Rebirth of the Genius Charlatan

n Ten Miles Village.

Under the lush pomegranate tree, a young girl in a white dress opened up her eyes as she exited from the meditation.
The young girl was about fifteen years old, her face was still slightly chubby, but her skin was so fair and lightly pinkish, just like a haze of colour in the sky.
The ambient around her was like the fragrance of peony, softness like the jade which created a touch of classical beauty on her.

At this moment, a smile swept across her eyes as she glanced at the old man sitting in his wheelchair, trimming the branches for the rose chinensis not far away, and spoke softly: “ShiFu, you old man will encounter a bloody calamity today.”

The old man nearly fell headlong into the flowers and when he reacted, he let out an “ouch!” When he glanced down, he saw a thorn on the stem of rose chinensis was stuck in his fingertip, and as he pulled it out, a bead of blood was squeezed out.

Xia Shao chuckled softly with a glint of slyness in her eyes: “See? Bloody calamity.”

As she spoke, she had gotten up and strolled into the house.

Behind her came a roar from the old man: “You little brat! Always make fun of your ShiFu all day long, do you have any respect for the elderly and the virtuous in your eyes!”

As the scolding fell, Xia Shao had returned with a box of ointment in her hand as she replied with a faint smile: “Here, isn’t this a tribute to the elderly and respectful?”

As soon as Tang ZongBo saw the box of ointment in her hand, he waved his hand around and rejected: “Come on, your ShiFu isn’t like you, little girls.
It’s just a drop of blood from the finger, I don’t need to apply any ointment!”

However, Xia Shao ignored him and squatted down to carefully apply the ointment for the old man then glanced up and informed him: “ShiFu, I will be heading out today as I’m meeting friends for a stroll and I will be leaving soon.
I’ll return in the afternoon and live with you on the mountain during my holidays then.”

Over the years, Xia Shao had always lived in the mountains with her ShiFu during the holidays break.
If it wasn’t for Liu CuiCui, Du Ping, and Pang Dun, who would ask her out sometimes to play, or else she wouldn’t even leave the mountain for the whole break.
After all, when she returned to the city to study, she could only visit her ShiFu on the weekend.

Over the years, although Tang ZongBo was nominally her ShiFu, the old man was like her grandfather in her heart.
In all conscience, her grandfather Xia GuoXi didn’t even show her love as much as Tang ZongBo did.

Also, Xia Shao had gradually learned a few things about Tang ZongBo’s past.
His wife died early and he had no children.
In Tang ZongBo’s eyes, Xia Shao was like his granddaughter.

The reluctance in Xia Shao’s eyes was seen by Tang ZongBo and he couldn’t help and sigh: “Alas! Dumb child! You have followed me for many years, so you should have known long ago that heaven’s way is constant, and life is impermanent.
No banquet in the world never ends.
You and I are master and disciple, we are already linked in fate.”

Despite these words, there was a look of consolation in the old man’s eyes.
The Xuan Sect’s acceptance of disciples was based on character and filial piety, and this child was a rare find in such regard.

“Enough, enough.
Why are you treating it like we are parting for life and death? ShiFu is only sixty-five this year and I still have many years to live! You wanted to go down the mountain, then hurry up, what are you dawdling about?” Tang ZongBo acted out like an impatient old man who was blowing his beard and glared at Xia Shao while trying to shoo her away.

Xia Shao smiled and stood up: “Well, I’ll be leaving then.
We’re going to the town and will be back in the afternoon.”

“To the town? You this little girl, are you going to the antique market again?  Stop buying things back, your ShiFu’s backyard has become your warehouse already!” Tang ZongBo glared at her and bluffed with a hint of laughter in his eyes.

Xia Shao also smiled, over the years, she had collected a hundred or so treasures from the antique market.
Every time she hid them in her school bag, not daring to let her parents know, nor could she leave them at her grandparent’s house, she had to bring them up to the mountain and let ShiFu help her keep them.
ShiFu had a special room in the backyard just for her to keep these antiques.
Now there were five or six shelves full of antiques and they were all authentic!

She kept it in the storage and saved it until today.

This year was the summer of 1997, and Hong Kong had just returned to China.
In a short time, some Hong Kong businessmen would arrive in East City, and the ceramics and antique industries were about to begin their revival.
Within three years, the economic momentum of the East City would begin to soar.

It was about time for her to be rewarded for all the treasures she had found in those years.

In her previous life, her father had been laid off just around the next summer, when she had graduated from junior high school, so she should be able to make it!

Made it in time to change all that!

(T/N: Finally managed to finish translating.
I’ve injured my wirsts so the update for RGC will be delayed and I’ll be focusing on another novel so the next chapter will depend on when I’ve completed translating it.
Sorry for the irregular update.
Thank you all for your kind patience and reading.
)