Chapter 194: The Discontinued Study Talisman

Puji Temple is crowded every month, especially on weekends, and the period from late May to early June, which is close to the college entrance examination, is even more packed with people.

Xu Yihuan stood in the middle of a group of people, looking up at them with a melancholy expression.

How long will it take to climb to the top?

Hearing Lu Anlan's resolute words, Xu Yihuan nodded.

"Let's go."

Before she could finish speaking and even reach out to take Lu Anlan's hand, Xu Yihuan was bumped on the shoulder, causing her to stumble.

There are just too many people here. If this were twenty years ago, losing a phone or wallet would be normal.

Xu Yihuan and Lu Anlan huffed and puffed as they climbed uphill, passing stalls selling water and popsicles along the way.

Given the choice between a five-yuan popsicle and a five-yuan bottle of mineral water, Xu Yihuan chose the five-yuan popsicle without hesitation, at least it sounded like a better value.

They ate as they walked, and finally reached a flat section of road. Xu Yihuan and Lu Anlan sat down to rest, when two voices arguing came from inside.

"So what do we do now? Let's go down now."

"No, going down now will be exhausting! Then all my climbing will have been for nothing!"

"Then let's walk a little further, we should be there soon."

"Who knows how much longer? I don't want to climb anymore!"

It's a genuine accent from the Yangtze River Delta region, one that Xu Yihuan has heard since childhood and is very familiar with.

Sensitively looking up, I saw a father standing to the side with his daughter. The daughter's face was full of grievance and resentment, while the father scratched his head, looking worried, clearly not knowing what to do.

"What does this child want? I've been listening for a long time and I still can't figure out how to satisfy her."

"How can you start arguing like this?"

Lu Anlan was extremely impatient. She knew that children were the most evil creatures in the world.

Xu Yihuan glanced at it and looked away. Upon hearing Lu Anlan's words, she made a judgment in a second: "She did it."

How did you know?

Xu Yihuan folded the plastic shell of the popsicle, wrapped it in paper, stuffed it into her pocket, and threw the wooden stick on the ground.

He casually replied, "I was like that when I was a kid too. You can tell at a glance. It's all because I was spoiled."

Lu Anlan finished eating, stood up, and looked at her with surprise: "I didn't realize you had such a good personality."

Xu Yihuan stood there for a moment, thinking. In her memory, it seemed that she only acted this way when her mother still pampered her.

That's true. After losing his mother and with his father frequently away on business trips, he didn't know who to vent his anger on. How could he possibly have a bad temper?

Xu Yihuan felt a little bitter, but since it was all in the past, she didn't show it. She said jokingly, "You probably don't know, but this conversation happened to me before. I played the role of that little brat."

After saying that, Xu Yihuan didn't wait for Lu Anlan to react before getting up and walking towards the top of the mountain.

Lu Anlan also noticed that Xu Yihuan was in a bad mood, so she didn't say anything more and followed closely behind Xu Yihuan.

The 1,500 steps would normally take a normal person about 40 minutes to climb, but Xu Yihuan and Lu Anlan, both fragile college students, took more than an hour to climb them, resting for every five minutes they climbed and then resting for ten minutes.

"I need to visit every temple later, otherwise all my hard work will be wasted."

Lu Anlan, panting, leaned against the stone wall and said.

Xu Yihuan burst out laughing.

"Let's go, let's go."

After descending the steps and reaching a gentler section of the path, my strength gradually returned. I bought a ticket, entered the gate, and headed straight for Wenshu Monastery.

The entire temple smelled of burning incense, which was very comforting.

[Left in, right out, the middle is empty, no backtracking.]

Such words kept playing on a loop through the loudspeaker.

"Huanhuan, I heard that there's a particularly effective academic talisman at Wenshu Monastery. Do you think I could go and ask for one?"

Lu Anlan asked as she walked.

Xu Yihuan accepted the three incense sticks handed to her by the monk.

"Hmm? The academic talisman from Wenshu Monastery?"

"Yes, yes, I heard my mom and others say that this is really effective. My older brother went to ask for it and successfully got an offer from the school he wanted to go to."

Xu Yihuan frowned, unable to figure out for a moment whether she was behind or ahead of the curve in terms of information.

"The academic talismans at Wenshu Monastery have been discontinued."

"It seems that production stopped last year, supposedly because sales were too high and some people were just trying to follow the trend without sincerity."

"I have another one, but I got it many years ago."

"But I don't know if production has resumed yet." Xu Yihuan didn't dare to be too certain.

Lu Anlan sighed regretfully, "Then I'll go ask about it later."

The two of them lit the three incense sticks that had been given to them, and then walked together toward Wenshu Monastery.

The streets were crowded with people, and filled with smoke and fumes.

Looking at the familiar scene, Xu Yihuan's eyes stung from the smoke.

Two people, each holding incense, lined up to enter Wenshu Monastery and kneel to offer incense.

Left in, right out, the middle is empty.

The moment Xu Yihuan entered the queue, a slender figure emerged from the right, a figure that looked very familiar.

Xu Yihuan's heart skipped a beat, and she turned her head sharply to look over.

Is it my mother? Could it be?

The next instant, the figure was swallowed up by the crowd and disappeared.

The people behind her started urging Xu Yihuan to move forward.

Xu Yihuan pursed her lips, suppressing the pounding in her heart, and took two steps forward, entering the courtyard where she could no longer see the outside scene.

Just then, as if sensing something, Pei Yi'an turned her gaze toward the door on the left.

Looking around, there wasn't a single familiar face.

"What's wrong with Pei Si?"

"It's nothing, I mistook you for someone else."

Puji Temple is the most famous temple in Beijing, renowned for its ability to grant any request.

Seeing how badly Pei Yuli was injured, and having tried all the scientific methods available without success, she could only try praying to the gods.

In her memory, this should be her first time visiting Puji Temple. She should not have known how to get there, but as soon as she arrived, it was as if she knew the way on her own and she walked straight towards Wenshu Monastery.

She thought, since she was already here, perhaps it was fate, so she went with the flow and came to Wenshu Monastery first.

"Ah Ling, let's go."

"Pei Si, shall we go to the Ksitigarbha Hall now?"

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva once made a great vow: "I will not become a Buddha until hell is emptied." It is said that going there is very effective for seeking health.

Clearly, Ah Ling also knew that Pei Yi'an came here mainly to pray for Pei Yuli's health.

But Pei Yi'an shook his head upon hearing this.

"I'm not going. If I remember correctly, Wenshu Monastery seems to offer academic success talismans, right?"

"Pei Si, are you going to ask for an academic talisman?" Ah Ling's voice was clearly surprised.

Pei Yi'an couldn't explain this inexplicable thought either, so she just smiled casually and said, "Yes, I'll ask for one for my little nephew."

Ah Ling's lips twitched. If she remembered correctly, Pei Si's little nephew was still in elementary school. Sure enough, top students start working hard from a young age.

Ah Ling said as she followed Pei Yi'an.

“But Pei Si, I seem to remember that academic talismans here should be discontinued.”

Ah Ling's voice wasn't loud, and with the noise of the crowd, Pei Yi'an couldn't hear her clearly and went straight to the place where the religious items were sold.