ghost story.
Actually, it’s hard to say whether it’s a true ghost story or not. Li Guifang still gets goose bumps all over her body and her heart beats with fear when she thinks of the baby’s shrill and piercing cry that day.
"If you don't want to sell it, then don't sell it. Who are you trying to scare?" She shouted at the top of her voice and turned away.
Wu Weiwei ran to the door and retracted his head after seeing the person walking away.
After closing the door and bolting it, he asked Chen Ling: "Brother Chen, why don't you do business?"
"She is deliberately hiding something from us," Chen Ling said. "Since she is not sincere, I don't want to make this money."
The cell phone Wu Weiwei placed on the stone table suddenly vibrated and made a buzzing sound.
I picked it up and saw that there was news about the "Sifang Mountain Skeleton" incident in the information sharing group.
Wu Weiwei: "Brother Chen, the boss of Sifang Greening, really hired someone to exorcise the evil spirits!"