Chapter 8 Chapter 8 See You Again

As the saying goes, calligraphy and painting can reveal people's hearts. If the heart is filled with love, then the brush and ink will naturally have rhythm and meaning flowing through.

However, in those two paintings, the characters, scenes, and layout all showed exquisite artistry, the characters were full of elegance, and the brushwork was effortless, but they lacked the lingering affection that one felt when being with one's beloved.

However, when it comes to love affairs, bystanders always see things more clearly than those involved.

Under the sloping eaves of the small kitchen, beside the bluestone table, a young girl with rolled-up sleeves was making incense. She wore no makeup, her hair was tied up low, and she was wearing plain clothes. Sometimes she raised her wrist to pour the incense into the mold, sometimes she lowered her eyes to carefully judge the temperature, and suddenly she concentrated her mind, lowered her shoulders, and exerted her strength to help the incense paste take shape.

The white wrist is slightly suspended, and the bare hand takes it lightly, rising and falling like flowing clouds and water, with a natural charm.

The broken sun shines through the leaves, the golden light flows,

The corners of her lips were raised, her cheeks were slightly puffed, and her eyelashes curved in smiles cast a thin layer of raven color on her fair face, making it easy for people to feel the pure happiness from her heart.

The head of Qingfeng Temple stood on the blue brick path, half hidden by the half-human-high pine trees. He looked at the girl for a moment, then suddenly raised his voice and said, "Nong Nong,"

During the prosperous Sheng Dynasty, the incense making industry flourished due to the worship of Buddhism. In order to stand out from the crowd, the major incense making workshops compared the incense colors, smells, burning speeds, toughness and other factors. They would only select the best materials, so the higher the value,

As a result, there was a dispute over the price and materials of Buddhist incense. Famous temples and ancient monasteries were very popular with pilgrims, and most of the pilgrims were wealthy and noble, so they naturally had money for incense.

To highlight their uniqueness, temples and Taoist temples all make their own incense for believers to choose from.

Qingyun Temple also makes its own Buddhist incense, but its original intention is not to be different from others. There are very few pilgrims in the temple, and although there are offerings, the money from the incense is not enough.

Fortunately, the mountain is unowned, and fragrant woods and herbs can be found everywhere. Making your own Buddhist incense can help you meditate and gain enlightenment, cultivate your body and mind, and also save you money.

When Lan Nongnong lived in the nunnery, she learned how to make incense from Aunt Yun'an. She started by cutting wood into pieces, soaking them in tea water, soaking them in wine and honey, frying them, adding fragrant herbs and storing them in a cellar, grinding flowers into powder, bonding them, and mixing them. Finally, she was able to shape and dry them in the sun, which took half a month. She was very skilled at all of this.

Even though his mind had already flown elsewhere, his hands' movements were flawless. Now that he was suddenly called, his hands subconsciously remained still, and the thin stem of the Buddhist incense was not damaged at all by external forces.

He quickly turned his head to look for the source of the sound, and his cheeks immediately flushed with guilt. He stood up and moved quickly and gently, placing the incense to be dried in the basket.

Then he lowered his head and rubbed his cheeks with the backs of his hands to cool them down. He picked up the coarse cloth on the corner of the table and wiped his hands. Then he trotted over to the two of them.

Her large, round eyes were as bright as stars, and her ears were slightly red. She pretended to be calm and called out "Aunt Yun'an" before looking at the woman in a blue-gray Buddhist robe.

She wore a plain grey monk's hat, had a cold face, indifferent eyebrows and eyes, and two faint wrinkles on the sides of her nose from not smiling often. She looked extremely unapproachable.

However, the green Buddhist beads-embroidered sachet hanging from her left wrist diluted the alienation. Lan Nongnong smiled, revealing a dimple on her left cheek. She said in a crisp voice, "Aunt Qingfeng, you called me?"

The abbot of Qingfeng Temple's gaze fell on her eyes, which were free of worldly turbidity and as clean as the first drop of morning dew.

He lowered his eyes again and saw her hands tapping the towel unconsciously. She curled her lips slightly, and the lines on the sides of her nose became deeper. He wrapped the Buddhist beads in his palms, stretched out his white hands with the wrinkles of time, leaned forward slightly, and grasped her delicate wrists, gently smoothing down her rolled-up sleeves one by one.

She stood up straight, moving her hands through the Buddhist beads, her cold eyes brimming with tenderness that was not easily revealed. "The temple has ample incense money, and pilgrims value quality over quantity. Your other aunts and I usually have time to make incense, and there's still plenty left in the storeroom. There's no need to rush. Since we have to go back today, let's go find the things your aunts are going to bring back and put them away properly. If there's anything missing, it shouldn't be too late to make it now."

"The summer heat is approaching, and the journey is tiring. There's no need to travel back and forth so frequently. I'll come to see you when your Aunt Yunming goes shopping."

Her expression was calm and her tone was light, but her words were full of care and concern.

Lan Nongnong's heart warmed up, and she stepped forward to hold her arm, and gently leaned her cheek against the shoulder of the blue-gray Buddhist robe, floating between the folds of the clothes, not too strong or too intense.

"Just as my aunts were always worried about my food, clothing, and warmth when I was away, I also wanted to do what I could for them when I came back,"

"Don't worry, Aunt Qingfeng. I have everything I need. The other aunts have already prepared everything for me. Besides, Aunt Yunming has to go down the mountain to buy things in the summer. If she comes to see me, wouldn't that be even more tiring?"

"It's still early anyway, it won't be too late to make arrangements later."

No one can resist the innocent girl, sweet talk and coquettishness, Yun An can't do it, and neither can the Qingfeng Temple Master.

But she has never been good at sex.

His face was not showing, but he did not avoid her body being snuggled up to him.

He lowered his eyes and caught a glimpse of the innocent smile on her face. He was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke: "Since you and that Mr. Yao are in love, your aunts and I naturally hope that you can have a smooth relationship. However, he is not from Yuqing after all, and we don't know the details of his identity and background. He is also a few years older than you, and comes from a merchant family, often among all kinds of people."

"Nong Nong, you are intelligent and clever, but you are still young and naive, not knowing how fickle people are and how dangerous the world can be. So you should remember that you shouldn't have the intention to harm others, but you should also be on guard against them."

"If you agree, I will ask someone to find out. If his words and deeds are true, then you two can finally achieve your goal. Then, we can arrange for three matchmakers and six engagements, and marry you officially. That's fine."

Although Lan Nongnong felt that Yao Jing was too righteous to deceive others, she was not an ungrateful person. Only when she cared about someone would she make long-term plans. Aunt Qingfeng had good intentions, so how could she not appreciate it?

The girl, with a face as delicate as a flower, had dimples on her face. She stood up straight and nodded happily: "Auntie, I am so grateful for your kindness. How can I not agree? But it is too early to talk about marriage now."

Even though Lan Nongnong was deeply in love, she had never thought about marriage. Although she had adapted to life here, in her mind, love and marriage were two completely different things.

All in all, she and Yao Jing have only known each other and fallen in love for a full month. She is only 20 years old this year and cannot imagine herself getting married.

You could say she was greedy for a moment or that she would never achieve anything in the future. But right now, she was immersed in the sweetness and happiness of love and didn't want to worry about the complicated troubles that might arise in the future.

Lan Nongnong knew that her thoughts would be shocking at the moment. If she said it out loud, even someone as indifferent as Aunt Qingfeng would probably suspect she was suffering from hysteria.

I hurriedly laughed it off vaguely.

Not only Qingfeng, but also Yun'an, who had been smiling and saying nothing, could see some of her thoughts. The two of them looked at each other, each with their own thoughts, and their expressions relaxed a little.

Regardless of the true background of Mr. Yao, his appearance and talent alone were indeed extraordinary. Nong Nong was not very experienced in the world, so it was not surprising that she would be attracted to such a person.

However, it was also because her mind was pure and she was trapped by the appearance, but only by the appearance, she was confused for a while.

Then he nodded and said, "Well, since you two have just met, it is indeed too early to talk about marriage."

Seeing her eyes flickering and her forehead flushed, her shoulders relaxed, and she looked nervous as if she had escaped a disaster, Yun An couldn't help laughing. Qing Feng also curled his lips and took out a letter from his sleeve pocket and handed it to her.

"When you return, take this letter to Chen's grain store and give it to Chen Siyi. He has been to the nunnery before, and you have seen him. After seeing the letter, he will know what to do."

After she accepted it, the abbot of Qingfeng Temple suddenly changed the subject and asked, "Are you going to this year's dragon boat race tomorrow?"

Aunt Qingfeng no longer mentioned it, and Lan Nongnong felt like she had survived a catastrophe.

Instantly, her attention was drawn to the Dragon Boat Festival. She had heard about it last year, but at that time she was still in a trance, and she was so worried that she became seriously ill. She was not well yet, so she naturally did not dare to join in the fun.

I was so immersed in love this year that I forgot everything.

This place is beautiful, but it has nothing new to offer.

Yao Jing was a gentleman, well-mannered, and their interactions were always gentle and appropriate, but they were somewhat dull. She really liked him, and even when they were silent, they didn't feel bored. However, if this continued, it would not help to enhance their relationship.

Thinking of the lively scenes she had seen in the news, Lan Nongnong immediately became excited. This dragon boat race was a great place for a date and romance.

But her happiness was short-lived, and she frowned again, her cheeks puffed up slightly, her brows knitted together, and she looked quite annoyed.

It's not like later times here, it's really inconvenient to communicate with each other.

I wonder if Yao Jing is free tomorrow, and if he has heard of this dragon boat race.

She completely forgot about it, but did he ever think about it?

His shoulders suddenly slumped, his eyebrows drooped, and his lips drooped, looking very depressed.

She wanted to see him immediately, but she was helpless. This made her miss all the telephone calls in the future. Now she could only wait anxiously. Her heart felt like it was hanging with buckets of water, swaying and flustered.

She was sometimes secretly happy, sometimes annoyed, sometimes depressed, and looked like she was in love. The two people beside her shook their heads helplessly, and without disturbing her, they walked away lightly.

After leaving the Taoist gate, Qingfeng Fang said calmly to Yun An, who was unable to contain himself, "A child's inner nature is like finding a treasure he loves. He can't let it go and thinks about it day and night. But after a long time, after seeing it too much and playing with it too much, he will come to his senses and realize that it's nothing special."

"Looking at her insistence on self-reliance and her willingness to work harder than accept gifts for free, we know that although she may appear soft and well-behaved, she is actually very strong-willed, opinionated, and follows her heart. She enjoys freedom and cannot stand being constrained."

"You heard it just now. Although Nong Nong admires Mr. Yao, she is clear-minded and has not become obsessed with him, vowing to marry him. She has a pure heart and clear likes and dislikes. She is not the type to compromise or suffer losses. If she really meets the wrong person, I believe she will be able to turn back. The time is still short, so there is no need to rush to spoil her fun."

"Love is like drinking water; whether bitter or sweet, one must taste it personally to know its flavor. If others interfere, they will easily end up making things worse."

Yun An's heart, which had been tense since yesterday, slowly calmed down after hearing her calm tone.

"Amitabha,"

She twirled the Buddhist beads in her palm, chanted a Buddhist chant, and said, "What the abbot said is absolutely right. It is indeed my heart that is restless, and I am disturbing myself."

*

Lan Nongnong was in a state of confusion for a long time, but when she looked up, her two aunts had already disappeared. Recalling her awkward behavior just now, which was all seen by her aunts, she felt as if her cheeks were on fire and she didn't know where to put her hands and feet.

She shook her head violently, rubbed her cheeks vigorously with both hands, and forced herself to calm down, but her ears were still burning, her cheeks were red, and her eyes were moist. She lowered her head slightly and hurried back to the stone table.

With something on his mind, he lost his previous state of mind when making incense, but his hands were not careless. He put all the incense ingredients into the mold to form them. He took the finished incense to the backyard under the eaves to dry in the dark. He also put the incense utensils back into the storeroom. Then he went to the pool to wash his hands, combed his hair and straightened his clothes. After a busy period, he finally finished.

After estimating the time, she listened carefully to the sounds in the front hall. When she heard the voices gradually fade away, Lan Nongnong breathed a sigh of relief, cast aside all distracting thoughts, smiled, and trotted briskly to the Buddhist temple like a happy bird in the forest.

Lan Nongnong had little experience in praying to gods and Buddhas before, and her attitude was just like everyone else. She believed that sincerity would bring answers when she encountered problems.

But she had already traveled here, and followed her aunts to worship Buddha every day. Even though she had prayed devoutly in front of the Buddha countless times, she was unable to do so.

Whether it was for spiritual sustenance or respect for her aunts' beliefs, she also had a sense of awe towards gods and Buddhas.

Anything offered before the Buddha naturally has a bit more spirituality and profound meaning than usual. Today, Aunt Yunming is serving. At this moment, she is standing sideways on the left side of the incense table, slowly turning the Buddhist beads with one hand and beating the wooden fish with a steady rhythm with the other. She lowers her head slightly, closes her eyes lightly, and recites the mantra silently. Her whole body exudes a solemn and serious aura that cannot be disturbed.

Lan Nongnong stepped into the Buddhist hall and, without disturbing anyone, she first bowed three times devoutly to the golden and solemn Buddha statue with a kind smile. Then, she straightened her expression and walked to the lotus platform of the Buddha seat in a dignified manner. She took off the bracelet that had been offered yesterday with both hands in accordance with the rules, returned to the kneeling mat, and asked for permission. Still keeping her hands together, she bowed deeply to Aunt Yunming and said goodbye.

*

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the golden sun was still hanging high in the sky.

Lan Nongnong had gathered all the clothes and snacks prepared by her aunts early in the morning, changed into her dress, combed her hair again, and faced her aunts' meaningful gazes. She applied a thin layer of lipstick and absentmindedly scattered fish food into the lotus pond.

From time to time, he would pretend to be indifferent, walk to the door and look down, and when he saw that the steps were empty, his shoulders would slump, and he would walk back dejectedly. After a while, he could not help but look again, and walk back disappointedly.

Days pass like years, but this is all.

After searching for him in vain for who knows how many times, Lan Nongnong couldn't help but wonder if he had met with an accident on the road, was in danger, or had a carriage breakdown and was stuck on the road?

She couldn't help but think wildly, maybe he didn't know how to drive, or his driving skills were poor, but he forced himself to agree because of her request?

I couldn't help but blame myself for a moment.

She thought about it over and over again, but she never suspected that he would forget to come and pick her up. So when she stopped by the door again and stood on tiptoe to look, the carriage that she was already familiar with slowly came into view. The surprise and relief that surged in Lan Nongnong's heart instantly drowned out all her thoughts.

She almost exhausted all her self-control, suppressing the urge to jump up and run away immediately. She acted as if nothing had happened and said goodbye to her aunts one by one.

However, this urgency, which she tried to hide, only lasted until she left the temple gate. When she saw the slender figure beside the car at the bottom of the long steps, Lan Nongnong could no longer hold back her broad smile. She lifted the hem of her skirt and ran towards the person at the bottom of the steps like a fluttering butterfly.

At this moment, her hearing seemed to be blocked, and she could not hear the worried voice behind her. All she could see was his presence. The swirling mountain wind seemed to be helping her, gently pushing her back and bringing her to him.

Qin Jingyao came as promised, but he could not act like a woman waiting for her husband, looking up and waiting. He stood in front of the car, looking at the beautiful scenery of the mountains and forests, thinking about military and national affairs.

Until a series of exclamations of caution came faintly from above, he turned his head and saw the woman who was as passionate as the sun at the moment and ran towards him as if she was desperate.