Chu Danfeng felt that gift-giving required a "surprise" because only with a "surprise" could there be "joy". Therefore, he never mentioned the plan of giving new clothes to Hua Tingxuan, but only whispered to Huang Changtian in secret.
However, what he didn't know was that his little boy had unfathomable cultivation and extraordinary hearing. As long as he wanted to know, he could know everything by just releasing his spiritual sense.
Hua Tingxuan was very curious about his senior brother's sudden mysterious behavior, so he stayed in the side room, but his spiritual consciousness quietly moved towards the inner room.
Chu Danfeng: "Which piece of fabric do you think is beautiful?"
Huang Changtian: "Red, festive."
Chu Danfeng: "Will red be too feminine? Xuan'er is a boy after all."
Huang Changtian: "Aren't you wearing red too? Look at your big red coat. Are you becoming more and more lazy? You don't practice martial arts, but your skin and flesh are getting more and more delicate. If you don't know me, you might think you are a young lady from a boudoir..."
Chu Danfeng said lazily, "Winter is cold, not suitable for cultivation... But you are right, let's choose red, it's New Year's Day, it's auspicious. Third Brother, accompany me down the mountain tomorrow to find a tailor with good skills. The price is not a problem, the main thing is to make the child happy."
Huang Changtian: "Okay, okay, you're spoiling Xuan'er too much."
Hua Tingxuan quietly withdrew his spiritual sense. He was still young and his body could not bear too much spiritual power, so he sealed a part of his cultivation. If he extended his spiritual sense to Lixu Peak for too long, he was afraid that it would disturb his master and reveal his true identity, so he did not dare to listen more.
But that was enough to hear.
"Sixth Senior Brother, why are you grinning like an idiot?" Lin Shu'er suddenly appeared and asked in a crisp and loud voice, which scared Hua Tingxuan. He was guilty and afraid that his senior brother would know that he was eavesdropping, so he subconsciously covered the mouth of his junior sister.
Lin Shuer: “Woo woo woo!”
"… …" Hua Tingxuan let go of her little hand in disdain, pulled out a handkerchief and wiped it vigorously, "Why are you drooling so much!"
However, this inspired the seventh apprentice sister, the little babe Lin Shu'er, who had an idea and deliberately spat at him: "Puff puff puff! Lululu!"
Hua Tingxuan: “… … …”
Hua Tingxuan took two steps back cautiously, "So you have been so annoying since you were a child."
Xiao Shu'er didn't care that Sixth Senior Brother disliked her, and said proudly: "This is Fifth Senior Brother's bamboo house, it's enough that Fifth Senior Brother likes me!"
Hua Tingxuan then remembered the New Year gift that Junior Senior Brother had prepared for him. He rarely argued with the little girl and said arrogantly, "Fifth Senior Brother likes me more."
Lin Shuer was so angry that her cheeks puffed up and she yelled, "He likes me more!"
Hua Tingxuan was in a good mood, smiling without saying anything, but he thought to himself: You will know who he likes more in a few days.
Huang Changtian and Chu Danfeng went down the mountain to shop for a whole day. They visited every shop in Huayang Town and bought almost half a mustard bag of New Year's goods.
In a blink of an eye, it is the long-awaited New Year’s Eve.
People who practice Taoism do not take the "New Year" seriously, as it is far less lively than on earth. Instead, they hold "Dharma lectures", similar to "annual open classes", to urge their disciples not to be shaken in their Taoism by the "so-called festival".
In fact, in addition to the masters of each peak personally teaching their disciples skills, the Shuangji Sect also regularly organizes some courses similar to open classes, which are taught by the peak masters and elders in turn. They cover everything from the sect's most mainstream sword-cultivation methods to alchemy and weapon refining, spiritual herb identification, talisman engraving, and even Qimen Dunjia. Both inner and outer disciples can attend.
However, Hua Tingxuan is still young and not old enough to attend large classes, and Chu Danfeng only wants to be an idle fish in this life - there is no reason for him to go to class after retirement - so it has been more than half a year since his rebirth, and he has not attended a single class.
But today's "lecture session" will be presided over by the head Lin Cangfeng himself, and all members are required to attend. It will be held in the lecture hall of Qianlian Peak. The lecture hall on the main peak is very mysterious. It is a mustard seed space that can be large or small. It is said that it can accommodate up to 100,000 cultivators.
Chu Danfeng chose the last row and sat behind a tall outer disciple. After making sure that he was well protected, he began to slack off. He soon fell asleep and was finally woken up by his junior fellow apprentice.
"Junior brother, it's over, let's go." Little Tuanzi took out a handkerchief and was about to wipe Chu Danfeng's mouth.
… I was actually drooling in my sleep! What the head master said was too hypnotic!
Chu Danfeng was a little embarrassed, took the handkerchief and said: "... I'll do it myself."
I don’t know since when, raising a little junior brother no longer felt like raising a son. Chu Danfeng sometimes felt that he was more like raising a hardworking and patient child bride.
No, this is absolutely not okay. He wiped his mouth vigorously while thinking: I am almost unable to take care of myself due to being taken care of. It is hard to go from luxury to frugality. If I continue like this, my sixth junior fellow apprentice will grow up and start his own family, leaving me an old widower all alone. What shall I do
It’s better to get used to doing your own things from now on.
"Junior brother, you must be thirsty after sleeping for too long. Would you like to have some red bean honey water?" The flower girl's adopted bride took out a small stewing pot from the mustard bag like a magic trick. There was a red date floating in the pot, which was still steaming and smelled sweet and fragrant.
“…” Chu Danfeng swallowed his saliva. Never mind. Let’s just enjoy it for another day. It looks delicious.
"It would be better to change the mustard bag for the child," he thought while drinking the honey water.
At that time, Chu Danfeng accidentally got a large clump of soapwood, which he exchanged for a lot of spirit stones and became rich overnight. So he upgraded all his basic equipment and gave the discarded mustard seed bag to the child to play with. Unexpectedly, the little Tuanzi used it as a "box for serving food, drink and entertainment to his senior brother".
Tsk, in this life, the child is so filial and sensible. Is this the legendary butterfly effect
After returning to Lixu Peak, Chu Danfeng and Huang Changtian gathered together again and started to prepare in a lively manner, changing peach charms, pasting window decorations, and hanging New Year pictures...
The mountain was already covered with snow, the Fire Lotus Pond was shrouded in mist, and nearby the peach forest was flourishing with bright red flowers, and the beautiful flowers and jade trees, the Xuanxiao Danque, created a fairyland-like scene.
However, the two bamboo houses just a few steps away were covered with festive window grilles and brightly colored Chinese characters for "Fu", which instantly pulled the fairyland into the mortal world and lowered its class.
Although it is secular, it is also lively and full of flavor. The two brothers Chu and Huang are not satisfied with the work on their own, so they ask the second sister Ye Bailu to come along and make dumplings together.
This amount of dumplings brought the entire sect's food, and they were wrapped from 12 am to 15 pm. Finally, the dumplings were cooked in the pot. The little boy beside Meng Cangyu happened to bring a lucky charm, and each disciple received one.
This was a talisman for the powerful Nascent Soul that he had carved himself. It was hard to come by no matter how many spirit stones there were. Although the master prided himself on being an elder and never celebrated earthly festivals, he never forgot to give his disciples some good luck.
Chu Danfeng accepted it with a smile, and handed over the invitation, asking the boy to take it back to the master and ask if he would be so kind as to have a New Year's Eve dinner with him.
As soon as the boy left, Huang Changtian grabbed Chu Danfeng and whispered in his ear: "Xiaowu, are you itching for trouble? You dare to ask the master for help? The old man is so proud of his status that he never celebrates the Spring Festival!"
Chu Danfeng patted his third senior brother's round belly and said, "Don't worry, we won't be scolded if we invite him. Think about it, how can our little action escape his eyes? It's better to take the initiative."
Huang Changtian suddenly realized and gave Chu Danfeng a thumbs up: "You are still the cunning one!"
Chu Danfeng smiled slightly: "Thank you!"
Ye Bailu: “…” He always felt that his well-behaved and introverted junior brother was bullied by that guy surnamed Huang.
Then they went to invite the eldest brother Zhou Yuanshan and the fourth brother Fang Qingya respectively.
Fang Qingya still failed to successfully pull out the magic sword from Wanjian Peak. Ever since Chu Danfeng shattered the mountain protection formation with a folding fan and became famous, Fourth Senior Brother disliked him even more. He usually refused to even say a word to him. He didn't know if he could get his favor this time.
Regardless of whether he could get the invitation or not, Chu Danfeng quietly pulled Ye Bailu over before everyone arrived and mysteriously handed her a phoenix hairpin inlaid with gold and jade, "Senior Sister, Happy New Year!"
The hairpin was exquisitely crafted and made of top-grade materials. It also carried some pure spiritual energy and was obviously worth a fortune.
Apart from the two dumplings, this gift only went to the senior sister. It was not that Chu Danfeng was stingy and did not want to give gifts to other senior brothers - for example, the awkward Fang Qingya, if he dared to give one, the other would not want it, and might even respond with a set of sarcastic remarks.
"Why give such an expensive thing?" Ye Bailu complained, but her tone was firm. Chu Danfeng was the child she brought up. As long as he was filial, she would be happy even if he gave her a piece of grass. However, this was too expensive.
Chu Danfeng chuckled and said, "Senior sister is so beautiful, it will look great on you."
"Smooth talker! You must have learned it from the third brother. I have corrupted a good child. I will not forgive Huang Changtian!" Ye Bailu glared at Chu Danfeng, but still snatched the hairpin. While reminding him not to waste money like this in the future, she put it away with a smile.
I never expected that Fang Qingya would actually "condescend to come". Senior brother Zhou Yuanshan also rushed back from Qianlian Peak. With so many people, the bamboo house seemed crowded and lively.
This was the first time that the fellow disciples from Lixu Peak had gathered together like this since Chu Danfeng was reborn.
As expected, the master did not attend the banquet, but he did not scold them. Instead, he rewarded them with a pot of sweet wine. At this time, dusk was falling outside the window, the lights were on in the house, and the aroma of food was everywhere. In addition to the hot dumplings, there were also barbecued meat, sweet wine, peanuts, melon seeds, hazelnut kernels, candied fruits, and sugared winter melon, which made people's mouths water.
Zhou Yuanshan was a man of integrity. He sat upright even at a family dinner like this. He was very serious at first, but after drinking several glasses of sweet wine, he would occasionally laugh out loud when listening to his fellow students making jokes. However, he lacked a sense of humor. It would take him a long time to react to a joke, which ended up making everyone else hold back their laughter. No one dared to laugh at the eldest brother openly.
Fang Qingya was still awkward and refused to make eye contact with Chu Danfeng throughout the meal, as if his fifth junior brother was some kind of monster.
However, the two little kids were the most relaxed. Little Shuer jumped up and down during the meal. Sometimes she tried to eat the dipping sauce and screamed because it was spicy. Sometimes she asked for wine and was hit on the head by her senior sister.
Xiao Tingxuan, who has always been well-behaved and too sensible, finally showed his "childish nature". When Lin Shu'er begged Chu Danfeng to feed her, he immediately threw himself into his senior brother's arms, swallowed the dumplings on his chopsticks in one gulp, and once again successfully made his junior sister cry.
Chu Danfeng had a "plot filter" and saw the sweetness of childhood sweethearts in this "competition for favor" full of eroticism. He took out the gift he had prepared long ago with an auntie smile and tapped the little girl on the head in his arms, "Xuan'er, don't bully your junior sister. Senior brother has something good for you."
Hua Tingxuan felt his heart skip a beat. Was the long-awaited moment finally coming? He looked at the snotty-nosed junior sister with disdain and nodded sweetly and reservedly: "Yeah."
Chu Danfeng took out a stack of crimson mini winter robes from the mustard bag. The red color was not ordinary, the embroidery was elegant and generous, and the stitches were fine and delicate. It was obvious that they were carefully selected.
Hua Tingxuan remembered that his senior brother had quietly started preparing a few days ago, and he felt warm in his heart: "This... is for me?"
Little Shu'er stretched her neck and interrupted in a baby voice, ruining the atmosphere: "So beautiful! Shu'er wants one too!"
Before Hua Tingxuan could even prepare a look of triumph, he heard his senior brother say with a smile, "We have both! One set for you and one for Xuan'er! They are exactly the same."