Chapter 422: The Yue Lao(Matchmaker) Temple

As for Nie Qianyu, upon hearing Zhang Xiaohua’s congratulations, her cheeks flushed with a rosy glow. In her heart, she felt both regret and sweetness, secretly thinking: “What’s gotten into me? I actually discussed such embarrassing topics with Little Orange in the street? Look at this rascal, he even eavesdropped on a girl’s private conversation—how improper; but then again, this way is also good, I won’t have to confess face-to-face, just thinking about it is embarrassing enough. But since he overheard our conversation, will he look down on me from the bottom of his heart?”

Seeing that both Nie Qianyu and Little Orange looked extremely shy, with Nie Qianyu not even daring to look at him, Zhang Xiaohua was quite surprised and said: “What’s wrong? Haven’t you ever seen such a handsome young man?”

Then, he touched his own face and said: “I haven’t changed at all.”

Suddenly, as if realizing something, he said with great regret: “Oh no, could it be that you already know? I was hoping to ask you for some lucky money!”

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua acting this way, Nie Qianyu’s shyness had already faded a bit. She dared to slightly raise her brows and asked: “What are you talking about? What lucky money? What is it that we already know?”

“Ah?” Zhang Xiaohua exclaimed with delight: “So you really don’t know? I thought this was all your Spring Rebirth Valley’s business. Oh, that’s right, it only happened less than two months ago, and you were with me the whole time.”

As Zhang Xiaohua’s words became more and more nonsensical, Nie Qianyu angrily fished out a small gold ingot from her bosom and handed it over, saying: “Here’s your lucky money, now tell us already.”

Zhang Xiaohua took the gold ingot with a smile and said, “Congratulations, Little Fish, congratulations! Your elder sister is going to hold a martial arts tournament to find her husband! You’ll soon have a brother-in-law whose martial arts are unparalleled.”

Upon hearing this, both Nie Qianyu and Little Orange’s expressions changed dramatically. In disbelief, they said: “Brother Ren, say that again—Which sister of mine is going to hold a martial arts tournament for a husband?”

“How many elder sisters do you have?” Zhang Xiaohua was also surprised and said: “I only overheard some idle talk from wandering martial artists in the teahouse. They said that your Spring Rebirth Valley is currently holding a martial arts tournament for a husband, and tomorrow is the last day. All those young masters from various martial arts families we saw today are here to catch the last chance tomorrow.”

“How is that possible???” Nie Qianyu exclaimed.

“How is it not possible?” Zhang Xiaohua was puzzled.

Little Orange explained from the side: “My master has three daughters in total. Miss is the youngest, and she has two elder sisters above her. But the eldest and second miss have long been married, and the eldest even already has a son. How could there be a martial arts tournament for a husband?”

Zhang Xiaohua stroked his chin and retorted: “What’s so impossible about that? What if something happened to your brother-in-law…”

“Pah!” Nie Qianyu and Little Orange both spat, “Nothing good ever comes out of your mouth.”

This time, Zhang Xiaohua didn’t bare his teeth, but instead mused thoughtfully: “If it’s just as you say…”

The hand holding the gold ingot stretched out again and said: “Could it be, Little Fish Nie? Shouldn’t you give me an even bigger red envelope?”

As soon as Nie Qianyu heard this, her face immediately turned ashen, as if she had thought of something. She opened her mouth but didn’t know how to explain.

At this moment, Zhang Xiaohua’s hand quickly retracted and he muttered to himself: “That can’t be right, you’re only twelve years old. What kind of martial arts tournament for a husband could you have? Unless…”

At this point, Nie Qianyu also seemed to realize something, and her face immediately lit up with joy. “Brother Ren is really clever, he figured it out after all.”

She then let out a huge sigh of relief, patted her small chest, and said: “That’s great, as long as Brother Ren understands, I don’t need to explain.”

Zhang Xiaohua glanced sideways at the visibly relieved Nie Qianyu and smiled: “What is it you wanted to explain to me?”

Nie Qianyu tucked her little head into the shadow of the carriage, not knowing whether she was pondering how to explain or just avoiding his question. At this moment, Little Orange jumped out and said: “Miss, Young Master Ren, what kind of riddles are you two playing at? Exactly which young lady has run into trouble to cause such a commotion?”

Zhang Xiaohua looked at Little Orange, who was still a bit confused, and asked with a smile: “Little Fish, are we going to the small temple, or are we heading back to Spring Rebirth Valley?”

“Let’s go to the small temple. Anyway, tomorrow is the last day. If we go back tomorrow, it’ll still be in time.”

“Miss, something’s happened at home and you’re not worried? We should hurry back.”

Nie Qianyu gave a bitter smile and said: “Nothing has happened at home. Let’s just go for now, don’t dawdle here. Let Brother Ren explain to you on the way.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua hopped back onto the carriage, flicked the reins, and continued on their way.

Once they were on the road, Zhang Xiaohua took out the pastries he had just bought from his bosom and handed them into the carriage. Nie Qianyu accepted them sweetly and began to eat in small bites.

Little Orange stuffed two mouthfuls into one, finished in just a few bites, and, panting, asked: “Young Master Ren, Young Hero Ren, can you tell us now?”

Zhang Xiaohua replied unhurriedly: “What’s there to say? Since Little Fishy’s two elder sisters are already married, this martial arts tournament for a husband must be for this little miss.”

“But…” Little Orange was about to ask when Zhang Xiaohua continued: “Although it’s a bit too young for Little Fishy to hold a martial arts tournament for a husband at the age of twelve, if she usually keeps a low profile and doesn’t show off, probably not many people know her real age. That way, your master’s plan of openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang can succeed.”

Little Orange was clever as well. Hearing this, how could she not understand? This martial arts tournament for a husband had been planned since two months ago, right after Nie Qianyu and Little Orange had been attacked by villains. It must have been her master’s intention to create the illusion that Nie Qianyu had already returned to Spring Rebirth Valley.

“But,” Little Orange immediately thought of something else and asked, “if the martial arts tournament ends tomorrow and someone is chosen to marry the young miss, what will we do then?”

Zhang Xiaohua chuckled and said: “In any case, your young miss is still young. They can delay things for a few more years. Besides, your master has surely thought this through—a living daughter is better than one who’s vanished without a trace, no?”

“But…” Little Orange began another “but,” but Nie Qianyu cut her off sharply: “Little Orange, this is all Father’s carefully planned scheme. He must have a thorough strategy. Won’t we find out everything once we return tomorrow?”

Little Orange muttered a few more words under her breath, which Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t quite catch.

Zhang Xiaohua laughed: “Either way, by tomorrow we’ll see who gets to be Little Fishy’s nominal husband. I wonder who has the skill to rise above the rest.”

As he spoke, he glanced toward a distant, shadowy structure shrouded in darkness.

At that moment, a faint sliver of moonlight streamed through the carriage window, casting Nie Qianyu’s small face in a pallid glow.

The west held a dilapidated little temple, small and far from Mochou Lake—a rare sight in Mochou City. 

A grand, bustling temple stood right beside Mochou Lake, its incense fires thriving even at night. A young lady of Nie Qianyu’s status could easily request lodging in its outer quarters. Yet she had deliberately chosen this remote, tiny shrine.

After tethering the carriage to a tree in front of the temple, Zhang Xiaohua led Nie Qianyu and Little Orange inside, carrying lanterns and candles.

The temple had a small courtyard—too cramped for the carriage—and a modest shrine hall. The flickering light revealed a statue of an elderly figure holding a ball of red threads, smiling warmly ahead. At first, Zhang Xiaohua wondered why the shrine honored neither a bodhisattva nor a Buddha. But the moment he saw the two lifelike crimson threads in the statue’s hands, he instantly recognized the figure.

This was no ordinary temple—it was a rarely seen Yue Lao Temple.

Zhang Xiaohua sniffed lightly but said nothing. He carefully placed the red candles on the offering table before the Yue Lao’s statue and lit them. Instantly, a soft golden glow filled the small shrine.

The kindly old man behind the incense table, under the flickering candlelight, looked almost lifelike. Nie Qianyu and Little Orange stepped forward together, kneeling on the prayer cushions before the incense table, pressing their palms together and murmuring softly. Zhang Xiaohua simply stood behind them, arms crossed over his chest, watching silently. Suddenly, Nie Qianyu turned her head and cast him a plaintive glance before turning back to the Matchmaker and kowtowing nine times, each one resounding clearly.

Nie Qianyu’s gaze was so full of meaning, her dark eyes seemed to look straight into Zhang Xiaohua’s heart. In that instant, Zhang Xiaohua’s heart tightened.

Watching Nie Qianyu kowtow so devoutly, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but frown: “Could it be that I’m starting to have feelings for this little girl who’s only twelve?”

He quickly shook his head—she wasn’t even of age yet, what was he thinking?

“This little girl is certainly precocious. How could I not have noticed her thoughts along the way? But…” But what? Zhang Xiaohua himself couldn’t say. He didn’t have some deep-seated grudge that must be avenged before marrying, nor did he have some grand cause to restore a fallen nation, so why couldn’t he talk about feelings now? This Little Fishy was clever and adorable, exceptionally smart, so what was he hesitating for?

Was it Meng? That girl deeply imprinted in his mind, also adorable, but with a stubborn strength, a hint of confusion in her gaze, yet still so tenacious—was it that girl?

Meng, are you well in that distant land?

Zhang Xiaohua felt a bit sorrowful, a bit absent-minded.

Suddenly, he heard Nie Qianyu say: “Brother Ren, don’t you want to make a wish before Yue Lao? The Yue Lao Temple in Mochou City is said to be the most efficacious.”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “In this world, eight or nine out of ten things don’t go as one wishes. How could Yue Lao possibly look after all the lovers under heaven? If I am fated with her, even if we are a thousand miles apart, we will still meet. But if there is no fate, even if I kowtow before Yue Lao ten thousand times, how could I see her even once?”

Nie Qianyu’s little face turned deathly pale.

Zhang Xiaohua continued: “Since Little Fishy says this Yue Lao is efficacious, why is it so desolate here, with so few offerings and worshippers?”

[TL_Note: Yue Lao (月老), also known as the Old Man Under the Moon, is a prominent deity in Chinese mythology and folklore. He is regarded as the god of marriage and love, responsible for uniting destined couples with his mystical red thread. According to legend, Yue Lao appears at night, often holding a book of marriages and a bundle of red cords, which he uses to tie together the ankles (or fingers) of those fated to be together, ensuring they will meet and marry regardless of distance or circumstance. Temples and shrines dedicated to Yue Lao are popular places for people to pray for luck in love and harmonious relationships.]