Chapter 16: The Bodhisattva Behind the Door

　　Judging from the layout of the Zhu residence, the Buddhist shrine was located in an even more remote place than the garden where Zhu Shuzhen lived.

　　Led by Zhu Jingyuan, Qianli Xun followed deeper into the Zhu residence. Only when a small hill appeared before her did she see a garden at the foot of the hill. It was shaped like a temple, with low garden walls that allowed a clear view of the buildings inside.

　　“Brother, how did the Zhu residence move a whole mountain inside?”

　　“That’s not a mountain, just a big mound of earth. When the Zhu residence was built, to create such a hill-like mound, a lot of soil had to be brought in from outside Lin’an City.”

　　Qianli Xun then saw a narrow, clear stream. The water wasn’t deep, and a few stones were placed in it. They needed to cross this stream to reach the Buddhist shrine.

　　The three of them stepped on the stones to cross the stream. Then came a stone-paved path. Walking on it felt like a foot massage. After the stone path ended, they crossed a wild grass area before truly reaching the Buddhist shrine. The door was tightly closed, with a small plaque above it bearing the words “Buddhist Shrine.” From inside came the continuous sound of a wooden fish being struck.

　　Zhu Jingyuan said, “Shuzhen, you wait here. I’ll go knock on the door.”

　　Qianli Xun nodded and watched her brother approach the wooden door. He knocked three times, waited for a while, but no one came to open it. He knocked three more times, waited again, still no one. He knocked three more times, and finally heard footsteps from inside. The three of them were delighted.

　　There was the sound of a bolt being drawn, then with a creak, the door opened. A gray-haired old woman appeared before them and asked, “Who are you?”

　　Kuqiao quickly came forward and greeted her politely, “Greetings, Nanny. This is the eldest young master of the Zhu residence, and this is the young miss. We’ve come to pay respects to the Old Ancestor.”

　　The nanny said, “So you’re the young master and young miss of the residence. You younger generation may not know this, but the Old Ancestor is devoted to Buddhism and has never received visitors from the mortal world. You should leave.” With that, she was about to close the door.

　　Zhu Jingyuan stopped her, “Nanny, we juniors know this. We shouldn’t disturb the Old Ancestor’s peace. It’s just that my sister has encountered a life crisis and needs to meet the Old Ancestor. Please do us a favor.”

　　The nanny said, “The Old Ancestor has detached herself from worldly affairs and purified her six senses. How can she involve herself in mortal matters? Listen, you should leave.”

　　This was the only chance. If they couldn’t persuade an elder to step forward, the mutual divorce would fail. Even persuading one would increase the chances of success. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, Qianli Xun would grasp it firmly. So she said loudly, “The Old Ancestor practices Buddhism. Doesn’t she understand the Buddha’s vow to save all sentient beings? Now one of those beings—your descendant of who-knows-how-many generations—is in trouble and needs you, a bodhisattva, to come out and save her. Yet you hide in the Buddhist shrine, only cultivating yourself. What kind of Buddhist practice is this?”

　　The nanny scolded, “You young one, you’re too impolite. How dare you criticize the Old Ancestor at will?”

　　Inside, the sound of the wooden fish suddenly stopped. An aged yet powerful voice came out, “Xiuzhen, let her in.”

　　The three of them were delighted and about to enter together, but Nanny Xiuzhen blocked them. “Didn’t you hear the Old Ancestor say only she can enter? You two wait outside.”

　　Zhu Jingyuan and Kuqiao had to stop and wait outside.

　　Qianli Xun excitedly followed Nanny Xiuzhen inside.

　　The small courtyard of the Buddhist shrine was simple and tidy. The most attractive feature was three wintersweet plum trees. Though the flowering season had long passed, their branches and leaves were lush.

　　Entering the main hall of the Buddhist shrine, a tall Buddha statue dominated the space before them, naturally inspiring reverence. On the offering table in front of the Buddha statue was an incense burner with three incense sticks burning. A prayer cushion was placed before the offering table.

　　Nanny Xiuzhen said, “Since you’ve entered, you must first pay respects.”

　　Qianli Xun obediently complied. After all, she had come with a request. She moved forward, pressed her palms together, knelt on the prayer cushion, and bowed three times, thinking, I haven’t even met the Old Ancestor yet, and I’m already bowing to the Buddha statue.

　　After bowing, she stood up. Before she could survey the surroundings, she heard Nanny Xiuzhen’s voice, “Old Ancestor, the young one from the Zhu family has entered. Please teach her a lesson.”

　　Qianli Xun turned to observe. On the left side of the Buddha statue was a small table with a wooden fish and mallet on it. Beside the table sat an old woman with completely white hair. Her eye sockets were deep, her nose bridge high. Wrinkles covered her entire face, yet neither they nor the scattered age spots could hide the pale glow of her skin. One could tell at a glance that in her youth, she must have been a beauty with fair skin. Qianli Xun felt that although this face was aged, it was very kind. Just one look filled you with an inexplicable warmth.

　　The Old Ancestor had her eyes half-closed, legs crossed, fingering her prayer beads, chanting sutras softly. When she heard Xiuzhen’s words, she said, “Let her come over.”

　　Qianli Xun knew she was being called and approached.

　　Nanny Xiuzhen gestured for her to sit on a prayer cushion. Though not used to it, she obediently sat down.

　　The Old Ancestor kept counting her beads, eyes half-closed, “I heard your words just now showed some insight, so I invited you in. May I ask what brings you to me?”

　　Qianli Xun quickly organized her opening in her mind and finally found the right words, “Old Ancestor, you are a woman and should best understand women’s hardships. I was arranged by my parents through a matchmaker to marry a husband whose talent and virtue couldn’t match mine. That wouldn’t matter much. If he were a good person, life could go on. But he beats me and even brings merchant courtesans home. I really can’t continue living with him, so I thought of a mutual divorce. But father doesn’t agree to speak for me. As long as father disagrees, no elder in the family, including clan elders, will speak for me. I have no other way out and can only come to beg the Old Ancestor. Please have pity on me and speak for me to oversee the mutual divorce.”

　　The Old Ancestor finally raised her eyes. Although the skin around her eyes was heavily lined with wrinkles, her gaze was bright and spirited. Qianli Xun was captivated.

　　“It’s true that women have it hard in life. But why should I intervene to oversee your mutual divorce based solely on your words? Your father doesn’t agree, which tells me you’re just a child throwing a tantrum.”

　　“Old Ancestor, you’re wrong. As a woman, I deeply understand the importance of marriage to women. How could I play around with such a major life event? Being in a marriage that doesn’t suit one’s heart is like being stuck in a mud pit, unable to pull oneself out. Even so, I must struggle. Even if I die in the mud pit, it would be better than living and enduring the unhappiness of marriage.”

　　“It seems your determination to seek a mutual divorce is quite firm. Then tell me, why doesn’t your father agree to speak for you?”

　　“He believes that a woman’s virtue is having no talent and regrets raising me to be a female ci poet. He thinks that by marrying my current husband, I can understand that a woman’s priority is to help her husband and educate her children, not write poems and ci, indulging in unrealistic fantasies all day. He also values the Zhu family’s face very much, believing that even my mutual divorce would damage the family’s reputation.”

　　“Your father isn’t wrong, he just has a different perspective. You just said your husband beats you and even brings merchant courtesans home. Listening to this, I also think a woman shouldn’t continue living with such a husband. Doesn’t your father know this? Yet he still opposes the mutual divorce?”

　　Qianli Xun didn’t want to hide anything from the Old Ancestor, “Of course my father knows. The reason he still opposes the mutual divorce is only because he thinks the fault lies with me.”

　　“Oh, tell me.”

　　“On my wedding night, I refused to consummate the marriage with my husband and even threatened suicide. In daily life, I also ignored my husband completely, being extremely cold. So, father thinks the fault lies with me and doesn’t agree to the mutual divorce, advising me to go back and live properly.”

　　The Old Ancestor closed her eyes again and fell silent. Qianli Xun was very worried—would she also refuse her like the others? The air around seemed to solidify, with only the click of the Old Ancestor’s prayer beads breaking the silence.

　　After a while, the Old Ancestor finally spoke again, “Since you are a female ci poet, write a ci in front of me. If it moves me, I will definitely help you. Xiuzhen, prepare paper and brush.”

　　Nanny Xiuzhen spread paper on the desk to the right of the Buddha statue and ground the ink, “Young miss, the paper and brush are ready. Come and write.”

　　From the moment the Old Ancestor asked her to write a ci, Qianli Xun started racking her brains, reviewing the poems and ci that Zhu Shuzhen had written. Which one would be more suitable?

　　When Nanny Xiuzhen invited her over, she still had no clue. She could only steel herself to stand up and move slowly toward the desk. Although every poem and ci by Zhu Shuzhen was well-written, choosing one that could move the Old Ancestor to intervene and oversee the mutual divorce was still quite difficult.

　　Qianli Xun was now sitting at the desk. She took up the brush, lightly dipped it in ink, and happened to glance up to see the character “mystery” hanging on the wall behind the Old Ancestor. She couldn’t help but ask, “Nanny, usually those who cultivate Buddhism hang either the character ‘zen’ or the two characters ‘pure and clean’ on the wall. Why does the Old Ancestor hang the character ‘mystery’?”

　　Nanny Xiuzhen replied, “The Old Ancestor believes that the reason people are ignorant is that they are within the mystery. She uses this character to constantly remind herself to break through the mystery, so she can understand the truth of life. Only by understanding the truth of life can one let go of greed, anger, ignorance, and arrogance, and attain inner peace.”

　　Buddhist principles were too profound. Qianli Xun only half-understood what she heard. But the character “mystery” triggered a ci in her mind. She seized her brush and wrote:

　　Coming downstairs, I cast coins to divine;

　　Asking the azure sky, where could he be?

　　Hating my lord, he has gone straight away;

　　Cursing the faithless one, so hard to make him stay.

　　Regretting the past, I let careless words slip;

　　Ties severed above, with nothing below.

　　Why even ask who is right and who is wrong?

　　Separated without a knife, from now on rely on no foe,

　　A thousand kinds of longing, erased with one single stroke.

　　(“The Heartbreak Riddle”)

　　[TN: This is a famous character riddle poem (字谜诗) by Zhu Shuzhen, where each line cleverly conceals a Chinese numeral from one to ten through visual wordplay on the characters. For example, “coming downstairs” (下楼来) suggests “one” (一) because removing the component “卜” from “下” leaves “一”. Operating brilliantly on two levels, the poem is both a bitter lament to sever ties with a toxic lover, and an intricate numerical puzzle—a dazzling display of the poet’s extraordinary wit.]

　　After finishing, Qianli Xun set down the brush, lifted the paper, blew gently on the wet ink, and handed it to Nanny Xiuzhen. Nanny Xiuzhen took it, stepped over, and spread it on the table for the Old Ancestor.

　　The Old Ancestor ceased her bead-counting, raised her eyes to examine the paper, carefully appreciated it for a while, and said, “You may go back. I promise to speak for you.”

　　Qianli Xun was overjoyed. “I, your junior, thank the Old Ancestor!”

　　Nanny Xiuzhen escorted Qianli Xun out of the room and instructed, “Since the Old Ancestor has agreed to speak for you, please have someone write the time and place of the mutual divorce on a piece of paper tomorrow and slip it through the door crack.”

　　Qianli Xun said, “Don’t worry, Nanny. I’ll definitely handle it properly. However, I’m afraid the Old Ancestor might not know the way. Should I send someone to pick her up?”

　　“No need. The Old Ancestor has lived one hundred and twenty years. What hasn’t she experienced? Just wait. I’ll go with her myself. Young miss, please go!”

　　Nanny Xiuzhen made a gesture to see her off. Qianli Xun bowed and left. Once out of the Buddhist shrine courtyard, the door was tightly closed again.

　　Zhu Jingyuan and Kuqiao came up to her.

　　“Sister, did the Old Ancestor agree?”

　　Qianli Xun nodded with relief. “She agreed!”

　　Kuqiao was also happy for her miss, “Miss, what should we do next?”

　　Qianli Xun said decisively, “Return to the Lin residence!”