Chapter 307.1: Once Again Suffering a Crushing Defeat

"Bodhi seed[1] buddhist beads? The type even quite numerous." Li Hong Yuan reached out, using his finger to pick up a string, "A hundred and eight little thunderbolts." He randomly tossed aside, picking up another string, "Eight sun seeds." Picking up string after string, "Twenty-one moon seeds, fourteen golden striped toad seeds, ten five-eyes, twelve manguan seeds, twenty-seven lotus flower cushions, twenty-seven white jade, fifty-four qilin eyes, fifty-four muhuan seeds, a hundred and eight phoenix eyes, and lastly, this is........." He picked up a very long string, "Heh, a thousand and eighty starry seeds."

This last string of beads, Li Hong Yuan didn't directly throw out, but rather held in hand, playing with one by one.

"Each type's quality all very good, the bodhi seed's selection meticulous, the polishing also very beautiful, the tactile sensation extremely good, and also maintained appropriately. It's clear that quite the effort was spent. Which family sent this over? In the entire Jiangnan region, even for the officials with a large influential family background, to be able to bring out one or two strings all at once is already not bad. After all, this isn't something one is able to buy even if well-off. Comparatively speaking, if able to obtain this kind of thing, unless the main pillar of the family, otherwise the possibility of taking it back to pay filial piety to the elders in the clan is much bigger."

Jing Wan nodded. Because of her past life's grandma, towards bodhi seeds, she had somewhat of an understanding. In her past life, to want to obtain various kinds of bodhi seeds actually wasn't considered particularly difficult, but here, it wasn't the same. Although her understanding wasn't very thorough, these bodhi seeds' geographical distribution was very wide. This indeed wasn't something one can just buy by having money. Can be encountered, but unable to be sought.

(T/N: The trees and plants that a lot of the listed seeds are harvested from aren't native to China, and are mostly found in the tropical regions of Southeast Asia. Given how shipping and transportation isn't advance enough in ancient times, these things are very difficult to obtain. Tbh even in modern times, some of these are fairly expensive.)

To be able to obtain a string or two, if not leaving for oneself to use, then it was just giving away as a gift. To deliberately gather this many was a considerably difficult matter, especially for a finished product, where in the hands of certain people, who very much care, never mind buying or seeking, to let others know you're coveting, they can directly have you beaten out. "It was sent over by servants. As for specifically who, they also didn't say, just leaving behind an invitation card. I looked it over. There isn't a name left on there either. ————-Should be bodhi seeds that were directly gathered, right?"

Li Hong Yuan nodded, "From this craftsmanship, more or less can determine that it came from the same person's hand. The time it was made into buddhist beads won't exceed three years."

"Ah Yuan is very knowledgable of bodhi seeds? The ones among these that I'm relatively knowledgable of is also just three four kinds."

"To say knowledgable, really can't be considered knowledgable either." Li Hong Yuan had the buddhist beads in hand thrown back again, "Regardless of who sent them, later let someone have a look. If there's no problem, Wan Wan can just keep them. Although in my eyes, deliberately making these is just for the sake of making connections, long losing its original worth and meaning, so just a relatively rare plaything, that's all. Just take it back to give away to others. Wan Wan didn't touch, right?"

Jing Wan was speechless, "Saying this now, isn't it a little too late? I indeed didn't touch. You're the one that has been touching."

"It's fine as long as you didn't touch." Towards himself, Li Hong Yuan was completely indifferent. "Wan Wan, say, sending these buddhist beads, could it have some special meaning?"

"What special meaning can there be? Never mind Qi Yuan, even in the previous dynasty, towards buddhist objects, people all relatively like. Things such as buddhist beads and buddhist statues can't be more common, from the high officials and nobles above, to the ordinary commoners below, all able to be seen in many families. Could it even be that they're cursing you to become a monk, cursing me to shave my head and become a nun? Ah Yuan, aren't you a little too bored?"

Li Hong Yuan actually nodded, "Indeed quite idle, completely not as busy as one had anticipated. Such a useless bunch, already about to sort them out, yet each and every one even had their necks washed clean, stretching it out under the blade, not having the least bit of challenge." The ins and outs of his words were all kinds of disdain.

"That's because the ones working all aren't you. Don't you know the saying, one word from above, the people below break their legs from running? You being this idle, that's all arising from others' busy work." The typical case of obtaining a benefit, yet still acting innocent, really isn't just lacking a beating. If others were to hear, still don't know how they will curse him.

"Even if 'the one occupying the higher seat work the people', without this husband fully controlling the overall situation, then even if those idiots break their legs from running, it would still be useless. Even if a bit idle, Wan Wan still can't deny this husband's contributions."

Jing Wan saw a certain someone's seemingly puffed up yet also feeling a bit wronged look. She kept feeling this man was practically regressing in age, really don't know what to say. "Just the matter is too big, so ultimately need to be careful. Don't have the boat overturned on a small canal."

Li Hong Yuan lightly sighed, "Having such a wife as Wan Wan that's able to maintain rational at all times constantly urging, to want to lose oneself due to arrogance and overlook the bigger picture is all very difficult."

"Don't give me a tall hat to wear." Towards her own weight, Jing Wan has always measured very clearly.

"This is a great truth, how come Wan Wan just don't believe?" The living Enma expressed he was very helpless. It was still that saying, if it was just him alone, having a bit of mishap was just that, simply just whatever. It's precisely because she's here that he didn't allow for any slip-ups.

Jing Wan casted him a side glance, too lazy to continue arguing, entering the inner room to change her clothes.

Li Hong Yuan clicked his tongue, looking towards the things before him again. They were all considerably valuable, and this was just the beginning, yet his expression nevertheless grew dim. "Regardless of who sends things in, all don't let your wangfei touch. I will let An Jiu continuously stay close."

"Yes." Gong mama replied. She also didn't guarantee anything. She will only keep her master protected to the best of her abilities.

Towards Li Hong Yuan's words, the servant girls sometimes didn't really understand all that well, yet Gong mama was always able to properly and naturally accept. They rather didn't suspect anything, just feeling Gong mama was really incredible. However, because their impression towards Gong mama's 'impressiveness' had long taken root, they were already used it. As such, they never really bring it up in front of Jing Wan either. And it's also because of this that Jing Wan continuously miss out on certain opportunities to discover the 'truth'. But in reality, regardless whether it's Li Hong Yuan or Gong mama, they both have never once deliberately hid this matter.

Li Hong Yuan lifted his chin, and Gong mama just went out, but just said a few words at the door.

When Jing Wan came out again after changing, An Jiu had already came over, inspecting every single item one by one, ensuring that there was no problem.

Li Hong Yuan nodded, "In the future, you don't need to go out on missions anymore, just directly become the manor doctor." One line just determined An Jiu's future course of life.

"Yes." An Jiu naturally complied, similarly not having sorrow nor joy.

In reality, for a shadow guard, this highly dangerous occupation, being a manor doctor naturally was for the most part completely devoid of danger, and even much more relaxing and comfortable. For a young and healthy shadow guard, it was considered a great thing. After all, this wasn't being disregarded, nor was it getting pinned a bad label because of having not completed a mission or doing something wrong. On the contrary, it's precisely because of being highly regarded, thus would it be like this. How much master cares for the female master, they couldn't be more clear. It wasn't too much to say that it surpassed his own life. If they were to encounter danger, then master would unhesitantly order them to protect the female master.

[1] Bodhi seed - A literal translation of '菩提子', refers to various tropical and subtropical 'nuts' or seeds that can be made into prayer beads. At present, there's as many as 200-300 different kinds. Here's a pic of another one of these bracelets, I pulled this off of a taiwanese store, but I believe this cost $700+ USD. Each of these all have symbolic meaning in buddhism and an explanation behind its naming. In fact, there's even meaning behind the numbers, for example the number 108 holds a lot of significance in buddhism. There's like an entire field of study on these.