How can someone travel through time and space and become a beggar?

Xia Chu hadn't slept well in days, her dreams filled with the smell of blood. The tranquilizer she took had little effect. Jia Wanlin and the others didn't get out of the car, but they also looked much more haggard.

Mrs. Jia said she wanted to go to Baita Temple, so she set off early in the morning with the women in her family.

Baita Temple was where Jia Qingwu used to live after she fell ill. When she revisited the place this time, Jia Qingwu felt a little emotional.

The familiar monks were all surprised to see her again. Even the abbot looked at her twice, then clasped his hands together and chanted the Buddha's name.

Jia Qingwu returned the greeting, "Master Liaokong."

"It seems that Mr. Jia's mental illness has been cured." Lekong glanced at Xia Chu behind her and said, "Namo Amitabha, Mr. Jia's calamity is over."

"Thank you, Master, for taking me in earlier." Jia Qingwu said gratefully.

"You're welcome." Lekong shook his head. "I haven't been of much help. Judging from the expressions of these young donors, have they been frightened recently?"

"I encountered robbers a few days ago and haven't slept well for several days. Master, do you have any solution?" Jia Qingwu asked quickly.

"My junior brother is giving a lecture in the main hall today, you can go and listen. Does he still have the calming incense from before? You can light some before going to bed." Lekong said.

"I actually forgot about this, but there isn't much left. Could you please give me some more?"

"You guys go listen to the sutra first, I'll have someone bring some over later."

After bidding farewell to Master Kong, they went to the main hall. As the end of the year approached, many people came to pray to the gods and Buddhas, and the main hall was almost filled with believers.

A monk spotted Jia Qingwu and came over, gently inviting them over. He led them to a corner of the main hall, where all the monks from the temple stood up and made way for them without being told.

Xia Chu didn't believe in Buddhism very much. Chinese people always have a kind of crazy attitude that their destiny is in their own hands, which is more in line with the principles of Taoism.

Though she didn't believe it, she respected it. She knelt obediently on the mat, listening to the old monk chanting the sutra with a different rhythm. Whether it was the text or the chanting itself, her heart gradually calmed. Her mind went blank, and she actually began to feel sleepy.

When Xia Chu was woken up, she discovered that Jia Wanlin and Jia Wanqing had also fallen asleep leaning against their respective mothers. Although Madam Jia Er was very critical of her daughters, she still felt distressed when she saw that Jia Wanlin had lost weight due to poor sleep and poor eating in the past few days.

Today she fell asleep on him without saying anything. He just held her and let her sleep for a while.

Mrs. Jia asked her eldest daughter-in-law to add money for the incense offerings, and she took the others to the backyard. There was a spring in the backyard of the White Pagoda Temple, and many believers would bring containers up the mountain and take a jar of spring water back with them when they left.

This spring water is actually just ordinary mountain spring water, but after being touched by the monks and then falling into the temple, the spring water seems to have been stained with Buddha's nature, and has a bit of mystery. Anyway, the temple doesn't care, whoever wants to take it can take it, and it would be a waste if they don't take it.

Even someone like Mrs. Jia, although she didn't bring water back, would always drink a pot of tea made with this spring water every time she came. The nanny beside her brought tea sets and got busy as soon as she arrived in the backyard, fetching water, boiling it, and starting to make tea.

Xia Chu had just woken up and was still a little dazed. When Jia Qingwu took her to sit down, she sat there blankly. At the spring nearby, many people were queuing up to get water.

Sun Zhixia was in the water-collecting line, with her mother in front of her. Ever since Jia Qingwu's divorce, life at home had become increasingly difficult.

Sun Wujiu lost his job at the academy and was left with only the meager salary of a juren, barely enough to support his family. As a last resort, they moved back to their old house and prepared to sell the one near the academy.

The old house had been renovated by Sun Wujiu at his own expense, but it had never been actually lived in. Although it was a little smaller, it was still a new house.

Many people wanted to buy the old house. After all, Sun Wujiu passed the imperial examination in this house, and many people wanted to get a piece of his talent. However, Sun Wujiu's asking price was high, and the deal hadn't been finalized yet.

Qu Pingping had come to pay her respects at the end of the year, bringing her eldest daughter with her. She also wanted to take home two jugs of spring water. The Qu family had recently sent some money, hoping to coax Sun Wujiu into making Qu Pingping their wife. Sun Wujiu hadn't given any confirmation yet, but he had been quite happy to accept the money.

Sun Zhixia saw a group of people approaching, with a long line of maids and servants, clearly from a wealthy family. She looked over and saw Jia Qingwu, who looked familiar, but she didn't dare to recognize her. She tugged at her mother's sleeve in confusion, "Mom, look over there, is that the eldest lady?"

"Which Madam?" Qu Pingping looked over and saw the recovered Jia Qingwu. She was momentarily incredulous. But she quickly confirmed it was indeed Jia Qingwu. The old woman was clearly the Jia Old Madam. She had seen both the First and Second Madams of the Jia family. When she saw Xia Chushi, her eyes widened. Who was that? That couldn't be... "How is that possible?" she muttered.

"Mom, what did you say?" Sun Zhixia didn't hear clearly, "Is that the eldest lady?"

Qu Pingping was utterly panicked, her eyes fixed on Xia Chu. She looked so similar, it was definitely her… It had to be this. She'd seen all the other girls in the Jia family, but not this one. Yet, she looked so much like Jia Qingwu, it had to be her! She'd actually been found! But wasn't she dead?! How could this be possible? How could this be possible?

Xia Chu felt someone watching her, but when she looked over, she found it was a stranger. The moment the other person met her gaze, they turned away as if struck by lightning. They were clearly still waiting in line for water, but they turned and ran away, as if they had seen a ghost.

Who? Know me? Or, know Jia Qingwu?

Xia Chu wanted to ask Jia Qingwu to take a look, but the man had already run away.

strangeness.

But Xia Chu didn't think much of it, and turned back to find that the tea had already been brewed. Curls of hot steam drifted away, exuding the fragrance of tea.

"Tea brewed with spring water seems to be particularly fragrant." Mrs. Jia said with a smile.

"I think it's the fragrance of my mother's tea. I'll have to drink one more cup later and savor it." Mrs. Jia said jokingly.

Madam Jia was amused when she heard this and then said angrily, "You are the one who sent this tea, how could you be missing it?"

"That's different. I still smell the fragrance of tea in my mother's room." Madam Jia said deliberately, "Maybe it's my mother's blessing."

Mrs. Jia was so coaxed by her that she laughed, "Give her the whole pot and let her drink her fill."

Mrs. Jia Er also wanted to say something, but she was tongue-tied and could not speak as well as Mrs. Jia Da.

Everyone laughed along. Xia Chu didn't think this tea was any different from the one at home, but she wouldn't say anything to embarrass him. She just didn't expect her aunt to be so dignified in front of the younger generation, but act like a child in front of her grandmother. Her coaxing words were so coaxing that the old lady laughed non-stop.

At noon, they had a vegetarian meal at the White Pagoda Temple. They hadn't expected fresh vegetables to be available there even in winter. They said the monks grew them themselves, which seemed like a wealthy place. Growing vegetables required building greenhouses, which wasn't cheap. The charcoal needed alone was a hefty sum.

Although all the food was vegetarian, it tasted surprisingly good. Xia Chu ate very full and then went to various temples to pay respects and ask for amulets for good luck.