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He remembered there were plenty of flowers and plants in the mountains. When he returned to hunt rabbits, he planned to dig some up and plant them at home, which would surely bring joy.
Jiang Maihua giggled as she looked at the roses.
Song Jingyun chuckled as he thought about the flowers and plants in the mountains.
The neglected old man…
On such a hot day, he felt a chill in his heart.
Ah, young people.
The old man stroked his wispy beard, slightly hunched, and walked slowly toward the backyard of the temple, where the monks’ meditation rooms were located. Outsiders were not allowed in, but the old man managed to enter the backyard and proceeded directly to the head monk’s meditation room. Brazenly, he poured himself a cup of tea and sat in front of the head monk, Hui Zhi.
“Hail Buddha,” Hui Zhi greeted, palms together. “The sound of the water in the tea indicates urgency. It seems you have encountered a troubling matter. I’m curious to know what could trouble you so.”
“Old baldy, your guess is quite accurate,” the old man downed his tea, slammed the cup back on the table, and continued indignantly, “I’ve wandered the world for decades, and people have always sought me out for fortune-telling. But today, when I wanted to read someone’s fortune, he refused. It truly infuriates me.”
“Oh?” Master Hui Zhi opened his eyes, a glint shining through. “I’m curious to know who could prompt Xun Yuanbai to take the initiative in fortune-telling. Who is this person?”
“Hail Buddha, I hadn’t expected such a distinguished guest to grace our humble temple. The monks hadn’t mentioned any differences from our usual routine.”
Xun Yuanbai replied irritably. “He’s not anyone of great importance, just a refined young man who’s above average in appearance and demeanor.”
“He exudes an unusually strong aura of auspiciousness, unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I intended to read his fortune and discern his destiny, but the young man was unwilling. I had no choice but to abandon the attempt,” Xun Yuanbai explained.
“Hail Buddha, if he carries such an auspicious aura…” Master Hui Zhi paused. “It seems he is blessed by the Bodhisattva, aware of the need to steer clear of someone like you, a lone star of ill omen.”
“What are you saying, you old baldy?” Xun Yuanbai flared up. “Do you want me to burn down this meditation room?”
“Hail Buddha, in my opinion, it would be wise for you to reflect on your current predicament,” Master Hui Zhi said with palms together, closing his eyes once more.
As if drained of all his strength, Xun Yuanbai slumped on the cushion.
Yes, his current predicament.
Xun Yuanbai furrowed his brow and tightened his grip on the copper coin used for divination in his arms.
Seeing Xun Yuanbai despondent, Master Hui Zhi shook his head. “Truly foolish. Must I remind you? If you’ve encountered an auspicious individual, it’s likely fate at work…”
Xun Yuanbai sneered. Fate? If he misspoke, he’d end up in a dire situation.
Wait… fate?
Yes, fate! Encountering an auspicious individual might bring him good luck, turning bad omens into good fortune!
Like a rabbit, Xun Yuanbai leaped up and dashed outside, muttering, “Old baldy, why didn’t you say this earlier…”
In the blink of an eye, he was gone, leaving even the young novices who brought him tea wide-eyed.
Xun Yuanbai, not a spry man, usually walked with a trembling gait, a sign of frailty. Now, seeing him run at such remarkable speed, the young novices couldn’t help but stare at him.
However, he had no time to pay attention to their surprise. He was focused on finding the auspicious young man he had encountered earlier.
Meanwhile, Jiang Mixia, Liu Shi, and Fang Shi, having completed their prayers, sought out Song Jingyun and Jiang Maihua, planning to reunite with Jiang Youcheng and Jiang Chunshi at the foot of the mountain.
Initially, going up the mountain had been easy, but descending was proving challenging. Although the slope wasn’t steep and the steps were gentle, after climbing and making offerings at so many halls, their legs now felt shaky.
Jiang Mixia and Fang Shi supported Liu Shi, while Song Jingyun carried Jiang Maihua and assisted Jiang Mixia as they descended slowly.
“Deyin Temple is indeed bustling,” remarked Jiang Mixia as they made their way down, observing the large crowds still heading up the mountain even at noon.
“There are quite a lot of people,” Song Jingyun agreed. “So we need to be careful.”
“Why do you say that?” Jiang Mixia tilted her head, surprised by her Husband’s sudden caution.
“Just now, when you and mom and sister were offering incense, I was waiting with Maihua in the courtyard. A person tried to strike up a conversation and even wanted me to go to another place. I thought he looked shifty and didn’t seem like a good person, so I ignored him,” Song Jingyun explained. “When he saw I wasn’t responding, he left, but not before looking back several times.”
“Is that so?” Jiang Mixia frowned but also praised Song Jingyun. “You did well.”
While temples may seem to be serene places of reverence, not everyone respects this. Some unscrupulous individuals take advantage of such settings. The person who attempted to engage Song Jingyun might have had ill intentions, perhaps trying to lure children. Her husband’s vigilance was commendable.
Indeed.
Having received Jiang Mixia’s praise, Song Jingyun smirked and lifted his chin. “I remember your instructions, not to talk to strangers or wander off with them.”
“Excellent,” Jiang Mixia nodded in satisfaction. “When we were going up the mountain, I saw they had your favorite large dumplings and minced meat cakes down below. You can have more of those later.”
Good deeds deserve rewards, and rewards should cater to one’s preferences!
“Okay,” Song Jingyun thought for a moment. “I also want some spring rolls with shredded vegetables.”
“No problem,” Jiang Mixia readily agreed.
Song Jingyun licked his lips, a wide smile on his face.
Meanwhile, Jiang Youcheng and Jiang Chunshi were quite busy at the market. Their finely crafted needlework baskets were reasonably priced, attracting many women and children among the incense-goers. The buyers were eager to purchase a few upon seeing the good quality.
As for the cricket cages and bamboo balls, they were children’s favorites. Kids couldn’t take their eyes off them and pleaded with their parents to buy one. Since most families visiting the temple with incense also had a mindset to let their kids have fun, and the items were affordable, around ten coins each, they were happy to buy one for their children to play with.
As a result, Jiang Youcheng’s business was booming.
As for Jiang Chunshi…