Spring goes and autumn comes...

Instead of opening a noodle shop at the foot of the mountain, Ali came to a town and opened a small teahouse.

Business is alright, and I have plenty of free time.

Every day, I entertained scholars and writers, as well as ordinary people, and listened to their stories from all over the country. I felt that life is indeed a wonderful thing.

Before long, the town's matchmakers set their sights on Ahri.

Sometimes, he would take the opportunity of going to the teahouse for a drink to get to know Ah Li and then ask about Ah Li's situation.

Knowing that Ah Li was alone, this teahouse belonged to her alone as well.

The matchmaker then asked, "Miss Ali, do you have a man you admire?"

A person's image flashed into Ahri's mind, but that person probably wouldn't appear again.

Ah Li then said, "It happened before, but we were destined to be apart."

Hearing this, the matchmaker sighed, "There are too many people in this world who are destined to meet but not to be together. But with me, the matchmaker, there's no such thing as a bad match."

“Miss Ali, if you trust me, I’ll introduce you to a few young men.”

Ahri said somewhat embarrassedly, "Isn't that inappropriate?"

"That's great, why wouldn't it be? Just wait here patiently, I'll go and arrange for someone to go with you right away."

The matchmaker left those words behind and then left quickly.

Ahri tidied up the table and then went back to the back to get busy.

A few days later, the matchmaker arranged for someone to come over. He was an honest and upright person. He glanced at Ah Li and blushed.

Seeing that things were looking promising, the matchmaker pulled Ah Li over and said, "Don't rush into business. Take a look at this man first."

Just then, a person dressed in gray appeared, blocking Ahri's way, and said, "Nothing much."

The matchmaker was instantly displeased. She looked at the newcomer and shouted, "Where did you come from? How dare you interfere in other people's marriages!"

Jinglian gently turned her head, her gaze softly falling on Ali, and asked in a gentle voice, "Ali, who am I to you?"

Ah Li was caught off guard by Jing Lian's question.

At the same time, she stared wide-eyed, mouth agape, in shock at the hair sprouting from Jinglian's head, her voice tinged with disbelief: "You...your hair?"

Seeing this, Jinglian smiled knowingly, but did not immediately explain.

Just then, Jie Kong rushed in from outside, panting. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "I'm exhausted! Ah Li, I've finally found you!"

Jiekong then asked Ahri, "Is there any water?"

Ah Li quickly picked up the teapot and poured water for Jie Kong.

Jie Kong drank one bowl, but it wasn't enough, so he drank another bowl.

Jinglian didn't even think about resting while searching for Ah Li. If there was no one here, he would just move on to the next place.

Jiekong felt that this period of time, accompanying Jinglian in the search for people, was a very painful form of spiritual practice.

After Jiekong finished drinking, he wiped the water stains from his mouth with great gusto, looked at Ali, and said, "Brother Jinglian has returned to secular life and said he wants to marry you."

At this point, he looked at Jinglian again and continued, "The abbot was a little worried about Jinglian going down the mountain alone, so he asked me to accompany Jinglian to find you."

"But, Miss Ali, didn't you say you were going to open a noodle shop? How come you've opened a teahouse instead?"

After Jiekong finished speaking, he looked at Ahli with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Ah Li smiled gently upon hearing this and said, "I might not be able to manage running a noodle shop by myself, but I could open a teahouse."

The matchmaker was very perceptive. After listening for a while, she saw that Jinglian was indeed better than the person she was going to introduce. So she waved her handkerchief and said, "Miss Ali, then I won't bother you any longer."

"Thank you for your help, matchmaker."

Once the matchmaker left, the teahouse seemed to quiet down.

After drinking a pot of tea, Jie Kong burped and said, "Miss Ali, do you have a place here for me to lie down?"

"Yes, that's where I live."

Ah Li pointed to the back of the teahouse and led Jie Kong there.

Jinglian followed behind the two of them, watching Ah Li's back with a gloomy look in her eyes.

I remember the abbot asking him, "Are you really going to leave the monastic life? You won't regret it?"

He said, "Originally, I was practicing spiritual cultivation alone, but after meeting her, I realized that practicing alone was too difficult."

After forcibly kissing Ahri that day, he went to the Cliff of Contemplation. After thinking for a long time, he decided to return to secular life.

He didn't care who she liked; he just wanted to be able to watch over her and be with her.

However, when he went to find her, the abbot told him, "Ali has left; she has gone down the mountain."

"Where did you go?"

"I don't know, Ah Li didn't say. She said she wanted to travel around and see the sights."

The abbot also returned the key he had left for Ahri, saying, "She asked me to return it to you."

"Thank you, Abbot."

Jinglian originally intended to find Ali alone, but Jiekong followed her, saying, "Well, it was the abbot who sent me, not me. Once you find Ali, I'll go back."

Along the way, Jinglian realized that Jiekong really did talk a lot.

Similarly, neither of them had any idea where Ahri was.

Jinglian thought that Ah Li would open a noodle shop.

Along the way, whenever they came across a noodle shop, they would go in to take a look, only to find that none of them were owned by Ah Li.

Jiekong would sometimes urge him, "Brother Jinglian, you've already gone down the mountain and returned to secular life, why don't you try drinking some wine?"

"Nonsense."

"You're really boring. You're not a monk anymore. A little drink won't hurt you."

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