Chapter 242: Prosperity of Descendants
Cheng Ming came to the altar and checked it again and again. After confirming that it was correct, he asked Ergou curiously.
"Why does this wood give off such a strange scent?"
"Because this altar was made of the wood of a special magical tree." Ergouzi explained.
"A fairy tree?"
"It is the sacred tree of the village. We used to go there to worship it during every solar term. It has been worshipped by our village for many years."
Is osmanthus a magical tree?
This was the first time Cheng Ming had seen such a legend.
Is it because it has such a unique fragrance that it is worshipped by the villagers?
But Ergou talked about this matter immediately.
"In fact, at the beginning, the fairy tree did not have that kind of fragrance. It was no different from ordinary osmanthus wood."
Cheng Ming:?
So how is it
"Then, about two years ago, I don't know what happened, the fairy tree gradually gave off this fragrance, and not long after, it withered and died."
"Ah this."
Cheng Ming hadn't expected that things would develop in this way on purpose. It was really unexpected.
Why does it start out smelling good and then wither?
This question is probably difficult to answer.
"Later, the village witch, my third aunt, said that the wood of the fairy tree could ward off evil spirits and bring blessings to future generations, so she asked every household to use it to make furniture such as altars and offering tables."
It turns out that this is the origin of these wonderfully fragrant furniture.
Cheng Ming took a closer look at the altar and saw that it did not use a single nail. It was made entirely of mortise and tenon joints and had not been painted at all, presumably to preserve the purity of the divinity.
This is just perfect for Cheng Ming.
If it is smeared with paint or something, he will have to deal with it when he takes it back, which is a lot of waste.
However, whether this can be achieved remains unknown.
Cheng Ming laughed and said, "Brother Ergou, I don't know your altar."
Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Ergou's exclamation: "Fuck, Boss Cheng, you are not trying to buy my altar, are you? I don't sell this thing."
"This is a tool for worshipping and offering sacrifices to ancestors. How can this be allowed?"
"One hundred thousand." Cheng Ming's words interrupted Ergou, and he looked at Ergou sincerely.
"How about I pay you 100,000 yuan for this altar?"
Ergou was stunned.
Slightly excited, he said, "In principle, I can't sell it, but then again, my altar has only been used for the past two years, and it's really a bit old. I want to replace it for my ancestors, which is also a way to show my filial piety."
The two of them smiled knowingly.
But at this time Ergou was very shocked.
He originally thought that Cheng Ming was just a small timber boss, and never expected that he would spend 100,000 at once!
Just looking to buy a small table.
This was beyond Ergou's understanding.
So, is this how timber merchants make money?
At the same time, he felt a little regretful. Did he agree too early? The boss offered the price so readily. If he raised the price a little more, maybe it would be possible?
But no matter how much he thought about it, Ergou would never do that.
Although he is not well educated, he would not do such a stupid thing as going back on his word.
However, every household in the village has altar furniture made of osmanthus wood, and it is a special medicine!
If you want to come across the same medicinal materials again in the future, it will probably be difficult to have the chance!
It was not easy for Cheng Ming to travel hundreds of kilometers, so naturally he wanted to take all the medicinal herbs away.
After thinking about it for a while, Cheng Ming mentioned this idea.
But Ergou said that this might be a bit difficult.
"Boss Cheng, this may not be easy." Ergou said.
"Why?" "I am willing to sell it to you because I am young and I don't have those superstitious ideas. I am not that rigid."
Cheng Ming nodded as he listened.
Ergou is indeed not rigid. He immediately agreed when the price was mentioned as 100,000 yuan.
"But the other families in the village are all old men and women in their fifties or sixties. Many of them are very stubborn. They believe that the fairy tree can bless their descendants and bring prosperity to the family. I'm afraid..."
"They won't sell it for 100,000 yuan?" Cheng Ming was a little skeptical.
"It's not a matter of money." Ergou said, "Although our village is remote, many young people have bought houses in big cities. They are not short of money. For example, if I hadn't been lying flat at home with little money, I probably wouldn't have been willing to do that."
One hundred thousand is not enough?
By then, paying 200,000 or 500,000 won’t be a problem.
Cheng Ming just doesn't believe it. If 100,000 can't impress them, then how about 1 million?
Qian Chengming has plenty of it anyway.
"Brother Ergou, can you take me to talk to the villagers? Don't worry, I am willing to give you certain benefits after the matter is accomplished." Cheng Ming said.
When Ergou heard about the “benefits”, his eyes lit up.
Although he felt that the possibility of the deal was slim, it would be good to give it a try. What if it succeeded?
"Okay! Then let's go to my third uncle's house first? You just helped my third uncle. If you go there and talk to him now, maybe he will sell it to you directly." Ergou said.
In fact, he didn't think so.
After all, he knew his third uncle's personality very well. He was a very paranoid person.
And they care a lot about tradition.
The possibility is really small.
But the problem is that Uncle San is quite prestigious among the older generation in the village, and many old people are willing to listen to him.
And there is another very important point, that is, Ergou’s third aunt is the village fortune-teller.
What is a fortune-teller?
Matters concerning ancestor worship were basically presided over by his third aunt. Whenever any household encountered any problems, they would ask his third aunt to help them calculate the fortune.
It was his third aunt who told him that the magical tree could ensure the prosperity of his descendants.
If his third aunt said it could be sold, then things would be much easier!
"Row."
As Cheng Ming agreed, the two stood up and walked towards the next door.
When they arrived at Ergou's third uncle's house, his uncle just came back riding a tricycle. The tricycle and the firewood on it were wet and dirty. It was obvious that he had just asked someone to pull the tricycle out of the field.
"Third uncle!" Ergou greeted his third uncle with a smile.
Uncle San glanced at him, then looked at Cheng Ming who was following behind, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
But soon, he turned to the tea table next to him and poured a cup of tea for Cheng Ming and Ergou.
Ergou was also very impolite and took Cheng Ming to sit down in front of the coffee table.
"Ergou is here?"
A hoarse voice came from the room, and an old woman with pure white hair came out.
When Cheng Ming saw this woman, he felt a little uncomfortable at first, because she didn't look that old, but her hair was all white, without a single black strand.
"Third Aunt!"
Ergou greeted her and introduced Cheng Ming to her.
"This is Mr. Cheng, who is in the timber business. Just now, when Uncle San fell on the side of the road, it was Mr. Cheng who lifted up his tricycle and saved Uncle San."
In order to show Cheng Ming's righteous act, Ergou deliberately exaggerated the situation a little bit.
In fact, even if his third uncle's condition was suppressed for a while, it would not be a big deal. Two or three strong men in the village could probably pull him up.
Saying this would make it seem like Cheng Ming's help to his third uncle was very important.
It would also be more conducive to what they were going to talk about next.
(End of this chapter)
