Chapter 221: Inspection

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Mo Hua returned home, took out the gifts from his storage bag, and handed them to his parents, asking them to store them.

Mo Shan and Liu Ru Hua exchanged glances, both a bit astonished.

They didn't know when it happened, but Mo Hua had made friends with so many cultivators, and most of them were important figures in Tong Xian City: palm officers, standard officers, family heads, elders, array masters, and so on.

Even in a whole year, one might not receive so many gifts.

Mo Hua had only gone out once, and he brought back so many gifts. If he didn't go out, people would still send gifts to their home.

The gifts, large and small, piled up until there was almost no room in the house.

Mo Hua put down his storage bag, sprawled in a chair, and sighed like a little adult, "So busy!"

Liu Ru Hua looked at him and laughed.

Mo Hua then said, "Mom, I'm hungry."

"Leave some room for dinner. I'll get you some osmanthus cake first. Eat a little, just enough."

"Okay." Mo Hua nodded.

Liu Ru Hua brought the osmanthus cake for Mo Hua, poured him a cup of tea, and asked:

"Have you returned all the gifts people sent? Have you thanked them properly?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment, silently counted in his heart, and said:

"The ones I should return have been returned, and the ones I should thank have been thanked. I can have a peaceful New Year."

After that, Mo Hua settled down quite a bit. He didn't need to run around everywhere; he just stayed peacefully at home, waiting for the New Year.

Mo Hua still woke up early every day, sat in meditation to cultivate for a while, then drew some array diagrams, read an array book for a while, and practiced arrays on the stele in the evening.

The rest of the time, Mo Hua spent with his parents.

On New Year's Day, the family harmoniously ate their reunion meal.

Liu Ru Hua made many delicious dishes, and Mo Hua predictably ate until he was stuffed. Then he sighed and took out two of the digestion pills that Old Master Feng had given him.

"He truly is Grandpa Feng; he really has foresight."

Mo Hua sighed in his heart.

Starting the next day, they began New Year visits, then went for evening strolls at the New Year fair until the Lantern Festival. On the evening of the Lantern Festival, the entire Tong Xian City would have a lively New Year fair to see.

Originally, the New Year fair wouldn't last this long, but this year was special. There was the spirit mine, the refining tool shop, the refining pill shop, and also the Fu Shan Building.

The scattered cultivators were doing well, and they had a surplus of spirit stones, so the New Year lasted a bit longer.

They didn't have to be like before, where as soon as the New Year was over, they would start laboring and rushing about for their livelihood.

Mo Hua also slacked off a bit. If there was nothing else, he would just go for a stroll on the street. He also made time to go to the Fu Shan Building to see An Xiao Fu.

The Fu Shan Building was packed during New Year, and An Xiao Fu was so busy his feet didn't touch the ground.

When Mo Hua saw him, he was sitting in the main hall, holding a teapot, and drinking tea water with a gurgling sound.

Although tired, he seemed quite spirited, and his expression was much more open.

He just still seemed chubby; he didn't look much thinner.

Maybe he was busy, but he also ate a lot.

Leaving the Fu Shan Building, Mo Hua met Zhang Lan on the street.

Zhang Lan was from a family and didn't ask for leave to go home for New Year.

He knew people here, but he didn't have many friends. The only person he could truly talk to was Mo Hua, so he was quite happy to see Mo Hua and pulled him along to stroll the street.

"Tell me what looks good to eat or play! My treat!" Zhang Lan said generously and somewhat boastfully.

"Thank you, Uncle Zhang," Mo Hua said, then immediately added with some doubt:

"Uncle Zhang, you're not young anymore. You haven't married and started a career. Is it really okay to play with a little kid like me?"

"This is called not losing your childlike heart," Zhang Lan said.

"Childlike heart undying?"

Zhang Lan rubbed Mo Hua's hair. "Whatever you say comes out differently."

Mo Hua covered his head, a bit dissatisfied, "You call this getting angry from shame."

"Okay, I can't win against you," Zhang Lan said helplessly, then sighed, "What's so good about getting married and starting a career?"

Mo Hua's eyes darted around, he thought for a moment, and said: "Are you avoiding marriage?"

Zhang Lan was stunned for a moment. "Why would you say that?"

"Xiao Fu told me that family marriages focus on spirit root compatibility, forcing people... no, forcing marriages and arrangements are not up to you."

Mo Hua looked at Zhang Lan and said, "You ran so far and don't want to go back, so you must not want the family to arrange a marriage, to marry a woman you don't like, and live a lifetime of depression."

After saying this, Mo Hua nodded, feeling that his guess was very reasonable.

Zhang Lan sighed. "That's partly right, but not entirely. I just don't want to go back to the family."

"Not going back for New Year?"

Zhang Lan said seriously, "I am now a Dao Court standard officer. I should maintain the stability of Tong Xian City. How can I go back on such an important day as New Year?"

"Isn't a Dao Court standard officer busy? Can they let you stroll around idle like this?"

Zhang Lan said disapprovingly, "I'm on duty right now, not strolling idle. The palm officer knows, and he won't say anything."

"Really?" Mo Hua didn't believe him.

"Of course."

Mo Hua said "oh" and pointed at Zhang Lan's back. "The palm officer seems to be calling you over. He doesn't seem to know you're 'on duty'."

Zhang Lan's body immediately stiffened. He slowly turned his head and indeed saw the palm officer waving at him, with an expression that seemed like he was smiling but not smiling.

Patrolling is a habit of Dao Court standard officers.

During such important festivals, the palm officer also needs to lead the duty, patrol the four directions, to prevent cultivators from gathering and causing trouble.

Zhang Lan, who was originally slacking off and wandering around, was caught and could only force a smile.

Mo Hua was a little gloating and was just about to slip away, but he was grabbed by Zhang Lan. "Come with me."

"What would I go over for? I'm not with the Dao Court standard officers."

"You'll come with me and patrol with the palm officer," Zhang Lan didn't want to let Mo Hua run off.

"I'm not going."

"How many cultivators in Tong Xian City dream of this opportunity and can't get it? At your young age, being able to patrol with the palm officer, you should feel extremely honored."

"Then you go and be honored yourself," Mo Hua said.

He wasn't unfamiliar with the palm officer. He even sent gifts to the palm officer for New Year. At this time, there was no need to force himself to go.

Moreover, patrolling with the palm officer was both boring and restrictive. How could it be as free as strolling around by himself?

But before Mo Hua could run off, he discovered that the palm officer also waved at him.

This time, Mo Hua couldn't run. He could only secretly sigh and reluctantly went with Zhang Lan to greet the palm officer.

Palm Officer Zhou originally felt that this kind of patrol was very boring. The people following him were mostly elders from some families or sects, who falsely flattered him, with smiles that didn't reach their eyes.

It was dull and tasteless.

For so many years, Palm Officer Zhou had already gotten used to it. But then he saw Zhang Lan and Mo Hua happily strolling around in the distance, unrestrained, even with eyebrows flying and expressions dancing, not knowing what they were saying.

Palm Officer Zhou's heart suddenly felt a little off.

So he waved his hand, called Zhang Lan, and then called Mo Hua, asking them to stroll with him.

Joy can be shared, and tastelessness can also be shared.

With Zhang Lan, a young person, and Mo Hua, a child, accompanying him, the patrol naturally became much more interesting. At least it wouldn't be as boring as before.

Mo Hua glared at Zhang Lan resentfully. If he hadn't pulled him, he would have run off.

Zhang Lan blinked at Mo Hua, meaning 'endure for now, I'll apologize to you next time'.

Mo Hua could only follow the palm officer on the patrol.

Palm Officer Zhou asked Mo Hua about things from time to time, such as cultivator customs, demon beast materials, cakes, and snacks, and so on.

Mo Hua answered one by one.

Like this, Mo Hua was forced to be on duty with Zhang Lan for a day, accompanying Old Palm Officer Zhou on an uneventful stroll around the streets.

Palm Officer Zhou was very satisfied. Mo Hua could only sigh in his heart.