Chapter 10 What I experienced in my past life, I will no longer be afraid of in this life.
Just as dawn was breaking, before dawn, Madam Gu was woken up by Granny Tong.
In the backyard of the Dou family, there was a small Buddhist shrine where a white jade Guanyin statue was enshrined. On the first and fifteenth of each lunar month, Madam Gu would get up early to personally clean the shrine, offer incense, and pray for the blessings of the gods and Buddhas.
Today was no exception. As soon as she stepped across the threshold, she noticed that the Buddhist hall had been cleaned spotless, and even the edges of the purple-gold incense burner were polished to a shine.
A slender figure gracefully entered. Dou Mingyan smiled and said, "Mother, you've come?"
Madam Gu, with a kind and gentle face, said, "Your health is weak, you don't need to come with me every time!"
Dou Mingyan smiled gently, "Mother, I am truly devoted to Buddhism. I was sick a while ago and it delayed me, but thankfully the Bodhisattva won't blame me."
Madam Gu glanced at the incense burner. She was always so thoughtful, cleaning the Buddhist hall early and reserving the first incense for herself.
Madam Gu felt a warmth in her heart and her expression was moved. She picked up the three incense sticks that had been prepared to the side.
But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't light it. Then, glancing to the side, they noticed that Dou Mingyan's incense was already lit, with smoke billowing around it and burning brightly.
She took three more incense sticks, lit them several times, and finally got them on.
Her brows relaxed, she muttered incantations, and bowed repeatedly before finally placing the incense stick into the burner.
However, as soon as she inserted them, the three incense sticks snapped in the middle with a snap.
Madam Gu's face turned deathly pale, and she swayed precariously.
Offering incense made from severed heads to Buddha is extremely disrespectful. In the next life, it may result in the separation of wife and children, or even the destruction of the family and the extinction of one's lineage!
She is not afraid of the afterlife, but she fears retribution in this life.
She had encountered something similar four years ago.
Dou Mingyan's breath hitched. "Mother, did you make a wish that you shouldn't have?"
Madam Gu's heart tightened, her eyes filled with sorrow. "How could I dare to harbor any delusions? I only wish for the well-being, health, peace, and happiness of my family..."
Dou Mingyan exchanged a glance with her, then hesitated, "Mother, have you forgotten what happened last time?"
Madam Gu's face drained of color, her heart pounding with fear; how could she possibly forget?
Four years ago, she also encountered this incense stick that had been used to cut off someone's head; it was the day before Dou Wenyi's accident.
Dou Wenyi accidentally bumped into the second wife, Yang, causing her to miscarry. Yang was dissatisfied and filed a lawsuit in the government, demanding that Dou Wenyi pay with her life.
Later, due to the pressure from Madam Dou, the second branch of the family did not pursue the matter further.
Thanks to Master Xuanming's guidance, she acted swiftly and decisively, personally sending Fourth Sister to Yuqing Temple, ensuring the Dou family's safety!
Master Xuanming's words still echoed in her ears, "Madam, the will of Heaven cannot be defied. The Fourth Miss's fate is to 'harm her family,' and the calamities will come to pass. You must sincerely make amends for your mistakes. A mother cannot be too selfish; there must be sacrifices. Consider your other children more."
Seeing that the time was ripe, Dou Mingyan suggested, "I heard that Master Xuanming will be coming to Tianning City soon. Why don't we invite him to perform a ritual to dispel bad luck?"
Madam Gu was in a state of turmoil and sighed, "Very well."
There's no bad luck in the house, only a jinx.
Who knows what trouble Dou Wenyi will get into this time!
Fortunately, the betrothal date has already been discussed with the Xie family, and things will be fine once this troublesome woman is sent away.
——
The news that Master Xuanming had been received at the manor quickly reached Yilan Courtyard.
Cuizhi was helping Dou Wenyi with her makeup, her eyes filled with worry. "Miss, what should we do?"
That Master Xuanming didn't say a single kind word. He implied that his daughter was a 'jinx' who would 'bring misfortune to her family' and that she would have to 'live under someone else's roof' to be safe!
Looking at herself in the bronze mirror, Dou Wenyi remembered that before her reputation was ruined, there was a 'little thing' that she would never forget.
Where is Bihe?
Cuizhi shook her head. "I haven't been able to find her lately either."
She seemed to be deep in thought, then instructed, "Tomorrow, keep a close eye on the pond in the backyard, especially the koi. Report any unusual activity immediately. Don't tell anyone about this!"
Those fish were the treasures raised by Dou Zhongyuan, the second wife. In addition to golden arowana and silver arowana, there were also several fine butterfly flying fish, which were found from all over the country and were very precious!
Cuizhi nodded, quite puzzled. "Why? Aren't there people specifically assigned to raise them?"
Dou Wenyi laughed, "Do you think I'm a jinx?"
Cuizhi shook her head anxiously, "Girl, you are clearly kind-hearted... It's all because of those people spreading rumors and gossip."
Dou Wenyi once attributed her bad luck to her unfortunate fate.
But all of this was entirely man-made.
Someone deliberately tried to pin the charge of "harming one's family relationships" on her!
Dou Wenyi took out a silver ingot and gave it to her. "Give this to the coachman and tell him not to take Xihua Road when he picks up his father from the mansion tomorrow. Instead, take a detour through Tianshui Lane."
Cuizhi's eyes widened, and she agreed.
Dou Wenyi squinted her eyes, picked up her pen again and wrote a letter, whispering to her to send it out.
The next day, the sun was setting in the west.
A fishy smell wafted through the air. Before Dou Wenyi even got close, she could hear the old women and maids by the pond gossiping.
The fish in the backyard of the Dou family mansion turned belly up; they were all dead.
"...They were all fine yesterday, how could they all be dead?"
"Haven't you noticed? Ever since that person returned, the mansion has never been peaceful."
"You don't know, a calamity star has descended upon the world, bringing misfortune to all relatives and friends. Our family is going to be in deep trouble!"
“You’re talking nonsense, that’s not how it is at all,” Cuizhi shouted.
When the servants saw who it was, they all fell silent as if frozen in place.
Hostility came from all sides—fearful, pitying, gloating, and people trying to avoid her—as if she were truly a jinx.
Dou Wenyi had experienced too much in her previous life, so she was able to remain calm and composed at this moment.
At this moment, Dou Mingyan and Madam Gu hurriedly arrived from behind.
Madam Gu looked at the dead fish floating on the water and was terrified. "What are you doing here? What are you doing here? Go kneel in the ancestral hall right now!"
“Mother, I don’t understand what you’re saying. What did I do wrong? Why should I kneel in the ancestral hall?” Dou Wenyi looked directly into her eyes.
Seeing that she still looked ignorant and fearless, Madam Gu felt heartbroken. She grabbed her wrist and tried to drag her away from the scene.
"Someone saw you lingering near this pond for quite some time today. You're getting more and more unruly as you grow up. Go back now; I'm only doing this for your own good..."
Sure enough, she continued as before, without asking why, and under the guise of doing it for her own good, pushed her into the abyss.
Her mother never believed her; deep down, she, like everyone else, believed that she was a jinx.
In this life, the Zhang family didn't cause trouble, her father wasn't demoted, his carriage wasn't hit, and her reputation wasn't ruined.
Even if someone spreads rumors and misleads the public, they shouldn't try to pin the blame on her again!
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