Chapter 304: Chapter 300: Travels_1
Jiang Yunniang glanced at Qiu Ling, “You should go back, I have no connection with the Zhang Family, there’s no need for this in the future.”
Qiu Ling couldn’t make out much, but Yukan looked displeased.
Jiang Cheng and his wife, noticing that their aunt did not plan to offer any wedding gifts, hurriedly stuffed two bolts of cotton cloth into Qiu Ling’s arms as a congratulatory gift.
This cotton cloth was woven at home, undyed, pure white and soft.
Qiu Ling accepted the cloth, thanked them and then formally bid farewell to Jiang Yunniang from a distance.
Jiang Yunniang turned and returned to the back yard, not to be seen the rest of the day.
After finishing lunch, at the approach of dusk, Yingbao, carrying a basket of grapes, headed back to the medical department alone.
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Near the medical department, she saw her second senior brother purchasing something at a stall that sold boiled sheep’s offal.
“Hey!” Yingbao tapped him on the shoulder, startling Zhang Min.
Turning his head and seeing his junior sister, he greeted with a beaming smile, “You’re back?”
Yingbao: “You dare to eat meat in broad daylight, aren’t you afraid the master will see?”
Zhang Min grinned, “Master and Senior Zhou Hao went to the Taoist Temple, they won’t be back today. Want some, junior sister?”
“No thanks.” Yingbao walked towards the medical department.
Zhang Min hurriedly paid the money, carrying a jar of sheep’s offal following behind her.
Upon returning to the courtyard of the Yin Yang Department, Zhang Min said again, “Junior sister, in a few days we’ll have to acpany our master on a ritual mission, which might take more than a month. Prepare yourself, bring more mosquito repellent, and some detox pills—you may have to spend nights outdoors.”
Yingbao was puzzled, “Where are we going?”
“The Prefecture City.” As Zhang Min devoured his sheep’s offal, he mumbled, “Someone has invited our master to exorcise spirits.”
“Aren’t there any Forbidden Curse Masters in Prefecture City?” Yingbao asked, confused.
Zhang Min looked at his junior sister with disdain, “How can they pare to our master?” Their master, after all, was a renowned Forbidden Curse Master.
Seeing that his junior sister was still baffled, he explained further, “Although our master is currently working in Qinchuan County’s medical department, that’s just temporary. In time, he’ll start his travels again. Heh, at that point, we will travel up and down the great rivers, visiting various divine temples and Taoist temples and discussing Taoism with masters from all over the country…”
Yingbao furrowed her brow.
She didn’t want to travel, she just wanted to stay home.
Zhang Min spotted junior sister’s reluctance, and said, “Having already joined the sect, you must go. When we return, it’ll be time for fame and glory. By then, senior brother and I will be able to stand on our own.”
All Forbidden Curse Masters must travel for a period before they can independently exorcise spirits for others.
In fact, this journey was specifically for Senior Zhou Hao’s graduation ceremony.
With a sour expression, Yingbao mulled over ways to persuade the master to leave her at home.
The next day when Zhou Wuchang returned, he directly ignored his junior disciple’s excuses, insisting she pack her belongings and set off to travel with them.
With no other choice, Yingbao returned to explain the situation to her eldest cousin brother, and asked him to deliver a letter to her parents, explaining that she was going on a journey with her master.
According to their master, the journey could last anywhere from a few months to a few years, depending on the circumstances.
In her letter, she also subtly mentioned the flood that would happen in a few years, advising her parents to be careful.
And so, on the clear morning after the start of autumn, Yingbao, wearing a bamboo hat, carrying a bamboo basket on her back, followed behind her master and two senior brothers out of the city gate.
After walking for two hours, the four disciples took a rest under a large tree by the side of the road. Yingbao, rubbing her toes, couldn’t resist asking, “Master, why didn’t we hire a carriage?”
Zhou Wuchang replied expressionlessly, “Does sitting in a carriage count as travelling?”
“Then, then we could hire an ox-cart.” Her calves were cramping.
Zhang Min joined in, “This isn’t a pleasure trip, why hire an ox-cart?”
A few years ago, he had also traveled with his master once, almost wearing out his feet. This time, he found the journey unexpectedly light, so his junior sister must first experience hardship to know what it feels like to finally enjoy ease after hardship.
Yingbao glared at him and took a sip of her energy water.
Well, anyway, he had Wuding Zhi, he could always drink more and see who would tire out first.
After a quarter of an hour rest, the four continued their journey.
When they reached a water transport dock, Zhou Wuchang stopped.
“Master, are we taking a boat?” Yingbao ran over to ask.
Zhou Wuchang nodded: “First we take a boat to the Prefecture City, as your master needs to attend a ritual in July.”
Yingbao was so thrilled she almost jumped: “Great, we’re taking a boat.”
She could finally take a break.
Soon, the master and disciples boarded a cargo ship.
Yingbao noticed that the boat owner was very polite to their master, as they were clearly acquainted, and he arranged two cabins for the master and disciples.
No wonder, their master had already arranged the itinerary in advance.
Yingbao entered her cabin and immediately fell asleep.
After walking for several hours, even someone as stern as Senior Zhou Hao, showed tiredness on his face.
Travelling by boat after the beginning of fall, the water surface was calm.
After sailing for several days, during a stretch of turbulent water, the boat owner let dozens of trackers help to pull the ship for several miles.
Each of the trackers was very lean, bare-chested, with clearly defined ribs.
The oldest tracker had white hair and there were those as young as teenagers. They wore straw sandals or went barefoot, carrying a tracking rope, walking difficultly along the shore whilst singing work songs.
When the water surface became smooth, these trackers climbed onto bamboo rafts, following the big ship, and when the next reverse water beachhead was reached, they went ashore to pull the tracking rope again.
For this journey, dozens of trackers earned only about ten coins in total.
Days later, the large ship finally reached the dock of the Prefecture City.
Yingbao and disciples disembarked from the ship and walked into the Prefecture City, finding acmodation at a Taoist Temple named Golden Summit.
Senior Zhou Hao handed over his visiting card, and the head of the Taoist Temple personally came out to greet them.
“It’s an honor to have you, friend Zhou, our small temple is illuminated by your presence.” the Temple Head with a three-strand beard laughed.
Zhou Wuchang bowed with his fist in palm: “Friend Jin, have you been well?”
The two exchanged pleasantries, then Zhou Hao and his junior disciples saluted Temple Head Jin.
The group then entered the temple.
A young Taoist came over and led Yingbao and her two senior brothers to their lodging.
The Golden Summit Taoist Temple was very large, with a separate guesthouse. Yingbao occupied a room herself, while her two seniors shared another.
Yingbao asked Zhou Hao from the doorway: “Senior, how long are we staying here?”
“We will leave after the July rituals are pleted, probably a month.” Now it was only late June, it seemed they would be staying in the temple until late July.
Yingbao: “I am going to see my sister Wen tomorrow, her family lives here.” Wen Shu said that they lived in the Prefecture City and ran a pharmacy named Kang’an Pharmacy.
Zhou Hao: “You must tell your master before you go down the mountain, and you must be acpanied by your second senior.” Prefecture City was not like a county town, there were many aristocratic families here, an inadvertent conflict with unreasonable dandies could be troublesome.
“Yes, I will tell Master.” Yingbao was incredibly excited at the thought of seeing Wen and Madame Wen.
Traveling did have some benefits, she might as well take this opportunity to inquire about mansions in the Prefecture City, so that her younger brother Jiang Jie would have a foothold when he came for the Prefectural Exam in the future.
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