Xuan Ji lowered his gaze, said no more, and simply allowed Jue Ming to leave.
Jue Ming saw that his teacher was in a low mood, so he also tactfully retreated.
The incense in the room was fragrant, and there was a quiet tranquility.
Xuan Ji sat in the meditation room, his hand tightly gripping the paper that contained the child's name and the eight characters of their birth date, his mind brimming with thoughts.
He closed his eyes and pondered, and without realizing it, the scene from that night at Zhou Jia Zhuang appeared in his mind.
That night, when Zhou Jiazhuang was plagued by a scorpion demon, he went to exorcise the evil spirit at the request of the people. In the process of fighting, he accidentally fell prey to the scorpion demon's enchantment.
That night, the moonlight was bright, and she seemed like a fairy descended from heaven, her every frown and smile stirring his heart immensely.
With the added influence of the enchantment, as well as his deep-seated admiration for her, he ultimately couldn't resist, and did something wrong out of control.
The events of that night were like a dream, and upon waking, only endless emptiness remained.
"Could it be that since that night, she really has my child?"
Xuan Ji secretly thought in his heart, but then shook his head and smiled mockingly.
He well knew that as a Buddhist monk, he should cut off all attachments and love, how could he have such a luxury expectation?
Moreover, Yu Yao is a spider spirit transformed from a creature that has cultivated for a thousand years. Humans and demons have different paths, and it's even more inappropriate to be entangled with her.
However, the doubts and longings in his heart grew like wild grass, difficult to control.
The next morning, Xuan Ji donned his robe, holding a sutra in his hand, and entered the Great Hall of the Dharma.
The hall was filled with the smoke of incense, and he whispered softly, reciting the sutras, praying for the two children he had never met, and also wishing for the Buddha's blessings that he would soon transcend his attachments and attain enlightenment.
His voice was low and rich in resonance, every syllable infused with profound Buddhist energy, as if it could penetrate through the clouds and reach to the nine heavens above.
With the flow of the sutras, Xuan Ji's heart gradually became peaceful.
He began to reflect on his attachments, wondering if his unfulfilled love had led him off the path of cultivation.
He well knew that Buddhism emphasizes the law of cause and effect, everything has its predetermined number, and one cannot force it.
Several days later, Zhou Bo returned from Wanfo Temple.
He walked in and headed straight to the room where his wife was staying.
At this time, Yu Yao was leaning against the two cradles, alternately amusing the little Aan and Youyou in them.
These were the little names of the two children. Although their full names had been taken, she still liked to call them by their little names.
"Madam, I'm back."
Zhou Bo stood respectfully at the door, his voice breaking the tranquility inside the room.
She looked towards the door and saw Zhou Bo return, her smile was slight, "Come in, how did the trip to Wanfo Temple go?"
Zhou Bo stepped inside and looked down at the two little masters in the cradles, his eyes softening.
Only then did he slightly bow towards his wife and said respectfully, "Madam, as per your instructions, I have donated the materials and incense money to Wanfo Temple. The monks there will pray for the children's well-being."
"The monks at the temple all expressed gratitude, especially the young master Jue Ming, who personally received me and promised to recite sutras and pray for the two little masters."
Yu Yao nodded slightly, her mouth curving upwards, "That's good. May the Buddha protect my children and keep them safe and healthy."
She whispered softly, and then changed the subject, "Zhou Bo, have you heard any news about Xuan Ji, the Great Sage?"
Zhou Bo nodded, "The small master at the temple said that Xuan Ji, the Great Sage, has emerged from seclusion and is currently at the temple. I followed your instructions, Mr. Zhou, and did not visit him. I did not mention the two young masters either. I inquired about their situation and returned."
She felt a mix of emotions in her heart—on one hand, there was regret that Xuan Ji had not learned about the children's news, yet on the other hand, she did not want to disturb his cultivation.
This heart was truly contradictory.
No woman does not desire a family to be complete and have a father by her side. But Xuan Ji is different, he is a high Buddhist monk, destined not to be involved in secular affairs.
Well, let it all be as it may.
"That's good, Zhou Bo. You've worked hard, go and rest first."
Yu Yao whispered the order.
"Yes, the old servant will retire."
Zhou Bo nodded and was about to leave, but was called back by his wife.
"Wait a moment, Zhou Bo."
Zhou Bo stopped in his tracks, turned towards her, and asked in confusion, "May I know if there is anything else you would like me to do, Madam?"
She looked at Zhou Bo and thought for a moment before saying, "You have some time, go and find a good location for a store. It doesn't have to be too big. After I get the store, I will find someone to decorate it, and then I will hire some skilled women for embroidery work."
Although the money in her space is enough to last several lifetimes, from the perspective of outsiders, she has no income and is merely living off her savings.
Misfortunes multiply for a widowed woman's doorstep.
To avoid others gossiping behind her back, she still needs an income source.
Whether she can make money or not doesn't matter, as long as she can silence others' tongues.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Bo also smiled, "Madam is right. Although the late master left quite a bit of money for you, there will come a day when it runs out. I had wanted to talk to you about this matter before, but since you were pregnant and gave birth, I didn't dare bring it up."
Yu Yao smiled and felt more convinced that opening a store was the right decision. Even Zhou Bo thought so, let alone others.
"All right, then go and do it. If you need any money, just come to me directly."
"Yes, the old servant understands."
Zhou Bo bowed slightly, and then retreated again.
She gently rocked the cradles to lull Aan and Youyou to sleep, while her mind was busy calculating the details of the clothing store.
After experiencing so many realms, she had naturally seen quite a variety of clothing. There were many nice styles, but these would need to be made specifically and then the effect could be assessed.
That was the case with the women of Da Yu, where thinness was considered beautiful. Even the men had a preference for slender waistlines.
It seems the clothes will need to have more styles that accentuate the waist.
A few days later, Zhou Bo brought good news. He had successfully found a suitable store, located in the city east of Lianhua County. The store was in a prime location, in a bustling area.
Moreover, the previous owner needed money urgently and the price was relatively reasonable.
Yu Yao had already recovered from her postnatal period and her body was in excellent condition. Her skin was so soft that it could be pinched, and she looked as if she had never given birth.
She instructed Zhou Aunt to take care of Aan and Youyou, and then went to inspect the shop in the city east herself. It had two floors with a courtyard at the back, and it was located on the main street. Opposite to it was a Yunke Lai Grand Restaurant.
It was the most luxurious restaurant in Lianhua County and was surrounded by prosperous stores. The foot traffic was immense.
"It is indeed very good. With a bit of decoration, the store can be opened up."
She nodded in satisfaction and immediately purchased the store.
Later, she started preparing for the decoration.
She personally drew the design plan for the store, with a light southern style as the main theme, which not only conforms to the gentle temperament of the clothing store but also does not lose its taste.
Zhou Bo, following her instructions, brought in the most famous craft masters in the city. They paid attention to every brick, tile, piece of wood, and stone, striving for perfection.
Yu Yao is opening a store now, so she doesn't have the time to take care of the two children. Zhou Aunt also needs to buy groceries, do laundry, and cook meals, so she doesn't have the time.
She went to a tooth industry to buy a middle-aged woman who was good at cooking, had clean and quick hands, and was honest and trustworthy. From now on, she would be responsible for washing clothes and cooking meals.
As for Zhou Aunt, she would be in charge of taking care of Aan and Youyou.
Gou Dan is still young and has not been assigned any work. He reads books and writes characters every day.
Once Aan grows up, Gou Dan will be his page and will only follow Aan in the future.
With Zhou Aunt taking care of Aan and Youyou, Yu Yao has more time.
She designed a series of novel and unique clothing styles, all of which were styles that did not exist in this era.
But to cater to the preferences of women in this era, she made a slight modification to the waist area, making it more waist-accentuating.
Yu Yao also sent people to post signs all over the place, recruiting skilled embroiderers.
The minimum monthly salary for the embroiderers is 2 ounces of silver. Additionally, there is a commission, and each piece of clothing made can earn an extra 100 wen.
The compensation is quite generous.
It's worth noting that in this era, many men may not even earn 2 ounces of silver per month.
However, there are two requirements: firstly, the embroiderers' skills must be excellent, and their embroidery skills must be at least 25 years.
And proficiency in double-sided embroidery is a preference.
Secondly, people who are honest, hardworking, and have clean hearts are not allowed.
The announcement drew a crowd of applicants, and many skilled women who excelled in needlework came to see her.
But when they saw the requirements on the announcement, which asked for at least 25 years of embroidery skills, many women who wanted to make a living started to have second thoughts.
But they were attracted by the wages, so some couldn't help but ask, "Madam, although I may not have the required years of experience, my embroidery skills are quite good. Can I try it?"
