Chapter 154 Returning to Bailong Temple
The convoy started slowly, and to avoid disturbing the villagers, the horses' hooves were wrapped in thick cloth, and the sound of the wheels rolling was kept to a minimum.
We drove out of Jishui Village quietly and headed along the planned mountain path behind the village.
Jiang Ling stood at the door, watching the last carriage disappear into the morning mist before slowly turning her gaze away.
The morning dew felt slightly cool on my face.
Smoke gradually rose from the chimneys on the roof, and another day began.
Jiang Ling got up very early, which was unusual for her, but she had no intention of going back to sleep.
I heated up some steamed buns and pastries in the kitchen, brewed a pot of tea, moved a stool out, and enjoyed the leisurely morning.
Jishui Village is located on a relatively high altitude, and her shop is actually halfway up the mountain.
Looking out now, the sun rises slowly in the east, its first rays gently awakening the sleeping world.
The scenery is as beautiful as a slowly unfolding scroll painting.
A mountain breeze carrying the fragrance of pine needles and the morning dampness dissipated most of the fatigue from the past few days of work.
"Sister Jiang!" Xiao Ran's voice came from afar.
Turning around, I saw Xiao Ran leading Xiao Yi towards us.
"Sister." Xiao Yi, wearing the old clothes Xiao Ran had given her, with the cuffs rolled up twice, immediately ran over to Jiang Ling upon seeing her.
Jiang Ling smiled and waved: "You've come at the perfect time, let's have breakfast together."
Today's breakfast consisted of red bean buns, pan-fried dumplings, and two plates of translucent water chestnut cake and red bean cake.
The two little ones' eyes lit up when they saw the exquisite pastries.
They had never seen such beautiful pastries before, as if they were carved from jade.
"Try this, water chestnut cake, it's sweet but not greasy."
Jiang Ling picked up a piece and handed it to Xiao Yi, then handed Xiao Ran a piece of red bean cake.
"Thank you, Sister Jiang!"
"Thank you, sister!"
Jiang Ling poured them tea and watched them eat.
Xiao Ran eats very politely. She has eaten a lot of different things with Jiang Ling in the past two months and is very accepting of them.
Xiao Yi carefully picked it up, took a small bite, and the soft, glutinous cake melted in his mouth, carrying a faint aroma of water chestnuts. His eyes instantly lit up.
He quickly finished the remaining bites and reached for the food again, but met Xiao Ran's gaze.
He immediately pulled his hand back.
Jiang Ling watched this scene unfold and sighed softly to herself.
Whether it was distributing food or their usual interactions, Xiao Ran subtly showed a sense of rejection towards Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi, living under someone else's roof, had long since developed the habit of being mindful of others' feelings, and even had to be careful when eating a piece of pastry.
This situation is somewhat similar to the suppression of the second child by the eldest child in two-child families, a situation often discussed in her era.
It seems we should seriously consider where Xiaoyi should go.
After breakfast and a short rest, Jiang Ling, along with Xiao Ran and Xiao Yi, carried forty jin of rice and headed to Bailong Temple again.
According to Sister-in-law Zhao, the temple has taken in many orphans with no one to rely on, and now many women in the village go there in the afternoons to help.
The White Dragon Temple was much quieter in the early morning than in the afternoon. There were not many refugees on the mountain road, only some very old, weak and unable to move around, huddled in sheltered corners, barely clinging to life.
Those who still had the strength went off to find other ways to survive, and would only gather again in the afternoon when porridge was distributed.
The nights on the mountaintop are cold, and the temple can only accommodate as many orphans as it can, so it is simply unable to take care of all the refugees.
At the bend, I encountered two elderly people with canes, sitting on a rock basking in the sun, with a chipped, empty bowl in front of them.
An old man with completely white hair, plastered to his withered face, saw them pass by, his eyes moved slightly, but he was too weak to speak.
Jiang Ling felt a pang of sadness watching this, and took two red bean buns out of her pocket and handed them to Xiao Yi:
"Xiaoyi, go and give the steamed buns to those two old men."
Xiao Yi did as instructed.
The old man took the steamed buns and thanked them repeatedly, his eyes glistening with tears.
As we approached the summit, the gray tiles of Hakuryo Temple gradually came into view.
Under the old locust tree at the temple gate, several young monks were sweeping up fallen leaves. The leaves, piled at the base of the tree, were a bright yellow.
Jiang Ling gave his name, and the novice monk led them into the main hall before going inside to announce their arrival.
The incense in the hall was burning brightly, the smoke faintly mixed with the old smell of wood. The Buddha statue stood in the center, its brows and eyes benevolent, bringing a sense of peace to the heart.
Jiang Ling had delivered grain to Bailong Temple several times before, and the quantities were quite large, all of which were recorded in the temple's merit book.
After the novice monk announced the arrival, a short while later, a kind-looking, elderly Master Chenji walked out from behind the temple.
He was wearing a gray monk's robe, holding a string of prayer beads in his hand, and had a gentle expression.
“Amitabha. Benefactor Jiang has generously donated money many times, benefiting the orphans in the temple and the people at the foot of the mountain. His merits are immeasurable. This old monk thanks you on their behalf.”
Jiang Ling quickly returned the greeting: "Master, you flatter me. It was nothing. Life is hard, and I'll help in any way I can."
Considering what they were going to talk about next, Jiang Ling asked Xiao Ran and Xiao Yi to go to the backyard to see the children in the temple and gave each of them a bag of candy to share with the children there.
The two little ones obediently went off.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jiang Ling carefully spoke, "Master, besides bringing some food, I have another request to make."
"Please speak, benefactor."
"It's about that child named Xiaoyi. He's an orphan, all alone and helpless. I was thinking... could we ask the temple to take him in and let him do some work he can manage?"
Jiang Ling paused, then added, "As long as the temple is willing to keep him, I am willing to donate one hundred taels of incense money, and provide the temple with two hundred catties of grain every month until the spring planting season next year."
The problem of displaced people is only temporary, and the government is working on managing it. As long as they can get through this winter, they can survive even if they have to go up the mountain to dig for some wild vegetables.
Upon hearing this, Master Chenji frowned slightly, his eyes showing confusion:
“Amitabha. Benefactor Jiang, please forgive my bluntness, but since you have neither money nor food, why don’t you take that child with you and raise him? What you just promised is enough to support more than a dozen children.”
Jiang Ling was speechless for a moment.
She couldn't tell the real reason.
Xiao Ran was hired to work because he was bored running the shop alone and needed help with chores. That's why he brought Xiao Ran over.
Moreover, Xiao Ran can go home after dark, and the secret of the shop will not be discovered.
But Xiao Yi is different; he has no home and cannot live at Xiao Ran's house for an extended period.
If I leave him at the shop overnight, he will discover the shop's secret as he grows up.
If one day this wooden door can no longer be opened, am I supposed to take it with me to live in the 21st century?
She remained silent for a moment, then could only offer some seemingly reasonable excuses:
“Master, I am ultimately a woman from out of town. Business at the shop is sometimes good and sometimes bad, and I may have to leave one day. Xiao Yi is still young and needs a long-term place to stay. There are other children in the temple to keep him company, and he can read and write. It's better for him than to stay with me. The temple is quiet, with a master to teach him and companions to rely on. Perhaps... it is more suitable for him.”
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