Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 227 Jade Mud Temple (Part 1)
Outside Yunzhou City in winter, the wind howls and the wind howls, but hidden in a mountain valley lies a quiet and elegant place.

Yuni Temple.

The Taoist temple occupies a small area, with its green-tiled and white-walled buildings nestled among lush bamboo groves.

In the depths of winter, a thin layer of white frost has settled on the bamboo leaves. Sunlight shines down, reflecting dappled light, adding to the ethereal beauty of this already tranquil bamboo grove.

Just then, a peddler was traveling along a rugged mountain path.

The peddler was dressed in a coarse cotton-padded jacket, carrying a heavy load on his shoulder. At one end were several wooden boxes stacked together, filled with trinkets such as rouge, face powder, hair ties, hairpins, needles, and thread.

At the other end hung toys for children, such as rattles, windmills, and clay masks.

After passing through the bamboo forest, the gate of Yuni Temple suddenly appeared before us. Then the peddler put down his load and took out a specially made peddler's drum.

This drum is larger than a regular rattle drum, and the drumhead is made of tanned cowhide. It makes a loud, clear sound when struck, and it is a standard accessory for peddlers in Yunzhou.

At that moment, the peddler grasped the drum handle and flicked his wrist slightly.

The banging sounds were particularly noticeable in the quiet mountain forest.

Meanwhile, in a spacious, quiet room in the backyard of Yuni Temple.

A dozen or so young nuns dressed in blue Taoist robes were sitting cross-legged on prayer mats, chanting scriptures with an older female nun.

"The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. Nameless, it is the origin of Heaven and Earth; named, it is the mother of all things..."

The chanting was loud and clear, but it always sounded somewhat weak and listless.

For these young girls in their prime, sitting in meditation and chanting scriptures every day is a truly grueling and arduous task.

So although they were physically in the Taoist temple, their minds had already flown outside.

Therefore, when the sound of the peddler's drum came, the chanting stopped abruptly.

All the young nuns' eyes lit up, and they craned their necks to listen intently, their faces filled with undisguised excitement and curiosity.

"It's a peddler!" someone whispered, and the entire quiet room instantly erupted in noise.

"It really is a peddler! You can't be wrong just by the sound of the drum!"

"Great! Finally, someone's come to sell things!"

"My hairpin broke a long time ago, and I was just thinking of buying a new one!"

"I want to buy a box of rouge. The rouge that peddler sold last time was no good at all."

The young nuns started chattering excitedly, completely abandoning any semblance of the quiet demeanor expected of nuns. Their faces were flushed with excitement, as if it were a festival.

After all, although the Jade Mud Temple had a quiet and secluded environment, life there was also quite austere.

They are called Taoist nuns, but in reality, most of them are girls from poor families.

Aside from chanting scriptures and doing homework, she did mending and washing chores on weekdays, her life as monotonous as a stagnant pool.

The arrival of the peddler is like a pebble thrown into a pond, instantly creating ripples.

Seeing the disciples who had suddenly become extremely excited, the Great Daoist nun sitting at the head of the table shook her head helplessly, but there was not much reproach on her face.

Her surname is Wang, and she is the head nun of the Yuni Temple.

She had been through that age herself, so she naturally understood what these young girls were thinking.

It is better to block than to open up.

Suppressing their nature would backfire, especially since she herself needed to buy some things.

Although the Zhou family supplies the temple's necessities, they are mostly bulky items like rice, flour, and cooking oil.

They have to spend their own monthly allowance to buy small items like needles, thread, handkerchiefs, and towels for personal use.

"Meditation!"

Wang Daogu coughed lightly, her voice not loud, but it instantly silenced the noisy meditation room.

The young nuns fell silent, heads bowed, not daring to utter a word, but their darting eyes betrayed their inner anxiety.

"Let's end the morning lessons here." Wang Daogu slowly stood up, her gaze sweeping over her disciples. "Go, don't make a fuss, but don't linger too long either."

"Yes! Master!"

The young nuns felt as if they had been granted a pardon upon hearing this, and their faces instantly lit up with bright smiles. They then bowed respectfully to Wang Daogu and eagerly but with great effort, left the meditation room.

As soon as they stepped out the door, they skipped and hopped away like birds entering a forest.

Watching their cheerful figures disappear into the distance, Wang Daogu smiled faintly, then straightened her Daoist robe and followed them out.

……

With a creak, the side door of the Yu Ni Temple opened a crack, just wide enough for one person to pass through. A young Taoist nun with her hair in two buns peeked out and looked around warily.

When she saw the young peddler not far away, carrying his wares and sitting idly on a rock to rest, her eyes lit up, and she quickly turned away.

"Here he comes! Here he comes! There really is a peddler!" Her shout was like lighting a fuse.

The next moment, the side door was pushed open completely.

A group of chattering young nuns came out as happily as birds released from their cages, and instantly surrounded the peddler.

"Peddler, peddler, what good things have you brought with you?"

"Quickly open the box and let us see!"

"Do you have any pretty beaded flowers? I'd like the kind with tassels!"

Does your rouge smell nice? Let me smell it!

The girls' clear voices mingled together, creating a lively atmosphere.

The peddler put on a simple, honest smile as he dealt with the enthusiastic young nuns while opening his cargo box.

"Please don't be in a hurry, fairies. Everything is ready. Please come one at a time."

As soon as the cargo box was opened, the young nuns exclaimed in surprise.

Because that small wooden box was filled with all sorts of trinkets.

Red, green, yellow—a kaleidoscope of colors—looked especially tempting under the pale winter sun.

For these young girls who were used to seeing ancient books and lamps in their daily lives, these cheap goods that could be found everywhere in the city had a fatal attraction at this moment.

They stretched out their slender fingers, carefully picked up a hairpin or a box of rouge, and examined it closely with curiosity and delight on their faces.

Just as the young nuns were chattering excitedly around the peddler's cart, picking out their favorite trinkets, a bright-eyed and white-toothed nun quietly fell behind the crowd.

Her name is Qingchen, and she was sent to the temple only half a year ago.

Unlike the other Taoist nuns who rushed forward, she stood on the outer edge, tiptoeing, and curiously peered inside.

Her gaze first passed over the throng of heads in front of her, and then landed on the young peddler who was squatting on the ground, frantically dealing with the crowd.

She was slightly taken aback upon seeing this.

Because this peddler... is so young.

Although his face was roughened by the ravages of time and his complexion was somewhat sallow, his straight nose and deep-set eyes could not be concealed.

His eyebrows and eyes, in particular, combined to exude an indescribable heroic spirit.

If the dust on his face were washed off and he were dressed in clean clothes, he would surely be an extremely handsome young man.

Upon seeing this, Qingchen's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

At her age, she is just beginning to experience romantic feelings and is full of curiosity about the opposite sex.

But ever since she entered the Jade Mud Temple, she has been surrounded by ancient books and lamps every day, as well as a group of female Taoists like herself.

Not to mention young men, even the menial laborers in the temple who were responsible for chopping wood and carrying water were all strong women.

So when she suddenly saw such a young man with a rather good appearance, she couldn't bear to look away.

Especially when I saw the peddler surrounded by his female classmates, awkwardly introducing his goods, I found him rather endearing.

Thinking of this, Qingchen's cheeks unconsciously flushed with a faint blush.

She subconsciously bit her lip, looked away, and gazed elsewhere, but after a while she couldn't help but steal a glance back.

Her attempts to dodge and her curious glances did not escape Chen Ye's notice.

That's right, this young peddler was Chen Ye in disguise.

His purpose in coming here was to investigate the truth of the Yuni Temple and find clues to Sun Demao's concealment of evidence of his crimes.

The young nun's gaze was so intense that it was impossible for him not to notice it.

Thinking of this, Chen Ye's heart stirred slightly, and he immediately activated the Heartstring Master talent.

In an instant, countless conflicting thoughts flooded his mind like a tidal wave.

[These new little girls are getting more and more unruly]—this was the thought of Wang Daogu, the head of the household who was supervising them from a distance, with a hint of helplessness.

"Oh dear, the color of this rouge is so beautiful. I wish it could be cheaper." — This is a young Taoist nun who is still hesitating.

[I haven't finished my homework for today, and I'll be punished by my master to copy scriptures again when I get back] — This is a distracted young Taoist nun.

A cacophony of voices rang out, creating quite a lively scene. Chen Ye's consciousness raced through these sounds, then precisely discerned the one he wanted to hear.

He's really handsome, much more so than the young men in those portraits.

He's a peddler, out in the wind and sun every day, it must be very hard for him, right?

Qingchen's heartfelt words are pure and kind, full of the unique delicacy and sensitivity of a young girl.

That's her.

Chen Ye's heart stirred slightly, and his mental energy, like an invisible tentacle, silently reached out and gently plucked the string in her heart that represented curiosity and goodwill, planting an almost imperceptible thought.

"He is a trustworthy and good person."

After doing all this, Chen Ye immediately withdrew his mental energy.

Qingchen, who was deep in thought, suddenly felt a jolt in her body, followed by a surge of warmth that spread throughout her body.

Her face flushed bright red instantly, as if it were on fire, and even her neck was tinged with a beautiful pink.

My heart was pounding like a drum, almost leaping out of my throat.

She didn't know what was wrong with her, but she felt that the young peddler in front of her was radiating an irresistible attraction.

She even had the absurd thought that he was the one she was destined to wait for.

"Fairy... Fairy Maiden? What's wrong? Why is your face so red?" Chen Ye raised his head at just the right moment, his eyes filled with concern and a hint of doubt.

"N-nothing!" Qingchen was so embarrassed by his question that she quickly lowered her head and dared not look at him anymore. At the same time, she nervously twisted the hem of her clothes with her small hands.

Her shy and charming appearance made Chen Ye secretly chuckle.

The talent of a Casanova is like a game-changer when dealing with a naive young girl like this.

"Fairy Maiden, what would you like?" Chen Ye asked at this moment.

"I want that wooden hairpin!" Qingchen said, quickly taking out a few copper coins from her bosom and stuffing them into his hand. Then she snatched the wooden hairpin and held it tightly in her palm.

The gesture was as if he were grasping some rare treasure.

Looking at her like this, Chen Ye's smile became even more honest. Then, while collecting the money, he casually pulled out a red hair tie from the corner of the box.

“Fairy, consider this hair tie a gift from me.” He handed over the hair tie, “Please don’t find it offensive.”

Qingchen stared blankly at the bright red ribbon, then looked at Chen Ye's sincere face, a sweet feeling welled up in her heart, and she whispered, "Thank you."

Just then, Wang Daogu's urging voice came from afar.

"Qingchen! What are you still dawdling for? It's time to go back!"

"Coming!" Qingchen responded, took the hair tie, glanced at Chen Ye reluctantly, and then turned and ran back.

When she returned to the temple, her heart was still pounding. She clutched the wooden hairpin and red ribbon tightly in her hand, feeling as if the warmth of the young peddler's palm still lingered on them.

"You've been taking so long to buy something, you're really dawdling." As soon as she entered, the manager, Wang Daogu, scolded her with a stern face, but there wasn't much real anger in her eyes. Instead, there was a hint of teasing from someone who had been through it all.

"Uncle-Master, I..." Qingchen felt even more embarrassed and wished she could disappear into the ground.

The nun's gaze swept over her tightly clenched hands. "What treasure did you buy that you're holding so tightly?"

Qingchen subconsciously pulled her hand back into her sleeve and stammered, "N-nothing, it's just a hairpin."

Seeing her like this, Wang Daogu understood perfectly well and shook her head inwardly.

These young girls are all at the age where they're in the throes of first love, and it's really tough on them to be confined in this Taoist temple.

She didn't ask any more questions, but simply instructed, "The temple has its rules. Don't talk too much with men outside the temple in the future, understand?"

"Yes, disciple understands." Qingchen replied obediently.

After Wang Daogu left, Qingchen breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly ran back to her room.

This is a very small, quiet room, containing nothing but a wooden bed and a futon.

Qingchen closed the door, leaned against it, and let out a long sigh. Then, she opened her palm, looked at the ordinary wooden hairpin and the bright red ribbon, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up.

Why did he give me a hair tie?

Does he like me?

What's his name? Will he come again next time...?

A series of thoughts swirled in her mind, completely throwing her girlish heart into disarray.

Then she held the red ribbon up to her eyes and examined it closely.

This is actually just a very ordinary red ribbon, and the workmanship is even a bit rough.

But in Qingchen's eyes, it was more precious than any jewel.

She then carefully put away the hair tie and hairpin, hiding them under her pillow in the closest place to her body. Only then did she walk to the prayer cushion, sit down, take out her scriptures, and prepare to begin her evening prayers.

But once she opened the scripture, she couldn't concentrate on a single word; her mind was filled with the young peddler's honest yet slightly shy smile.

……

Meanwhile, outside the Yuni Temple, Chen Ye had already packed up his peddler's pole and leisurely left the mountain valley.

Instead of rushing back to the city, he went around to the back mountain of Yuni Temple.

The mountain behind is not high, but it is densely forested.

Chen Ye found a secluded spot to hide the carrying pole, and then used his movement technique to silently sneak back to the vicinity of the Taoist temple.

He found a good spot and hid in a large, leafy tree, observing everything inside the temple from above.

The layout of Yuni Temple is very simple. The front hall enshrines the Three Pure Ones, and the back is the courtyard where the Taoist nuns live and practice. As for the back, there seemed to be flickering firelight, but it was too far away to see clearly.

The temple was quiet at this moment. The young nuns were probably doing their studies in their rooms, and the courtyard was empty.

Chen Ye was not in a hurry, but waited quietly.

The sky gradually darkened.

Smoke rose from the kitchen of the Taoist temple.

Soon, the doors of the various meditation rooms opened one after another, and the young nuns came out of their rooms in twos and threes to go to the dining hall for dinner.

Chen Ye spotted Qingchen in the crowd at a glance.

She changed out of her faded blue Taoist robe and put on a clean, moon-white casual dress. Her hair was also combed and loosely tied up with a wooden hairpin.

It was the one Chen Ye had sold her.

She seemed a little unaccustomed to it, occasionally reaching out to touch the hairpin in her hair, a faint, shy smile on her face.

Seeing her like this, Chen Ye knew that the seed he had planted today had taken root firmly in her heart.

Therefore, Chen Ye did not linger any longer and quietly left Yuni Temple under the cover of night.

The next day, it snowed again in Yunzhou City.

Fine snowflakes drifted down from the gray sky, draping the whole world in a layer of pure white gauze.

Chen Ye estimated that the time was about right, so he disguised himself as a peddler again and braved the wind and snow to arrive outside the Yuni Temple.

This time he didn't shake the peddler's drum, but just stood quietly outside the side door, like a statue in the snow.

He believed that someone was more anxious than he was.

Sure enough, not long after, the side door creaked open a crack, and a small head peeked out from behind it—it was Qingchen.

She hadn't held out much hope, but when she saw that familiar figure in the snow, her eyes lit up instantly, and her face was filled with undisguised joy.

"You...why are you here?"

At the same time, amidst the swirling snow, the young peddler slowly turned around.

A thin layer of snow covered his eyebrows and shoulders, and his cheeks were red from the cold, but a hint of surprise appeared on his face when he saw Qingchen.

"Fairy... Fairy Maiden, it's you."

Chen Ye rubbed his hands, which were a little stiff from the cold, and exhaled a puff of white breath. "I... I was passing by here and thought that the roads would be slippery because of the snow, so I decided to rest here for a while."

This explanation is full of holes.

After all, what peddler would go out of his way to rest in this remote mountain valley?

But Qingchen, who was already caught up in some special emotions at this moment, had no doubts whatsoever.

She felt that the anticipation in her heart was greatly satisfied the moment she saw him.

He's here! I just happened to be passing by, but I didn't expect him to actually come!

Did he... come specifically to see me?

[It's snowing so heavily outside, he's all soaked, he must be freezing!]

Qingchen's heart was filled with joy and a touch of heartache as she said, "You...you come in quickly, it's cold outside."

(End of this chapter)