Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 183

This year’s rainfall is abundant, and the flavor of Cangzhou green tea seems even better. A tea merchant raises his cup and drinks it in one go, sighing contentedly.

“Yes, the more I drink this tea, the more it grows on me. Last year, I left only a little for myself when I bought it, and once I finished, I kept thinking about it. This year, no matter what, I have to save more,” another person says.

Such conversations are common. Regardless of whether they are sincere or not, it’s clear that Cangzhou green tea has garnered a large number of loyal fans, as evidenced by how many people come to Cangzhou to buy tea before the Qingming Festival.

From picking the tea leaves to frying and storing them, everything is handled by the local villagers. After planting more tea leaves last year, the tea mountain is contracted to the village, with the village chief distributing the work among the villagers. The cost of the contract is not fixed but is 30% of the local tea’s selling price. This means that when tea prices rise, the cost of the contract increases, and when the prices fall, the cost decreases accordingly. This shared risk between the government and the people gives them a sense of security, and they work harder because, unlike in the past, their personal interests are tied to it.

Besides tea, the iron ore business is also thriving. The iron ore is state-run, and most of the buyers are local governments from various regions. After all, the weapons allocated by the government are far from enough to meet actual demand, and iron items, due to long-term use, often rust and corrode, with many being discarded each year. For these reasons, local governments also have to buy additional iron products to meet their needs.

The iron products produced in Cangzhou are of high quality and relatively cheap compared to other places, making them the top choice for northern government officials.

Carts of iron goods are shipped out, and boxes of shiny silver are left behind. This silver, the bulk of which is sent to Liangjing every three months, with the remainder being collected as taxes by the Cangzhou government. After covering some expenses for the mining site, the rest is used for the construction of Cangzhou.

In just three short years, Cangzhou has made a remarkable leap. It has transformed from a poor, remote village known in the Daliang region into a prosperous place famous for its iron mines and northern tea fields.

As the top official of Cangzhou, Pei Che is naturally well-loved by the people. Wherever he goes, he is met with praise from the locals. The changes he brings here are so significant that when the officials from the Ministry of Personnel come to assess him, after much deliberation, they give him a high rating in the triennial exam. Such evaluations are rarely given even once a year, and receiving one greatly increases the chances of promotion

(Translator’s Notes: The “triennial exam” (三年一度的大考) refers to a formal evaluation or assessment that takes place once every three years.)

…

In the carriage, Jiang Miao looks out the window at the mountains gradually fading into the distance, unable to shake off a feeling of reluctance. After three years in Cangzhou, he has gotten used to the local customs, the climate, and the environment. If Pei Che hadn’t suddenly received a transfer order, he would be willing to stay here longer.

Hearing Jiang Miao’s sigh, and recalling the scene of the villagers bidding them farewell with reluctance, Pei Che also feels a sense of melancholy. This is the first place he has served as an official, and no matter how many places he might go to in the future, none will leave as deep an impression on him as Cangzhou has.

The two younger ones also seem a bit unhappy. Over the past three years, they have made many friends at the school, and now, they don’t know when they will meet again.

The atmosphere in the carriage is a little depressing for a while, with the only one unaware of it being the large black cat, Xiao Baidian. Over the years, it has attracted countless small female cats within a ten-mile radius of the Cangzhou government office, fathered many kittens, but when leaving, it shows no signs of attachment at all. Truly deserving of the title “scoundrel cat.” Now, it lies under the table and chairs, squinting its eyes and lazily meowing before drifting back to sleep.

The carriage rocks and sways for several days, and with it, everyone’s sorrow seems to gradually ease. They all hope to reach Liangjing as soon as possible, to escape the fatigue and hassle of travel.

…

“Brother Miao, how many more days until we’re back on the official road?” Pei Mu asks again, unable to stop glancing at Xiao Shitou, whose pale yellow face lies in the carriage.

“Not long now, just one or two more days,” Jiang Miao answers. He too is anxious, but there is nothing he can do to speed things up.

When they come here, they take the official roads, which are smooth and level, so Xiao Shitou doesn’t show any signs of motion sickness. This time, on their way back to the capital, they hear that a river has burst its banks ahead, causing a flood that submerges farmlands and homes. Naturally, the official road to Liangjing has been flooded as well.

They stay nearby for a few days, spending money to buy food and clothing to give to the survivors of the flood, and only leave when officials from the court arrive to take over the situation. They take a small, alternative route through the mountains to bypass the flooded area and continue on their journey to Liangjing.

However, this path is rough and steep, unlike the smooth official road. Sometimes, they even have to get off and push the carriage to get through. After a while, Xiao Shitou begins to feel motion sickness, throwing up and feeling dizzy. Even when they stop, he can’t eat much, and his body looks weak.

Jiang Miao can only hope they reach the official road soon, but as if things aren’t bad enough, it begins to rain heavily. The sky darkens suddenly, and by noon, it feels as if it is already evening, causing a sense of unease in everyone.

Their carriage isn’t too affected by the light rain, but the mountain rain hasn’t come down yet, and it is clear that a storm is brewing. There is a sick person in the carriage, and getting soaked in the rain would make things worse. It seems they need to find a place to shelter from the rain.

The guard on horseback goes ahead to scout the way and quickly returns. His face shows surprise as he says, “There’s a small path leading up the mountain two miles ahead. On the mountain, there’s a temple where we should be able to take shelter from the storm.”

Pei Che nods. “Then let’s head there.”

The two-mile journey is short, and the mountain path isn’t narrow, so the carriage moves along smoothly. After traveling a bit more, the sky grows darker, and the air becomes very damp, indicating that the rain will soon come pouring down. Jiang Miao, feeling anxious, lifts the curtain of the carriage. His heart settles when he sees that the temple is just a few dozen meters ahead.

When they reach the temple gate, a guard steps forward and knocks on the door. After just two or three knocks, a voice comes from inside: “Coming, coming!”

A young monk about fourteen or fifteen years old opens the gate and stares at them in confusion. “Are you here to offer incense, honored guests?”

Jiang Miao replies, “Little monk, we are travelers. We see that a heavy rain is about to fall, and one of our children is ill. We were hoping to take shelter here. Would it be possible for us to enter?”

The young monk looks up at the sky, then at the listless Xiao Shitou. He hesitates for a moment. Suddenly, a flash of lightning streaks across the sky, followed by a loud crash of thunder, startling everyone. The young novice no longer hesitates and immediately says, “Quick, come in!”

The group follows him inside, and just as they reach the eaves of the temple, the heavy rain that has been building up finally comes pouring down, with large raindrops falling like rolling beads. In an instant, they would have been soaked through.

The rain pours down heavily, and everyone watches as the rain blurs everything, feeling nothing but relief.

“Thank you, little monk, for allowing us to take shelter. May I ask your Dharma name?” Jiang Miao asks.

The little monk says, “My Dharma name is Yuanxin.”

“Master Yuanxin, you’ve probably lived here for quite a while. Do you know when this rain will stop?” In Jiang Miao’s experience, summer rains usually come quickly and leave just as fast, but this mountain rain has been falling for quite some time, and the sky still looks dark.

“From the looks of it, this rain won’t stop anytime soon,” Yuanxin says, glancing at the sky with a furrowed brow. “Please wait here for a moment while I ask the abbot if we can accommodate you for the night. If not, once the rain lightens, you’ll need to leave.”

Jiang Miao expresses his gratitude, “Thank you, little monk. We appreciate it.”

The little monk bows and then walks inside. Xiao Shitou looks at his back and quietly asks, “Brother, do you think they will let us rest here?” He has suffered a lot on this journey, and just seeing the carriage makes him anxious. Moreover, there are few people along this road, and they can only rest on the mountain at night. It is a rare chance to sleep in a bed, and he doesn’t want to get back on the carriage.

Jiang Miao understands his thoughts. He pats Xiao Shitou’s head and says, “This little monk has a kind heart, and the abbot should be compassionate too. With such heavy rain, traveling could be dangerous. They’ll probably agree to let us stay.”

Xiao Shitou mumbles an “mm” sound, leaning against Jiang Miao’s side without speaking. He hasn’t been feeling well lately and has become more clingy than usual. Pei Mu leans against the other side of Jiang Miao, holding Xiao Shitou’s hand, his lips tightly pressed together, eyes full of worry. He doesn’t want to continue traveling either; every time they travel, Xiao Shitou gets sick.

Fortunately, the abbot of the temple is as compassionate as Jiang Miao has said. Upon hearing that they have been stranded by the mountain rain, not only does the young novice go to prepare a guest room for them, but they also bring several tables of vegetarian food.

After eating, Jiang Miao fetches some water and helps the two children wipe off. They have been traveling all day, and the carriage is cramped; even the adults feel uncomfortable, let alone the children.

The two children fall asleep not long after lying down, and Little White Spot curls up beside their pillows and falls asleep as well.

Jiang Miao fetches more water and calls over Pei Che, who has been silent since they entered the temple, to clean up. Pei Che nods and silently takes the basin, placing it aside and begins wiping his face without speaking.

Jiang Miao feels something is off and notices that Pei Che seems distracted, looking like his mind isn’t in the present moment. He wonders what Pei Che could be thinking.

“What’s wrong with you? You’ve been acting off since we came in. Are you feeling sick?” Jiang Miao says, reaching his hand to Pei Che’s forehead to check if he is unwell.

Pei Che grabs his hand, gently tugs at the corner of his mouth, and forces a smile. “I’m fine. You go ahead and sleep.”

Jiang Miao raises an eyebrow. “What are you doing? It’s obvious something’s wrong with you. How am I supposed to sleep? I suggest you tell me now, or you’ll end up making me stay awake all night too.”

Pei Che sighs helplessly, knowing Jiang Miao is right. He pulls Jiang Miao to lie down with him and then turns to face him. “Did you notice the plaque on the temple gate when you came in?”

Jiang Miao shakes his head. “I was in a hurry to get out of the rain. Who had the time to look? What’s the name of the temple?”

“Tzu Chi Temple.”

(Transator’s Notes: “Tzu Chi” (慈济) is a Chinese term meaning “Compassionate Relief” or “Compassionate Aid.” It combines two characters: 慈 (Tzu), meaning compassion or kindness, and 济 (Chi), meaning to help or assist.)

“The abbot here is compassionate and kind-hearted, helping all living beings, so the name fits. Is there something wrong with the name?”

Pei Che says, “I’ve told you about my parents before, do you remember? The temple they wished to rebuild was called Tzu Chi Temple.”

“What?” Jiang Miao sits up abruptly. “Are you saying this is the temple they rebuilt back then?”

“There are countless places in the world with the same name, and temples are no different, so I’m not sure,” Pei Che sighs again. Even if it were the same name, it still makes him feel a sense of melancholy.

“Did they never tell you the exact location?” Jiang Miao looks confused, unsure of what this means.

“My grandmother dismisses the guards at the time and issues a gag order to everyone in the household, forbidding anyone from disclosing anything about it. I’ve asked around for a long time, but couldn’t find out. She believes it’s an unlucky place and is afraid that I might secretly go there to offer prayers, ultimately meeting an unfortunate end. Even this Tzu Chi Temple, I only hear about it from my grandmother when she accidentally mentions it.”

“No wonder you visit all the temples in Cangzhou, I thought it was because you were devoted to Buddhism, but it turns out you were looking for Tzu Chi Temple?”

“I don’t specifically seek it out, but I always hold onto a bit of hope. I never expect that fate would guide me here just by seeking shelter from the rain. I just don’t know if this Tzu Chi Temple is the one…”

“That’s easy enough,” Jiang Miao says, “We can just ask the abbot here tomorrow. They were the ones who donated to rebuild it, so there’s no reason the abbot wouldn’t remember, right?”

“Hmm! I’ll ask tomorrow morning. If this is really… I’ll go see it myself…” Pei Che’s throat tightens, and the words he wants to say get stuck.

“I’ll go with you,” Jiang Miao takes Pei Che’s hand, hoping to give him strength to face the painful past he is unwilling to remember.