Chapter Thirty-Three: Life Needs Coincidence
Old Master Xiao was still too naive. Did he really think that without worshippers, he could stop Wu Ning? Little did he know, from Wu Ning’s perspective, the only thing that could prevent him from being a proper transmigrator was Heaven itself!
But what he didn’t know was this: after lending so much help, Heaven finally decided... to have a bit of fun.
That day happened to coincide with Uncle Liu’s new house raising. A large group had been bustling about since morning, finally hoisting the beam onto the roof. A few lazy clouds, just drifting idly, suddenly tumbled over themselves and blanketed the sky.
Then, rain poured down in torrents. Mist and rain enveloped the mountains.
Wu Ning and his companions were thrown into chaos, scrambling up the roof to cover the beam with oilcloth. If the newly raised beam was soaked, who knew how many days it would have to dry before they could lay the thatch.
The old patriarch muttered incessantly beside them, “Ill omen, ill omen...”
“Something’s bound to happen,” he said.
Wu Ning inwardly scoffed. The old man was always spouting such nonsense—what could possibly go wrong?
On the other side, Aunt Wang, heavily pregnant, sat in Wu Ning’s veranda sewing a pair of tiny shoes, glancing at the sky...
“This rain is so thick it’s smoking... Thank goodness Master Xiao isn’t at the temple.”
Otherwise, who knew how many worshippers would have been caught in the wild by this downpour?
Thinking this, she continued sewing.
After a while, Aunt Wang looked up unintentionally and uttered a mild exclamation.
“Looks like there really are people stranded out there!”
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t the wild, but right in front of Wu Ning’s house...
At that moment, beneath the humble thatched gate, two young girls huddled together...
Rain ran down the thatch in streams, striking their foreheads pitifully...
“Oh dear!” Upon seeing them clearly, Aunt Wang hurriedly stood, opened her oil-paper umbrella, and went out to meet them: “Oh my, whose daughters are these, coming up the mountain at such a time?”
“Come, come, hurry inside and take shelter,” she said, revealing a villager’s hearty sincerity.
The two girls were mistress and servant...
Seeing the woman beckoning them from the courtyard, they hesitated...
The maid, with twin braids and a lively look, instinctively glanced at the sign by the door...
“Seeking Emerald Residence.”
She tugged her mistress’s sleeve, “Miss... The master forbade us from entering Seeking Emerald Residence.”
The other, a beauty of another order altogether, frowned tightly and fell silent...
She knew her father prohibited entry, though the reason was unclear; yet father always had his reasons...
But with rain so heavy... if they had anywhere else to go, they wouldn’t be sheltering under this eave in distress.
Still hesitant, the two were swept along by Aunt Wang’s enthusiasm, leaving no room for further thought.
She simply pulled them into the courtyard, “Come, come in quickly—such rain, you’ll fall ill otherwise!”
Though unwilling, the mistress and maid had little choice but to follow Aunt Wang to the veranda.
Under the veranda, Aunt Wang saw that the girls, though no longer out in the rain, were already drenched; their clothes clung to their bodies, water running in rivulets. In just moments, the dry ground beneath their feet had become soaked.
“What a pity! Master Xiao’s gone to town for a ritual,” Aunt Wang lamented. “What business do you girls have climbing the mountain in weather like this?”
Qin Miaoniang hugged her shoulders, shivering with cold, but managed to reply, “Madam, please understand... When we left the city, the weather was fair. Who could have guessed...”
Besides, they didn’t know Master Xiao was absent either.
“All right, all right...” Aunt Wang’s heart ached. The girl was about the same age as her own son—and she was carrying another child herself. Maternal instinct overwhelmed her...
“Wait here... I’ll fetch some towels for you...”
With that, she went inside and brought out two brand new dry towels.
“Quick, wipe yourselves off...”
But the girls were soaked through—how could a towel suffice? Holding the towels, she fretted, “What to do?”
Suddenly inspired...
“Follow me.”
She led them into the guest room, where Wu Ning had installed an open hearth—something he called a fireplace.
She tossed a heap of decorative firewood into it, lit the fire, and soon warmth radiated through the room.
Then Aunt Wang shut all the windows.
“Young ladies, hurry and dry your clothes by the fire, and wipe your bodies well.”
With that, she tactfully withdrew...
Qin Miaoniang looked around, astonished by the furnishings. Who would have thought such a rustic mountain inn could be so refined?
Her maid, Xianglan, watched Aunt Wang leave and close the door, then sidled up to Qin Miaoniang...
“This Seeking Emerald Residence... doesn’t seem as frightening as the master said.”
A hint of secret delight, “That madam is quite kind.”
“Don’t talk so much,” Qin Miaoniang chided, though she was deeply grateful to Aunt Wang.
She hugged her shoulders, unconsciously edging closer to the fireplace...
“So cold...”
Xianglan then remembered her duty, helping Qin Miaoniang remove her outer veil and hang it to dry, wiping the water from her mistress’s cheeks and forehead.
After wiping, she suggested, “Miss... Perhaps you should take off your dress as well...”
“It’s clinging to you, must be uncomfortable.”
...
Meanwhile, Wu Ning and his group had barely managed to rescue the beam from the downpour. Every one of them was thoroughly drenched!
The old patriarch looked at the sky, “Let’s call it a day—no telling how long this rain will last.”
“Go home, change into dry clothes, and rest well.”
“Right!”
The patriarch had spoken—who wouldn’t enjoy a day off?
Already soaked, Wu Li and Wu Qi didn’t bother waiting for the rain to stop, rushing off at once.
Wu Ning saw this and decided not to restrain himself, kicking Huzi, “Why aren’t you running? Last one home gets no dinner!”
“Huh? That’s not fair!”
So...
Huzi gave it his all—a big ball of flesh barreling through the rain...
Aunt Wang was ever careful. The guest room’s door latch had been broken yesterday when Wu Li and Wu Qi were roughhousing; Uncle Liu hadn’t had time to replace it after the house raising.
So she stood guard at the door, worried the rowdy boys might barge into the girls’ room...
After a while, she happened to notice a sieve of beans on the veranda steps...
She slapped her thigh, “Oh dear! My beans...”
She dashed toward her own courtyard, not even bothering with the umbrella.
She’d set out beans to dry that morning—now, drenched by rain, they’d surely sprout by tomorrow!
Wu Ning was merely teasing Huzi, deliberately entering the courtyard after him.
He caught only a glimpse of Wu Sanhu’s back—let alone Wu Li or Wu Qi.
Of course, those three must have rushed home to change.
Shaking off his own drenched robe, Wu Ning headed toward the guest room.
Huzi, Wu Li, and Wu Qi all crowded into his house, nearly driving him mad. Fortunately, with Master Xiao absent from the mountain, there really were no guests.
For once, Wu Ning could enjoy living in the guest room.
His clean clothes were all stored in the guest room cabinet...
He pushed the door open with a clear conscience...
Stepped inside.
Then...
Stopped abruptly.
His pupils dilated!
(Time freezes)
As a transmigrator, Wu Ning believed in any metaphysics, any science, any coincidence.
But at this moment, he had to thank Heaven for handing him just such a coincidence.
Because Qin Wenyuan, on a whim, let his daughter come ask for a divination...
Because Qin Miaoniang...
Just happened to climb the mountain during a heavy rain...
Just happened to shelter at his door...
Just happened to be seen by Aunt Wang.
Just happened to be dragged inside by the pregnant Aunt Wang’s surge of maternal instinct.
And just happened to have Wu Ning’s invention—a fireplace...
Which, just now, proved useful.
Meanwhile...
Uncle Liu’s house raising coincided with the downpour.
Wu Ning happened to be there...
Happened to get soaked through.
Master Xiao happened to be absent, so Wu Ning could stay in the guest room.
Aunt Wang happened to go collect her beans...
The door latch happened to be broken...
And just at that moment...
Wu Ning happened to witness, before the fireplace, the back of a young maiden clad only in a red silk vest...
Standing gracefully...
So enchanting, words could not describe.
Ah!
Life...
Needs a few coincidences.
“Ah!!”
Xianglan’s heart-rending scream made Wu Ning want to curse.
Couldn’t she wait a moment before screaming?
Let him gaze a little longer.
Didn’t she notice even his mind automatically censored the nude scene?
...