Getting Paid (Part 1)

Although he did not yet know if cultivation in this world could extend a person's lifespan, or by how much, Lin Xiao felt that it definitely could.

After all, the information written by the system was Qi Condensation.

Since the levels of the immortal cultivation system were the same as the ones he knew, the function to increase lifespan should also be retained, right?

Otherwise, who could achieve true fruition within a normal human lifespan?

Hearing Lin Xiao say this, everyone at the table, including the usually taciturn Lin Yan and Lin Ying, began to form their own thoughts.

Eldest Aunt Lin, who was sitting to the side, immediately spoke up to Lin Xiao:

Sanlang, look at your eldest cousin...

Lin Lei, the eldest grandson of the Lin family who was the same age as Lin Yun, involuntarily squeezed the half steamed bun in his hand out of shape and immediately interrupted his mother:

Mother, I will not cultivate. I want to work at home.

Eldest Aunt Lin became anxious:

What prospects do you have just working at home? Look at Sanlang. He cultivated for a few days, learned spells, and earned three taels of silver just by taking a trip to town!

Seeing this, Lin Xiao quickly interrupted to stop the argument:

Stop, stop, stop. Eldest Aunt Lin, Eldest Cousin, look, your original intentions are actually for each other's own good, right? There is no need for us to turn this goodwill into a heavy argument that ruins everyone's mood. Whatever thoughts you have, just state your reasons directly, lay everything out clearly, and discuss it properly. Do not confront each other angrily and turn a good thing into a bad thing, do you not agree?

Eldest Aunt Lin and Lin Lei, who were gearing up for a fierce debate, both blushed upon hearing Lin Xiao's words and swallowed the anger that was about to erupt.

Old Master Lin nodded from the side:

Sanlang is right. You should discuss this privately. Talk about it once you have come to a decision, but do not argue in front of the whole family.

Lin Xiao then said to everyone:

Once you have discussed it, anyone who wants to come and cultivate with me is welcome to join. Do not worry or overthink it. He then turned to the two elders of the Lin family. Including Grandpa and Grandma, if you two want to come, I will definitely welcome you anytime! Please do not be shy with me.

Prompted by Lin Xiao's words, those in the Lin family who had ideas started pondering in their hearts.

After dinner.

It was temporarily unknown how everyone would discuss the matter.

Lin Dayou took Lin Yun and headed home.

On the way, Lin Xiao repeatedly asked Lin Dayou:

Dad, are you really not going to cultivate with me? It prolongs life! Do not make me and my brother sad in the future! Dad, let me tell you, there is a thing called an inner demon in immortal cultivation. If you do not cultivate with me and my brother, and we have to watch you pass away early in the future, it might become our inner demon. This will delay our cultivation progress...

Pah, pah, pah! Lin Dayou raised his hand and smacked the back of Lin Xiao's head. Why are you cursing your own dad!

Lin Xiao covered his painfully smacked head and said aggrievedly:

What I am saying is true, I am not tricking you, Dad...

Lin Dayou turned his head away and firmly refused:

I am not listening! Shut up!

Lin Xiao sighed.

What a stubborn middle-aged man.

Even though his dad was only thirty-two years old.

Upon returning home, Lin Xiao immediately asked Lin Dayou for the money he had earned today.

Lin Dayou could not stand his money-grubbing look and tossed the entire pouch into his arms with great disdain.

Lin Xiao happily carried an armful of copper coins into the room. He took some straw rope and strung the coins together, one hundred to a string, making seven strings in total.

Then, he put one of the strings into his own private stash.

This was his salary for the month!

That is right.

Lin Xiao was distributing salaries.

He planned to give each current sect member a salary of one hundred copper coins from now on, except for Little Luan, who probably did not need money.

With the remaining money, he intended to buy some grain from the wealthy families in the village and store it on the mountain to cover everyone's daily food expenses.

Otherwise, everyone having to bring their own dry rations up the mountain every day to cultivate did not really look like a proper sect.

Although he could not let everyone live up there just yet, being able to cook meals at the sect was still a step forward!

Lin Xiao was very optimistic about the sect's development prospects.

Night fell.

A few scattered lights lit up in Xiushui Village.

No matter how busy the villagers were outside, they all began to return home at this time.

It could be said that in the entire Xiushui Village, Lin Xiao was probably the only one running outside at this hour.

Carrying a storage bag stuffed full of copper coins in his arms, he prepared to go pay his sect members.

Even though everyone did not know they actually had a stipend.

But who in this world did not love getting paid?

Putting himself in their shoes, Lin Xiao imagined that if it were him, getting paid a second earlier would mean a second earlier of happiness!

Therefore, he decisively resolved not to leave these copper coins until tomorrow.

Fresh copper coins earned today would not be fresh anymore if kept overnight.

So, after stringing the coins together, he immediately stepped out into the night.

Off to distribute the wages to everyone!

Lin Xiao's first stop was, of course, his older brother Lin Yun's room.

Like a thief, Lin Xiao sneaked up to the outside of Lin Yun's room, gently pushed the door open, and walked in.

There was no helping it; his family generally did not latch the doors before going to bed, so anyone could easily push the door open and enter.

Seeing him walk in so sneakily, Lin Yun could not help but ask in confusion:

Erlang, what are you doing? Generally at home, Lin Yun called Lin Xiao Erlang. Only when they were at the old family estate would he follow the old estate's seniority ranking and call him Sanlang.

Lin Xiao walked over to Lin Yun, who was making his bed, grabbed one of his hands, took a string of copper coins from his storage bag, and slapped it into his hand:

Big brother, this is your sect stipend for the month!

Seeing clearly that it was a large string of copper coins in his hand, Lin Yun jumped in fright and tried to shove it back to Lin Xiao:

This! Erlang, take it back quickly. Did you not say you were going to save the money you earned today to build our sect?

Lin Xiao immediately dodged and said:

That is right! Paying the sect members is also a part of building the sect! Big brother, keep it safe. Everyone gets it, so there is no reason to leave out my own brother. Keep it, keep it, I am off!

Before his voice even faded, Lin Xiao swiftly darted out the door and left the house.

Lin Yun wanted to return the money to Lin Xiao, but unfortunately, he was completely outmatched in cultivation and simply could not catch up!

So Lin Yun had no choice but to return to his room and continue cultivating.

He had to strive to catch up to this younger brother as soon as possible! At the very least, next time he would not be completely unable to even touch the hem of his clothes!

As for the second stop on Lin Xiao's wage-distribution tour, he arrived at the home of Tietou, who lived in the middle of the village.

There was no helping it; out of the entire sect, only he and Lin Yun lived at the east end of the village.

Meanwhile, Hu was the largest surname in the village and also the one that had lived in Xiushui Village the longest, so most of the Hu clansmen lived in the central area of the village.

Tietou Hu Liang and the Hu clan patriarch, Hu Deli, were actually close relatives within three generations. According to their generational standing, he even had to address Patriarch Hu as Great-Uncle.