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Neither of them knew who the visitor could be.
Upon entering their home, they indeed found a guest in the main hall.
The guest was an elderly man with snow-white hair and beard, yet his demeanor exuded vitality and a radiant, youthful aura, giving him an almost timeless appearance.
Before Jiang Mixia could properly observe the guest and inquire about his identity, Song Jingyun took two steps back, his expression changing drastically. “Wife, he, he, he’s the strange person we encountered by the river before!”
“Do you remember me, young sir?” Xun Yuanbai approached excitedly, “You have an excellent memory, young sir.”
“Please don’t come any closer.”
Once again, Song Jingyun retreated two steps, this time also pulling Jiang Mixia back with him.
This peculiar individual, who only spoke oddly and didn’t appear trustworthy, left Song Jingyun on edge.
“The strange person?” After a moment of contemplation, Jiang Mixia assessed Xun Yuanbai in front of her. “Are you a… celestial master?”
“That’s correct,” Xun Yuanbai nodded. Concerned that his unexpected visit might be met with skepticism, he retrieved a dark, shining plaque from his waist to show Jiang Mixia and the others.
The plaque, with a prominent character “Tian” surrounded by intricate cloud patterns, emitted a mysterious glow, appearing solid and weighty, far from ordinary—it resembled an item of official significance.
“You need not address me in such a manner, young lady. My title as a celestial master hardly holds weight in the presence of your husband.”
Xun Yuanbai chuckled, “I am surnamed Xun and have had the title of a teacher in the past. If you don’t mind, you can simply address me as Master Xun.”
” Master Xun it is,” Jiang Mixia replied with a slight raise of her eyebrows, her expression cautious. She inquired, “May I ask what brings Master Xun to our humble abode?”
“I am here to express my gratitude,” Xun Yuanbai replied, stroking his white beard thoughtfully. “I am grateful for the life-saving favor you granted me.”
A life-saving favor?
The entire Jiang family was taken aback, especially Jiang Mixia and Song Jingyun, who exchanged puzzled glances.
“I don’t recall saving your life,” Song Jingyun spoke up now that he understood Xun Yuanbai’s identity as a celestial master, feeling a bit more at ease. He recalled the incident when Xun Master had persistently sought his help, but he had been too nervous and declined.
Since he hadn’t agreed to help, how could there be talk of saving Xun Master’s life?
“You are too modest, young sir,” Xun Yuanbai’s smile widened. “That day, your words provided me with a solution to my predicament, allowing me to resolve all my difficulties and free myself from trouble. Isn’t that akin to saving my life?”
Seeing Song Jingyun still looking bewildered, not grasping the situation, Xun Yuanbai began to speculate inwardly.
Could it be that what he had said to young sir that day was unintentionally beneficial?
If so…
Xun Yuanbai once again gave a thumbs-up to Song Jingyun.
A person blessed with good fortune was truly blessed, as even casual words could be enough to save a life.
“But…” Song Jingyun still hesitated.
His wife had emphasized that one mustn’t accept rewards without merit, and if he hadn’t performed an action, he couldn’t claim credit for it.
“Regardless of the reason, whether intentional or not, young sir is indeed my savior. This matter is settled, and whether young sir denies it or not, he saved my life,” Xun Yuanbai insisted.
“Now, I have prepared some gifts as a token of gratitude this time. I hope that young sir and madam will accept them with a smile.”
As he spoke, the young servant beside him began opening the stack of ornate boxes beside him, revealing their contents one by one.
“This piece of jade is Qingbai jade from Hotan, a type of jade that is less common than the prized mutton fat white jade. Although Qingbai jade is not as popular, its smooth texture and large size make it quite valuable.”
“These two pieces of cloud brocade were gifts from the previous emperor, but as I’ve never been fond of wearing them, I’ve kept them. They still have fresh colors and would be excellent for young sir and madam.”
“These pair of Qingbai glazed Ru Yi vases were a gift from the Crown Prince’s consort, the Princess Consort Fu, during a calamity. These are exquisite pieces from the official kiln and can be used for flower arrangements.”
“Then there are various medicinal herbs in these boxes like ginseng, deer antler, and lingzhi. I don’t quite recall who gave them, but they are considered precious, so I’ve brought some to gift to young sir and madam.”
As the floor was covered with high-quality items, Jiang Youcheng and Liu Shi stared in astonishment.
Even Jiang Mixia took a moment to close her slightly agape mouth in surprise.
Observing the situation, it seemed that Xun Yuanbai’s status was indeed genuine. His eagerness to offer gratitude appeared sincere.
However, receiving so many gifts all at once…
Both Song Jingyun and Jiang Mixia insisted on declining the gifts.
Xun Yuanbai was adamant about presenting them and finally said, “Young sir saved my life. Could these items be more valuable than my life itself?”
With the situation at this point, it would be hard to justify not accepting these gifts.
After discussing as a family, Jiang Mixia and her family decided to temporarily accept the gifts but also wanted to offer Xun Yuanbai something in return.
As rural folks, they didn’t have much to offer in return except for some local specialties.
They presented two beautifully crafted bamboo vases from the bamboo workshop, as Xun Yuanbai seemed like a frequent traveler. Additionally, they gave him two waterproof bags. They also gifted him two sets of newly fired teacups from the porcelain workshop.
Feeling that this was still not enough, Jiang Mixia and Song Jingyun decided to gift him two pots of flowers and plants from their courtyard.
Considering Xun Yuanbai’s status as a celestial master who enjoyed traveling, his demeanor seemed otherworldly, and he likely appreciated the flowers and plants from the valleys.
Indeed, Jiang Mixia’s gesture turned out to be well-received.
Upon hearing about the flowers and plants gift, Xun Yuanbai enthusiastically agreed and joined the couple to choose from the courtyard.
These flowers and plants must have grown in young sir’s home, possibly even planted by his own hands and nurtured daily. Such flora would surely have absorbed young sir’s good fortune, and even if not bringing luck, they could at least ward off evil spirits!
Initially thinking along these lines, Xun Yuanbai was left visibly surprised after carefully examining the flowers and plants in the courtyard, unable to close his open mouth for a while.
Observing Xun Yuanbai’s reaction, Jiang Mixia expressed her surprise, “But these are all common items from here. Nothing that Xun Master would find appealing?”