Looking at the moon
Jiang Yufan rarely saw Gu Sidu so obedient and well-behaved. It was only because he was slightly tipsy that he was like this. Jiang Yufan took out a string of sandalwood beads from his sleeve.
A faint, lingering fragrance wafted out, only detectable upon closer inspection. Gu Sidu gently brought it to his nose, the scent wafting towards him—the fragrance of the Bodhisattva and the natural aroma of the bracelet. Gu Sidu had clearly drunk the hangover soup, yet he still felt dizzy and disoriented.
"Bodhisattva," Gu Sidu took a deep breath and said to Jiang Yufan, "Did the Bodhisattva personally make this for me?"
“Yes, you can’t buy such good quality ones outside, and you can’t string them like this.” Jiang Yufan was about to explain the ins and outs to Gu Sidu when Gu Sidu pulled her close and hugged her.
At that moment, Jiang Yufan felt the warmth of Gu Sidu's body. Her eyes widened slightly, and she looked down as Gu Sidu hugged her waist and rested his head against her abdomen.
She didn't seem to have sobered up yet, but Gu Sidu had already pried open her hand and put the bracelet on her wrist.
"Gu Sidu," Jiang Yufan gently patted his head, "Are you still awake?"
“I’m not drunk, I’m still awake, thank you, Bodhisattva,” Gu Sidu nuzzled against Jiang Yufan like a puppy, “but my head is still spinning, Bodhisattva, don’t leave yet, let me lean on you for a while.”
"I'm so tired lately."
"Who claims to be sober when they're drunk?" Jiang Yufan thought. "Gu Sidu must be completely drunk and not yet sober, which is why he's acting so absurdly." Jiang Yufan didn't move. Her hand gently stroked Gu Sidu's forehead, then moved down his cheek.
Gu Sidu was thinner than before, his brow bone and facial features sharper and more defined. Recalling how Gu Sidu had come to this point, everything was still vivid in his mind: seeking officialdom while enduring the scorching sun at the entrance of Chenxiang Temple to pray to Buddha, yielding yet refusing to yield, being beaten and schemed against, always seeing hope only to be met with despair. He had experienced too many things he shouldn't have had to go through. Getting to this point was truly too difficult, but thankfully, in the end, he had achieved his wishes and lived up to expectations.
Jiang Yufan chuckled. If she hadn't met Gu Sidu, Gu Sidu's life should have been devoted to a more beautiful woman, instead of someone who had been abandoned and had no parents. She accompanied Gu Sidu through many things that Gu Sidu shouldn't have had to go through, giving her all the good things in life.
But they met there.
"Gu Sidu," Jiang Yufan said, "why are you drinking so much today?"
“It’s not that I wanted to drink more,” Gu Sidu muttered again as he spoke. “They were playing drinking games and drawing lots. I drew a lot that said ‘fear your wife.’ It said that if you’re afraid of your wife, drink one cup, and if you don’t admit it, drink three cups. I always drew this one, so I drank too much.”
The allure of this fortune stick lies in the fact that regardless of its authenticity or whether one admits it or not, one must drink three cups of wine; there's no escaping it by chance. If one draws this fortune stick every time, then it's a trap specifically set for him. The fact that Gu Sidu is to marry after spring is just a joke at the dinner table.
Gu Sidu got so drunk because of her. No wonder the person who brought him here looked at Daoyun with that expression when he saw her holding a sword. This confirms that Gu Sidu is afraid of his wife.
Jiang Yufan couldn't help but laugh.
Jiang Yufan doesn't believe in Buddhism. She secretly studied other religions when she was at Chenxiang Temple. She said that since she didn't believe in fate, she shouldn't listen to those Buddhist teachings. She secretly studied the I Ching and Bagua, but the people at Chenxiang Temple found out and punished her severely. So she hid these things even more deeply.
Everyone has their own destiny, but how they deal with it varies, and the results are naturally different as well. But at this moment, Jiang Yufan wanted to accept some of the karmic connections and fates. Perhaps she was meant to meet Gu Sidu in this life and form these entangled relationships. So this time, Jiang Yufan wanted to try again and have faith one more time.
She quietly took Gu Sidu's hand.
Having said goodbye to the past, they will be reborn; at least for now, they believe so.
-
As the year draws to a close, the Gu family is preparing for the New Year, and things are gradually getting lively. The servants have already instructed that, apart from the main gate, every small courtyard should also have its own favorite Spring Festival couplets pasted up. There's no need to buy them from elsewhere; they can write them themselves, and they don't have to be restricted by what they write. Anything cute is fine.
The lively atmosphere spread to Jiang Yufan's campus, with even the courtyards adorned with Spring Festival couplets. Jiang Yufan breathed on the warm air, looking at her own handwriting hanging on the door, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
This felt more like home, and it was the first time Jiang Yufan had celebrated a festival so earnestly. At Chenxiang Temple, they would only bring a vegetarian dumpling and that was it; they never brought anything like this. Jiang Yufan felt her life coming alive again, slowly returning to the normal routine of everyday life.
"Bodhisattva, do you like these arrangements?" Gu Sidu's voice came from behind.
Jiang Yufan turned her head and looked at Gu Sidu. Gu Sidu was different from usual at this moment. The more she understood Gu Sidu, the more deeply she remembered him. Jiang Yufan smiled and stepped forward. She did not use the formal etiquette between bodhisattvas, but simply nodded slightly to him: "Thank you for your hard work, Lord Gu. I like it very much."
“It’s lively outside, and I figured you probably wouldn’t want that kind of liveliness, so I’ve arranged for you to just put up couplets here. It’ll be quiet but still have a sense of ceremony. We’ll skip everything else and just eat and stay up late here in peace.”
"That would be the best possible arrangement." Jiang Yufan was very pleased with the arrangement.
"Besides these, there are also New Year's gifts to give." Gu Sidu took out two things from his pocket, one was a red envelope, which he handed to Daoyun, and the other to Jiang Yufan.
"Over the years, I am very grateful for Miss Daoyun's protection and companionship. This red envelope is a token of my gratitude to Miss Daoyun."
Dao Yun had been coldly staring at Gu Sidu while holding her sword, but when the red envelope arrived, she was somewhat surprised but her expression softened as she accepted it. She bowed slightly to Gu Sidu and said, "Lord Gu, you have thought things through very well. Thank you."
The other gift wasn't a red envelope, but a present. Jiang Yufan opened it and found a pair of beautiful, translucent jade bracelets. Jiang Yufan looked at Gu Sidu: "Why did you give me this?"
"Didn't you dislike Chenxiang Temple? You shouldn't have been that puppet Bodhisattva in the first place. Since you're going to marry me and return to the mortal world, you should naturally act like a lady from a noble family. I'll take care of everything for you in the future. You'll have everything that other ladies have."
We need to slowly make up for the life that Jiang Yufan had given up in the past.
Jiang Yufan looked at the pair of bracelets, carefully put them away, and said to Gu Sidu, "Alright, thank you, Lord Gu. Let's stay up all night to celebrate the New Year together."
Life is slowly getting better. Although there was a period of loss, the journey is ultimately the same. The meal was served in Ruoshui Pavilion, which has the best view. Opening the window, you can see snowflakes fluttering in the air, and looking up, you can see the moon hanging high in the sky. There is a clear view above and delicious food below. With good friends by your side, it is truly a wonderful time.
Now is the time to have a couple more drinks.
Dao Yun filled the glass with wine, but Gu Sidu pushed the glass away, saying, "I won't drink anymore. If I get drunk, it will be impolite and damage my image."
"Does Lord Gu still have any image to speak of?" Dao Yun chuckled lightly, pushing the wine cup back to Gu Sidu's side. "A cup of wine, we always have to drink to get rid of the old and welcome the new."
"Then let's have a drink!" Gu Sidu happily raised his glass, and quite casually revealed the sandalwood bracelet on his wrist, as if he wanted someone to see it. Who else was in the group? Oh, and Daoyun too.
Gu Sidu said to Jiang Yufan, "I received a gift from the Bodhisattva, but I haven't formally thanked you yet. Now that I'm awake, I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to you."
Dao Yun naturally knew this was aimed at her. She raised an eyebrow and refused to admit defeat to Gu Sidu: "Oh, Lord Gu, you should cherish this gift. After all, I personally accompanied the Buddhist nun to select each piece of sandalwood here, and I was by her side watching over her bracelet. Without my company, this bracelet would not have reached Lord Gu's hands."
"If Lord Gu is ever lost, I will draw my sword and confront him."
The pride and smugness on Gu Sidu's face had faded considerably. He was not the one who would accompany her; he would strive to be the one who would accompany her in the future, to stay by the Bodhisattva's side, never leaving her side.
He needs to work harder.
Jiang Yufan watched the two bickering, saying nothing but feeling incredibly happy inside. At that moment, she forgot all the grudges that had happened to her, and forgot the faces of those people. If she could, she wished she could lean against this railing forever, looking at the beautiful scenery of the world, without any worries or sorrows.
Jiang Yufan felt that she was very close to the life she wanted to live.
Having severed the ties of past blood relations, I've met a few true friends. With such beautiful scenery and wonderful moments here, what more could I ask for?
"What are you thinking about?" Gu Sidu asked, holding a wine glass as he approached Jiang Yufan.
As midnight approached, the night watchman patrolled outside. Daoyun, unable to stay awake any longer, had already fallen asleep at the table. Only the two of them remained awake. Jiang Yufan shook her head and asked Gu Sidu, "At this moment, do you still believe that Bodhisattvas protect people, and that Buddha can save them?"
"Believe it. Whether it's true or false, it can always bring some hope to mortals. If it comes true, great. If it doesn't, they will feel that their hearts were not sincere. They will feel that they need more incense offerings and more sincere intentions. Everyone will be wary and dare not do evil. Isn't that good?"
“Yes, we have this thought, we have hope, but we still can’t get through those hardships, can we?” Jiang Yufan tilted his head back and took another sip of wine.
“I remember when I first met the Bodhisattva, the Bodhisattva said that the Buddha does not save those who have a karmic connection with him. Do you still feel the same way now?”
“I don’t believe in Buddhism, so naturally I don’t believe in Taoists. Only those who believe that gods and Buddhas reside in their hearts and are willing to enter the Buddhist path to cultivate themselves are considered to have a predestined connection. Gu Sidu, are you that person with a predestined connection?”
Gu Sidu smiled and said, "It seems I am just a novice. Since the Bodhisattva does not believe in these things, then how can he save us from suffering?"
Jiang Yufan swirled her wine glass, quietly watching Gu Sidu. She didn't say anything, just smiled quietly.
Yes, who can truly save us from all the suffering in the world?
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