Chapter 79
"You think I like camellias?"
"Um."
Shen Yao sincerely praised, "The camellia's elegance complements you."
Xu Xuan smiled gently and shook her head, saying, "Actually, I like peonies."
"……ah?"
Shen Yao felt she had been tricked. "But you just said so many things praising camellias, how could you not like them?"
Xu Xuan explained, "Camellias are too cold. Peonies are better. They are born in spring and bloom in spring. They don't have to suffer from wind and snow to break their beauty. Who wouldn't like such a flower!"
Shen Yao could hear the envy in his words.
Despite her envy, deep down she still felt that he appreciated camellias more.
This is probably a case of like attracts like.
*
Before we knew it, the day to go to Ciyun Temple to offer incense had arrived.
Shen Yao deliberately chose a good day.
Under a clear sky and amidst fertile fields, with luxury cars and fine horses, the entire journey was filled with a festive atmosphere.
To make it easier for the two ladies to talk, Shen Yao and Xu Xuan rode in another carriage and followed behind them.
The ground was bumpy and uneven, and the swaying made the person feel as if their body was about to fall apart.
It's typical to find that traveling by car is more tiring than walking.
Xu Xuan said, "We're almost there, let's just bear with it a little longer."
Shen Yao gave a soft "Mmm," and said, "You can keep going."
Compared to what I'm about to do, this little bit of hardship is nothing.
In just about 15 minutes, the gate of Ciyun Temple came into view. Because it was the Lunar New Year, carriages and horses were everywhere, and people came in an endless stream to offer incense and pray for blessings.
When they arrived, a high-ranking monk was giving a sermon, so the temple entrance was packed with people.
However, as officials' wives, they had their own special passage to enter.
The group headed straight for the main hall.
A round-faced, plump monk was chanting Amitabha Buddha's name, and Madam Shen hurriedly instructed her maid to offer incense money.
Madam Xu, having devoted herself to Buddhism for many years, spent twice as much money on incense offerings as Madam Shen.
The monk smiled kindly at her and said, "Your kindness will surely be blessed by Buddha. Amitabha."
The differential treatment is too obvious.
Madam Shen's expression instantly turned sour.
Seeing this, Shen Yao squeezed her hand and whispered in her ear, "Mother, we're here to pray for blessings, don't let this little thing spoil our mood."
The large hand quickly enveloped the small hand, and Madam Shen muttered, "I know that, but I can't stand these snobbish people."
Shen Yao remained silent, embarrassed.
The group then accepted the incense offerings and knelt down to pray for blessings.
Everyone may have a different understanding of faith, but praying for blessings is always a beautiful aspiration.
Shen Yao knelt on the prayer mat, pinching incense sticks between her fingers, and sincerely made a wish, "Please bless my family with peace and safety, and that they be free from illness and disaster..."
After muttering to myself, I earnestly kowtowed three times to Buddha.
When I looked up, someone gently tugged at the corner of my clothes; it was Xu Xuan.
She asked, "Why aren't you kowtowing?"
He paused for a moment before saying, "I only kowtow to the king."
"...This is just a prayer for blessings, it has nothing to do with faith."
After she finished speaking, Xu Xuan immediately pulled her up and led her out of the hall.
As they passed the monk, their eyes met, and Xu Xuan nodded slightly.
No one noticed.
Sunlight streamed down, and wisps of incense smoke filled the air, adding a touch of sacredness to the temple.
The two stood side by side, and Shen Yao asked, "How confident do you think you are?"
"That depends on when my mother-in-law comes out."
Half an hour later, Madam Shen came out smiling, her joy radiating from her eyes and brows, which she could not hide.
Shen Yao's eyelids twitched, and she immediately sensed something was wrong.
She quickly grabbed her mother and asked, "Mom, what happened?"
Madam Shen smiled and took her daughter's hand, saying, "Today's trip was so worthwhile. We met a living god. He only did one divination and he knew my name, where I live, and even the names of my family members without missing a single one."
"He also said that the recent proliferation of demonic books actually indicates misfortune in the home."
Madam Shen carefully took out a talisman from her purse and showed it to everyone. "The master gave me a talisman, saying that sticking it on the door will ward off evil spirits and protect my home."
Shen Yao swallowed hard and asked cautiously, "How much did it cost?"
"not much."
Madam Shen held up five fingers and waved them.
Shen Yao guessed, "Five taels."
Madam Shen covered her mouth and laughed, "It's fifty taels."
Shen Yao nearly vomited blood. "Mother, I still think it's too expensive. Let's return it."
"What retreat!" Madam Shen slapped Shen Yao away and shouted, "Immortal Masters are rare and hard to come by. Thank you, Buddha. I need to go and donate some more incense money."
So he smiled and left first with his maid.
Behind her, Shen Yao gritted her teeth and looked at him, "Xu Ziwei, you have to reimburse me."
Xu Xuan patted her shoulder and suddenly laughed, "You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub."
*
Inside the main hall, after Madam Shen left, only Master and Madam Xu remained.
At that moment, Madam Xu was handing a fortune stick to the master.
The master glanced at it, then shook his head and sighed, "This is the worst possible divination."
He squinted and asked, "The divination slip indicates the south, which represents fire. If I'm not mistaken, has there been a fire in your home recently?"
Madam Xu was immediately startled and nodded repeatedly, replying, "Yes, several rooms of the house were burned down, and my husband—"
"Wounded but not dead."
The master immediately responded.
"Yes, yes, that's right. The fire burned the beam and broke his leg bone, so he will never be able to walk again."
As she spoke, Madam Xu couldn't help but cover her face and weep.
The master sighed, “Amitabha, you are a devout Buddhist and should have always been blessed by the Buddha, but recently your family has been plagued by misfortune. I suspect that there is an evil spirit in your house.”
Madam Xu was shocked. "How could this be?"
He then asked, "What kind of evil spirit is it? Should we perform a ritual to appease it?"
The master shook his head. "This evil spirit is neither a ghost nor a monster, but a living person."
Madam Xu's eyes widened in disbelief.
The master continued, “Your son has a sinister constitution, naturally attracting evil spirits, especially those close to him. However, judging from your auspicious appearance, I dare to guess that your son is not your biological son.”
Mrs. Xu could barely breathe.
If she had any doubts before, she was now completely convinced by the master.
The secret that Xu Xuan wasn't his biological son was known to only three people in the world: her, Xu's father, and that other person...
Madam Xu couldn't help but ask, "Master, what should I do?"
A talisman was taken out from the master's sleeve. He said, "Place this talisman next to your son's biological parents, and the misfortune will be dispelled."
When Madam Xu came out, her legs were almost trembling.
Upon seeing this, Xu Xuan was about to step forward to help her up, but Madam Xu retreated instantly as if she had encountered something dirty.
She snapped, "Don't come near me!"
The words were definitely a stress response. After they were spoken, not only did Xu Xuan's face change drastically, but Madam Xu's face also turned pale, as if she couldn't believe she had said such a thing.
After all, they were still mother and son on the surface, so she coughed a few more times and explained, "Oh dear, look how confused I am. I was just having my fortune told and I haven't gotten over it yet."
A stiff smile appeared on his face.
Xu Xuan stood there, stunned, unable to even manage a forced smile.
Shen Yao quickly stepped forward to ease the tension, "Grandma, are you drawing lots inside? Is that master very powerful?"
The two walked and talked.
Xu Xuan followed behind.
Madam Xu said, "Yes, I will ask the master to interpret the divination slip and also to resolve my recent misfortunes."
As she spoke, she glanced back furtively, her eyes filled with fear and disgust.
It turns out that even in ordinary families, there are mothers who are wary of their sons.
It was quite novel.
*
After returning from Ciyun Temple, the two of them kept a close eye on Madam Xu's movements.
The talisman is in Madam Xu's hands. If Xu Xuan's biological parents were still alive, she would definitely take action.
They waited and waited until two days later, when Madam Xu brought gifts to visit the Shen family.
After the two wives exchanged greetings, Madam Xu said, "My son has troubled you, and I am truly sorry. I happened to have nothing to do today, so I came to visit my mother-in-law."
After a few polite words, Madam Shen smiled and said, "We're all family, what are you saying? My husband and I are overjoyed that our son-in-law is living in the Shen family."
...
After the maid served the tea, she had just stepped out of the hall when Shen Yao pulled her aside and secretly asked her a question.
"Did you hear what they were saying inside?"
The maid replied, "Madam said she is going to the Duke of Xin's mansion tomorrow, and also said that the Duchess is seriously ill and wants to take a ginseng root from the family."
"...Is there anything else?"
The maid shook her head. "I heard this as soon as I went in."
Okay, Shen Yao told her to go ahead and went to find Xu Xuan. This time, Xu Xuan wasn't admiring the camellias; instead, he was feeding the parrots.
Shen Yao said, "Your mother is here, why don't you go to the front hall to greet her?"
He paused in feeding her, a smile playing on his lips. "She probably doesn't want to see me."
Shen Yao was speechless for a moment; she was quite self-aware.
She's so sensible it breaks my heart.
Xu Xuan then asked Shen Yao, "Why aren't you in the front hall either?"
Shen Yao said, "These are just polite words and formalities, I can't handle them. Besides, it's not too late to ask after your mother leaves."
So the two waited patiently. Around noon, just when everyone thought Madam Xu was going to stay for lunch, Madam Xu took her leave instead.
The two ladies chatted for quite a while in the hall. What could they be talking about for so long? Shen Yao couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
This time, Madam Shen was not prejudiced and sighed, "Actually, she was also a pitiful person."
"Huh?" Shen Yao's mind was almost blank. "She's an official's wife, she has no worries about food and clothing, and she's served by maids and servants when she goes out. What's so pitiful about her?"
Madam Shen glared at her daughter and snorted, "A pampered child like you, who grew up being doted on by your parents, would never understand."
Why are you making personal attacks?
Shen Yao became even more curious about their conversation, so she used both her coquettish and cuteness to ask, "Mother, stop beating around the bush and tell me what you were talking about?"
"I mentioned that I was going to visit the Duke of Xin's mansion, and casually mentioned Aunt Liu, meaning that I hoped she and Aunt Liu could reconcile."
Shen Yao asked in surprise, "That's all?"
That's all.
As Madam Shen adjusted her sleeves, preparing to leave, Shen Yao grabbed her again and asked, "What did she say? Did she agree to reconcile?"
Madam Shen smiled and said, "Of course, after my persuasion, appealing to her emotions and reasoning with her, she has agreed to associate with Aunt Liu. She also asked me to send her a gift when I go to the Duke of Xin's mansion tomorrow to show my attitude of making peace."
In an instant, the truth became clear.
Shen Yao ran towards Xu Xuan as if in a gust of wind.
Her face was deathly pale, and she parted her lips slightly as she said, "Xu Ziwei, I think I know who your mother is."
Who is it?
Although Xu Xuan's expression remained calm, his voice still carried an uncontrollable tension.
Shen Yao keenly noticed this.
At this moment, he should have had some expectations, but fate often doesn't grant wishes.
The truth is always so cruel; she simply revealed it: "Aunt Liu of the Duke of Xin's mansion is your mother."
"That's impossible."
He suddenly opened his eyes wide, and the color drained from his face in an instant, making him look like a patient who had been bedridden for a long time.
What evidence do you have?
After a long while, he asked this question.
Shen Yao stared at him and murmured, "The evidence will come."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
