The Whole Village Thrives After Adopting a Lucky Girl

Gifts from the Wang family included consultation fees and medicinal costs totaling up to two hundred taels of silver, plus six pieces of silk in varying designs.

Upon returning to the Wen family, Yingbao intended to give the silk fabrics to Mrs. Wen and Wen Shu, but they adamantly refused to take them.

Xiu Zhenniang: “These are tokens of Mrs. Wang’s gratitude to you. How can we take them? You don’t need to worry about carrying them. In a few days, I’ll have them sent back to Qinchuan County and give them to your family.”

Seeing Mrs. Wen being so determined, Yingbao had no choice but to agree.

Afterwards, Xiu Zhenniang brought Yingbao and Wen Shu to the market in the Prefecture City, where they enjoyed the local delicacies.

Yingbao bought a few fire starters, two small iron pots with covers, and a kitchen knife from the market. These things were small and easy to carry around, so they could be useful when traveling.

For the following several days, Yingbao stayed at Mrs. Wen’s house until her Second Senior Brother called her back to the Taoist Temple.

Because the next day was the first day of the seventh lunar month, the “Ghost Month”, the Temple would conduct rituals to honor the ancestors, gods, and spirits.

The old saying goes, “Blessings from the celestial officials on the day of the First Yuan, forgiveness from the terrestrial officials on the day of the Mid Yuan, and disaster relief from the aquatic officials on the day of the Last Yuan.”

This “Mid Yuan” where “terrestrial officials grant forgiveness” was precisely on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month.

So the ceremonies at Jin Ding temple would start on the first day of the seventh lunar month and continue till the fifteenth day.

Yingbao and her two senior disciples, following their master’s lead, sat cross-legged on straw cushions, chanting redemption mantras.

At this moment, colourful flags fluttered in the temple, the air filled with the scent of sandalwood, while all types of musical instruments played in harmony. The priests danced on ‘Mountaintop’ wearing colourful magical robes, their feather crowns adorned with colourful ribbons fluttering as if they were immortals.

Yingbao estimated that there were over a thousand people in the Taoist ground, most of them Taoists and lay worshippers.

After a ritual, the master and his disciples returned to their guest rooms to rest after having their vegetarian meal. Most of the Taoists and worshippers went down to the villagers’ homes and the inns to rest while some stayed in the great hall to keep the incense burning.

Yingbao lay on her small bed and quietly took out some grapes.

The meals provided by the Taoist temple were too poor, just a bun and a bowl of thin porridge per meal, barely enough to fill her. She didn’t know how her master and senior disciples could endure this, especially as this would continue for more than a dozen days.

A few days later, Zhang Min quietly came to find his junior sister disciple. “Yingbao, let’s go down the mountain.”

Yingbao: “Did the master permit you to go?”

“Master won’t care.” Zhang Min whispered, “Are you coming or not? If not, I can go by myself.”

“Let’s go!” Yingbao swiftly packed her bag, tied her shoelaces, and followed her senior disciple as they slipped out of the guesthouse.

As dawn was just breaking, there were not many people in the Taoist temple, so the two of them left the temple and went straight down the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, there were a lot of stalls selling breakfast, most of which sold vegetarian food.

However, there were a few stalls selling three fillings steamed buns and mixed vegetable soup.

The mixed vegetable soup contained chicken and meat shreds, which were very delicious.

Zhang Min ordered two bowls of mixed vegetable soup and ten large three fillings steamed buns.

He ate six buns in one go and drank a large bowl of vegetable soup.

After finishing eating, as Yingbao was still eating, he said, “I’m going to bring some buns to Master. Stay here and wait for me.”

Yingbao nodded, “Okay.”

Zhang Min bought six more buns, asked the vendor to wrap them in lotus leaves, tucked them into his robe, and hurried back up the mountain.

Seeing her senior brother leave, Yingbao turned to the vendor and said, “Give me two more steamed bun baskets.”

Each basket contained nine large buns, so two baskets are eighteen. She wanted to store some in the cave dwelling to eat later.

The vendor happily brought over two baskets of three fillings steamed buns and politely asked, “Would you like me to wrap these for you, young master?”

“Give me two lotus leaves, I’ll do it myself.” Yingbao spoke while taking a bite of the three fillings steamed bun.

“Alright.” The vendor handed two lotus leaves to Yingbao and went to attend to other customers.

After he was done with his chores and turned back, the steam basket in front of the young master was already empty.

Having had her fill, Yingbao paid for the buns and stood at the entrance, waiting for her second senior brother.

This was because Zhang Min had said that he would take her around the city and, while doing so, visit Sister Wen Shu.

Just then, a group of people approached.

The one in the center was a middle-aged scholar, with three strands of beard, wearing a Taoist robe, bearing a striking resemblance to Xiao Mo from her previous life.

A few men in Qing robes were following him. It was apparent they were of high statuses.

One of them, an old man in black Taoist robes with white hair and beard, looked at Yingbao and then studied her closely multiple times.

Yingbao looked back, meeting the old man’s gaze.

The old man saw the bamboo plaque hanging from her waist and understood.

Then he whispered something to the middle-aged man in the Taoist robe, who also looked at her.

Finally, they stopped in front of Yingbao. The middle-aged man smiled and asked, “Are you Zhou Wuchang’s disciple?”

Yingbao nodded: “Yes.”

“Never thought that Zhou Wuchang would take a female disciple.” The middle-aged man laughed with the others: “Quite unusual indeed.”

The white-haired old man stroked his beard and said: “I see something extraordinary about this girl. Surely, this is why Zhou Wuchang accepted her as a disciple.”

“Oh? Tell me, Mr. Pei, what is so extraordinary about her?” A Curious man in the Qing robe asked.

Pei Shixian said: “I see her clear brows and sparkling eyes, suggesting an early maturity. Furthermore, her ethereal figure bears an innate charm suggesting a destined fortune.”

Yingbao took a step back, looking at the white-haired old man with a frown.

If this Pei elder was with Xiao Weizhong, Xiao Mo’s biological father, he must be Chen Tiantian’s stepfather, Pei Shixian.

It was said that this old man was a fortune teller, a Mr. Yin Yang who specialized in telling fortunes and interpreting geomancy.

“Little girl, what is your name?” the old man Pei suddenly asked.

Yingbao pretended to be mute, stepping back some more and stood in front of the bun stall.

She didn’t want to talk to these people nor disclose her family background.

Seeing she remained silent, they assumed she was shy and continued walking up the mountain.

Halfway up, Old Pei looked back again, his gaze mysterious.

Yingbao narrowed her eyes, meeting his gaze fearlessly.

This man must have recognized her but didn’t reveal it. Obviously, he was up to no good.

She didn’t expect to run into Chen Tiantian’s stepfather here.

The one who had planned and advised Chen Tiantian in seizing other people’s fortunes must be this old man.

Humph! If her luck could be easily taken away, she wouldn’t have had to start over.

Yingbao watched as the group got farther, finally disappearing on the mountain trail of Jinding Mountain.

Zhang Min came running down in a hurry, wiping sweat off his forehead: “I kept you waiting too long, didn’t I? Let’s go! I will take you to the busiest place in Prefecture City to have fun.”

The observance at Jinding Mountain was too solemn and serious, nothing like the lively sacrificial dances among the folk. Zhang Min planned to take his younger martial sister to experience it.

Yingbao was pulled by her senior brother, they were moving quickly, but her mind was still on Old Pei’s gaze from earlier.

Once one of his schemes doesn’t work, he must have another one up his sleeve. She needed to be careful.

There were various nefarious magic used by wizards that caught people off guard, with the most common being the curses on dolls.

They would make dolls from rags or straw, write cursed names on them, and then insert pins into vital parts like the temples, eyes, chest, etc., and place them in dark places, cursing them day and night.

Yingbao was not afraid of them cursing dolls in her image, but she feared they might stage a desperate attempt to kill her and silence everything.

However, if she were to die, could Chen Tiantian still borrow her luck?

Probably not.