Chapter 51 So Quick
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When the sky was just beginning to lighten, Second Master Cheng had already been waiting at the entrance of an alleyway for quite a while. Behind him stood two young servants, holding gift boxes so full that their legs were starting to feel numb from standing.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t knocked on the door, but no one responded when he did.
Second Master Cheng had no choice but to wait.
This was an inconspicuous residence, just like the ordinary houses around it, but he did not dare show the slightest disrespect.
This was because it was the former residence of his teacher, Zhang Chun. However, it wasn’t just that; an old man was living inside.
Zhang Chun’s father had returned from the capital a month ago, saying he missed his hometown and had specifically come back to stay in his old home for a while.
As the daylight brightened, Second Master Cheng signaled the young servants to go forward and call at the door again. This time, after a while, someone inside responded.
“Who is it, so early?” An old, trembling, and bleary-eyed elderly man opened the worn door and walked out.
Early? It was already mid-morning.
Second Master Cheng smiled and gestured respectfully.
“I am Cheng Dong, a student of Teacher Zhang, and I have visited the old master before,” he said.
Zhang Chun had taught for decades in Jiang-zhou and Wei-zhou, establishing academies and instructing students. He was later invited to teach at the Imperial Academy in the capital. His disciples were spread across the country, respecting their teacher and upholding his teachings. Although Zhang Chun had been away from his former residence for a long time, and most of his family had moved to the capital, many students still visited the old house each year—either making a special trip for this purpose or stopping by while passing through.
Especially since Zhang Chun’s father returned, it had been quite lively for a while. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Old Master Zhang grew impatient and lost his temper due to the disturbances, this liveliness would likely still be ongoing today.
The old servant was clearly familiar with all of this.
“Unfortunately, the master went out early this morning and has not yet returned,” he said.
So early! Second Master Cheng was quite surprised.
At the same time, Cheng Jiao-niang was having breakfast, and the maid pushed the food box over to her.
Besides a bowl of plain porridge and some side dishes, there was also a steamed yellow-orange crab. When the lid was lifted, a fresh aroma wafted out.
The maid carefully scooped a spoonful of crab roe and handed it to Cheng Jiao-niang.
Cheng Jiao-niang reached out to take it, dipped it slightly in salt and vinegar, took a bite, and then put it down.
“Miss, is it not good?” the maid asked anxiously.
“The orange isn’t ripe enough, the crab roe isn’t ample, the wine isn’t good enough, and the taste is off. It’s really hard to swallow,” Cheng Jiao-niang said. Seeing the maid’s worried expression, she smiled slightly, “It’s the ingredients. It’s not your fault.”
The maid felt somewhat relieved.
“I’ll pick better ones when I go into the city,” she said. “What we get from home just isn’t good enough.”
Cheng Jiao-niang did not say it was unnecessary to go to such trouble, but nodded instead.
“Wait until you get good ingredients before making it again. If there are no good ingredients, don’t bother,” she said.
The maid responded affirmatively and watched Cheng Jiao-niang slowly finish her plain porridge and side dishes, then cleaned up the food box.
Cheng Jiao-niang picked up the book and continued reading. She finally finished a page of the book she had brought from home.
The maid stood nearby, drawing back the curtains, and then turned to look at Cheng Jia-oniang.
Quiet and calm, as always, it seemed as if that night had never happened, as if those two people hadn’t been killed but had never existed at all…
People had died. Yes, they had died. It was humans who died, two of them, just so suddenly, they were dead…
The maid couldn’t help but tremble slightly.
“Miss,” the maid couldn’t help but murmur.
Cheng Jiao-niang responded with a hum without looking up, but for a long time, she didn’t hear the maid say anything more.
“Heaven’s sins can be survived; one’s own sins cannot,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, turning another page of the book. “If people don’t take care of it, Heaven will. That woman brought disaster upon herself and was struck by lightning—Heaven took her life. Remember this.”
The maid quickly turned and knelt down.
“Yes, I remember. No, I understand,” she said, her voice trembling.
She understood now that killing didn’t always require one’s own hands, that Heaven could also be commanded.
She still didn’t understand how placing an iron rod on the roof, hanging a kite, and dropping a rope could attract lightning.
She also didn’t understand how her mistress knew it would rain and thunder at that moment.
But none of that mattered. All she needed to know was to follow her mistress’s instructions.
The maid carried the food box out and encountered two nuns bringing water.
The nuns greeted her respectfully.
This lady was the kind-hearted person who had helped save someone on the mountain before.
Moreover, over the past few days of interaction, she had proven to be approachable and indeed a kind and righteous young lady.
Everyone in the temple, regardless of age, liked her.
The maid smiled and thanked them. They were still cooking separately, so she led the two nuns to pour the water they had fetched into the water urn.
One of the nuns, curious about the aroma coming from the kitchen, couldn’t help but comment, “It smells wonderful.” She sniffed the air appreciatively.
The maid let out an “oh” and handed over the food box. “These are some snacks. You can take them and eat,” she said.
The two nuns were startled and quickly waved their hands. “No, no. Let the mistress eat,” they said.
“Miss doesn’t like them. I made quite a few, and it would be a waste to dump them,” the maid replied.
How could someone not like something that smelled so good? It seemed that fools were indeed different from ordinary people.
Seeing her insistence, and tempted by the delicious aroma, the two nuns thanked her and accepted the food.
The old man came down from the mountain briskly, his mind clear and his spirits high. Besides the old servant who had accompanied him last time, there was now an additional young servant.
“Sir, can we go back now?” the old servant asked.
“The doctor said everything is fine now. I’ve had a meal before coming out this time, so nothing will happen,” the old man laughed.
The old servant looked worried. “But, sir, you haven’t eaten much,” he said.
The old man chuckled heartily, pretending not to hear, and pointed towards the middle of the mountain.
“It’s been a few days, and the forest has changed. The temple we visited last time hasn’t been repaired yet,” he casually changed the subject.
“That temple was struck by lightning,” the young servant quickly added, somewhat excitedly. “People say the abbess there was a fox spirit in disguise, which is why it attracted heavenly thunder. It was a huge thunderstorm at the time, and some even claimed to have seen Thunder God himself.”
Folk tales were always exaggerated like this. The old man burst into laughter, his gaze falling on the distant Great Xuan-miao Temple.
Upon seeing this, a faint sourness tugged at the corners of the old man’s mouth. He remembered the candied tangerines he had eaten that day. After returning home, he had instructed the kitchen maid to try making them as well. Although candied tangerines seemed simple, they never quite tasted right when made at home. He wondered if it was because he was unwell that day or if there truly was a special knack to making such simple snacks.
“Since we’re here, let’s go ask for a bowl of water to drink,” he said, striding ahead with large steps.
Watching the old man step inside, the young child who was sweeping the floor exclaimed softly.
“It’s that old man who was hungry before,” she couldn’t help but say.
That was quite disrespectful, a nearby nun quickly reached out to stop her, simultaneously welcoming the old man.
She greeted him respectfully.
The old man heard the child’s remark but simply smiled.
“I’m not hungry this time. I’ve come to ask for a bowl of water to drink,” he said with a smile.
The young child blushed slightly, dropping the broom and hurrying to fetch a cushion, then bustling off to fetch water.
“Look at what good thing I’ve brought.”
Two nuns from behind the courtyard hurried over, laughing, each carrying a food box. When they saw the old man sitting in the hallway, they also exclaimed softly.
“Sir, you’re here, that’s wonderful,” one of them said eagerly. “The lady we met on the mountain is right here.”
The old man and his servant were both surprised.
“Oh, that’s great,” the old man said. He was about to get up but remembered it was a female, so he sat back down. “Kindly ask if she would meet with me.”
The nun acknowledged and turned back to go inside.
The young child also brought water. As the old man was about to drink, he caught a whiff of freshness. Curiously, he glanced over and his gaze fell upon a food box held by one of the nuns, who was just about to open it to show her fellow sisters.
“What good thing do you have there?” he asked.
The nun smiled and lifted out a round orange from within.
“It’s an orange,” she said, then proceeded to peel back its segmented skin, revealing the flesh inside.
With the lid lifted, a fragrant aroma filled the air. The old man couldn’t resist taking a deep breath, and his stomach rumbled a few times, feeling hungry.
The nun noticed and smiled as she brought one over.
“Sir, taste this. What kind of meat is this?” she asked.
The old man took a look and nodded.
“Crab roe,” he said. “To prepare crab meat like this, it’s truly marvelous.” He picked up his chopsticks, took a bite, and his face immediately lit up with delight. “Good, good, good!”
After saying these three words, he couldn’t stop to speak and began eating heartily. The old servant and the young servant were initially surprised but then delighted.
“This is wonderful! The old master finally feels like eating!” the young servant exclaimed.
The three nuns exchanged glances. The old man had caught the hunger bug again…
The old man definitely had caught the hunger bug again…
The nuns looked at the three empty oranges on the table and then at the old man wiping his mouth with a handkerchief.
“If only we had a bowl of white rice porridge, it would be even better,” he said, still feeling unsatisfied.
There wasn’t enough in the temple to provide that.
“We only have tea. Would you like to have some?” one of the nuns asked.
The old man shook his head.
“No, no, that would wash away the taste I just enjoyed,” he said. Having eaten the three oranges filled with crab meat and roe, he felt refreshed and satisfied, clapping his hands as he stood up.
“That will do. Let’s hurry home and cook a bowl of thick white rice porridge, and a plate of blanched greens,” he said eagerly, showing a sense of urgency.
The old servant and the young servant led the way. The master had been averse to eating for a long time, so his eagerness to have a meal was indeed a great joy.
A nun hurriedly ran over from behind.
“Sir, unfortunately, that lady has just gone out,” she said apologetically.
The old man gently patted his head, only then realizing why he was sitting there. He had been waiting to thank the person who had helped him, but he had completely forgotten about it after eating the three oranges filled with crab meat.
Gone out? She left?
“That’s unfortunate,” he said, furrowing his brow in thought for a moment. “May I ask, which family does this mistress belong to?”
The nuns exchanged glances.
“Well, she’s not really a ‘mistress’,” the young maid said.
The old man nodded, still puzzled.
“Then, which family’s madam is she?” he asked. “Or is she a woman from the mountain village? Since you recognize her, please tell me. I want to send a thank-you gift. The doctor said her timely help saved me that day, otherwise I would have been bedridden for several days.”
The fact that the candied tangerines had such a miraculous effect surprised the nuns.
So this maid was not only kind-hearted but also quite skilled.
“Not a mistress, she’s the mistress’s maid,” one of the nuns quickly clarified.
The old man nodded.
“Which family’s maid is she, to be so skillful?” he asked curiously.
“She belongs to the North Cheng, named Ban Qin,” the nun replied.
The old man nodded again, thinking thoughtfully.
“Sir, let’s go back quickly now that we know which family this lady belongs to. We can express our gratitude then,” the old servant urged.
After finally feeling hungry, it would be a shame to delay any longer. If the appetite passed, it would be quite regrettable.
The old man chuckled heartily, bid farewell to the nuns with a gesture of respect, and left.
Watching the old man’s carriage depart, the three nuns who had escorted him to the door turned around, their faces showing joy.
“This man seems to have a noble bearing. If we could really have someone go to the Cheng family to express gratitude, Ban Qin might finally gain the appreciation she deserved. She wouldn’t have to serve the fool here for the rest of her life,” one of the nuns said.
The other two nodded in agreement.
“Noble bearing? But wouldn’t this man be quite poor? Why does he always appear so hungry every time he visits?” the young child remarked as she stepped back into the room, looking at the empty water bowl and orange peels still on the table.
“Are these things really that delicious?” she asked curiously, holding up an empty orange peel.
The orange peels had cooled down, the meat eaten, and they no longer exuded the earlier fragrance, only a mild tangy aroma from being steamed, far from being considered delicious.
“Yeah, Ban Qin said even her mistress, the fool, won’t eat it. What’s so good about it?” one said.
“Huh? Ban Qin made this too?” the young child asked in surprise.
When the two nuns came out with the food box, and before they could ask what it was, the old man interrupted them.
So this was also made by that skillful maid.
“Ban Qin treated this old man’s hunger twice,” the young child said. “She deserves his thanks for that. Let’s go tell her the good news.”
She was about to run inside to tell Ban Qin when the others held her back.
“Let’s not tell her just yet,” one of the nuns said.
“Why not? This is good news! Ban Qin could use this chance to ask him for help and leave from here,” the child said, puzzled.
“Saying ‘returning kindness with gratitude’ is easy, but few actually do it,” the elder nun said. “It’s better not to tell Ban Qin now. If the old man sincerely wants to thank her, it will be a pleasant surprise for Ban Qin. If he forgets to do so casually, Ban Qin won’t feel disappointed or expect anything. It’s better this way.”
Realizing the wisdom in this, the two nodded.
“Let’s hope Ban Qin gets a pleasant surprise,” the young child said with a smile.
Halfway up the mountain, the Small Xuan-miao Temple was bustling with activity. The house of the former abbess, destroyed by fire, according to Abbess Sun’s decision, would not be rebuilt. Instead, it was demolished on the spot to create an empty space, where a small pavilion would be renovated.
Of course, Abbess Sun’s decision went by Cheng Jiao-niang’s wishes. There was no need to reconstruct the house. Instead, they refurbished other old buildings, repainting and repairing them. With the ample and timely funds provided by Abbess Sun, the project proceeded quickly.
“Maybe we can move in by the fifteenth.”
Ban Qin shifted her gaze and turned to look at Cheng Jiao-niang.
Cheng Jiao-niang was seated on a rock.
“Is it almost the fifteenth of August?” she asked.
“Yes,” Ban Qin replied.
Cheng Jiao-niang stood up and took a few slow steps forward, looking at the visibly transformed Xuan-miao Temple, which was no longer called Xuan-miao Temple.
Grand and small merged into one; the grand was Xuan-miao, while the small temple was subsidiary, also known as Tai Ping*.
“It’s quite quick,” she remarked.
From setting out in July to mid-August, from the Small Xuan-miao Temple to the Taiping Temple, more than a month had indeed passed quite quickly.
Approaching the Mid-Autumn Festival, the streets of the capital city were exceptionally lively. The positions at the taverns and restaurants were occupied from morning to night without any idle time. Many families brought their children and elderly out to enjoy the scenery and have fun.
There was a noticeable increase in women on the streets, and the carriages of wealthy families were constantly coming and going, with laughter, singing, and selling cries filling the air.
“Ban Qin, hurry up,” called out a maid.
Ban Qin, who was deeply engrossed watching a sugar-blown figure at a stall, quickly responded, clutching her food box tightly and squeezing through the crowd to follow.
“It’s so lively on this street,” she remarked.
“This isn’t even considered lively. Wait until the fifteenth day, it’ll be even more bustling,” the maid chuckled, affectionately linking arms with her. “Then you’ll get to see it all. Unlike us, we’ll just be celebrating at home.”
“But how can I come out? It’s the same for everyone,” Ban Qin replied with a hint of shyness.
“How could it be the same? Young Master likes you so much. As long as you say you want to come out and play, he’ll definitely take you,” the maid teased with a smile.
Her words made Ban Qin blush.
“Come on, I’m just a maid,” she stammered, feeling flustered and uncertain.
“Maid, even when Young Master goes out to eat, he remembers to call you over,” the maid chuckled.
“That’s because Young Master wanted to eat fried pastries,” Ban Qin said softly, looking down.
“Only you can make these pastries. That’s enough. With so many maids at home, how many can Young Master remember like you?” the maid laughed, linking arms with her, a mix of flattery and envy in her tone. “No wonder Young Master insisted on bringing you back from so far away.”
Translator’s Note:
*Tai Ping（太平）translates to “peace” in English. See also “Taiping steamed bun” in Chapter 35.
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