Chapter 008: Er Ya

This relieved Yang Hengda greatly

However, Yang Heng has always been someone who relies on others to provide for him in modern times; even with these ingredients laid out before him, he would not know how to cook.

At this moment, Wang Erdan came over with his elderly wife to pay their respects.

Yes, I have remembered the master's instructions

The butler Liu beside him quickly presented a cup of fragrant tea to the benevolent Wang, then stood by with an expression that suggested he had something to say but hesitated to speak.

This land temple can be considered quite good; although it is merely a single-entry courtyard, it occupies a relatively large area

In the morning, he endured a meal; if he does not eat lunch, he will likely be so hungry by the afternoon that he will see stars.

Daoist priest, you may not know, but Wang Xiangu is a capable person, and what she says is certainly accurate

Now, this delicate face bears traces of tears, timidly gazing at Yang Heng

At this moment, Wang Erdan's old wife suddenly knelt before Yang Heng

He has come to understand the situation of these past few days; it must be that Aunt Qiaoyun has come to take revenge

After Wang Dashanren finished thinking about this, he said to Butler Liu beside him: "From now on, whatever that Taoist needs, you can directly extract it from the storeroom without asking me."

Before long, Wang Erdan's elderly wife brought in a girl of about twelve or thirteen years old

Wang Erdan knew that Yang Heng was very pleased after being left by Wang Dashanren to guard the land temple

It is not easy to even meet someone as capable as Yang Heng, a person of great wisdom (as Wang Dashan believes), let alone ask them to do something for you

Of course, you can treat this temple as your second home, and you can switch between the two homes at any time

He stood in the courtyard of the land temple, looking around, and finally a smile appeared on his face once again. In this unfamiliar world, he had finally found a place to settle down.

The appearance of this girl also surprised Yang Heng; it turned out that she was not the ordinary-looking rural girl he had imagined. Instead, she was quite delicate in her features, and if one did not know better, they might think she was a refined young lady from the city.

Next, Yang Heng arrived at the east wing, which he had chosen as his future bedroom

It was truly a close call; had it not been for the timely encounter with this Taoist priest, the lives of my entire family would likely have been lost

At this moment, Yang Heng's work began; he had to stand beside the offering table and put on a show, then say a few auspicious words to reassure the villagers.

Moreover, he stated on the spot that after Yang Heng settled down in a day or two, he would take his family to the land temple to offer incense.

They approached Yang Heng, and Wang Erdan's elderly wife patted the young girl's back, saying, "Er Ya, quickly bow to the Daoist priest."

At this moment, Wang Erdan also looked at Yang Heng with pleading eyes

On his way here just now, the weather appeared calm and serene, but in reality, he was constantly pondering, truly afraid that this earth temple would be a dilapidated and chaotic structure

On the way, he also encountered Wang Erdan, who was having his first meal in this world, and Yang Heng went over to chat with him for a few moments

Such talents should be courted; otherwise, once they have seen the world, they may no longer regard people like us with any respect

The little girl timidly glanced at Yang Heng, and then, following her grandmother's wishes, knelt down on the ground, repeatedly bowing her head to Yang Heng

Wang Erdan paused for a moment, then sighed and said: "Daoist, if you do not take in my second daughter, I will have no choice but to send her to Wang Xiangu."

Yang Heng bid farewell to Wang Erdan, and after walking a few hundred steps, he arrived at the earth temple

Master, will you be residing in our village permanently from now on

The bedding and mattresses here are almost all new, indicating that Steward Liu did not neglect his duties to the master and has replaced all the living essentials in this place with new ones

Most importantly, Yang Heng observed that this land temple should be regularly maintained and showed no signs of damage

However, Wang Erdan did not leave after finishing the incense like the other villagers; instead, he pulled Yang Heng under the eaves and began to chat.

As it approached noon, Yang Heng was contemplating how to resolve his lunch situation

After dismissing the servant, Yang Heng finally let out a sigh of relief

Yang Heng arrived at the main hall of the Earth God Temple, where he found a spacious and elongated large tile-roofed building. In the center, there was a statue of the Earth God with a kind and benevolent expression.

Wang Dashanren, sipping tea, observed the awkward demeanor of Butler Liu and directly spoke up: "If you have something to say, just say it. Keeping it bottled up inside doesn't feel good, does it?"

He first arrived at the main hall of the Earth God Temple, took a stick of incense, and after lighting it, respectfully placed it in the incense burner. He then stepped back and bowed his head in reverence to the Earth God at the offering table.

Wang Dashan personally escorted Yang Heng out the door before returning to the main room and sitting steadily in the center

Yang Heng was initially very pleased to hear this, but he quickly realized that he was in ancient times, where there were strict precautions regarding matters between men and women

What do you mean, sir?

"My lord, isn't the temple keeper of the land temple only subsidized five hundred wen in January? Why is so much silver being given to this Taoist priest?"

This can be considered as having moved here by oneself, first to greet the owner of this land temple

Yang Heng found it impossible to manage the commotion caused by these two individuals, so he could only nod and say: "Since it is like this, let Er Ya temporarily stay in the west wing. In the future, when you have come to an understanding, you can take her back at any time"

The first day of life at the Earth God Temple was quite uneventful. Perhaps it was because everyone knew that he had just taken over the temple and had some matters to attend to, which is why they did not come to pay their respects.

Yang Heng hurriedly stepped forward to help the young girl up, and only then did he have the time to take a good look at her

Mr. Wang, life and death are determined by fate, wealth and nobility are in the hands of heaven; this is a fixed decree, how can others interfere? There is no need for you to heed the nonsense of that fairy.

Although he had dozens of taels of silver in his arms, Wang Dashanren also decided to give him two taels of silver every month, and he would not lack rice, flour, oil, or vegetables

Yang Heng looked at the land temple and felt somewhat puzzled. Compared to other land temples he had seen, this one was truly luxurious

If this young girl were to work as a helper in her own temple, being alone with a man for an extended period of time would be detrimental to her reputation

At this point, Wang Dashanren truly felt a sense of fear.

Yang Heng felt a flush on his face, but he still honestly said: "Wang the Good Samaritan has indeed prepared rice, flour, and oil for me, but I am too clumsy and have not yet learned how to cook or start a fire, so I had to skip this morning's meal."

If this little girl really follows what Wang Xiangu said and is sent to the temple, her life will be over.

Under the guidance of that servant, Yang Heng took a tour of the land temple, thereby formally accepting the temple.

Thus, Yang Heng quickly declined, saying, "Elder, this is not appropriate. Although I am a Taoist priest, I am still a grown man. Living in the same temple with a young girl, what would people say if this got out?"

Upon hearing Yang Heng's promise, the young girl finally revealed a hint of a smile, and then turned to her grandmother beside her, inquiring whether it was permissible to do so

Then Wang Erdan nodded and said, "Daoist, you haven't had breakfast this morning, have you?"

The little girl, upon hearing her grandmother's promise, wore an even brighter smile on her face

I apologize for causing you concern; for the time being, I have no place to settle down. Wang Dashanren has asked me to guard the land temple, which can be considered a means of livelihood and a place to sleep.

However, Wang Erdan, after hearing Yang Heng's words, still shook his head like a wave drum

One could see that this girl, Er Ya, was dressed in a patched coarse cloth garment; however, it was remarkably clean, indicating that she was a tidy and neat girl

This is also the reason why Steward Liu and Mr. Wang's wife—Madam Liu, who is a relative—would not have the audacity if it were someone else.

Wang Erdan, upon encountering Yang Heng's refusal, merely sighed and then said: "To be honest, Daoist, my granddaughter has a strong fate. Wang Xiangu from the neighboring village mentioned that if she stays at home, it may bring harm to the family, so we should send her to a place with monks."

However, on the following day, villagers began to come one after another to offer incense and make wishes

Yang Heng felt a bit amused after hearing this; the people of ancient times were truly ignorant, as a single word from a shaman could lead them to abandon their flesh and blood

Upon seeing that Yang Heng had already agreed, Wang Erdan was immediately overjoyed and said to his old wife, who was still kneeling there: "Quickly go back and bring Er Ya here."

Yang Heng could only endure the hunger in his stomach while standing in the main hall, waiting for them to finish offering incense.

Yang Heng gently patted Er Ya's head and said kindly: "From now on, you can stay in the temple, and it is only a few steps away from your home. If you miss your family, you can always go back and stay for a few days."

Er Ya's grandmother first looked at her husband, and upon seeing that he said nothing, she smiled and said to Er Ya: "Since the Daoist priest has said so, then there is no harm in it. It is fine to come back to stay for a few days every now and then."

The young girl, upon hearing Yang Heng's comforting words, finally brightened her eyes. Then, as if recalling something, she timidly glanced at Yang Heng and softly asked, "Is it really possible?"

Yang Heng followed the servant out of the residence of Wang Dashanren, heading straight for the land temple located in the center of the village

His old wife also left hurriedly, her face full of smiles

On the altar below, various fresh fruits are displayed

Yang Heng smiled foolishly in the yard for a while, and finally realized that he should attend to some serious matters

What a lack of insight! The one who used to watch the temple, although he put on a fierce front, had no real ability. This Taoist priest is quite different

Yang Heng sighed; this young girl was only a few years older than his own daughter. In modern times, she would be at the joyful age of attending school, yet in this ancient era, she had to leave her family and live alone in a temple

Daoist priest, I implore you to show mercy and take in my second daughter. She is at the local earth temple, and we can still visit her anytime. If she is sent to the Wang Xian Gu in the neighboring village, it will be difficult for us to meet again.

This Daoist priest, Xi Tan, appears rather foolish and inexperienced, suggesting that he has just come down from the mountain

You see, I have a granddaughter who is quite diligent; she manages both the household and outside affairs very well. Why not let my granddaughter come here to help out? You only need to provide a meal.

How can this be? One must understand that a person is like iron and food is like steel; missing a meal leads to anxiety. It is manageable to skip one or two meals, but for someone like Daozhang, I believe there should be someone to take care of your daily needs

After listening to this, Steward Liu felt quite embarrassed