frightfiction Chapter 984 Finally, a decent temple was built.
Chapter 984 Finally, a decent temple was built.
Chapter 984: Finally, a decent temple!
The body-strengthening technique that Shui Wuhen originally devised in this mortal kingdom was a combination of medicinal baths and physical exercise.
However, those medicinal herbs were not cheap, just like education, and not something that poor families could afford.
The Zhao family only owns about twenty acres of land, not even qualifying as a small landlord. Since Qinghe has already spent money on her studies, there's no way they could have any extra money to support her physical training.
Therefore, Zhao Qinghe is now only slightly stronger than someone who is completely powerless.
With her physical strength, it would be impossible for her to go deep into the mountains.
In order to distribute rewards to Xiao Han, the system had to move a wild ginseng that was over ten years old from the deep mountains to the outside world.
Then, following the system's instructions, Zhao Qinghe dug up a wild ginseng in an inconspicuous spot on the mountain.
Zhao Qinghe was overjoyed; with this wild ginseng, she would have enough money for her exam expenses.
Just as Xiao Han was engrossed in impersonating the system and indulging in the fantasy of being someone else's cheat code, Zhao Qingshan, the village chief of Xialing Village, had already organized everyone to begin rebuilding her temple and recasting her statue.
Of course, a golden statue is impossible. They simply hired a skilled clay sculptor to make the statues of the Earth God and Earth Goddess more exquisite.
Then they painted it with color, which was much better than before.
This temple, though not as grand and imposing as the City God Temple next door, is at least a normal room of about twenty square meters.
Ba Dou asked Xiao Han with great curiosity, "Master, why is there a God of Earth, a God of Earth and a Goddess of Earth? Isn't there only one person?"
Xiao Han laughed and said, "The mortal world is sexist, and even the gods are arranged to have more men than women. The job of the Earth God is actually the job of the Earth God. Arranging an Earth Goddess is probably to let the Earth God work with peace of mind, haha."
Although Ba Dou was very clever, a bird doesn't understand the concept of valuing sons over daughters.
He then asked, "So, Master, are you the Earth God?"
Xiao Han laughed again and said, "I am both the Earth God and the Earth Goddess."
More than half a month later, the new land temple was completed.
Xialing Village arranged a grand ceremony to invite the gods, and many villagers from the surrounding villages came to watch the excitement and also to offer their worship.
That heavy rain nourished the land within a hundred miles.
Since the villagers of Xialing Village spread the news that the Earth God shone with golden light and that their prayers for rain had been successful, many people have actually been skeptical.
However, the villagers of Xialing Village were making a big show of building a land temple and arranging a ceremony to invite the gods, and everyone still wanted to come and see the excitement.
Since we're already here, we should at least light some incense and ask the local earth god for blessings.
For a time, her small temple was filled with incense smoke, and everyone was praying and worshipping, creating a lively atmosphere.
Xiao Han can no longer grant every request. Of course, even before, there were some things that this "goddess" couldn't do.
For example, she really can't fulfill the request of someone who specifically asks to have a son.
If someone comes seeking a child because they are childless, and it's a woman's issue, she can use her spiritual energy to help them resolve it. But if they specifically want a son, she can't help them.
After all, she is the Earth Goddess, not the Goddess of Fertility, so she doesn't really have that kind of divine power.
Fortunately, this spectacle only lasted for one day, and the nearby villagers couldn't come to pray every day, so she finally had some peace and quiet.
So Xiao Han's system issued a second task to Zhao Qinghe.
System: "Hello host, this is the 118 system at your service. We are now issuing the second task. Please begin body tempering as soon as possible."
Zhao Qinghe discovered a wild ginseng that was over ten years old in the back mountain. Zhao's father took it to the county town and sold it for fifty taels of silver. Now, the Zhao family treats Zhao Qinghe very well.
With this money, at least Zhao Qinghe won't have to borrow money to take the imperial examination.
But this peaceful life hadn't lasted long before she had to spend money on physical training again. Zhao Qinghe wondered if her family would object if she asked for help.
The system had already issued the task, and the clever Zhao Qinghe sensed that as long as he completed the task, the reward would be very generous.
Therefore, she was determined to complete it.
As expected, when Zhao Qinghe proposed buying medicinal herbs to strengthen her body, she was met with unanimous opposition from her parents.
Sister-in-law Zhao also wanted to say a few words to her sister-in-law, telling her not to take all the good things for herself and to let the other family members have a share.
The thought that his sister-in-law had dug up wild ginseng and sold it for fifty taels of silver, and that if she passed the imperial examination next year, their family would be able to change their fortunes.
In the end, Sister-in-law Zhao chose to remain silent.
Zhao's mother gently advised, "If you really want to improve your physical fitness, you can consider it after the imperial examinations next year."
Zhao's mother's meaning was clear: if he passed the exam and became a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations), everything would be easy for him.
If I don't pass the exam, I'll get married immediately, so why would I want to train my body?
Zhao Qinghe had already come up with a reason.
"I went to the prefectural city to take the exam for the second time. If I hadn't fallen ill and fainted in the examination hall, I would have passed the exam and become a Juren. Now I only have one last chance to take the exam. What if I fall ill again?"
If you start exercising now, you'll have over a year to build up your strength and prevent this from happening again.
Besides, at most ten taels of silver worth of medicinal herbs are needed for the initial medicinal bath and body-strengthening treatment, which should be enough to pass next year's exam.
Under Zhao Qinghe's insistence, and even a bit of forceful demands, the Zhao family had no choice but to take out ten taels of silver to buy her medicinal herbs for body strengthening.
As for body-strengthening techniques, they've been around for over a hundred years and are readily available in bookstores all over the place.
Physical training actually requires enduring hardship. Zhao Qinghe had never trained before, not because she was afraid of hardship, but because her family's financial situation did not allow her to study and train at the same time.
The reason she was able to study for so many years was due to her early display of academic talent.
Three months after Zhao Qinghe officially began her body training, Xiao Han's system once again gave her a reward.
"Congratulations, host, you have completed the second task. You are rewarded with a magic pill, which will be delivered to you by the divine bird."
Zhao Qinghe was overjoyed; it was an elixir!
Then, following the system's instructions, she hid in the backyard when no one was around to receive the elixir delivered by the divine bird.
Just as Zhao Qinghe was looking around, imagining the noble phoenix and crane, a dark black myna bird flew over, clutching a jade bottle with shimmering light at its feet.
"Zhao Qinghe, your elixir has arrived."
Zhao Qinghe was startled to suddenly hear a seemingly ordinary myna bird talking.
"You, you are the divine bird?"
Ba Dou proudly raised its head, "I am a genuine divine bird."
It's a bird that came down from the realm of gods; what else could it be but a divine bird?
Ba Dou opened the jade bottle he was holding in his paws and said to Zhao Qinghe, "Quickly, catch it."
Although the image of the divine bird disillusioned her, Zhao Qinghe still quickly reached out and held it in her hands.
Then, a white, translucent object, about the size of a grain of rice, emitting a faint rice fragrance, was poured out of the jade bottle.
Is this an elixir? It's way too small, and it's so different from the elixir she imagined.