Qin Yu heard the other person's muttering but did not explain. To many outsiders, "qing tang" would naturally be assumed to be a soup, one that should be light and not greasy in taste. However, locals knew that "qing tang" was actually a type of dumpling. Many people who had tasted the small wontons were captivated by their translucent skin, incredibly delicious meat filling, and tender, smooth texture, but compared to qing tang, they were like a small wizard facing a great sorcerer.
The skin of qing tang is handmade and as thin as a paper wing; the filling is pounded out with the back of a knife. The master chef pinched the skin with his left hand and held a bamboo stick in his right, dipping it into the meat filling. As the bamboo stick flew and his hands moved swiftly, the meat filling and skin merged into one, forming tiny qing tang. They were boiled in a pot, then quickly served in a bowl, sprinkled with green onions, and finally garnished with a bit of lard and sesame oil. The color, aroma, and taste were truly irresistible!
When Qin Yu was in school, he used to eat a bowl of qing tang every morning at a street stall. Especially in winter, the hot soup warmed him up from the inside out.
Mo Yongxin and her brother ordered egg noodles. When Qin Yu's qing tang arrived, Mo Yongxing's eyes widened. Eating qing tang is best when it's hot, and the sound of Qin Yu slurping the steaming soup made him even more envious. He glanced at his own bowl of egg noodles and felt that they were not as good as Qin Yu's.
In fact, in terms of production cost, qing tang is much cheaper than egg noodles, and the ingredients are simple. At a street stall breakfast shop, a bowl of qing tang costs only two yuan, but this humble dish is loved by locals of all ages.
Mo Yongxing had just mocked Qin Yu, but now, although he wanted to eat a bowl of qing tang, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He threw down his chopsticks and sulked, while Qin Yu glanced at him, finding it amusing. He thought Mo Yongxing's behavior was just like that of a spoiled child.
Mo Yongxin continued to eat her noodles slowly and gracefully. Qin Yu had to admit that some women were naturally favored by heaven, and whatever they did, their movements were elegant.
By the time Qin Yu finished his bowl of qing tang, Mo Yongxin had also finished her egg noodles. She took out a tissue from her bag, wiped the soup from her red lips, and handed the remaining half-pack to Qin Yu.
At that moment, a familiar ringtone sounded. Qin Yu saw that it was a call from Liu Anshan, and he assumed that the qilin had arrived.
"Hello, Director Liu. Oh, the qilin has arrived, huh? Alright, I'll wait for you at the hotel entrance."
Qin Yu hung up the phone and was about to say goodbye to the siblings when Mo Yongxin suddenly spoke, "Mr. Qin, you came here to help someone with feng shui, right?"
"How did you know that?"
Qin Yu believed that the few people who knew about this matter would not publicize it, especially since Hao Jianguo, as the county magistrate, would not want it to be known.
"Mr. Qin, don't misunderstand. I just guessed. You don't seem to be here for sightseeing, and the qilin, as a auspicious creature, is often used by feng shui masters to suppress negative energy. I wonder if we can accompany you to see it."
Mo Yongxin had nothing to do today. She thought Qin Yu was also a feng shui master and genuinely wanted to see how he worked. Through her conversations with Master He Ping, she understood that feng shui masters generally do not use qilin unless there is a need to suppress negative energy.
"If Mr. Qin is worried about offending the client, I, Mo Yongxin, can guarantee that this matter will not be publicized, and perhaps there will be an opportunity for cooperation between our families."
Mo Yongxin's last words moved Qin Yu. Given their appearance, they must come from a prominent family, and Qin Yu needed an opportunity to interact with people of this level. If the Mo family could help promote him, it would be easier for him to enter the upper echelons of society.
"Alright, but you can only watch, and don't say anything."
Qin Yu gave a brief instruction and finally agreed. As long as they didn't want his dragon compass, he was willing to build connections with these wealthy families.
Qin Yu and the Mo siblings waited at the hotel entrance. Soon, Liu Anshan's car arrived. Seeing Qin Yu and the Mo siblings standing together, he looked puzzled and asked, "Master Qin, who are these?"
"These two are my friends, and they will be joining us today."
Qin Yu didn't elaborate, knowing that Liu Anshan wouldn't believe him, given the unfriendly interaction from the previous day.
However, Liu Anshan was a shrewd person. Since Qin Yu was in charge of the matter, and he was just there to assist, if Qin Yu wanted to bring people along, he would let him.
"Since they are Master Qin's friends, please come in."
"No need, we have our own car. You go ahead, and we'll follow."
Mo Yongxing didn't understand why his sister wanted to follow Qin Yu, but he had no good feelings towards Director Liu and didn't want to get in his car. Mo Yongxin didn't object, clearly agreeing with her brother.
Qin Yu didn't say more, got into Liu Anshan's car, and drove ahead, with the Hummer following behind.
"Master Qin, that woman is beautiful, but she's a bit cold."
Liu Anshan, driving, turned to Qin Yu with a strange smile, clearly thinking that Qin Yu had a thing for Mo Yongxin, which was why he let her follow. Qin Yu shook his head bitterly, not bothering to explain, as he couldn't tell him that he was looking for potential clients.
"Sis, why are we following that guy, Qin?"
"What do you think of Qin Yu?" Mo Yongxin didn't answer her brother's question but asked him instead.
"A pretentious man!" Mo Yongxing sneered, not knowing why he found Qin Yu so annoying, especially when Qin Yu often ignored him, which made him even more frustrated.
Mo Yongxin rolled her eyes at her brother, raised her beautiful eyes, and then ignored him, closing her eyes and leaning against the leather sofa, lost in thought.
When they arrived at the foot of Shiyang Peak again, a truck was already parked there, with two stone qilin statues, each weighing about a hundred pounds, on the back. A few workers, their clothes stained with stone dust, were squatting on the ground smoking.
"Are you from Fuhua Stone Factory?"
The two cars parked, and Liu Anshan got out and asked the workers.
"Yes, we are from Fuhua. You must be Director Liu. Our boss asked us to bring these two qilin here and follow your instructions."
Seeing Liu Anshan, the workers quickly stood up. Some who hadn't finished their cigarettes extinguished them on the ground and put the remaining half in their pockets, unwilling to throw them away.
"Alright, please help to carry these two qilin to the halfway point on the mountain."
Liu Anshan pointed and instructed.
Fortunately, each qilin only weighed about a hundred pounds. The workers pulled out ropes from the truck to tie the qilin, and used a carrying pole to carry them up the mountain.
Four workers carried the two qilin, and Qin Yu followed, occasionally helping to push. The path up the mountain, cleared the previous day, was smooth, and they safely reached the tomb.
After placing the qilin, the workers were about to leave, but Qin Yu stopped them, taking out eight hundred-yuan bills from the money Hao Jianguo had given him the previous day, and gave each worker two hundred, asking them to wait a bit longer.
"Sir, we can't accept this. Our boss said if you need anything, just tell us, no need to pay."
"Take it. You must accept this money. Besides, I'll need your help again soon."
Qin Yu insisted, placing the money in the workers' hands. This was a feng shui custom, similar to how the family of the deceased must treat the coffin bearers well and pay them.
The workers exchanged glances and finally accepted the two hundred yuan, their faces lighting up. This trip was worth it, as they not only earned their wages but also received extra income.
The next steps were beyond the others' involvement. The Mo sisters and the workers stood to the side, and Liu Anshan joined the Mo siblings, as the workers' sweat smell was unpleasant. Everyone watched Qin Yu curiously.
Qin Yu took out a compass and a bag of lime powder, walking around the tomb, occasionally checking the compass and sprinkling a white circle on the grass.
These actions, though simple, took Qin Yu over an hour. He was trying to find the two points with the strongest negative energy of the White Tiger Backward Sha.
The two white circles were precisely on either side of the tomb. If measured from the center of the tomb, the distance from the circles to the top of the tomb was exactly the same.
"Alright, please move the two qilin to these two white circles, but make sure the front of the qilin faces the tombstone."
Qin Yu put away the compass and instructed the workers.
"Alright."
The workers, though puzzled, followed the instructions and quickly placed the qilin facing the tombstone.
"Alright, there's nothing else. You can go now."
Seeing the qilin in place, Qin Yu dismissed the workers, as the next steps were not for outsiders to know.
"Master Qin, is this enough?"
Liu Anshan, seeing Qin Yu dismiss the workers, asked curiously. Mo Yongxing sneered, "What's this? Can this suppress the White Tiger Sha? It's a joke."
Earlier at the hotel entrance, Qin Yu had told them that the purpose was to suppress the White Tiger Sha, as he didn't want to hide it from them.
"Brother, don't talk nonsense," Mo Yongxin scolded her brother, but she also frowned, puzzled, and said, "Master Qin, as far as I know, to suppress the White Tiger Sha, the qilin must face the source of the negative energy. Facing the tombstone..."
"Miss Mo seems to know a lot about feng shui. To suppress the White Tiger Sha, the qilin must indeed face the source of the negative energy, but..." Qin Yu's eyes twinkled, seeing Mo Yongxing's不服气 (unwillingness to accept), and had an idea. He smiled and said, "I wonder if I can ask your brother for a favor."
"Ask me for a favor? Who do you think you are!"
Mo Yongxing's words earned him a stern look from Mo Yongxin, who gave Qin Yu an apologetic look and said, "Master Qin, please just say what you need. If my brother can do it, I'll agree for him."
"It's not a big deal. I just need your brother to turn the qilin ninety degrees to the right, so it faces the White Tiger."