Quick Transmigration: Leisure

West of the city, Kaishan Hall.

"Sir! Oh, Master Fu! What brings you here? Please come in!" The youngest brother warmly invited Fu Miao'an into the shop, remembering that this was a distinguished guest who carried his aunt's wooden seal.

Where is your aunt?

"This..." The youngest son's expression fell, and he hesitated. "Auntie went to offer incense."

"What is it?" Fu Miao'an stepped inside. This was his first time here, and he could see that the decorations were well-thought-out, and the youngest son seemed quite at ease.

"No, Auntie has been a bit down lately... It's almost the fifteenth again." Yan Laoyao said, making tea for Fu Miao'an as she expressed her worries.

The 15th day of the seventh lunar month is the Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan Festival).

More than half a year has passed since the Zhao family massacre in Baizhao Village. During this time, Fu Miao'an has rarely seen the aunt and niece, and even when they do, they are always in a hurry and only greet each other from afar.

Although the case was put on hold for a month, the construction of his mansion continued in an orderly manner.

They even discovered new tricks, making the design even more detailed than the original blueprints, a testament to their dedication. Because Chi You had the structure in place from the beginning, even though she and Fu Miao'an rarely went to the site to oversee things, they weren't treated perfunctorily.

It is said that

Chi You also drew up construction plans for several places, and even without personally overseeing the work, the steward was still able to arrange things properly according to the plans.

Yes, some have progressed even faster and have already completed the roof.

but,

Fu Miao'an didn't come to see Xia Youmi for this matter. Various major cases were piling up at crucial moments, and minor cases were also coming one after another. He rarely had any free time. Even his normal days off and rest days were filled with things to do. Even if he was just having dinner with a friend, he could run into a murder case.

Therefore, he specifically asked his master to deliver the invitation through the ranks to the Prefect of Kaifeng, so that more people could be recruited to deal with it.

This month, we finally got the newcomers on the right track.

He was granted a half-month leave of absence, approved by the imperial court. Even the Kaifeng Prefecture did not keep him for a moment longer, and immediately ordered people to put down their cases so that he could focus on recovering his physical and mental health.

Later, Fu Miao'an learned where his elders had gone and what they had cried about.

They said that if things continued like this, the Fu family line would end, and their ancestors would come to them in a dream.

It was a minister who had a good relationship with the Fu family who facilitated his leave. He almost went on duty as usual the next day, but after realizing what was happening, he spent half the day at home reviewing files before going to the new residence in the south of the city to check on the progress.

After having dinner back, I did a set of boxing moves, and that was how I wasted the whole day.

On the second day,

Fu Miao'an was not at ease no matter what he did, so he picked up the matter that had been piling up before, which had been stalled due to insufficient evidence and required some non-official identities to investigate.

He made a list, some of which were related to Chi You, and others to Mi Ye and Pan Lan, but he didn't know that these were all identities that Xia Youmi had developed. However, based on his intuition and the principle of proximity, he planned to catch up with Master Chi You first. Moreover, there were too many mysteries surrounding this person, and he was also vaguely related to Fei Hua Pavilion.

Although on the surface they have the same relationship, both being hired to set the scenes.

But they had a past favor to do, hadn't they? Fu Miao'an hoped to get more specific information from Chi You about the circumstances under which the so-called favor of giving porridge was given.

"Did she mention when she would be back..." Fu Miao'an said helplessly. He knew that Chi You often stayed at the shop, sending out pictures one by one, and the restaurant's food was delivered to her again and again. The neighboring merchants also knew that this woman had a habit of practicing martial arts.

Although Yan Laoyao didn't say it out loud, his increasingly robust physique was undeniable, and it was clear that he had been training.

And all of this is a trace of Chi You's stable life here.

By chance,

When he got a vacation and wanted to find someone, he didn't stay in the shop.

“My lord, I didn’t know that.” Yan Laoyao replied earnestly, “Alas… to tell you the truth, mid-July is the anniversary of my aunt’s late husband’s death.”

"I see." Fu Miao'an's expression turned complicated.

"Auntie also said that dead ghost," Yan Laoyao said dramatically, "that dead ghost is crying and wailing in my dreams. Is Auntie going to be so happy in the mortal world that she doesn't want to go back to her hometown? Is she deliberately not thinking about him? Is she looking for a second spring? She said that some deity sent her enemy to the underworld and even went to the same celestial office to seek a job with him. This won't do. Please, Auntie, expose that person's evil deeds so that he can't compete with him!"

Fu Miao'an's already low spirits could no longer be maintained after this vivid description.

Can you do this?

Unable to defeat his enemy in the underworld, he asked his wife, who was still alive, to find a way to smear him.

"What a useless guy."

“You’re right, sir!” Old Master Yan agreed wholeheartedly. “I’ve also advised my aunt that there’s nothing to care about with that kind of person. He doesn’t understand the hardships my aunt has endured alone. It’s said that the young master died with his concubine. He’ll have a new wife to keep him company in the afterlife, but my aunt has to continue managing everything inside and outside the home.”

"Oh? You know that young man?" Fu Miao'an asked in return.

"No, no, I overheard my aunt whispering sadly!" Yan Laoyao quickly whispered to Fu Miao'an. "Please don't let my aunt know, sir. These are her deepest worries, which she has never told anyone. I only told you this secret because I felt sorry for my aunt. Please don't tell her!"

"clear."

Fu Miao'an briefly wandered around the Kaishan Hall before deciding to go find someone.

Do you know which temple you went to?

“This.” Yan Laoyao hesitated.

"I have something I want to talk to your aunt about, and I'd also like to ask her for some advice."

now,

In the eyes of the youngest son, Fu Miao'an appeared incredibly tall and imposing.

He stammered as he confessed, "It's Fayun Temple, south of the city."

"Thank you!"

Fu Miaoan glanced at the sky, filled the water bottle, mounted his horse, and set off. Before leaving, he looked back at Kaishan Hall and saw only the youngest son's envious and longing gaze.

The child is just a teenager; he's still a long way from being a young adult or even reaching adulthood.

These carefree and free days of doing whatever they want seem to have no end in sight.

But things are getting better. My elder brother's examination is just around the corner, and the old teacher thinks highly of him, saying it will be this year.

They were just an ordinary family with hope, and everything was related to their aunt.

Therefore, he knew very well what he should and shouldn't say.

Xia Youmi did indeed stay at Fayun Temple for a while. She had recently started to truly pray for blessings, although not for any dead lover—that was just a made-up excuse to fool children. But she had discovered interesting people there and was now immersed in the idyllic scenery.

Everything in Bianjing City was running smoothly.

Even if she quits right now and doesn't go back, she won't let anyone down.

Gradually, she began to live a life that she pleased.

Although Fayun Temple is not the famous Xiangguo Temple, nor is it a royal temple, it was built under the leadership of a princess and her husband, so it is quite friendly to female guests and has special areas for meditation and living.

The interior was clean, and there was no evidence of women and children being trafficked for a living.

After Xia Youmi conducted her inspection, she also contributed a large sum of money as a donation, and her treatment naturally improved accordingly.

While painting in her leisure time, she met the "Great Master Datong" of the temple. They chatted about karmic connections and the princess's merits. The abbot, who was nearly seventy years old, greatly appreciated Chi You's technique and became a regular visitor. (1)

However, people kept coming to ask the Zen master for advice, and Xia Youmi just listened quietly, bowing respectfully without disturbing him.

Because of this piety and her truly generous spending.

Xia Youmi is living here more comfortably than he would in Bianjing City.

When Fu Miao'an was led in by the young monk, he saw Xia Youmi in a leisurely and mysterious manner. Although he had asked for permission beforehand and knew that Fu Miao'an would be coming in soon, he did not sit up straight or compose himself.

Instead, they treated him like an old friend, not bothering with formalities.

The courtyard is filled with magnolias, pure white and flawless, just like the people among the flowers.

From the time she was notified that someone was looking for her to the time Fu Miao'an came in, a considerable amount of time had passed. Xia Youmi couldn't help but fall asleep amidst the warm courtyard and the fragrance of flowers, succumbing to midday drowsiness.

The custom-made wooden chair wobbles, and it's been wobbling for who knows how many years.

Fu Miao'an entered without breaking the silence, and the young monk tactfully withdrew.

He suddenly didn't want to talk about the case or the suspicions. There were some snacks and another cup of tea on the table, which Fu Miao'an knew were prepared for him. He sat down in the chair next to him, and gradually the fatigue of the journey overwhelmed him, and he drifted off to sleep.

The temple is quiet, with only the sound of bells echoing through the air.

But once you get used to it, it won't bother you anymore; it's as if your soul has been cleansed.

When Xia Youmi opened her eyes, she met Fu Miao'an's equally bewildered expression, as if she were in a dream.

"Chi You... Miss?"

"Pfft—" Xia Youmi chuckled. She'd never heard anyone address her like that before. They were always so polite, never speaking to her as an equal. This person must have been half asleep and hadn't seen her face clearly.

Or perhaps her eyesight was too good; she slightly adjusted the proportions of the disguise material, reducing its concentration. In reality, she did look younger, and the resemblance to Mi Ye wasn't deliberately concealed.

She wasn't afraid of being discovered, since this spot was inherently noticeable.

Aren't you sad?

Fu Miao'an's concern came at just the right time, freezing Xia Youmi's smile on her face, and she almost forgot the anniversary of her late husband's death.

She seemed taken aback by what she heard, but remained composed and natural.

"Haha!" Xia Youmi could only laugh more freely, since her good widow persona wasn't for Fu Miao'an's benefit; he must have noticed.

Tears welled up even amidst her laughter.

It's hard to tell whether it's concealing sadness, laughing through tears, or the lingering feeling of drowsiness.

but,

Fu Miao'an didn't delve into it. He watched silently, not even noticing that the corners of his mouth changed from drooping to upturned.

"Please have some tea! With such a beautiful view and fine tea, you mustn't say anything that would spoil the mood!"

“That makes sense.” Fu Miao’an stood up and took the tea, his worries disappearing as he swallowed it.