Chapter 187 She's not Sister Achan at all
The little incident they encountered along the way did not spoil Achan's good mood. When they arrived at the front street, the troupe was still preparing, so she and Chen Hui went to a street stall to buy fried dough sticks to fill their stomachs.
After eating my way around, it was already late afternoon when I returned. More and more people were gathering on the street, and the street performers finally began their show.
The two didn't leave Yongning Ward until half an hour before curfew. When they left, they had no copper coins left, having given them all away as tips.
On the way back, Achan discussed with Chen Hui about coming back another day, and Chen Hui readily agreed.
Achan didn't go back to sit in the carriage; instead, she sat next to Chen Hui, occasionally feeding her a piece of peanut brittle she had just bought from the stall.
As the carriage passed through Kaimingfang, Achan turned her head and stared at the long wall along the street for a while. Chen Hui noticed this and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Achan pointed over there and said, "That's the Lin family's residence."
"The Lin family?" Chen Hui paused for a moment before realizing which Lin family she was referring to. "Speaking of which, the Emperor recently granted a general amnesty. Was the Lin family also pardoned?"
"Yes, if nothing unexpected happens, they should be arriving in the capital soon."
Two days later, a somewhat familiar customer came to Achan's shop.
When the person arrived, Achan was mixing perfumes in the shop. Suddenly, she heard the person call her "Achan," and she didn't react for a moment.
Seeing the man walking towards her with some agitation, Achan looked him over and suddenly realized who he was.
This man was over forty years old, dark-skinned and thin, but with regular features, and looked somewhat like the Lin family member in Ji Chan's memory.
Lin's eldest brother was not this young; this is Ji Chan's second maternal uncle.
Ji Chan didn't have a deep impression of her second uncle because they didn't see each other often. The last time they met was two years ago. Back then, her second uncle was kind and plump, but he had changed a lot since then.
As Achan stood up, she smiled and called out to the other person, "Second Uncle."
"Sigh." Lin Chenghe responded, his eyes reddening. "These past few days have really been tough on you."
They returned home yesterday. They thought it was good enough that the whole family was back safely, and they didn't dare to ask for too much. But then the eldest brother's former colleague came to visit and reminded them that they could go to the government to retrieve the family property that had been confiscated.
They went to investigate, and to their surprise, all the valuables were returned to them.
Only after the eldest brother bribed the officials did they learn that their family received such preferential treatment because someone from higher up had given them a message.
They initially thought it was a message from the Marquis of Jinyang's residence, but later learned how many heinous things the Marquis of Jinyang had done after their family was exiled.
Ah Chan had no idea what her second uncle had found out, but he looked at her with exceptional pity.
She was really not used to dealing with such a scene, so she could only reassure him, "Second Uncle, you don't need to worry about me. I was just a little unaccustomed to it at first, but with my aunt taking care of me, I'm doing very well."
Upon hearing Ah Chan mention Xiao Lin Shi, Lin Chenghe sighed, clearly already aware of his half-sister's plight.
“It’s all because we’re useless that your mother and your aunt lost their lives.”
"Second Uncle, what are you saying? If you really have to blame someone, blame the wickedness of people's hearts."
Lin Chenghe nodded repeatedly, but in his heart he was filled with emotion. His niece used to be quiet and obedient, and she always listened to her mother. He wondered how much she had suffered to be as calm and composed as she was now.
Achan invited the man to sit down, poured tea for Lin Chenghe, and asked him about the Lin family.
Lin Chenghe told her everything he knew, and even recounted a small incident that happened on the way back to Beijing.
"On the way back to the capital, we encountered a monster, but fortunately we were saved by a passing wandering Taoist priest."
"It was so dangerous. I wonder where that Taoist priest is now. We should thank him handsomely."
Lin Chenghe nodded repeatedly: "That's right. Originally, that Taoist priest was also coming to the capital to visit a friend, so your uncle invited him to stay at his home so that he could take care of him."
At this point, Lin Chenghe revealed an uncontrollable smile: "The other day, the Taoist priest said that my little Jing has talent for cultivation and is willing to take him as a disciple."
That's really good news.
Ah Chan remembered that her second uncle had two sons and a daughter. The second son was named Lin Wenjing, and he should be eight years old this year. If he really had the talent for cultivation, it would indeed be a good thing.
After chatting about trivial matters, Achan asked, "I wonder if things have settled down at home yet? I'd like to visit my maternal grandfather."
Mentioning his father, Lin Chenghe's face showed worry: "I came here today to talk to you about this. Your maternal grandfather's health is getting worse and worse. Now that he knows that your mother and your aunt have had an accident, he blames himself for not judging people well back then. I thought if you could visit him when you have time, it would be some comfort."
Achan immediately said, "Second Uncle, there's no need for such formalities. How about tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow is fine too. It just so happens that Wenjing is going to formally become Master Lü's disciple tomorrow. You can join in the fun."
"Okay, it's settled then."
Ah Chan chatted with Lin Cheng for half the afternoon before seeing him off. She was thinking about going to the Lin family tomorrow and preparing some gifts for the visit.
Fortunately, Chen Hui understood all of this, so A Chan didn't have to put in much effort.
The next morning, Achan specially chose a dress in a simple color, which was Ji Chan's usual style.
Just after Chen Shi (7-9 AM), she got off the carriage and knocked on the Lin family's door.
The Lin family had just returned to the capital, and all the servants from the mansion had already left. The newly hired gatekeeper didn't recognize Achan, but upon hearing that she had come to visit her master, he told her to wait outside while he went in to announce her arrival.
A short while later, Lin Chenghe personally came out to greet them.
Seeing that Achan had brought gifts, he pretended to be displeased: "You child, why are you being so polite when you come to your own home?"
Achan joked, "This is for my maternal grandfather. Second Uncle, please don't embezzle my gift."
"You," Lin Chenghe couldn't help but laugh. After returning home yesterday, he had told his family about Achan's personality change. At that time, his family did not believe him and thought he was just trying to comfort them. They should meet the child so that they would believe that Achan was doing well now.
Lin Chenghe took Achan to the main house of the Lin family. Now, Ji Chan's maternal uncle, Lin Chengli, was in charge of the household, and the main house was where their family lived.
As he walked, he said to Achan, "You've come at the right time. The apprenticeship ceremony will begin soon, and your maternal grandfather will be there too."
As soon as Achan entered the main room, she immediately saw the old man sitting in the main seat. He was Ji Chan's maternal grandfather, Lin Hongxin. He was now thin and pale, and his clothes did not fit him well because he was too thin.
Upon seeing Lin Chenghe bring Achan in, Lin Hongxin appeared somewhat excited. He leaned on the armrest of the chair to get up, and after a couple of attempts, he stood up shakily and took two steps forward.
Lin Chengli, the eldest son of the Lin family, who was sitting to his left, quickly stepped forward to help his father.
"It's Xiao Chan."
"Grandfather," Achan bowed to the other party, then said to Lin Chengli, "Uncle."
Lin Hongxin looked Achan up and down. Seeing her current appearance, he knew she was doing well, and his guilt towards his daughter eased a little: "Good, it's good that you're alright."
Lin Chengli helped Lin Hongxin back to his chair and then had Achan sit down with the old man and chat about his recent situation.
Achan only said that she took her mother's dowry from the Marquis of Jinyang's mansion and opened a shop in Changpingfang.
Upon hearing her mention the Marquis of Jinyang's residence, Lin Hongxin thought of his own daughter again and said in a trembling voice, "If I had known earlier, if I had known that Ji Heng was such a heartless scoundrel, how could I have married Yue Niang to him!"
Lin Chengli and his brother quickly tried to soothe the old man, saying, "Father, it's not your fault. People's hearts are fickle."
"Change my ass! He's a terrible person. When he was asking for Yue Niang's hand in marriage, he said he was devoted to her. But what about now? To get his mistress into the family, he used such a despicable excuse to smear Yue Niang. He even abandoned their own daughter. He deserves to be childless!"
The Lin family is still able to remain calm now only because they know what the Marquis of Jinyang has gone through this year.
“This matter cannot be left unresolved. Even if Yue Niang is gone, Xiao Chan will still need a good reputation when she gets married. Now that we are back, Xiao Chan has someone to back her up. We must settle this score with the Ji family.”
Achan noticed that after her maternal grandfather finished speaking, her maternal uncle, Lin Chengli, remained silent.
Come to think of it, the Lin family has only returned to the capital, but their official positions are gone. No matter how unhappy the Marquis of Jinyang is, he is still a marquis. How can the Lin family possibly go head-to-head with the Marquis's mansion now?
“Grandfather, let’s talk about this another day.” Achan didn’t care about her reputation and didn’t want to get involved with the Ji family. Otherwise, she would have agreed when Ji Zhuang came to her that day.
Lin Hongxin seemed to want to say something more, but Achan changed the subject: "I heard that Wenjing is going to take a master today, but where are Wenjing and that Taoist priest?"
Lin Chenghe quickly replied, "I'll go take a look."
After a short while, Lin Chenghe led in a young Taoist priest who looked to be in his early thirties and was wearing a Taoist robe.
This Taoist priest possessed an extraordinary air about him, with piercing eyes and a shrill gait. He walked so silently that not a sound could be heard, clearly indicating that he had some level of cultivation.
After the Taoist priest entered the room, Old Master Lin invited him to take the seat of honor, and then introduced Achan to him.
“This is my granddaughter, Ji Chan. This Taoist priest, Master Lü, is our Lin family’s savior.”
Seeing that Master Lü was looking over, Achan nodded to him and said, "Master Lü."
Master Lü's gaze swept across A Chan's face, and he nodded slightly.
After the group sat down, a short while later, a young man was led in by a woman. The woman was Lin Chengli's wife and her youngest son, Wenjing.
After exchanging greetings with her second aunt, Achan turned around and saw Lin Wenjing looking at her with unfamiliar eyes.
“Wenjing.” Achan waved to him.
Lin Wenjing hid behind his mother and did not reply.
Madam Lin explained somewhat awkwardly to Achan, "This child was frightened a while ago and hasn't recovered yet."
Achan didn't care. Children don't have very good memories, and after more than two years apart, he probably didn't even remember that Ji Chan was his older sister.
With everyone present, the apprenticeship ceremony officially began.
The ceremony was not complicated. Master Lü simply requested a formal occasion and time, with the Lin family as witnesses, to formally accept Lin Wenjing as his disciple.
After drinking the tea for the apprenticeship ceremony, Master Lü took out a token and handed it to Lin Wenjing, saying, "This is the token of our sect. Keep it safe. When you have achieved success in your cultivation, I will take you back to our sect."
"Disciple has remembered." Lin Wenjing accepted the token with both hands and kowtowed to Master Lü.
The whole family watched this scene with satisfaction.
Achan glanced at the token, which looked like an antique, suggesting that the Taoist priest must have some background.
After the apprenticeship ceremony, Old Master Lin was feeling a bit tired, but he still wanted to talk to Achan. Achan persuaded him, saying that she would come to visit him again the next day, and told him to go back and rest first, which finally made him leave.
Ah Chan stayed at the Lin family's house until noon. After lunch, she was about to take her leave when a maid rushed in and said to Madam Lin in a hurry, "Madam, something bad has happened! The young master has been haunted and hasn't woken up."
Madam Lin Er threw down her chopsticks and ran outside. Lin Chenghe was also worried about his son and turned to look at Master Lü.
When they encountered a monster a while ago, his youngest son was so frightened that he lost his mind, and it was Master Lü who cured him.
Master Lü calmly stood up and said to them, "Let's go take a look together."
His phrase "together" naturally included Achan, and Achan couldn't leave at this time, so she also went to the second wife's residence.
Madam Lin had arrived earlier, and she was holding her youngest son, looking completely lost.
Lin Wenjing's eyes were tightly closed, his fists clenched, and his forehead was covered in sweat. No matter how much they called him, he wouldn't open his eyes. Just as the maid had said, he looked as if he were possessed by a nightmare.
Upon seeing this, Master Lü put his hands together and said, "Shake."
He quickly tapped Lin Wenjing's forehead, and a dark silver light flashed. The half-grown child finally opened his eyes.
He looked around blankly at first, until his gaze fell on Achan, and he grabbed his mother's hand and screamed, "Mother, monster! She's not my cousin, she's a monster!"
At the same moment, Achan heard a very faint crisp sound. She lowered her gaze and looked at the tortoise shell hanging at her waist.
A faint crack appeared on the jade-like white tortoise shell.
She remembered that when the high priest gave her the tortoise shell, he told her that keeping the white worm shell by her side could serve as a warning.
When they first entered, the tortoise shell gave no warning, but after Master Lü made his move, there was a warning. What exactly did Master Lü expel from Lin Wenjing?
What dream did Lin Wenjing have that made her point at her and call her a monster?
What I thought was just a simple visit to relatives seems to have become more complicated.
Lin Wenjing's words naturally did not attract the attention of the Lin family. They simply assumed that he was frightened and mistook the unfamiliar Achan for a monster from his dream.
While holding and comforting her son, Madam Lin looked apologetically at Achan, wanting to explain, "Wenjing, this child..."
Before she could finish speaking, Lin Wenjing cried and pointed at Achan, saying she was a monster and demanding that his master drive her away.
The child's screams were quite shrill, so Master Lü turned and glanced at Ah Chan a few times before saying in a deep voice, "Miss Ji, why don't you leave for now?"
Achan looked up at the other person, but Master Lü's gaze was unwavering, instead carrying a scrutinizing quality.
Given the current situation, it wasn't suitable to stay any longer, so Achan said to Lin Chengli, who was standing beside her, "Uncle, you take care of Wenjing first. I'll leave now and come to visit my maternal grandfather again tomorrow."
"Okay, I'll take you." Lin Chengli's head was buzzing from Lin Wenjing's crying, but his nephew was only a few years old, and he couldn't argue with a child. He could only let his niece suffer today.
Lin Chengli escorted Achan to the door. After Achan left, when he went to the second room, the crying had stopped.
Upon entering the room, seeing Lin Wenjing sobbing, he teased, "How old are you, still crying?"
"Uncle, she's a monster. She's not Sister Achan at all."
Lin Chengli didn't take his nephew's words to heart, only saying, "You little rascal, don't talk nonsense in front of your sister next time, or she'll be heartbroken."
Lin Wenjing kept shaking his head: "Uncle, I'm not lying to you. She really is a monster. I saw it. She has a tail."
"You're just dreaming."
"No, I dreamt that she killed Sister Achan and took over her body. When I woke up just now, I saw that she had a tail."
Lin Wenjing's words were so true that Lin Chengli frowned and looked at his younger brother and sister-in-law beside him, not knowing what to say.
At this moment, Master Lü spoke up: "Let Wenjing rest, let's go out first."
Master Lü came out of the house first, followed by the Lin brothers.
After closing the door, Lin Chenghe, worried about his son's health, asked anxiously, "Master Lü, what's wrong with Wenjing?"
Master Lü frowned, looking troubled.
Seeing his reaction, Lin Chenghe became even more worried, thinking that he had some unspeakable secret, and pressed him more urgently: "Please tell me the truth, Master Lü, I can accept it no matter what."
Master Lü did not answer, but asked another question: "Do you two know anything about this niece of yours?"
The two brothers exchanged a glance, and Lin Chenghe nodded hesitantly: "Before the Lin family's incident, Achan would occasionally come back with her mother. She was a very sensible girl, and she had a good relationship with Wenjing."
“That’s the problem.” Master Lü said with a serious expression. “I took Wenjing as my disciple not only because he has talent for cultivation, but also because this child has spiritual intelligence. People with spiritual intelligence are usually able to see things that ordinary people cannot see.”
"What does Master Lü mean by this?" Lin Chengli asked in a deep voice.
Master Lü only said, "Although this matter sounds absurd, you two should investigate whether the personality of this Miss Ji has changed compared to the Miss Ji you know."
The Lin brothers looked at each other. They were naturally unwilling to doubt their niece, but Master Lü had indeed saved their whole family's lives and was a man of great ability. He had no grudge against Ji Chan, so why would he make up lies?
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