The imperial examination was scheduled for March 11th, and Jiang Ning planned to return to the Capital City on March 5th.0
Everything was arranged; she just needed Lan Xu to agree.0
"Mother, come back to the Capital City with me," Jiang Ning had said this countless times.0
"Ling'er," Lan Xu smiled helplessly, looking at Jiang Ning with eyes full of love, "Please stop trying to persuade me. Go back by yourself and live a good life with Mr. Liu. I'll pray for your happiness in Qushui City."0
Jiang Ning wanted to say more, but Lan Xu held her hand and spoke from the heart: "This time has been the happiest of my entire life. I can die without regrets!"0
Jiang Ning closed her mouth, realizing that further words were useless. She would have to take action.0
But the person before her was still her mother, and Jiang Ning felt that knocking her unconscious would be somewhat unfilial. After much deliberation, she suddenly remembered she still had a few packets of sleeping powder.0
The old doctor had sold her five packets at once. She had used two on Liu Ming'an, leaving three, which was perfect.0
On the morning of the 5th, after breakfast, Jiang Ning brought Lan Xu a cup of tea.0
They had agreed yesterday not to sell osmanthus cakes today, but to visit the temple and recite some scriptures. Lan Xu had gladly agreed.0
"Mother, have some tea. I brought this tea leaves specially from the Capital City," Jiang Ning lied with a straight face.0
"Alright."0
Lan Xu didn't suspect anything and drank from the cup. Although she found the tea flavorless and quite bitter, she thought it must be because Jiang Ning had brought it, so she dismissed her concerns and slowly finished the entire cup.0
Lan Xu told herself that her inability to appreciate the tea's flavor must be because a mountain boar couldn't appreciate fine food. It couldn't be the tea's fault!0
Jiang Ning watched Lan Xu drink the water and smiled softly.0
She had mixed all three packets of powder into it, so the bitterness should have been obvious, yet Lan Xu didn't suspect a thing.0
After Lan Xu's emotions had calmed a bit, Jiang Ning made a decision: "The Capital City, as its name suggests, only refers to the four districts and eight streets within the city walls. Mother, why don't you go to the outskirts? To Fuling Temple. You can stay there. This way, you won't be breaking your vow, and you definitely won't run into anyone from the Prime Minister's Mansion."0
"But this, this—"0
Lan Xu wanted to say that this behavior seemed like self-deception, but Jiang Ning interrupted her: "Fuling Temple has shown great kindness to both of us. After all these years, don't you want to see how those nuns from back then are doing?"0
Lan Xu finally compromised.0
A day later, the passenger ship docked at Jinzhi City. The two rested in the city for a night, and the next day they boarded a carriage, saying they were going to Fuling Temple.0
Fuling Temple was built many years ago by a woman from the capital.0
It was said that this woman came from a wealthy family. One day, while fishing near the sea with her husband and son, they were caught in a sudden storm. As their boat capsized, the father and son used all their strength to push her onto a floating piece of wood, but they themselves were swallowed by the raging waves, their bodies never to be found.0
In an instant, her once-large family was reduced to her alone. This devastating disaster made her want to end her life, but then she thought about how her husband and son had fought with all their might to save her, and she felt she couldn't die.0
In the end, the woman, her heart as cold as ashes, sold all her possessions and built this Fuling Temple on a mountain in the outskirts of the capital.0
At this point in her story, Lan Xu paused and pointed to a nearby mountain, telling Jiang Ning, "Ling'er, it's right there."0
Fuling Temple was built halfway up the mountain. The nuns there didn't rely on alms for their livelihood. Fields were cultivated at the foot of the mountain, and various fruits and vegetables were grown on the mountainside, all tended to by the nuns. It was more like a self-sufficient utopia.0
"Actually, the women here aren't really considered true nuns. Every woman who comes here has her own tale of hardship. They're not wholly devoted to Buddha. Besides chanting sutras and striking wooden fish, they have to do a lot of farm work to support themselves. This place just provides these women with a refuge from the world."0
As they walked up the small path towards the mountain, Lan Xu continued to explain to Jiang Ning: "When I came here at sixteen, they didn't ask any questions. They just let me in, and no one ever asked about my past afterwards."0
Jiang Ning was surprised. So this Fuling Temple was actually a shelter for women. It embraced everyone's shameful past, using the guise of becoming a nun to provide them with a safe haven.0
Women understanding women, women saving women.0
In such a feudal and backward era, this powerful and vigorous female force left Jiang Ning in awe.0