“Let me tell you, even if you don’t go anywhere today, you won’t be able to sleep. Besides those who come to play the 'night hooting' game, there are also monks who come to beg for alms. They’ll be beeping and chanting ‘Amitabha’ to you. When you lie down on your four limbs to sleep, it’ll be like they’re performing a ritual to help you pass on to the afterlife.”
"Did you eat shit with your mouth?"
Pei Lin didn't care; he was determined to drag this person out onto the street today, so she wouldn't get restless staying in the room all day. So, with a burst of strength, he ripped off the bedding from Yun Ling's body when she wasn't looking.
As soon as the bedding was removed, Yunling's thin undergarment was revealed. Now that she had grown up, she had what other young ladies had, and even more so.
Pei Lin immediately turned his back. He never expected this person to be so... After spending so many days together in Bianjing, he saw her dressed in men's clothing every day, even in the cold weather, she was dressed thickly, naturally...
Before he could think any further, Yunling kicked him in the butt, sending him flying out of the room. The door slammed shut, interrupting his wild thoughts.
Yunling quickly put on her thick clothes. She had just finished washing up when she heard "Amitabha" outside, so she immediately ran to the door.
Lu Yinghuai was already standing at the door. Upon seeing Yun Ling, he first examined her clothes, then took her hand, squeezed it briefly, and said after letting go:
"Your hands are getting cold, why don't you hold a hot water bottle?"
"I just came out to take a look."
Yunling found it strange. She had only been out for a short while, yet her hands were already cold. This person had been standing there for so long, how come their hands were so warm, even though they weren't wearing more clothes than her?
Pei Lin quickly caught up and hurriedly put gloves and socks on Yun Ling's hands. He had spent some time looking for gloves and socks earlier; otherwise, he definitely wouldn't have let the two of them speak.
Groups of monks and nuns, having come from the previous household to beg for alms, were heading towards this house.
Yunling peeked out and saw a group of monks and nuns carrying a bronze saliva basin containing a bronze Buddha statue. A monk beside them held a willow branch, dipped it in perfume, and sprinkled it on the Buddha statue while chanting Buddhist mantras as they walked forward.
They stopped in front of the house, muttering to themselves.
Yunling tried her best to keep up with their chanting, but she could never catch the gist of it, only making out words like "Bodhisattva" and "Amitabha".
Lu Yinghuai clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect to them, then placed two strings of copper coins full onto the golden bowl, thus concluding the act of charity.
"Thank you, benefactor."
The monks and nuns continued on to the next house. Yunling watched their departing figures, lost in thought, when she saw Gangzi appear from around the corner, running back with a big smile on his face.
"Boss, it's really lively outside today. I saw people selling Buddha flowers, leek sprouts, Zezhou malt, and orchid sprouts everywhere. They're so cheap! I bought a little of everything. They're also saying that major Buddhist temples are holding bathing Buddha ceremonies today and distributing seven-treasure porridge and five-flavor porridge to believers."
"Since you've changed your clothes, why don't you pick a nearby Buddhist temple and go there to have some porridge? It'll be a good way to celebrate the festival."
Yunling thought that Lu Yinghuai had just given them money for lamp oil, so they should join in the fun. Just as she was about to agree, Pei Lin said:
"I don't think eating porridge is enough to truly capture the essence of Laba Festival. The snow is likely to get heavier today, so why don't we build snow lions, hang snow lanterns, and cook in the yard?"
Lu Yinghuai continued:
“That’s quite elegant. I see that everyone is away from home for the New Year this year, so why don’t we celebrate properly? Let’s go out today and buy some peach wood charms, peach wood talismans, deer and horse talismans, New Year pictures, red lanterns, and paper window decorations to make this temporary house look beautiful.”
Lu Yinghuai's words were unanimously agreed upon. After tidying up, everyone closed the doors and windows, boarded the carriage, and headed to the west gate. On the way, Zifu and Gangzi naturally sat on the outside deck to drive the carriage, while Tang Ling sat in the carriage with Yunling.
The atmosphere in the carriage was a little awkward. The four of them felt they could find something to say, but they remained silent. Yunling felt a chill run down her spine, so she tried to make conversation:
"It seems that the Buddhist temples in Bianjing are quite good, as they distribute seven-treasure porridge to believers."
“I told you that if you went out alone, you would definitely get scammed,” Pei Lin said, raising his chin and looking at Yun Ling with arrogance. “Do you think they’re giving you food for free? They’re using this as an excuse to beg for money for lamp oil during the Lantern Festival.”
"ah?"
Yunling really hadn't expected this.
"But I just paid for it, so I felt justified in eating there."
"Have you been sleeping too much lately? You just handed over the money without signing or affixing your name. Who will recognize it? Besides, there are so many Buddhist temples in Bianjing. Do you even know which one it belongs to?"
Yunling thought that what he said made sense, but she was so sleepy that she didn't want to argue with Pei Lin. She yawned and rested her head on Tang Ling's shoulder, wanting to sleep.
Lu Yinghuai pulled open the seat cushion, took out a small backrest pillow, and handed it to Yun Ling.
"It's more comfortable leaning against this."
Yunling took it and placed it against her neck, her body pressed against the carriage floor, feeling quite comfortable. However, when the carriage wheels wobbled as they ran over a stone, the back of her head felt as if she had been hit with a stick, and her head was buzzing.
Lu Yinghuai didn't miss her slightly disgusted and somewhat resentful look, and couldn't help but laugh:
“The 24th of the twelfth lunar month is the New Year’s Eve. Usually on this night, families in the capital will invite monks, nuns or Taoist priests to their homes to chant scriptures. Lingniang thinks we should also invite one to chant scriptures to send off the old year and welcome the new.”
Lu Yinghuai thought that Yunling would eventually become the mistress of this house, so inviting monks and nuns to chant Buddhist scriptures and mantras for their house to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new was a good thing.
But Pei Lin saw through his little scheme in an instant, and said to Yun Ling:
"The New Year's Eve is a very troublesome time. We have to invite monks and nuns, prepare wine and fruit to offer to the Kitchen God, burn paper money, paste the Kitchen God on the stove, smear wine lees on the stove door, and light a lamp under the bed when we go to sleep."
"This is called... Zhao Xuhao. These kinds of etiquette and rituals are the most troublesome. They should be left to the lady of the house to handle. We, the temporary residents, should not cause too much trouble."
Yunling initially thought it was nothing, let her do it if she likes it, but when she heard Pei Lin mention the mistress of the house, she put her mind to it. Yes, these things should be done by the mistress, what does it have to do with her?
Yunling didn't know why, but she felt a little down inside, and fearing that someone might notice, she quickly replied:
"My grandma really likes making these kinds of things."
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