Chapter 290: Peace and Tranquility (Makeup for Yesterday)

Wang's aunt opened the basket, took out a chicken, a dish of white meat, and a dish of fruit, placed them on the altar, lit incense, knelt on the mat, and began muttering prayers.

Pan Yun put down her brush, picked up the hammer, and lightly tapped the bell hanging nearby; the bell's chime echoed, spreading from the Mountain God Temple, lingering softly through the valley.

Master, there's work! Quick, take it!

After whispering her wish, Wang's aunt bowed with the incense, stuck it into the holder, then knelt again on the mat and kowtowed.

Pan Yun realized the truth—it was a major undertaking.

Pan Yun worried her master couldn't handle it, so she decided to lend a hand; smiling, she asked Wang's aunt after she finished kneeling, "Auntie Wang, is there some big matter in your family?"

Wang's aunt didn't think Pan Yun could help her, but she wanted someone to talk to—even though she'd already said the same things several times in the village.

She sat on the bench opposite Pan Yun, sighed heavily, then said, "Our village is getting a grain officer this year. My family had a good harvest, Xiao Jing's second uncle went to learn carpentry, and Xiao Jing found work firing kilns. The village head said our household is doing well—we're the ones who pay the most grain in the village—so he assigned us the role of grain officer."

Pan Yun smiled and said, "That's a good thing."

"What good thing?" Wang's aunt frowned. "Being a grain officer is no easy job. This year, after just one autumn grain collection, my family had to pay over two hundred jin of grain—half the yield from half an acre."

Pan Yun was startled. "Why do you have to pay extra?"

Wang's aunt's face grew even more sorrowful. "On the day we transported the grain, the sky was bright and sunny, but halfway there, a rainstorm came. We quickly spread out oilcloth, but in the rush, the cart overturned."

"Your uncle managed to drag the cart upright, but he twisted his waist. When we took him to the county office, two bags were soaked—about three or four jin each. We took out the wet grain, replaced it with dry, fresh grain, but the grain clerks still ruled our two bags defective and demanded we make up two hundred jin."

Pan Yun: "Then just bring back the two old bags and swap them for new ones."

Wang's aunt slapped her thigh. "We said the same thing, but the clerks refused—they took all the grain and forced us to pay another two hundred jin. Besides, each bag is eighty jin, so two bags are only one hundred sixty—nowhere near two hundred."

Every time Wang's aunt thought of it, her heart ached. "The villagers gave us the full tax grain. The grain officer's duty is to transport and deliver it. When something goes wrong, we can't shift the loss onto the villagers—we have to bear it ourselves."

"I don't ask for anything else—I just hope next year's grain delivery goes smoothly, no more make-up payments. My family is small—we can't take this kind of beating."

Seeing her worried expression, Pan Yun smiled reassuringly: "This year was just an accident. Here—let me draw you a talisman for safety. Take it home and place it by your bed. If the talisman stays intact by next grain season, have your husband carry it with him—protected by the Mountain God, you'll be safe."

"If the talisman breaks, don't worry—come back to the temple. Whoever's here, ask for another safety talisman. Whoever's escorting the grain, give it to them—it'll keep them safe."

Wang's aunt's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Pan Yun nodded with a smile. "Absolutely."

Wang's aunt beamed, gently patted Pan Yun's hand, and said, "Our temple's Daoist is truly kind. Listen, Auntie, I'm not easily frightened—but I heard the grain officer from Ma Village had trouble."

Pan Yun leaned forward immediately, curious. "What happened?"

The red fox squatting nearby perked up its pointed ears.

"They sold five mu of land—they're struggling, so they finally got rid of the grain officer post."

Pan Yun paused, frowning. "Don't people want to be grain officers?"

Wang's aunt sighed heavily. "I certainly don't. Too much work, too much responsibility—anything that goes wrong falls on my family. But my father-in-law says it's serving the villagers, that they trust us, and it's our duty."

"But look at the Ma family—every year, they have to use all their able-bodied men to deliver grain. When it's busy, it takes three or four days. And those three or four days—people have to eat, drink, relieve themselves, sleep, right?"

"All that costs money and grain," Wang's aunt frowned. "I didn't know before—I only found out this year when I went to the county office myself. There are so many headaches with grain delivery."

"On the road, bags can fall, leak, or break—losses are inevitable. In the county town, you have to wait—sometimes three or four days. Grain can be stolen, swapped, or leak out—anything can happen."

"Three days—I didn't close my eyes once. Delivering grain nearly kills me. Now I just pray the heavens give the grain officer post to someone else—we can't afford it."

Pan Yun: "... How many wishes did you make?"

"Three."

Wang's aunt said, "One is for my family's health and safety. One is that next year, someone else gets the grain officer post. And the third—if it's still us—then please let everything go smoothly."

Pan Yun thought it over—she didn't believe her master was powerful enough to influence the county office's decisions. What they could affect were small things.

Like, at the very moment your husband's cart was about to tip, it might not tip—or when he pulled it up, he'd feel a surge of strength and lift it without twisting his waist…

Pan Yun snapped back to reality. "How's your husband's waist now?"

"Much better. The day before yesterday, Fei Yin massaged it and applied medicine. Yesterday he could walk, said it didn't hurt much. This morning, he said it's fully healed—no pain at all."

So her visit to the temple wasn't just for next year's wishes—it was also to give thanks.

Pan Yun took out a yellow talisman and cinnabar, began grinding the cinnabar to draw the talisman.

She folded the completed safety talisman into a rectangle and handed it to her, smiling. "Your husband's better—that's what matters. Take this safety talisman home and place it by your bed. It wards off evil and ensures safety."

Wang's aunt carefully took it and tucked it away, then began rummaging through her clothes.

After fumbling for a long time, she pulled out three copper coins. Pan Yun pointed at them. "One copper coin is enough." Wang's aunt beamed, placed one copper coin in Pan Yun's palm.

The red fox tilted its head, watching as Pan Yun gathered all the offerings back into the basket, then took one fruit and handed it to Pan Yun. "Little Daoist, this one's for you—offered to your master, blessed with divine essence, tastes better."

Pan Yun bowed to receive it.

As Wang's aunt turned to leave, she saw the fox squatting nearby, reached into the basket again, and handed it another fruit. "Here, have one too."

The red fox tilted its head, sensing her kindness, lifted both paws to catch the fruit.

Wang's aunt left, light of heart, happily heading home.

Pan Yun stood at the doorway, holding the fruit, watching her walk far away, beside her sat a fiery red fox, also holding a fruit.

Only when Wang's aunt turned the corner and vanished did the girl and fox lower their gazes, glance at the fruit in their hands, wipe it on their clothes, then take a bite.

Seeing the red fox still cradling the fruit, Pan Yun kindly offered, "I can lend you my sleeve to wipe it."

The red fox glanced at her, took a bite, and asked, "Your talisman's only worth one copper coin?"

Pan Yun smiled. "To them, one copper coin is precious. I'm actually charging too much."

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Hearing Pan Yun had returned, villagers gradually came to the Mountain God Temple to see her.

The adults strolled in with their hands behind their backs, bowed to the shrine, then asked Pan Yun how she'd been this year outside, what she'd seen.

Then they made her stand and walk around, commenting, "You've grown taller."

"But you've gotten thinner."

Learning that Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He had also returned safely and were still on the mountain, the adults said, "Tell them to come down and eat fruit when they have time."

Pan Yun readily agreed.

The villagers, satisfied, went off to chat among themselves.

On the square before the Mountain God Temple sat or stood about a dozen villagers, men and women, old and young, beginning with the grain taxes just paid, soon shifting to who was to marry off a daughter, who was to take a bride, and next year's seed grain…

They talked about everything.

Pan Yun and Sister Hong Yan squatted nearby, now turning to glance at one, now at another, listening with great delight, having forgotten entirely the martial arts manual for her brother.

Until the village school dismissed, and boys and girls aged seven to fourteen surged toward the Mountain God Temple, spotting Pan Yun and shouting, "Pan Yun, you're back! Where are Miao and Seeing Miao Zhen?"

Pan Yun stood up happily, "They're up on the mountain."

"Ask them to come down tomorrow—we haven't seen them in ages."

"Oh, a fox!"

The children spotted Sister Hong Yan squatting nearby and rushed over joyfully, yet none reached out to touch her.

Pan Yun happily introduced them: "This is Sister Hong Yan. Sister Hong Yan, these are my childhood friends from Fen Shui Village."

Seeing only curiosity and delight in their eyes, Sister Hong Yan waved her paw at them, sending the children into excited exclamations: "She waved her paw!"

"She understands what we're saying!"

"So amazing!"

The adults sitting nearby frowned at their commotion and barked, "Don't bully the fox, don't grab her, don't touch her, don't shout—be quiet here in front of the Mountain God Temple."

The children clapped hands over their mouths, eyes darting, bumping and shoving each other, communicating in glances or whispering excitedly, full of joy.

Pan Yun turned to ask Xiao Lan, who stood nearby smiling with her hand over her mouth, "Are you studying at the school now too?"

Xiao Lan nodded brightly, "Master Wang said the Mountain God declared all beings equal—this school is open to the whole village, no matter age or gender; anyone who wants to learn to read may attend."

"The first teacher didn't like girls coming to school, so Master Wang dismissed him and hired another old teacher."

Xiao Lan said, "The old teacher is so kind—he never turns us away, and he teaches us arithmetic too. Sometimes my grandmother comes to listen. She's the best—she's already learned a hundred characters. Next time she needs to sign a contract, she can write her name instead of making a circle."

Pan Yun praised, "Grandma Liu is amazing—you should learn from her."

Xiao Lan nodded firmly, "I will!"

Xiao Lan asked, "How's your martial arts training going?"

Pan Yun lifted her chin proudly, "Fine. My grades are decent."

Seeing her pride, Xiao Lan couldn't help smiling, "I knew you could do it."

(End of Chapter)