The young monks, like a flock of ducklings, followed closely behind Wen Shishi and arrived beside Song Chengjian and Song Chenghou.
The abbot also slowly walked over.
Song Chenghou comforted the young monks, letting them sit in a row next to him against the corner of the wall.
My second brother will be busy laying down the Buddha statues and won't have the energy to look after them.
Wen Shishi instinctively stretched out her arms towards Song Chenghou, but seeing that her older brother was clearly uncomfortable, she withdrew her hands...
Wanting to continue blowing on her older brother's shoulder, Song Chenghou's heart softened, and he gently patted Wen Shishi's small shoulder, comforting her:
"Don't be afraid! Your older brothers will protect you..."
Wen Shishi seemed genuinely unafraid, obediently sitting down next to the young monks.
The abbot looked at the children on the ground and was led to sit down beside Song Chengjian. Song Chengjian respectfully said, "There will be people standing behind us later, so it's not advisable to linger..."
The abbot nodded, gazing out at the courtyard obscured by the temple gate, lost in thought...
But the two brothers, Song Chenghou and Song Chengjian, could probably guess it.
The island is poor in resources, especially since the temples are brick and stone structures; the stones and tiles must have been transported from outside the island, making them extremely precious...
However, overnight, a sudden typhoon wiped everything out.
Song Chengjian reassured him, "Abbot, don't worry about the situation at the temple..."
"As long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood..."
The abbot sighed, a faint smile gradually appearing on his face. "What you say is true, benefactor. I understand, but I feel it's a pity..."
But as you said, as long as the person stays, everything else is external...
The abbot is truly enlightened; perhaps he doesn't even need Song Chengjian's comforting words. The abbot himself will soon find peace...
But the fact that everyone was in the same boat and helped each other provided some warmth.
The monks returned quickly, many with cuts and abrasions on their hands and feet.
Song Chengfeng helped check them over, and thankfully none of them were seriously injured. He applied medicine powder to them all.
The tenth brother went into the main hall, put the thick hemp rope that had been used to pull the monks around his neck, and brought back the basket that had been placed on the table containing dried fish, dried sweet potatoes, and other items.
The other monks all turned back.
With his tools all together, Song Chengjian asked the abbot to sit down and then, with the help of Lao Shi, walked on one leg to the back of the Buddha statue.
Looking around, most of them weren't as sturdy as the tenth brother, Song Chengxin...
So, the tenth brother was instructed to climb the Buddha statue in four separate trips using the thick rope he and the monks had found...
Two sticks facing forward and two sticks facing backward are placed on the Buddha statue.
They had gathered a considerable amount of cotton wadding, blankets, and prayer mats. Understanding what Song Chengjian planned to do, the monks would then distribute the supplies on their own...
The dry grass that had been stored around the kitchen and originally intended as kindling was gathered up in batches.
Under Song Chengjian's direction, the monks carried the withered grass to the base of the Buddha statue and laid a thick layer of it.
Song Chengxin had already tied the rope and smoothly slid down from the Buddha statue...
Song Chengjian divided the personnel into two groups, half in front and half in back.
Following his second brother's instructions, Song Chengfeng carried in a long wooden stick, having fallen from the collapsed roof beam...
Song Chengjian instructed the people standing in front to pull the Buddha statue forward slightly...
The sixth and tenth brothers extended the wooden stick under the Buddha statue...
Following Song Chengjian's instructions, the sixth and tenth brothers slowly pried open the Buddha statue...
The people in front used ropes to pull the Buddha statue down...
The combined effect caused the Buddha statue to gradually assume a reclining posture...
More people followed, pulling on the thick rope to prevent the Buddha statue from falling violently...
The three forces are in balance, and everyone is giving it their all...
The Buddha statue finally sank little by little...
Until he gently lay down on the ground covered with straw.
"oh!"
The monks and the Song brothers cheered together.
But the work isn't over yet.
Song Chengjian instructed Lao Shi and two monks to climb onto the reclining Buddha statue...
The monks below threw blankets and cotton wadding up one by one...
The people above caught it and covered the top and sides of the Buddha statue completely...
Tie it securely with four hemp ropes to prevent the strong wind from sweeping away the quilt and dry grass...
After everything was over, everyone was exhausted...
Old Ten, who is usually as mischievous as a monkey, sat leaning against the wall, his face slightly pale, unable to utter a word.
Just then, the tenth monk returned, each carrying two buckets of water and several bundles wrapped in cloth on his back.
After consulting with the abbot, the monk opened a bundle containing leftover steamed buns from the morning.
Everyone hadn't eaten for a long time, their strength was completely depleted, and they were all extremely hungry.
The young monks, sitting against the wall, licked their lips as they looked at the steamed bun in their senior's hand...
Their eyes pleaded, but they wisely kept silent.
The monk broke the steamed bun in half and handed it to the Song brothers first...
Song Chenghou politely declined, saying, "Masters, please eat first. We still have some dried fish here; please have these first..."
The monk looked at the abbot, and seeing the abbot nod, he first distributed the steamed buns to the young novices, and then to the abbot and his fellow monks in turn.
The tenth brother was about to get up to get the basket containing the dried fish...
Song Chengjian stopped him, and he hopped on one foot to the basket not far away.
Uncovering the contents of the garment, I saw dried sweet potatoes, which I set aside. Then I picked out dried fish, clam meat, and oyster meat...
I grabbed a few pieces for my older brother, who then handed them to Wen Shishi, who was sitting next to him.
Wen Shishi touched her hands together, and seeing that her older brother also had some, she began to eat heartily.
Song Chengfeng was also starving, but seeing that there wasn't much food in the basket, he ate a few pieces to barely suppress his hunger and then stopped.
The seventh brother and the monk rushed back and each received the food.
The sixth brother reported to the abbot that these medicinal herbs needed to be sorted and prepared for later use...
The abbot naturally agreed, hoping that these medicinal herbs would be of greater use in the hands of the Song brothers.
The sixth brother had just finished eating, so he sorted the medicinal herbs on the spot.
The outer oil paper was fully utilized; following the previous method, the ingredients were categorized and ground to create a formula with more medicinal powders that promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, reduce inflammation, and stop bleeding. The powders were then packaged into smaller portions...
Wrap each portion in several layers of oiled paper, take a few pieces and keep them close to your body, tie the rest with clothes and carry them on your back.
Listening to the heavy rain outside, and the howling wind rattling the heavy palace doors, Song Chenghou and Song Chengjian were both worried about their three brothers who were still outside.
"Big brother, don't worry! You take care of yourself first. Those three are clever; they won't get hurt..."
This was probably the most gentle and kind thing Lao Liu had said since he started treating his elder brother.
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