Repudiating a Good Wife Is Out of the Question

82. Buddha’s Guidance

Translator: Sissy That Walk

In Pear Fragrance Hall.

Big Second Madam hadn’t seen Cao Mo for too long, she asked Lady Lu with concern, “Good girl, tell me where Mo is.”

Lady Lu put on an act and replied, “Haven’t you heard yet, madam? The maids said Mo got mad that Yi was drunk, somehow they bickered over nothing, Mo felt wronged and ran away, he had gone for a couple of hours now. But please don’t worry, we’ve sent people to look for Mo already, I’m sure he will be back soon.”

Big Second Madam looked more worried, “This is ridiculous, the Young Madam of Marquis Valour Manor is missing now, where are his servants? Why haven’t they followed their Young Madam!”

Lady Lu frowned and cursed Big Second Madam in the heart, ‘What an annoying old biddy! Mo isn’t your daughter, go home and mind your own business already!’

But Lady Lu dared not to show how displeased she was, she put on a fake smile and replied, “That’s so true, madam. But Mo has always been different, he has his own way of ordering people around, no one dared to disobey him, probably he has forbidden his servants to follow him when he left the manor.”

Big Second Madam didn’t appreciate Lady Lu’s tone or the word choices, but she wasn’t sure whether Lady Lu has something to do with Cao Mo’s missing, Big Second Madam just sighed and said, “Poor Mo, I don’t know what has become of him, I hope everything is fine. You see, he has worked so hard for the Spring Festival events, but now he is missing, and it looks like someone else is going to take credit for all his hard work.”

Lady Lu cursed in her hear again, ‘shut your piehole, you old biddy!’

… …

Somewhere in the west of the city.

The carriage of Lu Manor parked at the gate of a house.

Cao Mo was dragged out from the carriage, he stared at the gate nervously and a middle-aged man with a goatee walked in after him.

The middle-aged man smiled at Cao Mo and said, “I’m sorry about this, Young Madam, but please rest assured, you are safe with us.”

“Who are you? What do you want from me?” Cao Mo took a few steps back subconsciously.

The middle-aged man pointed at a chair and said, “Young Madam, please take a seat and we will talk over a cup of tea.”

Cao Mo sneered, “Hmm, let’s see, you have abducted me here, and now you are expecting me to have a hearty talk with you over a cup of tea, haha, isn’t that interesting?”

The middle-aged man laughed, “Young Madam, you surely deserve the reputation you enjoy, you are indeed something else. I won’t beat around the bush then, all I want from you is the last procedure of making mirrors, silver plating. Just tell me how to do it, and I will escort you back home.”

Cao Mo burst into laughter, “What have you taken me for? You will escort me back home after I tell you the secret you want to know instead of silencing me?”

“Young Madam, you need to believe me, money is all I’m up for! Plus I know how much the Young Master cherishes you, I’m sure he will hunt me down if I kill you. I’m a man of my word, I will escort you home and pay you five thousand taels of silver as long as you tell me how to do the silver plating.” the middle-aged man looked very serious.

Cao Mo nodded, “Sounds nice, come untie me already, my arms are killing me!”

The middle-aged man ordered his subordinates to come in and untie Cao Mo, Cao Mo stared at the door when the subordinates pushed the door open, he saw the outside looked like a workshop, there was clay in the yard, he had also smelt sulphur.

Cao Mo stretched his arms and said, “I don’t write, so… I will do the silver plating in front of you, you can take notes.”

The middle-aged man beamed with smiles, he had been worried Cao Mo might con him with wrong information till now, but Cao Mo offered to do the demonstration in front of him, it meant Cao Mo was sincere.

The man was so cheered up that he even ordered the subordinates to serve Cao Mo food.

Cao Mo noticed the food was rather coarse, even the servants in Xiao Manor ate better than this, thus Cao Mo knew they were in a humble adobe.

Cao Mo ate the food without complaining,  he thought Cao Mo would make a scene about the plain food, but Cao Mo didn’t say a word.

Cao Mo began to stretch and do yoga after eating, which rendered the man speechless.

“What are you doing?” the man asked, confused.

Cao Mo decided to be naughty, “I’m talking to the Buddha, you know, the secret to make mirrors is to get the Buddha’s guide, otherwise it can’t work.

The middle-aged man tried to learn the movements but Cao Mo said, “This isn’t something you can learn, it’s all about the Buddha’s guidance, the movements vary every time.”

The middle-aged man nodded in awe.

“You ask your people to grind saltpeter, sulphur and cinnabar. I need to take some rest first, wake me up when that’s done.” Cao Mo said to the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man was convinced that what Cao Mo said was true, it was all up to the Buddha’s guidance, otherwise Cao Mo wouldn’t be so calm as he was now.

What Cao Mo didn’t know was this middle-aged man’s name was Qian Fu, he worked for Lu Jianzhong. Cao Mo thought this was all Lady Lu’s doing, what she wanted was to have the power to manage the household back.

And Lu Jianzhong was actually hiding at the room right next to Cao Mo’s, Qian Fu went to report to Lu Jianzhong that Cao Mo was willing to do the demonstration when Cao Mo was asleep.

Lu Jianzhong found it too good to be true, “Is he playing with us?”

“I don’t think so, it looks like it’s all about the Buddha’s guidance, he did something strange before he went to sleep, like some strange movements and stretching.” Qian Fu had totally bought what Cao Mo said.

Qian Fu asked respectfully the next morning whether Cao Mo was ready to do the demonstration.

“Not so fast, let me do my stretching first, the Buddha will help me after I’m done.” Cao Mo was having so much fun teasing Qian Fu.

Cao Mo walked around the yard and observed the situation, he was confident that he was able to sneak out, but he decided to have some fun before he left, “You see, I will only demonstrate for you once, otherwise the Buddha will be mad at me, pick a smart kid to watch my demonstration.”