Chapter 25: Big Brother's Concern

People often say that even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. Even the most ferocious beasts know that they can't eat their own children. But if it reaches a certain point, they will even eat their own children.

Although Li Daoxuan did not understand the internal affairs of the Wang family, he also knew that there might be a deep hidden story. After communicating with Uncle Jiu, he left the illusion.

The sky was already turning white, and the winter morning light always carried a chill. Frost was hitting the ground, and the vast mist covered everything in the village. I could only hear the crackling sound of firecrackers, the crowing of chickens and the barking of dogs in this quiet countryside.

There was a movement in the house, and the maid who had been waiting came in to serve. This maid was assigned by Madam Li, and she was a very young girl. The skin on her face was much whiter than those women in the streets and villages, and there were no sores on her hands due to frostbite. She was not very pretty, at least not a beauty in Li Daoxuan's eyes, but she was more beautiful than most women of this era.

After all, as a maid in the Li family, you can still eat meat for two out of three meals. With sufficient nutrition, you will naturally look good. Those women who work all year round have dark yellow complexions. How can they look good after being exposed to the wind and sun all year round?
The maid wanted to help Li Daoxuan put on his clothes, and he hesitated for a while before he refused. He let the other party do it, and he looked outside and asked softly, "Your name is Huancui, right?"

"Yes, young master. My name is Huan Cui." The maid smiled and helped him button up his clothes and looked around. When she saw that there was nothing wrong, she nodded and tied up his hair and continued. "Young master, your hair is really enviable. I don't know how you keep it."

After hearing this, Li Daoxuan subconsciously touched his long hair. The hair quality was indeed very good. Perhaps it was because he had made some achievements in Qi cultivation, which achieved the effect of internal nourishment and external nourishment, so his hair became black and smooth.

"It's natural." Li Daoxuan smiled, and then asked again, feeling that his clothes were thicker. "How long have you been in the Li family?"

After hearing this, the maid Huancui slowed down her movements. She thought about it and said, "About six years."

"Year old?"

"Seventeen is almost eighteen."

"So you entered the Li family when you were eleven?"

"Yes, I came here when I was eleven years old. At that time, there was a famine in the village and many people died. My parents took me to Jinling to beg, but it was not easy to beg. When my youngest brother was about to starve to death, my parents found me and said they wanted to give him a way out, that is, they wanted to sell me for some money. Fortunately, the lady passed by at that time and took pity on me so she bought me. That's how I was able to survive."

Huancui said it easily, and it was hard to tell the emotion in her words. Perhaps because six years had passed, she had let it go, and there was no trace of resentment on her face.

Seeing Huancui's expression, Li Daoxuan asked for some reason, "Don't you hate your parents?"

"Hate? How could I hate? My parents gave birth to me, so it's my duty to do all this." Huan Cui sighed softly, and after fixing his hair, she took the clothes she took off yesterday and went out.

Li Daoxuan was left sitting quietly in the room, thinking back to what Huancui had just said. What she said was indeed very reasonable. How dare children hate their own parents in this era? He inexplicably thought of the eldest young master of the Wang family. Uncle Jiu said that this technique of replacing the original body with a peach is not so easy to perform. If the original person resists, it will be difficult to seize it even if the caster has a high level of Taoism. And it requires three harmonies, that is, the right time, the right place, and the right people. Only in this way can it succeed, but there is also the risk of possession and replacement. If the eldest young master Wang is easily seized by someone, will he also give up on Master Wang? Thinking of the eldest young master who was as gentle as a spring breeze when entertaining guests, Li Daoxuan found it hard to imagine that he was a tragic lover like a patient with depression.

"Forget it, let's not think about the Wang family's affairs." Li Daoxuan shook his head and threw away what happened yesterday. What happened to the Wang family was not important to him, and he had no connection with the Wang family. It was just that the vicious look of Young Master Wang that day really scared him a little, so much so that he couldn't forget it even after a day.

Huancui brought hot water for washing, and Li Daoxuan took the toothbrush and started brushing his teeth. The toothbrush was first invented in China. It was a noble item in the Tang Dynasty and was relatively expensive. It was made of wood, bone and pig bristles, and earlier ones were made of bronze. Since the Song Dynasty, the production process and materials have been improved. It is not as expensive as in the Tang Dynasty, and more and more people use it. But even in the Qing Dynasty, not every ordinary family can afford it. But because it is convenient and comfortable, and the brush is considered clean, so rich families always have some for use.

After everything was ready, he started practicing boxing and kicking in the courtyard. There are many Taoist exercises for health preservation, such as Eight-Section Brocade and Five Animals Exercises. Li Daoxuan learned martial arts from his uncle Jiu, who had been traveling around the world for many years and had his own understanding of boxing and kicking, so there was a bit of internal boxing and kicking.

After a set of sweaty, it was time for breakfast. The Li family members got up at different times. Mr. Li and Mrs. Li were not people who attached much importance to etiquette. On the contrary, they were the first to come into contact with foreigners because of the influx of foreigners into the country. Therefore, their thinking was more open than that of ordinary wealthy families. For example, Li Daoxuan's sister Li Changying had never bound her feet since she was a child.

Seeing his elder brother at the table, Li Daoxuan greeted him politely and sat next to him to eat breakfast.

"You weren't scared by what happened yesterday, were you?" the eldest brother asked with a smile.

"No." Li Daoxuan shook his head and replied.

"You have been away from home for many years. How do you feel about living in that temple?" The eldest brother spoke again. He seemed to want to get closer to his younger brother who had been away for many years, and he tried to find words to say.

Li Daoxuan answered honestly and told his elder brother about his feelings in the Taoist temple: "It's OK. Master and the brothers are all very caring towards me. I recite scriptures and do exercises on weekdays. When there is something to do, I help the brothers with their work. When there is nothing to do, I find a quiet place to sit and meditate. The food in this temple is ordinary, but it is quiet."

"That's true, that's good." The eldest brother muttered to himself, with a bit of yearning in his eyes. He seemed to envy Li Daoxuan's life in the Taoist temple, just like a bird that has been caged for a long time, longing for the freedom of the sky.

"Okay?" Li Daoxuan curled his lips. Life in the temple was plain and boring. If you didn't have great concentration, ordinary people wouldn't be able to stand staying there for a year or two. I don't know why my elder brother envied the life in the Taoist temple. Could it be that he was tired of eating, drinking and having fun in Jinling and wanted to live in a different environment?
Suddenly thinking of something, Li Daoxuan raised his eyelids and looked at his elder brother. An idea came to his mind.

"Could it be that elder brother doesn't like the arranged marriage, or that elder brother has a lover whom he can't get?" Li Daoxuan thought about it carefully and felt that there was some truth in it, so he looked around and found nothing, so he leaned close to his elder brother's ear and whispered.

"Brother, do you have someone else in your heart?"

The eldest brother's face changed, and he opened his mouth and stared at Li Daoxuan. He also looked around like him, then lowered his head and whispered: "Little brother, you, how did you know?"

(End of this chapter)