owlsbooks 020 Tiger Uncle
020 Tiger Uncle
Just as Li Yu was about to offer a few words of excuse, saying "Times change and circumstances differ, and principles vary greatly, so there is no need to drink dew," he saw the attributes of [mysterious dew].
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『Xuanlu』
[Rank] Yellow.
[属性]每次饮用，力量+2、体质+2、敏捷+2、精神+2。单属性≥40点，饮此无用。
[Description] Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!
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Under the eager gaze of the Thirteen Ants, Li Yu lifted the lotus petal and drank the Mysterious Dew in one gulp.
"Good!" [Thirteen Ants] smiled.
It is excellent that Your Excellency is able to accept advice.
"[System]: Congratulations to the player for consuming [Mystic Dew]. Strength +2, Constitution +2, Agility +2, Spirit +2."
Hey!
For a moment, Li Yu didn't even bother to savor the taste of the [Mysterious Dew] in his mouth, and instead looked down at the [Thirteen Ants].
My eyes are filled with little stars!
He wants more!
[Thirteen Ants] said, "I [Xuanju] have a thousand ant soldiers, and you can have a drink every month, my lord."
Li Yu was somewhat disappointed.
每个月才能喝一次，就他现在的属性——「力量16+2（饮露后）、体质21+2、敏捷15+2、精神23+2」，须十二饮，才能将所有属性提到40的上限。
The twelve-day drinking period is equivalent to a year, which is quite long.
However, Li Yu thought for a moment and wondered if the [Xuanju] clan would grow and its population would increase, thus increasing the production of [Xuanlu].
He asked [Thirteen Ants] and received an affirmative answer.
Next, the [Black Steed] clan got busy. They found a suitable home under a small banyan tree ten feet away from the pond.
[Xuanju] is terrestrial, and the black ants began to build their nest underground. Before long, a pile of soil appeared at the aerial roots of a banyan tree.
Li Yu watched ants move house for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
I must say, it's quite interesting, much more fun than the "Qi Jian" in his hand.
[Xuan Shisan Ant] leaped onto the bamboo slip.
She did not participate in nest building, but instead led a few soldier ants to patrol the area around the territory.
The ants were very satisfied with the result—the soil was fertile, the water source was abundant, and there were no natural enemies; it was truly a blessed place.
[Thirteen Ants] has no wings and cannot fly. However, her jumping ability is astonishing; with a light leap, she can cover a distance of several feet.
It was about ten feet long, which was a hundred times her height!
Seeing her movements, Li Yu couldn't help but wonder to himself—was that an ant or a flea?
"Thirteen Ants, all the other [Black Steeds] have fat worms, why don't you have one?"
Among the characteristics of the thirteen ants, there is also the ability to serve insects, but she has never been seen swatting insects, which is why Li Yu asked this question.
As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt awkward. Calling him "Thirteen Ants" sounded like calling him "Thirteenth Aunt," which was very incongruous.
"That's [right, right], not 'fat worm'," Thirteen Ants corrected Li Yu first, before explaining.
Li Yu realized one thing—[DuiDui] was not just about "eating, sleeping, and playing DuiDui" for [Xuanju].
Yes, yes, it has become an indispensable part of the [Black Steed] clan.
For example, the Spirit Ants have no concept of weights and measures, and when the Black Steeds communicate with other creatures, they always use "pairs" to measure time.
An hour, a day, a month, and a year are all replaced with "a pair". Just like the previous "a pair of years", Li Yu didn't quite understand whether it meant year, month, day, or hour.
Space, distance, and even quantifiers are all "yes, yes, yes".
When asked about the amount of food, the distance of the journey, or the size of the land, they would reply with "three pairs of rice," "one pair of roads," and "yes, yes, yes, yes, yes..."
Li Yu asked why the Thirteen Ants didn't have a "Matching Ant." She said she was an "oddball" in her tribe; although she liked insects, she had no interest in "Matching Ant."
She came to Li Yu seeking his help. Li Yu is advised to keep a close eye out for any majestic, powerful, or colorful insects he encounters in the future, and to remember to capture them.
Li Yu agreed, and [Thirteen Ants] took his leave.
After finishing reading "Qi Jian," it was already past midnight. Li Yu then went to sleep in the [Fine Fragmented Square Pot].
Before going to sleep, he planted a wooden stick at the new nest of the [Black Steed] as a marker. This would prevent him from accidentally stepping on it while groggy when he got up in the middle of the night, or from urinating on it and wiping out the [Black Steed] clan.
……
The next morning, Li Yu took out his teapot.
First, I washed my face with a basin of clean water, then I took a piece of coarse cloth to wipe my teeth. Finally, I swallowed a cup of murky water with some powder dissolved in it, and then spat it out.
The cloth strips were "tooth wipes," used for brushing teeth. The powder was made from ground bricks and stones, used for rinsing the mouth.
The experience was terrible, and Li Mu couldn't help but scrape his tongue with his teeth and mutter "pui pui pui" under his breath.
Even after rinsing it with water again, there was still a lingering, slightly fishy taste in my mouth.
I'll have to climb the big willow tree at the village entrance no matter what, break off a few willow branches, and put together a "willow branch and salt" dental kit.
After washing up, Li Yu heated up two wheat cakes in the east kitchen to fill his stomach. Then, carrying two scrolls of "Qi Jian", an [unknown animal hide], and an [unknown scroll], he hurried to the Wang family.
Wang Zhang returned home last night, but was still hungover. Li Yu didn't disturb him and went to the study with the steward.
On the other side, inside the Wang family compound.
Wang Rong was engrossed in painting, while Little Sparrow, clutching a jade vase, perched beside him, chirping away. A female player stood nearby, occasionally offering pointers on the lines and the shades of ink.
The inner quarters were not far from the study, and the three of them heard some faint noises. It seemed that the steward was instructing a servant to bring some melons and fruits to the study.
The little sparrow put the jade bottle on the table and then skipped away.
A short while later, she pouted and returned home dejectedly.
The female player asked, "Sister Que'er, is that Li Yu here?"
Little Sparrow nodded. Wang Rong looked up at her and saw her pouting as she said, "Young lady, that man asked me for some little bugs."
"Ask you to return it?" Wang Rong laughed at her. "This bottle and this insect originally belonged to someone else; you should have returned them long ago."
The little sparrow clung to the jade bottle, unwilling to let go, and said, "Then why didn't he ask me for it yesterday?"
"Yesterday he borrowed..." Wang Rong stopped mid-sentence, laughing as he tapped Xiao Que'er's head with the rabbit-hair brush handle. "Enough with the nonsense, hurry up and return it!"
Helpless, Little Sparrow carried the bottle and walked out.
Wang Rong went to paint again. He had just sketched the outline on the silk and hadn't even added any texture when he saw the little sparrow running back happily.
The jade bottle was still tucked in her arms, bouncing back and forth, unafraid that the [echoing insect] would escape.
Wang Rong straightened up, and before she could ask any questions, the little maid giggled and handed him a bamboo slip.
Two lines of small text.
I am deeply grateful to Miss Wang for disregarding past grievances and securing me a gatekeeper position, preventing me from dying by the roadside. I will remember this kindness and repay her kindness in the future.
One person asked about the meaning of the Analects phrase "To attack heresies is harmful."
The little sparrow was only concerned with its prized [echoing insect], ignoring the words on the scroll. The female player, curious, peeked over. Wang Rong turned the scroll over, frowning at the maid: "What nonsense were you spouting with that young master Li?"
Her expression was serious, and Little Sparrow dared not be presumptuous, so she answered honestly, "Just ask him if there are any parts of his reading that he doesn't understand or comprehend."
Wang Rong remained silent, continuing to stare at her. The little maid felt uneasy under his gaze and stammered, "He also said, 'If you still want to get answers, you must borrow the [Echoing Insect] for another day.'"
Wang Rong remained silent, while the young maidservant said with a bitter face, "Young lady, there's nothing more to say!"
Wang Rong then released her. He took a new bamboo slip and wrote on it, "Attacks can be dismantled, heretics should be..."
After writing, he handed the bamboo slip to the maid: "Send this slip and the jade bottle together."
Little Sparrow's face fell even more, but she dared not utter a word and obediently went to the front yard.
"Sister Xiaojiao, should this part be highlighted with bold strokes?"
"Yes, first outline with light ink, then highlight with dark ink; it can be salvaged or corrected."
……
In the front yard, little sparrows came and went in a hurry, their faces as bitter as the little yellow flowers in October.
Li Yu reached out and took the jade bottle, glancing at the [Echoing Insect] inside, which he hadn't seen for two days. Looking up again, he saw the little maid already running outside.
Didn't you say you wanted to borrow it for another day? Why was it returned?
Li Yu was puzzled, but the maid had already run far away, so he could only let her go.
Continue reading.
At noon, Wang Zhangfang got out of bed.
He came to find Li Yu. Li Yu asked him about the meaning of the classics, and Wang Zhang answered his questions one by one.
Li Yu then took out the scroll and animal hide and asked Wang Zhang to appraise them.
First, look at the [animal hide].
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Treasure Map: The Yellow Emperor's Secret Treasure
[Rank] Yellow
[Attribute] Activate it, and you will obtain treasure!
[Description] If you want my treasure, come to Jiujiang!
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It turned out to be a treasure map.
Moreover, it seems to be related to the "first ancestor of Chinese civilization," the Yellow Emperor!
Li Yu was overjoyed, but Wang Zhang frowned.
Li Yu asked why he was frowning, and Wang Zhang replied, "There might be something fishy about this painting."
Li Yu was puzzled, but Wang Zhang explained: "This picture is said to be the 'Yellow Emperor's Secret Treasure,' but this 'Yellow Emperor' is most likely not Xuanyuan Huangdi."
Li Yu was taken aback. There was a second Yellow Emperor?
"In the first year of Jiankang (144 AD) during the reign of Emperor Shun, there was a bandit named Ma Mian, a native of Yinling, Jiujiang. He started an uprising in the mountains of Dangtu, wearing a leather cap and yellow robes, and carrying a jade seal. He called himself 'Yellow Emperor' and gathered a crowd to attack Hefei." Wang Zhang hesitated, "Could this Yellow Emperor be this bandit Ma Mian?"
Looking at the words "Come to Jiujiang" and the rank of "[Yellow Rank]", Li Yu felt that what Wang Zhang said was probably true.
Well, this is even worse than [Anshezu]!
Li Yu felt depressed.
Wang Zhang then went to authenticate the [scroll].
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"Moonlight Roll - Tiger Uncle"
[Rank] Yellow.
[Attribute] The moon shines brightly at midnight, illuminating the earth. Holding this scroll at that time will open the gate to time and space.
[Description] Nephew, (‵▽′)੭ Come up here!
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Uncle Tiger, Kitty?