Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Gu

"What's wrong?"

Noticing that Meng Yanxi had stopped, Meng Shixu, who was walking ahead, turned around.

The abbot was telling him about the inscription on the stone wall in the backyard, which was written by an emperor, and wanted to take him to see it. Meng Shixu stopped walking, and everyone else stopped as well.

Besides Meng Shixu and Meng Yanxi, Lu Jingyue was also present today. Meng Zhuxi was not there; she was too young, and Meng Shixu felt it was not appropriate for her to participate in religious ceremonies, even if it was just to pray for her and Meng Yanxi's deceased mother.

Lu Jingyue walked ahead, but the Buddha statue blocked his view, so he couldn't see what Meng Yanxi was looking at. Just as he was about to go back to look, the latter withdrew her gaze and said calmly, "It's nothing, let's go."

The Meng family came to hold a memorial service for the deceased Mrs. Meng, which lasted for three days, from New Year's Eve to the second day of the Lunar New Year. There were rituals every day, but the rituals were mostly completed in the morning. The rest of the time, the father, son, nephew, and uncle either drank tea and listened to Zen in the temple or went for a walk in the mountains.

The backyard of Jinjue Temple is adjacent to a bamboo grove, which is quiet and secluded. There is an ancient well and inscription in the courtyard. On the second day of the lunar month, the sun was shining brightly. After the Buddhist ceremony was completed, Meng Shixu, along with Meng Yanxi and Lu Jingyue, drank tea and listened to Zen meditation with Master Jikong in the courtyard.

Master Jikong is 101 years old this year. He is the oldest enlightened monk in Jinjue Temple. His beard is snow-white, but he is very vigorous. If it weren't for his years of friendship with the Meng family, Meng Shixu would not have been able to tell his age.

Ji Kong poured tea for Meng Shixu and asked about Meng Zhuxi, the youngest daughter of the Meng family, and whether she was in good health and spirits.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master. I'm much better now," Meng Shixu said, glancing at Meng Yanxi.

Following Meng Shixu's gaze, Ji Kong smiled and said, "This fact has nothing to do with your son, and there's no need to be harsh on him. Your daughter was born into a life of luxury and splendor, showered with love and care, but where in this world is there anything perfect? ​​Everyone has to go through trials and tribulations. Your son is like that, and so is your daughter; it's just fate."

Meng Shixu nodded and drank the tea with Jikong.

The two chatted for a few more minutes when a monk came looking for Jikong. He first bowed to Meng Shixu, then to Jikong, saying, "Master, that benefactor has arrived again."

"Today, benefactor?" Meng Yanxi paused, her hand still holding the teacup.

Ji Kong looked at him and said with a smile, "Yes, today's Jin. This surname is rare. What, does Yan Xi know it?"

Meng Yanxi put down her teacup again and said calmly, "I don't know her."

Lu Jingyue glanced at him from the side.

Ji Kong was over a hundred years old, but his eyes were still clear and bright. He looked at Meng Yanxi and nodded slightly: "I don't think you know him. He is a male benefactor who is obsessed with having a child."

Meng Yanxi: "Seeking a child?"

“Yes, I have been praying for a child for many years. I suppose you have come to see me today because your long-cherished wish has been fulfilled and you have come to give thanks.” Ji Kong glanced at the distant horizon and slowly stood up. “I’ll go take a look.”

As Jikong and the monk left, Meng Yanxi also stood up.

Meng Shixu: "Where to?"

Meng Yanxi: "The signal is bad here. Let's go outside and call Xixi."

"If you can't sit still, then you can't sit still. Don't use your sister as an excuse." Meng Shixu said to him irritably, then turned to Lu Jingyue and asked, "Do you want to make a call too?"

Lu Jingyue glanced at Meng Yanxi, gave a cryptic laugh, and said, "I won't go. I'll stay here with my uncle."

Meng Yanxi glanced at him, said nothing, and turned to leave.

The back courtyard of Jinjue Temple leads to the monks' quarters, a two-section courtyard, and further in front is the front courtyard for receiving pilgrims.

Today is the second day of the Lunar New Year, and with noon approaching, the crowds of worshippers have thinned. Meng Yanxi exited through a small gate and entered the corridor.

The wind blew the eaves bells, making a series of clear, tinkling sounds.

Meng Yanxi did not go to the main hall, but stood under a banner in the corridor, where her line of sight could just pass over the Buddha Hall gate and see a couple talking with Jikong inside.

The man was tall and upright, with regular features. He wasn't particularly handsome, but he had a respectable appearance. He was of advanced age, but not old; a man in his forties or fifties is in his prime, similar to Meng Shixu. The woman was noticeably younger than him, but not by much; the age difference was just more apparent compared to her husband. She had striking good looks, with large, easily appreciated features.

The couple were all smiles, and even if you couldn't hear what they were saying, you could tell from their body language that they were extremely grateful to Jikong.

Meng Yanxi leaned against the upper corridor pillar, her gaze calmly fixed on the man's somewhat familiar features.

Even after the couple donated incense and completed the ceremony, Meng Yanxi still didn't leave. He leaned against the wall, one hand in his pocket, watching the couple walk out of the Buddhist hall, down the steps, and head out of the temple.

Meng Yanxi heard the woman say, "Come again next year. I want to have another daughter, so I can have both a son and a daughter, and complete the Chinese character for 'good' (好)."

The man said, "Let's wait a couple of years. This pregnancy has already been incredibly difficult for you. Let's wait until our son is a bit older before considering having a daughter."

"No! I want it! You already have a daughter, so of course you're not in a hurry, but Jin Zhao is your daughter, not mine. In a few years, given her ungrateful nature, she might not even be your daughter anymore! I want a daughter that belongs to us!"

"Alright, alright, then come again next year and ask for another daughter." The man then asked, "Grandpa and Grandma's house isn't far from here, would you like to stop by and visit them? After all, it's the New Year."

"What are you looking at? I don't believe your daughter would be happy to see me during the New Year! You're busy with work and rarely home, haven't you seen how arrogant Jin Zhao usually is? She's so young and thinks she's above everyone else. Every time my parents come over, she calls for help and hides in her room. She never respects us. Jin Wenhui, I'm warning you, you're not allowed to go!"

The couple quickly walked away, and their words were carried away by the wind, never to be heard by the boy under the banner.

Meng Yanxi watched the two figures disappear into the distance, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

Jin Zhao, this is the poison you nurtured with your kindness and weakness.

My gaze returned to the stillness of the steps of the Buddhist temple.

Ji Kong was watching him from afar, his kind face bearing a deep smile. He was not flustered when Meng Yanxi caught him staring at him, and calmly performed a one-handed bow.

Meng Yanxi nodded slightly in response.

The Meng family will return to the city early tomorrow morning, and will stay in a side room in the temple tonight. After leaving Jinjue Temple, Meng Yanxi took out her phone and called Meng Zhuxi.

The New Year is over, and the little girl should be eleven years old now, but she still acts like a five or six-year-old girl, being willful and mischievous. She cries loudly on the phone and doesn't call me "brother," but keeps calling me "Meng Yanxi."

All the shops in Jinjue Town revolve around Jinjue Temple, mostly selling incense, candles, and religious items, as well as snack restaurants. Rows of baskets of offering fruits are piled up in front of the supermarket. Almost everyone walking around is a tourist, speaking all sorts of accents.

Meng Yanxi was unusually lenient with his younger sister today, not scolding her, and even unusually asking with concern, "Have you been having nightmares lately?"

The loud and boisterous girl on the other end of the phone immediately fell silent. She sniffed and said sadly, "If you buy me a cell phone and an iPad, I won't have nightmares anymore."

Meng Yanxi: "Then you should continue doing it."

"Aaaaaah, Meng Yanxi, how could you do this!" Meng Zhuxi roared in anger, berating her brother over the phone, "How could you be so heartless? Do your own parents even know?"

She's quite good at taking advantage of others. Even when it comes to drawing a clear line between Chu and Han, she never says that she was adopted, but only that he was adopted.

Meng Yanxi: "Hang up."

"Wait!" Meng Zhuxi paused for a second, then took the initiative to make peace. "Brother, the mushrooms in Jinjue Town are delicious. Can you pick some mushrooms for me and bring them back? Not the ones sold in stores, but the wild kind that grows in the mountains, the kind we ate last time, you know."

Meng Yanxi: "Sure, how about I hunt down a tiger while I'm at it, so it can put on a show for you while you're eating mushrooms?"

"..."

Meng Zhuxi remained silent for three seconds, then slammed down the phone.

Meng Yanxi could feel the girl's anger even through the phone.

It was only because he felt guilty towards her that he didn't want to acknowledge this little bear sister; otherwise, he really wouldn't want to give her away to whoever wanted her. — This is what Meng Yanxi thought as she went into the mountains.

*

Now that the tourism industry has taken off, most of the villagers in Jinjue Town make a living from the tertiary industry, doing business, running homestays, and working as tour guides. However, not all villagers are like that. Many villagers still retain the original farming and handicrafts. Most of these villagers live in places far away from the core area of ​​the scenic spot, close to the mountains. Jinzhao's grandparents are like that.

My grandparents' family were farmers in the previous generation, but my grandfather learned the craft of clay sculpting. During the years of rapid urbanization, my grandparents took Jin Wenhui to the city and bought a house. However, they did not abandon their household registration and land in their hometown. Every Spring Festival, my grandparents would go back to their hometown to celebrate the New Year, clean the house, stay for a few days, and eat some wild vegetables from the countryside.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the weather warmed up. In the evening, Grandpa wanted to eat wild vegetables, so Jinzhao went out to pick them.

This wild vegetable, unique to the mountains, was something Jin Zhao had never seen or heard of elsewhere. Locals call it "Jue Cai," which sounds the same as "fern," but they are not the same thing. It has white stems and purple leaves, and is quite resilient. The initial taste is unremarkable, but the aftertaste is rich, mellow, and lingering, making it addictive.

Juecai grows in places with heavy soil and water. Jinzhao carried a basket to the riverbank.

Far from the core area of ​​the scenic spot, the mountains and waters here are not properly maintained. The water is somewhat murky, and the vegetation on the mountains is bare and desolate in winter, giving it a bleak and desolate feel at first glance.

Jin Zhao picked half a basket of vegetables, and when she got up casually, she saw a beautiful sunset.

As the sun sank behind the mountains, the afterglow burned fiercely, with orange-pink and crimson hues edged with gold, like a clear, multicolored glaze spread out.

Jin Zhao is a person who is easily healed. As long as there is such a bright and beautiful scene in the world, she will feel good.

She put the wild vegetables aside and sat alone on a rock, enjoying the breeze, watching the sunset, and observing the ever-changing clouds.

The temperature warmed up today, reaching over ten degrees Celsius. Jin Zhao felt a bit hot because her down jacket was too thick, so she took it off.

The world was so vast, and the sunset on the horizon was brilliant and clear. Suddenly, she felt a strong urge to dance.

*

Guided by local villagers, Meng Yanxi went into the mountains to hunt tigers—no, to pick mushrooms.

He certainly didn't recognize any mushrooms. As for the delicious mushrooms the little girl had mentioned, he had only ever seen them served on a plate. He tried to pay the local villagers to take him into the mountains to pick mushrooms, but strangely, no one accepted his money and told him there were no mushrooms available.

Meng Yanxi wasn't easily fooled, so he insisted on asking for directions. He didn't find the mushrooms, but he did see a girl dancing in the mountains.

Meng Yanxi had seen many dances. His privileged background destined him to have an extraordinary perspective. When he was only a few years old, he had seen world-renowned dance artists dance in front of him. They were beautiful, glamorous, and exquisite down to the last strand of hair. Their skills were impeccable, and their backgrounds were meticulously expensive and luxurious, with even a carpet being carefully matched.

This was the first time he had ever seen anyone dancing on ruins.

I apologize, his wording may not have been very polite, but in his eyes this place really was no different from ruins.

Located in the same town of Jinjue, this place seems like two different worlds from the scenic area. The scenic area is a natural, unadorned creation meticulously crafted by the cultural and tourism department. Here, however, the land is barren and infertile, with only a few bare tree branches in winter. There is a river downstream from the scenic area, with murky water. A few self-built houses stand haphazardly along the riverbank, a stark contrast to the brand-new, classically styled buildings uniformly renovated in the scenic area. This place looks like a product of the 1980s or 90s, with an appearance that feels dilapidated, as if it were built by several generations.

The dancing girl seemed completely oblivious to the decay of the place, lost in the splendor of the setting sun.

With her down jacket tossed aside, Jin Zhao wore a pale yellow off-the-shoulder hooded sweater and a snow-white long skirt, her long hair styled in a bun.

She must have studied classical dance for many years, or at least since elementary school. You can tell she is very flexible. Every time she exerts force, it extends from her chest and waist to her fingertips, like a willow branch with its own soul, both soft and strong, dancing in the wind, but by no means weak.

Her softness is a suppleness controlled by strength, with a balance of strength and flexibility, like freehand brushwork. Fast, slow, hard, and soft are all just her choices, entirely under her control.

Without music, and seemingly without needing it, her innate control of rhythm brought the extended feel of classical dance to its fullest potential.

Several consecutive flips were so fast they were dazzling, followed by a backbend, then slowed down to the extreme, until the pose was frozen in time.

The sunset glow was bright and brilliant, and the golden light fell on the girl's black hair and fair face.

Meng Yanxi's gaze also lingered on her face.

The serenity and compassion on her face reminded him of the deities in a Buddhist temple.

"Bang--"

Something suddenly exploded.

Jin Zhao was startled and suddenly stood up, turning around.

In the fields not far away, villagers were burning straw.

The wind carried the crackling sounds of explosions, along with the aroma of burnt grass and the smell of smoke mixed with the scent of earth.

In the thin smoke, the boy who occasionally appeared in her dreams seemed to bring yet another unreal dream, suddenly appearing before her.

"Bang--"

The plants burst open again in the blazing flames, much like a sudden, unexpected heartbeat.

*

How did you get here?

The moment he came to his senses, Jin Zhao quickly picked up the down jacket from the rock and put it on, secretly stomping his foot in frustration.

That's insane!

Without music, without companions, he danced alone, like a madman. To make matters worse, Meng Yanxi, who appeared out of nowhere, saw him.

Jin Zhao was so annoyed that he wanted to cover his face, but running away at this moment seemed even more shameful, so he could only bite the bullet and go up to greet him.

The wind blew across the mountain fields, and Meng Yanxi looked down at her. After a couple of seconds, as if he had just come to his senses, he casually replied, "Picking mushrooms."

"...Huh?" Jin Zhao was genuinely puzzled. She didn't know what kind of mushroom was so precious that it was worth him spending almost a whole day taking the high-speed rail and then a car to pick it.

"I came to Jinjue Temple to worship Buddha. I heard the mushrooms here are good, so I came to take a look." Meng Yanxi paused and asked, "What kind of dance were you doing just now?"

As if some embarrassing past had been brought up, Jin Zhao's cheeks flushed instantly. Too embarrassed to look at him, she stared at the burning wheat stalks in the distance and whispered, "Classical dance."

Meng Yanxi: "What's your name?"

Jin Zhao: "..."

If she says she doesn't have a name and just jumps around randomly, wouldn't that completely confirm her image as a madwoman?

Jin Zhao's eyelashes fluttered: "I forgot."

Given the choice between a poor mental state and a bad memory, she chose to sacrifice her memory. After all, a bad memory can be salvaged by eating some walnuts, but a poor mental state is probably beyond help.

Meng Yanxi nodded, unsure whether she had believed it or not.

Jin Zhao haphazardly changed the subject: "Let's go, I'll take you mushroom picking."

She walked straight ahead, with Meng Yanxi a few steps behind. Noticing a bamboo basket not far away, half-filled with wild vegetables, Meng Yanxi strode over and picked it up.

"Is this yours?" he asked.

Jin Zhao turned around upon hearing the sound: "..."

"Thank you." She silently moved back and took it from his hand.

Because they had picked some wild vegetables, they inevitably ended up walking side by side instead of one in front of the other. The wind blew from his side, and the scent of cold mountain pine mist enveloped her domineeringly. Jin Zhao didn't even dare to breathe too deeply, afraid that her heart would jump out if she breathed too heavily.

But if she suddenly quickened her pace and walked ahead at this moment, it would seem deliberate.

Fortunately, Meng Yanxi didn't seem to notice anything amiss and was still able to chat with her calmly, pointing at her basket with her eyes and asking, "What's this?"

"Jue Cai" (觉菜).

"Bracken fern?"

Jin Zhao: "It's not that bracken, it's the 'jue' in Jinjue Temple."

Meng Yanxi: "Oh."

Meng Yanxi: "Do you live around here?"

Jin Zhao: "My grandparents' house is here."

Meng Yanxi: "Mm."

After a few seconds, he said again, "I've never seen you here before."

Jin Zhao thought to herself, "Even if I've met you, I wouldn't remember you. You arrogant, proud son of heaven, it probably took you a month or two just to remember my name."

She didn't know why Meng Yanxi was so talkative today; in her memory, Meng Yanxi was definitely not the type to initiate small talk. But she didn't have time to think about it; she felt like she had forgotten something very important.

Jin Zhao tried to rack her brains to think of something, but to no avail. This made her a little anxious, and the more anxious she became, the faster her heart beat. However, she couldn't be sure whether it was this matter or Meng Yanxi that was making her heart race. She was trapped in her own troubles.

After walking for about five more minutes, Meng Yanxi suddenly asked, "Where are we going to pick mushrooms?"

Jin Zhao suddenly stopped in his tracks.

She finally remembered that important thing!

Mushrooms only appear after rain. Wild mushrooms are valuable, selling for an average of eight or nine hundred yuan per kilogram. So, usually, the day after it rains, local villagers go into the mountains to pick mushrooms, and the fresher and more fragrant the mushrooms, the higher the price they can fetch. But these past few days have been sunny; where have the mushrooms come from? If there are any, only unpicked poisonous mushrooms will remain.

Jin Zhao slapped himself in the face.

You idiot!

Jin Zhao calmed himself down and looked at Meng Yanxi beside him with a serious expression: "I seem to have forgotten to ask you, what kind of mushrooms do you want to pick?"

Meng Yanxi thought for a moment and said, "Either is fine."

"I see..." Jin Zhao pondered, "What about poisonous mushrooms?"

Meng Yanxi: "..."

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Author's Note: This chapter is a combined two-part update; all three chapters for the VIP section are now complete!