My Taoist nun girlfriend is from the Republic of China era, 1942.

Chapter 31 Family

After the meal, it was Fatty Wang who insisted on paying the bill.

He patted his chest, looking very generous, probably because his family gave him a lot of living expenses at the beginning of the school year.

As for asking Lu Yuan for money to eat in the cafeteria again half a month later, that's another matter.

Lu Yuan could also see that this meal was originally intended to set up Wang Pangzi and Huang Jingjing's best friend, but unexpectedly, everyone's attention was drawn to Chen Xiaomiao.

No wonder Huang Jingjing and her best friend had long faces the whole time, and their eyes looked like they were poisoned when they looked at Chen Xiaomiao.

On the drive back, Chen Xiaomiao leaned against the car window, watching the city lights rushing past outside, and suddenly asked softly, "Lu Yuan, how much longer do you have to stay at school?"

"About half a year."

Lu Yuan gripped the steering wheel, looking ahead: "I'll have to do an internship in the second half of the year, find a construction site to do mortar work and move bricks."

Chen Xiaomiao followed up by asking, "So after you finish your studies, shouldn't you get married? You're not getting any younger."

In rural North China during the Republican era, the average age for men to marry was around 15, and many even married as young as 12 or 13.

Therefore, in Chen Xiaomiao's deeply ingrained old-fashioned view, it was really unreasonable for Lu Yuan, who was almost 22 years old, not to have a wife.

"What are you talking about? Where am I supposed to find one? A wife isn't going to fall from the sky."

"Aren't your parents worried?"

My parents passed away four years ago.

"I...he..."

Chen Xiaomiao's expression froze instantly. She stammered, at a loss for what to do, wishing she could slap herself twice.

Lu Yuan didn't seem to care: "It's nothing, it's all in the past."

Chen Xiaomiao bit her lower lip and asked cautiously, "Do you still have any family members?"

"And your grandparents too." Lu Yuan tried to keep his tone light: "I'll take you to meet them sometime. They'll definitely like you."

Even so, the thought that Chen Xiaomiao was of the same generation as his grandparents, or even a generation older, made Lu Yuan feel strange.

Chen Xiaomiao gave a soft "hmm," lowered her head, and remained silent for a long time.

Lu Yuan noticed her low spirits and slowed down to ask, "What's wrong?"

Chen Xiaomiao's voice was muffled: "I suddenly wondered if there might be someone I know still alive."

"What?! Who are you referring to?!"

"Brother Little Tree, I guess."

"You're not kidding, are you?"

Whenever Chen Xiaomiao mentions her maternal grandfather, Lu Yuan's heart skips a beat.

Chen Xiaomiao rested her chin on her hand, her eyes glazed over: "I'm serious, if Brother Xiaoshu were alive, where would he be?"

Lu Yuan was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Chen Xiaoshu is already 106 years old this year, do you still think he's alive?"

"Brother Xiaoshu is exceptionally talented, and his skills in cultivating inner strength and self-discipline are also first-rate."

Chen Xiaomiao said confidently, "When Master was alive, he calculated that Chen Xiaoshu had a deep foundation and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, would live to be 120 years old."

A wave of shock washed over Lu Yuan.

What does it mean to live to be 120 years old?
In other words, my grandfather, who lived to be 106 years old before passing away, was still considered to have a "short lifespan"?
No wonder he could still outshine his mother at sixty, even with his own beauty...

Suddenly, Chen Xiaomiao seemed to realize something and stared at Lu Yuan with a suspicious look: "Wait a minute, how did you know that Brother Xiaoshu is 106 years old this year?"

Lu Yuan remained expressionless: "You told me yourself, what, have you forgotten?"

"Did I...did I mention that?"

Chen Xiaomiao tilted her head, trying hard to recall.

"They must have mentioned it, otherwise how would I know?" "Oh..."

Chen Xiaomiao scratched his head and didn't pursue the matter further.

I've been exposed to so many new things these past few days that my mind is already a jumbled mess, so it's normal that I can't remember everything.

Just as Chen Xiaomiao arrived at the entrance of the residential area, a notification popped up on her phone.

[Cainiao Station] Your package has arrived. Please use the pickup code XXXX to pick it up downstairs at Building XX.

"Lu Yuan, what does this mean?" Chen Xiaomiao asked, holding up her phone.

"Your master's memorial tablet has arrived."

Lu Yuan patiently began to teach Chen Xiaomiao how to read the pickup code, how to report the number at the station, and how to scan the code to pick up the goods.

After receiving the package, the two went to an unused storage room in the underground parking garage, tidied up the piles of clutter, and made room for a small space.

Chen Xiaomiao opened the package and took out the custom-made pear wood memorial tablet, bronze incense burner, a pair of candlesticks, and a pack of incense sticks.

After everything was arranged, Chen Xiaomiao lit three incense sticks and placed them in the incense burner.

Wisps of smoke rose, filling the dimly lit warehouse with a faint sandalwood scent.

Chen Xiaomiao took two steps back, straightened her clothes, knelt on the cold cement floor, clasped her hands in a gesture of respect, and prayed softly.

"Master, your disciple Chen Xiaomiao bows a hundred times in gratitude for your protection, the strong wind that shielded me, and the hidden tribulations that helped me cross the river."

I fell into a well in 1942 and have been living in a daze ever since, unaware of the passage of time.

I awoke from a dream to find myself in a peaceful and prosperous era eighty years in the future.

I was ignorant and foolish, but fortunately a kind person took me in and sheltered me, so that I had a place to stand and was spared the suffering of wandering.

We rely on their kindness for everything, from clothing and food to shelter and transportation, as if they were given a second life.

My beloved teacher has vanished without a trace, and I have lost all contact with my old friends.

As a disciple living alone in this strange world, I am constantly filled with fear and cannot sleep at night.

I only wish that the ancestral master's Taoist magic is boundless, and that my revered teacher in heaven will protect my heart and keep my Taoist heart burning forever.

In this humble abode, I temporarily enshrine the spirit tablet of my revered teacher. Though the incense offerings are meager, my heart is sincere.

I humbly beseech my revered teacher's spirit to not be far away, so that I may constantly receive his teachings.

May the Ancestral Master have mercy on me, grant me peace and good fortune, and help me find my way home soon.

If the opportunity arises in the future, I will surely rebuild the Taoist temple, recast the golden statues of the Three Pure Ones, and accumulate great merit to repay the grace of Heaven and my teacher!

After praying, Chen Xiaomiao respectfully kowtowed three times, making a soft sound.

After kowtowing, she didn't rush to get up. Instead, she took out three copper coins from her pocket and threw them on the ground, repeating this six times.

Lu Yuan looked closely and saw that the copper coin was inscribed with "Qianlong Tongbao". He guessed that it had come from the past with Chen Xiaomiao's tattered Taoist robe and was her most treasured possession.

What Chen Xiaomiao is doing is probably what is known as divination using the Six Lines method.

Lu Yuan was seeing it for the first time, and he found it novel and intriguing, but dared not say anything to disturb him.

After finishing the divination, Chen Xiaomiao breathed a long sigh of relief, stood up and rubbed her knees, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders.

The two left the warehouse and entered the elevator. Lu Yuan leaned forward and asked curiously, "Xiao Miao, what did you just calculate?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaomiao's face flushed slightly. She quickly glanced at Lu Yuan, then turned her head to look at the rising numbers on the elevator, and hummed softly twice.

Her tone carried a hint of pride, as well as a girl's shyness.

"I haven't figured it out yet... I'll tell you later."

(End of this chapter)