How to become a Taoist priest starting from a brothel

Luanqin arrived at the Liu residence with a mix of trepidation and hope. Aunt Qian, along with Mei Wu and Zhu Mei, were already waiting at the entrance. Upon seeing the two return, they greeted them with smiles, saying, "Miss, the room is ready. Mei Wu and Zhu Mei, please help carry Luanqin inside." She then looked at Luanqin and said, "Welcome home."

Looking at their smiles, Luanqin felt their kindness and her initial anxiety subsided. With tears in her eyes, she glanced at Liu Yin, who was giving her encouragement, nodded to everyone, and smiled, saying, "Yes, I'm going home."

As the sun set, the evening glow shone on the still somewhat old Liu residence, and on the smiling faces of Aunt Qian and the others, as if draping them in a golden veil. Luanqin saw this and secretly vowed to repay this kindness with her life.

Liu Yin, of course, was unaware of her thoughts. She settled her in the room where Zhu Mei was currently staying. The room was not very large, and two small private spaces were separated by curtains. Her small space was extremely clean, and all the bedding and furniture were brand new. The arrangement was also very much in line with the habits she had developed in Qingyin Hall. This thoughtfulness moved her even more.

Seeing her like that, Liu Yin quickly comforted her, "Alright, you've experienced such extreme joy and sorrow today, and you've been jostled all the way. Get some rest. We can talk about it tomorrow." Without waiting for her to stay, she patted her bedding, turned around and told Zhu Mei to take good care of herself tonight, and also told Zhu Mei not to take shifts tomorrow, so she could also get a good rest before leaving.

As soon as Liu Yin left, Zhu Mei went to the table and poured Luan Qin a cup of water. She even tested the temperature with her hand before helping her up and feeding her: "I see your lips are very dry. Are you thirsty? Drink up."

After a long day, she had no appetite for water and was naturally very thirsty. She drank three or four cups before signaling to Zhu Mei. Zhu Mei gently put her down and adjusted her pillow to make her more comfortable. Then she said, "You go to sleep first. I'll sit by the door. If you need anything, just call me and I'll hear you."

Luanqin smiled and agreed, then closed her eyes to rest. Seeing this, Zhumei gently moved an embroidery stool, picked up a piece of clothing that was being mended, and went to the door to do needlework in the sun.

Around noon, she went to the kitchen and brought out meals for both of them. She placed Luanqin's portion by her bedside, planning to wait for it to cool down before waking her. She quickly finished her own meal, touched Luanqin's bowl of porridge, and only gently woke her when she felt the temperature was about right.

Luanqin had slept soundly, and was still a little sleepy when she was woken up. She only came to her senses after Zhumei helped her up. She finished the bowl of porridge from Zhumei's hand, then, as if remembering something, stopped Zhumei from leaving, hesitatingly asking, "I don't know how to address this Miss Zhumei?" Then, as if worried that Zhumei might misunderstand, she quickly explained, "I mean, I don't know whether to call her 'elder sister' or..."

"Just call me sister. I heard from you that you're sixteen this year and I'm seventeen, so I'm exactly one year older than you." Zhu Mei smiled and agreed, about to take the things out. But when she reached the door, she thought she might as well take this opportunity to introduce the people in the mansion and said, "The one who greeted you at the door today is Aunt Qian, an old servant of the madam. You can call her Aunt Qian too. The other young one is Mei Wu, a martial arts practitioner. The family has hired a martial arts instructor for her. She doesn't usually serve in the mansion, but if you go out, you'll ask her to come along. And there's someone you haven't seen today, named Lan Yan. She's the same age as you, born in August. I wonder what month you were born in?"

“I was born in July, on the day of the Qixi Festival…” Luanqin said carefully, mentally matching the person she was talking about with the person in her mind.

“You’re a bit older than her. Lan Yan is very skillful and usually does hairdressing and makes delicate things for the young lady. She’s always been lively, and if she knew a new sister had come to the house, she’d probably keep you company for a long time. It’s just a pity that she learned a new skill the other day and is currently in seclusion to practice it. The young lady told us that she has a rare talent and that we shouldn’t disturb her for now. But you might see her tomorrow.” Seeing Luan Qin’s serious yet slightly doubtful expression, she understood and explained with a smile, “Our house is different from other places. The lady and young lady treat us very well. If you have any skills you want to learn, you can tell the lady and young lady. You don’t need to be too reserved. The lady and young lady don’t like that kind of behavior.”

Luanqin nodded seriously before continuing, "I... I don't seem to have anything I can do in my current state..."

Seeing her troubled expression, Zhu Mei quickly comforted her, "Who said that? The young lady said that everyone has their own talents and uses. You must have your own advantages, you just haven't found them yet. There's no rush."

Despite her words of comfort, Luanqin was still somewhat worried. Seeing this, Zhumei recounted their encounter with Liuyin in detail before continuing, "If it weren't for you, Miss, I would have been sent to a brothel by slave traders long ago, and Meiwu would just be another corpse in the mass grave. You saved us and taught us skills and knowledge, which is why we are where we are today. So Luanqin, don't think about anything or ask anything. Just take good care of yourself. Think about other things after you've recovered."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Luanqin with eyes full of comfort. Luanqin finally felt relieved and nodded slightly. She finally felt the drowsiness in her body and fell asleep in a short while.

She spent the next few days sleeping and eating. She also met Lan Yan, who was lively and the two quickly became friends. When she had nothing to do, Lan Yan would come over to chat with her. If Zhu Mei was busy, she would bring her work and do it while watching over her. This rare peaceful period almost erased all the wounds in her heart, but her body still told her what a nightmare she had experienced.

While Luanqin was still recovering from her injuries, Liu Yin didn't have much free time either. The morning after she took Luanqin away, there was a knock on the courtyard gate. Aunt Qian led the person in, and she realized that the person was Aunt Zhou, who was by Xu Mama's side. She didn't say why, but only said that Xu Mama hoped that Liu Yin would definitely come today. Liu Yin ignored this and only said that she was busy taking care of Luanqin's injuries and didn't have time recently.

For several days in a row, Liu Yin did not accept the appointment. Xu Mama knew that Liu Yin was holding a grudge because of the day she killed her. Thinking of the current state of Qingyin Hall, she had no choice but to come to her door in person. However, she was proud of her status and did not go directly to Liu Yin. Instead, she went to Madam Liu to plead for her. Liu Yin had long known that she would do this. On the day she brought Luanqin, she had explained everything to Madam Liu. Madam Liu was also very angry after hearing this. Therefore, she did not mind at all that Liu Yin had been impolite to Xu Mama's people these days. On the contrary, she applauded it. Now that Xu Mama had come to her door, she naturally had to stand up for her daughter.