"Aaahhh!"
In a sudden, Hu Nayin felt a pain in the center of her chest. The pain was so intense that she must grip the center of her chest to relieve the pain.
"What's wrong, Ma'am Nayin?" Ma Ya - the youngest woman who recognized her for the first time - asked, her hands were still stir-frying the dishes for their breakfast. Since they were going to live permanently in this house, Wu Qi and Hu Nayin had become acquainted with the whole occupants.
Hu Nayin looked at Ma Ya. But she said nothing, and afterward, she kept bowing down again.
"Maybe you are lack of rest, and also stressed. Let bygones be bygones, don't be sad anymore!" Ma Ya continued.
"That's right! No need for you to be regretful of releasing such that husband! He's been cruel to you, why do you have to tire your heart for him?!" Bao Mei - the youngest girl - replied furiously.
Hu Nayin made no response. She just kept her head down. Indeed that was what she had been doing since yesterday. She was really downcast. While Wu Qi and the others were chatting enthusiastically and cheerfully as they got acquainted, she still remained silent. She seemed to be too sluggish to move, the reason why she could go to the dining room was because of being forced by Wu Qi. And the expression on her face kept unchanged - languid and gloomy.
And now another problem occurred - the pain in her chest appeared and disappeared uncontrollably.
"If you are still depressed like that, it will be dangerous for your pregnancy. You can get miscarriage," said Ma Ya again.
"Or maybe you want to abort it," Bao Mei uttered. "But I'm not surprised, though, if you want to. It would be very painful to see the child of that abusive husband for life. Especially if he is a boy and has the same face as his father's!"
"Sshh! Don't talk about it!" Ma Ya hissed. Bao Mei replied by sticking out her tongue.
Ma Ya and Bao Mei put the freshly cooked dishes on the dining table. "We are done!" Ma Ya wiped the sweat off her forehead, then shouted at the other three women who were helping them out. "Come on, get the others to eat!"
A moment later, the dining room was bustling with conversations while they had their meals.
"Yesterday you have not yet explained the activities we should do in this house? We certainly should conform to the rules of this house," Wu Qi asked Wang Yue, the most senior and most influential occupant of this house.
"Here the activities are not complicated. We only need to pray regularly in the morning and evening, the prayers are carried out according to the procedure which will be explained later. After that, you can do everything you want. Once a week we have a refresher about our practice as good Bai Lian Jiao disciples. But especially for the new members like you, you have to meet the Grandmaster at first."
"Grandmaster? Is there anyone more senior here?"
"No, he lives in his own house on Mount Tai Hang. I will bring you to meet him afterward. All new members must meet with him and attend the ordination ceremony to be Bai Lian Jiao members."
"Ordination... to be Bai Lian Jiao members?..."
"Bai Lian Jiao is a religion-based sect. All followers must go through an ordination ceremony."
"So, it's like accepting future monks in Buddhism?..."
Wang Yue nodded.
"Should... we follow it?..."
"Of course. It is the ordination that makes you officially become the members of Bai Lian Jiao. Through this ordination then your allegiance to Bai Lian Jiao is confirmed, because at that time you will have to take an oath of allegiance."
Wu Qi was stunned. Actually, he just wanted a place to live and then he would work for them, that was all. It was unexpected that in order to stay in this house he had to become a member of the Bai Lian Jiao and got officially ordained. After all, Wu Qi knew nothing about Bai Lian Jiao. He did not know their requirements, which turned out to be very hard to carry out since he did not want to be a member of Bai Lian Jiao for life, and he was sure that Hu Nayin would not either.
"I'm sorry, Brother Wang, but since I know nothing about Bai Lian Jiao, the information regarding the ordination is quite surprising to me, so please give us some time to think..."
Wang Yue's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You ask that question, it means you aren't really loyal to Bai Lian Jiao? You still have the tendency to return back to the government?"
"No... not like that! After all the government has put our names on their blacklist as most wanted criminals, there's no way we can return to them!... It's just that, what we really hope is just to be anonymous people, without titles and become nobody, so this..."
"Brother Wu Qi, why do you still hesitate? Or perhaps you consider our rules to be the same as the monastery? Well, then, I'll tell you. Becoming a Bai Lian Jiao member is not as hard as being a monk. You just take an oath of allegiance, that's all. After that, you are free to do anything you want. You can also marry and live as a household," Lin Chan, the second most influential person after Wang Yue, tried to persuade Wu Qi. Nevertheless, Wu Qi and Hu Nayin were former strong and influential people of Zhou Fan Wang Guo, he was sure that by getting them as followers it would provide significant support for the Bai Lian Jiao movement.
"No need to persuade him, Chan. Let him decide by himself. Bai Lian Jiao is a free sect that doesn't force anyone to join." Wang Yue said sternly. He looked at Wu Qi, eyes were sharp and calculating. "How is it, Mr. Wu Qi? You still want to think, or?..."
"Alright! I am willing to meet with the Grandmaster!" Wu Qi replied firmly.
Everyone soon beamed with his statement. "Great! I'm glad to hear that!" Wang Yue snapped his fingers, his face filled with satisfaction.
Wu Qi smiled slightly. After all, they had saved him and Hu Nayin last night. They just had to go by the ordination ceremony which turned out to be very simple, so why was he unwilling to do it and disappoint them all? Finding a savior who was willing to help when we were in trouble was not easy, so he must not let his savior be disappointed. He glanced at Hu Nayin, who was still keeping her head down gloomily. Stay strong, Wang Fei. It is only a temporary problem. But once we do it, I'm sure you'll be able to get away from all this gloom and you'll smile happily like before again.
"Well, we're all done eating. Please get ready, we will soon go to meet with the Grandmaster," Wang Yue instructed.