Chapter 20: Testing a Taoist with This? (Thanks to the Patron, Rice of Rice)

Li Wanyin was stunned, for this was the first time she so directly felt how profoundly a hairstyle could transform a boy’s appearance.

Of course, Chen Shian had been handsome enough before cutting his hair, though his image and temperament were entirely different. Back then, he wore his hair in a traditional bun, exuding an ancient charm—a scholarly, composed, and gentle aura. Now, with his hair cut short, he radiated a youthful, bright energy, looking fresh and spirited.

The contrast was striking, a real eye-opener.

Not only Li Wanyin, even the black cat nearly failed to recognize him. It stared at Chen Shian for a long moment, circled him once, twitched its nose to sniff, and finally confirmed that this “halfway stranger” was indeed Chen Shian.

Chen Shian felt a bit uneasy under their scrutiny, touching his face and muttering, “What’s the matter? It’s just a haircut—how could you not recognize me?”

“Because the change is really so remarkable!” Li Wanyin replied with a laugh.

“Meow,” the black cat chimed in, as if in agreement.

“Did I cut it badly?” he asked.

“No, not at all! I think you look especially good!” she replied.

Though Chen Shian was still a little brother, he was undeniably a strikingly handsome young man. Li Wanyin realized she’d been staring at him for quite a while and felt slightly embarrassed. She quickly changed the subject, helping him carry the newly bought household supplies inside.

“It’s all right, Wanyin, I can handle it myself.”

“You bought so much stuff.”

“Yes, they’re all things I’ll need day to day.”

“Oh, you even bought oil, rice, soy sauce, and vinegar—I still have some in the kitchen…”

“We’ll use them eventually. If you run out, you can use mine too.”

“In that case, when we have time, we can cook together,” Li Wanyin smiled. “Cooking for one is always a hassle, but for two, it’s just right. I know how to cook—next time I’ll let you taste my skills.”

“Then I won’t hold back,” Chen Shian said.

“Haha, honestly, I don’t cook anything too special—just don’t be picky…”

“I might complain only if you make too little and it’s not enough to eat,” he joked.

Li Wanyin was pleased by his words, thinking to herself that this young Taoist must have learned the arts of charming people on the mountain. His words were so sweet, and he was handsome and young—if he went to the street to tell fortunes, every young girl would surely fall for him.

The washing machine finished its cycle, the music alert sounded, and Li Wanyin took a bucket to hang the freshly washed clothes to dry.

She always hand-washed her undergarments daily, while regular clothes she accumulated for two or three days before washing them together in the machine. Frugality was in her bones—running the machine for just a couple of items seemed wasteful.

She hadn’t mentioned these details to Chen Shian, but he noticed them. He thought it best to hand-wash his own underclothes from now on; as the washing machine was a shared appliance, he ought to be considerate.

Now, under the same roof, the living room glowed warm and bright, the cat lazed on the sofa, Chen Shian tidied his things, and Li Wanyin hung clothes on the balcony.

Sometimes Chen Shian would glance up at her, watching the way she hung laundry—a moment of tranquil domesticity.

Though this was his home too, Chen Shian often felt as if he’d stumbled into someone else’s life, peering into their world. The scene was so different from the mountain—he seemed to adapt well, but still needed time to truly settle.

If nothing else, the old man he’d lived with was now replaced by a gentle, beautiful young woman; the Taoist robes hanging on the drying rack had become delicate, feminine garments. How could this compare to life on the mountain!

Chen Shian wasn’t a lecherous Taoist—just a curious one. He’d seen plenty of rogues; not looking would hardly make him less of a man. After a couple of glances, he withdrew his gaze.

Li Wanyin finished drying the clothes; Chen Shian had finished unpacking.

Like her, he changed into house slippers.

“Shian, I’ve already bathed. The water heater still has hot water, so you can shower whenever.”

“It’s fine, no rush. I usually bathe in cold water.”

“Even in winter?”

“Well, not always. We have a big cauldron at the temple—boiling a pot of hot water is enough for me and my master.”

“Boiling water for a bath—I remember doing that as a child too.”

“Do you like tending the fire, Wanyin?”

“Oh? How did you know?”

Li Wanyin recalled her childhood. “I really loved it, especially in winter—sitting by the stove, warming myself, so comfortable. But our pot wasn’t very big. For the whole family, we had to refill it several times.”

---

“Did you ever toss a sweet potato into the fire, Wanyin?” Chen Shian asked with a smile.

“You know about that too?”

“Haha, because I’ve done it myself.”

This shared childhood memory made Li Wanyin feel closer to Chen Shian. In high school and college, she’d lived in the city, surrounded by classmates who’d grown up with hot water heaters at home. Telling them about such childhood pleasures, they could hardly relate—instead, they’d be surprised her family didn’t have a water heater.

“I thought that since you trained as a Taoist from young, your childhood must have been different…”

“Except for not attending school, it was mostly the same.”

Li Wanyin caught the key detail and stared, “Shian, you—you never went to school?”

“No, only a few days of elementary school. So now I’ve transferred into second year of high school to catch up.”

“…”

Chen Shian spoke lightly, but Li Wanyin found it impossible to remain calm. Never mind how he could transfer directly to the second year of high school, or why he would—missing so many years of schooling, could he really catch up?

Visible concern appeared on her face, the kind reserved for younger siblings. She didn’t say much, only offered heartfelt encouragement: “Shian, you’ll have a heavy workload… but I believe in you. Keep at it!”

Chen Shian blinked, smiled, and nodded, “All right.”

As they spoke, Chen Shian took out the half watermelon he’d bought and sliced it into several pieces.

“Wanyin, I bought watermelon. Let’s eat together.”

“No need, really, you enjoy it.” Li Wanyin waved her hand almost reflexively, but Chen Shian, as if having anticipated her desire, handed her the biggest slice.

“Eat.”

“…Thank you, Shian.”

“No need to thank me, Wanyin. I can’t finish it alone. How is it, sweet enough?”

“Mm, very sweet—you’re good at picking fruit…”

Li Wanyin ate very delicately, holding the slice in her right hand, cupping her left underneath to catch the seeds. The watermelon was juicy, but she didn’t let a drop fall to the floor.

“This is my first watermelon this year,” she said, her big eyes smiling sweetly.

“What a coincidence, mine too.”

They sat together on the sofa eating watermelon. Chen Shian asked, “Wanyin, were your grades good in school? Uncle Lin said you just graduated this year?”

Li Wanyin nodded. “Yes, I graduated in June. But I wasn’t very strong academically—I only attended a vocational college.”

“A vocational college?”

“Yes.”

Her voice grew softer, but the sweetness of the watermelon balanced some of its bitterness. “During my senior year, my parents had a car accident. My father passed away, my mother was in the hospital with no one to care for her, and my little sister was still young. I took half a year off to look after them. When I returned to school, I struggled to keep up—my college entrance exam only got me into a third-tier school, the tuition was expensive, so I opted for a vocational college…”

Though her tone was calm, Chen Shian could imagine the darkness she’d endured that year.

“How is Auntie’s health now?”

“She’s recovered well, though she can’t do heavy work. She found a handicraft job at a small factory in town, so we make do.”

After finishing the watermelon, the gloom on Li Wanyin’s face vanished, as if her earlier melancholy had been a mere illusion. She grew lively again, saying, “My plan is simple now—find a job quickly, and… save two hundred thousand!”

“You’re planning to save that much?”

“Yes.”

“What will you do with it when you’ve saved it?”

“Hehe, haven’t decided yet~ but saving money is never wrong. My mom doesn’t earn much, and my sister’s schooling costs money.”

When she spoke of her sister, a look of pride shone on her face. “My sister is so sensible—she studies much better than I did, and her grades are the best in school. Next year she’ll take the entrance exam for high school, and her teachers say she can get into the best school in the province.”

“So I, as the older sister, have to work hard. My mom’s health isn’t good, and my sister is at a critical stage—don’t want them worrying.”

---

Chen Shian and the cat listened in silence, gazing at this elder sister whose vibrant life force seemed ready to overflow. Neither could find words for a moment.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Don’t you believe me?” Li Wanyin asked with a smile.

Chen Shian came back to himself, smiling, “No, of course I believe you, Wanyin. I only feel a bit envious of your sister, having such a wonderful sister.”

“I envy you too!”

“Envy me?”

“Yes. Living in seclusion on the mountain sounds so appealing—no worries, no pressure. I used to wonder why people would want to hide away in the mountains, but now I understand. When I have money, I want to find a mountain, build a little house, raise chickens, grow vegetables, and live carefree.”

Chen Shian laughed, “Then you might be disappointed, Wanyin. Being a Taoist has its troubles, too—I’m down here studying, aren’t I?”

“Haha, I’m sure school won’t defeat you. You’re as smart as my sister!”

“That’s a high compliment.”

Li Wanyin thought of something and took out her phone. “Shian, let’s add each other on WeChat—that way we can keep in touch.”

“WeChat? Wait a moment, Wanyin, I’ll download it.”

“…You don’t have WeChat?”

“No, I rarely need to contact anyone.”

“You haven’t connected to the WiFi, have you? Shian, connect to the house WiFi—it’ll save your data.”

“WiFi?”

Chen Shian realized what she meant. “Oh, you have internet? Then when we split the rent, we’ll include the internet fee.”

“No need, the network was set up by Uncle Lin, and he included it in the rent. Search for it—the name is 901, password is lwy0709… click here, here.”

Chen Shian knew how to use his phone, but was clearly less adept than Li Wanyin. Watching him fumble like an old man, the gentle sister leaned close, pointing at his screen to help.

They sat close together.

Though not much older than Chen Shian, Li Wanyin was already a graceful young woman. Fresh from her bath, she carried the subtle fragrance of shower gel and shampoo. Chen Shian’s gaze drifted to her profile; as she spoke, the vibration of her voice sent that faint scent from her pale neck wafting toward him, lingering at his nose…

It was an indescribable fragrance—its owner warm and unaffected, yet the scent itself soft and elusive, gently tugging at the young Taoist’s heart.

For a moment, Chen Shian was tempted to lean in close and breathe in that scent…

Such fleeting, reckless thoughts made his spiritual resolve falter, like losing gravity.

Steady, steady now! Steady!

Thankfully, eighteen years of ascetic practice had not been wasted; in a flash, his eyes regained their clarity.

That was close…

No wonder his master warned him to be careful while experiencing the world—was this a test of his resolve?

He nearly stumbled!

“All done, it’s installed. You just need to register and log in,” said Li Wanyin.

“…All right, thank you, Wanyin.”

Luckily, Li Wanyin hadn’t noticed his momentary distraction, thinking only that he was slow to react.

Uncle Lin was right—Shian truly was an upright, trustworthy, exemplary young Taoist…

.

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(Thanks to Rice for being the alliance leader! Boss, you're generous! Boss, may you prosper! I love the little fishing village the most (*σ´∀`)σ)