Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Beauty and Yaksha Lotus Lady’s Identity…
Hearing the sound, they both turned their heads at the same time.
A monk in a brown robe stood behind them, with greed in his eyes. He stared at Lianhua's face and said, "This lady is so beautiful, and she is also quite knowledgeable about the murals in this temple. I admire her very much. Today is the Buddha Bathing Festival. Do you need me to accompany you?"
As if he was afraid that Lianhua would refuse, he quickly added: "After the fasting ceremony, I can ask for some Buddha-washing water for you to drink."
After the Buddha Bathing Festival, believers who attend the festival usually go to the temple to ask for some Buddha bathing water. Firstly, it is said that drinking it can strengthen the body, and secondly, it shows piety to the Buddha.
However, there was only so much water for washing Buddha's head, and it was precious because it was scarce. Most believers could not get it. Aunt Duan went to get it every year, but only got a scoop occasionally. She also invited Duan Zhiwei to drink with her, but she was ruthlessly rejected.
Duan Zhiwei felt that this man looked a bit ruffian, not like a practicing monk. He then thought of the incident two days ago where a scoundrel came to steal the girls' personal belongings.
She couldn't help but become suspicious, suspecting that this young monk was the so-called Lecher. Duan Zhiwei was wary and prepared to tell Yuan Shenji and Li Heng about this matter.
Lady Lotus had a good temper. She smiled and said to the monk, "No need, little master. Lady Duan and I will go together."
After saying this, he pulled Duan Zhiwei's arm and left. Duan Zhiwei turned his head to look and saw the monk standing there with a look of disappointment.
The two walked to the west corridor of the Sanjieyuan. It was April and the lotus flowers had not yet bloomed. The treasure pond is filled with emerald green lotus leaves and small lotus leaves with pointed corners.
A rose bush in full bloom clings to the porch at the gate of the courtyard, with sunlight pouring in through the gaps between the branches. There is also a mural on the gate.
The mural depicts trees and rocks of various colors, as well as a goddess holding a furnace. The goddess is painted extremely elegant and refined, with her eyes peacefully closed. Duan Zhiwei lowered his head to take a good look and nodded: "This painting is also very beautiful. The goddess has an expression of compassion for all living beings on her face."
Bursts of Buddhist chants were heard in the distance, and the Buddha bathing ceremony began.
The young monks lined up in two teams, holding incense, flowers and candles and walking in the temple. The bronze Buddha was placed between basins of water and soaked in five-color perfume. The abbot chanted verses while pouring the perfume on the Buddha's body with a small ladle.
Pilgrims vied with each other to donate money in the Buddhist temple, and then flocked to the treasure pond, releasing the various fish, turtles, snails and clams they had bought into the pond.
After completing this series of procedures, the temple finally began to set up a banquet and serve vegetarian food. It was nothing more than some vegetarian dishes such as vegetables, tofu, and tangerine peel gluten, which had a very light taste. There was also a large wooden basin of Ami rice.
Although the taste is bland, believers still flock to it.
Duan Zhiwei stood outside the crowd and glanced at the lotus next to him: "Do you want to eat that Ami rice?"
A trace of disdain appeared on Lotus's face: "Every time I offer it, it's the same thing. I hate eating the fluff. It's not necessary."
It was a rare opportunity to meet a girl who got along well with her in a temple. Duan Zhiwei thought about it and took out a small box from her package. Inside the box were two lotus cakes that she had saved for the two children.
But now she gave it to Lotus: "Your name is also Lotus, and you are holding a lotus in your hand. I guess you like this flower very much. This is the lotus crisp I made this morning. It tastes good. You can try it."
The lotus pastry was indeed lifelike, with layers of pastry stretched out like lotus petals, the delicate texture on top like the veins of the lotus, and the touch of bright red on the tip of the petal making the pastry even more lovely and delicate.
Lotus was very happy and took it and said, "This is much more beautiful than the Amida rice they offer."
She ate one on the spot, then put the other precious one into her pocket and said, "I'll eat this one when I have time."
Duan Zhiwei patted her shoulder and said, "I opened a Duan's Restaurant in Xuanyangfang. If you have time, come and I will cook for you again."
Dusk soon fell, and the believers of Zhao Jinggong Temple were worried about the curfew, so they all hurried out. Duan Zhiwei and Yuan Shenji, who was on duty, had an appointment to meet under a bodhi tree outside the temple and go back home together, so he stood up to say goodbye to Lianhua, then turned and left.
Looking at Duan Zhiwei's back as she ran away, Lianhua waved at her, then glanced at the dim yellow clouds in the sky and couldn't help but sigh: "Ah, this world is so lonely."
"Young lady, how lonely are you? Why don't I come to accompany you?" The monk in brown clothes appeared again, his lustful eyes lingered on Lotus, and then slowly approached her...
Duan Zhiwei waited for half a day at the gate of Zhao Jinggong Temple before Yuan Shenji hurried over. He could not help but complain, "Why did you come at this moment?"
Yuan Shenji came over holding a small jade bottle and said with a smile, "Madam, please don't blame me. My eldest aunt specifically asked me to bring some water back for washing the Buddha. I just went to the temple to ask for it, so I'm late now."
Zhao Jinggong Temple was a royal temple, and the water for washing Buddha had to be prepared for dignitaries first. Aunt Duan estimated that she would not be able to get any, so she specifically asked Yuan Shenji to ask for it.
After all, the temple dare not deny the Jinwu Guards this face.
Duan Zhiwei let out a long sigh. This aunt knew that if she told him she would definitely not agree, but she actually bypassed him and went to find Yuan Shenji.
She got on the carriage, Yuan Shenji was in front of her, and the two of them were walking leisurely in the sunset. Duan Zhiwei discussed with him what to eat in the evening, and then talked about the murals in Zhao Jinggong Temple. Finally, she remembered something and said quickly, "I may have found the pervert who stole the girl's shabby handkerchief!"
She told Yuan Shenji about the wretched monk, and he frowned: "It's very likely. Most monks in Zhao Jinggong Temple wear gray clothes, and I've never seen anyone wearing brown clothes. I think it's possible that he is a fake, sneaking into the temple to do something illegal."
Duan Zhiwei was a little excited and slapped the carriage wall: "I will go to the Dali Temple tomorrow. This pervert is finished!"
Yuan Shenji looked at her with amusement, then shook his head slightly and concentrated on driving the carriage. The chestnut horse snorted, then ran happily on the yellow land.
Tonight is as dark as ink and so thick that it seems impossible to dissolve. The wind is howling and shrieking on the small paths between the towns. The bleak moonlight is projected down with difficulty, distorting and stretching the shadow of a jujube tree beside the yard.
The brown-robed monk hurried back to his own courtyard before curfew. The courtyard he stayed in was in a very shabby state. The black paint on the gate was peeling off, and the wind was blowing the white paper on the broken window frame, as if there was a vengeful spirit crying.
The monk's name was Hu Er. He was a scoundrel in the streets. He bullied the elderly and the weak, molested women and did all kinds of evil things. He shaved his head because his family could not make ends meet, so he pretended to be a monk and went to a faraway place to beg for alms.
He excitedly took out some pearl hairpins and silk handkerchiefs from his bosom. Today was a grand event in the temple, and many beautiful ladies went to burn incense and release animals. He shuttled among them and stole a lot of things.
People at that time loved to burn incense, so the scarf was stained with the strong scent of agarwood. Thinking of those beautiful girls in Chang'an, Hu Er picked up the scarf and sniffed it.
Pingkangfang is a place where rich people go. He can't afford to go there, but some inappropriate desires arose in his heart. He can only... rely on the sharp knife under his pillow.
He threw down the robe in his hand angrily, thinking of the lady named Lianhua whom he met in the temple today. He actually let her escape. But it didn’t matter, because she could escape on the first day, but not the fifteenth.
Just as I was thinking about it, there was a knock on the door.
Hu Er suspected that he was hallucinating, or perhaps it was the strong wind today that caused the rusty copper ring to make a sound.
After all, the courtyard was dilapidated and he had a very bad reputation, so no one dared to come to his courtyard.
There were three more knocks on the door.
Hu Er suspected that his theft had been discovered, so he pulled out a knife from under his pillow, leaned against the door and asked fiercely, "Who is it?"
A gentle female voice came from outside: "Little Master, it's me. We met by the lotus-filled treasure pond during the day. Don't you remember?"
When Hu Er heard this sound, his bones were half soft and he could no longer think. He threw away the knife and opened the door.
Lady Lotus stood outside, the moonlight poured down on her, like a fairy from the mortal world. She gently opened her red lips and said, "I saw you in the daytime, and my heart was moved. I will come to meet you tonight."
Hu Er had never seen such a good thing before, so he quickly pulled people in, tidied up the dusty bed curtains, and then couldn't wait to blow out the candles.
There was a fisherman living next door to Hu Er. He was mending his nets in the yard under the moonlight when he suddenly heard a shrill scream from next door. He put down his net, picked up a hatchet and tried to go over.
He was disgusted with Hu Er and worried that he would be implicated by his enemies. He hesitated and shrank back. He just lay on the wall and pricked up his ears to listen. There came an angry shout: "You thief bald donkey, how dare you have such a mean heart towards me? If I were a real person, why would I marry someone like you?"
Then there were even sharper screams, and the noise finally attracted two street training warriors to come over.
Wu Hou kicked the door open, and smelled a strong smell of blood...
On the second day of the Buddha's Bathing Festival, there was an activity to worship the Medicine King. Thinking of Yuan Shenji's injury two days ago, Duan Zhiwei also followed Aunt Duan to the Medicine King Temple to pay homage and asked for two disease-eliminating talismans. Someone in the medicine market formed a Nuo dance team to drive away the plague, and there was also a ceremony to celebrate the Medicine King's birthday by setting up a sacrificial animal. It was very lively.
Duan Zhiwei bought a bag of hemp candy mixed with astragalus. The hemp candy was extremely sweet, while the astragalus was slightly bitter, and the combination was surprisingly delicious. She was thinking about going back to stew some nourishing food like medicinal chicken, hoping that it would be popular.
Aunt Duan loved the hustle and bustle even more than she did. She met a few acquaintances at Yaowang Temple and chatted with them for a while. Then she came back and excitedly pulled her aside and said, "Do you know? The lecher who stole the girl's shabby handkerchief at Zhao Jinggong Temple has been found."
"Is the Dali Temple so efficient?" she wondered.
The two chatted as they walked toward the restaurant. Aunt Duan said, "It is said that the lecher suddenly died of a serious illness at home last night. Wu Hou heard the scream and broke open the door. He saw him lying in a pool of blood. He also saw many luxurious pearl hairpins and silk handkerchiefs on the table. It's a coincidence. Doesn't it mean that the man has been caught?"
As she spoke, she said "Pooh" viciously: "Such evil people deserve it!"
The two returned to the restaurant. Someone had delivered a few extremely fat ducks today. Duan Zhiwei prepared to stew the duck with tangerine peel, which was said to be very suitable for people with poor appetite.
She was busy in the restaurant when Yuan Shenji and Li Heng came in. Li Heng seemed very angry and sat down. Chen Guifang came over and asked him what he wanted to eat. He blushed and said, "No, I'm full of anger."
"What's wrong?" Duan Zhiwei wiped his hands and came out: "Can't eat? I cooked tangerine peel duck, I guarantee you'll have a big appetite."
"That's not what I meant." He sounded a little annoyed.
Hu Er was dead, with obvious signs of being bitten by a wild beast on his neck. He took the coroner and the yamen runners with him and was looking for clues in the house when a few arrogant people from the Monster Catching Office came in, saying that it was not their business and drove them away.
Li Heng was the Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple and had never endured such humiliation. What's more, the Monster Catching Division was directly under the Emperor, so he could only leave in disgrace.
A pot of duck stewed with tangerine peel was cooked and placed in front of Li Heng.
When you open the lid of the pot, a rich aroma hits your nose. The duck meat in the soup is cooked until the bones are gone, and every piece of meat has absorbed the essence of the soup. The tangerine peel is cut into small pieces and dotted in between, which looks beautiful instantly.
Li Heng swallowed and coughed: "Since you've worked so hard, I'll just have a bite."
Chen Guifang said: "If you don't want to eat it, put away your bureaucratic style."
Li Heng slammed the table and stood up: "Is this how you treat your benefactor?"
"Forget it. As the Shaoqing of Dali Temple, it is your duty to handle cases for the people. Why are you thinking about others repaying you? According to what you said, Di Gong solved so many major cases in his life. If everyone came to him to repay their gratitude, would he be able to repay all his debts?" Chen Guifang did not want to tolerate him and retorted.
Duan Zhiwei shook his head and scooped a bowl of soup for Yuan Shenji. It was windy last night and the temperature dropped a bit today, so drinking some soup to drive away the cold was the best. Yuan Shenji took it and felt that the soup was rich and mellow, but not greasy.
I drank a whole bowl right away.
Duan Zhiwei propped up his head and looked at him, whispering: "The Monster Catching Department has taken over, does that mean..."
The one who harms people is... a demon.
Yuan Shenji held her hand, hesitated for a moment and said, "Those two Wu Hous seemed to have seen something."
The Wu Hous all belonged to the Jinwu Guard, so Yuan Shenji got the information first.
The two Wu Hous were still trembling the next day. They saw a Yaksha as big as a giant, with teeth as sharp as a saw, lying on Hu Er's body and biting him. When he saw Wu Hou at the door, he gave up, roared and flew away.
Duan Zhiwei let out a "tsk".
Of course Hu Er deserved it, but...
She smiled at Yuan Shenji and said, "Don't blame those Wu Hou. If I had seen Yaksha, I would have fainted on the spot."
Then he said worriedly, "I don't know where that Yaksha ran off to. If he appeared in the market and hurt civilians, it would be a big deal."
Yuan Shenji comforted him, "Didn't they go to the Monster Catcher Bureau? Don't worry, everything will be fine."
On the other hand, just after the Buddha Bathing Ceremony, the number of pilgrims at Zhao Jinggong Temple dropped sharply. A young monk fell asleep during the morning class and was punished to sweep the floor by the treasure pond.
There was a strong wind blowing all night last night, and the rose petals fell all over the ground. The little monk was yawning and cleaning slowly, when he was suddenly attracted by the murals on the wall.
He slowly approached, then threw down the broom and turned and ran: "Master, this is bad, I don't know which pilgrim has tampered with the murals in our temple!"
The goddess holding the stove in the mural is still calmly closing her eyes, but the goddess holding the lotus on the other side has suddenly changed her posture. She is no longer holding the lotus, but a celadon plate with a whole lotus cake in it.
She smiled at the world in the mural, with a trace of red on her lips...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
