Chapter 150 Let's look at today together, appreciating the stars, moon, and the changing seasons. (End of text)
The two walked hand in hand toward the temple gate. Behind them, the marriage tree was still swaying gently, the rustling of wooden sticks colliding and the tinkling of copper bells filling the air.
The two held hands and slowly walked into the Temple of the Old Man Under the Moon.
Inside the hall, wisps of smoke curled, and the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood mixed with a faint scent of osmanthus. Red candles flickered on the offering table, casting the shadow of the Old Man Under the Moon statue onto the mottled wall, adding a touch of solemnity and tenderness.
He Jinzhao released his grip, took three incense sticks from the incense burner, lit one, and handed it to Song Shiyi.
The two stood side by side, bowing respectfully to the statue. The ash from their incense sticks fell silently onto their shoes.
Perhaps it was the warmth of the candlelight in the hall, because Song Shiyi's cheeks were slightly flushed. She lowered her eyes and silently recited the same words as those she had written on the wooden slip earlier.
At that moment, the wind outside the temple suddenly picked up.
The two wooden sticks, which had been half-hidden by branches and leaves, were flipped over by the wind, and the red rope wrapped around the branch swayed and the writing on them was revealed.
The ink on He Jinzhao's wooden slip was vigorous and powerful.
—May we share this same roof and breeze year after year.
The one next to Song Shiyi's has elegant handwriting.
—Day and night, we share the same moon.
The wind was still blowing, the red rope was swaying, and the two lines of words became even clearer in the sunlight.
I did not see the abbot from that time on this visit.
They might not be here anymore, or they might have gone somewhere else.
He Jinzhao wasn't too disappointed, since he hadn't come for him in the first place.
It's a pity I can't show it off anymore.
He took Song Shiyi's hand and walked back.
Just as I was about to leave, I was called back.
"Please wait, esteemed guests."
The two stopped and turned around at the same time.
Upon seeing the newcomer, He Jinzhao chuckled, "It's you, little monk."
Isn't that the little monk who didn't like him back then?
He has grown much taller and more composed now.
"Where is the abbot? Why isn't he here?"
"My master is unable to come in person, so he sent me to deliver something to you two benefactors."
He Jinzhao raised an eyebrow: "Oh? What is it?"
The young monk then took out a string of Buddhist prayer beads and handed them to the two of them.
He clasped his hands together, his expression compassionate.
"We offer our blessings to the two of you now that you are happily married."
"These prayer beads accompanied my master in his meditation room for dozens of days and nights while he chanted sutras. They have been blessed with Buddhist light and can protect him and bring him peace and good fortune."
“When the female benefactor drew the best fortune stick, the master said that your destiny was clear, that you had little affinity with Buddhism but a deep affinity with good fortune.”
He fiddled with the smooth wooden beads in his hand, looked at the man beside her, and said slowly, "Although this benefactor did not follow the rules back then, she was sincere, otherwise she would not have been able to draw such a good fortune."
"The delivery of this item today can be considered as fulfilling the unfulfilled wish from back then."
He Jinzhao was confused. He raised his hand and said, "Wait!"
"You mean I drew the best possible fortune?"
When did he not know?
He then learned the truth.
It turned out that the fortune slip that fell down the moment he chased after the other person and put it down was a very auspicious one.
He Jinzhao smiled helplessly.
"It doesn't come when you want it, but it appears when you don't want it."
The young monk's eyebrows curved into a smile, his expression carrying the gentle and serene nature unique to monks.
"This is fate."
He paused, looked up at their clasped hands, and his gaze became even clearer.
"Amitabha Buddha, may the two benefactors be together through all three days and four seasons, year after year, and even through storms, may they hold hands and never part, together guarding the perfection of this worldly life."
Song Shiyi held the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand and bowed slightly to express her gratitude.
"Thank you, young master."
He Jinzhao nodded slightly.
"In that case, I won't bother you any longer. Farewell."
After saying this, he put his hands together again, bowed deeply, and quickly left.
After he left, He Jinzhao picked up the string of Buddhist beads and looked at it. It had a faint sandalwood scent that smelled very nice.
"I'll put it on you."
He took Song Shiyi's wrist and slipped the Buddhist prayer beads onto her wrist. The wooden beads were round and smooth, and the moment they touched her skin, they were slightly cool, completely different from her body temperature.
The sandalwood scent seemed to be drawn in by the coolness, instantly wafting up, neither strong nor overpowering, yet gently wafting to the tip of the nose, refreshing and soothing.
Song Shiyi lowered her eyes and looked down. The dark brown wooden beads made her skin appear even whiter, and there seemed to be a faint, soft glow around it, like a silent, gentle protection.
He Jinzhao nodded in satisfaction.
They actually match quite well.
Song Shiyi smiled gently and said, "Let's go."
"Yes, let's go home."
He Jinzhao turned his head to look at her, their eyes met, and they smiled at each other.
There are always some surprising encounters, like when I met you.
Life is long, but fortunately, I have you. We go through the days and nights together, and we weather the storms together.
—
The next day, in the morning.
When she got up, her gaze fell on a certain spot, and she paused for a moment.
There was an extra letter on the table.
To be precise, it was a love letter.
It goes without saying who put it here.
She stayed overnight at He Jinzhao's house yesterday, so he must have secretly left it here while she was sleeping?
Song Shiyi was both curious and excited.
She slowly opened the envelope, and the vigorous and unrestrained handwriting came into view.
Seeing this letter is like seeing you in person; reading it brings me joy.
Hello, Song Shiyi.
Before you see these unwritten fragments of my writing, I've been preparing what you might find cheesy for a long time.
I am inherently rather stingy with expressing my emotions, even reserved and introverted.
Until I met you, you seemed to break many of my exceptions.
I used to scoff at writing love letters, but now I think it's a brave and meaningful thing to do, because you deserve it.
I think my feelings for you are probably cliché. I don't have any romantic words to express my love, so I can only repeat "I love you" to you every day like a broken record.
After meeting you, I realized that the value of life is not just an empty sentiment.
It's the evening breeze that blows when we walk side by side.
It's the light that sparkles in your eyes when you talk about your interests.
Last night, watching you sleep peacefully filled my heart with tenderness and tranquility.
To be honest, I'm not good with words. The feelings I had hidden in my heart never had a concrete form before I met you.
It wasn't until you came along that every flutter of the heart found its home.
This letter was written and revised repeatedly, for fear that the words would not express the meaning, and even more so for fear of disturbing this perfectly beautiful moment.
I just want to tell you that in the days to come, I hope to enjoy the cherry blossoms and lotus flowers in spring and the moon and snow in autumn with you.
I wish to protect you and stay by your side.
May every morning from now on be as warm and cheerful as this letter is now.
Though the letter is short, the sentiment is deep; there is so much I want to say.
I wish you well, I do not ask for a reply.
He Jinzhao's letter
Song Shiyi looked at it several times. At this moment, she smiled sweetly, her cheeks flushed.
She could tell that the love letter was written with great care.
After thinking for a moment, she sat down, picked up a pen, and solemnly wrote a line below.
The wind stops when it reaches the mountain, and the boat stops when it reaches the shore.
Let us look upon this day together, appreciating the stars, the moon, and the changing seasons.
That love letter, filled with the tender feelings of a young man, has weathered the storms of time and has finally received a response from the other side today.
—End of text—
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