Having bid farewell to my parents and sisters, along with the four maids we had purchased who also left with them, the house seemed to have emptied by half. Mo Yan initially felt somewhat uncomfortable, but as household matters increased, she gradually stopped missing her two sisters.
One day, while Mo Yan was checking recent expenditures, Yuan Yue knocked and came in, saying, "Miss, there's a master at the gate claiming to be from Bao Hua Temple. He says he has important matters to discuss with you. Would you like to meet with him?"
"Bao Hua Temple?" Mo Yan set down her pen, slightly puzzled. "Please invite him into the main hall, and I'll be there shortly."
"Yes!" Yuan Yue replied and turned to leave.
Mo Yan stood up and, after making sure her attire was proper, she headed to the main hall and asked another maid, Er Mei, to serve tea and refreshments.
Soon, Yuan Yue led in a monk dressed in grey monk's robes. The monk appeared to be no younger than in his forties.
