"Master! Please, don't drive Yuan Yuan away!"
Sitting in the Qing Xu Observation on the mountaintop, amidst the wind and rain, where leaves fall desolately, Little Yuan Yuan cried while clinging on to the legs of Qing Xu Daoist Monk, Zhou Shunan, her cries echoing the pain of a broken heart.
"Yuan Yuan, don't blame your master for being heartless; it's just that you are born with a predisposition to be short of money!"
Zhou Shun'an clung to his alchemy furnace. Thinking about his empty purse, and the popularity of his temple dwindling day by day, he had to steel his heart.
"Ever since I snatched you from the hands of those bald monks next door, the previously thriving Qing Xu Observation has been dwindling day by day."
"If you see the bald monks of the temple next door, their temple used to be bleak and deserted. But ever since they sent you here, the popularity of their temple has been rising daily, thriving exponentially!"
"The bald monks, one by one, have glowing complexions - the epitome of health. And look at your master, me, and your fellow apprentices - we are so starved to feed you we can't even muster enough strength to haul water!"
Thinking of this, Zhou Shun'an harbored deep regrets.
Initially, he believed that Yuan Yuan was naturally clever, a rare prodigy. In a moment of impulsive enthusiasm, he went next door to snatch this person from the bald monks.
He was puzzled back then, as to why the head monk would readily hand her over.
When he left with Yuan Yuan, all the monks in the temple sighed with relief.
He thought they were afraid of his magical powers.
Little did he know they were actually relishing in his misfortune, glad that he had removed their proverbial hot potato!
Yuan Yuan looked at her master, wronged, her mouth pinched as she pleaded in a pitiable voice, "Master, Yuan Yuan knows her mistake, she will eat less from now on!"
Zhou Shun'an looked at her rounded belly and his mouth twitched, "You eat five meals a day, at least eight bowls of rice per meal. I can't afford to feed you anymore!"
"You're already four and a half years old; it's time for you to leave the mountain to gain experience!"
Zhou Shun'an gritted his teeth, closed his eyes and pointed at the door: "Off you go!"
YuanYuan let out a grievance tear: "Master, are you really driving me away? Haven't all my brothers gone to work off the mountain? With so many people, can't they support one YuanYuan?"
"If they could afford to keep you, would your master let you go?"
Zhou Shun'an clutched his chest, heartbroken: "If you don't leave, I'll have to take all of you down the mountain to beg for food tomorrow!"
"Oh." YuanYuan wiped her tears, hesitantly stood up: "YuanYuan understands. Master, YuanYuan will be obedient, and will sincerely leave the mountain."
She drooped her head, her round cheek sagged.
"After leaving the mountain, YuanYuan will obediently find a bridge to beg for food. If it gets too cold, I'll promptly run to a pile of leaves to sleep! After passing away, YuanYuan will become a spirit to accompany Master..."
After saying that, she lowered her head and wiped her tears.
Zhou Shun'an tightly clutched the shriveled money bag, loosening then clenching, clenching then loosening.
Finally, he still clenched his teeth and held it tight.
"You don't need to worry, your master has already informed your uncle. He's doing well now, and you can join him after you leave the mountain, at least you won't starve."
YuanYuan's tear wiping hand paused, her eyes glowing with anticipation: "Really? Can uncle ensure three square meals a day?"
Zhou Shun'an hesitated for a second: "He should... right?"
Five meals a day, eight bowls each meal.
Added together, it's only forty bowls.
His senior brother, he should be able to bear it.
"Weren't you always wanting the master's Qiankun mirror?"
Zhou Shunan, stifling his heartache, undid the Qiankun mirror, "Now, I present it to you as your teacher. It will bring you good luck."
Round's big eyes swiveled once, then disappointed, she lowered her head again, "Rather than the Qiankun mirror, Round would rather stay by Master's side."
Zhou Shunan gritted his teeth: "I will give you the little medicinal cauldron you have been yearning for!"
Round immediately lifted her head, her big watery eyes, bright like black grapes: "Thank you master! Round will go pack the belongings!"
Zhou Shunan: "..."
He knew it, ginger becomes more spicy as it gets older
It's a Chinese saying meaning the younger generation will surpass the older one eventually
.
It's been a year now, how could he still be tricked by the little Round!
Regrets!
Thinking of his precious little medicinal cauldron, Zhou Shunan was so angry that he blew his beard and glared: "Rebel!"
Round made a face at him, shortened her legs, and ran towards the backyard.
In a short while, Round came out.
On the little creature's signature big forehead, it was full of fortune symbols, and her body was plentiful, hanging with all kinds of magic instruments.
Copper coin swords, peach wood swords, and all kinds were available.
On the left was a gourd, on the right was a Pixiu.
In the middle was a heart-protecting mirror.
That Pixiu was tremendously big, crudely carved and incredibly ugly. She had carved it herself, one stroke at a time.
Zhou Shun'an looked at her and sighed.
How could piling oneself with wealth-attracting artifacts matter?
Born under a penniless fate, wealth doesn't gather and it runs away with the slightest breeze.
He couldn't help but advise her: "Yuanyuan, you should give up this dream of becoming wealthy. You are not fated to have wealth; you're born with poverty."
Yuanyuan, bearing a bundle bigger than herself, gently shook her head: "Senior brother said that our fate is in our own hands, not in the stars. As long as I work hard enough, I can change my destiny."
She looked at Zhou Shun'an intently, asserting her words: "Master, rest assured, Yuanyuan will earn a lot of money and make our temple the richest in the neighborhood!"
Tears of emotion welled up in Zhou Shun'an's eyes upon hearing her words.
Indeed, she was the child who had grown up on the bowls of rice he’d given her, such dutifulness!
He handed an ashen statue to Yuanyuan: "Yuanyuan, the responsibility to rejuvenate our temple lies with you!"
Yuanyuan looked at him, puzzled: "Why are you giving me the statue of our Founding Master?"
Then she questioned further: "Why is the golden luminescence on the Grand Master's body gone?"
Zhou Shunan looked at her with a grief-stricken face, blaming himself, "It's all my fault for acting impulsively!"
Yuan Yuan immediately understood.
Because of her fate, all the incense for worship in the Taoist temple was gone, and this was the reason why the grand master ended up in such a pathetic state.
"Master, don't worry. Yuan Yuan will do her best to restore the golden body of the grandmaster!" Yuan Yuan reassured.
Unable to bring himself to disappoint her, Zhou Shunan advised, "Do your best in all things. After you leave the mountain, first take care of yourself, do more good deeds, accumulate merit, and perhaps you can change your fate."
Yuan Yuan's eyes lit up, "I understand!"
Do more good deeds and accumulate merit to change fate.
She took this to heart!
Zhou Shunan patted her shoulder with his eyes filled with tears of joy, "Good disciple, go down the mountain to find your senior brother Jingde. I will not see you off."
Yuan Yuan looked up at him with reluctance, "Master, please take care of yourself. As soon as your disciple earns more money, she will come back to visit you."
She set off, turning around to look back every few steps, quite reluctant to leave.
Zhou Shunan and his disciple were left behind, hiding behind the door, wiping away their secret tears.
Of course, these were tears of joy.
"Finally sent her off, it wasn't easy."
"Looks like, our Qingxu View is salvageable."
"Hurry up and light the incense! Our Taoist temple will have worshipers coming soon!"
