66: Sixteenth birthday

The distribution of houses and land in the New Town was in full swing. Before things had completely settled down, more good news came from the spirit fields.

Stimulated by Lin Luo and He Baibai's success in nurturing Qi, the three boys—Li Youfu, Pu Liangmu, and Liu Yaowen—held their breath and, one after another over twenty days, actually managed to feel the sense of Qi!

Although the process was bumpy and far from as smooth as the first two, they had at least crossed that threshold. The five little rascals were finally all together, having officially entered the door of cultivation.

Li Qinghe looked at their excited and slightly proud faces, feeling a sense of comfort in his heart.

Days passed amidst this busyness and slight relief, and November 28th was fast approaching.

This day was Li Qinghe's sixteenth birthday.

In the past? Li Qingfeng was far away at the Qingxuan Sect, and Li Qinghe himself was a quiet person who would dive into the mountains to Cultivate. For his birthday, at most, his mother Zhang Shi would secretly give him two boiled eggs and mutter, "Another year older."

The scene of the whole family sitting together in a lively atmosphere, like when he was eleven, had never occurred again.

Now it was different; the whole family had settled down together in the New Town. Li Dashan saw the opportunity and brought it up at the dinner table:

"He'er is sixteen, no longer a child! This time, we must have a proper celebration for He'er's birthday!"

Zhang Shi also nodded repeatedly, her eyes turning a bit red:

"Yes, yes, let's do it! Our family's life is better now, we must do it!"

Li Qinghe was picking up food when he heard this and quickly waved his hand:

"Father, Mother, no need, no need! A bowl of noodles with the family is enough. Why make it so troublesome? I..."

Before he could finish, Li Qingfeng beside him slapped his chopsticks on the table with a "thud," looking heartbroken:

"Do it! We must do it! And we must do it grandly!"

Li Qinghe looked helplessly at his third brother:

"Third Brother, you know I don't like..."

"Oh, my dear Fourth Brother!"

Li Qingfeng suddenly stood up, strode to Li Qinghe's side, stretched out an arm to hug him tightly, and even rubbed his head against his shoulder, his voice sounding quite miserable:

"Just have some pity on your third brother! Help your third brother out this once! You have no idea... the Town Guardian Residence's accounts are almost empty! Next month is the New Year, and those young men in the Qingxuan Guards are training like hungry wolves, needing meat every meal! Medicinal cuisine, weapon maintenance, winter clothes... which one doesn't cost money? Money! Money! Money! Your third brother's hair is about to turn white from worry!"

He buried his face on Li Qinghe's shoulder, his shoulders twitching (he was faking it):

"It's perfect! Using your birthday as an excuse, we'll send out invitations far and wide and hold a Flowing Banquet for three days! Let those big families and wealthy households willingly and eagerly send us money! It's perfectly justified! It'll also let the folks under our jurisdiction share the joy and know that our Town Guardian Residence cares about everyone! Public sentiment! Do you understand public sentiment? Fourth Brother, just consider it helping your third brother, alright?"

Li Qinghe was caught between laughter and tears by his third brother's fake lamentation. Looking at his brother's face which practically screamed "I need money," and seeing his parents and brothers trying to stifle their laughter, he sighed helplessly:

"Fine, fine, I'll listen to you. But it's a deal, don't make it too exaggerated."

"Got it! Leave it to me!" Li Qingfeng's mood instantly changed from "cloudy to sunny," and he thumped his chest in guarantee; his speed was comparable to flipping a page in a book.

The news that the Town Guardian was going to hold a grand sixteenth birthday celebration for his Fourth Brother, who was also an Immortal Master, with a Flowing Banquet for three days that any citizen could attend, spread as if it had wings.

The common people were overjoyed!

"Oh! A three-day Flowing Banquet! Meat at every meal until we're full! What a blessing this is!"

"Town Guardian Li is truly righteous! He doesn't forget us poor people while celebrating his brother's birthday!"

"Bring your parents, drag the kids, let's go to the banquet!"

The wealthy families were even more delighted!

"An opportunity! A heavenly opportunity!"

"We were just worrying about having no way to get close to the Town Guardian and his mysterious Fourth Brother!"

"Prepare gifts! Prepare generous gifts! They must be presentable and show our sincerity!"

Soon, the day arrived—November 26th.

The first two days of the Flowing Banquet were lively, but most of the attendees were from small households and ordinary citizens.

Long sheds were set up on the streets, with meat stewing in large pots and steam rising from the steamers. Cutting meat! Pouring wine! Serving dishes! The shouting and laughter blended into a cacophony.

Following Li Qingfeng's instructions, the manager didn't seek refinement but rather quantity and satiety, ensuring there was plenty of grease! The villagers ate until their mouths were oily and their hearts were satisfied.

Most of the villagers brought ordinary flour, cured meat, or homespun cloth. The butler registered them into the records, and it actually piled up quite a bit.

Finally, the main day arrived. On November 28th, the Town Guardian Residence was decorated with lanterns and streamers, and the atmosphere was completely different.

For once, Li Qinghe was held down by his eldest and second sisters-in-law to change into a brand-new indigo-blue brocade robe, which made his figure look tall and straight, his handsome face appearing even more ethereal under the lamplight.

Li Qinghe's family, including Zhang Shitou's family, Wang Tiezhu's parents, the five little rascals and their families, and the specially invited teacher Li Shouxin and his wife, were all dressed in decent new clothes and sat at the head table in the main hall of the residence.

Li Shouxin looked at the heroic and spirited Li Qinghe, his eyes a bit moist as he patted his shoulder:

"Little He, you've done well! You've truly done well!"

Following that, prominent figures began to arrive one after another.

"Town Guardian Lin of Black Mountain Town has arrived! Gift: twenty bolts of top-grade silk, fifty dan of fine rice, and five hundred taels of silver!"

"Steward Sun has arrived! Gift: two hundred-year-old mountain ginsengs, a pair of jade ruyi, and one hundred taels of gold!"

"Steward Liu has arrived! Gift: ..."

"Immortal Master Zhao of Qingshui Town has sent an envoy! Gift: one hundred jin of fine iron, ten Yao Beast pelts, and twenty Spirit Stones!"

The butler receiving gifts at the door was full of energy. Every time a generous gift was received, he would announce the name loudly, and the contents of the gift list were clearly transmitted to the inner courtyard.

Servants shuttled back and forth carrying heavy gift boxes. The three sets of in-laws—the Lin, Sun, and Liu families—were particularly generous. As a disciple, Liu Yaowen's family also bled heavily to put together a decent token of their sincerity.

Other merchants and landlords, large and small, for fear of falling behind, sent gold, silver, jewelry, rice, cloth, and rare medicinal herbs, filling the warehouse. The line of gift-bearing carriages stretched from the Town Guardian Residence's door all the way to the west end of town, drawing countless onlookers who clicked their tongues in admiration. The scene was truly one of unparalleled glory!

Li Qingfeng stood in the hall, listening to the announcements of gifts outside and watching the items being carried in like a flowing stream. His eyes were shining, and he couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth. Short on money? Short on grain? Now, everything was replenished!

The banquet began, and cups were exchanged. Li Qingfeng stood up with a radiant face, raised his glass, and said loudly:

"Everyone! Today is my younger brother Li Qinghe's sixteenth birthday. I am honored that all the elders, fellow villagers, and distinguished guests have graced us with your presence and gathered here! I, Li Qingfeng, on behalf of my brother, toast to you all! Thank you for your generous gifts, and even more so for your support of the Qingxuan New Town! This humble wine and simple food are but a small token of my appreciation; I hope everyone enjoys themselves!"

"Congratulations to Immortal Master Li! Congratulations to Lord Town Guardian!"

"Wishing the Fourth Young Master fortune, longevity, and health!"

The guests in the hall responded in unison, raising their glasses to drink together. For a time, both host and guests were happy, laughter filled the air, and the atmosphere reached its peak.

The birthday feast continued until the sun began to set, and the guests, full of food and wine, began to take their leave.

At the entrance of the Town Guardian Residence, Li Qingfeng had already made arrangements. The butler led the servants to respectfully hand a palm-sized, exquisitely carved rosewood box to every wealthy family that had sent a significant gift.

"Steward Wang, take care! This is a small return gift from my Lord Town Guardian, please accept it!" The butler said with a face full of smiles.

"Oh, this... how can I accept this?"

Steward Wang took the box, which felt slightly heavy. He curiously opened a crack, and a faint medicinal fragrance wafted out. Inside lay a longan-sized, warm-colored Medicinal Pill!

"This... this is?"

"This is a Qi-Replenishing Blood-Nourishing Pill from my Lord's private collection, a thing of the Immortals! It is most effective for nourishing Origin Qi and has miraculous effects on those with blood deficiency or chronic illnesses; it can even save a life at a critical moment!"

The butler lowered his voice and said mysteriously.

"Hiss—!"

Steward Wang gasped, his hands trembling! This was an Immortal Pill that could save a life! Its value far exceeded the gifts he had sent! He quickly clutched the box tightly and bowed repeatedly toward the Town Guardian Residence:

"Many thanks to Town Guardian Li! Many thanks to the Fourth Young Master Li! Such a generous gift! Such a generous gift! Another day, I, Wang, will certainly prepare more gifts to come and express my gratitude!"

He tucked the precious box away, his steps becoming a bit lighter.

The other wealthy families who received the Medicinal Pills reacted in exactly the same way, each filled with a mixture of surprise and joy, and moved to tears. Some even wanted to turn back on the spot to add three more carts of grain! This return gift of an Immortal Pill was too heavy! Town Guardian Li was truly too generous!

The Town Guardian Residence, which had been noisy all day, finally grew quiet. The servants took care of cleaning up the mess.

In the inner courtyard, the candles were bright, and only the six members of the Li family remained: Li Dashan, Zhang Shi, Li Qingshan, Li Qinglin, Li Qingfeng, and Li Qinghe, sitting together and drinking clear tea to aid digestion.

Li Qinghe rubbed his face, which had grown a bit stiff from smiling, and glanced at his third brother:

"Are you satisfied now? You plucked the wool from the sheep and still got a good reputation."

Li Qingfeng chuckled and picked up his teacup:

"It's a win-win, a win-win! Fourth Brother, you sacrificed a bit of peace and quiet to help the family out a lot! The accounts have finally eased up, and we can have a prosperous New Year!"

He took a sip of tea contentedly.

Li Dashan put down his teacup and cleared his throat, the smile on his face fading slightly as his gaze swept over his four sons:

"Alright, the celebration is over. It's not long until the New Year, so we need to plan. Next spring, the top priority is to open the Ancestral Hall and establish the Family Genealogy! We need to discuss the procedures for this properly."