"Mother, mother--", it was Shan Zhenzhu who called out.
The old lady held the bowl of porridge with three fingers on her left hand, and with the remaining two fingers, she helped to hold a black-faced steamed bun between her palms. With her right hand, she picked up some pickled vegetables and placed them in the bowl. She gave a long reply, rolled her eyes at her grandchildren, and then turned her butt and went inside.
On the brick bed slightly near the window, the one wearing a red silk jacket was Old Shan's precious daughter, Shan Zhenzhu. Her disc-like white face was covered with two lumps of red. Her braid reached her waist and was tied with a red rope. There was also a pearl flower on her head.
Seeing her mother come in, Shan Zhen Zhu's butt jerked up. She waved her hand with chopsticks." Mother, come quickly!"”
Old Madam Shan's face changed from a moment ago to a kind mother." Why are you calling me Mother? Is there enough to eat?"
Shan Zhenzhu broke off half of a coarse grain bun and handed it to the old lady." Mother, you eat-"
"Aiyoyo…what a good daughter. Mother ate an egg. Good daughter, you can keep it for yourself as a snack at night. My pearls are good, unlike those bastards!”
Shan Zhenzhu still stuffed half of the steamed bun into the old lady's hands." Mother, eat, I don't have an appetite-I ate two eggs, I'm full-"
"What's wrong, daughter? Why don't you have an appetite? Do you want to see a doctor?"
"What are you looking at, mother?" Shan Zhenzhu poked the dried sweet potatoes in her bowl with her chopsticks and dragged out her complaining tone."Mother, third brother and Shi Tou can eat meat twice a day."
When Old Lady Shan heard this, her expression instantly turned from sunny to dark. She put down her chopsticks angrily."You heartless thing. You don't even know how to bring back a bowl of meat every day. Zhen Zhu, just you wait. When you come back, you'll see how I punish them!”
Shan Zhen Zhu was also indignant." Yes, mother. They are unfilial. You and father haven't even seen a piece of flesh!"”
“……”
The two mothers mumbled for a while and finally came up with some kind of plan to punish the uncle and nephew. In any case, when everyone was about to rest, the two of them came out of the central room with a face full of dust and dirt, and both of them had a face that they had no desire to live.
In contrast to Third Brother Shan's sorrow, Shan Shitou had come back to life the moment he looked up at the moon. He grinned at his third uncle, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. During this period of time, he had been working well in the Yang family. The young man's coarse cloth coat, which was full of patches and whose color could not be seen, revealed his strong waist."Third Uncle, take a rest. I'll go take a walk.”
Third Brother Shan looked at his nephew, who was much taller and stronger than him, and replied in a low voice,"Yes, it's frosty and the river is cold.”
"Yes, I know. I'm going…"
Shi Tou was mistaken by his third uncle for going to the river to take a bath. He didn't bother to explain himself. He swayed out of the fence and stood in the shadow under the big tree outside. He heard no other movement except for the sound of two wild cats fighting. He walked around to the back window of the east wing and gently knocked on the window lattice. A moment later, the old window that was about to fall apart opened with a creak. Shan Er's weathered face was half exposed. He didn't seem surprised to see Shi Tou."Shi Tou, what did your grandma call you for?"
" It's fine, Second Uncle, don't worry about it!" As Stone spoke, he took out a cloth bag from his clothes."Hurry up and eat. After you finish eating, you still pressed the cloth under here. I'll come and get it tomorrow morning.”
After Shi Tou finished speaking, he went to the river outside the village without looking back. In the house, under the moonlight, the Shan Er couple opened the cloth bag with trembling hands. Half a steamed bun, an egg, and a few pieces of pork were in front of them.
The couple looked at each other for a long time without saying a word. Finally, Dan Er sighed."Wake the child up and eat quickly!”
"Hey, boss, I…"
"Eat-"
Second daughter-in-law Shan divided a few pieces of meat and egg whites between the two big ones. She crushed the egg yolk in water and fed it to the three girls who were less than seven months old. The two big girls pushed each other and each took a bite before returning it to Second daughter-in-law Shan's hands. Second daughter-in-law Shan touched the two girls 'yellow hair and smiled bitterly. She turned around and stuffed the rest into her hands." You only ate two black steamed buns today…" Looking at her man's disabled right leg, she couldn't help but turn her back to secretly wipe her tears.
Dan Er couldn't argue with him. He took a bite and ate the rest. He broke the rest into three pieces and stuffed one into each person's mouth."Cao 'er, Xiu' er, remember your big brother's kindness. Sigh, it's all my fault!”,As he spoke, he lowered his head and smashed his right leg.
Second daughter-in-law Shan's mouth, which was biting the steamed bun, was trembling non-stop. She grabbed her man's fist, and tears fell from her nose. The salty taste was mixed with the sweetness of the steamed bun."We don't blame you, but Uncle Li Zheng said that the flour mill is hiring women to work. In the future, you take good care of the children, and I'll go to work. Cao 'er and Xiu' er will slowly grow up, and we can survive!”
"Yes!"
The husband and wife's tightly clenched hands produced a huge amount of energy. This energy quickly spread throughout their bodies and spread to the two daughters who were snuggling up to each other on the brick bed.
At dusk, the day's bustle at the mountain gate of the Hidden Seeking Temple ended. Xu Changqing and the others had left the crowd at some point. They only turned around the alley with red walls and black tiles and stopped in front of a long flight of steps. On the right was the temple's sutra collection building and on the left was a patch of vigorous pine and cypress. Soon, a person came and led the horse forward. The person only gave a Buddhist proclamation and did not speak.
Xu Changqing carried Yi 'er and Amelia into the pine and cypress forest. Countless red wishing ropes on the branches swayed in the breeze, and the dense smell of sandalwood filled his nose."Didn't Uncle say that we're almost home? Where is this place?"
Xu Changqing rubbed Yi 'er's head and put her down.""We're here. Amelia, follow me!"
" Ah-" Amelia had just gotten off the carriage when she realized that they were in a monastery. She followed behind them in a daze and passed through half of the forest. She did not realize why her uncle had brought them here. When she heard the call, she hurriedly walked a few steps forward and held Yi 'er's hand.
Sure enough, after walking a few more steps, a few glazed tiles were revealed from the shade of the green trees. Then, a yellow wall appeared. After bypassing a few large pine trees surrounded by a low wall, a moon door appeared in front of them.
After passing through the moon gate, they walked through a winding pathway and took a few steps up. The scene before them suddenly opened up. It was actually a huge yard. On one side was a pine forest that stretched as far as the eye could see, and on the other side was a courtyard wall made of yellow walls and black tiles. A few thick but not tall pine trees stood upright, like a human standing, and the trees formed a corridor. A clump of holly surrounded the base of the wall, and grass grew in the cracks of the bluestone ground.
Xu Changqing did not say much. He took out a folding fan from his waist and walked through the yard. A black wooden door was left ajar between the branches of the old tree.
A chubby monk in his forties or fifties with a round face and a gray monk robe walked out from behind the door. When he saw who it was, a hint of joy flashed in his eyes."Amitabha. Patron Changqing has returned. Please come in!”,After saying that, he looked at the big and small people behind Xu Changqing and his eyes lit up again."There are also two little benefactors. Please come in!”
Xu Changqing laughed and sang a Buddhist proclamation."You're back, you're back. Greetings, Master Huiyuan. Is Master Xingyi inside?”
"Yes, yes…Master is in the meditation room. Almsgiver Changqing, please!”
" Please, please…" Xu Changqing waved his fan and stepped onto the bluestone path without waiting for the fat monk to lead the way. The bamboo trees on both sides were covered with strange rocks. The stone path was winding and deep. After turning a few clumps of green bamboo, he saw two windows that had bamboo curtains that had not been removed in the summer. A thin old monk with white beard and eyebrows stood behind the window and looked at them while twirling his Buddhist beads. A pair of bright and wise eyes quietly swept across the three of them and stopped on Yi 'er. His eyelids moved imperceptibly and he made a Buddhist proclamation with one hand."Amitabha. It's good that you're here. I was talking about you when I was drinking tea with Elder Xu yesterday.”
"Long time no see, old monk. Did you miss me?" Xu Changqing smiled and walked forward.”
Xu Changqing rubbed his nose and bowed politely,""Amitabha. Greetings, Master!"
Amelia didn't know who this old monk was, but when she saw him and Uncle Xu asking and answering kindly, and the smile on his face seemed to melt in the Buddha's light, she felt her entire body relax. She quickly brought Yi 'er forward to bow.
"Haha…you're welcome!" Only then did Xing Yi walk out from behind the window and stop in front of Yi 'er." This must be Ming Yue's youngest daughter. She does have some deficiency…" As he spoke, he took out a bead from his sleeve and continued,""This is something that has served the Buddha Lord for many years. It is the most effective in dispelling turbid and suppressing shock, consolidating the foundation and nourishing the essence. Girl, take it and carry it with you every day.”
This pearl was completely black and had threads of golden light that were faintly discernible. Yi 'er liked it at first glance and took it with a sweet smile."Thank you, Master. You also know my mother?”
Amelia naturally knew that Yi 'er had been in poor health since she was young and had taken medicine every day, but she did not expect to be refuted by the eminent monk the moment they met. The worry in her eyes could not be hidden, and she subconsciously tightened her grip on Yi' er's hand. She took a look and stroked her beard as she smiled."This female benefactor is really blessed…Amitabha, Huiyuan, send them over. I'm afraid someone is waiting anxiously.”
"Yes, Master!"
"Changqing, farewell. I'll come back another day to ask for a cup of tea from Grandmaster!”
After bidding farewell to the master, Xu Changqing carried Yi 'er and continued to pass through the bamboo forest under the guidance of the fat monk. He saw that he turned left and right a few times. Just as Amelia was feeling dizzy, a small door embedded in the wall suddenly appeared.
Xu Changqing thanked the fat monk and led the two of them out of the small door.
Then, he entered a room.
An old woman who was sitting on a stool at the door raised her white hair when she heard the noise and looked over with a smile."But he came. Furen has sent people over to ask several times!”
"Greetings, Old Lady Cheng! This is Yi 'er, and this is Amelia!"
"Ah, good, good!"
Old Lady Cheng smiled until her eyes narrowed. She sized up the two of them and finally stopped at Yi 'er's face. Her eyes were red."Yes, they really look alike! "Good child…" As he spoke, he turned around and patted Amelia's hand."This is also a good girl!"
"Hello, granny!"
"Hey, hey…okay, don't waste time here. San Er, quickly take them back, everyone is waiting!”
"Alright, Old Lady Cheng, I'll come and see you another day!”
"Alright, alright, go, go!" Old Lady Cheng wiped her tears with one hand and chased them out with the other.
The three of them walked out of the door and passed through a narrow path. The area in front of them suddenly widened. It was actually a large courtyard surrounded by green bricks and black tiles. The red painted pillars strung together countless rooms.
"This is the school at home. After you rest well in two days, let sister-in-law send you to school.”
"What? "I-" Amelia was shocked."I have to go to school too?”
"Heh, what do you think?" Xu Changqing laughed. Before I came, I told your parents to let you study here for two years before you go back. What's a girl who's not even fifteen years old doing not going to school?”
This book comes from:m.funovel.com。