Chapter 38: Going to Lingshan Temple

After Tian sent her daughter away, she put the silver, jade and other items left by her daughter into a box.

The jade was sent by Luo Jinan along with the cloak. It was in a small box and about the size of a soybean. It was obvious at first glance that it was for Xu Nian to play with.

Tian recalled her daughter's words before she left, and smiled happily.

At that time, Xu Nian and Tian said, "Mom, when you have time, take these jades to a jewelry store to make some jewelry. When you return to the village, give them to grandma and aunts. They will be very happy."

How could Tian not understand her daughter's feelings? She was asking her to appease her daughter. She and her father lived in the county town, and the household was run by the two sisters-in-law. It was hard to guarantee that they would not harbor resentment over time.

You should know that one of the criteria in the official assessment is whether the family is harmonious. This shows the importance of family harmony.

While Tian was thinking, she saw Zhao Lan walk in.

"Madam, Mrs. Liu at the door has brought a visiting card."

Tian took it curiously, not knowing who it was.

When I opened it, I found out that it was sent by the wife of the magistrate, inviting me to go to Lingshan Temple to burn incense together the next day.

At Mrs. Mei's banquet yesterday, Mrs. Rong did tell her about burning incense, but she didn't take it seriously and didn't want to send a visiting card so formally today.

This was the first time that Tian received a visiting card specifically for her, so she attached great importance to it.

For this reason, she asked Xu Yaozu to give her some advice that evening on how she should behave tomorrow and what she can and cannot say.

Looking at the panicked Tian, ​​Xu Yaozu could not help but smile bitterly.

"Qiao Niang, don't be so nervous. Just have a normal relationship. The magistrate and I are several levels apart. Even if you say one or two wrong things, they won't hold it against a mere clerk like me."

It would have been better if Xu Yaozu didn't say anything. After he said this, Tian became even more nervous.

That night, Tian tossed and turned for a long time and couldn't fall asleep until dawn. She finally fell asleep, which caused her to look very bad the next day.

Fortunately, she covered it up a little after putting on makeup, and then applied the lip balm that Xu Nian gave her, and her complexion became much more energetic. Tian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Tian took Zhao Lan in the county government's carriage to the foot of Lingshan Mountain. Mrs. Rong's letter yesterday said that they would meet here.

When Tian arrived, Madam Rong was already waiting there. Tian was so scared that she quickly got off the carriage and greeted Madam Rong.

"Don't be nervous, Madam Tian. I've arrived early. Let's go up the mountain now."

The carriage that Tian was riding in followed behind Madam Rong and stopped after about quarter of an hour.

Tian opened the curtain and found that they were only halfway up the mountain. After getting off the carriage, Mrs. Rong explained:

"From the front gate to Lingshan Temple, you have to walk up 1,080 steps. Today we are just going to burn incense, so we can take a sedan chair up the mountain."

Tian looked up and indeed saw an endless staircase leading up the mountain, as if there was no end in sight. He asked curiously:

"Excuse me, madam, when do we need to walk?"

Madam Rong smiled and said, "Of course he is someone who has something to ask for and is sincere.

I heard from my mother-in-law that ten years ago, when Prince Chang was critically ill, it was Princess Zhenbei who moved the Buddha to save his life by kneeling down and bowing three times. Now the golden statues of Buddha in the main halls were all made by the Zhenbei Palace."

Tian was so frightened that she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and choked, "Is Prince Chang's illness so serious?"

"Who would know? It's better for us to know less about your affairs."

Mrs. Rong saw that Tian's eyes were red, as if she was about to cry, and she couldn't help but sigh: "I didn't expect that Mrs. Tian is still a person of temperament."

Tian didn't explain much, she just felt sorry for Changsheng, the child, who was suffering from illness at such a young age.

The two of them went up the mountain in a sedan chair. Lingshan Temple was indeed a well-known ancient temple. The whole temple looked even more sacred under the shroud of smoke and clouds.

There was a young monk receiving pilgrims in front of the mountain gate. After learning that the two ladies were only there to burn incense and were not going to stay overnight, he led the way and took them into the main hall of the temple.

Tian kept praising the wonderful scenery along the way. It was a very cold season, but the temple was covered with green grass and plum blossoms were in full bloom. She felt as if she had returned to Qingyun City.

Mrs. Rong knew that this was Tian's first visit, so she introduced: "Since the day Lingshan Temple was established, the scenery inside the temple has remained unchanged regardless of the extreme heat or cold. Only the month when the abbot passed away will the temple become withered and dilapidated. The person who can bring everything in the temple back to life by chanting sutras is the new abbot.

It is said that when Master Yunxin was chanting sutras, all the withered flowers and plants in the temple came back to life overnight, and a divine bird circled around the beams for three days before dispersing…”

Tian was extremely shocked when she heard what Mrs. Rong said. The world is so big that there are so many strange things.

After they burned incense, Mrs. Rong took Tian to the dormitory prepared by the monks and told them the purpose of their trip.

"Mrs. Tian, ​​you may not know that my dowry includes several rouge shops, but their business has always been lukewarm.

Yesterday I saw the lip balm made by your daughter at Madam Mei's place, and I liked it very much. I wonder if Madam Tian would like to sell the recipe."

Tian thought of many possibilities, but she never imagined that the magistrate's wife came to buy the prescription.

But after all, this was her daughter's thing, so she couldn't just agree to it on her daughter's behalf.

"Logically speaking, it is an honor for the lady to be impressed by my girl's craftsmanship.

But I think Madam saw it yesterday, my girl is a very opinionated person, I still have to ask her about this matter."

Mrs. Rong did not force it.

"That's as I should. Anyway, I still have to stay in the county for a few days. If Madam Tian is interested, she can come to Rong's house to find me in three days."

"must"

After the agreement was reached, the two of them did not stay long and went down the mountain in a sedan chair.

After seeing Mrs. Tian off, Rong sat in the carriage, deep in thought.

Qiuyue, the maidservant at the side, handed over a cup of tea and said, "Madam, don't worry. She is just a daughter of a small clerk. How much knowledge can she have? I think she will be happy to hand over the prescription to you."

However, Rong sighed leisurely.

"If he really is an ignorant person, it would be easy to deal with. I'm afraid we'll have to bleed heavily this time."

"Madam is kindhearted. It's just a prescription. It's not something that our master can just say a word about."

"Pa", Rong slammed the teacup in his hand heavily on the table and said sternly:

"If you continue to speak without restraint, don't blame me for not considering the relationship between master and servant."

Qiuyue was so scared that she slid down to her knees.

"Miss, please have mercy on me. Qiuyue knows she was wrong and she will never do it again."

Rong looked at Qiuyue with tears in her eyes, thinking of the friendship that had grown between them since childhood.

"In the future, no matter what you say or do, remember to be cautious in your words and actions. Only when your father's career is successful can you and I have a good life."

Qiuyue looked at the young lady with a gloomy expression and felt annoyed. It was all her fault for being too talkative and causing the young lady to be sad.

Rong felt sad, because she worked so hard to manage the business and all the money she earned was to pave the way for her father, but her father, who had benefited from the business, looked down on her as just a merchant's daughter.