The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 361 - 214: Become a Little Rich Woman?
This fellow is indeed good at doing business. His mind is truly efficient; most likely, when he invited the two of them to visit Qi Mansion, he had already thought through the pros and cons clearly, hadn’t he?
At that moment, the people of Qi Mansion came up to greet the immortal maiden, the Immortal. She could not afford to appear too amiable with the common folk, simply maintaining a calm expression on her face and engaging them in brief conversations. In fact, let alone her current step onto the Immortal Path, the mortal aura on her had long been cleansed away. Just considering her long association with Changtian, even if she had only learned a fraction of his bearing, it would be enough to deter mortals.
Thus, after a bout of formal greetings, she moved into a small courtyard arranged by Fatty Qi, under the respectful gaze of Qi Mansion’s inhabitants.
Honestly speaking, the entire Qi Mansion was filled with extravagant buildings, extravagantly laid out hallways, and eccentric and beautiful greenery everywhere. It was as if they were afraid others wouldn’t know of their wealth, a spitting image of a nouveau riche’s way of managing a household. But this particular courtyard was unique, with little bridges over running water, and scholarly ambiance. Even the moss between the stone slabs exuded a sense of ancientness. Standing at the entrance and gazing inside, Ning Xiaoxian couldn’t help but feel a sense of ’How deep is the courtyard behind the deep gateway.’
Fatty Qi was bustling about, tending to her every need. Seeing Ning Xiaoxian looking at the small courtyard with a smile in her eyes, he knew she was very satisfied, and couldn’t help but boast: "This was specifically requested and built by my father and I a few years ago to accommodate any Immortal guests that may decide to settle here..." He suddenly remembered his father had passed away during his three years away from home, and couldn’t help feeling sad.
Ning Xiaoxian looked at him, saying nothing. The chubby fellow had clever intentions; his ambition was not small at all. In these chaotic times, indeed, relying on the power of the Immortal could ensure peace and prosperity. His calculation was both early and firm, showing both courage and foresight.
There were two small buildings in the courtyard. Tu Jin gave her the one with better lighting, then disappeared into his own room without coming back out.
Ning Xiaoxian knew he had no interest in mortal food or drink, and did not insist. She only instructed the maid to send over tea and snacks for two. The extra portion was for Changtian, who had a slight fondness for sweets.
The homes of the rich and noble were always picky about food. The Qi Family, being a newly affluent household, certainly paid extra attention to this. To entertain guests, they didn’t rely on their in-house kitchen to make pastries but sent a maid to the most famous local fine snacks store to buy their best specialties.
In front of Ning Xiaoxian, one dish was pea cakes. It was now nearing the end of spring, just in time to catch the tail end of this seasonal delicacy. She had eaten this kind of snack in Huaxia as well; the process wasn’t difficult – just grinding peas into a paste, removing the skins, washing, boiling until soft, frying with sugar, and then setting and cutting into blocks to finish. However, the cakes from this pastry shop melted in the mouth, with a delicate and smooth texture, full of flavor.
"It’s a pity, if it were filled with red date paste, it would be even more delicious," she sighed lightly. Changtian glanced at her, saying nothing. This woman, her tastes were getting more and more discerning.
The other dish was osmanthus date paste thousand-layer cake. Thousand-layer cakes, with their myriad varieties and flavors, taste different depending on who makes them and their methods. The reason this snack left a profound impression on her was mainly that her uncle often used to buy a thousand-layer cake from the cake shop around the corner when she was in Huaxia. Making this kind of cake wasn’t difficult, but assembling the numerous layers was truly troublesome, something she didn’t have the patience for.
The last two snacks were chestnut rolls and rose cakes, and both tasted very authentic, much to her surprise. After inquiring the maid, she learned that although Wutuo City was under the control of the Demon Sect, the merchant traffic and business were thriving, giving rise to many distinctive pastry shops within the city, capable of gathering famous specialty snacks from within a thousand miles.
After eating, she entered the fifth floor of the God Demon Prison. The garden was like a scene from Reincarnation, filled with the vibrant colors of spring, with only Spring Blossoms and Autumn Fruits standing quietly to one side. Just as Ning Xiaoxian said, it had already bloomed little white flowers, and now its branches and leaves were fostering new fruits, small and green, like olives.
She walked a few steps forward, pressed her face against the tree trunk, as if it could hear her, and whispered, "Thank you."
If it weren’t for this willful little tree, she might have been lost in Reincarnation countless times.
That night, she stayed at Qi Mansion. Firstly, she was exhausted from being tormented by the Reincarnation Dilemma, and secondly, the bedding in this wealthy household was both soft and fluffy, making sleep doubly sweet. The next day when Changtian woke her, she turned over a few times, showing a reluctance to get up.
