Shui Ling joked, "Miss, people say 'first think, then curse, then mutter,' but I think two sneezes don't necessarily mean someone is cursing you. Maybe it's because you've been thinking about it!"
Jiayin laughed heartily upon hearing this and casually replied, "So, three sneezes mean you've been thinking and thinking, and thinking some more?"
Shui Ling burst into laughter.
Old Lady Li was chatting with Chen Xi when she saw the two of them looking so happy, so she asked, "What good news is there that makes you two so happy?"
"It's nothing, Grandma, I just taught a good-for-nothing a lesson." Jiayin casually replied, and then began to take stock of the accounts.
Grandma Li ate her snacks and treats, occasionally being hugged by her granddaughter who would happily show off her earnings, which made her happy too.
After reviewing the account books, the grandfather and grandson took a walk in the Hundred Flowers Garden.
Coincidentally, Lu Zong and Jia Xu were also there. They greeted each other and it was quite lively.
Jiayin instructed Shuiling to take a jade melon from the car, cut it up, and then invited Lu Zong and Jia Xu to sit down.
"Brother Lu, Brother Jia, what brings you here?"
Jia Xu smiled and said, "I'm here to keep you company today. Your Brother Lu needs to buy some flowers, so I came with him for a stroll."
Lu Zong also laughed and said, "An elder of a family friend is having a birthday celebration, and I wanted to buy some golden lotus flowers from the basin, but they don't have any here!"
"I was originally planning to go to Broken Gold Beach to ask you for help again, but you and Grandma came here instead."
For the past two years, Lu Zong and Jia Xu have been inseparable from the boys in the family, and Grandma Li treats them as her own juniors.
She beamed with joy, especially when Lu Zong called her "Grandma".
She replied, "You've come to Jiayin for this; she has lots of beautiful flowers in her greenhouse."
Just then, Shui Ling brought over a plate of jade melons. Jia Yin told them to take some and eat them themselves, and also gave Shui Ling some instructions.
"There are three melons left in the car. Cut one for Master Cao and the others to quench their thirst, and send the other two to the relief office. Second Uncle must be there."
Old Cao, who was serving nearby, quickly stepped forward to bow and express his gratitude upon hearing this.
Jiayin said, "Master Cao, I'll have someone send five more pots of golden lotus tomorrow. Remember to pick out a good one for Brother Lu."
"Yes, Princess." Old Cao quickly withdrew.
Lu Zong didn't stand on ceremony and pleaded with a smile, "Sister Jiayin, if you have any peaches at home, please send me a few more. It would be the perfect gift for an elder's birthday celebration, a longevity peach would be the icing on the cake."
Jiayin feigned distress, wrinkling her nose as she replied, "Alright, there are only ten peaches left on my peach tree. I'll give six to Brother Lu, and the remaining four will probably go into Baozhu's stomach..."
"I'm so pitiful. I worked so hard to grow peaches, and in the end, you all picked them all."
Everyone couldn't help but laugh. Mr. Lu quickly said, "I have a pair of hibiscus jade peaches. I'll bring them to you next time I go to Broken Gold Beach, as an exchange."
"Haha, that's more like it." Jiayin immediately beamed, which made everyone laugh again.
After eating the jade melon and chatting for a while, Lu Zong and Jia Xu said their goodbyes, and Jia Yin accompanied her grandmother back to Suijintan.
Leaving aside the matter of Broken Gold Beach, let's just say that the Wu family's carriage went straight out of the city and headed for Qingcheng Temple.
Qingcheng Temple is located on Qingcheng Mountain, more than 30 miles southwest of Xindu, and was not originally very famous.
There were more than a dozen Taoist priests, three main halls, and more than a dozen rooms for the priests to live in.
But ever since the imperial court moved the capital here, the area has become overcrowded, and the young women and wives in each household, who are going crazy from being cooped up in their backyards, always need to find an excuse to go out for a stroll.
Therefore, going to the Taoist temple to burn incense and pray for the safety of the whole family became the best excuse.
Qingcheng Temple, being neither too far nor too close, is the best place to visit.
With more people coming and going, and more people making wishes, there are always a few whose wishes come true.
As word spread, Qingcheng Temple became more and more famous, and even more people came to visit.
The original site wasn't big enough, so seven or eight small courtyards were added afterward.
It's also convenient for distinguished guests to rest temporarily when they come over.
Even the small villages at the foot of the mountain saw an increase of over a hundred households in three years, all relying on Qingcheng Temple for survival.
There were people carrying sedan chairs up the mountain, vendors selling snacks and various incense and candle supplies; it was incredibly lively.
To show her sincerity, Madam Wu got off the carriage and, accompanied by Granny Sun, two maids, two guards, and a steward, went straight up the mountain.
There were seven or eight people, especially Madam Wu, who was dressed in fine clothes and surrounded by a large entourage, which was quite eye-catching.
At first, everything went well. Mrs. Wu climbed a hundred stone steps in one go, and it went very smoothly.
But it won't work if you go any higher.
The autumn sun was blazing, and Mrs. Wu's makeup was almost ruined.
Granny Sun and her two maids practically supported their mistress as they climbed over fifty more steps, leaving the entire group exhausted.
Granny Sun pointed to the path beside her and said, "Madam, there seems to be a small pavilion over there. It's very shady. Let's go and rest there."
Madam Wu was quite old and had never suffered like this before. When she heard that she could rest, she immediately agreed.
So the group of people changed their route in a flash. The path turned past the bushes, and sure enough, there was a small thatched pavilion.
Granny Sun helped her master sit down, and then sent her nephew and the guards to the temple to find clean spring water for her master to quench his thirst.
My nephew is still feeling uneasy about the trouble he caused earlier.
Along the way, he chatted with the two guards and managed to find out all the details about Princess Kangle and Baiyun.
Even now, his knees are still weak.
He was afraid that his master would find out that he had caused trouble, so when he heard about this opportunity to show off, he immediately took action, grabbed the water bottle and left with his men.
Madam Wu pulled out a handkerchief and fanned herself from time to time, complaining, "What season is it? It's still so hot. I should have brought a fan."
“Yes, it’s almost September. If we were in the old Kyoto, it would be snowing by now.” Granny Sun chimed in, getting up to pick two large leaves from a nearby tree.
Perhaps because the leaves were growing so sturdily, she made quite a commotion.
Then, she used leaves as fans to fan her master, which pleased Madam Wu greatly.
Madam Wu leaned against the pavilion pillar, about to speak, when she saw a Taoist priest in blue robes emerge from the woods not far away.
Perhaps due to his advanced age, the Taoist's hair and beard had turned white, and his long white eyebrows drooped down.
But he didn't have many wrinkles on his face, and his complexion was very rosy and healthy.
In particular, his eyes were clear and bright, carrying a compassionate gaze upon all living beings.
A jade whisk rested on his left arm, while he stroked his white beard with his right hand…
The old man before me was described as having an air of otherworldly grace and refinement.
Madam Wu sat up straight instinctively, and Granny Sun couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh my, how old is this old immortal? His eyebrows are a foot long!"
Before Madam Wu could speak, the old Taoist priest looked at them and spoke.
"No wonder there is purple aura surrounding this place; it turns out that a distinguished person is coming and going."
Having said that, he turned to leave, but then suddenly turned back, frowning as he carefully examined Madam Wu. He muttered under his breath, "No, this is an omen of dark clouds obscuring the moon! What a pity, what a pity..."
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