offend
Early the next morning, Gu Sidu prepared the money needed for the gift and prepared to go out to buy it. At home, he gave his servants a lively and enthusiastic order about what to do, as if he were going to the battlefield.
The sound reached Jiang Yufan's courtyard. Daoyun said to Jiang Yufan, "Buddha, it is Gu Sidu who is going to deliver a gift to the head of the Hanlin Academy."
Gu Sidu ultimately compromised his principles for a living, but this was Gu Sidu's choice, and Jiang Yufan couldn't make the decision for him. Jiang Yufan only thought that her divination skills were probably still insufficient; in the eight years she had spent, she still hadn't learned a single skill the abbot had taught her.
It's alright for now; Gu Sidu only asked her to do divination and fortune-telling. But what if he asked her about Mahayana Buddhism in the future? She's not like an abbot who can see through so many principles. She hasn't even seen through her own destiny yet, so how can she enlighten others?
However, this worry was still too far away. Smaller worries kept coming to Jiang Yufan's attention, making her forget her long-forgotten thoughts.
The trouble is now: Gu Sidu failed to deliver the gift and has lost face.
How could someone who goes to roll call every day be missing? They've walked those roads countless times, what on earth is Gu Sidu doing? Servants came and went, frantic with worry. Several groups of people were sent out to search, but to no avail. In desperation, the lost soul came to Jiang Yufan's door, begging Jiang Yufan to quickly divine where their young master was.
Jiang Yufan was copying the scriptures at a leisurely pace, without even raising her head. She wrote each stroke with utmost piety and seriousness, which earned her the cries and wails of the servant below.
"Oh, my young master! My lord!"
"What are you shouting here?" Daoyun was a little displeased. "We Buddhist nuns are copying scriptures here. We've already given you enough face by not kicking you out. If you want to mourn at a grave, go somewhere else. What are you doing here?"
"Buddha, you have a compassionate heart, please save our young master! What if he is kidnapped on the road and forced to marry you?"
“If our young master dies, who will pay our wages and support us?”
"You know, this young master, why doesn't he find a wife right away? If he did, we could at least have a housekeeper in the backyard."
Jiang Yufan was truly annoyed. She put down her pen and looked at the servant. With just this one action, the servant immediately shut his mouth, even stopping his tears, and just stared at her like that.
"Why aren't you crying anymore?" Jiang Yufan asked. "Aren't you worried that your young master won't support you now?"
“Buddha, you must have had a way to stop writing. Buddha is merciful, and you are a Bodhisattva. Many people have asked you to grant their wishes and they have all come true. Could you also grant me one of my wishes?”
Jiang Yufan sighed: "I have no wisdom. I've said it before, I'm a fake bodhisattva. You don't need to ask me. Your young master will be fine. Just go back and wait."
"That's wonderful! The Bodhisattva has spoken! Our young master is alright!"
The servant only heard what he wanted to hear. After the servant ran off in triumph, Jiang Yufan and Daoyun exchanged a smile and shook their heads helplessly. In this world, no one believes the truth anymore; what's going on?
"Buddha, how do you know that Gu Sidu is alright?" Daoyun asked.
"I don't know, but if I don't say that, how can the servant leave?" Jiang Yufan said, then looked at Daoyun and smiled. This is the way to fool people in life. There will always be people who believe it. As long as people believe it, it gives them some hope, which can be considered as doing a good deed.
Jiang Yufan used to think that doing so was irresponsible. When she watched those people leave happily, she always wanted to stand up, call them back, and say to them, "Sit down a little longer, I'll think about it for you again."
Jiang Yufan was always tormented by inner turmoil. She wanted to go forward, but she could only stop herself in her tracks. She knew nothing, so what good would calling out to someone do?
She asked the abbot what to do, but the abbot couldn't offer her any help; he simply asked her what she wanted to do.
“I can’t do anything for them, but I can’t lie to them.”
"Yes, if you can't do anything for them, why insist on finding a way out for them and making decisions for them?"
The abbot also said, "You do nothing, yet you do everything; that is the best help you can give them."
Perhaps there's some truth to that. Later, that family was blessed by fate and indeed got what they wanted, by sheer chance. But from then on, regardless of whether Jiang Yufan could do anything for others, she was always willing to give them hope and comfort their hearts.
This time is no different.
As evening approached, Gu Sidu finally returned home.
Jiang Yufan witnessed the grand return of Gu Sidu. She went to Gu Sidu's courtyard and waited at the gate. She saw Gu Sidu turning the corner and walking through the garden. His clothes were filthy and looked torn in many places.
Gu Sidu looked quite disheveled, as if he had been in a fight with someone, but his eyes were bright, as if he had done something good and wanted to share it with others immediately.
Upon seeing Jiang Yufan, Gu Sidu was taken aback. He then bowed respectfully to Jiang Yufan and smiled, "Bodhisattva, what brings you to my courtyard?"
"I heard you were missing, so I thought I'd come and see when you'd be back," Jiang Yufan said. She wasn't happy that Gu Sidu had returned; her expression was indifferent, and her eyes held a distant look. "Lord Gu, let's talk about everything in your room today. I think you'll come looking for me anyway."
Bodhisattvas are different from ordinary people; they can know what mortals are going to do. Gu Sidu waved his hand, telling the servants to quickly boil water so he could wash up, change his clothes, and clean his face before going to find Jiang Yufan.
Gu Sidu said to Jiang Yufan, "Bodhisattva, wait for me! I'll be there soon. You can come to my room and have some tea."
Not content with just that, Gu Sidu added loudly, "Hurry up, we can't keep the Bodhisattva waiting!"
Upon hearing these words, Jiang Yufan slightly raised her lips, turned around, and went into the house. She knew there was flattery in Gu Sidu's words, but she pretended not to hear them and waited for Gu Sidu to show for himself. She was curious to see what kind of earth-shattering things Gu Sidu could do.
It's just a gift-giving activity. Simply walk up to the Hanlin Academy, approach the person in charge, and quietly slip the money into their hand when no one else is around. Alternatively, if the Hanlin Academy isn't a convenient place for such matters, you can wait at the person in charge's home. Once they return, the two of you can chat amiably, and the money can be handed over over a few drinks.
Are these things difficult to do? No, they are not difficult to do.
Gu Sidu said the same thing; it's not difficult to do, but the many hardships and obstacles encountered along the way are hard to describe.
After washing up, Gu Sidu, now with his handsome face again, became the elegant gentleman once more. He carefully sat down opposite Jiang Yufan. He dared not speak; he needed to be sure that his words would not anger Jiang Yufan before he dared to speak. He watched Jiang Yufan's expression, and when they met eyes, he would give her a slight smile.
"Hehe, Bodhisattva, you'll forgive me after I finish speaking, right?"
“You go first,” Jiang Yufan took a deep breath and looked directly at Gu Sidu. “I won’t be angry, and I don’t need to be angry. It’s your life.”
"Phew, that's good." Gu Sidu straightened his back, took a sip of tea, and then told Jiang Yufan everything that had happened that day.
He was on his way to deliver a gift, and he was already halfway there when a dog suddenly darted out from the road and grazed right past Gu Sidu's face.
Gu Sidu stood up at this point: "Bodhisattva, please be my judge. A dog that big darted past me and tried to bite me. Should I have helped?"
As Gu Sidu spoke, he spread his arms out and gestured.
Jiang Yufan blinked, looking at Gu Sidu, who was gesturing wildly in front of her.
“Okay, I’m sitting down now and I’ll continue,” Gu Sidu sat down obediently. “The dog bit someone and then went to get him. The person who was bitten was an old man. He was carrying a carrying pole, and when the dog bit his leg, he started trembling all over. He looked like he was in a lot of pain and fell straight down in front of me.”
"His goods from his carrying pole were scattered on the ground, and he could no longer sell them or stand up. The dog's owner finally arrived, grabbed his dog, and was about to leave, and that was the end of it."
"Then what does this have to do with you?" Jiang Yufan thought for a moment, "Did you go and bite the dog?"
This seemed like something Gu Sidu would do, but Gu Sidu shook his head: "The dog's owner didn't apologize and actually wanted to leave. How could that be? The old man didn't earn any money today, and he can't go see a doctor."
Gu Sidu patted his chest: "So I rushed up and fought the dog. I could beat the dog, but I couldn't beat the dog and its owner. My clothes were torn and my face was dirty. Fortunately, the bystanders intervened and the dog's owner apologized, paid compensation, and left."
"And then what happened? You didn't go to the house of the person in charge?"
"The old man had no one to help him, so I went to see a doctor by myself after I got the money. I went to accompany him. The money that was originally going to the person in charge was given to the old man instead. I was busy until now and came back on my own."
After Gu Sidu finished speaking, he smiled broadly at Jiang Yufan, as if waiting for Jiang Yufan to praise him.
Indeed, he deserved praise. Jiang Yufan could feel the old man's pain and helplessness from his words. Jiang Yufan's heart softened. Fortunately, the old man eventually met Gu Sidu and was able to return home safely.
However, Gu Sidu seemed to have forgotten one thing.
"So, are you still going to deliver the gift tomorrow?"
Jiang Yufan's words awakened Gu Sidu. He stood there for a moment, pondering, then shook his head and smiled at Jiang Yufan, "I won't go tomorrow."
"Why not go?" Jiang Yufan asked Gu Sidu.
"One hundred taels of silver may seem like a small sum to the wealthy, but it can sustain them for a long time. It would be better to give this money to those in need than to the person in charge."
“I’ve figured it out,” Gu Sidu said, feeling extremely satisfied. “Things should be used for the right purposes. As long as I have a clear conscience, even if my official career has been bumpy, I can still make a living. I’m not at my wit’s end.”
"But why aren't you surprised at all, Bodhisattva?"
It's as if they already knew this would happen.
Jiang Yufan did know this ending beforehand, but she didn't believe it at the time. However, the ending of the story was just like her unnecessary divination, and the outcome came into her hands.
It actually worked somewhat?
Jiang Yufan looked up at Gu Sidu: "After you left yesterday, I did the calculation again."
"How so?" Gu Sidu covered her mouth in utter surprise. "Could it be that you, Bodhisattva, foresaw last night that I didn't go to deliver the gift today?"
Jiang Yufan nodded.
"Wow, a Bodhisattva is indeed a Bodhisattva. As expected, my throwing was unreliable. I have to trust you to follow the right path! From now on, I will not do it myself. I will only trust you."
Jiang Yufan hadn't expected things to turn out this way. She didn't know if she was still effective. She looked at Gu Sidu in front of her and said, "Gu Sidu, why don't you ask me for another one?"
"Really? Can I really ask for another one?" Gu Sidu got excited. "Then I'll wish to the Bodhisattva to give me a beautiful bride."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yufan's face immediately darkened: "You look like a beautiful young woman to me!"
Gu Sidu always had the ability to offend people like this, and Jiang Yufan ignored Gu Sidu calling out "Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva" behind her and walked away without looking back.
She didn't see Gu Sidu slumped in the chair, his face filled with despair.
Gu Sidu felt that his life was over. How could he appease the Bodhisattva? No one could teach him. Would the Bodhisattva still protect him?
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