Chapter 217. Handwritten Buddhist Scriptures

     Grandma Ye’s health was much better than before, her spirits had returned, and she patted Ye Mo’s hand with a smile, indicating that she was old and wouldn’t take sides.

     However, as soon as she entered the house, she didn’t even sit down and was only busy giving her precious eldest granddaughter, Ye Mo, gifts.

     There were sandalwood prayer beads, a white jade Guanyin pendant, Five Emperor coins, an ancient bronze mirror from a thousand years ago, a peachwood rouge box, a Three Pure Ones bell, Buddhist scriptures, and even a reliquary box that had made its way from the West in modern times, enough to fill at least half a suitcase.  

     It was clear that Grandma Ye had specially selected these from her bank safe deposit box.

     She used to do it secretly, but ever since the spiritual energy recovery was announced, she now did it openly and without concealment.

     The other children and grandchildren wouldn’t say anything, because compared to these antiques, they were even more envious of the crystal cores, spirit stones, and potions that Ye Mo gave to Grandma Ye.

     But they didn’t dare to snatch them. Not to mention Ye Mo’s status as a survivor, with Ye Mo’s position as a special national civil servant, it was feasible to accuse them of theft. This was a warning given to them by Uncle Ling Jianguo and national leaders who appeared on television.

     Ask Grandma Ye for them?

     Grandma Ye, with her improved mental state, had also reverted to her old principles. She loved her sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons, but she loved Ye Mo even more – the child she had raised herselves, who hadn’t been loved by her parents before, and who was now constantly fighting and killing “for the country.”

     Other things she might give, but anything Ye Mo gave her, she wouldn’t give to anyone!

     Ye Mo looked at the pile of things in her arms, not knowing whether her grandmother believed in Buddhism, Taoism, or even Christianity, just by looking at the objects. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

     Putting aside other things, having already awakened her light-based superpower, she genuinely sensed a power to ward off darkness and evil from two of the items this time she came home. They could naturally gather faint light or wood spiritual energy.

     One was the Five Emperor coins, composed of Ban Liang coins from the Qin Dynasty, Wu Zhu coins from the Han Dynasty, Kaiyuan Tongbao coins from the Tang Dynasty, Songyuan Tongbao coins from the Song Dynasty, and Yongle Tongbao coins from the Ming Dynasty. The other was an old rouge box made of thousand-year-old peach wood.

     “Grandma, really, you don’t need to,” Ye Mo said with a smile, declining the gifts. “You can keep these. You can rest assured about my strength, and the country is protecting your granddaughter, so I’ll definitely be fine.”

     The older generation trusted the country that led them to a happy life the most. The Supernatural Investigation Bureau often sent people to visit Grandma Ye, give her updates on Ye Mo’s safety, and praise Ye Mo’s intelligence and bravery.

     “You, you.” Grandma Ye poked her forehead just like she did when she was little.

     Bandit, stuck out his tongue and joined in the fun, only to be shooed away by Ye Mo in annoyance.

     “Xiao Mo, just accept them!” Aunt Zhang Lan said this time, not siding with Ye Mo but helping Grandma Ye persuade her. “Aunt Ye is worried about you. With the amulets Aunt Ye gave you, you’ll definitely be safe and sound your whole life.”

     Under the watchful eyes of the two elders, Ye Mo had no choice but to put the agarwood Buddhist prayer beads, the white jade Guanyin, and other items into her storage space. The two elders then exclaimed in amazement again.

     It wasn’t that Ye Mo hadn’t given them storage spaces before, but everyone, including Uncle Ling, was unwilling to accept them, saying that ordinary people holding too many things was like a child causing trouble with a gold brick.

     Only Ling Xiao’s storage space had been updated and replaced with a 500-cubic-meter one.

     Finally, Ye Mo left that Buddhist scripture outside for a simple reason.

     It was a handwritten Buddhist scripture, and all the writing she saw inside was familiar, written with a soft brush. The characters weren’t particularly beautiful, but they were neat and uniform.

     It was very new, only about ten pages in total.

     Grandma Ye hadn’t believed in Buddhism or Taoism before, let alone the Western Jesus or God. But the television had said that myths might very well be real, so this was probably the first time in her life she had handwritten a Buddhist scripture, and Ye Mo didn’t know how long it had taken her.

     Ye Mo’s eyes welled up. She gently rested her head on Grandma Ye’s shoulder and softly called out, “Grandma.”

     Grandma Ye patted her back as she did when she was little, gently saying, “Peace is a blessing.”

     Aunt Zhang’s eyes also seemed to have something in them, and she smiled, echoing, “That’s right, peace is a blessing. You and your brother must both be safe and sound, so our whole family can be happy.”

     The “brother” she referred to was Ling Xiao.

     …

     The family dinner was even livelier than during previous New Year celebrations.

     Not to mention Ye Shibo’s family, Ye Mo’s biological mother, stepfather, younger sister, and her daughter also shamelessly stayed, even though they had been quite embarrassed earlier.

     At the dinner table, they were much more restrained than in the afternoon.

     Now, they only dared to express concern, caring about Grandma Ye, caring about Ye Mo, and occasionally discussing the news. Tonight’s evening news broadcast once again congratulated the Chief Survivor team for for gaining formidable new talents.

     The evening news seemed to have started a survivor column, and Ye Mo was definitely a frequent guest.

     The country’s emphasis on the recovery of spiritual energy, incorporating it into the daily lives of ordinary people, made it no wonder that ordinary people valued survivors so much, both fearing and envying them.

     Normally, hearing such reports wouldn’t faze her. But in this setting, listening to the anchor recite her alias and her team alias, Ye Mo couldn’t help but feel a twinge of awkwardness. She ignored the family’s chatter, focusing instead on serving Grandma Ye more dishes.  

     Whenever they hinted at requests, whether for favors, resources, or connections a single frown from Ye Mo or a warning cough from Uncle Ling was enough to make them swallow their words mid-sentence

     Even Ye Jialin and Ye Jiayong, who were going through their rebellious teenage years, had been physically silenced more than once by their mother and grandmother. 

     They didn’t even mind Bandit eating in the main hall, and had his own table. They would often praise Bandit’s domineering name and said he was much smarter than Ye Jialin and Ye Jiayong.

     Amidst these expressions that could be described as fawning, the woman who was intently feeding her young daughter stood out. Unlike the others, she hadn’t forced smiles all day, just an occasional awkward one.  

     Truthfully, compared to her spoiled half-brother Ye Yang, Ye Mo still held a sliver of nostalgia for this half-sister, a leftover warmth from the few months they’d spent together as children.  

     This girl had been an obedient and sensible child from a young age, beautiful, kind, gentle, intelligent, and considerate, but also timid, weak-willed, and with a very strong dependency.

     Her biological mother’s “masterpiece.”

     But looking at her now, this half-sister didn’t seem to be living such a comfortable life. There were quite a few fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and a frown line had appeared on her forehead.

     The little girl, who looked seven or eight parts similar to this younger sister, was even more timid than her mother had been as a child. Even when scared, she didn’t dare to cry, holding back her tears until her small eyes were red. However, a sweet and sour pork rib could instantly make her forget all her sorrows.

     The little girl was very sensitive and, noticing Ye Mo’s gaze, gave her a timid smile.

     Listening to the long string of complaints from her biological mother, Ye Mo understood why they weren’t living comfortably. However, with different perspectives, she had neither the inclination nor the energy to deal with this messy situation.

     Even if she had brought New Year’s gifts, she certainly wouldn’t have offered something as laughable as “Pregnancy Prevention Pills”. The mere thought would’ve sent Watson and Wang Xue into fits of hysterics. After all, Watson had only ever studied Gurong, the legendary contraceptive herb recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.  

     It wasn’t until she saw her biological mother forcefully pulling the five or six-year-old girl, trying to make her sing and dance for Ye Mo as a talent show, only to be blocked by her younger sister who reached out and shielded her daughter in her arms, refusing with rare assertiveness, that something shifted.

     This scene brought a faint smile to Ye Mo’s lips, fleeting in an instant. She didn’t say anything at the dinner table. After the others dispersed with lingering reluctance, she returned to her room and made a phone call.

     She asked the Supernatural Investigation Bureau to help with a small matter.

     The matter was so small that the survivor who answered the phone was slightly surprised. A business card of the most famous lawyer in Beiing City, that was it?

     The Supernatural Investigation Bureau couldn’t refuse. Coming back to their senses, they immediately said it was no problem and would be handled right away.

     They had investigated and analyzed the situations of Ye Mo and the others. Ye Mo’s most important living relative was undoubtedly her grandmother, followed perhaps by Ling Jianguo’s family and the demon dog Bandit. The remaining people were probably no better than strangers.

     “Thanks,” Ye Mo paused, then added, “No need to specifically mention me, and no need to deliberately conceal anything.” Some things, if you can’t stand up for yourself, no one else can help.

     The night was deep.

     Lying on the bed her grandfather had personally made, Ye Mo closed her eyes and quickly drifted into sleep. The dream was filled with the joys of her childhood, eventually focusing on that Buddhist scripture.

     She smiled.

     …

     The next morning, during the usual post-breakfast stroll, Wang Xue and Watson teleported straight from Guangdong to Beijing

     As soon as they entered the Ye family courtyard, the sharp-eyed Grandma Ye spotted them and asked with a smile, “Xiao Lin and Xue Qing have come! Have you had breakfast yet?”

     Watson sincerely replied that they had eaten and thanked her, but Wang Xue happily asked for another bowl of longevity noodles, making the old woman’s eyes narrow into slits with delight.

     Wang Xue could be considered a “joy for the elderly.” She shared many funny anecdotes with her mother, Grandma Ye, and Aunt Zhang. Occasionally, she would entertain them like a clown, performing somersaults and spitting fireballs.

     Ye Mo and Watson weren’t spared either. Under the guise of “performances,” they used light magic and wood magic to subtly rejuvenate the elder health. Even Bandit got in on the action, barking enthusiastically as he demonstrated a clumsy but endearing dog-style boxing moves.

     The fact that the world-renowned Maria Survivor Group would willingly perform magic and acrobatics could probably only happen in this Ye family courtyard.

     When Ji Li arrived at the Ye family courtyard, he was greeted by this scene of laughter and playful chaos. His ability wasn’t something he could casually demonstrate and wondered if he should do a somersault like Wang Xue.

     Or perhaps perform a set of swordplay?

     No, that wouldn’t be necessary.

     Grandma Ye squinted at Ji Li for a long moment before suddenly clapping her hands. “The Ji family boy! Ah, my memory, how’s your grandfather doing?”

     Ji Li’s grandfather had visited Majing Hutong several times after returning to the country, and Ji Li had also come twice, but due to scheduling conflicts, Ye Mo had hardly ever seen him in person.

     “Grandfather is doing well. He said he’ll come to see you again next week,” Ji Li replied.

     Grandma Ye was very happy that Ye Mo had another friend and comrade-in-arms. She greeted Ji Li even more warmly, and when she got excited, she told them many embarrassing stories from Ye Mo’s childhood.

     At the age of 3 she hiding in a closet overnight, leaving the whole family searching in panic, at the age of 5 she’d shadowed Old Master Ye until his medicine mysteriously vanished during their stroll,   by the age of 6, she’d glued her front teeth together with candy, yanking them clean out, at the age of 10, she’d been hauled to the principal’s office for ganging up on classmates during a brawl, and so on.

     Every mortifying detail remained etched in the old woman’s memory.  

     Watson and the other two listened with great interest. Ye Mo, who dared not to get angry or say anything, was speechless.

     Everyone chatted for a while longer before the four of them bid farewell to the elders and went to the neighboring courtyard.