Chapter 138 White Dragon Temple
The adults drinking tea seemed to know what they were doing, and when Jiang Ling looked at them, they awkwardly smiled.
Grandpa Zhao coughed lightly, stood up, and looked somewhat embarrassed.
“Since Miss Jiang has already seen through our intentions, we will not play games with it. Miss Jiang need not feel embarrassed. It is Miss Jiang who provided the tuition fee, asking Chengze to teach Xiaoran to read and write. If Miss Jiang feels it is inappropriate, I will have them disperse immediately. I would never dare to cause trouble for you, and I guarantee that no one will say anything about it in the future.”
Aunt Zhang quickly smiled and explained, "Miss Jiang, we didn't mean to take advantage of you. It's just that Chengze is a rare learned man in our village. We just wanted to take advantage of his presence so that our children could learn a few words and understand some principles. But Chengze said he has already accepted Miss Jiang's tuition and will only teach Xiaoran. He can't make the decision, so that's why we came."
Uncle Zhao nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes. If Miss Jiang feels this is inappropriate, we will immediately send our children back to their homes and make sure we don't disturb Miss Jiang and Xiao Ran."
Jiang Ling then realized that everyone had already discussed it and only needed her to agree.
This solved Xiaoran's problem quite well.
"I don't mind at all, but I'm worried it will be too hard on you, Young Master Fu." She smiled at Fu Chengze.
Fu Chengze immediately stepped forward and said sincerely, "Miss Jiang, you flatter me. I'm just doing this anyway, so teaching one child is the same as teaching ten. It would be a good thing if more children could learn to read. If Miss Jiang agrees, I'm willing to teach them."
The villagers breathed a sigh of relief, their eyes lighting up.
Jiang Ling smiled gently, "Since Young Master Fu has no objections, then I will naturally support you. It's just that Young Master Fu will have to work hard."
Everyone present immediately beamed with joy and thanked them repeatedly.
"Thank you, Sister Jiang." Xiao Ran was also happy and quickly called his friends over.
Grandpa Zhao looked relieved and grateful: "Thank you so much, Miss Jiang! We will definitely scrape together the money and send it over..."
Jiang Ling quickly refused, "Uncle Zhao, what are you saying? It's not like I'm the one teaching and educating people. The tuition fee should naturally be given to Young Master Fu. As for how many children to teach and how much the tuition fee should be, you should discuss it directly with Young Master Fu."
The villagers were even more grateful upon hearing this.
Just then, the sound of reading aloud rang out. It was Xiao Ran reciting the Thousand Character Classic.
"Today we will review the Thousand Character Classic we taught two days ago. Xiao Ran will read it to everyone."
"Heaven and earth were dark and yellow, the universe vast and boundless. The sun and moon waxed and waned, the stars and constellations were arrayed in their places. Cold came and heat went, autumn brought harvest and winter brought storage..."
When teaching new passages, Fu Chengze was exceptionally patient. When encountering difficult words or phrases, he would write the words on the ground with a twig and slowly explain their meanings so that everyone could see them.
Seeing that the children were focused on learning to read and write under Fu Chengze's guidance, the adults decided not to chat or disturb them any longer.
Jiang Ling's makeshift tea stall naturally came to an end.
While it was still light, the villagers dispersed, some going home to do housework, others going to check on the fields or preparing firewood for the evening.
Jiang Ling walked around the shop twice. The shelves were neat and the floor was clean. There was really nothing to do.
So he thought he would walk a few more steps into the village while it was still light.
The autumn light was just right. She remembered that last time she went out, she hadn't gone far before a food delivery call brought her back. This time, she decided to go somewhere a little further away.
She didn't take the main road, but strolled slowly along the alleyways.
When I passed by Zhao's sister-in-law's house, the gate was closed, but I heard a "thump" sound coming from inside.
Jiang Ling glanced at it out of curiosity, and was spotted by Zhao's wife who was busy at work.
It turned out that Sister-in-law Zhao was standing on a stool, hanging dried persimmons under the eaves. The orange-red persimmons hung down like strings of small lanterns.
"Miss Jiang, what brings you here? Please come in and have a seat."
When Zhao's sister-in-law saw her, she smiled and got off the stool, and hurriedly invited her in.
Jiang Ling quickly waved her hand: "Sister-in-law, please go ahead with your work. I'm just taking a walk."
Zhao's wife didn't insist anymore. Instead, she took a few freshly picked persimmons from a basket in the yard. Each one was orange-red and plump, and she insisted on giving them to Jiang Ling.
“It’s freshly picked from the tree, very sweet. Miss Jiang, take it and eat it.”
Jiang Ling smiled and politely declined, "Thank you, sister-in-law, but I won't take it for now. I want to walk around a bit further and see what's going on, so it's inconvenient to carry it. I'll come back for it later."
Zhao's sister-in-law, with her sharp eyes, noticed that she was just being polite, so she put the persimmons into her pocket.
"I'll deliver it to your shop when I have some free time later, so please don't refuse!"
Jiang Ling had no choice but to agree, and after exchanging a few more casual words, she continued walking forward.
We walked a little further and passed by Sister Zhou's house.
The courtyard gate was open, and Sister Zhou was sitting on the threshold, sewing winter clothes for the children with the fabric she had bought from Jiang Ling's shop, using the daylight as her hands moved swiftly through the needle and thread.
Seeing Jiang Ling pass by, she immediately smiled and said, "Miss Jiang, you're here! This cloth of yours is really good, so soft and durable. The child will definitely feel comfortable wearing it! It's much better than the coarse cloth you buy at the market!"
Jiang Ling leaned closer to take a look. The cotton-padded jacket had fine stitches, and the collar was edged with a light gray trim. "Big sister is so skillful. This cotton-padded jacket looks so warm."
Sister Zhou smiled, her eyes crinkling: "They're all just hastily sewn. Rural kids just need something to wear, they don't care about appearances."
Jiang Ling chatted for a couple more minutes before continuing to walk out of the village.
The alleyway grew quieter and quieter as you walked, and you could gradually hear the rustling of leaves in the wind.
The trees were almost bare, with only a few leaves hanging precariously, and the branches were completely bare. They offered no protection from the wind at all.
After walking for about fifteen minutes along the path between the fields, we arrived at the edge of the village.
Most of the fields had already been harvested, leaving them somewhat empty. In the distance, there were rolling mountains, their forests ablaze with autumn colors.
Further ahead lies the foot of the mountain, where lush vegetation grows, and the setting sun dyes the grass leaves golden-red.
She was gazing blankly at the distant mountain shadows, admiring the autumn countryside scenery.
Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of a pointed peak on the mountaintop, hidden among the green trees, its gray-black outline vaguely visible.
Jiang Ling looked at it curiously for a moment, then muttered to herself, "What is that?"
Just then, a man surnamed Zhao was hoeing the field nearby. Hearing her question, he leaned on his hoe and walked over, following her gaze, and enthusiastically explained:
"Miss Jiang, are you asking about that place on the mountain? That's Bailong Temple."
"White Dragon Temple?" Jiang Ling moved closer, her hair fluttering in the mountain breeze. "It looks quite old."
He wiped his sweat with a towel and continued his introduction:
"According to the elders, it must be several hundred years old, it's an ancient temple. There are probably a dozen or so monks practicing in the temple now. In our village, every year during festivals, we collect some grain and vegetables and send them up the mountain."
If someone in the village has a funeral, they'll invite a monk from the temple to come down the mountain to chant scriptures and perform a ritual. This custom has been passed down from the older generation for many years.
Jiang Ling looked up at the mountain as he spoke, and the setting sun was shining on the pointed peak, the gray-black tiled eaves glowing with a faint light.
It turned out to be an ancient temple.
She was a little curious.
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