The fried pastry shop on the back street of Shouyi Temple rarely had a line. Bai Xiangwang bought three—two for Bai Xianxian and one for himself.
The two sat on the steps at the back gate of the temple, munching on the crispy pastries. Bai Xiangwang sprinkled crumbs from his pastry to the birds nearby and asked, "So, what kind of new job are you planning to look for?"
Bai Xianxian ate without much appetite. "I'll just look around for now. Hit up a few job fairs."
Bai Xiangwang patted her listless head. "No rush. Worst case, your dad can support you."
Bai Xianxian burst out laughing. "With that little subsidy salary of yours? You'd barely support yourself."
In the early years, Bai Xiangwang hadn't received the Official Talisman Registry. The Private Talisman Registry that the Bai family held wasn't recognized by most people, making it hard to get business. They only had some subsidies from living at the temple, which barely covered the daily expenses of the father and daughter after everything was accounted for. Back then, Bai Xianxian's college tuition was paid by the Elders.
The Talisman Certification Plate was essentially a Taoist's certification credential—only ordained Taoists could ascend the altar to perform rituals. Ordinations from folk sects counted as Private Talisman Registry, while only those certified by the Taoist Association were considered Official Talisman Registry.
Two years ago, on the recommendation of the abbot of Shouyi Temple, Bai Xiangwang was "recommended" for an official ordination slot and formally received his ordination at the Celestial Master's Mansion on Mount Longhu. That day, Bai Xiangwang video-called her, tears of joy streaming down his aged face.
Bai Xianxian deeply understood her father's feelings.
The Bai family followed the lineage of the Celestial Masters. The main deity enshrined on their family's Ritual Altar was the Ancestral Celestial Master, Zhang Daoling. But the Ancestral Celestial Master had three thousand disciples, and not all of them were recorded in the registers. Moreover, the Bai family had declined for a hundred years and had long been forgotten by the world. Being ordained at Mount Longhu, the orthodox seat of the Celestial Masters, was the greatest recognition for both the Bai family and her father personally.
Bai Xiangwang straightened his back. "I've taken on several ritual events this year, you know. The clients specifically requested me by name."
Bai Xianxian gave her routine dad-praise. "Impressive, impressive! Worthy of the title, Daoist Bai!"
After the two finished their pastries, Bai Xiangwang pointed at the bag of medicine. "Still sending it?"
Bai Xianxian paused for a moment, then picked up the bag. "No, I'll take it back and give it to the First Elder myself."
Bai Xiangwang wore a look of kindly relief. Just as she was about to leave, he called out to her again. "Xianxian." Bai Xianxian turned around and heard her father say, "Do what you want to do. Don't carry any burdens."
Bai Xianxian sniffled, touched. "I know, Dad."
A young man riding a little blue bike passed by and gave them a strange look, muttering as he pedaled, "Taoists have daughters?"
Bai Xianxian: "…"
She didn't go to the job fair that afternoon. Bai Xianxian went home and packed up, then set out early the next morning.
In recent years, the high-speed rail in Yunchang City had expanded in all directions, and returning to the Bai family home no longer required an eight-hour bus ride. Three and a half hours later, Bai Xianxian arrived at Song County, then took a half-hour bus ride to Bai Town.
The town was much newer than she remembered, and the streets had been widened considerably, though the overall layout hadn't changed much. After all, this area wasn't in the government's planning zone, so it hadn't developed much over the years.
Further ahead, the road led into the mountains. In the past, people used oxcarts to get in and out. Bai Xianxian looked around with her backpack on, noticing that the mountain road seemed to have been repaired—no longer as bumpy as before. A few old Chongqing 80 motorcycles were parked under the utility poles nearby, and the riders waved at her when they saw her looking around with her luggage.
"Need a motorcycle ride? Ten yuan to go into the mountains."
It was much more convenient than before.
Bai Xianxian was about to head over when a courier in a red work uniform and helmet sped past her on an electric tricycle, then screeched to a halt up ahead.
The electric tricycle sputtered back to her, and a familiar voice came from under the helmet. "Xianxian?"
Bai Xianxian was even more shocked. "Third… Third Elder?!"
The person on the tricycle took off his helmet, revealing a face she hadn't seen in a long time.
Four years had passed. The Third Elder she remembered—a transcendent Taoist in a purple ritual robe—had become an old man in a dirty work uniform delivering packages. His complexion, however, was still excellent—ruddy and full of vigor, like a model worker of the courier industry.
The Second Elder hadn't lied to her. The Third Elder really was delivering packages!
The esteemed Third Elder of the Bai family, once a divine Taoist master treated as an honored guest by all the surrounding villages, was now delivering packages!
Bai Xianxian was momentarily speechless.
The Third Elder, on the other hand, was delighted to see her. He raised his rough hand and ruffled her hair. "You brat! About time you came back!" He took her bags and tossed them into the back compartment of the tricycle. "Sit in the back. I've got two more packages to deliver and then I'm done. Third Elder will take you home!"
Bai Xianxian scrambled onto the tricycle piled with cardboard boxes.
The electric tricycle shuddered twice, then continued sputtering forward.
Among the three Elders, the First Elder was rigid, the Second Elder gentle, and the Third Elder hot-tempered. Bai Xianxian had been scolded by him plenty as a child. And yet this man, who would even hit himself when angry, had taken up a service job that required a constant smile.
Bai Xianxian crouched in the tricycle compartment, the more she thought about it, the sadder she felt, her eyes turning red with unshed tears.
The electric tricycle stopped in front of a two-story building, and Bai Xianxian heard the Third Elder shout in his booming voice, "Package delivery!"
A middle-aged woman with tight curly hair came out looking quite displeased. "I saw on my phone that it arrived this morning—why are you only delivering it now? This town is tiny; even walking, you should've finished delivering ages ago!"
Third Elder tossed the box to her. "If you're in such a hurry, go pick it up at the courier station yourself."
The woman planted her hands on her hips. "What do you mean by that? What kind of attitude is that? Do you believe I'll file a complaint against you!"
Third Elder: "Go ahead and complain! I'm the only courier in this town anyway—even if you complain, I'll still be the one delivering! The more you complain, the later I'll deliver. If you've got the ability, come get it yourself!"
Even after the electric tricycle had driven off, Bai Xianxian, crouched in the cargo bed, could still hear the woman cursing at the top of her lungs.
She silently wiped away the tears welling in her eyes.
She had overstepped.
Elders were still elders.
After finishing the deliveries, Third Elder drove the sputtering electric tricycle to the vegetable market. He parked by the roadside, greeted an acquaintance to keep an eye on the vehicle, and led Bai Xianxian inside.
Beaming, he said, "Grab whatever you want to eat!"
Bai Xianxian glanced around. "Nothing really appeals to me. Third Elder, why don't we head back first?"
Third Elder tore off a plastic bag from a fruit stall and started picking out fresh, plump strawberries. "What's the hurry? It's not easy getting out of the mountains once we're back—let's stock up on plenty of what you like."
The stall owner called out from inside, "Strawberries are twenty yuan a catty."
Third Elder shot him a glare. "So what if they're twenty a catty? Can't I afford them?"
The owner: "…I was just letting you know."
In the end, Third Elder bagged at least one of every fruit on the stall before stopping, then led her further in. "Let's buy a fish too—tonight I'll have your Second Elder make you braised fish."
Though mobile payments had long become widespread, in this poor, remote little town, people still preferred cash. Bai Xianxian watched him pull crumpled bills from his work uniform, looking like hard-earned money saved one yuan at a time—enough to bring tears to anyone's eyes.
She tried to pay, but Third Elder wouldn't let her. He glared with raised brows, and Bai Xianxian immediately caved. "You go ahead, you go ahead!"
When they came out of the market, all four of Third Elder's pockets were empty, but he looked even happier. He arranged the goods in the tricycle, then used an empty cardboard box to build a little seat for Bai Xianxian in the middle before setting off at breakneck speed toward the mountains.
The town had no traffic lights. As they crossed a road, a few BMWs swaggered past the tricycle, blaring their horns deafeningly, which made Third Elder bristle with fury. "What's the rush! Don't you know to yield to pedestrians?"
Bai Xianxian thought Third Elder was surprisingly modern—he even knew about yielding to pedestrians…
Such a convoy of luxury cars was a rare sight in this town. Sitting in the cargo bed, Bai Xianxian curiously observed them and overheard passersby murmuring, "That's Old Lady Zhang's family, isn't it?"
"Exactly. Made money in the big city, hadn't come back in over a decade. Now that the old lady's passed, they're putting on a grand funeral. Didn't show filial piety while she was alive—what's the use of all this pretense after death?"
"There's more to it than meets the eye. You really think those unfilial sons came back to handle the old lady's affairs?" One person sneered with contempt. "This place is far from any authority, and the eldest son is an official. Under the guise of a funeral, who knows what shady deals they're cooking up behind closed doors. Little Sun said yesterday he saw a woman from the city delivering a gift of money to the eldest son."
He said with exaggerated drama, "In a box!"
The others clicked their tongues in disbelief.
Bai Xianxian didn't catch much more before the electric tricycle continued on its way.
Though the mountain road had been paved, it was still rough, and the tricycle rattled and clattered over it, making Bai Xianxian feel like her bones were about to shake apart.
At first, scattered villages appeared along the way, but the deeper they went, the more desolate it became.
Years ago, when the government drew up development plans, this area happened to fall outside the designated zones. Other towns and villages had developed accordingly, but this region grew increasingly barren. More and more people moved away, until now, besides the Bai family rooted here, only a dozen or so households remained.
The Bai family's stronghold sat on the mountainside.
Bai Xianxian had heard the elders mention before that this location—flowing water in front, high backing behind, mountains embracing on three sides with an open bright courtyard—was an exceptionally auspicious feng shui site. The Bai ancestors had chosen this place to establish their legacy precisely for that reason.
The tricycle sputtered all the way to the courtyard in front of the old house.
These days, besides the three elders, only a few uncles and aunts of the older generation remained at the Bai estate. Those of her own generation had been judged by the elders as lacking talent when they were young and had long since lived ordinary lives, likely not even knowing what the Bai family truly did.
Under the eaves of the main hall sat an old man smoking a water pipe. His face was stern and imposing, with two deep nasolabial folds adding to his severity. The moment he saw Bai Xianxian in the cargo bed, his anger flared. "What are you doing back here?! Go live your ordinary life as an ordinary person—you're not welcome here!"
Third Elder pulled Bai Xianxian, who was cowering behind him, forward. "The child came back to deliver medicine for you—what kind of talk is that?"
He gave the back of her head a light pat. "Xianxian, apologize to First Elder."
Bai Xianxian immediately complied: "I'm sorry, First Elder, I was wrong! I shouldn't have said those things. Please don't be angry—don't let it ruin your health. I'd be worried about you."
First Elder snorted, tapped his water pipe against the ground, ignored her, and turned to storm back inside.
Bai Xianxian: "QAQ"
Third Elder comforted her: "He's just stubborn like that. He didn't really mean to drive you away. He's probably secretly smiling in his room right now."
Bai Xianxian nodded, then asked, "Where's Second Elder?"
Third Elder said, "When I left this morning, he said he wanted to finish planting the pumpkin patch on the back mountain today. He should still be up there now." He led Bai Xianxian inside to wash her hands. "Come on, let's go to the Ritual Altar first to offer incense to the Ancestor."