The teacher heard Puppy’s bold claim and gasped in shock, scalding his tongue. He glared at Puppy with indignation.
“You! How absurd! How dare you insult the wise ones like this! Do you even know the importance of a pri minister’s role? How dare you think you’re fit for it?
“Do you realize how much knowledge is required for such a position? You, who can’t even recite the basics of the Three Character Classic, dare to say such things?”
Puppy sneered. “What’s the big deal? If simpletons can be emperors, I can be a pri minister.”
While Puppy argued with the teacher, a frail-looking woman walked past the village entrance, looking exhausted.
She carried a basket from which a piece of lotus root peeked out from the covers. She spotted the gathering of villagers, then quickened her pace toward the village, almost colliding with three monkey children coming her way.
The monkey children, who had been brought by Yang Xiaohai, looked much better now. Although they still had so monkey-like mannerisms, they appeared more human and bowed respectfully to the woman.
Zhao Wu observed the scene and whispered to the others, “Did you hear? These new arrivals supposedly had the sa illness as Senior Li. They’re better now, so they were sent here.”
This comnt sparked a discussion about the newcors in Cowheart Village. These odd folks kept to themselves and rarely interacted with the villagers. They even occasionally burst into laughter while walking alone.
Puppy used his chopsticks to stop a monkey child from snatching a piece of braised pork from his bowl. He asked in disbelief, “Is Senior Li’s illness actually curable? That’s nonsense. I’ve never seen him get better.”
“Aren’t you just an accountant? How do you know anything? Did Chun Xiaoman from the White Lotus Sect write to tell you?”
At the ntion of Chun Xiaoman, Zhao Wu’s face darkened. “Mind your own business. Why are you so nosy?”
Puppy smirked smugly, holding his bowl close to himself.
An old, lone carriage appeared on the road into the village. It was pulled by an old horse. When they looked closer, they realized it was Lu Xiucai’s family carriage.
“Where’s Xiucai heading?”
“He’s probably off to take the imperial exams.”
Puppy defended his friend. “Stop talking nonsense. He’s been holed up at ho since returning, without studying, farming, or practicing martial arts. Who knows what’s wrong with him? I asked him about his hands and feet growing back, and he wouldn’t answer.”
“Maybe he’s possessed? Should we get soone to check?”
As Lu Xiucai approached the villagers, Puppy said, “Xiucai, where are you headed?”
Puppy noticed the Lu Family Troupe’s theater trunk in the carriage. Juan’er and Lu Xiucai’s eccentric father, Lu Zhuangyuan, were also in the carriage.
“Wow, bringing everyone? Are you moving out?”
Puppy joked, but a realization dawned on him, and his face grew serious. “You’re not actually moving away from Cowheart Village, are you?”
Lu Xiucai smiled silently and shook his head. “I’m just taking Juan’er and my father out for a bit. We’re also looking for my missing nephew, Lu Tongsheng.”
“You’ll never find him by yourself. You should ask Sister Bai. She’s the head of the White Lotus Sect now, overseeing the entire sect.”
Lu Xiucai’s face darkened as he rembered the grueso practices of the White Lotus followers and the sotis frenzied Bai Lingmiao.
“No need. She’s changed, and so has the White Lotus Sect. I don’t understand it, and I don’t want to. I’ve written to my master, so it’s out of my hands now.”
Lu Xiucai disregarded the others and continued down the path. Soon, the village disappeared from view.
His deranged father lay against the theater trunk, muttering disjointed theater lines.
“Father, you were right. We’re just traveling perforrs—simple commoners. The great affairs of the world don’t concern us.
“Now that the Dharma Sect is gone and we’ve avenged my brother and sister-in-law, we only need to mind our own business.
“Let the Emperor be, let the White Lotus Sect be. None of it matters to us. Let’s live our lives in peace.
“Father, rest assured. If Tongsheng wasn’t found, then he’s still out there. He is not dead. We’ll find him.
“When we do, I’ll teach him all about theater. We’ll revive the Lu Family Troupe and save up bit by bit to buy our own theater, without any handouts. Won’t that be nice?”
He glanced back, but Lu Zhuangyuan remained slumped and unresponsive. Juan’er stood up and carefully wiped his mouth with a cloth.
“Alright. Now it’s my turn to take charge,” Lu Xiucai said, leading the carriage forward.
Suddenly, familiar footsteps sounded behind them, overlapping with the horse’s trot.
A resentful female voice called out softly, “Xiucai, did you forget that you have a wife? Are you planning to leave behind?”
Lu Xiucai didn’t turn around. “The Lu Family Troupe is no longer around. The fields we split are all yours. You have everything you need. Live well here in Cowheart Village.
“I’m not much of a husband, and I was rarely around. I bought you long ago. The contract’s burned, and you’re free now.
“Xiucai! But I’m your wife!”
“I am a White Donkey. I swore to the Heavenly Mater never to marry, or she’ll never forgive .”
Lu Xiucai shut his eyes tightly, his expression conflicted. “Go back. You’re young, so find soone else. The theater troupe isn’t a place for won. I won’t let you suffer like my sister-in-law did.”
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