Chapter 195: Broken

They earned a huge amount of money today, all in whole bills; Pan Yun and Seeing Miao Zhen unfolded every silver note and grouped those of equal value together.

There were six notes of one hundred taels each; the rest were mostly fifty, twenty, and ten taels.

Especially the twenty- and ten-tael notes—don't have too many of those.

Seeing Miao Zhen finished counting her money and said, "I have one thousand eight hundred and eighty taels."

Miao He said, "I have one thousand six hundred and twenty taels."

Pan Yun's eyes lit up with joy: "I have two thousand three hundred and sixty taels; adding these six hundred, it's six thousand four hundred and sixty taels total."

Pan Yun herself was startled: "The Daoist Priest doesn't seem so poor after all."

Seeing Miao Zhen said, "Sharpening the axe doesn't delay chopping wood; with good talismans, you always earn it back."

With money in hand, Pan Yun became generous; she pulled out two one-hundred-tael notes and shoved them into the two of them: "Here's one hundred taels each—your wages!"

Both instantly widened their eyes, unable to believe their junior master was so generous: "Really? One hundred taels for a day's work?"

Pan Yun had been so generous, but their question made her suddenly stingy: "If you don't want them, then I…"

Seeing Miao Zhen: "We want them, we want them."

Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He immediately tucked them away.

Only then did Pan Yun stop feeling stingy and bent down to count the remaining money.

She knew she couldn't keep all this money on her—otherwise she wouldn't sleep well tonight; after thinking, she set aside the two hundred and sixty taels as her pocket money, divided the rest in half, and gave three thousand taels to Seeing Miao Zhen: "This is for the temple—keep it. If expenses run low, take from this. Take the rest back to the temple; this year, Big Nephew's busy with his exams, and times are hard."

Seeing Miao Zhen accepted and took the three thousand taels.

Pan Yun looked at the remaining three thousand taels and said: "I'll need these three thousand taels later, but I can't carry them—I'm lending them to you; each of you borrow one thousand five hundred from me?"

Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He were used to it; they called it borrowing, but in truth they were acting as her vault, holding it for her.

Both had no objections, so each took one thousand five hundred taels on her behalf—no, borrowed from her.

Pan Yun, now free of money, felt cheerful again; she picked up Pan Xiaohei, who had been dozing nearby, hugged him, and rubbed his head: "Now we have money, it'll be easier to run experiments."

With money, she could run this washing machine experiment however she wanted, no longer constrained by materials.

Seeing Miao Zhen: "As long as you're happy."

Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He's punishment period was over; Pan Yun began joyfully tinkering with her washing machine project again.

After a period of research and study, she learned that water power alone was insufficient for removing stains—she needed to increase friction and water impact.

Just like when we wash clothes by hand, we always prefer rubbing them against slightly abrasive stones—doesn't that remove stains faster?

Drawing inspiration from the washboard and the laundry bat, Pan Yun replicated the design: inside the large wooden tub, she built a smaller wooden tub and connected the two, making it resemble a modern washing machine—except that while modern ones hide the outer layer, hers was visible.

Inside the small wooden tub, she drilled four holes and installed short rods like laundry bats, capable of agitating the clothes.

Because the tub was large enough, she dumped both buckets of clothes she'd been given into it, chanted a spell, added water, and confidently told the two and the cat: "This time it'll definitely work."

Seeing Miao Zhen, Miao He, and Pan Xiaohei didn't care whether it would work—they just nodded.

After all, Pan Yun always said this before every experiment, and every time it ended in failure.

Pan Yun activated the talisman, listened to the washing machine's clanking start, sat beside Miao He, pulled out several fruits from her Spirit Realm space, gave one each to the two and the cat, bit into one herself, and said: "Experiments are like this—though failures outnumber successes, we must have faith in this one and the next, or else life becomes too bitter."

Seeing Miao Zhen asked thoughtfully: "Should we live our lives this way too?"

Pan Yun smiled and asked: "Do you think your life has more suffering or more joy?"

Seeing Miao Zhen: "Of course more joy."

Pan Yun smiled: "I hope it stays that way. One day, if suffering outweighs joy, think this way again."

Seeing Miao Zhen lowered her eyes, thought for a long while, then nodded.

The three sat on a large rock, feet dangling, swinging gently as they listened to the washing machine spin.

Because the washing machine's noise was different this time, Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He heard it with more confidence: "It actually sounds like it might work."

When the washing machine stopped and the dirty water drained out, Pan Yun rushed forward, peering over the tub's rim.

Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He followed closely, squinting to help her spot any remaining stains.

The clothes were tangled together, some wrapped directly around the four laundry bats; Seeing Miao Zhen pulled up a sleeve and exclaimed: "Junior Master, it really worked—the sleeve isn't dirty!"

Pan Yun's eyes sparkled; she immediately untangled two garments, picked one up, and prepared to unfold it for a close look.

As she shook it open, the smiles on all three faces froze.

Through the large tear in the garment, Pan Yun saw the shocked faces of Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He on the other side.

Pan Yun: …

Pan Xiaohei burst into loud meows of laughter, lost his balance, and plopped straight into the tub with a splash.

Pan Yun's face darkened; she dropped the garment in her hand and reached for another, unfolded it—the sleeve tore apart.

Pan Yun opened her mouth in shock.

Pan Xiaohei, just climbing out of the tub, saw this and laughed again, wobbled, and fell back into the tub.

Pan Yun's hands trembled as she hung the garment on the tub's rim, staring in disbelief at the clothes inside: "The rest won't all be…?"

Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He immediately rushed over, pulling out all the clothes from the tub and unfolding them.

Together, they unfolded each garment one by one—each was missing an arm or leg, or torn open in multiple places.

One garment, inexplicably washed, burst into five pieces when unfolded; two pieces were still wrapped in a strip of cloth as thick as a finger; the rest had to be fished out from other clothes and pieced back together.

Pan Yun plopped onto the rock, murmuring: "How much will I have to pay? Is it because I have too much money and bad luck, or is the washing machine just flawed?"

Seeing Miao Zhen: "It must be the washing machine's fault, Junior Master—you have less than three hundred taels now, and if you were truly unlucky, you'd have been unlucky since last night, not wait until today."

Miao He was relieved: "Thank goodness Junior Master earned so much money the day before—we can afford to pay compensation."

Pan Xiaohei laughed until tears streamed down his face and asked Pan Yun: "Are you still going to do this exhausting, fruitless thing?" Pan Yun gritted her teeth: "Yes! Just a few failures—I refuse to believe I can't make it work!"

Pan Xiaohei didn't understand, but he didn't interfere—he decided to just watch the show.

The three retrieved all the clothes and finally found only six were intact.

After carefully inspecting them, Pan Yun sighed: "This time the clothes were washed clean enough—but they're all damaged. Looks like I still need to improve it."

Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He nodded, not feeling they should give up yet; after Pan Xiaohei had mocked Young Master Xiao, Miao He hugged Pan Xiaohei and said, "Don't discourage Young Master Xiao—what he made is excellent, very powerful; I never imagined something could help people wash clothes."

"If we really can make it, someday we could build another device to light fires, chop vegetables, and cook meals—if we had such a wonderful thing, wouldn't we never have to do housework again?"

Seeing Miao Zhen: "You dream nicely, but it's not that such things don't exist—they're just beyond our means."

Not only Miao He, but Pan Yun also turned to look.

"Of course they exist," Seeing Miao Zhen said. "Isn't a puppet exactly that?"

Pan Yun snapped back to awareness, "Oh," she said, then nodded. "Puppets are indeed like robots—but puppetry requires embedding a soul, which counts as dark magic, doesn't it? Even if we could afford it, we wouldn't dare keep one—bring one back to Mount Sanqing, and wouldn't the mountain spirit strike us down?"

Seeing Miao Zhen: "What if the soul enters the puppet willingly?"

!.

"Aren't books clear that souls placed in puppets usually need to be refined, their three hun and seven po incomplete, so they forget past lives and possess little wisdom? Who would willingly do that?"

"I would," Seeing Miao Zhen said. "I really want to try making a puppet. Young Master Xiao, when I die, turn me into a puppet. I always feel that even as a puppet, I might remember my past."

Pan Yun: "Are you so sure you'll outlive me? What if I die first?"

Seeing Miao Zhen and Pan Yun both turned their heads to look at Miao He.

Miao He blinked, then said, "Then… then should I be the one? But I don't know how to make puppets."

Pan Yun: "It's fine—I can teach you."

Seeing Miao Zhen: "I'll find you the books and materials. Miao He, you're a healer—you must live a long life. Whether I can become a puppet someday depends on you."

Pan Yun beside her nodded.

Miao He also nodded. "Alright, Young Master Xiao. Are you going to make a puppet?"

"I won't make a puppet. When I die, I'll become a ghost and practice as a ghost cultivator."

Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He: "There are ghost cultivators too?"

"Of course there are. Where else would the vicious ghosts in this world come from?"

Seeing Miao Zhen looked troubled. "Young Master Xiao, maybe you shouldn't become a ghost cultivator—be like me and become a puppet. Vicious ghosts only form after harming people and spirits. Ghost cultivators sound no better. If you die before me and I catch you doing evil, will I take you in or not?"

"I won't take you in—I'd feel guilty and my Dao heart would waver. But if I do take you in, we're fellow disciples—I can't bring myself to."

Miao He beside them nodded vigorously in agreement. "Exactly, Young Master Xiao. Be like Seeing Miao Zhen and become a puppet. You can carve your own puppet body however beautiful you want. As a ghost cultivator, what if you turn all ghostly and eerie?"

Pan Yun: "... Thank you. You're thinking so far ahead."

Pan Xiaohei, standing nearby, lazily reminded them: "If you don't leave now, you'll be late for class."

Pan Yun, hearing this, slumped her shoulders and picked up the two buckets of ruined clothes. "Fine. Come with me to face Zhang Guanshi's storm."

But when they reached the laundry hall and asked, they learned Zhang Guanshi had finished assigning today's tasks and gone down the mountain—rumor said things were busy below, and she wouldn't return today.

Everyone asked Pan Yun, "Sister, do you have something to discuss with the supervisor?"

These were laborers from the academy, so to anyone in Daoist robes, regardless of age or gender, they called men "Senior Brother" and women "Senior Sister."

It was said that when the academy was first founded, these laborers had called everyone "Young Master," "Young Lady," "Master," and "Madam" indiscriminately—until True Person Zhang ordered a unified form of address.

This form of address was meant to remind all students in the academy: in Daoism, all are equal. Though they are laborers, they are merely working at the academy—their status is no lower than yours.

It warned everyone in the academy not to look down upon any living being.

This is also why Yin Song's disciple called them "Senior Sister" and "Senior Auntie"—he had not taken Yin Song as his master.

Pan Yun knew the laundry hall's clothes had always been entrusted to them to wash; now that she had ruined them, she wondered whether it would affect them.

She paused, then reached out and unfolded a garment. "Look."

The laborers stared in shock at the large hole in the garment. "This—how did this happen?"

One laborer leaned close to examine it, then said: "Looks like it was torn apart. Oh my, how much strength must that have taken? Daoists' robes are always sturdy—made of Songjiang cloth, highly durable. How could it tear like this?"

Hearing she understood so well, Pan Yun immediately asked: "How much does a robe like this cost?"

"If it's just the fabric, not much—twenty wen buys enough to make a full set."

Pan Yun: "What about the tailor's labor?"

"About thirty wen total."

Pan Yun quickly said: "Kind souls, please help me. I ruined the robes—I must pay compensation. I was going to pay Zhang Guanshi directly, but she's gone. When the Senior Brothers and Sisters whose robes I ruined come tomorrow, what will I say to them?"

"Please help me make a set matching these sizes—I'll return them properly."

The laborers exchanged glances—they were happy to do it. The laborer's calculation was correct: twenty wen for fabric, ten wen for labor—quite profitable. A skilled, fast worker could finish one in a night and half a morning.

But…

Would Zhang Guanshi recognize their work?

Seeing they were tempted, Pan Yun immediately pulled a string of coins from her sleeve. "I'll pay a deposit upfront—fifteen wen? When you finish and bring them to me, if they pass inspection, I'll pay the remaining fifteen wen immediately."

"Senior Sister, it's not that we don't want to do it—we're afraid Zhang Guanshi won't accept them. What then?"

Pan Yun: "That's my problem. Whether she accepts them or not, I'll pay you anyway."

Hearing this, the laborers immediately agreed.

Everyone crowded forward to collect coins and pick out the robes and pants they wanted to make, planning to take them home to measure and replicate them precisely.

(End of Chapter)