Chapter 31: Eccentricities and Petty Accusations

Huixin abruptly raised her tear-swollen eyes, each word laced with suppressed anger, her protective maternal instinct completely unconcealed: “He’er just narrowly escaped death, lying unconscious with severe injuries, and in your words… she’s merely being lazy?”

Slander! Pure slander!

She had come here to observe vegetarian fasting and worship Buddha, praying for the Buddha to protect her daughter’s health and restore her consciousness.

Seeing the formerly cultured and proper Madam Lin provoked to anger by himself, Wen Zhixu softened his tone: “Madam Lin, that’s not what I meant.”

“If anything happens to He’er, I’ll—I’ll definitely—” create a paper effigy, write your birth characters on it, and stab it to death with needles!

Huici finished refilling the lamp oil and emerged from the room, seeing her dear friend confronting her son under the moonlight. All rules of propriety, hierarchy, and respect between elders and juniors seemed to have vanished between them.

“What’s all this noise?” Huici asked sternly.

Both immediately fell silent.

“Patron Lin has awakened,” Huici said meaningfully, glancing at her son, “and is clamoring to eat the Imperial Academy buns from Patron Wen’s residence.”

Wen Zhixu: “…”

This was truly disastrous—in this pure Buddhist cultivation ground, that woman wanted to eat meat.

“The nunnery only has plain congee and simple dishes.” Huixin pouted, having already forgotten the earlier argument. “…Xiao Xu, He’er is hungry. Think of something.”

Wen Zhixu nearly laughed in frustration: “You’re not expecting me to go hunting in the back mountains, are you?”

Huixin, who had no principles or limits when it came to her daughter, looked at him pleadingly: “Could you?”

“!”

This was madness! That Lin Xihe must be poisonous! Never mind that the nunnery had no meat dishes—what could possibly be found in the back mountains in the middle of the night?!

The door to the side room creaked open, revealing half a face peeking out furtively: “I’m starving…”

Before she finished speaking, the rumbling of her stomach echoed through the quiet night, unusually distinct.

Wen Zhixu glanced at her: “I’ll give you some Xiao meat to eat.”

Following his words, the certain hungry ghost’s eyes followed him intently: “Xiao meat? What kind of meat is that?”

Wen Zhixu remained silent and looked away. Never mind, no need to explain. If she didn’t even recognize an owl, how could she understand raising sparrows?

Seeing him skip the answer, Lin Xihe grew somewhat angry: “Hey, I did take care of you! Otherwise, you would’ve burned up like a roasted pig.”

Wen Zhixu, having simply changed clothes, leaned against the corridor pillar, his fever mostly subsided. The moonlight happened to slant down from the eaves, illuminating half his figure.

Since male guests couldn’t stay overnight in the nunnery, naturally he couldn’t bathe—he had only wiped his face and hands clean.

The night breeze brushed past, faintly carrying a peculiar odor. It smelled stronger than pickled vegetables… like the scent of Chou Luowa.

Just then, his faithful servant raised a tray high: “Second Young Master, Miss Lin’s… what should be done with this item?”

The tray held two black, wrinkled woven articles, so dark their original color was indistinguishable.

Qingwu quickly took the tray and hurried to the backyard to wash her young lady’s silk stockings.

Seeing him remain silent, the girl in the side room stuck her whole head out. Her dark hair cascaded past the doorframe, tangled and coiling, just right concealing the slight guilt in her eyes.

Wen Zhixu’s nose wrinkled as he flicked his sleeve and left—his mysophobia had been triggered.

Faced with a large table of midnight snacks, Lin Xihe had already forgotten about that troublesome fellow.

The midnight snacks were entirely vegetarian. The wild vegetables were freshly picked, simply pickled and blanched, yet they tasted exceptionally delicious.

The plain congee was meticulously prepared. With ingredients like goji berries and red dates added, her empty stomach was instantly warmed.

But what was with the beautiful woman in nun’s robes sitting across from her?

Lin Xihe tested this several times: every time she took a sip of congee, the woman’s eyes would glisten with more tears; if she stopped eating, the other would gently dab the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.

No one else was around. The candlelight cast two faint, wavering shadows on the wall.

This was rather awkward—Lin Xihe didn’t recognize the person before her.

“Sister?” she tentatively spoke.

The woman across silently wiped her tears.

Lin Xihe ventured another question: “Reverend?”

At this, the woman cried even harder.

“…” Lin Xihe was at a loss. She rubbed her nose and asked, “What’s a little owl?”

Only then did Huixin move to the window and lift the lattice. Moonlight illuminated the old fir tree in the courtyard. With her hands behind her back, she pointed and said, “He’er could draw owls since she was little. How come now that she’s grown up, she can’t recognize one anymore?”

Lin Xihe squinted at the shadowy mass in the tree. A mountain bird perched on a branch, its round eyes staring back at her.

Her mind buzzed.

“Isn’t this an owl?!”

Lin Xihe, now full and satisfied.

Was furious.

In the distance, the sound of wooden clappers echoed. Slow at first, then faster, each strike seeming to urge her on.

Just like accepting her cheap father, Lin Xihe instantly accepted the fact that she had a biological mother. Since she had already traveled through time, these parents came “pre-assigned” with her identity—much like opening a blind box, with no choice in the matter anyway.

The nun before her had fair skin and not a single wrinkle at the corners of her eyes, clearly possessing the appearance of a young woman. Yet the weariness reflected in her pupils faintly revealed her age.

Lin Xihe reconsidered: people in ancient times married and had children early. Having a daughter who had just reached marriageable age in her early thirties was quite normal.

If calculated by her age before transmigrating, Huixin was only seven or eight years older than her.

“Sis—no,” Lin Xihe forced herself to correct, “Mother.”

As soon as the word “Mother” left her lips, Huixin burst into loud sobs.

“…” What to do now?

Before dawn had fully broken, a young nun had been hesitating outside the chamber for some time. When Qingwu opened the door, she saw the young nun gesturing frantically toward the sutra hall.

Surprisingly, Lin Xihe understood: “Morning service?”

“Yes!” The young nun nodded vigorously, her eyes wide and round.

Remembering the stern-faced abbess, Lin Xihe suddenly felt the anxiety of a parent sending their child to school, stuck in traffic. She was truly afraid her old mother would be late and punished to copy sutras.

“Mother,” Lin Xihe gently patted Huixin’s back, “Hurry to school, or you’ll be late.”

Rubbing her sore body, she led Huixin to her meditation room.

“Mother, where are your textbooks? Don’t forget them.”

Huixin didn’t understand her daughter’s words, but she tried to keep up: “…Sutras?”

“Yes!Lin Xihe pulled an eco-bag from her inner sleeve—she had described the style from memory to the Housekeeper, and the old lady had felt around and sewn several for her.

Sutras, wooden fish, prayer beads… everything needed for morning service was stuffed into the eco-bag by Lin Xihe.

“All your stationery prepared?” Lin Xihe asked again, like a fussy mother.

Huixin was confused and didn’t understand, but that didn’t stop her from nodding.

“Hurry up, don’t be late. Otherwise, the abbess will come to me to report on you.”

“…?”

The long corridor led to the solemn main hall.

Huixin, carrying an eco-bag over her shoulder, kept glancing back as she walked. Huici’s gaze inadvertently fell on the cloth bag, examining it closely—it was quite lovely. The observant girl, as if performing a magic trick, pulled another one from her sleeve and handed it over: “Auntie, this one’s for you, to hold your study supplies.”

Huici: “?” Study supplies?

Lin Xihe waved at the two: “Chant sutras diligently, improve every day!”

The nun duo: “…”

The abbess slowly scanned the nuns in the hall. In the corner, Huici and Huixin sat separately on meditation cushions, each with a peculiarly styled bag beside them. The bags were embroidered in black and white thread with an animal she had never seen before: its fur was black and white, with two smudged dark circles around the eyes, looking adorably clumsy.

The abbess’s gaze lingered on the two round, chubby creatures for a moment, her brow slightly furrowed.

Was that… a bear?

Throughout the morning chanting session, the abbess was somewhat distracted, her eyes drifting over again and again.

.

The sound of the temple bell mingled with the clatter of hooves as Lin Xihe returned to the estate first.

She glanced at the neatly packed small porridge bucket—a task assigned by her cheap father.

Every month on porridge distribution day, Lin Zhaoheng would queue up, feigning piety in hopes of winning his wife back.

But in reality, didn’t he still have a concubine, a second daughter, and a son at home, a happy family of four?

Passing by a morning meal stall, Lin Xihe signaled the coachman to stop.

A crowd stood in front of the fried pancake stall, waiting in line for the freshly made pancakes.

Qingwu spread a handkerchief over a wooden stool and gestured for Lin Xihe to sit: “Miss, would you like to buy a pancake?”

Lin Xihe waved her hand: “No, carbs make me dizzy.”

At a nearby table, a young man sat with his back to her, the pancake in his hand suddenly losing its appeal.

What did “carbs make me dizzy” mean? It didn’t sound like a compliment.

Lin Xihe ordered a bowl of soy milk and was about to drink it with a spoon when she noticed several women and children staring intently at her.

…What? Was she so stunning just drinking soy milk?

Upon closer inspection, their gazes swept right over her head, landing precisely on the table behind her. One of the women even flushed with excitement.

Lin Xihe glanced sideways at the young man at the back table. Fine, it had nothing to do with her—she had overthought it.

The young man had broad shoulders and an elegant posture. Though she couldn’t see his face, Lin Xihe unilaterally dubbed him “the handsome back-view killer.”

The handsome man turned around, his dark pupils accurately catching Lin Xihe’s peeking gaze.

“Why is it you?” Lin Xihe muttered under her breath, feeling unlucky.

Wen Zhixu, however, wasn’t offended. Tipping his chin up, he asked leisurely, “Did you eat the Xiao meat?”

“You!” She grabbed her chopsticks and started jabbing violently. “You’re the one who eats owls!”

Owls? A fresh way to put it. Wen Zhixu pondered this while deftly avoiding her “attacks.”

Qingwu scooped some sugar into her mistress’s bowl and tugged discreetly at her sleeve with a plump hand: “Miss, please calm down.”

The women and children who had been craning their necks now turned their attention to Lin Xihe—watching her brandishing her chopsticks, angrily stabbing at the empty air in front of Wen Zhixu.

A child’s clear voice broke the silence: “Coward.”

“…”

Soon, someone recognized Lin Xihe: “Hey! Isn’t that the daughter of Imperial Censor Lin’s household?”

At these words, the surrounding gazes instantly shifted in tone.

The onlookers’ eyes flickered back and forth between Second Master Wen and Miss Lin.

Rumors had it that Second Master Wen was quite dissatisfied with this marriage arrangement—who would want a fool for a wife?

“That Miss Lin isn’t foolish at all. Her mouth can eat and drink, and her eyes can even glare at Second Master Wen.”

The common folk once again confirmed the rumor that “the resurrected Lin Xihe has gone mad.”

Wen Zhixu and Lin Xihe sat back-to-back.

One was elegantly eating breakfast.

The other wasn’t eating properly and had switched to a more handy weapon—she spent a good while attacking Wen Zhixu’s shadow with a porcelain spoon.

Without turning his head, Wen Zhixu maintained his sitting posture, glancing down at the ferocious shadow on the ground as his voice carried over: “Aren’t your hands tired? There’s a shadow on the ground.”

Caught red-handed, Lin Xihe quickly turned around, lowered her head, and pretended to gulp down soybean milk.

Suddenly, the morning light enveloping her was blocked by a shadow.

Wen Zhixu looked down at the large sea bowl whose rim was wider than her face: “This humble Wen didn’t know Miss Lin had the habit of licking bowl rims.”

Lin Xihe had long finished that bowl of soybean milk—the porcelain bowl before her was completely empty—but in a moment of mental lapse, she insisted on pretending to drink.

Being mocked by Wen Zhixu, how could Lin Xihe admit defeat? “This is called performance art, you ancient bumpkin!”

A blush spread across her cheeks like a general redeeming honor on the battlefield. She lifted her chin, the morning light outlining her perky nose with a dashing curve.

Furious, Wen Zhixu plunged into his carriage.

Two carriages traveled side by side. Curtains on both sides were lifted simultaneously, two gazes colliding amid the jolting motion.

Neither would yield.

This wasn’t working—they couldn’t exactly have a physical fight.

Wen Zhixu had no choice but to speak: “This humble Wen’s Que Er is at Miss Lin’s residence.”

Lin Xihe propped her hand, fingertips pressing against the corner of her eye, pulling her eyelid down low: “Indeed. I am its savior.”

Assuming the air of a benefactor, Lin Xihe cast him a leisurely glance as if saying: How will you thank me?

“Miss Lin,” Wen Zhixu’s respectful tone somewhat pleased a certain someone, “might this humble Wen inquire when I can bring it back to my residence?”

“That won’t do.” Lin Xihe politely refused.

Hearing this, Wen Zhixu’s eyelid twitched involuntarily.

Did this mean she wasn’t planning to return it?

“The Que Er Miss Lin took in was purchased from legitimate Bird Marts. The shopkeeper and assistants can all testify—it is indeed raised by this humble Wen.”

“It was bitten by a stray cat—two bloody holes in its belly.” Lin Xihe pulled two blood-veined stones from her bosom, reaching her arm directly between the two carriages. “These are called Huarui stones, possessing miraculous effects of stopping bleeding and regenerating tissue. I need to apply medicine to it when I return to my residence.”

The sunlight made her hand gleam particularly bright.