Apply medicine
The Gu family mansion remained as grand and imposing as ever, unchanged despite Gu Sidu's promotion. She alighted from the carriage and led Daoyun inside. The servants and attendants greeted Jiang Yufan with bows and smiles, saying, "The Bodhisattva has returned."
These servants all remembered the Bodhisattva's kindness, and they all knew that in addition to being good to the master, they should also be good to this Bodhisattva. It seemed that Gu Sidu had given these instructions long ago, which was why the servants had such respect for him. Jiang Yufan felt more at ease here than anywhere else.
Jiang Yufan clasped her hands together and nodded slightly to them. A string of jade prayer beads in her hands contrasted beautifully with her snow-white hands, making them look like she was holding snow from the Kunlun Mountains, which attracted everyone's attention.
"Oh my, it's been so long since I've seen the Bodhisattva, she's become more and more beautiful, she's truly a deity."
“What bodhisattva? I think from now on, she’s the mistress of our backyard. We should stick with her and be loyal to her. We should be secretly happy to have such a goddess.”
“That’s right. With the protection of our patriarch, we won’t be afraid of anything anymore.”
People can't control what others say, and Dao Yun heard these words, so Jiang Yu Fan naturally heard them too. Dao Yun was about to turn around and say a few words to the others when Jiang Yu Fan grabbed him with her other, uninjured hand.
"Buddha, she's talking about you!"
“So what if I said it? If you take it seriously, what can you do to her?” Jiang Yufan asked Yun.
"I..." Daoyun thought for a moment, "I don't think I can say anything to them."
“That’s right, let’s go back and pack up first. These rumors will fall apart on their own in time, so we don’t need to worry about them,” Jiang Yufan said. As soon as she finished speaking, she heard a noise behind her. She turned around and saw Gu Sidu hurriedly calling for people to carry something in.
Jiang Yufan looked closely and recognized it. It was the screen she had bought when she cut her flesh to bleed, which had cost her a lot of money. At this moment, Gu Sidu had taken it out of Chenxiang Temple.
Gu Sidu said, "Such a good thing, the Bodhisattva spent money on it, so it should stay with the Bodhisattva and not be taken by others. Things still need to recognize their owner."
Jiang Yufan smiled at Gu Sidu's good intentions. She had never mentioned these things, but Gu Sidu always seemed to think of them. Without asking Jiang Yufan, he made her feel warmth and sincerity in every way. At this moment, Jiang Yufan looked at Gu Sidu bustling around, and at the jade pendant hanging and swaying at his waist because of Gu Sidu's movements. She hadn't touched this jade pendant since giving it to Gu Sidu, and she had almost forgotten about it, but the jade pendant had always been with Gu Sidu.
She thought that Jiang Yaoguang would come to question Gu Sidu with the jade pendant, so the pendant was smashed. But she didn't expect that Gu Sidu would keep it until now and use it as if it were a big deal.
Jiang Yufan's gaze remained fixed on Gu Sidu, which prompted Gu Sidu to come over and ask her a question before she looked away.
"Bodhisattva, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Jiang Yufan shook her head, not intending to expose Gu Sidu.
“This is not good. If there is anything that is not going well, you should tell me so that I can change it. I have arranged for you to stay in the old courtyard. It is close to me and you will have peace. The kitchen has already prepared some nourishing food for you. Please eat as much as you like. I will come every day to apply medicine to you and help you recover.”
"Lord Gu, you've gone to so much trouble, worrying about both the affairs of the Hanlin Academy and everything here. I'm fine, so you don't need to put in any more effort," Jiang Yufan said to Gu Sidu.
"It's alright, I'm very capable. I won't disturb the Bodhisattva any longer, I'll come to see you later."
The courtyard here in the Gu residence is truly secluded. I used to think that they chose this place specifically because it was secluded, but Gu Sidu just said that it was because it was closer to his room. Daoyun muttered to himself, "Lord Gu never had good intentions from the beginning. I originally thought he was some kind of upright gentleman, but now it seems that he is not."
"I think his feelings for you, to put it nicely, are love at first sight; to put it bluntly, it's lust at first sight."
“Daoyun,” Jiang Yufan called out to her in time, “Lord Gu has already done us a favor, so we should say less and discuss these things. We are in the Gu residence now.”
They were no longer there to pray to Buddha for Gu Sidu; they no longer enjoyed the privilege of being honored guests. It was truly remarkable that Gu Sidu and his family still treated them with such respect. Jiang Yufan thought that she should do something for Gu Sidu in the future to repay his kindness.
Jiang Yufan is a grateful person.
She remembered all the kindness others showed her, and of course, she kept all the unkindness they showed her buried deep in her heart. When the night was quiet, Jiang Yufan would take these things out little by little, like counting stars, and slowly recall and savor them. But it was precisely because of so much obsession and deep thought that people suffered so much and couldn't let go.
This is Jiang Yufan's nature, and her life can only be a painful and struggling search for small, beautiful things to sustain her and allow her to live a few more years.
Everything felt familiar. After bathing and changing, Jiang Yufan lit incense. The sandalwood incense in the room was exactly as she had placed it before leaving last time. Gu Sidu hadn't even touched it and had returned it all intact. Jiang Yufan used it readily. Only after the scent from the incense burner slowly dissipated did she calm down and look at the furnishings in the room. On the table were the scriptures she had just placed there, complete with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. However, the box of scriptures that had originally been in the room was nowhere to be seen.
"That's strange, where are the scriptures in that box?" Jiang Yufan asked.
"Oh, I guess it's because Lord Gu knew you didn't read these scriptures, so he moved some space for you," Daoyun said to Jiang Yufan, tilting his head and thinking carefully.
Hmm, can Gu Sidu remember so much from such a simple sentence? Jiang Yufan wanted to test whether that was the case. She said to Daoyun, "Have someone ask Lord Gu if these scriptures can still be found. I have some free time and would like to read them."
"Buddha's daughter, didn't you dislike reading those scriptures? Why are you suddenly interested in them today?"
"I want to see if there's a little dog wagging its tail in this house."
Although Daoyun couldn't understand, he did as instructed, and sure enough, a few moments later two or three servants carried the box of scriptures to the door.
"Bodhisattva, the head of the household said we should send you scriptures. Where should we put them?"
It really did arrive! Dao Yun's eyes widened. He quickly arranged for people to place it in its original spot. After everything was settled, Dao Yun looked at Jiang Yu Fan: "Buddha's daughter, I think I understand what you mean!"
Gu Sidu, who comes whenever summoned and agrees to anything, is like that little dog.
Jiang Yufan lowered her head and smiled as she got up, coming to Daoyun's side. She looked at the opened boxes of scriptures, all of which were excellent and precious. Some of them were versions that the abbot had mentioned wanting to collect. It was hard to imagine where Gu Sidu had found them.
She found a few books, carefully wrapped them up, and prepared to send them to the abbot.
"Buddha, why did you give these to the abbot?" Daoyun didn't understand why the Buddha was still involved with Chenxiang Temple.
"The abbot has helped and enlightened me. Giving these books to the abbot is also a way for me to accumulate merit and repay the abbot." Jiang Yufan carefully put the books away, placed a copy of the scripture she often copied on top, wrote a letter, and instructed someone outside to send it to Chenxiang Temple.
Doing these good deeds can bring peace of mind, but Daoyun has doubts. When did the Buddhist nun come to believe in these things? Could it be that the Buddhist nun has truly become enlightened and has become someone with a karmic connection to Buddhism?
But that doesn't quite look like a Buddhist nun...
If the Buddhist nun truly has a karmic connection with Buddhism and wishes to turn towards the Buddhist path, then wouldn't Lord Gu Sidu have no chance?
Dao Yun felt increasingly uneasy, and his expression changed several times. Even Jiang Yu Fan noticed and asked Dao Yun what was wrong and what he should worry about.
Daoyun, of course, couldn't say these things out loud. She laughed it off and came to Jiang Yufan's side to grind the powder for her, accompany her in copying scriptures, and apply medicine to her.
Jiang Yufan's wrist wound has stopped bleeding and has scabbed over. Fortunately, it's not festering in the summer. There's still a slight pain when she holds a pen or exerts force, but it's nothing serious. Time will heal it, and she'll forget about the pain.
However, there were ten such wounds, all on one wrist. Jiang Yufan was, after all, a woman, and she still cared about her appearance. She didn't know when these scars would all disappear.
"Buddha Maiden, you have sacrificed so much for the Jiang family. Who wouldn't feel pain in your heart to see these wounds?" Dao Yun gently blew on the ointment, allowing it to penetrate the skin. These wounds needed to heal quickly.
Jiang Yufan looked at the shocking wounds and wanted to touch them, but as soon as she did, she was grabbed. The force wasn't from Dao Yun, but from Gu Sidu. She looked up and saw the man who had just entered, still holding a medicine bottle.
"When did you come in?" Jiang Yufan tried to pull her hand back, but Gu Sidu wouldn't let her.
"Please don't treat me like a rude person, Bodhisattva. I only arrived when Miss Daoyun was applying medicine to you. I came at just the right time. I heard about your and Miss Daoyun's worries, so I came to help you and relieve your worries."
Gu Sidu held Jiang Yufan's hand, feeling the warmth of her palm and the coolness of her fingertips. He wanted to caress and hold it tightly, but he knew this wasn't the time to indulge his desires. He gently released Jiang Yufan's hand, took Daoyun's seat, and helped Daoyun stand up. He then handed the medicine bottle to Daoyun.
"This is something I found outside, specially for you, Bodhisattva, to help fade your scars. It's very effective." Gu Sidu had Daoyun open it, applied some ointment himself, and then applied it to Jiang Yufan's wrist.
"Don't worry, Bodhisattva. These scars were left to you by the Jiang family. They are unpleasant memories. If you don't want them, I can erase them for you. Those scars can't stay in your eyes and heart forever."
Daoyun was grateful for Gu Sidu's words and began to regard him with new respect. She cooperated with Gu Sidu in applying the ointment to the Buddhist nun. In this way, the Buddhist nun remained a clean and beautiful woman.
Jiang Yufan knew that such ointment was hard to find, but Gu Sidu found it for her. If it were anyone else, they would have exaggerated how difficult it was to obtain this ointment, but Gu Sidu did not. Gu Sidu only had those scars in his eyes and only wanted to erase that painful memory.
Jiang Yufan didn't speak. She let Gu Sidu hold her wrist, but when Gu Sidu's long and beautiful fingers touched her skin, she still blushed without showing any emotion.
Her wrist no longer hurt; instead, it itched.
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