Chapter 8 008 He was pulled back

Cining Temple is an ancient temple with a history of over 100 years. The Buddha statues in the main hall are extremely tall. The deep and solemn sound of the temple bells, mixed with the chanting of prayers, resounds through the mountains and forests, stirring up countless birds in the treetops.

Following Meng's advice, Lin Wan first went to queue up to see the master doctor who practiced medicine.

She was aware of the scars on her face; perhaps they were truly difficult to remove, or perhaps she couldn't bear to forget the connection to that person.

She had previously visited temples of all sizes to pray for the missing person.

but.

today……

The main hall contains not only compassionate and majestic Buddha statues, but also Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and many devout believers who sincerely burn incense and worship Buddha.

Lin Wan was no exception.

She lit a stick of incense, knelt respectfully before the prayer mat, and bowed.

He paused slightly before opening his mouth to speak, and after a long pause, he finally uttered in a low voice:

May you enjoy good health and happiness.

They remained in prayer for a long time before rising.

Su Furong watched from the side, and after seeing her get up and leave the prayer mat, she smiled and said, "Cousin, you are very sincere. I wonder what you wished for?"

Lin Wan: "Since it's a wish, it won't come true if you say it out loud."

"If we're talking about efficacies, the marriage fortune sticks at Cining Temple are the most effective. Many people who pray for marriage here have found happiness and fulfillment. Why don't we go and take a look?"

"But... Aunt is still praying for blessings, are we just going to leave like this?"

Before she could hesitate, Su Furong pulled her out of the main hall and headed straight for the fortune-telling area for marriage.

Under the century-old sycamore tree to the left of the main hall, there is a long table covered with red silk cloth, and a number of young men and women are interpreting fortune sticks around it.

It seemed that this wasn't Su Furong's first time doing this; she skillfully pulled her along to join the young men and women in line.

"Legend has it that this tree was planted by a celestial being who came from afar when the temple was built. It was under this tree that the princess met her husband and they were in love for a hundred years. Nowadays, everyone throws their marriage fortune slips onto the paulownia tree, praying that their marriage will be blessed by the celestial being."

Although Lin Wan also worships gods and Buddhas, she guessed from what Su Furong said that this was probably just a embellishment of the love between the princess and the prince consort that had been passed down from back then. However, she also quite liked to hear such a loving and happy story.

She followed her gaze to the century-old sycamore tree overhead, lush and verdant, its branches covered with countless red silk marriage tokens, which seemed to be very effective.

Before long, it was their turn.

"The two young ladies may take out their fortune sticks and sincerely seek a marriage fortune."

A gentle breeze stirs, the shadows of the trees and the red ribbons flutter, and a fortune stick falls from the divination tube in my hand, a symbol of marriage.

The fortune teller looked at the marriage fortune slip she handed him and smiled, saying, "A couple destined to be together for a hundred years is bound by three lifetimes, and a marriage across a thousand miles is tied by a single thread. This is the best of fortunes, and your destiny is truly wondrous. May your wish come true, young lady."

"Wow, you actually got the best fortune stick! This is the most difficult fortune stick to get at Cining Temple. I heard that almost no one has ever gotten this fortune stick in the past hundred years. I'm so envious."

Su Furong's joy and anger were written all over her face. Her words at this moment were genuinely from someone who was happy for her. She quickly handed the marriage fortune stick in her hand to the fortune teller: "I wonder what my fortune stick says?"

The fortune teller smiled and said, "The ospreys cry 'guan guan' on the river's islet; a fair maiden is the object of a gentleman's affections. This is a medium-good fortune; may the young lady find her happy marriage."

“Oh, how come mine is only a medium-medium lottery?” Su Furong slumped down. “Should I ask again?”

If there's one good thing about Cining Temple, it's that it satisfies every sincere believer seeking enlightenment.

For example, Su Furong tried three more times, and the fortune slips were exactly the same all three times.

Lin Wan held back her laughter for a long time before calmly advising Su Furong, who still wanted to try a fourth time: "The ancients said things shouldn't happen more than three times. We've already had three identical fortune slips. Isn't it obvious that Buddha won't change his mind? If you try again, wouldn't that mean you don't believe in Buddha?"

How could she possibly slap the Buddha in the face in a sacred Buddhist site? Su Furong immediately dismissed the idea, put the divination tube back, and helplessly held the three identical divination slips in her hand. "Let's go, let's throw our marriage divination slips onto the paulownia tree. I remember some people call this tree the marriage tree. As long as you throw your wishes onto the tree, your wishes will come true."

"Could this be something that princess did a hundred years ago?"

“No, that’s not true,” Su Furong leaned closer and whispered, “Back when my brother took the imperial examination, he tied red ribbons with fortune slips wishing to pass the exam to a tree.”

"All... tied up??" Lin Wan looked at the thick sycamore tree in front of her, which was taller than her head, and found it hard to believe.

"Yes, he was afraid he wouldn't pass the exam, so he drew dozens of prayer slips. I remember he spent almost half a day tying the red ribbons on the slips, and the tree was covered in red."

“It really worked! My brother really passed the imperial examination. However,” Su Furong smiled, “when he saw that his nemesis, the young master, was actually the top scholar, while he was only the second-place scholar, he was so angry that when he came back, he took down all the red ribbons he had tied to the paulownia tree for prayers.”

Crown Prince.

This is the name she has heard most frequently since coming to the capital.

Lin Wan couldn't hold back any longer and laughed, "This works too?"

"Why not? That's exactly what my brother did—he tore everything down."

When she and Su Furong threw their marriage destinies onto the paulownia tree, Meng called for someone to come and find them, and they went down the mountain together back to the city.

The red silk scrolls on the sycamore trees, like colorful clouds in the sky, swayed in the wind.

The young monk asked curiously, "Master, why are you so happy?"

"Because I have finally deciphered the most auspicious fortune slip for that legendary couple from a hundred years ago."

The young monk was puzzled and wanted to ask again.

"Heavenly secrets must not be revealed."

-

After about half a day, Lin Wan and her group finally returned to the capital.

Inside the carriage, Su Furong lifted the curtain and looked at the bustling street. Suddenly, she asked, "Mother, why don't we go to Zuixiang Restaurant? I've been craving their Buddha Jumps Over the Wall for ages."

Madam Meng glanced at the sky; it wasn't time for meals in the manor yet. Unable to resist Su Furong's constant whining, she said, "Alright, you little glutton."

Then, looking at Lin Wan, he softened his voice and said, "Zui Xiang Restaurant has two very famous dishes: Osmanthus Wine and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. You probably haven't tried them yet, so why not give them a try? They taste really good."

Before long, the carriage stopped in front of a restaurant called "Zuixiang Restaurant" on the most bustling street in the capital.

When Lin Wan and the others got off the carriage, it was afternoon, and the warm sun made them feel warm all over.

Both she and Su Furong were exceptionally beautiful, not to mention her excellent figure. Her face was covered by a snow-white veil, making her even more eye-catching. As soon as she stepped off the carriage, she attracted a lot of attention.

The waiter at Zuixiang Restaurant was very perceptive; recognizing the distinguished guest, he immediately led him to a private room on the second floor.

The private room is furnished with a sandalwood six-person table, and a round-backed chair on each of the east, west, south, and north sides.

Lin Wanxu politely asked Meng Shi to sit down first, while she and Su Furong sat on either side.

There is a carved window on the south side facing the street, which is wide open, allowing the warm sunlight to stream in and filling the room with warmth.

The waiter came in and asked Meng to order.

Meng: "Are there any new dishes?"

The waiter bowed and respectfully announced a few of the restaurant's signature dishes, adding, "A batch of seafood just arrived this morning, including sea cucumbers, abalone, and shrimp. They're very fresh. Would you like to try some?"

Meng said, "Lin Wan, what's your favorite food? Tell me."

"I really want to try the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall that my cousin mentioned."

Meng said, "Then we'll have a Buddha Jumps Over the Wall dish, a dish of each seafood item, and a pot of osmanthus wine."

The waiter wrote down all the names of the dishes, and then went to the kitchen with a total of eight dishes. He returned quickly to serve them tea and chopsticks.

"You don't need to serve me. Go downstairs and tell the kitchen staff to be quick about serving the food."

The waiter agreed and left quietly, making sure to gently close the door to the private room.

Su Furong, who had been absent-minded ever since entering the private room, said in a fawning tone, "Mother, I just saw the young master at Zuixiang Restaurant. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Oh, no wonder you said you wanted to eat here, and that you were craving Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. I think you're clearly eyeing the young master."

“Mother, I assure you that this is really just a formality to greet the great benefactor who saved me from suffering, and I have no other intentions.”

Madam Meng sighed and nodded helplessly: "This is the only time; there must be no next time."

"Mother, you are so good!"

Su Furong excitedly opened the lattice door and walked outside.

Lin Wan thoughtfully didn't ask any more questions, but simply smiled and asked about some interesting sights and stories in the capital.

In the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Su Furong returned with a smile in her eyes.

At this moment, the waiter brought in some good dishes, which filled a large table, and the private room was immediately filled with an enticing aroma.

The waiter served them each some osmanthus wine before closing the door and leaving.

Su Furong: "This osmanthus wine is not intoxicating. It is sweet and mellow, with an endless aftertaste. The fragrance of osmanthus lingers for a long time. You should try it."

Lin Wan lowered her eyes to look at the slightly yellow osmanthus wine in the glass. It was indeed very fragrant. She took a small sip and found the taste to be quite good. With the food, she took one sip after another, and soon the glass was empty.

Upon seeing this, Su Furong smiled and raised the corners of her lips: "Did I introduce it correctly? Isn't this wine exceptionally delicious?"

After saying that, he poured Lin Wan another cup.

Seeing this, Meng thought that since they were all family, a little extra drinking wouldn't be a problem, so she didn't interfere.

Unexpectedly, after drinking several cups, Lin Wan realized that the alcohol was taking effect and dared not drink any more.

Even as she left the private room and walked down the long corridor, Lin Wan felt dizzy and unsteady on her feet, as if she were walking on clouds.

Ahead was the stairwell. Just as she was about to look down and examine the stairs, she suddenly caught sight of three or four people walking down the stairs on the next floor.

The man at the head of the group was dressed in a black robe, with his hair tied up in a jade crown. He had a handsome face and an air of noble aloofness. He was walking down the stairs in her direction.

As I approached step by step, that handsome face matched the one I remembered.

Lin Wan stopped and paused.

She stared intently at the face that was getting closer and closer; it was the person she had longed for day and night, the person she had tossed and turned in her memories!

Her slightly tipsy eyes were brimming with tears, threatening to fall but not quite, revealing endless longing and sorrow.

Her heart stopped beating, and in a daze, she seemed to return to that summer last year.

The man got closer and closer to her, but she didn't move aside, and ended up blocking the middle of the stairs.

Xie Huaiyuan looked at the woman who didn't move aside with a puzzled expression, frowned slightly, and then gently stepped aside to pass by her.

At that moment, she suddenly reached out and, in full view of everyone, grabbed the man's sleeve.

Her eyes were filled with tears, and pearly tears silently slid down, wetting the white veil on her face.

A note from the author:

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