Chapter One: The Journey and Deduction Without a Personal Maid by One's Side
This is a one-story building made of mud bricks, shaped like the character "一". It is evenly divided into three rooms horizontally, with the central room serving as both a hall and a dining area for many people. The two ends are living quarters, and Yu Cailing resides in the eastern room. The living quarters are quite simple, with walls coated in yellow mud and polished to a clean and smooth finish. A large square stove, seemingly made of earthenware, is built into the floor, featuring an ancient design, though its heating effect is acceptable. Subsequently, despite Yu Cailing's usual composure, she nearly fainted.
Yu Cailing glanced at him. Zhu was a composed person who would not speak a word unless it was of utmost importance. Among her three children, only Fu Deng seemed to take after her—this meant that it was exceptionally difficult for her to inquire about her own situation. Amei and Aliang were too young to provide relevant answers, while those who were knowledgeable were as tight-lipped as a gourd with a sawed-off mouth. She feared that asking too many questions would alarm their mother, Zhu.
It was not until after the founding of the country that the government began to open mountains and cut through valleys, build roads and bridges, and extensively drill tunnels, that my hometown gradually developed into the only small town within the square mountain village.
Amei's loud shouts and laughter came from ahead, as if a boy was bullying Aliang. Amei picked up a piece of unmelted ice from the grass and stuffed it into the back of the boy's neck to vent her brother's anger. The boy jumped and yelled like a shrimp, while the other children laughed heartily.
The woman was also observing Yu Cailing. In order to recover from her illness, the physician had indeed put in a lot of effort. Such a bitter medicinal soup would make anyone frown even if they had to drink it themselves. However, the young lady, apart from the first time when she spat it out, has since downed it in one go each time without uttering a word of complaint. Her expression of gritting her teeth and pursing her lips was quite stubborn and resolute. She considered herself to be taciturn, yet this little lady was even more so. Aside from exchanging a few more words with Amei, she often spent the entire day in silence, which was entirely different from the descriptions outside. Zhu was somewhat puzzled.
The last time I saw that sorcerer, he was still trying to persuade Yu Cailing to perform a witchcraft ritual to ward off evil spirits. He probably heard that Yu Cailing was the young lady who was driven out by her elders. Bah, as if she were a fool. Even if she has money, she would rather learn from her cold-hearted nouveau riche father to save those in the sex industry than waste it on a charlatan. At least saving those in the sex industry could contribute to a harmonious society
This is a very superstitious society. After just a few days of being here, Yu Cailing has already noticed this
The woman, with a square face and a robust build, exuded a solemn demeanor. She was dressed in a grayish-white linen short robe, with the pant legs exposed below the knees, seemingly for the convenience of work. Unlike herself, although there was not a trace of silk or satin, the thick cotton robe wrapped around her waist completely, reaching down to the tops of her feet. As for the ten-year-old girl, Amei, beside her, her attire was even simpler, consisting of a short cotton garment, revealing thick floral cotton pants as she ran around the yard.
However, this was clearly just her own idea; the surrounding women, children, and the elderly were evidently very receptive. Each of them either knelt or stood solemnly with their hands clasped together, murmuring incantations. Amei quickly handed her several sticks of incense and urged her to kneel on the mat of grass.
Amei had no choice but to agree with a sorrowful face to go play by the creek, and Xiao Aliang was very happy. Yu Cailing then took the two siblings out of the temple community and headed towards the creek.
Although Yu Cailing is not very familiar with ancient customs, she understands that in wealthy families, the female servants in the household are generally of a higher status. However, it is certainly problematic that an extraordinary woman like Zhuo, who is strict and meticulous, is only found in the countryside.
Even if she were thoroughly cooked, Yu Cailing, a student who nearly scored full marks in logic, could deduce that her current body must belong to a young lady from an ancient noble family who had committed a wrongdoing, and is currently being punished in the countryside. The person who previously took care of her was negligent, which led to the young girl falling ill and dying from a high fever, thus benefiting her.
The interior lacks bed frames and chairs, relying solely on a layer of smooth wooden flooring constructed like steps from polished wood on the inner side of the room, occupying one-third of the entire space. A layer of bedding is spread on top, serving as the bedding, while several small round cotton cushions act as seats, and another small square table is used for dining and drinks. Yu Cailing, having watched several old films by Akira Kurosawa, finds it reminiscent of the barren interiors of ancient Japanese architecture.
When Yu Cailing first saw the woman in the deep robe, she, with her rather superficial knowledge of ancient customs, could only hope that the woman was wearing a flag outfit with braided hair or a Tang outfit that exposed her chest—she would not mind marrying a husband with half a shaved head or braving the cold winter dew! Unfortunately, she did not recognize when this deep robe was worn in ancient times. Yu Cailing was dejected for three days, until on the fourth day, after recovering her health, she followed Amei to witness the bride's procession, which suddenly brought her joy—of course, at that time, Amei had no idea why the usually melancholic young lady was inexplicably cheerful.
Fu Deng expressed his dissatisfaction: "That Master Yan was originally a great scholar of classical studies, and decades ago, he was already among the best in his field. His practice of physiognomy and divination was merely a pastime, not his primary vocation as a shaman."
After Yu Cailing finished her worship and inserted the incense, she let out a soft sigh. From this perspective, that worship was indeed very effective; she had died heroically in her previous life. If she had not died, would she have been unable to join the Party? She also wondered whether the wishes of her three roommates had been fulfilled. Yu Cailing deeply resented her bad luck; even a cooked duck had flown away, so she firmly refused Amei's invitation to enter the inner hall to listen to the shaman explain the latest prophecies.
Two knights arrived at the gate, skillfully reining in their horses. The leading middle-aged man, upon seeing Yu Cailing, cupped his fists and bowed his head in greeting, smiling as he said: "Miss." The young knight, who appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, followed suit, cupping his fists in a similar manner.
Since one has come, one should find peace in it. A person must first survive before contemplating how to live well. Subsequently, one may feel the loneliness and coldness of being away from home. Yu Cailing's nature, though selfish, is practical; her feelings of sadness are as rare as endangered species. Currently, she survives in an uncertain situation, leaving no time to lament the spring or mourn the autumn
The so-called shrine is a large building consisting of two halls stacked one on top of the other. The villagers had seen Yu Cailing and her companions several times and only knew that she was the daughter of a wealthy family nearby, so they all made way for them to enter. In the front hall, the incense smoke swirled, revealing several grotesque and menacing statues on a high platform. The statue of Guanyin did not resemble Guanyin, and the statue of Jesus did not resemble Jesus. There were also several pools of blood at the feet of the stone statues, and beside them was a large wooden basin containing three to five chickens and ducks that were still alive but unable to close their eyes, flailing their legs. Yu Cailing shook her head for the Nth time, lamenting how terrifying the statues were made in this era and how primitive and crude the worship methods were. How could the faithful enter a state of selfless worship and thus be moved to donate money and emotions? She wished she could teach these local shamans to create a few statues with kind and gentle expressions, add some flowers and goldfish, and put on some ostentatious singing and chanting, ensuring that business would flourish and wealth would flow in from all directions.
Yu Cailing fell into a deep sleep again, only feeling that someone was feeding her soup medicine. At that moment, her will to survive was strong, so she made an effort to swallow. In her daze, she heard that sharp female voice laughing and saying: "... I won't hide it from you, this is a hot potato, neither light nor heavy can be handled. Now that you are this ill, no one is willing to take responsibility. You, on the other hand, have been constantly asking me these past few days..."
A few days ago, Yu Cailing lay half-conscious on the mattress, her eyelids feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds. She could only hear a sharp female voice scolding: "... you incompetent fool, my lady entrusted you with this task, and you have neglected it to this extent. If anything were to happen to the young lady, it would be too lenient to just feed your entire family to the dogs!" Then a timid female voice replied: "At first, it was you who told me to ignore her, to let her shout and smash things as she pleased. The one who made the mistake is being punished here; let’s first vent our anger, who would have known it would escalate to this..." The sharp voice retorted: "Nonsense, no matter her faults, she is still the young lady of the household, and you have no right to treat her with such disregard!"
As soon as Amei saw the water shrine ahead, she tightly pulled Yu Cailing and rushed inside. She took out two five-cash coins to buy a bamboo tube of handmade incense from the old witch at the entrance, and then bought some fruits that Yu Cailing could not name from a girl selling them in a basket. The girl, noticing how handsome Fu Deng was, threw him an orange and looked at him with a cheerful smile; Fu Deng's face instantly turned redder than the orange. Amei laughed and said, "My brother is about to get engaged!" Yu Cailing teased, "If you like him, why are you still charging us for the fruit?" The girl replied cheerfully, "Although he is handsome, my family still needs to eat." The villagers and Yu Cailing all burst into laughter.
Yu Cailing looked at Zhu Yi with a strange expression. This woman, who was usually taciturn, not only spoke more today but also surprisingly allowed her to go out to play without the company of an adult male.
She then picked up the candied fruit and slowly savored it, while observing the woman sitting opposite her. This woman, named Yu Cailing, referred to herself as Zhu. Yu Cailing was not accustomed to addressing people with a single character—this reminded her of the way the owner of the multifunctional salon in town sweetly called her numerous lovers with a collective term. However, she was at a loss due to her ignorance of local customs and dared not call out randomly. Just the other day, she heard Amei mention that a child from the neighboring house, who had been having nightmares and babbling nonsense, was nearly killed by a potion administered by a shaman. Thus, she could only pass it off ambiguously, not knowing that she could indeed address the woman as Zhu.
After praying repeatedly, the four of them joyfully recited "Amitabha" together and happily went out to play, completely oblivious to the strange expression of the old woman kneeling beside them
More than ten days ago, although she was in a daze, she could still sense that the surrounding environment was not good. Beneath her was a hard wooden board with thin cotton batting, and the room was cold and damp, filled with an unpleasant odor. However, since Zhu had arrived, all her clothes and bedding had been replaced with warm and thick materials. Zhu also enlisted the help of some rural women to laboriously bring in a large stove for heating, making the entire room warm and cozy. After cleaning several times, Zhu even took burning mugwort to fumigate every inch of the large room, carefully inspecting it, fearing that there might still be tiny insects or ants left behind. Subsequently, she built a stove and piled up firewood, cooking soup and roasting food daily to nourish Yu Cailing. Since Zhu's arrival, her clothes and bedding had been replaced with warm and thick materials, and she had found some rural women to laboriously bring in a large stove for heating, making the entire room warm and cozy. After cleaning several times, Zhu even took burning mugwort to fumigate every inch of the large room, carefully inspecting it, fearing that there might still be tiny insects or ants left behind. Subsequently, she built a stove and piled up firewood, cooking soup and roasting food daily to nourish Yu Cailing. In this way, her illness improved day by day, but Zhu became noticeably thinner.
This is hard to say, Mother told us that the esteemed Immortal Yan, who once had an audience with His Majesty the Emperor, refused to take up an official position and is now living in seclusion in the countryside, spending his days fishing while draped in a fur coat. Amei is quite knowledgeable
"Young lady, it is time to take your medicine." A middle-aged woman entered the room holding a rough wooden tray and turned to the little girl beside her, who was holding a heavy cotton curtain, saying, "Amei, lower the curtain, it is cold outside"
After taking the herbal soup, the round-faced Amei nestled beside Yu Cailing and sweetly said, "Miss, it is warm outside today, let us go out and have some fun." Yu Cailing, feeling tired of kneeling, nodded in agreement. The woman chuckled and said, "It is good to bask in the sun, but since the guards are not here today, you must not wander far. Have A-Liang follow you."
Fu Yi is the husband of the woman Zhu, and originally there were two guards. When Yu Cailing heard them call Fu Yi "Fu Tou'er," she followed suit. However, Fu Yi was quite anxious and absolutely refused. The first time she saw him, she noticed his intimate behavior with the woman Zhu and mistakenly thought he was her lover, indulging in gossip. Little did she know, he was actually her legitimate spouse
The stream is indeed filled with children and youths, laughing and playing joyfully; at this moment, the local customs are simple and unadorned. The children's toys consist merely of flat stones skimmed across the water's surface, enduring the bone-chilling cold of the stream to catch a few dull little crabs and shrimps. The most extravagant pastime is nothing more than splashing around in the water with self-made wooden clogs. Watching the siblings Amei and Aliang frolic by the shore, Yu Cailing took a few steps back, scanning the surroundings, and soon spotted a large round stone dried by the sun, upon which she sat down. Fu Deng quietly followed her to the side, not uttering a word.
A few days ago, when she first woke up, she was not only suffering from a splitting headache but was also terrified by the speculation, causing her to faint again, wishing she could die once more. In fact, her hometown, a small town in Jiangnan with a population of 1,800, is nestled among the mountains, where dialects differ every hundred miles and languages every thousand miles. She had only seen two Japanese soldiers who had endured great hardships to arrive there. It was only later, when the young men who worked in the big city returned home and spoke of it, that she realized those described were the Japanese soldiers. The village elder, filled with righteous indignation, spoke passionately, instructing the villagers that if they encountered such individuals again, they should definitely mix some rat poison into the sweet potatoes, yams, and dried radishes they offered. Unfortunately, no Japanese soldiers ever came again, and the rat poison was never used.
Yu Cailing nodded in satisfaction, leading Xiao Amei while guiding a lively boy of about seven or eight years old out of the courtyard. Suddenly, she noticed two knights in short attire galloping towards them from a distance, accompanied by swirling snow and a bit of dust. The sharp-eyed Amei exclaimed: "It's Father, ... ... and Brother." Immediately, she raised her voice, waving her arms and shouted: "Father! Brother!"
However, a disease that claimed a life is not so easily cured, especially in ancient times when medical standards were low. Even today, despite Yu Cailing's good spirits, she occasionally feels weak and cannot walk quickly, only able to stroll slowly. To cheer her up, Zhu sought out an ox cart and had two guards pull her and Amei to take a walk and enjoy the countryside.
Yu Cailing reflected that the last time she prayed in her previous life was when she went hiking with her three roommates. The four young women sincerely bowed before the statue of the Three Pure Ones. The text message girl prayed to receive a full scholarship again for this semester, while the blogger sister wished for the handsome boy from the neighboring class, whom she secretly admired, to break up with his girlfriend and fall in love with her at first sight. Koukou hoped to secure an internship opportunity at NZND Company in advance, and she requested that the 11th version of her party membership application, which she had just written the day before, would pass—her uncle said that if she succeeded, he would buy her a laptop.
Having recovered from her illness, Zhu invited two shamans to sing and dance in gratitude to the gods; she also built a new kitchen in the courtyard and sacrificed a young lamb, offering several plates of fruits to the Kitchen God. Even during the heavy snowfall the previous day, Zhu solemnly presented two jars of winter wine, uncertain whether she was praying for the snow to stop quickly or to fall even heavier. Yesterday, with the sun shining brightly and the accumulated snow gradually melting, making it a good time to gather mushrooms and wild vegetables, Zhu joyfully slaughtered a pair of live chickens and ducks. Although Yu Cailing had yet to see anyone sacrifice animals, she did not dare to ask too many questions, and the most pitiful thing was that she did not even know the name of this body she inhabited.
Then came the gentle yet slow voice of the woman, who smiled and said: "The young lady is not ill to this extent; this good job is not meant for me. I only hope that the master will think well of me, so that in the future, my family Amei and Aliang will also have a bright future." Then there was a clattering sound of copper coins, and the sharp female voice said with satisfaction: "That works. Since you have accepted this job, do it well." After that, she left.
Looking back at this small courtyard, a wide fence encircles the house from a distance. Although it is a rural cottage, the roof is built high, and the three rooms inside are spacious and lofty, without a trace of timidity or gloominess—such tall and spacious buildings are entirely unlike the style of Japan
Yu Cailing also smiled, but in reality, she was very grateful to the Zhu family
Yu Cailing nodded slightly and smiled as she said, "Fu Yi has returned." The middle-aged man raised his bushy beard and laughed heartily, saying, "Young lady, are you going out to have some fun? I just saw that the water shrine ahead is holding a ceremony for the river god; it would be good for you to go and see the festivities." He turned to his son and said, "Deng, you don't need to go back to the house yet; come along with us." The young man replied softly, "Yes." He then unfastened the reins and handed them to his father, following Yu Cailing and the others as they stepped out into the thin layer of snow, which crunched underfoot.
Amei made a funny face at her mother and quickly helped Yu Cailing put on her thick-soled cotton shoes with pointed toes, then wrapped her in a thick cloak. The two girls happily held hands and went out to play
After leaving the hospital, I walked westward for about ten minutes. I could hear the sound of the stream and the chatter of people. Before me lay a small creek, approximately ten meters wide, with crystal-clear water that revealed the bottom. In the shallow areas, the water was no more than half a meter deep, while the deeper parts reached only three to four meters. Although it was merely a small creek, it was rich in resources, providing a continuous supply of fish and shrimp throughout the year, significantly supplementing the livelihoods of the villagers. Therefore, not far upstream on the bank, the three elders of the village led the villagers to build a small shrine to honor the deities of the mountains and streams, hoping to receive divine protection and an abundance of fish, shrimp, fruits, and vegetables.
Everyone says that the sorcerer inside is quite effective. Ame tugged at Yu Cailing's sleeve, to which Yu Cailing replied with a stern face, "If he were really that powerful, the high officials and nobles would have already invited him, why would he still be in this small place?" In fact, later on, when the cold-hearted old man’s business grew, he also began to believe in these mystical matters, but the key was to find someone with genuine skills, to avoid mistakenly offering incense to the wrong deity.
Yu Cailing quickly regained her composure and sat up straight (in fact, she was kneeling). The woman placed a square tray on the table, which contained two ceramic bowls, one large and one small. The large bowl held steaming medicinal soup, while the small bowl contained three pieces of candied fruit. Yu Cailing lifted the ceramic bowl and silently drank it in one gulp, instantly filling her mouth with bitterness, which was indeed more difficult to swallow than dichlorvos, although she had never actually tasted dichlorvos.
Stepping outside, Yu Cailing took a deep breath, greeted by a rush of icy air. The warmth within her chest dissipated, replaced by a refreshing and crisp atmosphere. Looking up at the sky of the northern countryside, she felt that the blue skies and white clouds she had read about in elementary school were not mere fabrications. Observing the vast and lofty expanse above, so clean it resembled pure, clear ice water, Yu Cailing felt an immense sense of exhilaration