Chapter Twenty-Four: Random Joy

  The worship of the moon had come to an early end, and all the children had been driven off to bed. In the courtyard of Madame Chiang's house a lamp was still burning, and the maid stood motionless with her head bowed.

  "...it's none of my business, I'm just a servant, but thinking that Seventh Young Lady loves to eat these things and usually doesn't have enough to eat, always making a fuss, afraid of causing trouble, so thinking of taking some first and keeping them, it's really not anyone teaching me to do this."

  "Yes, grandma, Huang's mother came to ask me if I wanted some of this. I said take it, she really didn't want to steal it for herself, I know."

  "It's all the daughter-in-law's fault for not being taught properly, don't blame the older sister, it's all the daughter-in-law's mistake."

  People came and went in Mrs. Cheng's house, finally only the low sobbing of Mrs. Cheng remained.

  "Are you saying that others intentionally made things difficult for you? What's wrong with that? It's also because you did something stupid first, which gave others the opportunity to make things difficult for you. To put it bluntly, you're making things difficult for yourself! Can you blame others?"

  The old lady's drinking sound came from the house.

  The maid outside lowered her head even further.

  "You say others are getting more and more muddle-headed, aren't you the same? With no outlet for your energy, pinching pennies on food, it's a wonder you can think of such things. I think you've been living too comfortably for too long!"

  "It's humiliating! The children at home have to steal food to eat!"

  "Go back and think it over carefully!"

  Madam Cheng rushed out of the house with her face covered and sobbing, while the maids and servant girls wished they could bury their heads in the ground.

  The moonlight is bright, but the courtyard of the Cheng family is quiet and silent, with a heavy atmosphere.

  "What a mess Mid-Autumn Festival has turned into."

  In the Lotus Pond, two young men sat on the ground, each with a wine jug beside them.

  "A family will always have its ups and downs," said Cheng Sanlang, clinking glasses with Cheng Silang.

  Two people drank it all up in one go.

  "Second Uncle is about to take up his new post, and Second Aunt will naturally follow him. It's a pity that we'll be apart, but being separated by distance makes us cherish each other more." said Cheng Si Lang with a smile.

  Cheng Sanlang nodded.

  "Uncle is said to have a promising future as the Magistrate of Laiyang? Being promoted from junior fourth rank to senior fourth rank, it's truly something to be congratulated." he said.

  After finishing speaking, he saw Cheng Si Lang staring at a place in a daze, and hadn't heard his words.

  He followed his gaze and saw a mountain rock on the opposite side of the pool water.

  "And what about that beauty of yours?" he asked with a smile.

  Cheng Silang's encounter with a beautiful woman at Hehua Pond who stole his soul had become a private joke in the family.

  Cheng Silang was a gentle and easy-going person, he never got angry, he just smiled.

  "Thinking of the beauty, I remembered something." He said, turning his head to look at Chunlan beside him, "That child is in the Taoist temple, I don't know how she's doing. You go send some food tomorrow, and it'll be a festive occasion too."

  The orchid blooms when its name is spoken.

  "A fool can only get by somehow, without knowing the seasons of spring and autumn, or the cold and heat." said Cheng Sanlang with a smile.

  "It doesn't matter whether she knows or not," said Cheng Si Lang, "we know anyway."

  Cheng Sanlang subconsciously also glanced at the mountain rocks on the other side.

  "At first, my aunt was very good to me. I remember she always smiled and gave me a handful of candies. But after having this younger sister, I never saw her smile again. It's said that when she died, she also cried without closing her eyes." he said.

  That's because I don't trust that child.

  The parents' hearts are all alike under heaven.

  The two of them fell into a momentary silence, their hearts filled with desolation.

  "Spring Orchid, I have a letter here, you can take it with you too." said Cheng Sanlang.

  Spring orchid busy responding voice is.

  "At first, Aunt was a very good person. If she were still here today..." Cheng Si Lang couldn't help but say, and then stopped himself halfway through the sentence.

  "Get some more silver coins, it's getting cold and there are many things to buy." He coughed and looked at Chunlan to change the subject.

  The orchid blooms again at the sound.

  Whether or not they admit it, this fool's return has left a mark in the hearts of his family members.

  At this time, the Xuanmiao Temple was in full swing of appreciating the moon.

  Sun Guanzhu personally came to invite them, and Cheng Jiaoniang also agreed happily, supporting the young girl to watch their worship ceremony.

  The blessing of the Tu Cheng family, this is the most grand Mid-Autumn Festival ceremony held here since Master Sun Guan came.

  The desktop is full of treasures, and she and her disciples have also put on new Taoist robes. The happiest thing is that this is not the best day yet, and better days are still to come.

  Thinking of this, Sun Guan's face was filled with smiles.

  Afterwards, Cheng Jiaoniang sat quietly with a wooden expression, but her eyes revealed a hint of amusement.

  Under the bright moonlight, inside the Mysterious Sky Temple, although there were only seven people, they were all in harmony.

  "Miss, would you like some wine?" Sun Guan asked cautiously.

  "Eat." said Cheng Jiaoniang.

  Sun Guan was overjoyed and personally poured wine.

  "But I won't drink this wine." said Chong Jiuniang again.

  Sun Guanzhu's hand holding the wine cup was a bit awkward.

  The wine here can't compare with the good wine from the Cheng family.

  But Sun Guan's master was not intentionally annoying, what others said was true, a person values self-awareness, and there will be no annoyance, she carefully served fruit and rice cakes.

  The fairy maidens sitting on the other side were all astonished.

  For the host's diligence and carefulness, as well as for the legendary fool's behavior.

  This was their first close encounter with the foolish daughter of the Cheng family.

  Apart from being stiff and expressionless, he's really no different from ordinary people elsewhere.

  "Can she understand what we're saying?" Little Tong couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

  The girl lost her smile.

  "My wife's illness has been cured," she said.

  Can congenital mental retardation be cured? How is it possible?

  Everyone was shocked and stared at the woman in surprise. She looked calm and wooden, although she didn't look like an idiot, but still felt different from a normal person.

  For example, speaking very little, with a stiff and rigid tone, sitting down for so long without moving.

  Ya Tou helped Cheng Jiao Niang get up, Guan Zhu hurriedly followed suit and got up, as did the others.

  "Tomorrow, give these," said Jingniang, pointing at the snacks and dried fruits in front of her, "to the monks who come to beg for alms and to passersby on the road."

  How much?

  They were just a Taoist temple that could barely afford meals, not those grand temples with flourishing incense and lavish spending on Buddhist ceremonies.

  Everyone was shocked. These could have been enough for them to observe a month's worth of eating and offerings, but they were scattered away? Too, too wasteful!

  "Yes." Sun Guan's master did not hesitate at all and respectfully responded, personally leading the way to see them off.

  Early in the morning, Wu Huolang rushed into the city without even eating breakfast. On his way, he passed by Xuanyao Mountain and saw several fairy maidens standing outside Xuanyao Temple.

  Due to the reputation of the small Xuanmiao Temple, the fairy maidens of the large Xuanmiao Temple almost never leave the mountain gate.

  Today, so many people have come out, and the Taoist robes they wear are also brand new. The news that Xiao Xuanmiao Guan was struck by lightning has spread everywhere. Is it possible that without Xiao Xuanmiao Guan, this Da Xuanmiao Guan will take over?

  This guess made Wu Huolang unable to help but hehe smile, the vulgar idea dispelled the dullness of hurrying on an empty stomach.

  "Good luck, little brother."

  A little boy over there was enthusiastically greeting him, while holding up an object wrapped in a piece of oiled paper.

  What does it mean?

  Other pedestrians on the road were also hailed, but everyone was a little evasive.

  "This is our Xuanmiao Temple's autumn Dharma assembly offering, specially offered to everyone." Master Sun Guanzhu said with a bow.

  People around still watched, few came forward.

  Wu Hualang looked at the dried fruit and pastry on the table, feeling hungry in his stomach. He thought that it might not taste good, but it wouldn't kill him to eat it.

  "Thank you, thank you," he said loudly, stepping forward first and extending his hand.

  Because this plot is slow and everyone looks unhappy, I will update three times a day for the next few days to get through this part of the story and then resume.