The spring breeze gently caresses, willow branches dance lightly. After Xuanyi left, Yu Yao's life has not changed much, everything remains the same.
An an and you you are taken care of by Zhou a every day. She goes to 'Yuhua Fang' to work every day.
At first, 'Yao Hua Fang' was just an unassuming small shop, but thanks to its innovative and unique styles, it gradually gained a reputation within the county.
The business is booming every day, with customers streaming in, and orders are stacked up for several months.
Even the county magistrate's wife and some influential noblewomen liked to have dresses custom-made at 'Yao Hua Fang'.
Gradually, the fame of 'Yao Hua Fang' spread like the spring breeze, reaching all around the surrounding areas of Liuhua County.
Yu Yao was so busy every day that her feet barely touched the ground. Sometimes she couldn't even take a sip of water, often eating lunch at the shop, too busy to go back, let alone see An An and You You.
Feeling too exhausted, she wanted to hire an experienced female manager to replace her at the store.
In this way, she would have more time to accompany An An and You You, or do other things.
The new female manager, named Liu Yun, was dressed in a subdued, simple outfit. Her bun was high and her eyes carried a serene and composed air after weathering the trials of life.
She used to be the manager of a well-known tailor shop in the capital city.
Due to a sudden family emergency, she had no choice but to leave the capital city and traveled all the way here to Liuhua County.
"Mrs. Liu, this Yao Hua Fang will depend on you for a while."
Yu Yao smiled as she personally led Liu Yun to inspect the store, introducing each popular style in detail, as well as the situation of the female artisans in the backyard and the inventory levels in the warehouse.
As she listened, Liu Yun carefully observed the layout of the store and the flow of customers, feeling secretly surprised in her heart.
She didn't expect that the small Liuhua County would have a customer flow that didn't lag behind what she experienced in the capital.
Moreover, the clothing styles in the store were innovative and unique, something she had never seen before. No wonder the business was so flourishing.
She secretly pondered, if she managed things well, maybe she would have a chance to return to the capital city.
"Madam, please rest assured that I will do my utmost and live up to your expectations."
Liu Yun tucked away the thoughts in her eyes and looked at her, speaking seriously.
Yu Yao hooked a smile and said, "I have confidence in Mrs. Liu's ability."
In the afternoon, the store was somewhat idle, so she invited Liu Yun to take a rest in the backyard. The two of them sat by the stone table, sipping on clear tea and chatting about various topics.
"Mrs. Liu, I observe that you have extraordinary bearing. I'm sure you have accomplished something remarkable in Beijing as well."
She gently opened her red lips and her words carried a hint of curiosity.
His intuition told him that Liu Yun was a woman with a story.
Liu Yun smiled slightly, and a trace of an indiscernible sorrow flashed in her eyes. "Yes, it is indeed so. However, life is unpredictable. My family suddenly encountered a setback, so I had no choice but to leave Beijing and come to this Liuhua County to seek livelihood."
She paused for a moment and continued, "However, being able to meet you here is also my fortune. I have heard of the fame of 'Yao Hua Fang' and seeing it today confirms that it lives up to its reputation."
Yu Yao hooked her mouth, smoothing a strand of hair from her temple, "You overpraise me, Mrs. Liu. It's all because of the innovative and unique styles that we've made it this far. From now on, we'll need you to manage things."
"Thank you, Mrs. Yu, I will do my best."
Liu Yun slightly bowed and said respectfully.
Yu Yao pulled her up, and they looked at each other and smiled. They had grown closer, with more mutual understanding and trust between them.
The spring sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves, casting a patchwork of light on the stone table, warm and bright.
From then on, Liu Yun officially took over the daily operation of 'Yao Hua Fang' and managed the store in an organized manner.
She not only retained the original innovative design, but also introduced the latest trends from Beijing, making 'Yao Hua Fang' even more famous. Even customers from afar came in their droves.
Yu Yao now had more time to spend with An An and You You, and when she had the time, she would delve into studying new design styles, then send them to the store for Liu Yun.
In addition to clothing styles, she also designed a few bag designs and sent them over together.
Liu Yun, upon seeing the new clothing styles and bags that had never been seen before, her eyes sparkled with interest after understanding their functions.
She found the bags both beautiful and convenient, and immediately gave the drawings to the female artisans in the backyard, ordering them to make them as soon as possible and hang them for sale in the store.
The bags were soon completed, with their exquisite craftsmanship and unique designs becoming the new fashion in Liuhua County.
Women flocked to Yao Hua Fang just to catch a glimpse of these unique bags.
Whether walking through the streets and alleys or attending various gatherings, people could always see someone carrying a bag from Yao Hua Fang, making a striking sight.
Seeing this, other silk brocade shops began to imitate Yao Hua Fang and launch their own bags.
Soon, there were many imitation products on the streets.
Upon seeing these imitations, Liu Yun was very angry. She felt that these were severely affecting the interests of Yao Hua Fang.
"Madam, these people are too shameless. They copied your bags without any regard for Yao Hua Fang's interests."
Liu Yun, despite her composed demeanor, couldn't help but complain to Yu Yao upon seeing this situation.
Yu Yao, however, seemed relatively calm and had anticipated such a situation early on.
She smiled slightly and said, "Mrs. Liu, don't get too angry. Our designs are unique. The imitations can only copy the form, but not the spirit. As long as we continue to innovate and improve the quality, customers will naturally be able to distinguish between the true and false products and choose ours."
Liu Yun calmed down a bit after hearing what she said, but she still felt very angry upon seeing the imitations on the streets.
She muttered curses in the store for several days in secret, and Yu Yao watched her without caring, just smiling offhandedly and not minding at all.
Every day was just as it should be, carefree and comfortable.
Many imitation products appeared on the streets, which did indeed take away some of the business.
But those who liked Yao Hua Fang were still willing to buy here, and after all, Yao Hua Fang made the most unique and exquisite bags and styles, which didn't affect their business much.
Every day brought in a large amount of money, with profits increasing rapidly.
Yu Yao counted money so much that her hands ached. She couldn't be happier.
Meanwhile, after several days of traveling, Xuanyi finally arrived at the Wanfo Temple.
The bell rang in the distance, clear and melodious, as if it could wash away all the dust in the world.
Xuanyi stepped through the temple gate, and the familiar scent of sandalwood enveloped him, slightly calming his mood.
He skillfully navigated through the corridors, heading straight for the abbot's meditation room.
The abbot's meditation room was located at the deepest part of the temple, surrounded by silence, with only occasional chants from time to time, adding to the solemnity.
He passed through a series of ancient halls, finally stopping in front of the abbot's meditation room.
Inside the meditation room, wisps of incense were billowing up, and the abbot was closed-minded in meditation, as if completely isolated from the world.
Xuanyi gently knocked on the door, receiving permission, and respectfully entered the room, kneeling on both knees and bowing.
"Teacher, the disciple has a matter to inquire about, and I hope Teacher will enlighten the disciple."
The abbot slowly opened his eyes, his eyes that had been through hardships and tribulations seemed to be able to see into one's heart. He smiled kindly and indicated for Xuanyi to stand up and speak.
"Xuanyi, you grew up in the temple since you were young, with a pure heart and advanced Buddhist teachings. Whatever you ask today must be something that is difficult for you to let go. But it's okay to speak."
Xuanyi looked up at his teacher and recounted everything that Yu Yao had told him, including the plight of the Empress Dowager Min, Yunyan's helplessness, and his own near-fatal abandonment.
After listening, the abbot's face did not change, and he said, "Xuanyi, you must know that our Wanfo Temple has always kept itself separate from the world, pursuing deeper Buddhist teachings and guiding all beings. Your background may be important to you, but it is just a passing cloud in the Buddhist world."
Xuanyi understood the deep meaning behind his master's words, "I understand, but……"
He paused, hesitated, and finally voiced his question, "Teacher, have you ever heard of the palace maid Yunyan? Or do you know where she went after that?"
The abbot gently shook his head and sighed, "I haven't heard of the name Yunyan. But when I found you at the temple gate, there was indeed a dragon-etched jade pendant in your swaddling clothes. That jade pendant was not ordinary and should have been something from the palace. Therefore, I suspect that you might indeed have some connection to the royal family."
"Dragon pattern jade pendant?"
Xuanyi heard this and felt a mix of emotions in his heart, both shocked and confused.
He had never imagined that he would have items related to the royal family, nor had he expected his background to be so complicated.
"Yes, the jade pendant has been kept by the teacher for you. I had planned to return it to you when you came of age, perhaps it could help you uncover the mystery of your background. Since you asked today, the teacher will fetch it for you to see."
The abbot said, standing up and walking to the side of the wooden cabinet, took out a delicate jade box, opened it gently, and inside was a dragon pattern jade pendant wrapped in yellow silk.
Xuanyi trembled slightly as he took it, slowly unrolled the yellow silk, and a carved dragon pattern jade pendant came into view.
The dragon on it was so lifelike that it seemed to be ready to take to the sky at any moment, soaring towards the clouds.
He gently touched the jade pendant, feeling a mix of emotions in his heart.
Looking at the dragon pattern on the jade pendant, he seemed to be able to see through it and see the forgotten history, seeing his unmet relatives.
"Thank you, Teacher, for telling me the truth. I will remember it in my heart. As for the mystery of my background, I will find the answers myself."
Xuanyi kept the jade pendant close to his body, bowing again to thank the abbot.
"Go ahead."
The abbot nodded slightly, "Xuanyi, you must understand that everything in the world has its cause and effect. Since you have entered the Buddhist door, you are connected to the Buddha. All that has happened is the past. What's important is how you will practice Buddhism in the future and how you will face your own heart."
Xuanyi heard these words and again bowed deeply, "Thank you, Teacher, for guiding me. I understand. No matter what my background is, I will always follow the Buddhist path wholeheartedly and not disappoint my teacher's kindness."
After speaking, he left the meditation room, strolling through the temple grounds, feeling both relief and new doubts in his heart.
He looked towards the distant mountains shrouded in mist, thinking of Yunyan, and vowed to avenge the unfairness done to the mother empress he had never met.
