Inner Residence arc ー Chapter 5 (Part 1): It is said, that is the future
The end of the year was approaching. The whole family went to the temple to pray and worship the ancestors.
I remembered that in "Dream of the Red Chamber*" it described that when Jia family members were going to the temple to pray, they set off with grandiosity as a whole group and formed a long queue on the public roads. It was an extremely extravagant matter. I don't know whether if it is because the Xie Family was too austere or because the household was simple, when going out to the temple to pray, there were only five carriages and a few servants. The retainers opened up the path and we passed through the city in a low-key manner, hurrying off to Mount Wan Fo(Wàn Fó).
*T/n: One of China's Four Great Classical Novels
Mount Wan Fo was far away outside the city by a few Chinese miles*. There were dozens of temples, big and small on top of the mountain, thus it was named exaggeratedly as "Wan Fo*". The records of this landscape had written that the mountain peak was high and steep, the mountaintop fully grown with exotic flowers and herbs, had waterfalls and streams as well as aerial birds and spirit beasts.
*T/n: One li aka Chinese miles is equal to 0.5km
**T/n: Literally means ten thousand Buddhas.
Specifically how mystical, I do not know. The carriages of the ancient times were after all not the modern sedan cars. I sat inside the carriage and was jolted until I was dazed, until everything turned black before my eyes and the inside of my stomach tossed and turned over in bursts, as if I have just alighted a pirate's ship then boarded a roller coaster. I endured until my whole body convulsed like a sheep breaking out hysterically. Simply a few Chinese miles of road when travelled by the ancient people just had to be as long as a ten thousand mile expedition.
Yunxiang constantly encouraged me, "Hang in there Miss, we're almost reaching the temple."
I could not hang in there any longer, raising the curtains and opening my mouth to throw up with a retching sound. The gruel, steamed bun, egg and apple I ate in the morning all turned into acidic water poured out.
After I finished vomiting, I felt slightly better. When I opened my eyes, I saw a yellow pool of stain on a piece of good-quality blue-green brocade. That piece of brocade flashed and flashed with a rhythm.
My vision shifted upwards following that piece of brocade and landed on Xie Zhaoying's distorted smile. His hand grasping the reins had blue veins popping up and knuckles turning white, but he still restrained not pouncing on me to strangle me to death.
People who are distinguished all like to be beautiful, people who like to be beautiful all had mysophobia. However, I was really innocent. The road was so wide, yet he just had to ride his horse over and purposely come to be thrown all over by me. He was clearly asking for it.
Xie Zhaoying controlled his facial expression with great difficulty, raised his hand to throw me an object and said, "Smell a little and you won't be giddy anymore."
I received it to take a look. It was an exquisite sachet emitting an unusual fragrance, causing me to associate it with the Olay Moisturizing Cream. I went closer to inhale. That faint scent was mentally refreshing, caused my mind to become clear and my head indeed did not feel that giddy anymore.
So it turns out that he had come over to give me this thing. I raised my head wanting to express a few words of gratitude, who knew he had already ridden his horse to leave first a long time ago and had gone to the temple to change his clothes.
After arriving at the temple, there was a skinny elderly monk at the entrance who welcomed us and said a long string of words with Amitābha*, then led us in after that. Me and Xie Zhaoying followed behind Madam Xie. After waiting for all the males to finish praying, then did we go over and kowtowed to Buddha and the Xie family ancestors.
*T/n: Monks often say this
I prayed very sincerely. May Bodhisattva and the ancestors bless me. Although I am not a Xie descendant, at any rate, my original name also has the surname "Xie". Since I have already occupied Xie Zhaohua's body, then I will definitely conduct myself honestly and conscientiously and absolutely not bring disgrace to the Xie Family's reputation. I beg of you all to bless me to return to my original body soon. I beseech of you thousands of time.
Finally after we finished praying, next we again had to go listen to Sanskrit scriptures. I cried piteously in my heart. Due to that vomiting, my stomach was empty and was had now already been rumbling for food since long ago. My two eyes shone with hungry desire for food, and looked at the steamed bun offered on the incense burner table while continuously gulping down saliva.
Xie Zhaoke was otherworldly, remaining to stand gracefully behind Madam Xie with her noble and beautiful visage serene. She saw my facial complexion and asked puzzledly, "Fourth Younger Sister, are you feeling uncomfortable?"
I shook my head with a wry smile.
Madam Xie said while full of enthusiasm, "Having Great Master Hui Kong(Huì Kōng) reading the Sanskrit scriptures today is really hard to come by, you all have to listen attentively."
After entering the meditation room, I picked a seat that was at the side. A man wearing a white brocade embroidered with green thread sat beside me. That was Xie Zhaoying who had changed his clothes. I nodded my head at him feebly when my hand was suddenly stuffed with a paper bag.
I was greatly surprised, that paper bag was still warm. I opened carefully, inside was actually a few pieces of golden soybean oil flaky pastry*.
*T/n: I think it's something like this?
My hot tears tumbled down, "Second Elder Brother……"
"You should quickly eat." Xie Zhaoying watched my miserable appearance with pity, "Xiao San Zi(Xiǎo Sān Zi)* secretly brought it from the refectory. I ate half and left half for you. How about that? I treat you well right?"
*T/n: Probably the name of a young male servant. The names are often in this format – Xiǎo ___ Zi
I nodded my head repeatedly and bent my head to swallow one in one mouth. As a result, I choked immediately and almost choked to death. Xie Zhaoying's iron palm slapped onto my back and I coughed out the dregs of the flaky pastry, spurting them all over the back of the head of Xie Lingjuan who was in front. Xie Lingjuan opened her mouth and wanted to shout loudly but her mouth was covered by my Eldest Brother. It turns out that Great Master Hui Kong had come.
Great Master Hui Kong was an old man over sixty, was cadaverous yet steady footsteps. Moreover, his two eyes were like torches, shrewd and sharp. At one look you I already knew that he was not an ordinary person. I only saw him standing firm, his two eyes similar to a searchlight scanned the crowd and landed on my face all of a sudden.
As soon as I was stared at by that line of sight, my back broke out in a layer of cold sweat. I whispered in my heat, could it be that the erudite person had seen through that I have been reincarnated in someone else's body?"
But Great Master Hui Kong retrieved his line of sight again, sat down on the hassock and started to preach and read the Sanskrit scriptures.
I was originally not inclined towards Buddhism, in addition I was also worn out after half a day and soon started to feel sleepy. As the elderly monk talked about Buddha, the parables were uncommon and the expression of words were obscure and profound I felt like I was listening to a foreign language. Within the meditation room the coal was burning, making it nice and warm. I absent-mindedly leaned onto something warm and soft. My nose smelt a subtle breath and I shut my eyes in content.
In my dream was a sea of clouds, similar to the scene when I first came back to life. I blindly traverse through the layers of cloud like an airplane that has lost radar's navigation.
As I flew and flew, the layers of cloud gradually became thin, vaguely displaying an enormous patch of land. That was a modern metropolis. I floated high above in the sky and peered down, only to see the brilliant city lights in the night and the dazzling neon advertisements on top of the skyscrapers. I suddenly saw a familiar departmental store, only then did I realized that I seemed to have return to my original world.
I was wild with joy and immediately flew towards the direction of my home. The small district where my home was located was currently a scene of early autumn, with the fragrance of osmanthus flowers. Below the building where my home was in were a few high-class sedan cars which top were decorated with pink ribbons and roses.
Just when I was in a daze, a large crowd of people suddenly swarmed out from the building. The one standing right at the front was exactly the Zhang Ziyue who I have been yearning for day and night!
I saw that he was radiant with happiness, beaming with joy and his hands were pulling a beauty in red. That was Li Yan. The two of them were very sweet with each other and walked towards a large Benz while escorted by the masses. On that shiny was pasted with a massive red "Xi"* character.
*T/n: This character is used during Chinese weddings and it means double happiness. It looks something like this.
It can have some cuter or more complex variations like this too.
I was at a loss as I stood in the middle of the crowd. Everyone couldn't see me. Their bodies shuttled through my body as if I was a ghost.
I remembered already. Today was September 9, Zhang Ziyue's wedding way. My body was still lying in some unknown place but he was already safe and sound, holding the marriage ceremony as scheduled and became Li Yan's husband.
I stoned there blankly, looked on as the people sat inside the car and the cars left one by one in succession. The bottom of the building became empty very soon. The autumn breeze swept the yellow leaves, the desolateness after the bustle wrapped around me. I gazed at the direction where the fleet of cars left, my eyes stinging with pain.
A harmonious voice sounded, "Don't look already. What is not yours is destined to not be yours."
As my emotions were interrupted, I sulkily rolled my eyes at the nothingness ahead of me, "Cut down on your nonsense, I have waited for two months, now you can send me back to my body already right?"
"No. No.*" Two English words emerged from the Great Immortal, "The time has yet to come."
*T/n: These are the two English words said, basically just "no" two times.
"Yet to come?" I contained a ball of fire, "Letting my spirit return to my body isn't even any complicated technique, what is it that you are dragging so long for?"
That voice was sounded very helpless, "I also can't do anything about it. This matter of returning the spirit to the body, is not that you can return if you want to return. Any spirit entering any body is according to the allocation and needs instructions from above. I believe that the work efficiency of those above are low, therefore the instructions every day are limited. Although you are on the name list, to wait until your turn, I'm afraid it still needs quite some days."
I was furious until I cursed at the bureaucratic system once. That voice advised me encouragingly, "Miss Xie, don't be anxious anymore. Anyway, your sweetheart has already married, you can't change anything even if you come back, why don't you just experience a different type of life in that world. Besides, your fated person is not even that groom just now."
As soon as I heard, I became interested, "You know who my fated person is?"
The Great Immortal coughed uncomfortably, lowered his voice and said, "I also just saw it when I was flipping the book of fate out of curiosity, this matter is considered to be divulging the wills of the heaven, I will get struck by lightning. Naturally, we two are best buddies, I don't say it to just any other person……"
I was anxious, "Who is it exactly?"
That Great Immortal gave mischievous laughter, "That person, is someone beside you. You will know if you observe attentively."
Saying this is equivalent to not saying.
I was about to ask again. That voice suddenly said, "There is not enough time." After that, a force hauled me up and brought me towards the high altitude like shooting a rocket. I was dizzy and shut my eyes tightly. I flew swiftly in the upper air for a while, then fell down in a straight line muddle-headed.
The weightlessness caused me to instinctively to yell loudly in alarm. There was a bang all of a sudden, my back rammed into something and I fell flat on my back with my four limbs facing up.
Opening my eyes, I saw the thick crossbeam and roof ridge, then a familiar face popped into my field of vision.