CHAPTER 389: CHAPTER 389: STRIKE

The Old Madam’s stance was quite clear.

Su Jin wanting to avoid punishment was simply impossible.

She either had to copy Buddhist scriptures in the Agarwood Pavilion or recite them in the Buddhist Hall to pray for blessings. In any case, something must be done.

No wonder the Old Madam was so adamant.

Princess Nanzhang had suffered a burn on her wrist, and a bit of her hair was singed off—a truly miserable experience.

Even if she were to rush into the palace now to complain to the Emperor about how the Duke Zhen Mansion wrongly scapegoated her and even requested two boxes of Bihun Ointment in her name, so what?

Not when Princess Nanzhang was hurt, could the Emperor punish her or send someone to criticize her?

She wasn’t afraid of complaints, thus she had nothing to fear.

Her wrist hurt too much to copy scriptures, but she could still talk, so reciting scriptures should be no problem.

Good.

Very good.

This incident served as a lesson for her.

Once leverage is seized, it must be used to the fullest; otherwise, the opportunity will be lost.

Su Jin stood up and said, "I will head to the Buddhist Hall to pray and recite scriptures for my mother now."

Watching Su Jin turn and leave, Mrs. Wang sighed inwardly.

She increasingly couldn’t grasp what the Old Madam was thinking.

The Eldest Young Madam wasn’t someone who could be easily provoked. For the Old Madam, punishing her by having her copy family rules or recite scriptures brought no benefit, so why provoke her dissatisfaction?

After two days absent, Su Jin entered the Buddhist Hall once more.

The hall was filled with numerous scriptures. Although reciting or copying them could bring blessings, different scriptures had various purposes.

Since Princess Nanzhang’s injuries were due to burns, a maid had picked The Sutra of the Medicine Buddha’s Original Vows and Merits, meant to increase prosperity and longevity and avert misfortune and calamity, for Su Jin.

Holding the scripture handed to her, Su Jin was dumbfounded.

It was a thick scripture, containing six to seven thousand characters.

The issue wasn’t just its length; many characters were unfamiliar to her, especially in the mantra sections.

Su Jin had encountered a Bodhisattva at Wutai Mountain and had been transported through time. Previously a non-believer in deities, she felt a newfound reverence for them.

Therefore, since she was to recite the Buddhist scripture, there was no way she would gloss over parts she didn’t understand.

Either read it thoroughly or not at all.

But she truly didn’t recognize some characters, so she quietly looked at the maid, pointing at the scripture and said, "What if I don’t know these characters?"

The maid, "....".

"If even the Eldest Young Madam doesn’t know them, how could I, a mere maid, possibly know?" the maid replied, exasperated.

She had never met someone so straightforward.

If you can’t read it, just skip over it.

It’s such a thick scripture; who would notice if you skip a couple of hundred characters?

Regarding the maid’s response, Su Jin’s expression also turned serious.

She asked not because she expected the maid to read it to her, but because she wanted her to go to Qihao Hall to ask the Old Madam to find someone knowledgeable.

With such a trivial request, a maid under Su Jin’s command truly didn’t dare refuse.

Plus, the maid wanted to take this opportunity to show her face in front of the Old Madam.

Although the Old Madam had asked Su Jin to recite scriptures in the Buddhist Hall for Princess Nanzhang, she never thought Su Jin would honestly read through all of it; ten times would be impressive.

It was just an excuse to vent her displeasure over seeing her in the way.

But the Old Madam never anticipated Su Jin would enter the hall, earnestly flipping through the scripture and asking questions if she didn’t understand.

The Old Madam fingered her Buddha Beads, gazing at the Second Madam and Third Madam and said, "Would any of you explain it to the Eldest Young Madam?"

The Third Madam quickly said, "I have matters in my courtyard; I’ll be heading back first."

The Third Madam was busy; the Second Madam had appointments.

Xie Jinyu had to attend to an illness, and Xie Jinxiu then said, "Grandmother, I can’t either. I’ve arranged to meet someone at the Beauty Pavilion."

Today was the day for new arrivals at the Beauty Pavilion, and everyone was curious about what the newly renovated shop would sell. They were eagerly anticipating those lip masks to go on sale.

The colors were just too enticing.

Originally, the room was packed with people, but once the Old Madam spoke, everyone left.

While the Old Madam knew how to read the scripture, could she personally go to the Buddhist Hall to teach Su Jin?

If she encountered a blockhead who couldn’t grasp it even after lengthy explanations, she’d end up exasperating herself.

Nor did the Old Madam want to see Su Jin—she was too lazy to summon her.

But since someone was expected to recite the scripture and they couldn’t read it, the matter had to be resolved somehow.

"Send someone to the Great Buddha Temple to invite a young monk to teach the Eldest Young Madam," the Old Madam motioned.

Upon returning, the maid faithfully reported to Su Jin.

Su Jin couldn’t help but twitch her lips uncontrollably.

Must they dislike her so much to pass her off to be taught by a monk from the Great Buddha Temple?

Even more exasperating was what happened next: the young monk was someone they were familiar with.

Upon learning it was the Eldest Young Madam of the Duke Zhen’s Mansion he was to teach, the young monk’s heart quivered with fear.

He couldn’t help it.

The young monk had quite the psychological shadow.

First was being caught cheating with bamboo sticks.

Second was getting embroiled in an assassination attempt while escorting Su Jin and others on a tour of the Great Buddha Temple.

Plus, all those rumors about the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion.

The young monk also feared being carried out of the Duke Zhen’s Mansion one day.

The young monk quickly and earnestly chanted his scriptures, praying for the blessings of Buddha and safety.

Inside the Buddhist Hall.

Su Jin, bored, scribbled a Buddhist verse on paper:

A thousand rivers have water, a thousand rivers have the moon; ten thousand miles without clouds, ten thousand miles of sky.

Xingxing, grinding ink, saw this and asked, "Miss, what does this mean?"

"It is a Buddhist verse."

"It speaks of the moon being like the nature of Buddha, and the thousands of rivers being like all beings. Regardless of the size of the river, if there is water, there is moon."

"Humans are not distinguished by rank; if there is a person, there is the nature of Buddha—the Buddha nature lies within one’s heart, omnipresent, like the moon reflecting on the river, illuminating all it touches."

"The sky may have clouds, but above them is the sky..."

The young monk stood at the door, listening for a while, astonished at the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion’s level of insight.

Was he really here to teach her the scriptures, or to receive guidance himself?

The young monk fell into contemplation.

After meeting Su Jin, the young monk earnestly taught her the scriptures, explaining their meanings.

Su Jin grasped them immediately, without needing the young monk to elaborate much.

The young monk’s understanding was not deep, and Su Jin was like a noisy half-filled bucket.

After a round of study and discussion.

The young monk was disheartened.

He found, to his dismay, that the level of understanding of the bandit-like Eldest Young Madam, who couldn’t even read the scriptures, far surpassed his own.

Considerably so.

Some things he had pondered for long without solving, she clarified in just two sentences, making things clear as day...

As the young monk was leaving, passing through the garden, he happened to encounter Xie Jinxiu and the others.

The young monk offered a bow and continued on his way.

Xie Jinhuan glanced back and said, "Why does that young monk look so dejected?"

"Encountering the Eldest Sister-in-law, who wouldn’t be beaten down?" Xie Jinxiu quipped mockingly.

"I’m off."

Xie Jinxiu eagerly returned to the South Courtyard to see her mother.

Upon meeting the Third Madam, Xie Jinxiu spun around twice and said, "Mother, do you notice any change in me?"

The Third Madam was utterly surprised.

As Xie Jinxiu walked in, the Third Madam perceived a significant change in her daughter.

Her figure seemed even better, especially her bust.

Having seen the Third Madam’s realization, Xie Jinxiu sat beside her and said, "Mother, the undergarments from the Beauty Pavilion differ from those we usually wear. Simply changing to one of these, and here’s the result."