Chapter 40: Multiple Effects

The sash was made of silk and satin, embroidered with auspicious patterns such as clouds, ruyi, and orchids.

"A bow is hung to the left of the door for a boy, and a sash is set to the right of the door for a girl." This means that when a boy is born, a bow is hung on the left side of the door, and when a girl is born, a sash is hung on the right.

A red sash signifies good fortune and joy; it was perfectly natural for the Meng family to hang one upon the birth of a daughter. However, this sash had clearly been tampered with, for Jiaoyue saw a layer of black aura covering it.

This was evidently directed at her. Although Jiaoyue did not feel anything amiss at the moment, recalling how the black aura on the pink jade could drain a person’s fortune, she suspected the black aura on the sash served the same purpose. Was her fortune so enviable that it made others this wary?

Unfortunately, while she could perceive the fortune of others, she could not see her own. However, judging by her ability to control fortune, it was certain that her own was somewhat unique.

Several carriages were parked outside the estate gates. Only two were for passengers, while the others were for luggage. Her uncles had all come out to see them off, primarily to bid farewell to her eldest uncle, Lin Motang.

Jiaoyue pointed her small finger at the sash and let out a series of cries. Meng Wenxuan, seeing his daughter’s little hand and hearing her cries, knew there was something wrong with the spot she was pointing at. Following her gesture, he realized she was pointing at the sash hanging on the door.

Usually, they used cotton sashes, but this one had been specially commissioned by her grandfather from an embroiderer specifically to be hung on the door. He looked at the sash and then at his daughter in confusion, doubting there could be anything wrong with it. Could it be that she liked the red silk?

"Does Yueya like the red silk?" Meng Wenxuan asked tentatively. If his daughter liked red silk, there was plenty in the house; it wouldn't be too late to have someone fetch a bolt for her to play with.

"Oh, oh, oh!" Jiaoyue immediately protested. She did not like red; she preferred blue. In her previous life, most of the dresses in her wardrobe within the Warm Jade space had been blue. Although her life had restarted, her soul remained the same, and her preferences had not changed.

Hearing his daughter’s cries, Meng Wenxuan’s expression shifted. Could a sash really be tampered with? He immediately carried his daughter toward the sash, lifting it with one hand to examine it closely, but he could see nothing. If there was a problem, it must lie in the embroidered patterns.

The sash had been hanging for a month and was due to be taken down; he figured Uncle Qiu would have arranged for it to be removed after their departure. Lin Yuntang also walked over, asking, "What is it?"

Meng Wenxuan realized that as a man, he didn't understand embroidery, but his wife’s needlework was excellent, so she would surely know. "Tangtang, come take a look. Is there anything wrong with the patterns on this sash?"

Lin Yuntang knew that if their daughter pointed something out, there must be a problem. She reached out to lift the sash and examined the embroidery. At that moment, the steward, Meng Zeqiu, came out to deliver the gifts prepared by the Master of the Meng family for the Master of the Lin family. He intended to take the sash down after seeing off the Seventh Master and his family. Seeing them examining the sash, he assumed they wanted to take it down themselves and quickly said, "Seventh Master, Seventh Young Mistress, I will attend to that shortly."

Lin Yuntang had already spotted the issue. "Uncle Qiu, who embroidered this sash?"

Meng Zeqiu was stunned and immediately replied, "It was embroidered by Mistress Xu, the best embroiderer in the estate. Seventh Mistress, is there a problem with it?"

Lin Yuntang’s face darkened. "The embroidered pattern is problematic."

Meng Wenxi, who had been chatting with Lin Motang, walked over upon hearing the conversation. "Seventh Brother, Seventh Sister-in-law, it is getting late. My father and I will handle the matter of the sash; you should set off." There were some things not convenient to discuss in front of the Lin family. He knew very well how many schemes had targeted his little niece since her birth; many had been resolved in the shadows. He truly hadn't noticed the sash, but since there was a problem, he would find someone to resolve it.

"Very well, Elder Brother, we shall take our leave." Seeing that his daughter was lying quietly in his arms without further protest, Meng Wenxuan agreed. It was past noon, and they needed to find lodging before dark. The nearest town was two hours away, and if they didn't leave now, they would be traveling in the dark, which was unsafe.

In truth, Jiaoyue wasn't failing to object; she was wondering how to resolve the issue with the sash. In her previous life, she was least skilled in embroidery. From a young age, she had been exhausted by the struggle for survival and had no time to learn such time-consuming crafts when they could be solved with money. Therefore, she didn't know what was wrong with the patterns, but the sash held a black aura—as long as the aura was removed, the problem would be solved.

Once again, she lamented being so small; she could do nothing. Otherwise, she could have drawn a disaster-cleansing talisman to resolve it. She thought of her little black notebook, but it could only record names, not objects. Still, she decided to try; what if it worked?

With a flicker of her intent, the black notebook appeared. Jiaoyue opened it and tried to write "sash" into it. As expected, no matter how much mental energy she used, it wouldn't be written.

Yet, just then, the black notebook began to tremble, and Jiaoyue saw the black aura on the sash flowing toward the notebook, sinking into it and vanishing. There wasn't much black aura on the sash, and in an instant, it was completely absorbed by the notebook.

Jiaoyue’s large eyes widened. Could the black notebook also absorb negative energy? Was that an inherent trait, or a benefit of this new life? What about the bad energy on a person? She would have to find a chance to test that.

Jiaoyue was in a great mood. The notebook had gained a new function, and the problem with the sash was solved; it didn't matter even if her grandfather and uncle couldn't fix it. She put her heart at ease and sighed inwardly: *Sigh, schemes are everywhere; they are impossible to guard against!*

Her uncles took turns coming over to tease her, and eventually, Jiaoyue was carried into the carriage by her father. The carriage was spacious, with a low, thickly padded bed taking up half the space, and the items they needed, mostly hers, were stored beneath it. On the other side was a small table, with thick carpets spread out so one could sit on the floor.

Lin Yuntang lay down on the bed, while Meng Wenxuan sat on the edge, holding his daughter and pulling back the curtain so she could see the scenery. The landscape of Mount Lanzhi was exceptionally beautiful, with various wild flowers blooming along the road. Jiaoyue watched with keen interest, as she had been bored to tears for the past month, doing nothing but sleeping and eating.

After leaving Mount Lanzhi, the road leveled out and the view opened up. People working in the fields, travelers passing by in carriages, and especially people galloping on horseback, filled Jiaoyue with envy. She gripped the window frame with her small hands; the window was small, fitting her perfectly, and her father supported her, making her comfortable.

She watched for nearly an hour until Mount Lanzhi was long gone. Just as she grew tired and yawned, ready to sleep, she spotted a boy of about four or five years old, dressed in white silk, lying in the green grass by the roadside. His clothes were dirty and torn in many places, and although his face was smudged, the mere glimpse of his profile was enough to leave Jiaoyue stunned.

*Wow, he is so handsome!*

"Ah, ah, ah!" Jiaoyue pointed excitedly at the outside, crying out.