It is said that in Jinling there was a boy named Chen Wanquan who lost both parents by the age of five or six. His elder brother and sister-in-law sold him into servitude to the wealthy Lin Family, where he worked in an antique shop. Over time, he developed a skill for appraising antiques and paintings. However, as he possessed no property, no respectable family was willing to arrange a marriage for him. Yet, having some discernment, he looked down upon ordinary girls. At thirty, his employer promoted him to third manager of the shop. A year later, the Lin Family granted him a favor by giving him a third-rank maid, Xue Shi, and ordered the two to marry.
This Xue Shi had originally worked in the embroidery section of the Lin Family’s second branch. Because she was quite beautiful and harbored ambitious aspirations, she was resented by the senior maids, who suppressed her, assigning her only menial tasks like watering plants and sweeping. At twenty, she was casually married off. Xue Shi, however, accepted her fate with equanimity. After following Chen Wanquan, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to managing their livelihood. Though not wealthy, their life was free from want. A year later, Xue Shi became pregnant and suddenly dreamed of thousands of orchids blooming in unison, their golden light dazzling her eyes. Upon waking, she went to the fortune-teller Ma the Immortal to interpret the dream. The immortal declared that she would give birth to a noble and beautiful daughter and that the couple would one day rely on their daughter for support. Overjoyed, Xue Shi gave a generous reward.
When Chen Wanquan heard that Xue Shi had given Ma the Immortal more than ten coins, he felt a pang of regret and sneered, "What noble and beautiful daughter? We are both servants of the Lin Family. This child is a family-raised servant, destined to toil like an ox or horse for others her entire life. How noble can she be? Fool, fool, you’ve been swindled!"
Xue Shi retorted, "How do you know our child is doomed to be a servant forever? Must you always speak such discouraging words? If we have a son or daughter who rises to greatness, wouldn’t you, as the father, share in the glory?"
Chen Wanquan said, "Yes, yes, I’ll wait for you to give birth to a noble daughter. The nobler the better—so noble she becomes an official’s wife, riding in a grand carriage, as splendid as the madams in the mansion, adorned in gold and silver, feasting on delicacies, attended by eight maids whenever she goes out. Only then would our Chen Family ancestors have blessed us with such fortune!" With that, he flung the door curtain aside and stormed out.
Xue Shi, however, firmly believed the fortune-teller’s words. In her spare time, she sewed children’s clothes and focused on nurturing her health. Several months later, she indeed gave birth to a daughter. Remembering her dream, she casually named the child Xianglan. Chen Wanquan had hoped for a son and was initially disappointed, but upon seeing little Xianglan’s delicate and exquisite features, he gradually grew fond of her.
However, the girl was frail and sickly from birth. Before she was even a month old, she fell ill. Just as she recovered, she caught a chill, suffering from vomiting and diarrhea until she was barely breathing. Anxious, Xue Shi hurried to consult Ma the Immortal again. The immortal had Xue Shi shake copper coins and, after examining the hexagram, said, "You must go southeast to find joy; a noble person will come to your aid."
Wiping her tears, Xue Shi headed southeast and soon came upon the Tranquil Moon Temple. She knelt before the Bodhisattva, kowtowing and making vows, weeping for half an hour. Suddenly, a kindly old nun approached and asked why she was crying. Xue Shi explained the situation. The old nun pondered for a moment, inquired about Xianglan’s symptoms, then took brush and paper and wrote a prescription, instructing her to decoct it at home. Xue Shi treasured it like a precious gem. She went to an herbal shop to fill the prescription and administered the medicine to Xianglan. Shortly after drinking a bowl of the decoction, Xianglan actually awoke. Xue Shi tried feeding her a little milk, and after a few sips, Xianglan fell into a deep sleep again.From that day on, Xianglan grew healthier with each passing day. Overjoyed, Xue Shi prepared fruits, pastries, and offerings of incense oil and candle money before carrying Xianglan to the Tranquil Moon Temple to express gratitude to their benefactor. It was then that she learned the elderly nun was the esteemed Dharma Master Dingyi Shitai of the temple. After observing Xianglan for a moment and inquiring about her birth details, Dingyi Shitai patted the child’s head and said, "This child shares a karmic bond with me. Why not let her become my nominal disciple? Under the Buddha’s protection, she will grow up safe and sound." Xue Shi naturally agreed without hesitation.
From the time Xianglan could remember, she had been reciting scriptures and practicing alongside the nuns at the Tranquil Moon Temple. Dingyi Shitai, who greatly admired her simplicity and charm, gave her the Buddhist name "Chan Jing" (Meditative Serenity). She taught Xianglan to read characters and scriptures, personally expounded Buddhist teachings to her, and beyond religious texts, also instructed her in the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as poetry and literature. Xianglan, being intelligent, diligent, and remarkably perseverant, won Dingyi Shitai’s deep affection. Dingyi Shitai herself was the daughter of an official family. Her father, known for his uprightness, had offended powerful court ministers, leading to the family’s downfall. To escape persecution, she had taken monastic vows. After her family’s name was cleared, Dingyi Shitai found the tranquility of monastic life far preferable to the turmoil of the secular world. She declined her family’s urging to return to lay life, devoting herself instead to the Bodhisattva path—helping others and aiding the world without accepting payment, often distributing porridge and medicine. Having traveled extensively, she possessed broad knowledge and experience. When Xianglan pestered her with tricky questions, Dingyi Shitai never grew impatient, answering patiently and guiding her meticulously. Within a few years, Xianglan had mastered literature and history, excelled in writing, developed considerable depth of thought, and particularly gained acclaim for her exceptional skill in painting, often drawing admiration from all.
As days turned into years, Xue Shi gave birth to three more children, but none survived beyond two or three years. Thus, Xianglan remained the couple’s only daughter, cherished like a precious jewel. By the time Xianglan turned fourteen, Dingyi Shitai selected an auspicious day for her to "leap over the wall" and return to lay life. The bond between Xianglan and Dingyi Shitai was as deep as that between grandmother and granddaughter, making the separation difficult for both. Dingyi Shitai advised, "You have a loyal and honest nature, but your temper is strong. Henceforth, you must cultivate your character with even greater diligence. Each person has their own karma to fulfill. You have unresolved ties to the secular world and cannot remain in the monastic life. If fate allows, return someday to see me off in my final moments." Tearfully, Xianglan promised, "I will surely visit you often, Master." Dingyi Shitai smiled without replying, simply bowing to signal her departure.
After returning home, Xianglan found herself with little to do. Xue Shi suggested she join the neighborhood girls of her age in needlework and play. Xianglan attended twice but returned saying, "They are not my kind. There’s no joy in forcing company." Instead, she helped Xue Shi with household chores and spent her free time reading, copying scriptures, and doing needlework to supplement the family income.
One day, as Xianglan sat embroidering on the large kang by the window, a commotion erupted in the courtyard. A sharp, loud voice cried out, "Who stole your clothes? How dare you falsely accuse someone in broad daylight—may your throat fester with sores! Pah!"
"I saw you take Xianglan’s clothes with my own eyes! I had washed and hung them in the yard. You went into the kitchen and came out stuffing them into your clothes before heading inside!" The speaker was unmistakably Xue Shi. Peering out the window, Xianglan saw her mother and Lu Ershenzi standing face to face in the courtyard, while a few children peeked in through the gate.
The Lu family were also hereditary servants of the Lin estate, living in the same compound as Xianglan’s family, though the two households had little interaction. The Lus were known for petty greed, frequently pilfering from the Chen family—everything from larger items like clothing, washbasins, and cured meat to smaller ones like firewood, scallions, and garlic, nothing was safe from their light fingers."Your mother's bullshit! This lady wouldn't even glance at your ragged clothes! Our family's Concubine enjoys such wealth and influence in the mansion that even silks and satins are used as ass-wipes! You money-grubbing little whore, how dare you try to extort us!" Lu Ershenzi was well-versed in the art of shrewish street quarrels, with endless variations of insults. Sturdy and dark-skinned, she planted herself in the courtyard with hands on her hips, projecting an imposing "one woman guards the pass, ten thousand cannot breach it" aura, daring to spew the filthiest obscenities.
Xue Shi, who lacked such vulgar verbal skills, trembled with rage: "You clearly took our clothes! The fine cloth I bought recently, the brand-new seasonal jacket I made, with embroidered patterns on the cuffs! Heaven watches all, aren't you afraid of hell's retribution?"
Lu Ershenzi spat right in Xue Shi's face: "If there's retribution, it should strike whores like you first! Even back in the mansion you were seducing men, you Rouge powder-like lowlife! Driven out by the Madams and ladies, shameless and brazen, instead of hanging yourself in some corner, you scheme to frame me! Don't know your place from the heavens above or the earth below? Think I'm easy to bully? Tomorrow I'll have our family's Concubine settle this!"
These words left Xue Shi feeling wronged, humiliated and furious. Pointing at Lu Ershenzi, she stammered "You... you..." choking too much to speak. Seeing her mother so bullied, Xianglan grew enraged. Throwing down her needlework and slipping on her shoes, she rushed outside, only to be grabbed by Chen Wanquan: "My dear young lady, they're fighting fiercely out there! Don't add to the chaos!"
Xianglan struggled: "My mother's being bullied and humiliated like this! How can I not go?"
Chen Wanquan glared: "Calm down! The Lu family's daughter is Eldest Master's Bedchamber Attendant in the mansion. Once she bears children and gets promoted to Concubine, she'll be half a mistress! We should be currying favor, not asking for trouble! Your mother's just a shortsighted woman - if she's being foolish, must you follow suit?" Just then came a cry of "Aiyo!" - Xue Shi had been shoved to the ground by Lu Ershenzi.
Xianglan laughed in extreme anger: "When your own wife gets called 'whore' and beaten, not only do you not defend her, you're this useless! If you showed even one percent of the authority you display at home with my mother, our family wouldn't suffer this humiliation today!" Pushing Chen Wanquan aside, she ran out.
Lu Ershenzi, counting on Chen Wanquan's unwillingness to cause trouble, deliberately targeted Xue Shi. Partly because Lu Ershu had praised "how pretty Mrs. Chen is," and she'd been caught trying to peek at Xue Shi bathing - the memory still made her teeth ache with hatred. Grabbing Xue Shi's hair, she incessantly shouted "slut!" and "Rouge powder!" The neighbors all knew Lu Ershenzi's notorious shrewish reputation and didn't dare intervene, only attempting to mediate from the sidelines.
Seeing her mother with disheveled hair, tear-streaked face, and being beaten by Lu Ershenzi, Xianglan's fury intensified. Slipping quietly along the wall to the courtyard gate, she grabbed the door bolt and charged forward, shouting: "You wretched woman, how dare you hit my mother!" Landing a solid blow right on Lu Ershenzi's back.
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