Chapter 165 They came in pairs, but there was no one they wanted to give gifts to.
"Listen carefully, benefactor. Now I will explain the fortune slip you requested to you." The old abbot said calmly to Shen Jin, as if nothing in the world concerned him.
Yes, if the affairs of the world are like the ebb and flow of life on the sea, then the old monk is the ferryman who carries people to the other shore.
As intelligent as Chen Jin was, he certainly understood this, so he was able to calm down and listen quietly to the old monk's explanation.
Shen Jin stared intently into the old abbot with his bright eyes, hoping to find fulfillment in him.
"Everyone in this world has their own fortune, just as after the worst comes the best. Those who stand out from the crowd attract attention, and those who purify their hearts will see their fortunes change." The old abbot cleared his throat and read aloud.
Shen Jin was stunned. What did this mean? What did it have to do with anything?
He gazed at the abbot with curiosity, his clear, watery eyes filled with passion and bewilderment at his fate.
Seeing Shen Jin's appearance, the old abbot chuckled.
"My friend, this is a love fortune slip you've drawn. According to the slip, it's not a particularly good omen. Let me explain," the old monk continued.
"We humans are but ordinary mortals, and none of us can escape the cycle of fate. As people walk through this world, nothing lasts forever, and good fortune never lasts forever. But when bad luck comes to an end, good luck will come. And you, my benefactor, are like an outstanding star in the mortal world, exceptionally talented from a young age. But even so, you cannot escape the tricks of fate."
The old monk raised his eyes and glanced at Chen Jin. "Are you feeling restless and confused right now?" he asked quietly.
“Yes, Master. To be honest, I’ve been very troubled lately.” Shen Jin lowered his head.
"That's right. According to the fortune slip, you are currently in a dilemma. Your luck is stagnant. And since you drew a love fortune slip, it means that your love life is not going well right now."
The old monk's words left Shen Jin with mixed feelings, clearly hitting the nail on the head regarding his troubles.
“Yes, Master. Actually, I don’t know what true love is, or even if love exists in this world,” Shen Jin said with doubt.
"I can't fully accept someone, nor can I completely let go of them. I really don't know what's wrong with me," Shen Jin said, distressed.
The old abbot smiled kindly, "Young man, as the fortune slip suggests, when in this world is it ever smooth sailing? Even relationships are the same. Many times, we have to go through many twists and turns before a relationship can come to fruition."
"So it's perfectly normal for you to feel confused and troubled right now, isn't it?" The old monk's wit and humor couldn't dispel Chen Jin's sorrow.
He still felt so much pain and confusion.
Seeing Shen Jin's state, the old abbot didn't want to press him further, so he spoke to him in a gentle tone: "Young man, love cannot be forced. It is a matter of mutual consent. If you can't let go, try to change yourself to continue. If you don't want it anymore, then let go decisively. A different landscape awaits you ahead."
"Hmm?" After listening to the old monk's words, Shen Jin was half-understanding, both puzzled and unsure if it was true.
He stood up, thanked the abbot, and decided to go down the mountain on his own. Unexpectedly, when he left the temple, the fortune stick he was holding suddenly flew into the distance.
Shen Jin looked down at his hands, which were now empty. He truly didn't know what was wrong; when he carried himself on his back, he couldn't even hold something steadily. Perhaps it was fate, or perhaps the fortune slip he had read wasn't the right path.
He stared blankly at the fortune slip that had been flung far away and fallen to the ground, a shadow falling over his eyes. He walked over with a pang of heartache and knelt down. Gently, he picked up the dust-covered fortune slip.
That little bamboo raft, originally intended as a souvenir, now seemed to be rejecting him and working against him. Shen Jin sighed softly. He was already at a loss after the host's cryptic explanation, and now he felt like things weren't going well on his trip.
Chen Jin looked up at the sky and saw that the morning sun had fully risen, illuminating the entire temple. More and more people were coming to the temple, and tourists were coming in droves from the mountainside to the temple.
"Hey, wait for me! Don't walk so fast!" a girl called out to her boyfriend. "You're walking so fast I can't keep up with you! I'm going to get angry!"
The person walking in front suddenly turned around with a smile, winked playfully at the girl, and said with a smile, "Don't be angry, come on, I'll carry you."
"Hmph," the girl chuckled deliberately, though she was clearly pleased, "That's more like it!"
Shen Jin suddenly felt agitated. He had come here seeking peace, but he was increasingly at a loss. He frowned, looked at the divination slip, and thought that since fate had decreed this, it didn't want him to take it away.
So he went to a muddy spot and gently dug a hole with a stone. Then he respectfully buried the fortune slip in the mud.
Finally, Shen Jin picked up a fallen petal and gently covered the ground where the fortune slip had been buried. He gazed at it tenderly one last time and said, "Leave it here."
Chen Jin stood up again, brushing the ash off his hands. Just as he looked up, he heard a bird's chirp. Following the sound, he saw a lone bird fly in from nowhere, swooping over his head and soaring alone to a solitary branch.
It looked all alone and helpless, its big eyes darting around restlessly.
Looking at the bird, Shen Jin was inexplicably touched by its pitiful appearance. Perhaps it was because he felt that the lonely little bird was just like himself at that moment!
Chen Jin looked around. The branches were full of birds in pairs, but this little bird with big eyes looked so innocent and pitiful. It was all alone, helpless and alone.
Its cry was so mournful and pitiful, like a poor creature that had lost its mate.
Shen Jin gazed at it intently for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Little bird, why are you all alone?"
He reached out his hand, trying to entice the bird to fly onto his palm. Unexpectedly, the bird was a useless, easily frightened creature; the moment it saw Shen Jin extend his hand, it flew away with a roar.
Only a hint of disappointment remained in Shen Jin's eyes.
"Sigh, it would be so nice to keep me company. Two lonely wretches keeping each other company would at least make things less pathetic." Shen Jin pursed his lips and smiled slightly. "I'll go too..."
Overwhelmed with mixed feelings, he saw more and more couples coming up the mountain to pray and burn incense, so he decided to hurry down. The scenery along the way was beautiful, and perhaps because he had exercised, Chen Jin felt increasingly refreshed.
He hurried down the mountain. He had come here hoping to relieve his worries, but he felt increasingly distressed. He realized that some things he had to handle and resolve himself.
Whether it's life itself or the world of emotions.
Following the mountain breeze downhill, Shen Jin felt his pace quickening. Before long, he arrived at the foot of the mountain. To Shen Jin's surprise, there were some elderly people setting up stalls at the foot of the mountain, displaying all kinds of steaming local delicacies.
"It looks pretty delicious..." Shen Jin couldn't help but think, then smiled, "I just wonder what it will taste like."
This surprised Shen Jin. He hadn't expected that although this place was uncivilized, the people here were so hardworking and full of business acumen. Shen Jin felt very happy, and looking at the delicious and tempting food, he also felt a little hungry.
It's possible that going up and down the mountain consumed too much energy.
Shen Jin carefully examined the delicacies, and his eyes fell on a pastry that looked as shiny as crystal. He had no idea what it was. He had never eaten anything like this at the old woman's.
"Since it's a rare opportunity to come here, let's try everything. We won't have this chance again..." Shen Jin's visit to this place was just a coincidence. He didn't know when he would come again, or if he would ever come back.
Just like some relationships, once you've experienced them, you're tired and hurt, and you don't want to go through them a second time.
"Uncle, what are these?" Shen Jin asked the old man selling pastries, pointing at them. "They look delicious."
These pastries look steaming hot and crystal clear, they're so tempting!
"Hehe, young man, you're here as a tourist, aren't you? You haven't seen our traditional food before, so let me tell you. This is called 'butter cake,' and it's made with freshly brewed butter tea. Only the best butter can produce that delicious taste," the old man explained in broken Mandarin.
Lost in thought, he was also drawn in by the old man's introduction and said with a smile, "Then give me one."
The stall owner laughed happily, "Great!"
Shen Jin smiled and thought that the people here were really simple and honest, and hardworking.
Shen Jin gently took a bite of the "ghee cake" with her small, white teeth, and an enticing sweet aroma slowly spread from between her teeth, carrying a refreshing and clear taste.
Shen Jin couldn't help but find the marrow delicious, and couldn't wait to take a big bite of it again, thinking, "It really is delicious."
The mountains and waters here are beautiful, the scenery is wonderful, the people are kind, and the food is delicious. Thinking this, Chen Jin took another bite, thinking that if he could have one or two close friends to spend time with in the future, and live here with the person he loved, wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?
As he pondered, Shen Jin suddenly thought of Yan Yu again. He looked down at the half-eaten "ghee cake" in his hand, wondering if Yan Yu would want some...
"What does this have to do with me..." Shen Jin frowned, extremely dissatisfied with his own restless state.
Those complex emotions he had tried so hard to suppress and avoid thinking about resurfaced, causing a faint ache in his heart.
"Perhaps I climbed the mountain too fast," Shen Jin thought.
He decided to find a place to settle down and rest for a while. Since the time he had agreed to meet with the village elders was still early, wandering around aimlessly wasn't a good idea.
Shen Jin then walked briskly towards the market. As noon approached, the town became increasingly bustling. More and more people came to the market to buy New Year's goods.
Shen Jin's somewhat gloomy mood suddenly improved, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "It's so lively..."
Here, there were elderly people bringing their granddaughters to buy New Year's goods, and several children walking together. There were also tall, strong fathers carrying their mischievous and clever sons on their backs, singing and laughing as they walked forward.
Everyone's face was beaming with joy, which shows how much happiness the Spring Festival brought to this seemingly ordinary town.
Suddenly, the sharp-eyed Chen Jin spotted something interesting. A stall was filled with all sorts of butterflies, hanging in the most conspicuous spot, as lifelike as real people.
Suddenly, Chen Jin became interested in the colorful butterflies, which inexplicably captured people's hearts.
He hurried forward and saw that they were all real butterflies. At first, Chen Jin thought they were plastic.
The stall owner was a beautiful young woman with long braids and a round face with two large, bright eyes. Her discerning eyes glanced at Chen Jin's face and immediately realized she could make a sale.
"Brother, do you want these butterfly specimens? I caught them all myself in the mountains. They're very beautiful," the girl said to Shen Jin. Her bright, sparkling eyes glanced at Shen Jin's handsome face, and she seemed shy before quickly lowering her head.
"Are these all butterflies from the mountains?" Shen Jin was unconsciously drawn to the beautiful butterfly specimens. Each one was carefully framed by the girl in a silk cloth frame, and they looked truly beautiful, exuding a gentle aura.
For some inexplicable reason, Chen Jin was immediately drawn to a large, yellow butterfly. The butterfly was a romantic yellow, brimming with the spirit of spring, its patterns exquisite and captivating. What was most striking was that there was more than one such butterfly. Beside it were almost identical butterfly specimens.
Clearly, this is a pair.
Shen Jin then asked the girl curiously, "Are these two a pair?"
"Yes, brother. When I caught them, they were playing together, and I caught two in one net." The girl smiled shyly. "They're so pretty, do you want to buy them?"
Shen Jin thought it looked pretty good.
The girl then laughed and said, "A perfect pair! Haha! Buy both of them, and then you'll never have to be apart again!"
Shen Jin's smile vanished instantly. The emotions he had tried so hard to suppress and ignore surged up again. He said indifferently, "Together in pairs, it's a pity I have no one I want to give this to..."
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