My Taoist nun girlfriend is from the Republic of China era, 1942.

Chapter 12 How to Repay Kindness
Although she wasn't used to sweet steamed buns, Chen Xiaomiao ate whatever was available, even using the leftover vegetable broth to soak up every last drop of the broth.
After finishing the meal, Lu Yuan yawned, feeling drowsy as a wave of fatigue washed over him: "I need to wash up and get some sleep. You must be tired from the journey too. If you're sleepy, just make do on the sofa for a bit. We don't have any extra bedding at home, so I'll go with you to buy some this afternoon."

"It's okay, I slept soundly in the car and I'm full of energy now!"

After clearing away the dishes, Chen Xiaomiao was full of energy: "Your house is so big, and I noticed that many places are covered in dust. I'll help you tidy it up!"

Lu Yuan's eyelids were practically glued together, and he really didn't have the energy to argue with her about these things, so he had no choice but to compromise: "Okay, okay, then you'd better keep it down."

He thought Chen Xiaomiao would at most just wipe the table with a rag, but who knew that this girl would do it so quickly and keep bringing up problems.

"Lu Yuan, where did you put your broom?"

"Lu Yuan, can this towel be used to wipe the floor?"

"Lu Yuan, why don't you even have a feather duster at home?"

Fifteen minutes later, Lu Yuan completely gave up the idea of ​​catching up on sleep.

He resignedly stood at the door of the storage room and began to give this "snail girl" from 1942 pre-job training.

"This is called a vacuum cleaner. As the name suggests, it can suck up dust. You can use it like a broom."

Lu Yuan plugged in the power, pressed the switch, and the vacuum cleaner roared loudly.

"Oh my god!"

Chen Xiaomiao jumped back in fright.

Lu Yuan was both amused and exasperated. He gestured for Chen Xiaomiao to hold the lever: "Just push it, and you can get into even the most remote and difficult places."

Chen Xiaomiao cautiously pushed the "vacuum broom" in her hand a few steps before gradually becoming bolder and starting to find it novel and fun.

"Then this thing is a floor scrubber, and this thing is an electrostatic duster..."

After teaching Chen Xiaomiao, Lu Yuan originally wanted to wash up and go to sleep, but looking at the more than 300 square meters of empty and desolate house, his laziness inexplicably dissipated.

He sighed, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "Fine, let's do it together and get it done quickly."

Cleaning such a large house is no small task.

Lu Yuan was in charge of cleaning the floor with a vacuum cleaner, while Chen Xiaomiao took the electrostatic duster that Lu Yuan had taught her to use and carefully wiped the bookshelves, TV cabinet, and those ornaments that hadn't been touched in a long time.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, making the fine dust particles in the air clearly visible.

The girl's figure moved in the beam of light, humming an unknown tune, a melodious tune with a touch of rustic simplicity.

The two were busy until 3 p.m.

The last corner was cleaned up, and the whole house looked brand new.

Lu Yuan stood in the center of the living room, looking around, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

"Lu Yuan, look at it, isn't it spotless!"

Chen Xiaomiao had beads of sweat on her forehead, a satisfied smile on her face, and her hands on her hips like a victorious young general.

Lu Yuan took two bottles of water from the refrigerator: "You've worked hard. Go take a shower, and then we'll go out."

"Aren't you going to sleep?"

"I'm not going to sleep, let's talk about it tonight..."

"Then what are we going to do outside?"

"I'll get you some household items; you'll need to buy new bedding, sheets, towels, toothbrushes, and everything else."

Upon hearing that it would cost money, Chen Xiaomiao immediately waved her hand: "No need, no need, just give me an old blanket, I'm not picky!"

"Whether you're picky or not, there has to be something for you to choose from." Lu Yuan said without waiting for a reply, "Go wash up, you smell all sweaty."

Chen Xiaomiao sniffed herself and realized she did smell a bit sour. Her face flushed, and she quickly slipped into the bathroom.

By the time they had both finished showering and changed into clean clothes, it was already past four in the afternoon. After a long day of fussing, Lu Yuan felt his eyelids drooping, so he forced himself to stay awake and hailed a taxi at the entrance of the residential area to a large shopping mall nearby.

Lu Yuan led Chen Xiaomiao straight to the home textile section on the third floor.

"You can choose your own sheets, duvet cover, and pillows. Choose whatever color and pattern you like."

Chen Xiaomiao was completely dumbfounded when she saw the colorful fabric in front of her.

From childhood to adulthood, she always used the old gray quilts from the Taoist temple; "color" was a luxury for her.

After hesitating for a long time, she carefully pointed to a set of gray, unremarkable four-piece bedding in the far corner: "I... I'll take that one."

Lu Yuan turned his head to look, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

This girl really knows how to choose; she picked the most expensive one, costing a whopping 88,000 yuan.

She thought the inconspicuous color would mean it would be cheap, but little did she know that the store was going for a minimalist, understated luxury style with solid colors...

"Hey, Xiao Miao, let's get a nicer outfit. Don't be shy."

"No need, that set is fine, I'm not picky!"

"It looks so drab and unattractive, let's change it."

"I don't mind..."

"Change it!"

"I..."

"Change!"

Lu Yuan's tone left no room for refusal.

Chen Xiaomiao had no choice but to bite the bullet and scan the rows of bright colors with her eyes.

Pink, blue, green, yellow... she was dazzled by the variety, but finally her gaze settled on a pure cotton four-piece bedding set printed with tiny pale yellow flowers.

The color was just like the forsythia that blooms all over the back mountain of the Taoist temple in spring.

She reached out and gently touched the soft fabric, then quickly withdrew her finger, her eyes filled with longing, but she muttered, "This... is too fancy, it won't wash well."

"That's it."

Lu Yuan didn't give Chen Xiaomiao a chance to back out. After inquiring about the price and confirming that it would only cost a little over 1000 after the discount, he immediately signaled to the staff to pack it up.

On his way out, Lu Yuan also picked up a towel and bath towel of the same color, as well as a pink toothbrush and a cartoon-shaped mouthwash cup.

Chen Xiaomiao stared intently at the brand-new items Lu Yuan had put into the car, hesitant to speak.

Lu Yuan said bluntly, "Speak your mind."

“Lu Yuan…”

Chen Xiaomiao's voice was so soft it was like a mosquito's buzz: "You bought me so many nice things again, I...I..."

She wanted to say, "I can't repay you," but she had said it more than once or twice, so saying it again wouldn't make sense.

But saying "thank you" is just two short words that feel light and meaningless.

"If only Lu Yuan would let me be his concubine."

Chen Xiaomiao pondered to herself.

　I woke up and realized I'd forgotten to set a timer yesterday...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)