"Didn’t you see it?"
Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s words, the girl, who even ignored Zhang Chen patting her head, clung desperately to Zhang Chen’s leg. There was a hint of horror in her eyes, and her voice carried a slight sob.
Zhang Chen could tell she was thoroughly frightened.
"Did you wake up confused, not quite awake yet? You must have seen it wrong! We’re at a Daoist Temple here; what kind of evil spirit would dare to stir up trouble in a Daoist Temple?" Zhang Chen patted Xiaodouding’s head, looking at tearful Xiaodouding, he simply picked her up and gently patted her like coaxing a child.
"Really? Did I really see it wrong?" Xiaodouding, influenced by Zhang Chen’s words, started losing confidence and also felt she saw it wrong: "That’s true, if there really was an evil spirit, something would’ve happened already. There’s no reason I’d still be safe and sound."
As if giving herself a pep talk, Xiaodouding instantly regained her confidence and decided she saw it wrong. Energized by the regained courage, she glared angrily at Zhang Chen, felt Zhang Chen’s coaxing like handling a child, and said crossly, "Zhang Chen! Are you coaxing a child? I’m your senior! Do you understand I’m your senior?"
In Xiaodouding’s eyes was a hint of annoyance. She broke away from Zhang Chen’s embrace, feeling secretly ashamed in her heart, thinking: "How could I do that? Even if it was an evil spirit, I shouldn’t dive into my junior brother’s arms! It’s so embarrassing! Now the dignity of being a senior has completed vanished."
Zhang Chen glanced at Xiaodouding, smiled without commenting, and instead went over to the stove, turned up the flame, and continued to stew the bones inside.
The fragrance of the bone marrow slowly spread throughout the room. Xiaodouding leaned forward, her eyes fixed on the bones Zhang Chen was stewing, with a hint of desire, she licked her lips, "Where did you get such big bones?"
Zhang Chen chuckled, "They fell from the sky."
"I don’t believe you, did you steal them from the kitchen? I advise you to be honest. If the people in the kitchen catch you, they might beat you up until your bones break. Don’t blame me for not warning you when that happens." Xiaodouding said seriously.
Zhang Chen didn’t say much, just quietly manipulated the moisture in the air to form a thin membrane on the walls, sealing in the meat fragrance in the room to prevent it from leaking out and getting caught.
Soon the bones were stewed to softness. Xiaodouding rubbed her hands, took out her chopsticks to fish out a piece, and ate it eagerly, her mouth full of oil, her eyes squinting in happiness: "Since the drought, the mountain animals have migrated away. It’s been so long since I’ve had stewed meat."
Xiaodouding’s cheeks bulged as she ate. Zhang Chen also gnawed on the big bones. It’s been ages since he’s had meat as well.
With one pot of bones, the two ate every bit, even using the bone broth for noodles, which they slurped up eagerly.
"We don’t usually get to see any greasy foods, so why are there big bones in the kitchen today? Could it be that they are expecting some important guests?" Xiaodouding asked with a face full of doubt.
Not acknowledging her words, Zhang Chen turned his mind to thoughts of Qi Cultivation and Immortality. As for the Daoist Temple, he had no intention of staying long. Once Elder Wu left, he planned to find an opportunity to leave secretly and head to excavate the Empress Tomb.
"By the way, if I want to learn to read and write, what should I do? Is there a place in the Daoist Temple for that?" Zhang Chen asked.
Hearing this, Xiaodouding shook her head, "The Daoist Temple only teaches Martial Dao, not literacy."
Zhang Chen was a bit taken aback; if the Temple doesn’t teach literacy, how are scriptures recited?
So, he voiced his confusion.
"Of course, by memorizing, following and memorizing with everyone during the morning class, year after year. Even the ten thousand words of the Huangting Scripture would be memorized after repeated recitation," Chengyu replied matter-of-factly.
Hearing this, Zhang Chen was speechless, why was learning to read so difficult?
It was too difficult!
There were too few literate people.
After finishing the noodles, there was still an hour until the fifth watch, so they could rest for a while longer.
Chengyu wiped her mouth, brushed her teeth with green salt-fried aconite powder, and then dived into Zhang Chen’s bed, falling asleep immediately.
She was still just a child! At a time of growing bodies, children need development, they need sleep.
The green salt-fried aconite powder was great for cleaning teeth and strengthening the roots, no worse than toothpaste.
Occupying Zhang Chen’s bed, he had no way to continue communicating with the Fox Spirit nor did he wish to continue cultivating, so after tidying up all traces and handling the bones, he also went into bed, pulling Chengyu close like a daughter as they fell asleep.
The two slept late and when they woke up again, there was the sound of someone kicking the door. Before they could open their sleepy eyes, an old man wearing a dark robe rushed into the room with four disciples.
The elder’s robe had three embroidered wheat stalks, indicating he was an elder.
The Daoist robes of Huangli Temple indicate rank based on wheat stalks. One stalk for ordinary disciples, two for direct disciples, three for elders in charge of order and law enforcement, four for key figures in the temple’s various halls, and five for the Observatory Master.
The group kicked in the door and startled the two on the bed. The elder eyes didn’t suspect a thing, considering Chengyu’s young age.
However, when both Zhang Chen and Chengyu saw the bright daylight outside, their hearts sank, silently noting, "Oh no," they had overslept and missed the morning class.