Wu Wang didn't know who his parents were, or whether they were still alive.
But he doesn't care about any of that. He has another home now, which is his fellow monks and nuns in the temple. They are his family.
Buddha is compassionate; he was the one Buddha saved, and he had long considered himself Buddha's child.
Wu Wang chants sutras and recites Buddhist scriptures with his fellow disciples every day, and occasionally helps clean the temple.
Although life was monotonous and austere, he enjoyed this peaceful life and never thought about returning to secular life.
Until one day, a female benefactor came to the temple.
She was very disrespectful to Buddha. She said she didn't believe in Buddha or any gods; she only believed in herself.
He felt that she had offended Buddha, so he went up to argue with her.
But unexpectedly, she mentioned his parents. Were his parents still alive? He didn't know.
He thought about his own background. Although he didn't know if his parents were still alive, he hoped that they were safe and sound.
But she used this to question the Buddha, and he couldn't find any words to refute her.
Surprisingly, even his most respected abbot agreed with her.
At that moment, for the first time, he began to doubt his beliefs of many years.
Other things had gotten mixed up in his mind, and he was no longer so loyal to Buddha.
This was a terrible thing for him.
Later, that benefactor never came to the temple to offer incense again, and he gradually forgot about the matter.
But one day he saw that benefactor again, in the same embarrassing situation.
He ran away in a panic, feeling he never wanted to pick mushrooms again.
After this incident, he stayed in the temple for a few days, chanting the Heart-Cleansing Mantra.
He finally managed to banish the scene from his mind, but unexpectedly, a number of soldiers arrived at the temple, and he saw that benefactor again.
He was startled, but the situation inside the temple did not allow him to escape, so he had no choice but to stay in the same room with her.
To comfort herself, she told him the whole story.
He was terrified and could only keep talking to her.
Then, he learned what meat tasted like for the first time when she fed it to him.
That was the first time he broke his vow, but after listening to her explanation, he realized it wasn't such a terrible thing.
The abbot would probably agree if he knew, right?
Afterwards, when the soldiers checked his room, he and the female benefactor... that was truly the boldest thing he had ever done, even more terrifying than eating meat.
But Su was a good person. She didn't do anything out of line to him. She was afraid he would be bullied if he went out, so she even helped him cover up his appearance.
The abbot taught me that a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude.
This is a great help from Benefactor Su. How should he repay her?
Wu Wang didn't know yet, but he knew she liked to eat meat, so he would bring her meat from the kitchen every day.
Su was happy and ate heartily, which meant he hadn't done anything wrong.
Soon after, the bad guys were all arrested, the temple returned to peace, and Benefactor Su also left.
But he seems to be sick...
Why does he always miss Master Su?
Oh! Master said he's fallen in love, and he should go find Benefactor Su to take responsibility.
This was something she had promised.
...
Wuwang scratched his neck.
Having hair is so uncomfortable; it always feels itchy. It was better when he had no hair.
"How about we shave our heads? I don't really care."
Seeing that Wu Wang had scratched his neck red again, Su Qinghe helplessly pulled his loose hair back up.
“That won’t do. I’ve already left the monastic life, so I can’t just shave my head.”
Wu Wang firmly shook his head in refusal.
"It's alright, my wife. My hair has only grown up to my neck. It's like the hair is sweeping around my neck like a broom, which is why it's itchy. It won't be like that once it grows longer."
Wu Wang smiled and took Su Qinghe's hand off his neck, then rolled over and snuggled into her arms.
"My wife, I'm tired. Shall we rest?"
Okay~
——
(The Finale)
The side story is finished! At least it has a complete ending, not a rushed one. *\(^o^)/*
Author's Ramblings:
Many people really dislike Ji Qingyu's character, and I foolishly put her at the beginning of the story.
I got really yelled at! ( ′????ω????` )
Many people probably gave up on the story after reading the part about Ji Qingyu. Sigh! Maybe I really went a bit too far with some of the dialogue and plot points I gave him, and I overdid it.
I should probably write fewer characters like this in the future; it's so disheartening. (′-ω?`)
——
But that's beside the point. I'm still very grateful for all of you for your continued support.
After all, this is my first book, and I'm already very satisfied that you all like it.
Thank you everyone! (⌒_⌒；)
The story is complete! Hooray!
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