Yin Yang Soul Searcher

As the sun gradually set in the west, the setting sun shone through the paper window, casting its last rays onto the desk.

Bai Jueming stretched and stood up: "The sect leader hasn't summoned me yet, it seems we won't have a result until tomorrow. I'll go home now."

Han Xueshan closed her eyes and sat in meditation, unmoved.

"Miss Han."

"Um?"

"Can you lend me some money?"

"roll."

"Just lend me ten coins, I'll buy my sister a candied hawthorn."

......

A moment later, Bai Jueming rubbed his arm as he left Zhengshan Hall. "That bitch, she hit me so hard!" Han Xueshan had given him an ounce of silver, no need to pay it back, in exchange for a punch from her.

This tomboy is quite persistent; she goes to great lengths just to hit herself.

Bai Jueming agreed, never expecting this bitch to use so much force. But it was alright, he earned one or two taels for each punch; many people want to earn this kind of money but don't have the means.

Carrying the candied hawthorns she had bought, Bai Jueming swaggered back home. Pushing open the courtyard gate, she found her younger sister sitting on a small stool, picking vegetables, while her older sister was cooking in the kitchen.

Upon seeing Bai Jueming, the little girl exclaimed in surprise, "Big brother!" and then dropped the vegetable leaves and ran towards Bai Jueming.

Bai Jueming picked her up and asked, "Did you miss your older brother?"

No.

Bai Jueming sighed, his expression slightly regretful: "That's such a pity. I even bought candied hawthorns for the people who missed me. It seems I'll have to eat them myself." As he spoke, he weighed the cardboard bag in his other hand.

Hearing that there were candied hawthorns, Xiao Tang's eyes lit up: "I miss it, I miss it. I miss my big brother the most." As she spoke, she affectionately rubbed her face against Bai Jueming's.

"Eat candied hawthorns after dinner," came Bai Wanfang's unromantic voice from inside the house.

Bai Wantang shrank her neck: "Okay."

Don't look at your brother so pitifully. He wouldn't dare disobey her. At most, he'd just outwardly comply while inwardly resisting...

Bai Jueming put Xiao Tang down and told him to put the candied hawthorn back in his room. He then went to the kitchen.

Inside the kitchen, Bai Wanfang was preparing stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork. Bai Jueming was somewhat relieved; the fifty taels of silver had finally served their purpose. At least there was meat in the meal now. However, even so, it still couldn't compare to the food at the Yin-Yang Palace… But eating at home was mainly about the atmosphere.

At the dinner table, Bai Wanfang seemed to be in a good mood. She kept putting meat on their plates. I've never seen my older sister so happy before...

"What happened, sis? Why are you so happy?" Bai Jueming shoveled rice into his mouth.

"Didn't Xiaotang and I go out to sell embroidery a couple of days ago?" Bai Wanfang said cheerfully. "Today we met a big customer who bought all the embroidery I've made over the past few months in one go."

Bai Jueming asked in confusion, "Who could possibly want so much embroidery?"

You should know that the eldest sister usually embroiders things on handkerchiefs, such as lotus flowers, peach blossoms, cats and dogs, etc. Her specialty is embroidering living creatures, stitching cats and dogs onto handkerchiefs, using the sheen of the silk thread to create variations in light and shadow on the handkerchief. She has a foundation in Suzhou embroidery.

Even if the handkerchiefs are beautifully made, a normal person wouldn't buy dozens of them at once.

"Later, she told me that her husband had opened a shop for her in the east of the city, specializing in selling fabrics, clothing, embroidery, and other such items. She saw that my embroidery was very good, so she bought all the embroidery I had made and then hung it in her shop to sell, making a profit from the difference."

"Oh, so this place is being used as a wholesale market for you, sister." Bai Jueming nodded: "That's great. With such a big customer buying your embroidery, you just need to finish the embroidery and deliver it to her. That way, you won't have to push a cart outside in the wind and rain."

"I also thought it was a good idea. Later, she asked me if I would like to work at their shop. Their shop had just opened and they needed to hire some people who could embroider. She said they could pay me two taels of silver a month for my skills." Bai Wanfang held up two fingers to indicate that she was tempted.

Two taels of silver was a considerable sum for her; the embroidery she made each month could only earn her half a tael of silver at most. Moreover, working in the shop meant she wouldn't have to show her face in public or endure the wind and sun with Xiaotang.

"No, sis, is this reliable?" Bai Jueming began to have instinctive doubts. If she could open a shop like this in the capital, would she need to recruit people who could embroider on the street? But then she thought, besides her embroidery skills, her eldest sister didn't have much other use.

"What's so unreliable about that?" Bai Wanfang asked, somewhat puzzled. "She didn't threaten me. She just said that if I wanted to go, I could find her at 'Cao's Silk Shop' in the east of the city. I even went to check it out on my way home; it really did look like it had just opened."

"I plan to go over there tomorrow to ask about the situation. If it works out, I'll work there from now on."

"Big sister, if you go, what will happen to Xiaotang? Are you going to leave her home alone?" Bai Jueming would never agree to this. Who could leave such a young girl home alone?

Before her older sister could speak, Xiaotang put down her chopsticks, raised her porcelain doll-like face, and said, "Sister, you go ahead. I won't run around at home by myself."

My younger sister is so sensible that it breaks my heart.

"No way!" Bai Jueming slammed his chopsticks down, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

"Why are you getting so worked up?" Bai Wanfang rolled her eyes. "Are you the only one who doesn't trust Xiaotang? I already said I'd go check on things and see if I can bring Xiaotang to work. If not, then forget it."

Although I really want to do this job, taking care of my younger siblings is more important.

"Oh, okay, that's fine." Bai Jueming started quietly eating his rice.

Xiao Tang stood up, first picked up a piece of meat for her older sister, and then picked up a piece of meat for Bai Jueming.

After dinner, Xiaotang volunteered to wash the dishes. Bai Wanfang, on the other hand, sat at the stone table in the courtyard and continued her embroidery.

Bai Jueming brought a recliner out of the room and then lay down on it. It felt wonderful.

"Big sister, why are you busy with all this? The family isn't short of those two taels of silver. Your brother is on a government paycheck now, with a monthly salary of twenty taels. Why do you have to suffer like this?" As he spoke, Bai Jueming habitually reached into his pocket, but couldn't find a cigarette. He could only smack his lips in frustration.

Bai Wanfang, without looking up from her embroidery, said, "I've told you so many times, I'm saving all that money for you. You'll need it when you get married in the future."

"Big sister, do I really need that much money to marry a wife? Just spend it freely," Bai Jueming earnestly advised.

Bai Wanfang didn't respond, her needlework continuing. She continued, "You've got a wife, but there's still Hongfei. You're saving money for his wedding. As his older sister, I should also save some money for his wedding, shouldn't I?"

At this point, Bai Wanfang seemed to remember something and stopped her needlework: "I suddenly thought of something. Do you think Hongfei will still be allowed to marry after he joins the Taoist sect?"

"If you don't let Hongfei get married, I'll tell him to leave that Taoist temple immediately."

Bai Jueming slept with her eyes half-closed, swaying back and forth in the recliner. He couldn't persuade her, and he didn't want to bother with her anymore.

Seeing that her younger brother was ignoring her, Bai Wanfang raised her eyebrows and said, "Bai Jueming, say something."

"My dear sister, don't worry about these things," Bai Jueming sighed. "Going to the Taoist temple to cultivate isn't about becoming a monk and getting married. Besides, Hongfei has a high seniority in the Taoist temple and a very powerful master. There's absolutely no need for you to save money for him."

"That won't do. How can we, the Bai family, let his master pay for our own wedding? It will make us look bad." Bai Wanfang shook her head, feeling that it was inappropriate to do so.

"Moyu, you're getting on in years. In a few days, I'll have Aunt Zhang look around for suitable girls nearby."

Aunt Zhang was a well-known midwife and matchmaker near Bai Jueming's home.

"Sister, look at me." Bai Jueming pointed to his face.

"You have flowers on your face?" Bai Wanfang glanced at him sideways and then continued her embroidery. She couldn't understand what he was trying to say.

"Look at your brother's looks. His face is as handsome as jade, his nose as straight as a hanging gall. His eyebrows are like distant mountains shrouded in mist, slanting upwards into his temples. And look at his eyes, they hold the stars within. When he smiles, it's like a spring breeze, warming and soothing the heart."

"This is just your brother's average looks. If you add my brilliant mind, respectable job, and enviable social status to that, then you'll see."

"Someone like your brother, does he really need Aunt Zhang's help to find a wife? I'm not bragging, but if I wanted to, women from all over Beijing would line up to pay me!"

"Then bring one back to me." Bai Wanfang rolled her eyes at him, not believing his words at all.

"Big sister, you don't believe me?" Bai Jueming lied through his teeth, "There's a woman at my workplace who's been frantically trying to please me and pursuing me every day. Every time I go out to investigate a case, she follows me around, afraid I'll get hurt. I've told her she doesn't need to follow me, but she still acts like she's completely devoted to me..."

God help me, I hope Han Xueshan won't kill me when she finds out.

"Really?" Bai Wanfang asked, half-believing, "And you, the Yin-Yang Palace, have girls?"

"She used her connections to get into the Yin-Yang Palace in order to pursue me," Bai Jueming said without batting an eye.

"Really?" Upon hearing this, Bai Wanfang smiled, feeling that her younger brother wouldn't lie to her. "Whose daughter is this? Could you bring her back to meet us?"

"We'll see. I'm still testing her. If I think she's suitable after some time, I'll bring her back to meet you."

Bai Wanfang believed Bai Jueming's words and stopped her needlework, scolding him, "Don't put on such a high and mighty attitude. As long as the girl's character is fine, bring her back to meet us as soon as possible. Tell me in advance."

"Mmm-hmm," Bai Jueming replied casually.

Just then, Xiaotang finished washing the dishes and sat obediently by the stone table. She rested her arms on the table and cupped her face in her hands, learning her older sister's embroidery skills.

Bai Wanfang smiled and patted Bai Wantang's head: "Our little Tang is the best-behaved and makes your older sister worry the least." Then she added irritably, "You two brothers have been naughty and difficult to manage since you were little. Even now that you're grown up, you still give me trouble."

Bai Wantang said in a small voice, "My brother was still little back then."

She truly is her brother's good sister, knowing to speak up for him.

Bai Wanfang chuckled: "Yes, he was still young then. He must have been a year older than you."

Bai Jueming: "......" What does the original owner's mischief have to do with me? Who's going to feed me peanuts?

"Didn't your older brother buy you candied hawthorns? Go eat some."

The little girl's eyes lit up, and she jumped up happily. Then she ran to her room and took out a bag wrapped in brown paper.

The little girl first took out a candied hawthorn, and although she really wanted to eat it, she still offered it to Bai Wanfang's mouth first: "Sister, you eat it first."

Bai Wanfang smiled gently: "Little Tang, you can have some. I don't like it."

Bai Wanfang only shows her ruthless side when disciplining her disobedient younger brother. Normally, she's very gentle with her younger sister, who is also a well-behaved and sensible girl.

Then the little girl held the candied hawthorn to Bai Jueming's mouth: "Big brother, you should have some too."

"You eat, your brother has already eaten outside," Bai Jueming told a white lie.

Little Tang nodded obediently, ate a candied hawthorn, and her delicate little face instantly scrunched up: "It's so sour!"

Hahahahaha.