Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 300 Li Daitao is stiff
Miaoyu and her party did not go far before finding an inn near Nengren Temple to stay in. Because Miaoyu was always fond of cleanliness, this move made things difficult for the two old women and the maid Qingfan. Miaoyu hid to the side, lost in thought, while the three of them kept busy running around.

Around noon, the three of them finished tidying up when a waiter knocked on the door. Qingfan opened the door to greet him, and saw Qingyu, who was beside Chen Siyuan, bow to him and say, "I have received instructions from Miss Miaoyu that the items stored by Master Miaoyu will be sent to Hengshudian tomorrow. If Master Miaoyu wants to use them, just go to Hengshudian."

Qingfan agreed, and Qingyu didn't linger. He cupped his hands in greeting and left.

Qingfan turned back and spoke to Miaoyu, who simply nodded in agreement without saying another word.

Qingfan bit her lower lip, hesitated for a long time, then sighed and turned away.

Who doesn't know that this escape from the cage was all thanks to Xing Xiuyan? That Master Yuan is also a gentleman; he gave away the precious items worth twenty or thirty thousand taels of silver exactly as they were. Wouldn't ordinary people be tempted?

Such kindness would normally elicit heartfelt thanks from an ordinary person, but my daughter is rather stubborn; even if she thinks it in her heart, she won't say it aloud.

Human hearts are made of flesh and blood. Miaoyu had just had her flesh cut off by Lady Wang, so she naturally felt grateful to Chen Siyuan for his noble character, and her resentment towards him lessened considerably. However, she didn't know how to repay him, nor did she know where she would be in the future. At this moment, she felt like a piece of duckweed, with nowhere to settle down in this vast world.

After thinking it over for a while, Miaoyu still felt that her previous idea was correct, so she called over two old women and instructed them: "Tomorrow, you two should go around and find out which nunneries are in dire need of support."

An old woman frowned and tried to comfort her, saying, "Does the young lady really intend to become a nun?"

Miaoyu had mistakenly trusted Liu Xianglian, and with Jia Baoyu's talent and virtue preceding her, she felt that there was no good man in the world. So she resolutely said, "You don't need to persuade me anymore. My mind is made up. Even if we enter the nunnery, we will still live our lives behind closed doors."

The two old women exchanged a glance, and seeing that they couldn't persuade them, they had no choice but to obey their orders.

............................................................

No sooner had Miaoyu left than Madam Wang summoned Zhou Rui's wife to carefully count the valuables. Madam Wang came from the Wang family, and Zhou Rui's wife was her personal maid, so she naturally had some knowledge. The two of them estimated that the rare treasures left by Miaoyu could at least be exchanged for ten thousand taels of silver, and if they found someone knowledgeable, they might be able to exchange them for thirteen thousand taels.

Lady Wang was somewhat relieved, thinking that the money for the Mid-Autumn Festival rewards and Jia Zheng's trip south would finally be secured. Fortunately, there were no major events after the Mid-Autumn Festival, and if the remaining several thousand taels were used carefully, they could last until the twelfth lunar month. At that time, the estate in Liaodong would also send New Year's gifts, so this time it would at least last until March or April of the following year.

After counting the money, Madam Wang breathed a sigh of relief. She thought to herself that this would give her some breathing room and she wouldn't have to rush to borrow money from Madam Xia.

Since the Mid-Autumn Festival was just two days away, Madam Wang got up and went to the back to find Aunt Xue. After the two sisters exchanged a few words, Madam Wang handed over the bundle and said, "We really have no money in the family, so we have to pawn things to make ends meet. Sister, please sell these items and see how much money you can get."

Aunt Xue sighed for a while before agreeing. She then turned to Baochai, and the mother and daughter called the manager of their family's pawnshop, Hengshudian, to appraise the value. In the end, they valued it at eleven thousand taels.

In the afternoon, Aunt Xue went to speak with Madam Wang. Madam Wang was not very happy when she heard the amount of money, but since she needed the money urgently, she agreed.

Seeing that Madam Wang's expression was not quite right, Aunt Xue felt deeply aggrieved. These imperial artifacts were not easy to sell; they had to be transported south to be sold, and only by finding a suitable buyer could they fetch a good price. How much would the round trip of a thousand miles cost? The price of eleven thousand taels was already quite reasonable, but her sister, Madam Wang, thought that she was making money off of it.

When they returned to the small courtyard in the northeast, Aunt Xue was angry and wanted to find Chen Siyuan, but she was afraid that Baochai would misunderstand, so she could only talk to Sister Bao for a long time.

At first, Baochai would chime in with a few words, but after hearing it so many times, she couldn't help but become absent-minded. When she first came a few years ago, her aunt, Lady Wang, only held power in name and had to fight with the old lady, requiring the help of Baochai and her mother in everything. Therefore, Baochai didn't feel it deeply and only thought that her aunt was just a little narrow-minded.

When Miaoyu left the mansion, it was as if a layer of flesh had been cut off. Only then did Baochai realize the ruthlessness of her aunt, Lady Wang! Recalling what Chen Siyuan had said earlier, if she hadn't woken up early and had still followed the golden and jade marriage, she was afraid that she would not even be as good as Miaoyu in the future, and even the Xue family would be devoured alive by Lady Wang!

Thinking of this, Baochai shuddered and said, "Auntie's mind is becoming more and more extreme. If she really takes control of the Rongguo Mansion in the future, after she has schemed against others, she might even scheme against our family."

Aunt Xue had only grumbled inwardly for a moment, but upon hearing this, she was immediately taken aback and said, "My child, you've gone too far. No matter what your aunt does, she shouldn't..."

“Why not?” Baochai said seriously, “Mother, have you forgotten that Brother is still carrying a lawsuit? Besides, how can the other branches of the family in Jinling be easy to deal with?”

Aunt Xue was speechless for a moment, and she was beginning to believe it. After thinking for a while, she sighed and said, "Forget it, I'd better come less often in the future. Tomorrow I'll invite Madam Xia, and I'll go back to the old house this afternoon to take care of your brother."

When Baochai asked about the old house, Aunt Xue said it was normal, but she was also worried because she had never held a grandson.

Baochai offered a few words of comfort, but knowing that further words would be futile, she immediately bid farewell to Aunt Xue and, after some thought, couldn't help but head towards Qingtang Thatched Cottage.

When Baochai arrived, she saw Xing Xiuyan leaving. The two women exchanged a few words with smiles before Xing Xiuyan hurried away.

Baochai glanced at Chen Siyuan, then looked at Xing Xiuyan and said, "Is it still because of Miaoyu?"

Chen Siyuan nodded and said in a low voice, "I just sent a servant to chase after Miaoyu, and told her to just go to my sister's Hengshudian to get what she needs tomorrow."

Sister Bao laughed and said, "It's just a coincidence. I'm afraid all the good things she had were sent to my pawnshop."

Chen Siyuan invited Baochai inside. After they sat down, Chen Siyuan listened to Baochai's words and thought to himself, "I'm afraid this Lady Wang is going through menopause."

Unfortunately, there is no concept of menopause in traditional Chinese medicine, and it was not convenient to discuss this with Sister Bao at the moment, so Chen Siyuan changed the subject to other matters.

Firstly, since Old Lady You had just passed away, Chen Siyuan needed to stay with Third Sister You; secondly, Xiangling's mother would be returning to Suzhou after the Mid-Autumn Festival, and he couldn't just ignore her. Therefore, he had to return to the new house during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Sister Bao felt a little jealous, but then she thought that this was better than those who were fickle and abandoned their old lovers once they had a new one. So she said, "You just go back to your new house. I will take care of Sister Lin."

The two looked at each other and smiled, everything understood without a word.

............................................................

Mid-Autumn Festival arrived in the blink of an eye.

Chen Siyuan went to the east courtyard at dawn to see Madam Xing and Jia She—it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, so he should pay his respects. But when he arrived at the east courtyard, he found it empty; Jia She had gone to the Prince of Beijing's residence, and Madam Xing had gone to the Ningguo Mansion.

Chen Siyuan was puzzled. He thought Jia She was short of money and might try to take advantage of him, but there had been no movement for the past two days. Could it be that Jia She had another plan? Or had the old man really embezzled public funds?
Chen Siyuan returned home in bewilderment, only to run into Madam Xing, who was turning back from the east corner gate.

Madam Xing frowned deeply, while Miao'er and Tiao'er beside her hung their heads in silence, clearly furious. Upon seeing Chen Siyuan, they immediately raised an eyebrow and called out, "Little...Yuan-ge'er!"

Chen Siyuan hurriedly stepped forward to greet her, cupping his hands and saying, "Aunt, why did you go to the East Mansion? I just returned from the East Wing."

Madam Xing sighed, gave a wink to the two maids, and after they stepped aside, she pulled Chen Siyuan to the corner and said, "Madam You is not well; it seems she is about to have a premature birth."

"Oh?"

"It's all Rong's fault! The imperial physician examined her and said that she had inhaled too much musk before, and she's probably going into labor in the next few days."

Chen Siyuan frowned immediately and said, "Has Physician Wang examined you? Why don't you ask Doctor Ding from Henian Hall to take a look as well?"

Madam Xing said, "I've seen it all, and that Doctor Ding said the same thing. What a tragedy!" Madam Xing sighed and continued, "Zhen-ge'er got angry, and then he heard that Rong-xiaozi wasn't behaving well at the Imperial Academy, so he beat him up again just now. Luckily, Feng-ya stopped him, otherwise he might have been seriously injured!"

Chen Siyuan sneered, "He brought this upon himself."

“Who says otherwise?” Madam Xing said, “This time, Zhen’er really lost his temper. No matter what Feng’er said, it was no use. He just said that after the Mid-Autumn Festival, he would send Rong’er to Jinling to guard the ancestral home.”

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "That's good, out of sight, out of mind."

Madam Xing shook her head without saying a word.

Chen Siyuan then inquired about Jia She's situation, and Madam Xing immediately said, "Don't mention it! He was thinking of selling his shares in Baicaotang to get some money. But a couple of days ago, he drank too much with Uncle Niu and sold it for only four thousand taels! Today, he regrets it more and more, so he went to talk to Prince Bei Jing about it."

Chen Siyuan stared in disbelief, thinking to himself that the shares Jia She bought from Jia Lian at the very least yielded a monthly income of three or four hundred taels, but they were sold for four thousand taels... How much wine must have been drunk by that?
Madam Xing felt heartbroken when she thought about it, and said, "If I had known it would be so cheap, I should have kept it for you."

Chen Siyuan quickly said, "Don't! Don't you know what the master is thinking? He might be reluctant to spend eight thousand taels of silver here, and who knows how he might scheme against me later."

Madam Xing thought about it and agreed. After saying a few more ordinary words, she bid farewell to Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan wandered around Xiaoxiang Pavilion and Hengwu Garden, glanced at Daoxiang Village in the distance, and then leisurely led Hongyu and the others to the new house.

Although Sister You Er and Sister You San were now observing mourning, they were in fact concubines, though not officially called so. As the saying goes, a married woman follows her husband, so even during mourning, it wasn't appropriate to restrict the people in the new house. Therefore, on this day, the Chen family's new house was decorated in its finest, with lanterns and colorful streamers everywhere. All the servants received their usual rewards early, and everyone was beaming with joy.

Chen Siyuan led Hongyu and the others inside, and everyone came forward to greet them. The You sisters, Xiangling, and Qingwen had already come to welcome them. Chen Siyuan smiled and chatted with the women for a while, and then he noticed that the second sister of the You family hesitated several times, while the third sister of the You family had a frosty expression on her face. He was immediately puzzled and wondered if the two of them had quarreled.
Chen Siyuan first went to sit in the main room for a while, and then personally went to the side garden to invite Aunt Zhen, Xiangling's mother. Around noon, the banquet began, the stage was set up, and the invited Anhui opera troupe began to sing, making it a very lively occasion.

During the meal, Sister You Er glanced at Chen Siyuan several times, but Chen Siyuan, seeing that Sister You San remained silent, pretended not to see her.

Halfway through the banquet, Chen Siyuan went to the back to relieve himself. When he came out from behind the screen, he saw You Erjie waiting there.

"Master~" Second Sister You bowed gracefully.

Chen Siyuan then asked, "You looked at me several times during the meal, is something the matter?"

Second Sister You nodded, about to speak, when Third Sister You shouted from the doorway, "I won't allow it!"

Chen Siyuan looked up and saw Sister You San, dressed in plain clothes, approaching with a frown. She sneered as she got closer, "I don't know what kind of bewitching potion she gave you, that you'd even abandon your own brothers!"

Sister You retorted, "Whether it succeeds or not, it's up to Master to make the decision. Why are you so anxious, little sister?"

"I'm angry?" Sister You said coldly, "Don't tell me you don't know what the situation is like in Ningguo Mansion! Chou'er is already weak, if we send her there now, won't she lose her life? Even if Jia Zhen cherishes her, do you know what Eldest Sister is thinking?"

Based on just a few words from the two men, Chen Siyuan had already gleaned most of the information and couldn't help but gasp, "Has Jia Zhen come looking for us?"

Sister You then said, "Yesterday she went to Ningguo Mansion. Jia Zhen was being roundabout and his words were all just a precaution. If Eldest Sister gives birth to a boy, that would be wonderful; but if she gives birth to a girl, he plans to pull a switcheroo!"

Good heavens, Jia Zhen really dares to dream big!
After careful consideration, Chen Siyuan found the matter to be extremely feasible. Firstly, the time between Chou'er and the baby in You's womb was only two months, and now that You was going to give birth prematurely, the difference was only about a month. Chou'er was born weak and frail, so it wouldn't matter if he were to impersonate a newborn.

Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, unable to produce a son, considered You Shi's pregnancy a blessing from heaven and didn't expect her to conceive again. This situation inevitably led to anxiety and uncertainty.

Now that he heard that Lady You was showing signs of premature labor, Jia Zhen had an idea and sought out Lady You, intending to use her as a substitute.

After the two sisters argued for a while, Chen Siyuan came to his senses and asked You Erjie, "What is your eldest sister thinking?"

Second Sister You shook her head and said, "My eldest sister is having a miscarriage, how could I dare to tell her right now?"

Chen Siyuan said, "Let's put this matter aside for now. It's not too late to discuss it with your eldest sister after she gives birth."

Second Sister You's eyes lit up, and she said, "Master means that if Eldest Sister nods, then we should agree."

"Brother!" Sister You San immediately became anxious upon hearing this.

Chen Siyuan raised his hand to stop the conversation, first sending You Erjie back, and then pulled You Sanjie aside, saying, "No matter how beastly Jia Zhen and his son are, Ugly Boy is still a member of the Jia family. If you force him to stay... who knows if Jia Zhen will take the risk?"

Sister You immediately recalled the brains that had been splattered all over the ground that day, and a chill ran down her spine.

Chen Siyuan added, "Besides, the Ningguo Mansion is wealthy and powerful. If Chou'er finds out about her true identity in the future, she might even resent her sister."

Sister You casually replied, "Chou'er wouldn't do that!"

Even though I said that, I was secretly wavering.

Yes, the You family is just an old house with no business, how can it compare to the Ningguo Mansion? Moreover, with a baby for more than a month, even with a wet nurse taking care of the baby at night, Third Sister You herself is exhausted.

Ugly Child was born of an illegitimate child, and You Sanjie hated Old Lady You and Jia Zhen to the core. What she understood back then was only three parts pity and seven parts righteous indignation. How could she, at such a young age, willingly raise a child for those two?
Seeing that she was tempted, Chen Siyuan took her hand and said, "I've said all I can say. If you still don't agree, then just refuse Jia Zhen. What harm is there in making enemies with him?"

After hesitating for a moment, Third Sister You finally sighed and said, "So be it. He's that beast's child anyway. Let him do whatever he wants." Chen Siyuan smiled knowingly, reached out and stroked Third Sister's cheek before pulling her back onto the table.

After the banquet ended, Chen Siyuan went to the side garden and chatted with Aunt Zhen for a long time. Before leaving, he left her five hundred taels of travel money.

Zhen Fengshi repeatedly refused, but Xiangling spoke up, and she finally accepted it with embarrassment.

Since Zhen Fengshi would be departing tomorrow, Xiangling would stay overnight to keep her mother company. Chen Siyuan returned to the main room, where You Erjie and You Sanjie were reluctant to leave, their eyes sparkling with desire.

If they didn't know the taste of meat, it wouldn't be so bad, but they were used to eating it before, so how could the two sisters endure a vegetarian diet for more than a month? It was also because their daughter, Chou'er, was still in the back building, and there were also hired wet nurses and other staff. The two sisters were afraid of tarnishing their reputation, so they reluctantly returned.

Sister You felt a pang of sadness. Although she was somewhat reluctant to part with Chou'er, what did Chou'er amount to compared to Chen Siyuan? She quickly came to terms with it and turned to urge Sister You Er to go to Ningguo Mansion the next day to report back.

Qingwen was overjoyed when they left. After helping Chen Siyuan wash up, she shyly went with him to the bedroom.

The night was enchanting, but I won't go into details.

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On the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Chen family's new residence was naturally harmonious and beautiful, and the Rongguo Mansion also appeared harmonious and beautiful on the surface, but there was a lonely and desolate scene where someone invited someone to drink under the moon.

In an inn near Nengren Temple, Miaoyu was overcome with homesickness. She didn't touch the dishes in front of her, but drank cup after cup of wine.

Before long, her face flushed red, and she was already tipsy. Qingfan was afraid that she was drunk, so he advised her, "Miss, you should rest early. We still need to visit the nunnery tomorrow."

Miaoyu sighed sadly, feeling that the world was full of hypocrites and scheming tricks. She thought that even the lady of the Duke's mansion would scheme against her for a little money.

Thinking of her parents in Suzhou, Miaoyu's eyes welled up with tears. Qingfan offered a few more words of comfort before helping her to her bedside.

Smoky and slightly drunk, Miaoyu quickly washed up and crawled into bed. She thought there would be nothing else to do that day, but unexpectedly, she was awakened by an itch in the middle of the night. As she scratched, she felt something jumping in her palm.

Miaoyu cried out in fright. Qingfan, who had just been resting, quickly lit a lamp and saw Miaoyu scratching around. She then took off her inner garment and saw a smear of blood on her palm. She immediately began to gag and cried out, "Water! Quickly fetch water! I need to bathe!"

Qingfan hesitated, wondering if there was any hot water available at the inn since it was already past midnight.
Miaoyu threw clothes and blankets all over the floor and said, "Burn them, burn them all!"

The two old women outside woke up one after the other, looking at each other in silence. Unable to bear Miaoyu's clamor any longer, they had no choice but to go to the front to find a waiter, pay some money, and then get some hot water.

After a long while, Miaoyu huddled in the bathtub, looking around with lingering fear. She said, "I can't stay here for another second. Tomorrow, I'll spend whatever it takes to find a clean place to stay!"

The maids and servants, unsure of what to say, could only agree repeatedly. After serving Miaoyu her bath, she refused to sleep any longer and simply sat in a chair, dozing off repeatedly.

As luck would have it, Miaoyu, who dared not sleep soundly, heard the sound of the door bolt being moved in her drowsy state. Miaoyu was still unaware of what was happening when, by the moonlight, she saw the bolt slowly moving, and she screamed again in fright!
The maid and the old woman were in a terrible predicament. The three of them quickly got up, lit lamps, and looked around. Seeing that the door bolt was about to fall off, their expressions changed drastically.

The women didn't dare go out to look, but stayed inside shouting. After a long while, a waiter finally came. Although he saw the scattered footprints in front of the door, how could he admit that the inn had been robbed? He simply said that Miaoyu and the others had made a mistake, and then left cursing.

Now, how could Miaoyu and the others dare to sleep peacefully? They stayed up all night in fear and trembling, and at dawn, they immediately checked out of their rooms, hired a carriage, and headed straight for the nearby Cihang Nunnery.

The book implies that at this time, Buddhist temples, Taoist monasteries, and nunneries were divided into public monasteries and private temples. The former required unified management by each sect to accept disciples and change abbots, while the latter naturally passed down the teachings from master to disciple and from disciple to disciple.

At least the monasteries in the capital have some rules, but private temples don't have that kind of discipline. Not only are they often chaotic and corrupt, but they're also frequently bought and sold.

The Cihang Nunnery that Miaoyu chose was a private temple. It was only the size of a three-courtyard house, with a mountain gate in the front, a Bodhisattva Hall in the middle, a meditation room in the back, and a small side courtyard. In total, there were twenty-three rooms. There were about ten nuns and lay Buddhists inside, and the abbess was an elderly nun in her fifties with the Dharma name Jingyue.

Miaoyu took a look at the front and back and immediately fell in love with it. This was because both the front and back nunneries had been renovated in recent years and were very clean.

She then gave the two old women a look, and they understood, so they went to talk to the old nun Jingyue about the price.

Land in the inner city is extremely valuable, and the nunnery is not like an ordinary house, so the old nun Jingyue insisted on paying three thousand taels.

The two old women argued for only a few words before Miaoyu grew impatient and said, "Three thousand taels it is, but when will the contract be finalized?"

Jingyue was overjoyed and put her palms together, saying, "Amitabha, since you are so willing, the contract can be completed within three days."

Miaoyu nodded, about to agree, when suddenly a disheveled old woman came out of the meditation room. Miaoyu immediately frowned in displeasure, and Jingyue quickly said, "That's Layman Chu. He comes to stay for half a month every month and donates five hundred catties of sesame oil."

A pound of sesame oil costs four cents, so five hundred pounds would only amount to twenty taels. Miaoyu would never consider it. Disgusted by the old woman's slovenly appearance, she said to Jingyue, "There's one more thing. I've always preferred quiet. Please, Abbot, take care of this shabby fellow."

"Well... if you can make a decision today, I'd be happy to do it for you."

Miaoyu nodded and headed towards the next courtyard, only to bump into a girl sweeping the streets with her face covered. Miaoyu looked at her curiously, and just then, the girl's veil fell off, revealing a face covered in scars and rashes.

Miaoyu was so frightened that she staggered back, angrily saying, "How dare such a filthy person stay in the nunnery?"

Jingyue simply said, "If you don't like it, just send it away later."

Miaoyu then looked at the side courtyard, which was the abbot's residence. It looked small and pleasing to her eye, so she immediately decided to buy it. She left an old woman to guard the place and, along with Qingfan and another old woman, went straight to the Xue family's Hengshudian.

The innkeeper, having received instructions beforehand, led Miaoyu and her party to the back and retrieved the items they had deposited.

Miaoyu only had a little over a hundred taels of silver left, so she asked the shopkeeper how to pawn something. Seeing that the price was reasonable, she pawned two items and got four thousand taels of silver.

After receiving the silver notes, Miaoyu wanted to take the rest of her belongings with her. The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment, then said, "Miss, why don't you leave them with us for now? You can retrieve them whenever you need them."

Miaoyu said, "These are all personal items that I need, so I don't need them."

The shopkeeper, seeing that the woman was declining his offer, did not say anything more.

Miaoyu returned to Cihang Nunnery by carriage, counted out three thousand taels of silver notes in person, and immediately went to the yamen with the old nun Jingyue to complete the contract. The old nun was overjoyed to receive the money, but repeatedly said that she was old and frail and wanted to return to her hometown, and that she would not let Miaoyu have it so easily this time.

Miaoyu, too lazy to argue with Jingyue, immediately returned to Cihang Nunnery. But as soon as she entered, she saw the pockmarked woman from before kneeling before her.

Miaoyu was disgusted and took a step back, frowning as she asked, "Why haven't you left yet?"

Unexpectedly, the woman said sadly, "Where can I go? Please, Master Miaoyu, give me a way to live."

Miaoyu frowned and looked up at the old woman who was left behind. The old woman said, "Miss, I didn't say anything just now."

Miaoyu was surprised and looked at the pockmarked woman, saying, "You recognize me?"

Then the woman untied her veil and said sadly, "I once went to Longcui Nunnery with Master Bao."

Miaoyu was shocked and, suppressing her nausea, examined him carefully. She vaguely remembered something, and pointed at him, saying, "You, you are..."

The woman cried, "My name was Bihen in the manor before."

Miaoyu couldn't stand her face any longer and said, "You, you should cover your face!"

Bihen did as she was told, wrapped a face towel around her, and kowtowed, saying, "In my current state, going out would mean certain death. Please, young lady, grant me a way out."

Although Miaoyu was aloof and eccentric, she was not cold-hearted. She chanted a Buddhist prayer and said, "Alright, then you can stay here for now... In the future, cover your face and do not disturb our distinguished guest."

Bihen kowtowed repeatedly, expressing her gratitude.

Miaoyu walked past Bihen with disdain, leading her maids and servants inside. The old woman who had stayed behind caught up with her and asked, "Miss, apart from the lay Buddhists who were expelled, there are still a few nuns in this nunnery. What should we do with them?"

As Miaoyu frowned in thought, a young nun hurried over and greeted her with folded hands: "Greetings, Abbess."

Miaoyu nodded and asked, "What's your name? Do you have a Buddhist name?"

The nun said, "My Dharma name is Zhineng'er... Abbess, has Master Jingyue gone yet?"

Miaoyu said, "She got the money, and Cihang returned to me. Why is she coming back?"

Unexpectedly, Zhi Neng stamped her foot and said, "Oh no! The abbess has probably been fooled by Jing Yue! A few days ago, someone came to the door to buy it. Although she kept it from all the senior and junior sisters, I overheard a little bit of it. It seems that the person who came to buy it has already signed a contract with him!"

Miaoyu frowned slightly, and then, remembering the contract in her possession, she said, "The one who was fooled is that person. The contract in my hand has been stamped with the official seal of Shuntian Prefecture."

Zhi Neng'er asked urgently, "Abbot, may I take a look at the document?"

Seeing this, Miaoyu took out the document and handed it over for her to examine. Zhineng glanced at it and immediately pointed to a section, saying, "The abbess has been deceived by Jingyue! This nunnery was originally named Sansheng Nunnery in the official records, not Cihang Nunnery as it is now."

Miaoyu felt dizzy and disoriented, but Qingfan helped her up so she didn't fall. At this moment, she was very upset and didn't want to think about how to go to court in the future, so she said, "Even if we go to court, I will be in the right!" She then looked at Zhineng and said, "I think you are clever. You can stay and serve from now on."

Zhi Neng hesitated for a while, then lowered his head and watched Miao Yu leave.

Miaoyu, feeling both headache and exhaustion, went to rest in the side courtyard. Her maid, Qingfan, was truly worried and went out to listen in. After a long while, she hurriedly came to find Miaoyu to report back.

"girl!"

Miaoyu rested her chin on her hand, frowned, and asked, "What is it now?"

Seeing her appearance, Qingfan had no choice but to start with the usual story, saying, "Bihen was kicked out of the mansion by the madam. Since her indenture was still with the Jia family, she had no choice but to take up prostitution. Who knew that she would contract a sexually transmitted disease in less than half a year... Later, she received help from a woman named Qianxue, who treated her with red lead. She barely made it back from the brink of death and came to stay here."

Miaoyu nodded.

Qingfan continued, "That Zhineng was a nun at Shuiyue Nunnery before. Two years ago, she gave birth to a son. Because she couldn't get married, she also came here to become a nun."

Miaoyu nodded again.

Qingfan bit her lip and after a long while said, "I, I heard Zhineng say that there is a dilapidated nunnery outside the city called Cihang Nunnery... She said that Jingyue probably used a substitution strategy."

Miaoyu felt dizzy and disoriented, all hope gone. She had fallen for the old nun Jingyue's trick! She examined the contract carefully and, sure enough, the address of the nunnery had changed to outside the city. She suspected that Jingyue had secretly switched the contract when it was signed, showing Miaoyu the normal one first before replacing it with a different one for her to sign and affix her seal.

How could the nunneries in this city compare to the dilapidated ones outside the city? She might just lose all three thousand taels of silver!

Miaoyu was on the verge of tears, and unconsciously thought of Xing Xiuyan and Chen Siyuan. She felt helpless and wanted to ask the two for help, but she was too embarrassed to ask them.

He recited Buddhist scriptures at that moment, treating it as a silent loss.

"girl?"

Miaoyu snapped out of her daze, immediately feeling annoyed, and snapped, "Get out!"

Qingfan frowned slightly and could only sigh as he withdrew.

(End of this chapter)