Chapter 5: First Time Entering Illusory Scenery
Uncle Zhong smiled and came to the rescue: “Our young master has shallow qualifications and really can’t serve as temple master.”
Xuan Xia looked toward Uncle Zhong. What fell into her ears was not the words “qualifications,” but his words “young master.”
But she kept a straight face, pretending to take it well.
Uncle Zhong continued: “Even if our young master agrees, the local Taoism association here wouldn’t agree.”
This even involves the Taoism association?
It seems that appointments to positions at the Daoist temple are different from general corporate personnel appointments.
Although Xuan Xia had done her homework, she knew she didn’t understand it thoroughly enough, probably not as much as Uncle Zhong knew.
Since both of them said it wouldn’t work, Xuan Xia could only drop the idea.
The room fell silent accordingly.
At this moment, a shout suddenly burst out from the backyard, followed by a flurry of shouting.
“Grandpa Zhong, Grandpa Zhong…”
The rapid-fire shouting continued nonstop from the backyard door all the way to the kitchen door.
Xuan Xia saw what looked like a barrel-shaped rapid-fire cannon.
No, it was a chubby half-grown boy.
Little Fatty was panting from running. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Xuan Xia looking him over, and the mouth he had just opened closed again.
The next second, he said in a slightly bashful voice: “Grandpa Zhong, have you all rested well? I’m swamped up front.”
He paused, then whined: “Those regular female students from the agricultural university are here again, pestering me asking where Daoist Master Qin went.” After saying that, he cast a rather resentful glance toward Daoist Master Qin.
Uncle Zhong chuckled and quickly said: “Sorry, sorry, we’ve made you work hard, Xiao Jie.”
“Nah, it’s fine.” Little Fatty waved his hand like a little adult. “If you all aren’t done yet, I can hold on a bit longer.”
Daoist Master Qin signaled to the four of them: “You all go ahead and get back to work.”
Uncle Zhong acknowledged with a sound, smiled at Xuan Xia, and led the three others out first.
Little Fatty’s questioning voice came from the backyard: “Grandpa Zhong, that’s Old Mr. Xuan’s great granddaughter, right?”
Then came Uncle Zhong’s response, accompanied by a few teasing remarks.
Little Fatty huffed in dissatisfaction, said something more, but since they had walked farther away, the sound grew quieter, and it was already inaudible from the kitchen side.
Xuan Xia heard Lawyer Fang say: “That’s the kid from the supermarket across the road in the scenic area.”
“When Old Mr. Xuan was around, the neighbor relations were all very good, and that child grew up under Old Mr. Xuan’s watch, so he comes over from time to time to help out.”
“Oh.” Xuan Xia nodded.
She had indeed glimpsed the supermarket when she was on the sightseeing bus.
He said across the road, but because there was a plaza in front of Changsheng Temple’s gate, it was actually quite far from the supermarket.
But hearing Lawyer Fang say that Little Fatty had grown up under her great grandfather’s watch, Xuan Xia felt a slight pang of sourness in her heart, along with some emotion.
–
A vibration sound faintly rang out in the quiet. Lawyer Fang took out his mobile phone and gestured that he was stepping out to take a call.
In just a few seconds, Lawyer Fang returned.
But he apologetically said that something urgent had come up and he had to leave now.
Fortunately, things here were already done. Remaining matters like recruiting a temple master could be discussed by Xuan Xia and Daoist Master Qin themselves; Lawyer Fang didn’t need to be present.
Before leaving, Lawyer Fang said: “Then when the formal contract is ready, I’ll come find the two of you. By the way, Miss Xuan, are you staying in the city tonight or heading back to Jiangshi?”
The formal contract he mentioned was the one-yuan salary contract drafted earlier.
Xuan Xia said: “Back to Jiangshi tomorrow.”
She hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly before coming, so she had left enough time.
“Great, great. Then I’ll bring the contract to the two of you first thing tomorrow morning.”
After Lawyer Fang finished speaking, he didn’t delay any further. He bid farewell to the two and hurried away.
Xuan Xia watched Lawyer Fang walk out of the backyard all the way until his figure disappeared beyond the courtyard gate, before feeling how coldly quiet the backyard was.
With a sigh, she pulled back her thoughts and decided to settle the matter of recruiting a temple master.
Just then, Daoist Master Qin’s gaze turned to her, and in his warm, deep voice he said: “Miss Xuan, you can stay inside the temple tonight.”
Xuan Xia was stunned. “Hm?”
“Mr. Xuan’s room is cleaned every day. Miss Xuan can stay there with peace of mind.”
Xuan Xia immediately refused: “I’ve booked a hotel.”
She didn’t mind the room, but wasn’t this temple housing all of them?
Daoist Master Qin seemed about to explain something, but a moment later he gave up and no longer tried to persuade Xuan Xia to stay.
Putting aside the accommodation matter, Xuan Xia quickly asked about recruiting the temple master.
After asking, she checked the time and felt this trip could be wrapped up.
Then looking at the things on the table, she thought for a moment and returned the box containing the official seal.
“I’m not in this city, so it’d be inconvenient to keep the thing here with me. Better for Daoist Master Qin to continue keeping it.”
Daoist Master Qin lowered his gaze to the storage box for a few seconds, then gladly took it back and nodded: “Alright, then I’ll keep it for now and hand it over when the new temple master takes office.”
Xuan Xia naturally had no objection.
As she stood up to conclude this meeting, she asked one more thing: “Can I take those notebooks from my great grandfather’s room?”
Daoist Master Qin looked at her in surprise. “Miss Xuan likes those notebooks?”
Xuan Xia was also quite surprised at his question. Couldn’t she like them?
Puzzled in her mind, she answered candidly: “Yeah, I like them quite a bit.”
Silent for a second, Daoist Master Qin nodded. “Then Miss Xuan, please help yourself.”
That was great.
The two left the kitchen together. Daoist Master Qin said he still needed to check inside the temple, and Xuan Xia told him not to worry about hosting her and to go ahead with his business.
Daoist Master Qin’s wheelchair had started moving when it suddenly stopped again. Then it turned around to face Xuan Xia.
Xuan Xia had to stop too, looking at him curiously.
Daoist Master Qin quietly and earnestly looked at Xuan Xia a few times before asking: “Miss Xuan, do you still feel any discomfort in your body now?”
Xuan Xia was stunned.
She really wanted to say, when had her body ever felt discomfort?
But before she could speak, it suddenly hit her that she had indeed felt discomfort.
It was only after she started smelling the incense scent wafting inside the temple that she gradually felt better.
And now, she felt not the slightest discomfort.
Xuan Xia looked dumbly at this Daoist Master Qin, her heart completely exploding with fury.
Probably because her thoughts showed on her face, Daoist Master Qin soon nodded: “Good as long as you’re fine. Carry on.”
After saying that, the wheelchair beneath him started up again, this time without stopping.
Until only Xuan Xia was left in the backyard, she finally calmed down.
She suddenly felt it was better not to stay any longer. She hurriedly entered her great grandfather’s room, stuffed a few notebooks into her bag, and quickly left the Daoist temple.
–
She had only walked a few steps out of the Daoist temple when she ran into Little Fatty, whom she had just seen in the backyard.
Little Fatty glanced at her and, just as he was about to pass her, slowed his steps, backtracked, and asked: “Where are you going?”
Xuan Xia looked at him. This Little Fatty was really so familiar.
“Heading back. Bye.”
Little Fatty tilted his head. “Then why are you walking this way? You should go that way.” He pointed to the direction behind her.
Xuan Xia: “?”
“The scenic area exit is that road.” Little Fatty’s voice came. “It’s not the same as the entrance.”
Xuan Xia: “…”
Then she saw the directional sign, and the exit indicator was indeed the direction Little Fatty had pointed.
Little Fatty continued: “The scenic area closes at 5:30, and the last sightseeing bus is gone. You need to hurry, or you’ll have to sleep in the scenic area tonight.”
5:30? Xuan Xia instinctively checked her mobile phone; it was already nearly five o’clock.
She thanked Little Fatty and turned to follow the directional sign.
Little Fatty called from behind: “Want me to show you?”
Xuan Xia turned back and waved, saying no need.
Undeterred, Little Fatty said: “Then I’ll tell you a shortcut. It’s much faster than the main road.”
Hearing that, Xuan Xia turned back to look at him.
Little Fatty quickly ran up and pointed out the way for her.
……
The setting sun melted into gold, twilight clouds blended together.
Xuan Xia followed the path Little Fatty pointed out. As she walked, she frowned.
Had Little Fatty really not pointed the wrong way?
Or had she herself not paid attention and taken a wrong turn?
How in the blink of an eye was there no road ahead, only a pond?
Xuan Xia looked around. The scenery was definitely unfamiliar, and it didn’t seem like it was in the scenic area. Ahead was a pond covered in duckweed, and to her left were lush green rice paddies.
As for behind her, there was no road, only waist-high wild weeds.
So how had she blindly walked through that?
Xuan Xia raised her mobile phone in front of her eyes. Seeing no signal, she surprisingly felt no surprise at all.
At that moment, Xuan Xia suddenly heard a “gurgle.”
Like the sound of a fish spitting bubbles.
