Chapter 1: Being a Good Person

Once upon a time, the matchmaker who had been reincarnated threw herself into the cycle of reincarnation, closely following her beloved in her heart. She watched him racing ahead and hurriedly tried to catch up, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch him. She called out in desperation, but the person ahead paid no attention. Instead, she was guided by a purple light and landed in a bustling city courtyard.

The matchmaker chased around the large courtyard, only to see the old lady and maidservants running around in disarray. Someone joyfully exclaimed, "It's born! It's born!" The sound of a baby crying came from below. The matchmaker was overjoyed and was about to take a closer look when she felt something pulling her back. Just as she struggled, a thunderous voice rang out, "Hey! You wretched soul, hurry up and reincarnate. If you're late by a moment, you'll end up as a wandering spirit!"

Helpless, the matchmaker had to follow the guiding white light. She didn't know how far she traveled or how long it took, but she was eventually taken to a warm place. Wrapped inside, she felt waves of drowsiness and soon fell asleep.

She didn't know how long she slept, but when she gradually woke up, she felt someone poking her face with something. "Ouch!" The matchmaker furrowed her brow, but her eyelids felt as if they were glued shut and she couldn't open her eyes. The person didn't give up and continued to poke her face, causing a sharp pain. Unable to bear it, the matchmaker cried out, "It hurts!"

She waved her hand and heard a loud thud, followed by a sobbing voice, "Waa... waa... waa..."

Amidst the commotion, her eyelids finally forced themselves open. As her vision cleared, she found herself in a mud-plastered room. It was low and narrow, with only the door and a small fist-sized hole in the wall for light to enter. The matchmaker sat up abruptly and saw a naked baby boy crying on the floor.

The baby looked to be about a year old, crawling on the ground with a dirty body and unkempt hair. His face was covered in tears and snot, and he even peed while crying!

The matchmaker looked at him with disdain. "What a dirty little brat! Where's your mother? Doesn't she bathe you?"

As she spoke, someone heard the baby's cries and walked in. Upon seeing the scene, the person's eyes widened in shock. "Red girl, you... you..."

The matchmaker looked at the woman who had entered. She was thin and frail, with a dirty, unwashed face and a patched-up coarse cloth dress.

She was wiping her hands under her clothes, seemingly wet. "Red girl, you... you... you... you're really awake..."

The woman's husband also rushed in, a burly man with a messy, yellowish beard and rough, patched clothes. From the matchmaker's perspective, it was clear that this family lived in extreme poverty.

The couple stood in the doorway, blocking it, and observed the matchmaker in the dim light. The man's face showed a mix of surprise, joy, and doubt. After hesitating for a while, he cautiously approached and asked in a low voice, "Red girl, are you really awake?"

He seemed hesitant to touch her, as if the matchmaker would shatter at a touch.

Sitting there, the matchmaker touched her face and looked at her body, suddenly realizing, "I... I've been reincarnated again!"

But why wasn't she in the form of a baby?

Comparing her height to the people around her, she realized she was about five or six years old!

The matchmaker looked at the man and woman beside her, then at the mud-covered baby on the ground. Tentatively, she called out, "Mother... father?"

Upon hearing this, the couple at the door burst into tears of joy. The woman turned to her husband, "Husband, husband, listen... Red girl can speak and call people. The old Taoist's medicine really worked! It really worked!"

The man, overwhelmed with joy, could only smile foolishly and didn't know what to say, but he looked at the matchmaker and said, "Good, good, good!"

The matchmaker had guessed right. Later, she learned that she had been reborn into a family surnamed Mu. Her father was called Mu Da, and her mother's surname was Yang. In this family, she was the eldest, known as Yang San or Mu Da's daughter.

Her birth had been quite tumultuous. Yang San and Mu Da got married when she was only thirteen or fourteen. Despite their young age, the couple was affectionate, and within a year of marriage, Yang San became pregnant with the eldest child. Due to her young age and lack of care, she continued to work in the fields.

One day, while working in the fields, Yang San suddenly felt severe abdominal pain and noticed continuous bleeding. The sight of her blood-soaked skirt terrified Mu Da, who was prone to fainting at the sight of blood. Seeing his wife bleeding, he felt dizzy, his vision darkened, and his legs weakened, almost causing him to collapse!

He was fortunate to still have a clear mind and knew that it was not a time for confusion. In his urgency, he bit his tongue hard, causing a painful shiver, which helped him regain his footing. Trembling, he went to embrace his wife.

"San... San Niang, San Niang..."

He didn't know what to do after picking her up, and he asked repeatedly,

"San Niang, what's wrong with you?"

Yang San Niang covered her trembling heart and stomach, took a deep breath to steady herself, and cried with a trembling voice,

"There's... something in my stomach... I'm afraid... I can't keep it..."

Mu Da was so frightened that his face turned from white to black. He bent over, picked her up, and ran towards the main road, trembling all over as he comforted her,

"I... I'll take you to see... see... the doctor..."

As he carried his wife towards the village, the blood flowed down her skirt, dripping onto the dusty ground. Seeing his wife's face turning pale, Mu Da glanced at the bloodstains and, after a few steps, his legs gave way, and he stumbled forward, both of them falling to the ground.

"San Niang... San Niang..."

Mu Da didn't care about himself and rushed forward to pick up his wife, who had slipped from his grasp. He then carried her towards the village, but he swayed and stumbled, and a person appeared in front of them.

It was an old man, thin and dry, with half-white, messy hair tied up with a willow twig. He wore a dirty Taoist robe, barefoot, and carried a gourd hanging from his waist, muttering as he approached. Seeing Mu Da and his wife, he looked them up and down, then glanced at Yang San Niang's stomach and pointed with a laugh,

"You, staying there without moving, don't you know you're harming your own mother?"

As he spoke, Yang San Niang felt a sudden relief in her stomach, as if the pain had disappeared. She understood that she had encountered a capable person and quickly patted her husband's arm to let him put her down. Ignoring the blood on her body, she knelt down and bowed,

"May I ask, immortal, is there something wrong with the child in my stomach?"

The mad Taoist laughed,

"What's wrong with her? She's just refusing to be reborn, unwilling to enter the cycle of reincarnation. But she has missed several opportunities for rebirth. If she doesn't come this time, she won't be able to come in the future..."

As he spoke, he approached and shook his head as he looked at Yang San Niang's face, sighing,

"If she doesn't come, you won't be able to survive!"

Mu Da's legs went weak again, and he also knelt down,

"Please, immortal, save us! Please, immortal, have mercy!"

The mad Taoist looked at Mu Da's appearance, shook his head, and said,

"If your wife dies, you will have to marry another shrew who will make you work like a slave for several years and raise someone else's son... Your future won't be good either!"

Upon hearing this, the couple knelt down and begged for mercy.

The mad Taoist calculated for a moment and nodded,

"Alright, it seems that your fate is not meant to end here. There is also someone who has already entered the world. I will find a way to protect the child in your womb, but there is one thing you must remember..."

The couple readily agreed, and the mad Taoist said,

"When this child is born, no matter if she is slow or foolish, you must treat her well. When she turns six, bring her to see me again! Perhaps you will have great fortune by then!"

He then revealed the location of his residence at the Tai Xu Temple, gave Yang San Niang a few sips of the wine from his waist, and miraculously, the bleeding in her lower body stopped. The couple bowed in gratitude, and the mad Taoist laughed and left.

When the couple returned home, Yang San Niang indeed no longer suffered from abdominal pain. However, the baby girl born after ten months of pregnancy turned out to be slow, spending her days eating and drinking without crying or speaking even as she grew older.

Neighbors advised the couple,

"Raising such a foolish girl is a waste of food. It's better to find a place to abandon her..."

At this time, the situation in the Daming Dynasty was turbulent. The capital city of Kaifeng, which was once prosperous, was now facing frequent invasions from foreign tribes. The country was surrounded by strong enemies, with the Tubo tribes in the west, the Khitan Liao in the north, the powerful and robust Tanguts in the Western Xia, and the Khitans in Liaodong. Not to mention the constant conflicts between the Uighurs and the Huihu. The once mighty Daming was no longer the dominant force it used to be.

The civil officials sought stability in their drunken stupor, and the military generals were all afraid of death, hoping for peace on the battlefield so they could enjoy their pay and return to the prosperous and bustling city. Who had the patience to defend the country and protect the people?