"I... can I give you an answer tomorrow?"
A Jiu scurried away dejectedly.
That wasn't what she meant; who would believe that spiritual spring water existed?
Night fell, and the utterly exhausted Liu Cai'er collapsed into sleep.
Soon, the entire Hua Lan Medical Hall was plunged into darkness.
Meng Shaode had not yet returned. A Jiu once again found the top of the roof to be incredibly comfortable.
Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching. Though the moon wasn't yet perfectly round, the autumn breeze was gentle, and the moon hung high. In the moonlit serenity, one could always find peace within their heart.
"Grandma, what do you think I should do?"
Seated in meditation on the rooftop beside her was Wang Shi.
"Your sister-in-law has a knot in her heart. If it's not untangled, she'll be trapped in her own cocoon. Even immortals can't help her."
Though she appeared and disappeared mysteriously, detached from worldly affairs, she seemed to understand everything.
A Jiu sat up. "Don't you have a spirit possession from an old immortal? Do you have a complete solution? I'll trade all my spiritual spring water for it if I have to."
Wang Shi's eyes snapped open, then quickly closed. "There is no way. Everything has a beginning and an end, a cause and an effect."
A Jiu stuffed back the water pouch she had just taken out. From her embrace, she produced an acupuncture needle kit. Stepping on the tiles with a clatter, she approached Wang Shi.
"Let me give you a couple of needles, Grandma, to see if I can cure your illness."
"Scram!" Wang Shi was fuming, thinking he was quite mad.
A Jiu pouted and snuggled closer, acting like a spoiled child. "Grandma, you're so wise and capable, please just tell me."
"Hmph! What's there to say? All human actions are mere appearances. How many can break through their ego to see the truth behind it? Seeing your foolishness, you can't see the cause behind it. Without seeing the cause, how can you think there's a solution to the effect?"
A Jiu suddenly felt like she understood half of it.
"Grandma, then what are cause and effect?"
"Cause is the origin. As the saying goes, 'reason' comes from here. The illusions you see now are the manifestations of the effect. If there were no cause, how could there be an effect?"
"Not that explanation. I mean, the truth behind the attachment you mentioned." A Jiu felt she didn't understand again and decided to ask directly.
"Where the heart leads is the cause behind human attachment. Today, why was the rice shop owner so obsessed with money and acted against his conscience?"
This was both a rhetorical question and a statement.
"He likes money, so he'll do anything to make it."
"Precisely. What you said is also a cause, hence his son's severe illness, for which he seeks your help, is an effect. Letting go of his greed to make amends is a cause; inviting you to treat his son is an effect. Actually... granddaughter, you can already change this fate yourself. Why do you keep asking this old woman?"
Wang Shi had seen people come looking for her from the rooftop today and noticed that her granddaughter was not a child who harbored hatred for evil, but one who went to treat others.
In reality, how many worldly people could resist their desires?
She only felt it was a pity that such a good seed was unwilling to cultivate with her.
A Jiu was stunned for a moment. "So this counts as…?"
"Grandma will teach you another mental technique. No matter what you are doing, as long as your conscience is clear, do it boldly. Don't be influenced or bound by the outside world. Why bother whether others believe you? As long as you believe, that's enough."
A Jiu fell into thought.
For so long, the merit points for curing Manager Bai's son had not been notified.
"But I don't seem to be able to distinguish it…" She could only distinguish it by the scores of the merit points.
"Silly child." Wang Shi said no more. Everyone has their own blessings. For some reason, Wang Shi placed her hand on the girl's head and stroked it.
"When you give without reservation, and your heart is hurt by worldly matters, you will understand. As the saying goes, 'The heart does not die, and the Dao heart is reborn; the matter is not broken, and the heart is not established.'"
A Jiu glanced at her grandmother. In the moonlight, she had never seen such a kind profile.
"Grandma, is it also right to lie if it helps someone?"
"As long as it is in your heart, and you do not spare any effort without compromising your conscience, even a lie can be done with a clear conscience."
Having said this, Wang Shi closed her eyes.
A Jiu understood. Pillowing her hands behind her head, she lay down on the rooftop with her grandmother for the first time. The autumn moon was like water, making one feel refreshed and at ease.
She closed her eyes slightly and entered the space.