When the apricot fruits on Mount Zhongnan turned a pale yellow tinged with green, the Wishing Forest of Yuxu Taoist Temple was already hung with yellow silk and red ribbons. Huwa's Wish-Protecting Ghost Face wood carvings swung in the branches, casting dappled light and shadow, while the abacus beads fixed their eyes on the hands of pilgrims shoving coins into the donation box. Zhang Yifan shook his abacus beads as he waded through the crowd, seeing Daoist Master Yuqing standing beneath an apricot tree counting the divination slips. The abacus-bead pattern on her gray robe gleamed brightly in the sunlight—embroidered through the night by Moli.
"How much has the Daoist Master earned today?" His abacus beads leaped into the shape of the character for "thousand" atop the donation box. "I could smell the candied fruit and knew right away that the wishing forest's business is likely making the Buddhist temples in Chang'an turn green with envy."
Yuqing glared at him, though the tip of her broom gently swept an apricot leaf off the toe of his shoe. "This poor Daoist keeps watch over incense, not copper coins—besides, the Yi School still lacks thirty sets of desks and chairs."
Chapter 122