Twenty-three: The Wilderness of Guangmo, Part Two
"What a huge bamboo basket!"
It was indeed huge. Mingjin carried the basket, which reached up to her neck and lower back. Zhulian had never seen anything so big. She was slender, and after the basket was placed on the ground, she stepped inside. However, it was a little uncomfortable, so she played with it for a short while before crawling out.
"Lotus roots and lotus pods, right? Leave them to me, I have plenty." With that, Zhu Lian grabbed the basket by the shoulder strap with one hand and disappeared in an instant.
"Don't you have that little bag that can hold everything? Why did you bring this all the way here?" Zhui Lian asked curiously.
It was another gathering of the forest. Mingjin was surprised when she received the news, as she had just left the city. She had thought the gathering would only take place in the spring, but the boss told her, "There will be another one before autumn. After that, we won't see each other for the whole winter. We'll meet again in the spring."
"I'm mainly worried about mud and water getting in the way, which will make it harder for me to wash."
Mingjin shook her head helplessly, then took out a palm-sized piece of clean white paper from her pouch, walked over to Caoxiu, and asked her if she had any more of that kind of paper, as she wanted a few more.
"What, is this kind of paper particularly good for drawing?" Zhui Lian moved Zhu Lian's little stool over to Cao Xiu, and the two of them sat together around Cao Xiu.
"No, it's just that I'm helping my friend improve his spell. After trying it out, this kind of paper is the best for making spells. But we use up a sheet of paper very quickly. If we can only see it again in the spring, then I'll have to buy a few more sheets."
"I only have one here. If you need more, wait for me a moment, I'll go get them and come back later."
“You can speak now,” Mingjin said with delight upon hearing Caoxiu speak. “Congratulations on your achievements.”
Cao Xiu smiled and nodded, then got up and disappeared into the woods behind.
“We’re doing business after all; it would be troublesome if we couldn’t communicate,” Zhui Lian said.
"Perfect timing, I have something to give you."
As she spoke, Mingjin took out a rectangular box from her pouch. Zhuilian looked closely and saw that inside was a bracelet made of two pale yellow-green beads, with two large pomegranate-colored beads as pendants: "I made this recently, and I'm giving it to you and Zhuilian."
"It's so beautiful," Zhui Lian said involuntarily, taking it out and examining it closely in her palm. "You must have put a lot of effort into making it. You're so skillful. Can we really have it?"
“Take it, don’t be polite with me. This is also part of my training in making magical artifacts. If you saw the artifacts made by the elders, you would know that mine is just a crude thing. I just gave it to Boss Jiang, and he happily picked it up and started playing with it.”
“Let Zhulian choose first when she comes back,” Zhulian put the bracelet back, took the box and held it in her hand. “We heard about it from Uncle Jiang. He helped you a lot, so of course you can accept your gift as a token of our gratitude.”
"Don't mention that. Some of these beads were obtained from you last time."
"Look, is this enough?"
Zhu Lian's voice and the sound of the full bamboo basket hitting the ground collided, causing the two of them to miss what Zhu Lian said. Ming Jin and Zhu Lian turned around and saw lotus pods and a full basket stuffed on top of the bamboo basket, like a bunch of flowers.
Zhu Lian patted her hands and clothes, and the few mud spots on them quickly fell off.
“That’s enough, that’s enough,” Mingjin said with a smile. “This is enough to eat for a whole winter.”
What are you talking about?
"Look, this is a gift from Tianguang. You've run around, so pick one you like first." With that, Zhuilian handed over the box in her hand.
"Ah, so beautiful, Sister Caoxiu, isn't she beautiful?"
Zhu Lian's eyes shone brightly like pearls. Just then, Cao Xiu returned carrying five or six rolls of paper. Seeing Zhu Lian's gaze, Cao Xiu smiled happily in response.
"Then, I'll take this one." Zhu Lian couldn't tell the difference either way, and felt that either of the ones she and Zhui Lian held were fine. However, of the four pomegranate-colored pendants hanging below, one was thinner and more square, but it looked more like a pomegranate fruit. She thought this one was more interesting, so she chose it.
As Mingjin unfolded the paper roll at Caoxiu's shop and carefully inspected the goods, Zhulian, who had learned how to play with the bracelet with Zhulian's help, saw another familiar face and ran over to say, "Sister Crane, why are you late this time? Look, look, this is my new one."
"It is indeed a clever gadget."
Mingjin put the paper roll into his pouch and happened to overhear Zhulian talking to someone. The other person was a woman in her forties or fifties, with a low voice, even a little hoarse. Her hair was tied up with a half-finished wooden hairpin, and a dirty fur slung over her shoulder. She wore a gray robe of various colors.
“You must keep this safe. You usually just leave it wherever you go, but someone made this for you with great care, so keep it safe.” After saying that, she noticed the large basket. “What’s that for?”
"My friend wants some lotus root and lotus pods to make soup. He said a woman had just given birth and he wanted to eat these to help her recover."
"I see," the crane nodded. "Who is it? Are you still there?"
"Yes, it's her. Tianguang, this is Sister Crane. She's always at the Gathering of Forests. Sister Crane, this is Tianguang. This bracelet was a gift from Tianguang."
“You’re a junior,” the man named “Crane” said with a smile as he looked at her. “Zhu Lian said that you have a friend who needs postpartum nourishment. I recently hunted two deer, and after skinning them, I’ve eaten the remaining meat. If you’re interested, I can give you a discount.”
"That would be great." Hearing her say that, Mingjin was also very happy. But she casually touched her purse, wondering if she had enough money left to buy meat.
The crane simply asked Mingjin to wait a moment. While Mingjin was packing his things, the crane also came over carrying a basket containing the four legs of a deer. Judging from the size of the legs, Mingjin estimated that it was probably a robust adult deer. The fact that this hunter could hunt so many of these deer that he was tired of eating their meat showed his extraordinary skill.
The two discussed the price. Mingjin rarely encountered vendors selling deer; at most, he would find pork or mutton. He had been worried that he wouldn't have enough money, but the crane offered a very low price, costing him only his own money and his purse.
One basket for one bag.
"I just brought it over for you to choose from, I didn't expect you to take it all. You really value money too much," the crane said, having no bag of silver on her, she directly asked Mingjin for the entire money bag. "I'll take it. I have more goods to sell in the future, I'll ask the others to tell you. I'll be leaving now, goodbye."
Of the four deer legs, Mingjin kept one at home, gave one to Mengsheng, and another to Denglin. The last portion was sent to Hegengtang so that Miaosheng could add an extra dish for everyone.
"What a great hind leg!" Miao Sheng wiped the water off his hands on his apron and ran a few steps to the wooden shelf outside to examine the goods. "Good stuff, good stuff. We're having a banquet tomorrow for the Beginning of Autumn, let's make a soup for everyone."
"Is tomorrow the beginning of autumn?"
These days, Mingjin has been busy at the Fourth and Fifth Bureaus, working non-stop and losing track of time. Watching Miao Sheng's back as he led the deer leg back to the kitchen to marinate, Mingjin said helplessly.
“You must be exhausted from staying with your senior sister these past two days,” Mei Chong said, sitting next to Ming Jin and eating fruit. “Tomorrow, Master is going to dig up the wine she buried and serve it with a big piece of meat. Drinking wine and eating meat, that’s wonderful.”
"Even if I offered it to you, you wouldn't accept it."
"I don't know how to cook it. It's not worth burning the venison I finally got to see."
"You've had several bowls of lotus root soup and you're still not full? Senior Sister and Shihe have been keeping the pot burning non-stop, but they still can't keep up with what you guys are drinking."
“The lotus root was delicious, but there were only a few pieces of pork bone. One piece per person and it was gone. I didn’t get to eat my fill,” Mei Chong said regretfully. “I told my master that I don’t need to practice every day. You’ve all been treating me to food and drinks. I’m not capable on my own. I’ve already arranged with Uncle Miao to come and help him tomorrow.”
"It's easier for the cook to sneak food, isn't it?" Ming Jin saw through Mei Chong's little scheme at a glance.
"Don't talk nonsense, this is slandering my innocence," Mei Chong retorted casually. "Aren't we supposed to be working with Senior Sister today? Let's go, I'll go back with you."
"I'm always busy, day after day."
Mingjin and Huang Jing worked on the mountain until sunset. The two of them, arm in arm, chatted as they went to Miao Sheng's place for dinner. Mingjin had given away the lotus pods, fresh lotus roots, and venison yesterday. Meng Sheng and Deng Lin only collected a portion, and Mingjin distributed some around, but there was still a lot left over. In the end, he gave it to Miao Sheng, so the two of them would have a chance to eat cold lotus root salad tonight.
"I have some white fungus. I'll give you some to take home and make soup tomorrow."
Having eaten and drunk their fill, Huang Jing and Ming Jin were too tired to walk any further. Under a lantern hanging on a shelf, they sat and chatted idly.
“You can keep it. Yuanbei and I don’t care much about food, even Yazi cares more than us.”
“Yuanbei, you said before that you wouldn’t eat because it was too much trouble, but you stopped being hungry after being hungry for too long. You even used Master’s furnace to refine pills to fill your stomach, and Master threw you into Zuan’en Tower as punishment. You two really know how to use your skills in the wrong way,” Huang Jing looked at Mingjin and knew that she would just let it go in one ear and out the other, so he couldn’t help but advise her again, “Ever since you injured your neck, your pulse has been bad, and a few days ago you went on a trip outside Baicheng. During those days in Juxia, even though both of your masters were there, I guess they couldn’t do much to help you.”
"It's alright, don't worry," Ming Jin felt a little uneasy, but she couldn't tell Huang Jing the truth. "It's probably just that I didn't get enough rest."
"Never mind, I'll cook it myself and bring it over to you in a couple of days. Please do me the honor of coming to sit in my little hut."
"I gave you quite a few lotus pods, so of course you should thank me."
"That's about enough, shall we go?" Huang Jing straightened his clothes, yawned, and prepared to get up and go back.
"Yuanxi, you should go back first. The night is beautiful and quiet, I'd like to sit a little longer."
"Aren't you too tired?" Huang Jing asked worriedly. "Too tired to get up? Let me take you back. If you sit here by yourself, you might fall asleep."
“You’re overthinking it,” Mingjin said with a smile. “Besides, isn’t there Yazai? She’ll definitely come out and keep an eye on me herself.”
"Alright, but don't sit for too long, or you'll catch a cold."
Huang Jing had gone far away, and Ya Zai hadn't crawled out yet. Miao Sheng and his men were still busy cleaning up in the kitchen. For a moment, apart from the occasional chirping of autumn insects in the night, all was quiet.
"There's no one here, come out quickly."
"It's a pity that there are only a few flower buds left. I won't be able to see what it looks like when it blooms."
Dao Xin suddenly appeared on the chair opposite Ming Jin, stroking the leaves under the flower buds, and said with regret, "I guess we won't be able to wait for these many flowers to bloom."
"Isn't it the beginning of autumn? Why is it here today?"
"Don't worry about these trivial matters. I'm not very good at keeping track of your time anyway," Dao Xin said with a self-deprecating laugh.
"Won't you get discovered?"
"No, don't worry," Dao Xin said confidently. "Just as a lost person can never find the right direction, outsiders won't find me either. So, after this incident, do you believe me now?"
"I died again?"
"No, but you're half dead," Dao Xin said slowly. "You were also poisoned by that flower demon. Although it wasn't severe, the barrier should have broken when that evil spirit tried to cut your mountain magic with a knife."
"The autumn winds came early this year, and my heart has already turned cold," Mingjin said, looking down at her hands. "Fine, I owe you. What do you want me to do for you?"
"Nothing special, just one sentence," Dao Xin noticed the sadness in Ming Jin's tone, so he sat up straight and looked at her, "For the rest of your life, you must continue to be a cultivator, exorcising evil spirits for the people of the world. No matter what heart-wrenching pain you encounter, you must not abandon this profession."
“But you can’t control me, neither my actions nor my thoughts,” Mingjin asked curiously. “What will you do if I insist on not doing it?”
“I never try to hold someone back,” Dao Xin smiled. “When your resolve and actions falter, you will go straight to the underworld. After all, if the chosen person is no longer useful, I have no reason to keep them.”
"Were there people before who failed to complete their duties?" Mingjin asked.
"Of course, otherwise I would have it easier. I spent a long time mingling with people before I learned what makes a reliable person."
"Why did you come to me?" Mingjin still couldn't understand. "You've died once and a half in three years. Such a weak life is probably not what you need, is it?"
"For me, life and death are the simplest things; the hardest thing is recognizing people," Dao Xin said calmly. "Those who survive to the end must be powerful, but being a young prodigy is not necessary. The most important thing in being chosen is having the courage and support to persevere to the end. It would be a pity if someone with such talent were to return to the underworld early. I cannot save them all; I can only save one at a time."
"After hearing your words, I feel like someone lost in the mountains. I can go anywhere, but I don't know which way is the path." Mingjin sighed as he looked at the moonlight outside.
"Think about it more in retrospect; it's only a matter of time before you understand the underlying principles."
"I take your kind words," Mingjin said with a sigh of relief.
"I don't know when I'll be able to come again. There's something I need to tell you, even though it makes me sad, to keep you from worrying."
Seeing Dao Xin's unusually serious expression, Ming Jin had no choice but to concentrate as well.
"What is it? Tell me."
"I can only save you, not the child you weren't born with," Dao Xin said after a few pauses.
"I know."
Ming Jin's tone was only slightly disappointed, not as Dao Xin had initially expected.
"How did you know?" Dao Xin asked, somewhat curious.
“Master Wan of Juxia took my pulse and asked his junior disciple to tell me,” Ming Jin said calmly. “Of course, they didn’t say it so absolutely. They just felt my pulse and it seemed to be missing a piece, and they couldn’t find it.”
"That's why I tried my best to make your injuries less severe. Otherwise, if some miracle doctors took one look, they would find out sooner or later that something was wrong. The fact that it was considered an unusual pulse is already a blessing from heaven."
"Then you'd better be careful, I have plenty of people around me with the talent of a divine healer."
“It’s a pity I can’t chat with them all,” Dao Xin said, then stood up. “I’m leaving. I heard there’s a banquet tomorrow. Enjoy yourself with your friends and family. Don’t worry too much. The moon is beautiful tonight. If you’re lucky, you might even meet a celestial being in the moon.”
"What does the fairy want with me?" Mingjin smiled slightly, relieved, and stood up. "Alright, I've had enough of chatting with you, I should go now. I'll need the care of the Moon Palace Fairy on my way back, so consider this a meeting with the fairy."
In the kitchen, Miao Sheng must have lifted the pot lid; Ming Jin, standing outside, could smell the delicious aroma of meat. Dao Xin was already gone. Clearing his mind of distractions, Ming Jin thought about the good wine and food for tomorrow, and suddenly felt a sense of comfort.
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