“Of course I can go. Since I have climbed so many times, it’s impossible to lose to a child!” Seeing that Qin Wanru was far ahead, the great elder princess put aside her worries just now and went up a step without admit defeating.
Qin Wanru was still climbing up the mountain step by step. However, Shui Ruolan had already lost her strength, so she stood in the middle to rest. Only she continued to go up with Yujie.
Yujie originally grew up in the mountains. Although she was tired, she could still bear it. Qin Wanru’s body was not as strong as hers. At this time, her face was pale, and even her lips, which had always been tender, were pallid. But she continued to climb up.
“Miss, do you want to stop for a rest?” Yujie could see that she was almost spent, so she wanted to give her a hand.
Qin Wanru shook her hand away. She hardly even had the strength to speak now. She just went up the mountain with all her efforts. Only when she went higher could she attract the attention of Rui’an great elder princess.
In her last life, she had suffered a lot and her life was dark and full of despair. So, on this road to examine her conscience, she climbed up the mountain desperately, trying to express her devotion to Buddha, in order to achieve a turning point in her destiny.
This attracted the attention of Rui’an great elder princess, who said frankly that she liked her persistence.
She was reborn in this life, so she could never lose to the last life!
Her breathing was getting heavier and heavier, and between the heavy breaths, Qin Wanru almost felt a dry odor in her throat, but she gritted her teeth and tried hard again. She did not look back to see how many steps she had taken, nor did she look up to see how many steps she still had to go. She climbed up one step at a time with tenacity.
“Well, the girl is still walking!” When Nanny Gao accompanied Rui’an great elder princess to stand still and rest, she looked up at Qin Wanru, who was still going up, and was surprised.
Rui’an great elder princess wiped the sweat from her head and squinted. Although she was old, she often came to climb mountains. Her body was superior to that of average young people, especially the madams and ladies from noble families, who could hardly beat her.
But the girl who used to be like a porcelain doll was still climbing and had never stopped, which attracted her attention. This girl’s resilience really amazed her, and she also had a familiar fondness of her.
“Ask which family she is from later!” Rui’an great elder princess couldn’t help saying that at such a young age, she could persevere in doing something with resilience!
“Yes, great elder princess!” Nanny Gao also wiped the sweat from her head.
“Let’s go up. We can’t really lose to a little girl!” Rui’an great elder princess laughed. She adjusted her breathing and continued to climb up.
When passing by Shui Ruolan, she glanced at her intentionally, and found that Shui Ruolan was actually not young. She was at least about 25 years old. And she should be the mother of the girl above.
Kindly smiling at her, Rui’an great elder princess continued to climb up.
Shui Ruolan’s body was not very good. She used to live quietly in the backyard of the Qin’s mansion. She didn’t even see an idle person on weekdays. How could she exercise? At this time, she had to stop after being exhausted walking. When she saw an old woman passing by and smiling at her kindly, she gently returned a salute to Rui’an great elder princess with a smile.
That kind of gentle and benevolent performance left a good impression on Rui’an great elder princess.
The mother and daughter were well-versed in knowledge and courtesy.
Qin Wanru seemed to be standing unsteadily near the last step. She slipped and almost fell down.
Yujie wanted to hold her, but she was too tired now. Although she could still hold her feet steady, her footsteps were too weak and her reaction was too slow. She only had time to hold onto Qin Wanru’s hand. She saw Qin Wanru’s face change. Her lips were like snow, and her body was tilted to the edge. She immediately knew it was terrible, so she stretched out her other hand and hugged Qin Wanru.
“Miss, what happened to you?”
Qin Wanru held Yujie’s hand, panting hard. Her palm-sized face was as white as snow!
She couldn’t bring herself back down to earth for a long time.
“I… it seems that I’ve twisted my ankle… Twisted!” Qin Wanru was panting, forcing the bloody smell to go in her throat. The sweat on her face was falling down drop by drop, as if it were a hot summer day at this time.
She seemed to be floating!
“Miss, let me carry you up!” Looking at the end of the journey that was not far away, Yujie squatted in front of Qin Wanru.
“You don’t have to carry me… I… will go up!” Qin Wanru shook her head.
“But you have hurt your foot, how can you go up!” Yujie said with worry.
“It doesn’t matter… I… can take a break.” Qin Wanru shook her head firmly, gasped, and closed her eyes, feeling giddy.
She was really physically exhausted today, which made her listless and almost unwilling to move again.
She bent down, reached out, and pinched her ankle. Although it hurt a little, it was not very severe. It did not seem to be seriously injured.
“Wait… wait a minute, and I will go up!” Qin Wanru stood up straight and insisted.
Yujie saw that she was still so persistent, but helplessly supported her to stand on the side of a big stone. There was a smooth place on the big stone beside the steps. In the past, many people must have come here to rest and sit.
Holding Qin Wanru sitting in that smooth place, Yujie squatted down and tried to help Qin Wanru check her ankles, but Qin Wanru waved her hand to stop.
“Wait… After we arrive at the top of the mountain, people… people are hurrying to and fro here… It… it broke the etiquette!” Qin Wanru slightly slowed down, wiped the sweat from her face with a handkerchief, and shook her head.
There were many requirements for women in noble families in terms of etiquette. How could she check her ankles in a place where people came and went?
“What’s wrong, Miss? Can I help you?” Nanny Gao helped Rui’an great elder princess to this step at last. She looked at Qin Wanru, who was supported by a maid and looked as white as snow. Rui’an great elder princess signaled Nanny Gao to come and ask. She didn’t look very good after climbing up such long steps in a short time.
“Thank you… Nanny… I am fine!” Qin Wanru shook her head with a smile.
Looking down at Qin Wanru’s feet slightly standing on tiptoes, Nanny Gao asked with concern, “What happened to Miss’s feet?”
“Her ankle was inadvertently… twisted!” Qin Wanru bit her cherry lip for a while that hadn’t yet recovered, with a little childish shyness.
“You continued to climb with a twisted ankle. Good girl!” Rui’an great elder princess walked over with pity, and was inexplicably fond of the girl in front of her.
Whether her delicate face, stubborn temperament that refused to be defeated, or her resilience, they all reminded her of a person in her memory. She felt her heart become soft, so she asked with concern.
“Thank you, Old Grandma. I… I am fine!” Qin Wanru smiled, stretched out her hand to the stone on one side and tried to get up to salute her.
“Since you have been hurt, there is no need to salute. No more etiquette!” Looking at her sweaty hair and pale face, Rui’an great elder princess felt more and more pity for her. She reached out and said, “How can you go on like this? Let someone carry you up. There are only a few steps left anyway!”
“Thank you for your concern, Old Grandma. I heard that this road is meant to examine one’s conscience in Buddhism. I can finish it because I want to finish it by myself!” Qin Wanru smiled shyly, and looked childlike. Her sweaty face was somewhat pale.
“Well, I will walk with you today!” Rui’an great elder princess smiled and offered her a hand.
There were not many steps left. But in fact, most people climbed to the point where Qin Wanru went, but they would not climb the last steps. Even if they were only a few steps, they would also feel that it was as difficult as ascending into the sky.
Lack of psychological endurance would lead to inertia.
When Qin Wanru stood on the steps and saw the magnificent temple, she breathed out a deep turbid breath. Yujie helped her sit down on the stone stool beside her and wait for Shui Ruolan to come up.
Nanny Gao also supported Rui’an great elder princess to sit opposite Qin Wanru. She had to be very old, so she was panting. There was actually tea on the stone table. Yujie poured two cups for them, and it was still hot.
“Which family are you from? Why haven’t I met you before?” Rui’an great elder princess took a sip of tea and slowed down her breathing before she asked with a smile.
“My father is Ningyuan Army General who just went to Beijing to report on his work,” Qin Wanru said with a smile.
Her complexion was very white, as transparent as snow, which also helped her recover right now. Her snow-like face also reflected pink. A pair of big eyes were under the long eyelashes, which appeared clean and soft. Her red lips added more beautiful vitality for her, but she felt like she herself was like snow.
If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, Rui’an great elder princess could hardly believe that such a beautiful girl with pink make-up could have been so resilient.
“It’s true that you are a daughter of the general!” Although Rui’an great elder princess was not familiar with Ningyuan Army General, that did not prevent her from being fond of the daughter of the general and sincerely praising her.
Rui’an great elder princess had also married a military commander. Compared with the crooked civil officials, she thought that the former would be more straightforward and look more pleasing to the eye.
“Old Madam, you flatter me!” Qin Wanru bowed her head slightly and laughed with some embarrassment.
“When did you arrive in Beijing?” Rui’an great elder princess asked and looked at Qin Wanru in a good mood.
“I… arrived yesterday. I heard the reputation of this Huaguang Temple, so I came here in the early morning with my mother.” Qin Wanru did not hide, and she looked up to answer bluntly.
Her generous, gentle, and quiet behavior was very likable.
“Is the one below your mother, the wife of the Ningyuan Army General?” asked Rui’an great elder princess.
“It is my mother, but she is my father’s concubine and my father’s cousin.” Qin Wanru biting her lips, hesitated for a moment, what she said was somewhat vague.
“Your father’s cousin?” Rui’an great elder princess intuitively felt something was hiding in it, and deliberately asked again.
“He married her to take care of me. I… was naughty, so my father didn’t trust me!” What Qin Wanru said became more and more vague. She seemed a little uneasy when speaking. She twisted her handkerchief in her fingers several times, but put it down again, which indicated that she did not know how to word it.
Rui’an great elder princess had gone through so many things that she had understood that there must be some faults in it, so she did not ask any more questions. Now she asked, “In a few days, I’m going to host a banquet at my mansion. How about sending an invitation for you to come over and have fun?”
“You are?” Qin Wanru raised her watery eyes, and asked confusedly.
“Our master is Rui’an great elder princess!” Nanny Gao stood out from behind Rui’an great elder princess and laughed.