Chapter 74: Friendly Reminder

Zhou Meiniang is too young; her small heart cannot bear such great pain, and with the broken leg bones having been set too long, her recovery ability has declined—she must improve her luck and recovery ability.

Pan Yun adjusted her breath for a moment, waited until her Qi was full and her mind calm, then began to draw talismans.

When she put down her brush and looked up, nine talismans already lay on the table; the Qi expenditure had left her somewhat weary.

She twisted her stiff neck and asked Wang Feiyin, who had appeared without notice, "Senior Brother, is today's ritual over?"

"Other Daoist Priests have taken over," Wang Feiyin sat across from her, glancing at the talismans on the table. "For Zhou Meiniang, a talisman scroll is more suitable than individual talismans."

Pan Yun froze, lowering her eyes. "I'm not skilled with scrolls."

"I can see that. When we return to Mount Sanqing, you'll learn scrolls from your fourth senior sister—she's an expert in talisman scrolls."

Pan Yun agreed.

Wang Feiyin looked at her, opening his mouth but hesitating.

Pan Yun: "Senior Brother, if you have something to say, say it—I'll listen carefully."

Wang Feiyin sighed. "Little Fifth, don't misunderstand—I'm not scheming. It's simply fate. The money in your hands… could you set some aside?"

Pan Yun immediately pulled out a hundred taels in silver notes and said generously, "Senior Brother, please take it!"

Wang Feiyin was astonished, shoving the money into his sleeve as he asked, "Little Fifth, you can't take this back now."

"I won't take it back. Once we save the child, there's another hundred taels as reward—all for Senior Brother."

Wang Feiyin squeezed the money in his sleeve, confirming it was secure, then smiled warmly. "So you still have a lot of money on you?"

"Little Sister, don't blame Senior Brother for not warning you—you'd best spend all your money these two days. Keep as little as possible. If you don't know where to spend it, leave it with the temple. Fate is fate—we must accept it."

Pan Yun: "If Daoists accept fate, why do they cultivate at all?"

Wang Feiyin: "Little Sister, you've gone astray. We cultivate to understand the Dao, to draw near to the Dao, to attain eternal life with Heaven's Dao—not to defy fate."

Pan Yun: "But last time you taught, you passionately said we cultivate to fight others, to fight Heaven, to fight fate!"

"Did I? That was your Third Senior Brother's words. How could someone as gentle and kind as I say such rebellious things?" Wang Feiyin said. "We are meant to follow Heaven's Dao, follow nature, follow destiny."

Pan Yun narrowed her eyes at his upward gaze of forty-five degrees, as if pleading to Heaven. "Senior Brother—is that speech for Heaven's Dao… or for Master?"

Wang Feiyin glared at her. "Don't say everything that comes to mind, child."

Pan Yun nodded thoughtfully. "I understand—I can think it in my head."

So she stared wide-eyed into his eyes, hoping he could read her unspoken thoughts.

Wang Feiyin tapped her head, then stood. "Keep the rest of the money yourself. If you won't listen to elders, you'll learn from one bad experience. Bring the child here tonight to sleep with you—watch her closely. Her calamity comes within these two days."

Pan Yun agreed.

In the evening, Sun Xianniang and the wet nurse arrived carrying the child, along with a bundle.

Sun Xianniang's eyes were red; she had cried all afternoon and couldn't bear to let her daughter come alone, so she and the wet nurse would stay too.

There wasn't enough bed space.

Fortunately, the weather wasn't especially cold—laying thick straw mats on the floor, then covering them with quilts, made it quite warm.

Spacious and warm, Miao He did a backflip upon returning from the ritual, then sat hard on the mat and bounced up, delighted: "Better than a bed—it bounces!"

Pan Yun sipped hot tea from her bowl and sighed. "When Old Lady Sun has money, things really change—this household is finally running properly."

Miao He asked curiously: "Didn't Old Lady Sun run the household before?"

Pan Yun: "If Old Lady Sun could run the household, we'd have seen a mother beating her filial son the night we arrived."

Sun Xianniang looked embarrassed.

Seeing Miao Zhen glanced at her and said: "Little Uncle reminds the good woman: with money, you run the household; when you run the household, you gain money." Sun Xianniang: …

Pan Yun smiled and nodded. "Good Woman Sun, if you and your daughter survive this calamity, greater fortune awaits you."

Sun Xianniang pondered.

Master Xuanmiao brought over the decoction Tao Ji had brewed. Seeing so many people in the room, she paused a moment before handing the bowl to Sun Xianniang. "This is the child's medicine. After she takes it, I'll needle her."

Pan Yun leaned in. "Senior Sister, you know acupuncture?"

Master Xuanmiao glanced at her. "Medicine and Dao are inseparable. Aren't you learning medicine too? I may not match your two Senior Brothers, but I know the basic needle techniques."

Sun Xianniang coaxed the child to take the medicine.

Children who had undergone foot-binding had exceptionally good tempers—even when the medicine was bitter, they swallowed it with tears, never daring to refuse.

Pan Yun propped her chin in her hand, watching, puzzled. "Good Woman Sun clearly loves her child—why did you insist on foot-binding despite her cries?"

Sun Xianniang stiffened.

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Miao Zhen and Miao He also stared at her curiously.

Pan Yun quickly explained: "Good Woman Sun, don't misunderstand—I mean no harm. I'm simply curious. Cultivation, as you know, requires self-examination—not just your own heart, but others' hearts, and the Dao's heart."

Sun Xianniang looked lost. "Is cultivation like that?"

Master Xuanmiao nodded. "Yes."

In truth, she was curious too.

Sun Xianniang's gaze swept over their feet—none were bound. Of course—Daoist Priests didn't bind feet.

"Did your parents not bind your feet because you were to cultivate?"

Miao Zhen: "I had no parents."

Miao He: "I was picked up by Senior Uncle from the grass—I had no parents either."

Master Xuanmiao: "My family never bound women's feet."

Pan Yun raised her hand high. "Me me me—I've had foot-binding experience!"

Everyone turned to look.

Pan Yun proudly declared: "When the foot-binder grabbed my foot, I screamed so loud I tore my throat. My mother, heartbroken, let me off."

Sun Xianniang hugged the child tightly, tears falling. "But this concerns the child's future—if her feet aren't bound, she'll only be able to marry down. Like me—I had two marriage offers: the county magistrate's son, and the Zhou family. Because I didn't bind my feet, I married into the Zhou family."

My elder sister was the same—back then, she had better options, but whenever suitors came to propose, they'd just see her feet and the match would fall through.

Binding feet brings temporary suffering, but marriage brings lifelong suffering. I think, when she grows up, she'll understand me.

Master Xuanmiao: "Even if binding feet can kill people?"

"So many women in this world bind their feet—how many actually die? How was I to know my Meiniang would be one of them?"

Pan Yun frowned tightly. "A marriage falling through isn't necessarily because of bound feet…"

"It's exactly because of bound feet!" Sun Xianniang declared firmly. "If the Immortal Lord doesn't believe me, go visit the official households in Guangxin Prefecture—whose backyard doesn't have a pair of golden lilies? When choosing a daughter-in-law, isn't the smaller the foot, the better?"

Pan Yun opened her mouth, then after a long while said, "Who on earth came up with this disgusting, fortune-ruining practice?"

She said forcefully: "Binding feet truly ruins fortune and spoils feng shui!"

The lucky number for this chapter is any number ending in 2—screenshot as proof.

(End of Chapter)