It was the time of Grain in Ear, the heat growing heavier by the day, but Shuiyue Temple on the outskirts of Yangzhou City, nestled at the foot of the mountain, remained remote, tranquil, and cool.
The young Daoist nun Yun Ran gripped her hoe, planning to sow a new batch of cabbage seeds while the Grain in Ear season lasted, when she saw Fourth Senior Sister Huiming clutching her stomach, face pale with urgency, rushing toward her from the front.
Yun Ran paused mid-swing, her bright black eyes full of confusion.
“Fourth Senior Sister, what’s wrong?”
“Must be that plate of stir-fried cucumber from this morning. I said it tasted off, and now… aiya!”
Before she could finish, her belly rumbled again, and Huiming hurriedly squeezed her legs together and dashed toward the outhouse.
The outhouse door slammed shut with a bang, followed by a clatter of splashing sounds that made Yun Ran sweat with embarrassment.
“Fourth Senior Sister, are you all right?”
After quite a while, Huiming’s feeble voice finally came from inside.
“I’m fine, just need to stay here a while longer. There’s no one out front— Junior Sister, go watch the stall for me—”
“All right, I’ll go right away.”
Yun Ran neatly set aside the hoe and cabbage seeds, then fetched water from the well to wash her hands before heading toward the front courtyard.
As for this Shuiyue Temple, it was originally a private Daoist temple built decades ago by a wealthy merchant in Yangzhou City for his widowed daughter.
Though not large in scale, it was prized for its tranquility.
Later, the merchant fell into ruin, his widowed daughter passed away, and the temple was handed down to the current abbot, Jingyue— Yun Ran’s Master.
For as long as Yun Ran could remember, their temple had always been poor.
Not only was it obscure, but its location was remote.
Over the years, aside from the nearby villagers who came to burn incense and pray during festivals, the temple’s main income relied on Master taking the Senior Sisters down the mountain to perform Daoist Rituals.
As for Yun Ran, the youngest Junior Sister in the temple, she stayed behind to tend the vegetables, sweep the grounds, and do odd chores.
Originally, Master had promised her that this year she could go down the mountain to help with Daoist Rituals.
Who would have thought that a winter cold snap would strike, and Master would fall gravely ill? The already impoverished temple fell into even greater hardship.
With nothing left to cook, First Senior Sister and Second Senior Sister packed up and went down the mountain to find work, Third Senior Sister went to seek aid at a temple in the city run by their Senior Aunt, and Fourth Senior Sister and Yun Ran remained behind— one interpreting lots and telling fortunes out front, the other cultivating land and planting vegetables in the back.
“Great Ancestor above, please bless my Master with a speedy recovery.”
Yun Ran sat at a table covered with Peace Amulets and Longevity Threads, lowering her eyes with a sigh.
“Or let Senior Sisters get more work, otherwise Master won’t even be able to afford medicine next month.”
Just as she was silently praying, a sudden clatter of horse hooves echoed outside the scarlet, peeling temple gate.
Yun Ran blinked in surprise, wondering if she had heard wrong.
She perked up her ears to listen again— sure enough, it was the sound of horse hooves, and not just one!
Usually, only villagers in plain clothes came to Shuiyue Temple, at most leading a donkey. It was rare for anyone to be wealthy enough to ride a horse here. What was going on today?
Full of curiosity, Yun Ran walked toward the temple gate. She had barely stepped over the threshold when the scene before her left her stunned.
In front of the usually deserted, shabby temple gate, dozens of luxurious carriages stood in neat rows. Each carriage was adorned with brocade and jewels, crimson wheels, and ornate canopies.
The horses were all glossy and well-fed, strong and healthy.
On either side of the carriages stood dozens of blade-wielding guards in black boots and robes, along with several elegantly dressed, refined maidservants.
Whoa, what a grand spectacle!
Could it be that the Three Pure Ones had shown their favor, knowing their temple was struggling, and sent down a great benefactor from the heavens?!
Yun Ran’s eyes instantly sparkled.
Then, a dignified woman in a high bun and a crimson-gold embroidered dress approached, surrounded by a group of pretty maidservants. Yun Ran quickly put on a bright smile and hurried forward.
“Heavenly Lord of Boundless Life! Blessings upon you, Madam. This humble Daoist wondered why the magpies were chattering so joyfully this morning— turns out it’s auspicious energy from the east, with a noble guest arriving at our door.”
Hearing this clear, melodious voice, and seeing the smiling, petite Daoist girl before her, the high-bunned lady stopped in her tracks.
Though the girl wore only a faded blue robe, her hair simply pinned up with a plain wooden hairpin, her small face beneath her dark hair was soft and fair, tinged with a healthy blush.
Her skin looked so tender it could be pinched for water, and under her willow brows, her eyes were large and round, like two sparkling autumn lakes— clear and lively, impossible to forget at a glance.
Just from those eyes alone, the high-bunned lady was certain— she had found the right person!
“Madam? Madam?”
Yun Ran felt a little uneasy as the elegantly dressed lady stared fixedly at her. She knew she was decent-looking, but surely not to the point of being stared at for so long.
Not daring to offend such a prominent guest, Yun Ran suppressed her unease and once again put on an obedient, charming smile.
“Madam, did you come to Shuiyue Temple today to seek a Peace Blessing or a Divination?”
The high-bunned lady remained silent, still staring intently at her.
Yun Ran: “…”
She raised her hand and touched her face, making sure there was nothing dirty on it, blinked, and continued her sales pitch.
“If not for a Peace Blessing or Divination, would Madam like to purchase a couple of Prayer Talismans? All our talismans have been consecrated— they are especially effective for peace and protection! And to celebrate the City God’s birthday, if you buy three talismans, you get a Longevity Thread for free!”
This time, the high-bunned lady finally reacted. She bent down, her voice trembling as she asked, “What…what is your name?”
Yun Ran was puzzled, but answered honestly.
“Replying to Madam, this humble Daoist is called Yun Ran.”
“Yun Ran… Yun Ran…”
The high-bunned lady’s eyes suddenly reddened. She lifted her arms and pulled Yun Ran tightly into her embrace.
“My poor child, it was your mother who failed you, making you suffer so much!”
Caught off guard by the sudden hug, Yun Ran: “???”
Mo…Mother?
–
Half an hour later, in the rear hall of Shuiyue Temple.
Abbot Jingyue, struggling with illness, took a faded Peace Amulet from a locked box and placed it before Yun Ran and the noblewoman who claimed to be the Lady of the Marquis of Changxin.
“Twelve years ago, when this humble Daoist found Yun Ran at the temple gate, she was burning with fever, barely breathing. All she had was a coarse cloth garment and this Peace Amulet around her neck.”
“Seeing she still had a breath left, I thought I might as well try to save her, so I brought her into the temple. Thanks to the blessing of the Great Ancestor and the child’s own resilience, after three days of careful care, she slowly recovered. When she was eight, a couple came to the door, claiming Yun Ran was their child and wanted to take her away.”
At this point, Daoist Jingyue’s pale face showed a trace of disdain.
“Fortunately, I was cautious and investigated. I learned that this couple were the buyers from back then— they had paid twenty taels of silver to an Evil Human Trafficker for Yun Ran, intending to marry her to their foolish son. After bringing her home, they saw Yun Ran vomiting and having diarrhea, thought she had caught the plague, and, fearing she’d die at their house, dumped her at Shuiyue Temple in the night.”
“With such heartless people, how could I give Yun Ran to them? We Daoists do not seek trouble, but we do not fear it either. At worst, we could face them in court and let the law decide justice.”
The Lady of the Marquis of Changxin, Zheng Shi, wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief upon hearing this.
“Truly, fate works in mysterious ways. If not for Daoist Master’s confrontation with them in court and the record left at the authorities, our manor would never have been able to trace this one thread and search so far to find this place.”
With that, Zheng Shi rose, arranged her robes, and bowed deeply to Daoist Jingyue.
“Daoist Master, your great kindness, please accept my bow…”
“This must not be, must not be.”
Daoist Jingyue hurried to help her up.
“Madam, you will bring me misfortune.”
“If not for your compassion, my poor child would have long become a corpse in the wild, or worse, been ruined by evildoers. How could there be this reunion of mother and daughter today?”
Zheng Shi insisted on bowing, and Daoist Jingyue, unable to refuse, finally accepted the salute.
Once Zheng Shi’s emotions had settled a little, she turned to look at Yun Ran beside her. The little girl was still frozen in place, eyes glazed, unmoving.
“Ranran,” Zheng Shi called softly.
Yun Ran did not respond.
Daoist Jingyue coughed lightly.
“Yun Ran.”
Only then did Yun Ran suddenly come back to herself.
“Master.”
Daoist Jingyue: “Did you hear what we just said?”
Yun Ran pressed her lips together. The usually lively, talkative girl was uncharacteristically quiet now.
Daoist Jingyue asked again, and only then did Yun Ran nod.
“I heard.”
“Since you’ve heard, then…”
A trace of reluctance flickered in Daoist Jingyue’s eyes, her voice unconsciously softening.
“Then pack your things and go home with your birth mother.”
At this, Yun Ran panicked, lifting her clear, dark eyes.
“Master, do you not want me anymore?”
“…Silly child, what nonsense is that?”
Daoist Jingyue said, “The Lady of the Marquis is your birth mother, the Marquis of Changxin Manor is your home. You were kidnapped by traffickers back then and separated from your family for so many years. Now your kin have found you, of course you should go home to be reunited and enjoy the happiness of family.”
“But, but I…”
Yun Ran stared at her Master’s haggard, sickly face, her nose stinging.
“If I leave, what will happen to you, Master? And the Senior Sisters… If they come back and can’t find me, they’ll be worried. The plot in the backyard is only half-planted, the cabbage seeds haven’t been sown yet, and those few plum trees behind the mountain—I haven’t even made this year’s green plum paste…”
She chattered on about these little daily matters. Daoist Jingyue listened with a heavy heart, while Zheng Shi felt only pain.
Her daughter, who should have lived in luxury, never touching spring water with her delicate fingers, was now farming and making preserves. How much hardship had she suffered over these years?
But Zheng Shi could also see that her daughter was deeply attached to the temple. Forcing her to leave would only damage their mother-daughter bond.
So she mustered a gentle smile and spoke softly.
“Ranran, don’t be sad. We’re not in a hurry to leave. You can wait until everything is settled here before we discuss anything else, all right?”
Looking at the elegant noblewoman before her, who, though a bit older, was still radiant with careful grooming, Yun Ran hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
–
Zheng Shi stayed at Shuiyue Temple for a full seven days.
Accustomed to a life of comfort, the noble Madam was not used to the cramped side rooms and hard wooden beds of the dilapidated temple, let alone the snakes, bugs, rats, and ants that appeared from time to time— any one of them was enough to terrify her.
Her personal nanny tried to persuade her.
“Madam, why suffer like this? Why not return to the city for now and come fetch the young lady after a few days?”
Zheng Shi refused.
“Ranran has lived through twelve years of such hardship. If I can’t even endure a few days, how am I fit to be her mother?”
The nanny sighed, thinking the young lady was too stubborn— why not hurry back to the capital for a life of luxury instead of clinging to this wretched place?
Just as the thought arose, there was a knock at the door—three clear raps.
Zheng Shi and her nanny looked up to see a slender figure in blue behind the door.
“Is that Ranran? Quickly, come in.”
Soon, Yun Ran entered, still dressed in her Daoist robe.
She shuffled shyly to Zheng Shi, glanced at the mosquito bites on the fair neck of the beautiful Madam, bit her lip, and raised her hand.
“Here.”
Zheng Shi looked down to see a small bottle of ointment in the girl’s fair, tender palm.
“This is for me?” Zheng Shi’s eyes lit up.
Yun Ran answered softly.
“I made it myself— peppermint balm. It repels insects and reduces swelling.”
At this, Zheng Shi’s eyes reddened again.
Yun Ran was startled— why was she about to cry again?
Are all noble ladies from Changan so prone to tears?
“You don’t like it?” Yun Ran asked.
“No, no, your mother likes it very much.”
Zheng Shi hurriedly accepted the bottle, eyes brimming with tears.
“Mother is just happy.”
And heartbroken.
How could her daughter be so good, able to make ointment herself— so capable it made her ache with pride.
Seeing that Zheng Shi truly was happy, Yun Ran secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She had worried the Madam would dislike such worthless little things…
To be honest, even after seven days, she still felt as if she were in a dream.
All these years, she had grown used to having no parents, relying on Master and Senior Sisters at the temple.
Now, all of a sudden, a noble mother had appeared, and she had gained the identity of a distinguished daughter of a marquis— like a blow to the head, throwing her once peaceful life into chaos.
But these days, Zheng Shi had invited famous doctors for Master, sent craftsmen to renovate the temple inside and out, filled the granary with the finest new rice, stocked the kitchen with the freshest fruits and vegetables, and even gilded the statues of the immortals on the altar.
Even the Senior Sisters had all received piles of expensive gifts, each one like a mouse falling into a vat of oil— overwhelmed with joy.
Their gazes toward Yun Ran had turned admiring and respectful.
Yun Ran knew that even if she stayed at Shuiyue Temple, she could never go back to being the little Daoist nun she once was.
Since that was the case—
“Mo…Mother…”
Meeting Zheng Shi’s surprised and delighted eyes, Yun Ran quietly clenched her sleeve and lifted her face.
“I am willing to go with you to Changan.”