Mojing, the city that never sleeps
After coming out of the Yuanwai Mansion, the few of them did not go directly to Zhaoxia Tower.
The name "Zhaoxia" has its significance.
When the restaurant was first built, the designer specially arranged to use glazed bricks and ordinary red bricks produced in foreign countries on one side of the building.
This kind of glazed brick can adjust the dosage of the exclusive formula according to the buyer's needs during firing, and then be carefully polished by experienced craftsmen.
Most of the time, the appearance of glazed bricks tends to be the commonly seen reddish-brown color.
But under the reflection of light from certain angles, this dull reddish-brown color will instantly reflect golden yellow.
When more of them gather together, they appear to emit golden light.
The owner of Zhaoxia Tower controlled the time for the strange sight to appear during the sunset.
As dusk approached, the sky began to be filled with dazzling sunset glow, which reflected on the glazed bricks outside the restaurant, and the color naturally changed.
However, red bricks in other locations will not have this effect.
Then a sacred tree with lush branches and leaves and shining golden light suddenly appeared outside the restaurant, becoming a beautiful landscape.
The appearance of the sacred tree is also the signal that music will be played in the store.
The dancing on the stage is light and graceful, and the music is melodious, like a ceremony to please the gods.
In such an environment, you really have the illusion that you have arrived in a fairyland.
Gao Wenwen was very curious about what the sacred tree looked like, and he was already itching to go there, but there was no point in going to Zhaoxia Tower.
Not only can I not see the sacred tree, I can't hear the music either, and I have no idea what kind of environment Zhang Shutang is in every time.
However, since Zhaoxialou is a restaurant, it is different from the teahouse where the storyteller just now lived.
It's so unique, so many people will definitely go there, and the prices won't be low. There might even be a minimum consumption requirement. With just the few words on their names, the money for four people combined might not be enough to order a single dish there.
He slapped his forehead and said in frustration, "What a mistake! I should have asked Xu Linfeng to borrow some money before leaving. What if we can't get into the restaurant?"
Since he is the manager of the Yuanwai Mansion, he should have some money on him.
Unfortunately, they had already walked out for a long time, and it always felt a bit weird to go back without saying anything at that time.
Shi Yan really wanted to help: "If it really doesn't work out, we can do some odd jobs. Although I studied Western medicine, I can still work in a folk clinic and sell Chinese medicine according to categories. I can give some medical advice to those who have headaches and colds, so it's not a problem."
Having been in the emergency department for so long and having seen all kinds of patients, she still has this confidence and can guarantee that there will be no misdiagnosis.
Ding Can tutted his words, "No need to go to all that trouble. Who knows, Xu Linfeng might be so powerful that even Zhaoxialou might have to give him some face. Let's just take it one step at a time."
Besides, even if it doesn't work, I just heard that the music hall is always crowded, so even if a few people sneak in, they may not be discovered.
What's more, they still have the system props as a backup plan that they haven't started using yet.
It was not appropriate to go to Zhaoxia Tower now, so they decided to go to Duxi Temple, where Zhang Shutang disappeared.
The city that never sleeps in Mojing is well connected, so there is no need to ask for directions. Just walk in the direction of the top of the Wanxi Pagoda that you saw in Fangfei Garden just now, and you will directly reach the location of Duxi Temple.
After passing through another alley, Ding Can noticed several monks. They were wearing gray-blue monk robes. The fabric had turned obviously white after being washed many times, and there were many patches on them.
The monks were carrying bulging bags on their backs, holding wooden bowls for begging in their hands, and had water bags tied around their waists, as if they were going on a long journey.
"This is the ascetic monk from Duxi Temple, he is on his way to a distant place for training."
There was a vendor selling sugar paintings nearby. He didn't have much business at the time, but when he saw they were strangers, he started a conversation.
"Are you going with this outfit? Why not ride a horse or something?" Gao Wenwen saw that they were wearing straw sandals, which already had signs of wear and tear. No one would normally go out wearing such shoes.
If you walk a long way, it will soon be trampled.
"Since it's an ascetic practice, of course we can only go out on foot."
Ascetic monks are different from ordinary monks who eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures. They strictly observe the precepts and restrain themselves with higher requirements.
In order to hone his will to endure hardships, he would walk with only a backpack on his back and not carry a penny with him.
They rely on begging from the common people for their daily meals, and usually sleep in the open air. They live in sparsely populated alleys, fields with crops, and valleys with wind and rain.
Even in a crowded downtown area, ascetic monks can remain undisturbed, recite scriptures calmly, and practice enlightenment.
Through this, we can understand the sufferings of the people and constantly improve our inner strength.
And during the practice, whenever they encountered other temples, they would take the initiative to go there to exchange Buddhist teachings, and after returning from their ascetic practice, they would contribute to the Buddhist studies of Duxi Temple.
Gao Wenwen watched the monks leave and asked, "How long will it take them to come back?"
The vendor shook his head. "Who knows? It could take a few months at the least, or even five or ten years."
"So long?" He opened his mouth in surprise and felt that the monk's back seemed even taller.
"Thanks to these monks, Duxi Temple can be blessed by the gods and Buddhas, and we ordinary people can also benefit from it." As the stall owner spoke, he closed his eyes and silently prayed twice in the direction of the temple.
"Uncle, I want a little rabbit."
"Then I want a little flower dog." Several children came together and surrounded the sugar painting stall.
After leaving, Gao Wenwen kept looking back and said, "It's really so effective. That old man only prayed a few times and business came to him."
"Hey, hey, hey, don't be superstitious." Ding Can tried to explain it with science.
"This street is already crowded with people and children. I just walked over and observed that there are no similar stalls nearby. Business should be good. We just happened to run into a time when no one was around."
Gao Wenwen looked at the other people taking a walk and found that it seemed to be true.
Shi Yan noticed a figure further ahead, "Perhaps for some people, this is what can inspire them to persevere."
Following her gaze, Ding Can also saw the frail figure about ten meters away.
It was a woman, standing in the middle of the street, bowing every three steps as she walked towards the main gate of Duxi Temple.
The people in the city seemed to be accustomed to such scenes. No one would stop to watch, but they could not help but cast sympathetic glances as they passed by.
They might be guessing that this person had encountered some difficulties.
Either her family encountered an unexpected change, or a family member suddenly fell ill. But no matter what the reason was, it drove her to come here so devoutly. She must have tried many times but failed to find a solution.
There was no other way, so he placed his hopes on gods and Buddhas, hoping that his own piety could move heaven and save his family.
Faced with such a situation, no matter how calm Ding Can was, he would not mention any topics related to superstition to her. No one would break the beautiful vision in her heart at this time.
"Although gods and Buddhas are not real, there are indeed gods and Buddhas around her, and that is herself."
If the dilemma can really be solved, it is only through the person's own efforts.
As we got closer to Duxi Temple, we saw more and more people with the same destination.
There are families of three, with the mother carrying a basket filled with incense, candles and offerings, and the strong father putting a two or three-year-old child on his neck, walking in happily and praying for the child's future.
Some men and women come together and look very affectionate. Perhaps they come here to fulfill a vow.
Others have obvious sick looks on their faces, hoping that Buddha will bless them and help them regain good health.
Duxi Temple is located in the bustling city, but it is not contaminated by the city's atmosphere. When you walk to the door, you can smell the curling incense and the strong aroma of sandalwood lingering in your nose.
The temple gate is about three meters high, which is very low-key compared to the overall temple inside.
It was not until I entered the temple that I suddenly understood. Every pilgrim could receive three incense sticks for free at the entrance.
A few people followed the local customs and stood in front of the large cauldron in front of the main hall. They imitated others and burned incense in all directions, then inserted the incense into the ashes in the cauldron.
After walking around the main hall, there are several Buddhist temples dedicated to Bodhisattvas and the famous wishing tree. At the innermost part, you will find the monks' quarters where the monks live.
Unlike the pilgrims who stopped to stand, they had a mission to accomplish. They hurried past the pilgrims and soon arrived at a spacious courtyard.
This place is called Qimuyuan, and there is a Bodhi tree planted here. The sapling that was transplanted here was the fruit of a Bodhi tree that was said to have grown from the feet of a certain Buddha who ascended to heaven.
It is said that this tree is next to the Buddha and has also been enlightened, and has the ability to help people realize their wishes.
Many people write their wishes on red cloth and tie it to the tree trunk to pray.
As more people came to pray, the Bodhi tree was naturally covered with red cloth strips, which were interwoven with the lush green of the tree. When the wind blew, the cloth strips would be blown up, forming bright and beautiful colors.
Ding Can had just entered the courtyard gate and was not very close to the Bodhi tree. From a distance, it looked more like a whole tree of red flowers in full bloom.
There were groups of people gathered under the tree, some were bending over the table to write, and some were trying to jump up and wrap the cloth strips around the tree trunk.
In addition, there seemed to be several arguing voices.
The first thing I heard was a clear male voice, "I told you to write one too. Although you're short, I can help you post it. As long as your heart is sincere, the Buddha won't care about these things."
"If you don't know how to speak, you don't have to." Immediately after him, a woman's voice of rebuttal sounded unpleasant.
"There's nothing wrong with what I said. You're just shorter than me, by a full twenty centimeters. Just a reminder, I'm 185cm tall."
"Shu Shenan, don't push your luck."
Ding Can had already found the two people who were talking, but due to the angle, he could only see their backs.
The girl raised her foot and then stepped hard on the man's instep.
The man suddenly hopped on one foot like a frightened bird, gasping for breath and saying, "It hurts, it hurts, please be gentle... My toe must be swollen. How can I complete the mission later? Do you know what it means to respect your brother?"
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