Chapter 4: Startling the Horse

  Lingyun Temple is located ten miles east of Luoxian County town.

  The White family's carriage is on its way.

  Bai Yushu and his son Bai Zhenxuan rode in one carriage, leading the way. Bai Yunnuan and her mother Madame Bai Jiang rode in another carriage, following behind them. Zhen Niang, Xin Yan, Yu Mo and other attendants rode in a third carriage, bringing up the rear.

  Bai Yun warmed up as the bumpy car swayed her body, and she desperately searched for memories of her past life about going to Lingyun Temple to burn incense. Before the age of five, she vaguely remembered going to Lingyun Temple with her father and mother, but the specific details were no longer clear.

  "Anu, you look a bit strange today. You're completely different from before." Baigang Shi gazed at her daughter with affection and admiration, as if appreciating a delicate work of art.

  Bai Yun Wan was taken aback, only then realizing that she had been keeping a straight face and rarely smiled. What was the thirteen-year-old Bai Yun Wan like in her past life?

  "In the past, how could you sit quietly for half a day? Just a short while and your butt would be oily, your mouth wouldn't stop either, chattering all day long, your father always said you were born with the spirit of a magpie."

  The white cloud smiled warmly. She had experienced a lifetime of hardships and vicissitudes before returning to this body, how could she still be as carefree and innocent as the girl from her past?

  "Mother, I've grown up!" Bai Yunnuo tried to recall the feelings she should have had as a thirteen-year-old girl. Even in her past life at thirteen, she was already a young widow's daughter, gloomy and unhappy, far from the usual carefree girls of that age. So at this moment, her actions of nestling into her mother's arms and acting spoiled seemed somewhat stiff.

  "Yes, you've grown up and it's time to get married. When we arrive at Lingyun Temple, your mother will pray to the Bodhisattva for a good marriage for you."

  Bai Yun's face turned red as she clenched her fists and pounded on Bai Jiang's clothes, "Mother said that you should also ask for your brother first, after all, your brother is several years older than Ah Nuan!"

  Bai Yun's words stunned Bai Jiangshi, who pinched her daughter's face and examined it carefully, muttering: "My child, how did you become more subdued after growing a year older, but your memory has actually deteriorated? Didn't your brother already settle the engagement with the Wang family of Luoxian County? And wasn't it your uncle who acted as the matchmaker?"

  White clouds warm also one daze. Although reborn, the difference between this life and the previous one is huge. The former owner of this body is still oneself, but this self is so familiar yet so strange.

  The current self is completely unaware of what happened to this self before the age of twelve.

  The white cloud shrank into his mother's arms and timidly shut up.

  Bai Jiang thought of her as just a daughter because when mentioning marriage, she was momentarily shy and spoke without thinking, not thoroughly investigating.

  The weather was fine and sunny all the way, and the snow gradually melted. The green mountains were lush, the green water flowed quietly, and the breath of spring rushed towards me.

  Bai Zhuanxuan was sitting in the carriage with his father, discussing the two rare books that had just been collected by the Cangshulou, when the carriage suddenly jolted violently. Immediately afterwards, several neighs and a man's loud shout could be heard: "Don't you have eyes? Seeing our Chapter family's carriage, can't you quickly get out of the way?"

  Bai Zhenxuan lifted the curtain of his carriage, stuck out his head to take a look, and saw a group of horses and carriages rushing towards him like a strong wind. First came a lead horse, followed by a pair of lead horses, then a green sedan chair with its door open.

  Qin Ai had already driven his own carriage aside to avoid it, and Bai Zhenxuan only felt a flash of lightning-like light pass by.

  In this brief moment, I saw a beautiful young man, wearing a fox fur coat, with a purple sable hat on his head. He was indeed a handsome talent, but his mannerisms were somewhat frivolous. Leaning against the carriage canopy, he had one leg raised and looked very unrestrained.

  Behind this carriage were twenty or thirty horses in attendance, and the people on horseback all wore clothes of the same color.

  Then there were more than a dozen muddy carts, with some powdered and jade-like children sitting inside, looking like the beautiful boys who sing small parts in the theater.

  Behind them were four or five big carts, loaded with trunks, clothes and other things like tea stoves, wine boxes, and cooking utensils. The carters were all dressed in short jackets and trousers, silk socks and satin shoes, looking very spirited and majestic. It took a while for them to pass by the White family's carriage cleanly.

  "Zhen Xuan, what's wrong?" asked Bai Yushu inside the carriage.

  Bai Zhenxuan hastily turned back and said to his father, "Nothing, just a group of horse-drawn carriages."

  "Go back and see if your mother and sister are startled?"

  Bai Zhenxuan ordered him to jump down from the horse carriage and look back at his mother and sister.

  She lifted the curtain of the horse carriage and saw that Bai Jiangshi was pale, while Bai Yunnuan was feeding her hot water and patting her back.

  His sister was surprisingly calm and composed, causing Bai Zhenxuan to look at her with newfound respect.

  Baiyun warmly met her brother's scrutinizing gaze, returning him a calm smile. Her brother didn't understand how she could remain so composed at such a young age in the face of the horse carriage's collision; only she knew that this small thirteen-year-old body contained a weathered soul.

  "Fortunately, Songta's driving skills were proficient, and the horse carriage dodged in time, unscathed. Brother doesn't need to worry."

  White clouds warm clouds light wind one smile.

  "Is Mother all right?" Bai Zhenxuan asked anxiously as he looked at Bai Jiangshi.

  Bai Jiang drank some hot water, regained her composure, patted her chest and muttered: "Whose horse carriage was galloping recklessly just now? Scared me to death, fortunately Anuan didn't wake up."

  Bai Jiang held her daughter's hand tightly, and fortunately, her daughter was really not scared, and her small hands were still warm.

  "It seems like someone on the other side said it was a car from the Zhang family."

  "But isn't it the famous Zhang family of Luo County?" asked Bai Jiang with a furrowed brow.

  Bai Zhenxuan replied: "After the main carriage passed, there were many children of the Pear Garden Opera's young Dan actors in the following carriages, so it was also unclear whether they were from Zhang's family in Luoxian."

  Bai Yun warmed up and bit her own lip, that's it. In his previous life, Zhang Nai Chun had a hobby of going to the theater to watch plays, and among the several concubines he took in were those born into theatrical families.

  Who would have thought that on the first day of rebirth, I would run into that nemesis. It really is true what they say: "narrow road for sworn enemies".

  White clouds cover the sun, and people feel depressed and unhappy.

  Bai Zhenxuan let down the carriage curtain and instructed Songta a few words before returning to his own carriage.

  Songta was the most capable and clever servant by Bai Zhuanxun's side, carefully adjusting the horse's head while driving the carriage, following behind the carriages of Bai Yushu and Bai Zhuanxun as they continued on their way.

  The car drove for more than a few hours and finally arrived at its destination.

  In the distance, amidst the white mist, the Lingyun Temple's trees are sparse and dense, with smoke and clouds swirling together. The multi-layered buildings shine brightly, and the high pavilions seem to pierce the clouds. Upon entering the temple, one is even more struck by the grandeur of the precious halls.

  The Bai family's carriage entered the temple, and Zhen Niang, Xin Yan, and other maidservants, along with Qin Ou and Song Ta and other young servants, carried footstools and supported their respective masters, bustling about with joy.

  The Bai couple and their son and daughter all got down from the carriage, and there were already the abbot of the temple, Master Huize, and several of his favorite disciples waiting at the gate, with incense wafting gently, palms joined together in greeting.