Chapter 115 Zhao Family Courtyard
"Second brother, you are older than me. I respect you as my elder brother, but if you insult the guests I brought back like this, don't blame me for not giving you face." Zhao Laosan had a sullen look on his face. He stood at the door of the main hall and stared at Zhao Laoer, not giving in at all.

"Okay, okay! What a good brother! Humph!" Zhao Laoer's face twitched and there was some anger in his eyes.

He felt a little aggrieved to be humiliated by Zhao Laosan. But thinking of Zhao Laosan's status in the family, Zhao Laoer finally snorted and left.

When she passed by Li Daoxuan, she gave him a sinister look, casually twisted her braid around her neck, and walked out the door with her hair lifted.

Seeing him walking away, Li Yanming quietly spat at his back: "Bah!"

"Master Li, please don't blame me. This is my second brother. He has this kind of temper at home." Zhao Lao San explained with a wry smile. "Although he is mean, he is actually a good person. It's just that our family has recruited many magicians recently, all of whom are here to cheat for food and drink, so my brother was so rude this time."

"Don't worry, Mr. Zhao San. I'm not the kind of person who would care about things." Seeing Zhao Lao San speaking in such a low voice, Li Daoxuan comforted him and didn't take Zhao Lao Er's words to heart.

After all, no one would bother with a dying person.

When Zhao Lao Er looked at him just now, Li Daoxuan was observing his luck. He saw that the luck on his head was red, mixed with pus and blood. This ominous sign was too strong, he had never seen it on anyone.

With such a bad omen, I'm afraid he won't have much time left, and he will probably die suddenly in the next few days. So Li Daoxuan didn't care much about Zhao Laoer's rude words.

"Master Li is truly a noble man. Please come in and sit down." When Zhao Laosan heard this, the weight in his heart was put down. He felt a lot more relaxed and warmly entertained Li Daoxuan.

Across the door, you will see a main hall, and the first thing you see is a couplet.

It reads: "The ancients spared no effort in learning, and their hard work in youth was only completed in old age."

Banner: "Diligent and studious."

In the center hung a portrait of a centenarian. On both sides of the hall were red sandalwood furniture, and next to each seat was a small incense burner.

Zhao Laosan called someone to help Li Daoxuan pack up the gifts, but Li Daoxuan politely refused.

After he handed all the packages to Li Yanming, he sat down with Zhao Laosan and talked about the Zhao family.

"I just saw the Taoist priest standing in the courtyard admiring the scenery. Is there something wrong with the feng shui of my home?" Zhao Laosan asked curiously.

"Yes and no." Li Daoxuan nodded. "I just took a quick look and the overall layout is fine, but I also found something strange in Mr. Zhao's house."

"Please tell me, Taoist Priest." Zhao Laosan asked Li Daoxuan sincerely.

At this time, the maid brought up fruits and snacks, and also brought up the brewed tea and placed it on the small table. After bowing and retreating, Zhao Laosan invited Li Daoxuan to eat something.

"Master, please don't be polite when you come to my house. Just now you said there was something strange in my house. I wonder what it is?" Zhao Laosan asked curiously.

"Master Zhao, have you ever observed the condition of the plants and trees in the courtyard?"

"Please give me some advice from the Taoist priest."

"Plants and trees represent life, and they belong to the wood element in the Five Elements. Wood is where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathers, and all things begin here. As long as there are lush plants and trees, most of them are living places. But when I entered the yard just now, I saw a different scene. The plants grew along the road, and the corners were covered with moss. There were dead grasses all around the house in places where few people go, especially in the northwest, which was the most withered. Doesn't Mr. Zhao find this situation strange?"

After Li Daoxuan finished speaking, he picked up the teacup and drank it slowly.

He looked at Zhao Laosan's expression, which seemed to understand but not quite, and sighed in his heart. In fact, this kind of situation is also common in daily life. For example, places with a lot of water and moisture will grow mold and moss, and houses that have not been lived in for many years will appear dilapidated. When you open the door and walk into such a house, you will feel cold and gloomy, because there is no one living in the house, so there is a lack of yang energy and a gathering of yin energy.

If such a house has been uninhabited for a hundred years, you have to be careful about your safety when you want to visit it.

It is best to burn three sticks of incense and bow three times at the door to appease the evil spirits in the house before entering. Even if you can avoid entering such a house, it is best not to enter. In case of an accident, it will be too late to regret it.

After listening to Li Daoxuan's words, Zhao Laosan thought for a moment and his eyes widened slightly.

He stood up and went out, but soon came back and sat on the chair.

Looking at Li Daoxuan, he said in a trembling voice: "I just took a look, and it is just as the Taoist said. Does this mean that there is..."

"Please let me see your father, Mr. Zhao, maybe I can know something." Li Daoxuan said politely to Zhao Laosan. Although he was young, his expression and temperament did not belong to a young man at all.

After hearing his words, Zhao Laosan no longer dared to treat him as a young Taoist priest. If he had some doubts before, then this ability to see the big picture from the small details convinced him.

"I'll take the Taoist priest there right away." Zhao Laosan said hurriedly, and regardless of some rules of the Zhao family, he took Li Daoxuan to the inner courtyard.

Entering the inner courtyard, there were maids walking around. When they saw a strange young man coming into the inner courtyard, they looked at him curiously. When they saw that he was a handsome young man, they covered their mouths and smiled secretly, whispering to each other.

Li Daoxuan was a little embarrassed, but he looked calm. After all, he came to treat Mr. Zhao, not to do anything else.

After passing through two doors, you will arrive at the residence where Mr. Zhao is recuperating.

When the maids guarding the door saw that it was Zhao Laosan coming, they all hurriedly saluted.

Seeing Zhao Laosan bringing a young man in hurriedly, everyone was curious about who this young man was.

It didn't take long for gossip to spread in the Zhao family compound.

In this age without entertainment, the inner courtyards of wealthy families are places where gossip is spread, and any slight movement will be known to everyone.

The news that the third young master brought a strange boy to see the master spread throughout the compound.

Some said that the master had an illegitimate child outside, and now that the master was dying, the third young master brought him back to visit him for the last time.

Some said that the young man was the illegitimate son of the third young master, and that he came back this time to trace his roots.

All in all, this rumor is getting more and more outrageous.

In a room in the inner courtyard of the Zhao family, a beautiful woman who was no more than thirty years old was sitting in front of a dressing table facing the mirror. A maid in a green gown was combing her hair and carefully picking out the lice from her hair.

The beautiful woman looked at herself in the mirror, selected a golden hairpin, put it on her head, looked around, and looked quite satisfied.

Then, the chattering of maids could be heard outside the house. The beautiful woman took off her gold hairpin, looked in the mirror and said, "Let's go out and see why the house is so lively today. Could it be that the master has woken up?"

"Yes." Upon hearing this, the maid turned and left.

After a while, the maid came back trotting, entered the room, turned around and left the door ajar, and whispered to the beautiful woman, "Madam, it seems that the master did not wake up. I heard everyone talking about it. They said that the illegitimate child left by the master outside was brought back by the third young master, so everyone is talking about whether the family should have another master."

"Illegitimate child? Ha!" The beautiful woman sneered, her face disdainful. "This kind of thing can be spread all over the courtyard. I think the housekeeper hasn't been doing a good job lately."

"Do you know why I have been married to the master for ten years and still have no children?"

"Why?" the maid asked carefully.

"It's because the master can't have children." The beautiful woman smiled, with a sigh on her face. She felt very regretful when she looked at the beautiful face in the mirror. "It's a pity that I have such a beautiful face. If I were married to an ordinary family, I could be a housewife. Why do I have to stay alone in this house like this now?"

"Madam..." The maid didn't know how to comfort her, and seemed to have remembered something and said quickly, "Madam, I heard that the young man brought back by the third young master is very handsome."

"How beautiful is it?" The beautiful woman became interested.

"Just like the person in the painting, all the sisters who have seen her say she is beautiful," said the maid.

"Oh? Really?" The beautiful woman was pleased and curious.

She looked at the headdress on the dressing table, selected a jade hairpin and put it in her hair, then stood up.

"Speaking of which, I haven't visited the master for a long time. It's time to go and see him."

After saying that, he stood up and walked out of the house.

(End of this chapter)