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

Chapter 93 Miao Ethnic Saintess
The next day, as dawn broke.

Lu Yuan and Chen Xiaomiao got up early, had a simple bowl of local rice noodles downstairs at the hotel, and then drove to pick up the Sun sisters.

Sun Yao and the others waited at the door. When they saw Lu Yuan's car, they waved excitedly.

Sun Yu followed behind her, carrying a cloth bag in his hand, with a somewhat restrained smile on his face.

The four met up and headed straight for the border town.

Around 2008, tourism in the border town reached its peak, and it was incredibly popular.

Although its popularity has waned considerably, this small town in western Hunan was still bustling with people during the Spring Festival holiday.

The car was parked in the parking lot outside the city, and the four of them walked along the bluestone path.

The Tuojiang River flows gently with its emerald green waters. Rows of stilted houses, with their black tiles and wooden walls, stand at varying heights along the riverbank, exuding an antique charm and unique appeal.

Sun Yu, familiar with the place, acted as the guide.

"Sister-in-law, look, that's the Rainbow Bridge over there. It looks even better when it's lit up at night."

"There's a restaurant up ahead that serves Shefan (a type of rice dish) and fried small fish and shrimp. We can try it later; it's quite affordable!"

……

Chen Xiaomiao, who grew up in the mountains of the north, had never seen a water town in the south before. She looked around with great curiosity.

Suddenly, Chen Xiaomiao tugged at Lu Yuan's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Lu Yuan, why are all the houses here built on top of the water? Aren't you afraid they'll fall in?"

"This is called a stilted house, it's designed to keep out moisture and snakes and insects."

"Will it be sturdy?"

"Don't worry, some houses might even be older than you!"

"Oh……"

The two sisters were completely bewildered. Chen Xiaomiao looked to be only eighteen or nineteen years old. Wasn't it normal for the houses in Biancheng to be older than her?

"Sister-in-law, look, look!"

Sun Yao suddenly pointed to several girls dressed in Miao ethnic costumes not far away, her eyes full of excitement: "Sister-in-law, the outfit I wore yesterday was too ordinary, let's rent a nice one today!"

Sun Yu wanted to tell her sister to tone it down and not act wildly, but Lu Yuan spoke first.

"Go ahead, be careful, and don't squeeze with the crowd."

Sun Yao cheered and pulled Chen Xiaomiao into a small alley.

There are several clothing rental shops in the alley, each with a sign that reads "A century-old shop, inheriting the spirit of craftsmanship".

Sun Yao was wondering where to go when Sun Yu pointed and said, "Let's go to that place; their cooking is authentic."

Lu Yuan stepped forward and asked curiously, "I was just about to ask, Xiao Yu, are you very familiar with Biancheng?"

Sun Yao quickly answered, "My sister used to be a model and actress at the Biancheng Scenic Area."

Sun Yu nodded and smiled, offering no further explanation.

The shop owner was an elderly Miao woman, wearing reading glasses and doing needlework with her head down.

Seeing a guest enter, he merely lifted his eyelids and asked casually, "Rent or buy?"

Sun Yao whispered, "Grandma, let's rent it."

The old woman put down her work, her cloudy eyes swept over the two of them, paused for a moment, then got up and slowly walked into the inner room, carrying out a heavy wooden box.

Here, pick one.

As the lid was opened, a breathtaking indigo blue and dazzling silver light instantly captured everyone's attention.

It was an extremely elaborate and gorgeous Miao ethnic costume.

The fabric is hand-woven and dyed homespun cloth, embroidered with butterflies, phoenixes and pomegranate flowers in colorful silk threads, with incredibly fine stitches.

The most striking piece was the complete set of silver jewelry, from the crown, necklace, and collar to the bracelets and silver belt. Each piece was engraved with intricate patterns and shone with a warm and rich luster under the light.

"Grandma, how much does this cost?"

"Rent for one day, 800, deposit 5,000."

The old woman quoted the price.

"Eight hundred?!"

Sun Yao gasped in shock; the rent for those shops outside was only a little over a hundred yuan a day.

Lu Yuan stepped forward and weighed the silver necklace in his hand. Sure enough, you get what you pay for: "Okay, I'll take these sets."

"You two come in with me."

The old woman took the money, her face remaining expressionless, and casually gave instructions to the young woman beside her.

"Ah Ling, get ready to do the makeup on the two girls."

Chen Xiaomiao and Sun Yao followed the old woman into the inner changing room, while Lu Yuan and Sun Yu waited outside.

Half an hour later, Sun Yao had changed her clothes and put on makeup first, and happily twirled around in front of the mirror several times.

Another ten minutes or so passed, and the wooden door creaked again.

Lu Yuan heard the sound and subconsciously looked up.

The person who came out was Chen Xiaomiao, but it also seemed not to be.

She was dressed in a gorgeous gown, the layers of pleated skirt accentuating her slender waist.

The heavy silver ornaments weighed down her slender figure, but instead of appearing cumbersome, they created a dignified and mysterious beauty. Her originally plain face had been meticulously painted.

Her eyebrows are like distant mountains shrouded in mist, and her eyes are like autumn waters rippling across the surface.

Two upward-sloping lines were drawn at the outer corners of her eyes with vermilion paint, making her naturally alluring eyes even more captivating.

Her lips were adorned with a deep red lipstick, full and glossy, and a silver butterfly-shaped floral ornament was pasted on her forehead.

This outfit brought out her innate charm to the extreme, yet the heavy, elaborate clothing and silver ornaments added a touch of sacred and inviolable awe.

She didn't seem like an ordinary person, but rather like a Miao holy maiden who had stepped out of an ancient legend, about to preside over a sacrificial ceremony—beautiful, mysterious, and possessing a fatal attraction.

"elder brother?"

Sun Yao called out to Lu Yuan several times before he snapped out of his daze.

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he felt a dryness in his mouth.

Chen Xiaomiao was completely unaware of the visual impact she had created. She was making a face, carefully moving her feet, one hand holding the huge silver crown on her head, the other hand lifting the hem of her skirt, her face full of unease.

"Lu Yuan, this thing is so heavy..."

The moment she opened her mouth, her pure Yuzhou accent instantly shattered that sacred beauty.

"I feel like my neck is about to break, and I can't even walk properly."

"Pfft-"

Sun Yao was the first to laugh out loud: "Sister-in-law, you look so beautiful now. Even when you're not saying a word, you look like a fairy descended from heaven!"

"It's not bad."

Lu Yuan coughed lightly to cover up his momentary lapse in concentration.

Chen Xiaomiao wrinkled her nose and muttered softly, "Can't you say a few more words of praise? I was put in there by that old woman for ages just to wear this outfit, and I didn't dare to breathe too loudly."

Lu Yuan reached out to help her adjust her silver crown, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against her warm forehead: "Let's go, let's go for a walk."

Sun Yu immediately stopped her younger sister who wanted to follow, and said with a grin, "Brother, sister-in-law, I have a best friend in Biancheng who asked me to go see her. You two go ahead and explore!"

After saying that, without asking Sun Yao's opinion, he forcibly dragged her into the crowd.

In the blink of an eye, only Lu Yuan and Chen Xiaomiao remained by the river.

Where are they?

Chen Xiaomiao stood on tiptoe to look around.

"Let's go, let's explore on our own."

As Lu Yuan spoke, he led her toward the ferry crossing on the riverbank.

He rented a small awning boat. The boatman was a dark-skinned old man who didn't talk much. He poled the boat and let it drift leisurely on the blue waves.

The stilted houses on both sides of the river slowly receded into the distance.

Despite the cold winter, Chen Xiaomiao took off her shoes and carefully dipped her bare, tender little feet into the river, feeling the icy water.

"Your current outfit is exactly like the Miao holy maiden described in those storybooks."

Lu Yuan leaned against the ship's railing, watching her carefree appearance, and couldn't help but tease her.

"A saintess? What does a saintess do?"

Chen Xiaomiao fluttered her long eyelashes curiously, and water droplets dripped down her fair and delicate toes, spreading a small dark patch on the boat deck.

Lu Yuan explained, "You've been watching TV dramas for nothing? It's about the most powerful girl in the Miao village. She knows martial arts, poison, and even Gu poison. In the end, she'll definitely fall in love with the male lead."

"Using poison?" Chen Xiaomiao asked curiously, "Is it powerful?"

"Impressive! Once you've cast the spell, that person will have to listen to you!"

"Then I want to learn how to use Gu poison!"

"You're a Taoist disciple, practicing witchcraft and poison. Aren't you afraid the Three Pure Ones will come after you?"

"Don't worry, I'll just use a curse on the Japanese devils and make them fight each other!"

She waved her little fist and spoke with great seriousness.

The old boatman listened from the front, and couldn't help but grin.

Lu Yuan's heart skipped a beat. Looking at her small face, which was almost transparent in the sunlight, his throat tightened for no reason.

A river breeze swept by, lifting the silver tassels on her forehead, making them tinkle like a tapping sound on a man's heart.

He reached out and gently pinched Chen Xiaomiao's silver-adorned earlobe; beneath the cool touch lay soft, warm flesh.

"No need to learn anymore."

"What?"

Chen Xiaomiao tilted her head, puzzled and confused.

Lu Yuan stared at her, speaking each word clearly.

"Because you've already cast a spell on me..."

　I've recently exhausted all my spare energy trying to guarantee 10,000 updates a day.

　　There's still some stuff going on in the fan group this weekend; I'll try to find some time to get it done...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)