Chapter Four: Yan Yu's Five Mothers

A trace of embarrassment flickered across Master Cao’s face, but Yan Yu pressed on, “Inverted auricles, deep eye bags, a large mole on your nasal wing—these are all signs of leaking wealth. I bet your savings have never surpassed six digits, have they?”

Six digits meant a hundred thousand, and with Master Cao’s skill at deception, he should already be worth millions.

Yet Master Cao nodded earnestly. “Master, you are truly perceptive. Every time I make money, something unlucky happens, and the more I earn, the worse it gets. Just a couple of days ago, I performed a ritual and received five thousand in incense money, but as soon as I turned around, I scraped a Mercedes. The repair cost? Exactly five thousand! Isn’t that uncanny?”

“That’s not uncanny. That’s fate,” Yan Yu replied.

“Is there any way to change my fate of being a pauper?” Master Cao asked eagerly, clearly fed up with his streak of misfortune.

Yan Yu shook his head. “Fate cannot be changed, but there are ways to make your luck less dire.”

“Really?” Master Cao’s face lit up at once. “What way? Is it a talisman or a ritual to ward off evil?”

“First, you need to find a pair of scissors—long and slender, and preferably clean,” Yan Yu instructed.

“Go on, Master.” Master Cao pulled out paper and pen from his pocket and began to take notes with great seriousness.

Yan Yu continued, “Then trim your nose hair—it’s too long.”

“That’s it?” The pen slipped from Master Cao’s fingers and fell to the ground with a clatter.

“That’s it. Overlong nose hair is also a sign of leaking wealth,” Yan Yu said. “You drove here, right? Give me a ride back to Rong City.”

“I am a master, after all. How could I possibly drive?” Master Cao replied solemnly, though the effect was more comical than dignified given his missing front tooth.

Yan Yu was startled. “You have a driver?”

“Ahem, no, I can’t afford a car. I came by motorcycle.”

“……”

At this moment, Yan Yu sorely missed the villa at Yuanmai, wishing he could have Zhou Xiaowan take him home instead. But once you put on an act, there’s no taking it back.

Minutes later, Yan Yu, leading Big Black, followed Master Cao to a small road about a kilometer from Yuanmai Villa. There, an old motorcycle was parked.

Master Cao expertly righted the motorcycle and plopped onto the seat, even thoughtfully wiping the pillion for Yan Yu. “Don’t mind the dust.”

The road was deserted, with few cars passing by. Yan Yu had no hope of hailing a taxi, so he had to carry his massive Tibetan Mastiff and perch on the motorcycle.

With a kick, Master Cao started the engine, and the bike shuddered violently, the engine groaning in protest—a sound that hardly reassured Yan Yu.

Then came a truly absurd sight: a toothless Taoist riding a motorcycle, a country boy clutching a dog the size of a man astride behind him. Two men, one dog, one battered motorbike—such a spectacle could not be more ridiculous.

On the open road, it was one thing, but once they entered the city, they drew the stares of passersby. Master Cao, unbothered, even swept his robe grandly, striving for an air of mystical elegance, though his missing teeth ruined the effect.

Yan Yu could only lower his head. Once, he’d thought his master was an incorrigible old mischief-maker—until he met Cao Youqian.

Cao Youqian was one of the few who had truly witnessed Yan Yu’s abilities, so after dropping him off at Jiangbin Road, he refused to leave until they’d exchanged contact information. Only then did he ride slowly away.

Yan Yu’s phone, a simple color-screen model, had been a gift from his Fifth Mother. It could make calls and send messages, and that was all.

Now, leading Big Black, Yan Yu walked along the sidewalk of Jiangbin Road and finally had a moment to breathe.

“I never expected that I’d encounter so much trouble the moment I arrived in Rong City. I’d better call my mothers and let them know I’m safe.”

Muttering to himself, Yan Yu dialed the first number in his address book. The call was answered almost immediately.

“Xiao Yu’s calling us! Xiao Yu’s calling!” came Third Mother’s excited voice. Footsteps quickly followed—clearly, the other mothers had gathered by the phone as well.

Third Mother put the call on speaker. “Xiao Yu, why are you only calling us now? We’ve been worried sick!”

“Don’t worry, Third Mother. It’s not my first time away from home,” Yan Yu replied, smiling wryly.

“Has anyone bullied you? Just say the word, and your Second Mother will send someone to take care of it!” Second Mother’s tone was fierce.

“No one could bully me…”

Fourth Mother chimed in, “So, did you meet any girls you like?”

“Fourth Mother, I’ve only been in town for a day. Matters of the heart depend on fate.”

“Feelings can be cultivated after the fact!” Third Mother laughed. “Tomorrow you’re starting at your new school. Are you ready?”

Yan Yu hesitated for a few seconds, then said softly, “Actually, I’ve run into a bit of trouble.”

“Money?” Fifth Mother muttered. “I told you, a child traveling alone must carry cash. If Eldest Sister hadn’t stopped me, you wouldn’t be in this mess. What’s five hundred million? We’re your mothers—what’s wrong with giving you a little spending money?”

“Let Xiao Yu finish,” Eldest Mother said gently, her voice tinged with world-weariness.

Finally, the mothers quieted. Yan Yu said, “I asked Aunt Liu’s daughter, Zhou Xiaowan, and she told me… My so-called wife at Rong City No. 1 High, Zhao Qingqing, has already hanged herself. And today, I ran into her ghost. She seems… not to be trifled with. Eldest Mother, I still don’t understand—why is Zhao Qingqing my wife, and how is she connected to my mother’s death?”

Zhao Qingqing was about his age, which meant that when Yan Yu’s biological mother was murdered, Zhao Qingqing probably hadn’t even been born. He truly couldn’t fathom why Eldest Mother had sent him to look for her.

Eldest Mother was silent for a moment, then softly intoned, “Amitabha. To meet is fate. The one who can unravel this mystery is you, not us.”

Yan Yu winced. Eldest Mother always spoke in riddles, leaving him half-guessing every time.

Fourth Mother, impatient, said, “Let’s talk about your marriage prospects instead! I hear your Aunt Liu has a daughter, Zhou Xiaowan. Her family background can’t compare to yours, but if you two fancy each other, I could accept her as your wife…”

“What? The signal’s bad… I’m losing you… I’ll hang up now! Goodbye, mothers!”

Yan Yu deliberately raised the phone higher and finally hung up, wiping cold sweat from his brow.

His five mothers each had distinct personalities: Eldest Mother was aloof and bookish, always chanting scriptures; Second Mother was formidable and martial, the source of Yan Yu’s own skills; Third Mother loved to manage things and was always on the phone; Fourth Mother was elegant and noble, like a princess; Fifth Mother—well, Yan Yu’s impression was simply that she was rich.

These five women, so different from one another, all lived at the nunnery and shared only one trait: their fierce doting on Yan Yu.

As their darling, Yan Yu had been cared for meticulously since childhood, albeit strictly, but any reasonable request he made was always granted. To his credit, he hadn’t become a spoiled child.

In their eyes, Yan Yu was meant to grow into a “holy man,” untouched by worldly vulgarity.

That was, until his master Lin Xuan entered the nunnery, whisked him away for a few days, and set him on a path of no return…

On another note, Fourth Mother was determined to find him a good wife, but Yan Yu’s master had always instilled in him the belief that a true man’s ambitions should reach far and wide, passing through fields of flowers without so much as a leaf clinging to him. He had no desire to marry young.

He did wonder, though, why his master insisted on sneaking into the nunnery every day to pester Eldest Mother, only to be chased out with brooms by all five mothers.

After that call, Yan Yu had reported his safety, but learned nothing from Eldest Mother.

He sighed. It seemed that to uncover the truth, he would have to keep investigating Zhao Qingqing’s story.

Big Black lay by the roadside, panting with his tongue lolling. Yan Yu crouched and patted its head.

“Big Black, you’ll stick with me from now on. I promise, if I ever have a piece of meat, you’ll always get… a bone.”

“Woof!” Big Black rolled his eyes as if to say, I just saw you pocket eight thousand from Master Cao!

Yan Yu looked him up and down. “You really are a good dog.”

Big Black was, as Li Kang had said, a purebred Tibetan Mastiff—but that wasn’t the real reason Yan Yu had chosen him.

He’d chosen Big Black because he was a black dog!

To investigate Zhao Qingqing’s case, Yan Yu would inevitably have to deal with all manner of ghosts and spirits—and the best weapon against such things was, of course, black dog’s blood.

Rather than searching for a black dog every time, Yan Yu decided to keep one himself, feeding him nourishing food so he’d always have a supply when needed.

Like keeping a dairy cow—so convenient! Heh heh heh.

The innocent Big Black thought he’d found a great owner, never suspecting Yan Yu’s true intentions.

“Hungry? Let’s get something to eat first!”

After a long day, dusk had settled in. Yan Yu bought some snacks from a street vendor to fill his belly, and, seeing that it was getting late, led Big Black toward Zhou Xiaowan’s villa.

From a distance, Yan Yu saw Zhou Xiaowan standing outside, glancing around as if waiting for someone.

“Xiaowan, are you waiting for me?” Yan Yu called as he approached.

Zhou Xiaowan shot him a glare. “My mother told me to bring you along. If I went home alone, she’d nag me again.”

“So that’s all? I thought…”

“There’s nothing to think!” Zhou Xiaowan cut him off. “Where did you go with Master Cao?”

Yan Yu considered for a moment. “Master Cao said I have potential and wanted me to become his disciple. I agreed.”

“Really?!” Zhou Xiaowan’s eyes lit up. “What else did he say?”

“He also said that, although he seriously injured Zhao Qingqing this time, she might not be done with you all yet.”

Zhou Xiaowan turned pale at once, so much so that she had to lean against the wall to steady herself.

At that moment, her father, Zhou Lide, came out of the villa. Seeing Yan Yu with a massive black dog in tow, his expression darkened.

“Yan Yu, it’s trouble enough for us to take you in—don’t tell me you want to bring a dog as well? This isn’t a charity, let alone a shelter for strays!”