We two ate something casually, and Zhang Shifu continued driving. About half an hour later, the car entered Mei City.
"The changes are quite significant."
Looking at the night view outside the window, I couldn't help but recall the first time my grandpa and I came to Mei City in a minivan. My eyes became a little moist.
"When did you come to Mei City?" Zhang Shifu asked.
"It must have been ten years ago."
"No wonder then. In the past ten years, Mei City has changed a lot. Take the Cao Family Mansion, for example; if you go see it now, I guarantee it will give you a huge shock!" Zhang Shifu said with a smile.
"What happened to the Cao Family Mansion?" I asked.
"We'll know when we go see it." Zhang Shifu pressed the accelerator and drove towards the southwest corner of Mei City.
I remembered that the Cao Family Mansion was indeed in the southwest of Mei City, but when Zhang Shifu drove the car to the location and pointed ahead, telling me that was the Cao Family Mansion, I was still quite surprised.
I saw a huge estate before my eyes, brightly lit and magnificent, its scale and grandeur far exceeding the Cao Family Mansion in my memory by more than ten times!
"If someone said this was a palace, people would believe it!" I heard Zhang Shifu exclaim, "But they deserve to enjoy such blessings. Take the Cao family's descendants, for example, they are all more outstanding than the last!"
"Cao Song should have four children, right?" I asked.
"Yes, Cao Boss has three sons and one daughter. All three sons are exceptionally talented! Alas, comparing oneself to others is truly infuriating!" Zhang Shifu said with great envy, "By the way, the second young master of the Cao family is also in your line of work."
"In my line of work? Wind and Water?" I was a little surprised.
"Yes, yes, yes. I heard that the second young master of the Cao family doesn't like doing business. Instead, he prefers the Wind and Water profession. The famous Master Gu of Mei City is the second young master of the Cao family's master." Zhang Shifu said.
"Zhang Shifu, you know quite a lot." I smiled.
"Hah!" Zhang Shifu waved his hand and smiled, "I have a cousin whose son-in-law works for the Cao family, and he's a very capable one. My cousin often asks me to visit his daughter when I'm passing by, so I know quite a lot."
"So that's how it is." I realized and smiled.
"Although the Cao family has many talented individuals, if you compare them to the Three Miss of the Cao family, everyone in the Cao family is overshadowed!" Zhang Shifu exclaimed.
"How so?" I knew he was referring to Cao Xuerong.
"This Three Miss Cao is not only beautiful but also intelligent and kind from a young age." Zhang Shifu said.
I thought to myself, being beautiful and intelligent is one thing, but as for her being gentle and kind, if Zhang Shifu had seen Cao Xuerong that day, he probably wouldn't be able to say such words.
"Everyone is spreading the word that the Cao family accumulated good fortune over nine generations of good deeds, finally giving birth to a fated noble daughter like Three Miss Cao. Her destiny is beyond words, like a phoenix from the nine heavens, not a mortal!"
"Hmm, quite impressive." I nodded.
Perhaps seeing my slight indifference, Zhang Shifu added, "This matter is quite miraculous, actually. When Three Miss Cao was nine years old, an immortal came to the Cao family and took Three Miss Cao as his disciple."
"How can there be immortals in this world?" I laughed.
"That's what everyone says. Whether it's true or not, I don't know." Zhang Shifu chuckled, "But many people witnessed the miraculous scene when Three Miss Cao took her master."
"How was it miraculous?" I became interested.
"Many people saw Three Miss Cao wearing a white dress, like a little fairy, holding a white jade lamp carved with green Lotus when she took her master."
Zhang Shifu said here, fearing I might not understand, and explained, "That white jade lamp, it is said, is the Cao family's heirloom, chosen by Three Miss Cao specifically as a gift for her master."
I couldn't help but laugh.
A white jade lamp carved with green Lotus, that was clearly the betrothal gift my grandpa gave to Cao Xuerong. To think they called it their family heirloom, how shameless!
"That bow from Three Miss Cao was extraordinary!" Zhang Shifu said excitedly, "Suddenly, a large swarm of fireflies flew out from nowhere, dancing all over the Cao Family Mansion. What was even more astonishing was that all the trees in the Cao family suddenly bloomed!"
"Everyone is saying this is the Milky Way hanging upside down, and withered trees coming back to life, a great auspicious sign!"
"Indeed, from that day on, the Cao family became even more prosperous and rose steadily. Don't you think this is mysterious?"
"Quite mysterious." I nodded, then asked, "So what happened to Cao Xuerong later?"
"After Three Miss Cao took her master, she left with him. As for where she went, we don't know, but it is said that Three Miss Cao returns to Mei City once a year. That's why there are often many people lingering outside the Cao Family Mansion, hoping to try their luck and perhaps catch a glimpse of Three Miss Cao's beauty and share in her good fortune." Zhang Shifu said with a smile.
"Are these the people?" I pointed to the crowd lining up outside the Cao Family Mansion.
"No, not those. These people are here to receive the Cao family's Blessing Gold." Zhang Shifu glanced at them and said with a smile.
"Blessing Gold?"
"That's a rule set by the Cao family. Anyone who genuinely encounters difficulties can go to the Cao family to receive a sum of money, called the Cao family's Blessing Gold. There are eighteen slots every day." Zhang Shifu explained.
As we were talking, we suddenly heard a commotion from the Cao Family Mansion.
I saw a person rush out of the crowd, kneel at the main entrance, and repeatedly kowtow.
"What's going on?" Zhang Shifu looked over in surprise.
Suddenly, he let out an "Oh!" and exclaimed, "It seems to be my cousin! You stay here, I'll go take a look!"
With that, he hurriedly opened the car door, got out, and ran over.
I saw that the person kowtowing was a simply dressed old man. Zhang Shifu ran over, trying to help him up, but the old man stubbornly refused.
Amidst the discussions of the onlookers, a middle-aged man walked out of the Cao Family Mansion and rushed over to pull the old man up.
When I saw the man's appearance clearly, I was momentarily in a trance.
Isn't this Brother Hao, who dug me out of Fentou Ridge back then?