Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

Only after reciting the scriptures did the monk open his eyes and look at Liu and the others. Then he asked Liu...

"Does Madam wish to pray for the young master's safety and well-being?" The monk's words startled everyone present. They were all silent; how did the monk know that Madam Liu wanted to pray for her son's safety and well-being?

"Master, you are truly a prophet! I have come here to pray for my son's safety and well-being," Liu replied with delight, addressing the monk as "Master."

Not to mention Liu Shi, even Xia Yu looked at the skinny, unremarkable monk in front of her and thought he had the air of a reclusive high monk.

"Let's offer incense to the Bodhisattva first." As he spoke, the master handed Liu a stick of incense.

Then he took two more pillars and handed them to Xia Yu and Liu Xiaocui respectively.

"Why don't you two ladies also offer a prayer? The young lady is blessed with boundless good fortune. And this young lady, good things are about to happen, so she should cast aside her worries. Cause and effect are cyclical; there is no effect without a cause." The monk suddenly spoke these words to Xia Yu and Liu Xiaocui.

Hearing the monk's words, Liu was delighted and led her daughter and sister to offer incense and prayers before the seat of Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Xia Yu was very close to his mother and overheard Liu Shi muttering prayers: "May the family be safe and sound, may the elders be healthy, may Changyun pass the prefectural examination smoothly, may my daughter find a good husband, and may Xiaocui find a good husband." She kept muttering for a long time, praying for everyone in the family, but not for herself.

Xia Yu's aunt also had her eyes closed and her lips moving slightly, but her voice was too soft for Xia Yu to hear.

Finally, Xia Yu closed her eyes and wished that her family would be safe and healthy.

After respectfully placing the incense sticks into the incense burner, Liu took out one hundred taels of silver from the basket that Da Niu was carrying and placed it on top of the donation box. The opening was too small and the silver was too big to fit in.

When they returned to the old monk, he placed the amulet in Liu's hand.

One was also given to Xia Yu and one to Liu Xiaocui.

"Madam, the winter snow scene at Guanyin Temple is delightful. Why don't you take a stroll around the temple?"

After speaking, the monk closed his eyes again, looking profound and unfathomable.

"Thank you, Master." Madam Liu bowed her head to thank the master, then led her people out of the main hall.

"Sister, why hasn't sister-in-law arrived yet?" Liu Xiaocui asked Liu Shi after leaving the main hall.

"I don't know, let's just wander around for now. She said she would come today, has she already offered incense?" Madam Liu was also puzzled as to why no one was waiting for them here.

Just as the group was wondering which way to go, the young novice monk who had led them in ran out of the main hall. He said to Liu and the others...

"My master said I should take you to the small garden behind the temple. The red plum blossoms there are in full bloom and are very beautiful." After saying that, he took the initiative to lead the way.

Before they had gone far, they saw a group of people approaching. Xia Yu's eyesight was excellent, and she recognized them from a distance as the Hu family, the family whose engagement with her aunt had been broken off: Madam Hu, Young Master Hu, and a young lady.

Liu Shi and Liu Xiaocui were talking with their heads down, unaware of the person opposite them. Xia Yu wanted to remind her mother, but Liu Shi was holding her younger sister's hand and whispering something.

In a short while, they were even closer. Clearly, the other side had also seen them.

Xia Yu clearly saw Madam Hu pause for a moment, seemingly considering changing direction, but there really was no other way to go from where they were, unless they turned back.

However, Xia Yu and Madam Hu had just exchanged glances, and now even if she wanted to turn away, it was too late. Besides, Xia Yu was now a titled Lady of the Township, and she should go forward to pay her respects.

He turned around and whispered something to his son and the woman, then the group quickly walked towards Xia Yu and the others, their smiles already on their faces from a distance, though they were somewhat awkward, they were genuinely smiling.

"Lord Wenfu, Madam Zhang, I never expected to meet you here," Madam Hu greeted them with a smile.

Upon hearing the voice, Liu Shi and Liu Xiaocui finally raised their heads. The moment they saw who it was, Liu Xiaocui's face turned pale.

When they were about five steps away from Xia Yu and the others, Madam Hu, accompanied by the woman, bowed to Xia Yu.

"This humble woman has met Lord Wenfu."

Young Master Hu, having earned the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations), simply cupped his hands in greeting to Xia Yu.

Xia Yu accepted their greetings while standing, and then politely replied to them...

"Madam Hu, you are too polite."

Hearing the woman's unfamiliar address, Madam Hu felt a pang of sadness. But she also knew the relationship between the two families could never be the same again, and thinking of her own demanding mother-in-law, she couldn't suppress her anger and glared at the woman beside her.

Xia Yu felt disdain as she noticed Young Master Hu's eyes constantly glancing at her aunt. Seeing that Madam Hu seemed about to speak, she quickly spoke first.

"Madam Hu, are you here to offer incense today as well? Then please go quickly. We have an appointment and cannot accompany you for a chat. We can talk properly another day when we meet."

"But...I...okay." Xia Yu spoke quickly, giving Madam Hu no chance to reply. In the end, Madam Hu could only manage a dry "okay."

After they passed each other, Young Master Hu actually turned back to look at Liu Xiaocui. Seeing her son do this, Madam Hu couldn't help but pat him on the arm.

"Alright, stop looking, they've all gone far away!" I also felt sorry for my son's marriage.

Young Master Hu followed his mother somewhat forlornly. He wasn't actually that disgusted by her past; he felt he could accept it. However, his grandmother found out about it, ultimately leading to the annulment of their engagement.

The young lady standing next to the mother and son looked shrewd. Although Madam Hu and Young Master Hu didn't say anything, she guessed from their conversation who they had just met.

Liu Xiaocui's face, which had been smiling, turned deathly pale again when she encountered the Hu family.

"Oh my, eldest sister and second sister, you've finally arrived! We've been waiting for you for so long!" Suddenly, a woman's voice broke Liu Xiaocui's melancholy mood.

"Sister-in-law!" Liu called out happily to the person who had arrived. They had finally found her.

Tian Maisui, less than ten meters away, excitedly walked over. Behind her stood the Gao mother and son, who were stunned like statues.

"Aunt Gao, Brother Zhang, you've come too?" Liu asked, feigning surprise.

Tian Maisui took a few steps forward before realizing that the person behind her hadn't followed. She turned around and couldn't help but smile. She saw the mother and daughter standing there like wooden stakes, staring at the person opposite them.

"Aunt Gao, Brother Hao, what are you two doing? Don't you recognize her? Those are my eldest and second sisters!"

"Xiao Cui? That's Xiao Cui!" Gao suddenly became excited and couldn't help but ask loudly.

"Yes, that's right!" Tian Maisui nodded matter-of-factly.

"Didn't they say it was lost?" Gao couldn't help but ask.

“Hey, we found it a long time ago. I was staying at my younger sister’s house because I was angry with my stepmother-in-law. My father still doesn’t know about it!” Tian Maisui explained to Gao Shi in a low voice.

After hearing Tian Maisui's words, Gao didn't know whether to be angry or happy.

She was furious because Liu Jiaming knew the two children were engaged, and since they had been found, why didn't he say so sooner? She was also happy because her foolish son had finally found his wife. She no longer needed to worry about her husband's line dying out.

After a thousand thoughts swirling in her mind, Gao sighed silently, rushed forward, and embraced Liu Xiaocui, bursting into tears.

"Xiao Cui, you've made Hao'er and I search so hard!"