Chapter 55 A Grand Celebration

As spring drew to a close, peach blossoms fell in disarray like red rain. Finally, one afternoon, Shanlai received a reply from Pingcheng.

The few words were merely inquiries about whether Shanlai had fully recovered and that the messenger would take her back; nothing more. As for what Shanlai truly cared about—her condition—not a single word was uttered.

But the fact that a letter was sent means things are much better.

That's great, everything is getting better.

So good that Shanlai no longer plans to return to Pingcheng.

It wasn't because she made new friends—new friends weren't as important as Liu Min—but because she became an apprentice.

It happened in February.

On the twenty-fifth day of the first lunar month, a family on the same street held a funeral. The filial son was sending off his mother, and because it was a joyous funeral, it was quite lively for a while. Monks performed repentance rituals, Taoist priests conducted ceremonies, and there was chanting and music. The family also made donations in front of their house. Even from half a mile away, the noise of the crowd could still be heard.

The girls had been idle for a long time and were extremely bored. Now that there was finally some excitement, they were all restless and eager to go out and join in, but where could they find such an opportunity?

Shanlai was one of the many girls who wanted to go out, not for the excitement, but simply to know what a Dharma assembly was like. She had once had the opportunity to know about it in Huixian Town. It was a grand event.

A merchant from a neighboring village, having amassed a fortune elsewhere, returned home in glory. Revisiting his old haunts, he found the Guanyin Temple, where he had often played as a child, in ruins. Overwhelmed with emotion, tears streamed down his face. After weeping, he declared he would donate money to repair the temple and take on the responsibility himself. The temple was ancient, its origins even unclear; it simply stood there, calmly watching time pass, children growing into old age. Every villager had run and played in that temple since they could remember; it had been there for as long as they could remember. Therefore, they were all willing to contribute to this temple that had watched them grow up. Those who could afford it contributed money; those who couldn't mustered manpower—the whole village was bustling with activity.

When the temple was almost finished, the county government somehow found out. The county magistrate personally went to the village, met with the village elders and the merchant, and exchanged many pleasantries. Finally, he said that the county government would pay for a gilded statue of the Bodhisattva in the temple, the county magistrate himself would personally inscribe a plaque for the Guanyin Temple, and the matter would be included in the county annals.

That is a great honor.

This event was no longer just a matter for that one village, but a major event for the entire county.

On the day the golden statue of the Bodhisattva was completed, a group of elderly monks from the Guanyin Temple carried the statue of the Bodhisattva on a tour, from one village to another, to guide lost souls and protect the people on their journeys. Therefore, they had to visit each village, and the whole process took a month. After a month, the Bodhisattva returned to the temple and performed a Buddhist service in front of the temple to pray for the villagers and ward off disasters. The villagers could offer sacrifices and worship at the temple to receive blessings.

When Aunt Wang led her children out of the house with baskets slung over her shoulder, Shan Lai was washing clothes by the stream. Aunt Wang cared about her, so she called out to her, asking her to come with her.

"It's so lively! Everyone's going. I wasn't planning on going, but when I heard that everyone was going, I felt like I had to go. Shanlai, hurry up and get ready, let's go together."

Everyone in the village knew about the temple construction. When the Bodhisattva's procession passed through Yaojia Village, Shanlai had watched from afar across the river—so many people, such a grand spectacle! To be honest, she wanted to go. Everyone seemed happy in front of the Buddha, but she had to wash clothes and chop grass to feed the chickens and ducks. She couldn't skip feeding them; if she wasn't quick enough, they would rebel when starving, flapping their wings and squawking incessantly. Some of the fierce ones would even fly out of their enclosure, requiring great effort to catch them again… She couldn't leave. Her father had gone into the mountains, and she was all alone at home.

She said she hadn't been feeling well for the past two days, and was always dizzy, so she wouldn't go with them if something happened. Aunt Wang, concerned about her health, heard this and quickly touched her forehead with the back of her hand. It was indeed a little cold. She hurriedly pushed her back to her own home and scolded her for touching cold water when she wasn't feeling well.

Aunt Wang told her to go to sleep, saying she would come back to see her again and bring her some snacks.

No sooner had Aunt Wang left than Shanlai got out of bed, walked barefoot to the window, and watched Aunt Wang and her two children walking along the path filled with wildflowers, butterflies fluttering around them. She closed her eyes and seemed to hear the distant sound of bells and drums...

For a long time afterward, the people of Huixian Town would often talk about the lively scene in front of the temple that day, but Shanlai never said a word about it.

At that time, she also wanted to go, but she had no choice.

I want to go now, but it seems there's no way to.

Amidst the overwhelming hustle and bustle, she sat by the window in a daze. One day, she suddenly woke up, looked up at the puzzled crowd in front of her, and asked blankly, "What's wrong?"

Ziyu said, "I heard you speak and thought you were talking to us, but your voice was too soft to hear clearly, so I asked you to speak louder and repeat it. But you were still muttering to yourself, so I raised my voice and asked again. Then I heard you suddenly shout, 'What? Aunt Wang, I want to go!' It was really loud, it was terrifying. Who is Aunt Wang? Where are you going?"

Aunt Wang was a very kind neighbor to her, but she never said where she was going.

Besides being self-righteous, Ziyu was also quite persistent. If she wanted to know, she would keep asking. The less Shanlai explained, the more eager she became to know.

She persisted so much that Shanlai finally told her. Actually, she wanted to tell her own story, and like the merchant revisiting the place, she was filled with emotion. She had truly endured so much hardship; she never imagined she could live like this now. Without realizing it, she began to recount her earlier life, how she started the fire, how she cut grass, how she mixed feed for the chickens and ducks…

She spoke earnestly, and Ziyu listened quietly, without saying a word until the end.

Shanlai didn't need her response. Those words were mainly for herself, to tell herself that it was all in the past and that she didn't need to care about what others did.

But the next day, Ziyu found her furtively, took her to a secluded place, and told her that the arrangements had been made and that he would take her out to see the conference that day. However, they had to go secretly and not let anyone know, and they had to go early and come back early.

Really? She can go to the French convention? To join in the grand spectacle, just like everyone else…

She was momentarily stunned and did not respond.

Seeing someone walking towards them, Ziyu became anxious, grabbed her sleeve and pulled hard, "Are you going or not? Give me an answer!"

Of course I'll go, why wouldn't I?

Ziyu was satisfied. After watching the man walk away, she whispered in his ear, "Come to my room later."

Shanlai followed Ziyu out of the Liu residence without any hindrance, dressed as a boy, just like last time. She dressed herself, and Ziyu combed her hair. After she was done, Ziyu cupped her face and looked her up and down, saying with a grin, "You really do look like a boy, but you're still as pretty as when you were a girl!"

Ziyu looked quite pretty in her costume, but it was immediately obvious she was a girl. Her lips were too red, too full and luscious; it would be rather inappropriate for a man to have such lips. Moreover, she was fourteen years old, with a slender figure, but her slenderness was different from Shanlai's. She had a delicate waist and prominent breasts and hips—the curves of a woman, completely distinguishable from a man's. However, she was very satisfied with her appearance, turning back to look at herself countless times in front of the mirror, saying she was truly a handsome young man. Shanlai watched, simply covering his mouth and laughing.

As soon as they left the Liu residence, someone ran quickly towards them.

This was a man, tall, with a resolute face and broad, powerful shoulders...

Shanlai instinctively tried to dodge, but Ziyu grabbed his arm.

"This is Brother Cheng, my brother's friend. We've known each other since we were little. He's also from our household. He manages the garden and the flowers and trees. He's a very reliable person, otherwise I wouldn't have specifically asked him to take us out to play," Ziyu said excitedly to Shan.

Actually, she asked more than just this one person. In this kind of situation, the first person she would think of is her family, so the first person she approached was her own brother, Li Chuan. However, Li Chuan disagreed. Not only did he refuse to take her out, but he also gave her a stern warning, basically telling her to be very careful with her words and actions, otherwise, if she caused trouble, no one could bear the consequences.

Li Chuan's concerns were certainly not unfounded, and Zi Yu deeply agreed, but Shan Lai was truly pitiful.

To put it bluntly, Ziyu was a servant, but even a servant lived a better life than Shanlai. All Ziyu knew about chickens and ducks was that they were edible, delicious, and could be prepared in various ways. She was a servant, but her mistress was precious, and she, too, rose in status and became just as precious… She had never seen a live chicken or duck, let alone raised them herself, experiencing firsthand the chaos and filth they brought… Even more remarkable was that despite her hardship, she was so beautiful, virtuous, and talented—something even ordinary young ladies might not be able to match. She couldn't imagine the hardships she had endured; beyond sympathy, she felt immense admiration. Sometimes, she was very empathetic. She sensed the regret and desolation in Shanlai's words, and even she felt sorry for her, let alone herself. Therefore, she decided to make it up to her. If Heaven had wronged her, she would make it up to Heaven on its behalf.

After introducing Shanlai to Zhang Cheng, Ziyu turned to Zhang Cheng and introduced Shanlai to him, "Brother Cheng, this is Shanlai... Miss Shanlai. You should respect her, because I respect her very much. She is a very remarkable person."

She made Shan Lai blush with just a few words; what kind of remarkable person could she be?

These words were indeed amusing, because Shanlai looked like just a child, but because they came from Ziyu, Zhang Cheng listened attentively. After listening, he gave a soft "hmm" and said with a smile, "I will."

Because of his words, Shanlai looked up and examined him carefully.

A person with sharp eyebrows and eyes, but with a soft and gentle gaze.

Shanlai never forgot that look in her eyes throughout her life, because it was that look that made her understand what it means to love someone.

The three walked side by side towards the end of the street. Zhang Cheng kept talking to Ziyu, occasionally exchanging a few words with Shanlai. However, Shanlai knew that he only wanted to talk to Ziyu, so every time he asked a question, she would just smile and nod or shake her head, pretending to be distracted. As a result, Zhang Cheng felt at ease and stopped paying attention to her.

As for Ziyu, she was in a good mood because she had successfully brought Shanlai out, and she was naturally very enthusiastic about the conversation. She talked about her and Zhang Cheng's respective family matters, the current situation of people they both knew, and even their childhood. She could be described as eloquent.

Shanlai listened from the side and found it interesting, so even though the journey was long, he felt that he arrived very quickly.

We've arrived, that's really bad.

The monks were making offerings, and there were people everywhere. The large number of people attracted merchants, which in turn attracted even more people. Therefore, although there were monks chanting repentance on the side, the Buddhist chants could not be heard at all. Only the annoying noise of the crowd could be heard.

This is Ziyu's feeling, which is different from Shanlai's. For Shanlai, everything is new, and even the noise and commotion are interesting; she has already arrived at the Dharma assembly.

Ziyu, however, did not think so, so she pulled Shanlai onto the bridge.

A single-arch stone bridge, arched quite high. Standing at the highest point, one can see the huge snow lily in the backyard of the Liu family mansion, and the Dharma assembly in front of you can also be seen in its entirety. Although you still can't hear much, it's much better than not being able to hear or see anything at all.

The problem is, she's not the only one who thinks this way.

There were quite a few people on the bridge, and Ziyu only managed to gain a small foothold by squeezing through the crowd, thanks to her kindness.

Shanlai stood on the bridge. Although he could see the whole temple, he felt very uncomfortable because there were too many people and it was dangerous. Just as he was about to persuade Ziyu to go back, a commotion broke out and the bridge became chaotic.

It sounded as if everyone was shouting at the same time. My ears were ringing and my head was spinning intermittently. When I was fully awake, I was already in the river.

That was the river water of the North in February. In the North, the sun is warm in February, but the water is icy cold, like countless needles piercing into the body, making the heart and mind instantly feel like they no longer belong to oneself...

When she came to her senses, she was in the quilt. Her wet clothes had been stripped off, and there was a naked person under the quilt. Ziyu was next to her, her eyes swollen from crying.

When the incident occurred, a monk was walking across the bridge. Upon hearing that someone had fallen into the water, he immediately jumped in to save them.

Because she was rescued in time, Shanlai's body was not seriously damaged. She only fell slightly ill, with some symptoms of dizziness and runny nose, and recovered completely in three or four days. It was far less dangerous than last autumn.

When she was fully recovered, everyone at Guangyitang breathed a sigh of relief, especially Ziyu.

"Sigh, I really meant well but ended up doing something wrong. Luckily you're alright. If you had really died, I'm afraid I would have had to pay for it with my life."

Shanlai said that she didn't blame her, and even if things really didn't work out, she didn't need to pay with her life. She was really grateful to her for taking her to the Buddhist conference, which fulfilled her regret.

After thanking Ziyu, Shanlai then thought of thanking her savior. She already knew from those around her that it was a monk from Huguo Temple who had saved her, but they had no idea who it was. Ziyu should know, but she was terrified at the time and didn't remember anything.

It's alright. We already know he's a monk from Huguo Temple, so how could we not find him?

Almost the instant she thought of this method, the image took shape in her mind. She quickly found a pen and paper, and, according to what she had in mind, she drew the Bodhisattva onto the paper.

After the painting was finished, she asked Ziyu to help her find someone to take it out for framing. Once it was framed, she took the one hundred taels of incense money from the red envelope and took a carriage to Huguo Temple, with Ziyu accompanying her again.

Upon meeting the guest monk of Huguo Temple, I explained my purpose and the guest monk listened, performed a Buddhist bow, and told me to wait a moment.

Unexpectedly, this wait lasted for almost half an hour. Ziyu grew impatient and said, "Let's not just wait! I've been here many times. Let me show you around!"

Shanlai had never been here before, but he really wanted to visit, so even though he thought it might be inappropriate, he still agreed.

The two girls started wandering around.

After passing through the release pond, Ziyu pointed to a large hall ahead and said, "That's the Hall of Heavenly Kings. There's a Maitreya Buddha inside. I like Maitreya Buddha the most. He's always smiling, and he looks so kind."

As they spoke, the two entered the main hall, where they looked up to see the kind, smiling face of Maitreya Buddha, radiant with golden light.

“All the Buddha statues in Huguo Temple are made of pure gold, a gift from our Emperor. Actually, the name Huguo Temple is only a recent one; it used to be called Dachengen Temple…” Ziyu glanced around and, seeing many people, lowered her voice even further, “…I’ll tell you more about it when we get back.”

Shan Lai glanced to the side and then nodded slightly.

Ziyu continued to pull Shanlai forward, saying, "Let's go to the Mahavira Hall, it's even more magnificent there!" She was a woman of her word, regardless of whether others wanted to or not. Shanlai didn't really want to leave, but seeing how enthusiastic Ziyu was, she felt there was no need to spoil her fun, so she didn't say anything and let Ziyu pull her forward. Shanlai hurriedly looked at the Heavenly King statues on both sides of Maitreya Buddha, four on each side, each with a different posture and expression. The Heavenly King Hall was a passageway; if you went around Maitreya, you could walk out to the Mahavira Hall. Her foot had already stepped over there when her heart suddenly pounded.

No, that's not right. It's missing.

What's missing?

Yes...yes...

Wei Tuo!

Turning around abruptly, he found himself face to face with the armored Buddha Weituo, who was holding a pestle...

"...Don't forget to worship Weituo Tian! Weituo Tian destroys evil, assists righteousness, eliminates demons, and protects the righteous path. If you worship him, evil spirits will not dare to approach you, and you will no longer get sick..."

This sudden voice from beyond the void struck Shan Lai hard, leaving him unable to cope.

"Huh? Why did you suddenly stop?" Ziyu stopped and turned around in surprise. When she saw Shanlai's expression, her own expression changed. Instead of holding her hand, she shook her shoulder. "What's wrong?" She was so anxious that she blurted out, "How can someone be possessed even in front of Buddha!"

These words were overheard by the visiting monk, whose face immediately darkened.

There was an emergency, and the guest monk was dragged away by other monks in front of the guest hall. Ziyu also suddenly had a stomachache and needed to go to the toilet, so Shanlai went into the guest hall alone to wait. She was seeking an audience with Master Mingjue, the abbot of Huguo Temple.

She handed the incense money and the image of Guanyin to the abbot, explained her purpose, and asked the abbot to help her find her savior and then take her to thank him in person.

The white-robed Guanyin wears a dragon-shaped bun and a heavenly crown, with lowered eyebrows and downcast eyes. A seven-jeweled necklace hangs around her neck. She holds a lotus in her left hand and grants wishes with her right. She stands barefoot on lotus petals in the middle of the ocean, her robes fluttering, her appearance solemn and dignified.

The manifestation was almost identical to the Bodhisattva she held in her arms...

She was nailed to the ground, standing there frozen as if struck by lightning. People asked her many questions, but she didn't answer a single one, because she couldn't feel anything. When she could feel anything again, they noticed that her lips were trembling and her expression was distorted...

"Amitabha," chanted the elderly monk with white eyebrows and beard, dressed in yellow robes, his hands clasped together, his eyes filled with compassion.

She was aware that the person she was waiting for had arrived, but her lips were still trembling and she couldn't muster any humility on her face.

“Benefactor, this humble monk is Hongche. Greetings.”

Abbot Mingjue of Huguo Temple was bedridden due to illness and unable to receive guests. However, since a young boy named Shanlai had come in person with gifts, he could not be slighted. Therefore, he asked Abbot Hongche to receive him on his behalf.

Master Hongche was a highly respected monk of his time, with profound knowledge of Buddhism. Although he saw Shanlai's strange behavior, he did not ask a single question, but simply looked at her with pity.

It took Shanlai a long time to recover. After bowing, he slowly said, "Greetings, Master. This is your concubine, Yao Youli."

Zen Master Hongche bowed in return.

Following his previous thoughts, he explained the cause and effect, and offered the incense money and the portrait together.

Zen Master Hongche held the scroll with both hands and respectfully unfurled it.

Shanlai then asked, "Venerable Master, may I ask who created this Bodhisattva image enshrined here?"

Zen Master Hongche replied, "It was written by this humble monk years ago."

Before he finished speaking, Shanlai continued, "I wish to become your disciple, Master, to study Buddhism and learn arts. I wonder if you would be so kind as to grant me permission?"

Zen Master Hongche remained silent.

Shanlai continued, “I dare not deceive the Dharma Master. Although this is my first time setting foot on this sacred land, it truly feels like a return to familiar ground… Moreover, guided by my inner heart, I have acted as a Bodhisattva. Although I may have disgraced the Bodhisattva, it has given me enlightenment. This is indeed my opportunity… I truly do not wish to miss the Buddha's guidance, so I humbly request the Dharma Master's permission. From now on, I will wholeheartedly turn to the Buddha, cultivate myself, and help others…”