Chapter 33: Are You a Taoist or a Monk? I Take Living Seriously

As soon as Zhang Yi finished speaking, the young maid from the Chang family became slightly vexed.

“You Taoist priest, I offered you water out of kindness, and now you accuse our household of having worms in our water? If the Chang family can drink it, why can’t a Taoist from Mount Longhu?”

She felt wronged—her goodwill was being mistaken for ill intention.

Zhang Yi realized she misunderstood. After all, ancient people had no concept of microorganisms.

He explained earnestly, “What ordinary eyes see is different from what I see. Sister, you’re mistaken! In all things under heaven, there are invisible creatures. They dwell in our bodies, in the streams, even in the air. Some are good, some bad. If you drink water with the harmful ones, you’ll fall ill! So I have never drunk raw water since childhood, for sickness enters through the mouth!”

The Chang family girl was taken aback. Was there really such a thing?

She found his words amusing, and her curiosity was piqued. “Are you making this up? I haven't traveled much lately, but I used to journey with my parents, and mountain springs are clear enough to see the bottom. How could there be worms? And you say our bodies have them too—just the thought is frightening. Clearly, you’re trying to scare me!”

Zhang Yi smiled. “Sister, one day when the chance arises, I’ll show you. But for now, it’s not something you can see… Still, the matter of worms in water is not something I invented. There’s a Buddhist saying: ‘When the Buddha gazes into a bowl of water, he sees eighty-four thousand creatures.’ He also said: ‘So it is with the intestines—home to eighty-four thousand creatures.’ If even the Buddha said so, how could I be lying?”

The girl burst out laughing. “You Taoist, all your examples are from Buddhist teachings. Are you a Buddhist spy sent to infiltrate Mount Longhu?”

Zhang Yi responded with an awkward smile, “The three teachings are one family…”

“That’s the doctrine of the Complete Reality sect, not your Zhengyi line. Little brother, you really are a spy, aren’t you?”

Her words left Zhang Yi even more embarrassed. He had been putting on airs, but now his discomfort made him look rather childishly innocent.

The Chang family girl rarely left the house and seldom met anyone interesting. In him, she caught a fleeting glimpse of her younger brother.

Because of his banter, the sorrow in her heart eased somewhat.

Zhang Yi, seeing her like this, could only sigh inwardly. He was very serious about drinking boiled water, but the ancients simply didn’t accept this reasoning.

In an era of scarcity, firewood was as precious as rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea. Ordinary people rarely ate hot meals, let alone wasted firewood to boil water.

From childhood, Zhang Yi insisted on drinking hot water, and was regarded as an oddity even on Mount Longhu.

The concepts of microorganisms, bacteria, and viruses were utterly foreign to ancient people. Although they brewed wine, composted, and fermented things, they never connected these phenomena to tiny creatures.

Even Zhang Yuchu had asked him about this peculiar habit, and Zhang Yi had earnestly explained, again relying on Buddhist sayings.

He hadn’t expected that, just then, Zhang Zhengchang happened to overhear. The old man was furious.

Mount Longhu was the sacred ground of Taoism, yet the son of the Celestial Master was quoting Buddhist doctrines and following Buddhist customs.

That day, Zhang Yi was chased all over the mountain by Zhang Zhengchang wielding the family rod. The old man even forbade anyone to boil water for him. So Zhang Yi chopped up the door panels to make a fire for boiling water…

The old man kept beating him, so he started burning the tables and chairs…

To survive in such unsanitary times, he truly fought with all he had.

In the end, Zhang Zhengchang relented, choosing not to see or care, letting Zhang Yi do as he pleased.

The Chang family girl, seeing Zhang Yi fall silent, didn’t realize he was lost in memory. She only thought she had hurt his pride and felt a bit apologetic.

“I find your talk of these creatures interesting. Will you tell me more?”

So Zhang Yi explained the basics of microorganisms and bacteria to her.

“As the ancients say, ‘sickness enters through the mouth,’ but where does sickness come from? Most of the time, it’s from eating unclean things, and that uncleanliness is often connected to creatures in the water…”

She might not have believed his theory, but the world Zhang Yi described was fascinating.

Ever since her father became a general and she was betrothed to Zhu Biao, her mother had instructed her to conduct herself as a lady of distinction.

She harbored feelings for her future husband and wanted to be worthy of him. Perhaps it had simply been too long since she’d glimpsed the outside world, but this young boy had kindled a longing for it in her heart.

Zhang Yi spoke for quite some time.

Afterward, she realized the pain in her abdomen had eased somewhat. She smiled gently, “Little Taoist, thank you. I’m feeling better now, and thank you for sharing all this with me.”

“It seems you’re happier now, Sister. That’s good! The departed are gone, but you must learn to look forward.”

When not being sharp-tongued, Zhang Yi’s words were rather endearing. Coupled with his handsome looks, it made him all the more likable.

But when he mentioned Chang Sen, sorrow crept back into her eyes.

“If only my brother were as well-behaved as you, perhaps nothing would have happened to him. That day, after striking a servant, Mother punished him with house arrest. Who’d have thought he would climb over the wall and meet with disaster…”

From her brief account, Zhang Yi gleaned the cause of Chang Sen’s death.

In truth, it was the story of a wayward child who brought misfortune upon himself. No wonder history hardly recorded his name.

At the time of his death, Zhu Yuanzhang had yet to confer grand titles upon his ministers, and given the shameful manner of his passing, the Chang family likely kept silent.

But why did Lady Lan always feel something was amiss?

Perhaps she simply doted on her child too much to accept reality.

Zhang Yi asked casually, “That servant, he must have suffered for it, didn’t he?”

“He should have borne my elder brother’s wrath and been beaten to death, but he…”

She recalled Zhu Biao intervening that day, and how Chang Mao bore resentment towards her.

“Later, my eldest brother locked them in the woodshed, but they escaped in the night…”

“They escaped?”

Zhang Yi pondered this, asked a few more details, then let the matter drop.

“When you spoke of ‘him’ earlier, you blushed. Is he the one in your heart?”

He grinned, and the young lady’s face turned scarlet. She spat at him, “Don’t talk nonsense! Though… I am indeed betrothed to His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Since ancient times, marriages have always been arranged by parents and matchmakers. Who ever asked the children’s opinions? Though you have no say in the matter, Sister, you are fortunate to have met someone you truly like. That is a blessing in itself.”

His words brought her joy.

She asked, “Can you tell fortunes?”

“I suppose you want to know about your marriage prospects?”

One sentence, and her cheeks flushed even deeper.

Just as she was about to respond, a commotion rose from afar.

“So you’re just a charlatan Taoist, looking for a beating…”

Zhang Yi recognized Chang Mao’s voice, and his expression changed. Something had clearly gone wrong with Deng Zhongxiu.

That foolish senior—trouble always found those who tried to avoid it.

“Sister, I can’t chat with you anymore. I must see what’s happened!”

Not waiting for her reply, Zhang Yi dashed away.

“Little Taoist!”

Gritting her teeth, the young lady hurried after him.