Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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In this Jian’an City, there was a family, the Hu family. Hu Xiucai’s father worked hard for most of his life, accumulating a fortune, but before he could enjoy it, he suffered a fatal accident and never got up again. Hu Xiucai’s mother was resourceful; she drove away the concubine, buried her husband, and painstakingly raised her son, even supporting him to pass the imperial examinations and become a Xiucai[1]. Unfortunately, Hu Xiucai was too frail, frequently falling ill, and bedridden in the winter. His mother dared not force him to study anymore, just hoping he would find a wife to carry on the family line. However, his standards were too high; he simply couldn’t stand women of average looks. Until one day, he was captivated by You Xu on the street. You Xu was of marriageable age, and seeing that her parents only cared about the highest dowry, she anxiously went to the famous Shanyuan Temple to pray for a good match.
Shanyuan Temple was the most popular place of worship, attracting many people not only to pray to Buddha and Bodhisattvas but also to seek fortune telling and divination. You Xu caught a glimpse of the handsome, fair-skinned man and was immediately captivated. However, the scholar Hu offered a large sum as a dowry to marry her. Her parents, greedy for money, readily agreed, even accusing You Xu of filial impiety and forcing her to marry Hu. You Xu had no choice but to grit her teeth and marry him through tears. But on their wedding day, Scholar Hu fell from his horse, hitting his head and dying instantly, just like his father.
Mother Hu, heartbroken and furious, blamed You Xu, calling her a jinx and threatening to throw her out. Because of the marriage, You Xu had already severed ties with her family. Going back would not only be a matter of losing face, but she would also be used as a bargaining chip, treated like livestock, and sent to another family.
She refused, cried pitifully, and even staged a scene of threatening suicide to prove her loyalty, saying she would follow her husband wherever he went, and declared she would go to the underworld to accompany him. She then jumped into the lake, but of course, she was stopped, and the neighbors all tried to dissuade her.
Seeing this, Hu Xiucai’s mother had no choice but to give up, but from then on, she was depressed and felt a lump in her throat whenever she saw You Xu. She thus soon fell ill and died.
You Xu then became the sole mistress of the Hu family, and no one restrained her anymore. She lived as she pleased. Of course, as a beautiful young widow, she was always the subject of gossip. Women told her to quickly find someone to marry, and men one after another sought matchmakers, but she didn’t care. After so long being beaten and controlled by her parents, she had no desire to serve someone else again.
That one glance back, seeing the handsome, refined man under the peach blossom tree, lingered in her mind, growing ever clearer. The feelings she had suppressed were now uncontrollable; she thought, no one could stop her from loving him.
Compared to other gentle, reserved women who only dared to exchange flirtatious glances, You Xu was bold and direct. She visited Shanyuan Temple daily, bringing food and clothing, constantly trying to get close to people. Many worshippers criticized her for being shameless, but she ignored them.
Of course, compared to other women, Wen Shu disliked her even more, to the point that he almost beat her to death, just like before…
After reading the original owner’s timeline, You Xu felt even more troubled. This world was far more complicated than she had imagined and even more difficult. On one side was his white moonlight, and on the other, an annoying, irritating person. Anyone with eyes could see which to choose.
Because Shanyuan Temple was so popular, an entire industry had emerged at the foot of the mountain, with vehicles specifically for transporting worshippers. Wealthy families had their own carriages, while ordinary people like You Xu could ride in small wooden carts.
These carts were rather rudimentary; some were pulled by men, some by donkeys, and horse-drawn ones were rare. They creaked as they moved.
You Xu paid five coins and got into the cart. “Hu house at the east alley entrance.”
Luckily, there was a cart; otherwise, she would have had to hop on one leg until dark before she could get home.
When the cart arrived at her house, the old woman guarding the gate came over to help her. “Oh dear, Madam, what happened to you?”
You Xu bit her lower lip, truly admiring the original owner’s spirit of sacrifice. Upon seeing Wen Shu from afar, she threw herself into his arms without a word, thinking she was about to receive a perfect hug. She didn’t even look at the stone steps behind her. You Xu genuinely wondered if she was going to chase after someone or to her death.
The maid, He Xiang, quickly came to support You Xu on the other side. “Madam, should we call the doctor?”
You Xu was helped onto the bed. She took off her shoes and socks and saw that her ankle was badly swollen, bluish-purple. She ordered, “Bring some medicinal wine, and a basin of hot water.”
He Xiang had served You Xu closely since she entered the Hu family. She was quick and efficient, so You Xu, to save money, dismissed the old servants of the Hu family but kept He Xiang.
He Xiang quickly brought the medicinal wine and hot water.
You Xu had He Xiang apply the medicinal wine and massage her ankle, while she washed the fine sand and dirt off her hands with the hot water.
For the next few days, You Xu stayed home to recover. When she had nothing to do, she asked He Xiang to get some storybooks for her from the market.
After You Xu had eaten and drunk her fill, her complexion had turned rosy, and her injury had almost healed, she went to Shanyuan Temple.
She lit incense, prayed to Buddha, and donated money for the offerings. Then, she made her way to the fortune-telling room where Wen Shu practiced, but was stopped by a monk before even reaching the door.
The monk asked, “Benefactor You, may I ask if you have a pre-arranged appointment with Master Wen Shu?”
Perhaps because she had harassed Wen Shu so frequently in the past, the monks of Shanyuan Temple all knew her.
An appointment was like a modern-day reservation; a master couldn’t be seen so easily. Back then, You Xu was blinded by love, regarding money as dirt. She bribed monks and bought appointments from others at exorbitant prices, using any means necessary to see Wen Shu.
Of course, the current You Xu was quite clear-headed, even heartbroken. She was a widow with no income, essentially living off her savings. Not to mention retirement, she didn’t want to waste money to maintain her quality of life.
Predictably, You Xu didn’t see Wen Shu. She came several more times, paying money but still not seeing him, because Wen Shu wasn’t there.
She suspected that Wen Shu had blacklisted her; no matter how she came, whether she paid or not, whether she had an appointment or not, she couldn’t see him.
After ten failed attempts, You Xu finally understood why the original owner of this body had been so excited when she unexpectedly encountered Wen Shu on the stone steps. A once-in-a-century opportunity— of course, she had to seize it for a close encounter.
Of course, failures taught her a lesson. She learned that Wen Shu practiced fortune-telling in the temple grounds, but he didn’t live with the other monks. Instead, he had separate quarters within the temple, and every day he would listen to Master Xuanjing’s lectures for an hour.
As a master, Wen Shu naturally had the temperament of one. He performed fortune-telling every three days, and those with a book could meet him, but who he told fortunes for depended on his mood. Outside of Shanyuan Temple, no one could harass or force him to tell fortunes; otherwise, they would be blacklisted.
Three days a week, with food and lodging provided, and a respected reputation— as an unemployed widow, You Xu envied him with tears in her eyes.
After running for almost half a month, You Xu found that her back and legs no longer ached, and her physical fitness was improving rapidly. Once, out of boredom, she counted the steps as she climbed the mountain; there were a total of 999 steps. Later, she asked a monk in the temple and learned that nine was the largest of the yang numbers, and climbing all 999 steps showed the greatest sincerity and was closest to the Buddha’s will.
There was also a story about a Buddha who walked 999 steps to cross the sea of suffering and save all sentient beings, but You Xu wasn’t very interested and didn’t listen closely. The stone steps weren’t a straight line; the curves they passed were also said to have feng shui significance.
What You Xu cared about most was how to see Wen Shu. Without seeing him, everything else was meaningless.
The original owner of this body had been proactive and bold, but it wasn’t enough.
Wen Shu preferred quiet; his Guili Garden was located at the very back of the temple, near the back of the mountain. There was no stone path there, so You Xu deliberately went around to the back. Fortunately, she found a crooked tree, climbed it, and then jumped over the wall and over.
The wall was quite high, and even though You Xu bent her knees slightly when she landed, her feet still ached slightly when landing on the grass.
The courtyard was large, with eight wooden pillars standing around it. Red threads with bells dangling from them intertwined, forming a red net. In the center, magical runes were drawn on the ground. A man in blue sat on the ground, three copper coins in front of him.
A gentle breeze stirred, but the bells didn’t ring.
You Xu watched quietly. He wore a jade belt and a crown, his eyes were narrow and slightly upturned, and his thin lips were slightly pursed. His aloof temperament was like that of a pine tree or bamboo.
He was completely different from the boy she had seen years ago. The boy who struggled to survive, dirty and hungry, was gone. But what about his right hand? What had happened to it…?
Knowing someone had come, he didn’t even look up. He sat upright, his back slightly lowered, glanced at the divination result from the copper coins, and then used his left hand to pick up a brush and write magical runes on yellow talisman paper.
You Xu approached without annoyance. She poked the bells on the red thread with her finger, and all the bells jingled in unison, swaying violently.
Wen Shu still ignored her, his left hand steadily drawing talismans.
“Master,” You Xu squatted down, resting her hands on her knees, smiling at him, “You’re a fortune teller, do you believe in fate?”
Wen Shu’s expression remained indifferent, as if he hadn’t heard her.
“You’re the one who tells fortunes for others,” You Xu tapped his three copper coins with her knuckles, “Why don’t I tell your fortune?”
“Master, you lack nothing, so why don’t I tell your marriage fortune?” You Xu said to herself.
The bells stopped ringing, and the midday sun, cut into pieces by the red thread, fell on the two of them, and a faint scent of sandalwood from the courtyard could be smelled.
“Within five months,” You Xu looked at his face and said, word by word, “you and I will become husband and wife.”
Wen Shu’s eyelashes lifted slightly, his pen paused, and the ink on the paper instantly spread.
The author has something to say:
Wen Shu: What?! Five months?! I thought it was five days!!! [I’m so anxious I can’t even write anymore.]
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[1] Xiucai (秀才, xiùcai) translates literally to “cultivated talent” or “flowering talent”, and historically referred to a scholar who passed the entry-level local exams in the Chinese Imperial Examination System.
