Chapter 6 Did I sleep all the way to the underworld?
There are many different opinions among the villagers about the Mu family finding a baby girl during a famine. Some say that the Mu family had always wanted a baby girl, as everyone knows.
However, some people have a negative view. In this famine year, even their own blood relatives have nothing to eat, yet they still manage to pick up an unrelated child, a little girl at that—it's just plain crazy.
However, no matter what other people's opinions are, this is Mu Chunping's own family matter, and others have no right to interfere. As long as their family is happy, that's all that matters.
With the arrival of a baby girl, the three women—Grandma Li Guizhi, Mother Shen Yuzhen, and Aunt Liu Qingru—who had different surnames, discussed how to dress Ningbao as they traveled.
Shen Yuzhen patted the bundle on her body.
“Mother, sister-in-law, I have a piece of brightly colored fabric that my husband bought a few years ago. I thought the color was too bright, so I didn’t want to use it. I was thinking that I could make clothes for my daughter when we have a baby girl in the future.”
When I was packing my luggage before leaving, I saw that piece of fabric and thought it was so pretty that I wouldn't have a chance to use it. I never imagined it would come in handy today.
Liu Qingru also patted her bag.
“Auntie, Yuzhen, I also have a piece of good fabric here that would be perfect for a little girl. It’s just not very big, but it’s definitely enough to make two pairs of embroidered shoes for Ningbao. The rest can be used to make a few silk flowers. I remember Yuzhen is quite skilled at making silk flowers.”
Li's face wrinkled even more as she smiled.
"Okay, okay, you are all good children. Ningbao will be our child after she comes to our family."
That child is pitiful too. We should treat her even better in the future. You've all made clothes and shoes, so I'll make some undergarments for Ningbao. I have some fine cotton fabric that I haven't been willing to use, so I'll take it out and make some undergarments for Ningbao.
The little girl is delicate and not like a brat, so the clothes she wears underneath can't be anything less than what I've prepared. That's where my fine cotton cloth comes in handy.
Unfortunately, we need to hurry on our journey, so we don't have time to make clothes. Besides, there are too many people and distractions on the road, so we can't take any good things out.
"Don't flaunt your wealth; it would be troublesome if other refugees targeted you."
After listening to her mother-in-law's words, Madam Shen nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, now is not the time to make new clothes. Our Ningbao is already adorable, and if she wears a beautiful new outfit, she will be too conspicuous."
Everyone on the road to escape famine is dressed in tattered clothes, so it wouldn't be safe for Ningbao to dress too conspicuously.
I hadn't been able to throw away the clothes Chengye wore a couple of years ago. I figured that even though they were worn by other kids and were a bit old, they would still be nice to use as shoe soles after washing them, so I kept them all.
After I rest, I'll pick out a few nicer clothes and alter them for Ningbao to wear. I noticed she's still wearing a Taoist robe, so she needs a change of clothes. I'll just have to make do with her brothers' old clothes for now.
"It's fine to dress similarly to the other children in the village; that way, I won't stand out too much..."
…………
Everyone was excitedly making plans for Ningbao, but Ningbao's soul had already left her body.
But her body was as if she were asleep, and there was no sign of anything unusual. In fact, if someone with a keen sense of perception were to observe carefully, they might notice that Ningbao's breathing was much lighter than before.
…………
At this moment, Ning Bao's soul was standing in a gloomy hall. Ning Bao focused his mind and saw a middle-aged man with a long beard and strange clothes sitting in a high position in the center of the hall.
Below him stood a group of ghost-like figures, with two particularly conspicuous figures standing nearby: one dressed entirely in black, his skin completely black, and the other dressed entirely in white, his skin snow-white...
Black and White Impermanence?
The people standing behind them were even more terrifying, each one like a ghost...
wrong……
Ning Bao shook her head. Today, she had finally found family, and she was so excited that she hadn't paid any attention.
Only then did she realize that the hall was filled with a heavy, yin energy. Suddenly, Ningbao looked up and saw three large characters written on a plaque in the hall.
"The Hall of Yama!"
The Hall of Yama?
Ning Bao, regaining her senses, paused for a moment.
"The Hall of Yama? She was just taking a nap, how did she end up in the Hall of Yama now?"
This had never happened before. Although she often practiced drawing talismans in her dreams, those dreams were so realistic that it felt like someone was teaching her, and she could easily draw the talismans she learned in her dreams the next day.
She had drawn talismans in her dreams before, but this was the first time she had ever dreamt of visiting the Yama's Palace.
But now that she's here, she might as well have a good talk with King Yama. There are so many wandering souls in the mortal world, doesn't he care about them?
Ning Bao wasn't afraid of Yama, the King of Hell. Her master had said that although she lacked wealth, she had good luck in other areas, especially in catching ghosts. She was a famous ghost hunter in Sanqing Mountain.
Besides, she was in the right.
With a sense of reason, little Ningbao, her short legs striding confidently and her little chest puffed out, strode confidently toward the front of the Yama King's Hall...
Because of his short stature and the darkness of the Yama's Palace, Ning Bao had walked to the very front, yet none of the ghost officials in the hall had noticed him.
Ning Bao stood at the front and looked up at the person sitting in the high position above.
"Are you the King of Hell?"
The King of Hell above paused for a moment when he saw the "dwarf" in front of the assembled ghost messengers.
"I am Yama, the master of this underworld."
And who are you?
"You'll be boiled in oil if you trespass into the King of Hell's palace."
Just as the King of Hell was about to get angry, he suddenly saw Ning Bao's true form and was completely stunned. He never expected that this little child was actually that great-grandmother.
He couldn't help but touch his beard. This little devil had finally been quiet for hundreds of years, and his beard had only just grown back. Was it going to be ruined again?
However, it seems she has no memory of it. That's good; it makes things easier...
Ningbao wasn't afraid of the King of Hell at all. She tilted her little face up and stared at him seriously.
"Who I am is not important. What's important is that I'm here to settle this matter. I just want to ask you, since you are the King of Hell in the Underworld, shouldn't you be responsible for matters concerning ghosts and spirits in the mortal realm?"
Yama nodded as he looked down at the little figure.
"Yes, that's right. The ghosts in the mortal realm are under the jurisdiction of our Yama Palace."
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