Chapter Sixty-Eight: Nun Fortune

Fubao had all her snacks confiscated by her little uncle, including the crawfish she brought home from the Gao family today.

Fubao burst into tears!

Meng Xuan, having confirmed that Gu Xiaoxiao hadn’t run into Gao Yulin, breathed a sigh of relief, patted his backside, and left. On his way out, he conveniently took all of Fubao’s snacks with him. Soon after, Meng Yun realized that her daughter had been listless these past few days.

That evening, Lin Erlang mentioned something strange to Meng Yun. He said he’d encountered Tian Laosi. Meng Yun was a bit exasperated—so what if they ran into each other? As long as there was no trouble, that was more than enough to be grateful for.

But Lin Sanlang found the whole thing odd. He had recognized Tian Laosi and went up to greet him, but Tian Laosi didn’t recognize him at all. Instead, Tian Laosi stared at him with a peculiar look for a moment and then walked away, as if he were a complete stranger. Meng Yun was displeased with Lin Sanlang’s actions—why go and provoke him? Wasn’t it better this way? No one would try to outwit the other.

Though Lin Sanlang felt uneasy, he didn’t dwell on it and went to bed. Meanwhile, the little ginseng in Fubao’s room was restless, sensing an inexplicable discomfort, as if a stranger had entered its home, violating its territory, bringing with it a dangerous presence.

At that moment, a shadow stood atop the wall in the Lin family’s backyard. In the darkness, the figure’s features were indistinguishable, but a familiar voice echoed, “Found it!”

Fubao had long since fallen asleep and was having a “terrifying” dream. In her dream, she was by a beautiful pond, cleaning a little crayfish, when suddenly a giant crayfish appeared and devoured her baby fish—many of them!

Furious, she chased after the giant crayfish, trying to bite it. Unexpectedly, the giant crayfish dared to flee, and she chased and chased.

In the end, the crayfish pinched her, then grinned smugly and slipped away, leaving only a taunt: “I’ll be back!”—and then it vanished.

Fubao hugged her little toe and wept pitifully, and soon after, she woke up.

Huh—Mother, let go of my foot!

Seeing Fubao awake, Meng Yun was overjoyed. The girl hadn’t woken up for two days, scaring her half to death! Now that their precious daughter was awake, Meng Yun and her husband were finally at ease. They summoned a doctor, who assured them there was nothing wrong—Fubao had simply slept. But who could sleep for two days straight?

Lin Sanlang decided to take Fubao to Ci’en Temple to consult Master Wuneng.

But this time, Master Wuneng had already come down the mountain himself! He arrived alone at the Lin family’s rouge shop, so early in the morning that the women who came to buy vegetables saw an old monk hurry into the shop.

Had the Lin family’s rouge shop become so famous? The old monk looked travel-worn and hurried straight inside—could monks be fond of beauty too?

Regardless of what others thought, Master Wuneng was already inside, having been invited by Lin Sanlang.

At that moment, Fubao was eating little snacks made by her mother. The venerable Master Wuneng looked at the chubby girl before him and smiled kindly.

“Fubao, do you still remember me?” Master Wuneng stroked his beard, which had grown quite long.

Fubao glanced at his beard and shook her head—she didn’t recognize him.

Master Wuneng had expected this and was not disappointed.

“Master, what is wrong with my child?” Meng Yun finally asked, recalling the master’s previous mention of her daughter’s special constitution. Anxiety crept into her heart.

“Madam, please be at ease,” replied Master Wuneng. “I’ve told you before your daughter’s fate is extraordinary and not easily harmed. But this calamity is a matter of karma. To remove it will not be without difficulty.” He remembered the fate he’d once calculated for the girl at the temple—too close to the secrets of heaven, best left unsaid.

“Then, Master, is there any way to save my daughter?” Lin Sanlang anxiously inquired, seeing Meng Yun’s face turn ashen.

“There is a way, but it will require you both to make a painful sacrifice,” Master Wuneng said hesitantly.

Meng Yun nearly fainted, and even Lin Sanlang’s face turned pale.

Master Wuneng was puzzled—wasn’t this good news? Shouldn’t they be happy?

“Master, is there no other way? Fubao is still so young—she can’t leave us!” Meng Yun sobbed.

“I’m afraid there’s only this one solution. Two inherently incompatible beings cannot coexist in one place. For them, only death or harm can resolve their conflict.”

“Can’t she avoid taking vows? Must my daughter shave her head?” Meng Yun was heartbroken at the thought of her beautiful daughter being lost to her. Lin Sanlang looked at his daughter’s thick, glossy hair and felt reluctant.

Master Wuneng was speechless—who said anything about becoming a nun? And what’s so bad about being a nun anyway?