Chapter 82 Playing Hide-and-Seek with the Dolls
To the right is a long corridor extending from the eaves, at the end of which grows a clump of bamboo, bathed in sunlight.
The scholar I had only glimpsed earlier was now standing there, with a life-sized puppet in front of him.
Suddenly the scholar's arm moved, and the puppet followed suit, reaching out and beckoning towards Xie Mianmian.
Xie Mianmian tilted her head in confusion. Was it... calling them over? The child hesitated, wanting to move forward but stopping, feeling an itch in her heart, yet also finding the situation rather strange.
The puppet's hands were still moving, even with the same amplitude and frequency, as if it would keep shaking unless the child came over.
Just then, a strange monk passed by Xie Mianmian. The passing wind blew the familiar scent onto her face, exactly the same scent as that of the evil monk who had done bad things in Xiahe Village!
Before she could think any further, Xie Mianmian noticed that the puppet's movements had changed; it had started to dance.
The doll's arms waved high to both sides of its body with wide, sweeping movements, and its wide sleeves, embroidered with intricate patterns, fluttered up and down like butterfly wings.
Especially the puppet's body; I don't know how the scholar controlled it, but its waist twisted and turned very flexibly, and its feet also moved in rhythm with the dance.
The surroundings were quiet, with only the puppets performing in front of the bright green bamboo leaves, a silent yet grand spectacle.
Xie Mianmian was stunned. The little girl had never seen such a bizarre scene before. She was captivated and slowly walked towards the scholar.
The monk who had just passed by had vanished. The scholar stopped what he was doing, and then the puppet pointed directly to a small path to the side.
"Huh? What do you mean? Say something! Mianmian doesn't understand."
The scholar remained silent.
The child looked in the direction it was pointing, but when he turned back, the person was gone.
"Granny, did you see where he went? He's so elusive!"
The old woman was also puzzled. "This old servant didn't notice either." Perhaps they were actors hired by some family to perform.
Xie Mianmian walked curiously toward the path. The path was inconspicuous and hidden among the surrounding buildings. No one would notice it unless they deliberately went closer.
Only someone very familiar with the temple would know that the scholar was from Fohua Temple. But he had hair.
Xie Mianmian stepped into the path. Before leaving, the old woman gave instructions to the maids in the mansion and followed her in. There was no place that the young mistress could not go to play. Besides, what danger could there be in the solemn First Temple?
They walked out of the long path and came to an unfamiliar courtyard.
Xie Mianmian spotted the doll standing at the corner in the distance, still waving at them.
The child thought it was a fun game of hide-and-seek, and just as she was about to go over, she was drawn to the strong aroma of meat.
Like a little wolf cub, Xie Mianmian sniffed the air, "It smells so good, what's this delicious food?"
The old woman smelled it too. "It smells like stewed beef brisket. But wait, monks and pilgrims alike eat vegetarian food in the temple!"
Xie Mianmian wanted to go and take a look, but was stopped by the old woman. She shook her head in disagreement, "Those who can openly eat meat in the temple are all reckless people who let wine and meat pass through their intestines but keep Buddha in their hearts. Young mistress, let's not go."
"It's almost lunchtime, what if they don't prepare any other vegetarian food?"
Xie Mianmian disagreed. She had heard from her second sister that the vegetarian restaurant here makes a kind of rice cake, which is sprinkled with fine cooked bean powder. It is sweet, soft and sticky, delicious and does not stick to your teeth. She had been craving it for a long time.
"We're about to go; Mianmian wants to eat rice cakes."
The old woman couldn't refuse, so she had no choice but to go along. She was prepared to put on the airs of the Xie family, give those idlers a verbal lecture, and then make friends with the temple's steward.
Seeing the two people walking in opposite directions and getting further and further away, the doll became very anxious. It waved its hand so fast that it was almost a blur behind them, but neither of them turned around to look at it.
Seeing another monk pass by in the distance, the puppet began to dance again, but its movements were somewhat hurried.
Following the enticing aroma of meat, they arrived at a place that didn't look like a vegetarian hall, but rather like a small kitchen.
Xie Mianmian tiptoed, clung to the windowsill, and peered through a small hole in the window.
On the stove, a large pot was crackling and simmering, bubbling with meat and filling the air with its aroma.
Xie Mianmian squinted one eye, carefully observing the situation inside.
A wooden table was placed against the wall, around which sat four or five monks, one foot on a bench, eating meat with gusto, their mouths greasy with oil.
Xie Mianmian was angry; they really hadn't made rice cakes!
The old woman also saw it through the crack in the window. What she saw were their burly muscles and the daggers half-exposed in their boots. She pulled Xie Mianmian, wanting to leave as soon as possible.
Just then, a monk walked over from one side of the corridor. "What are you two doing here?" His tone seemed calm, but his eyes were somewhat sinister.
The old woman holding Xie Mianmian's hand was almost sweating. "You're so dense! Think of something already!"
"Mianmian wants to eat rice cake, do you make it here?" the child asked innocently.
The monk and the old woman in the shadows were both taken aback. The old woman quickly said, "My young master is hungry. We are on our way to the dining hall. We won't disturb you any longer."
The old woman pulled Xie Mianmian around and turned to leave.
"stop."
The nanny wouldn't listen and pulled the young master away.
The monk actually caught up with them and blocked their way.
Looking into the child's innocent and naive eyes, the pure trust in them struck the monk's heart.
He felt that his sins had lessened considerably, as if he had returned to the time when he was not a bad person.
He crouched down, took out a paper package from his pocket, and gently unfolded it. Inside were steaming rice cakes, a few small, glutinous pieces, though some of the bean powder on top had been rubbed off.
"Here you go," the monk said, handing it over.
Xie Mianmian took it with sparkling eyes, smiling sweetly, and said, "Thank you, Master!"
Without lingering, the nanny hurriedly led the child away.
The monk remained rooted to the spot, staring at his hands. Where had the once spirited and adventurous man gone? How had he ended up sinking deeper and deeper into the mire, falling into depravity from which he could not extricate himself?
"Hey, did someone just come by?"
"No."
The nanny led Xie Mianmian back the way they came, and soon they saw Xie Huaijin at the entrance of a small hall. The nanny waved her arms and called out to Xie Huaijin as if she had seen a savior.
Seeing the peerless martial arts master, Young Master Xie, stride towards them, the old woman excitedly reached out to grab him, only to find that she had missed.
She looked around in astonishment and realized that Xie Mianmian was gone! Damn it, where did her adorable little mistress go?!
Xie Huaijin strode up to the old woman and asked, "What's wrong? Where's Mianmian?"
The old woman was at a loss and stammered out what had just happened.
Upon hearing this, Xie Huaijin took out a small bamboo tube from his pocket and sent a signal into the sky. It was silent and would not attract attention; only his men would know.
This means there's something wrong with the temple; they should arrest the people immediately.
He said quickly, "You go back to the main hall first, I'll go find someone."
"This old servant will go and help too!"
"Go back and take good care of them for me."
The old woman, her face contorted with grief, wiped away her tears and turned to run back.
Just now, Xie Mianmian was unaware of what was going on. She was being led around by the nanny while chewing on rice cakes.
She glanced up casually and saw a puppet waving at her from afar—it was a game of hide-and-seek!
Xie Mianmian realized the doll was about to leave. Just then, the nanny let go of her hand. She stared at the doll in a daze, and unconsciously walked towards it.
This is a bluestone wall with a carved stone window. It's not high, and the small hole in the middle is just big enough for a small child to pass through.
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