Chapter 30 Chapter 30 “Now do you want to take another look,…
The hall was completely silent. Yun Wu moved lightly, but the sound of her footsteps was still as conspicuous as the beating of a drum.
She looked around curiously. The hall was lit only by a few burning lamps. It was daylight, and the doors and windows of the hall were closed. In the center stood a single, compassionate-looking Buddha statue. The flames shone brightly, like the Buddha's light illuminating the whole place.
"Where is this?" Yun Wu asked.
Xie Yi said nothing and just walked forward.
Yun Wu hurriedly caught up with him.
As she walked, she observed her surroundings and finally noticed notes pressed beneath the lampstands, bearing names and birthplaces. Yun Wu suddenly realized that this was a Buddhist temple where believers offered lamps. With this in mind, Yun Wu moved even more cautiously, fearing she would accidentally bump into something.
But Xie Yi did not stop in front of any light. Instead, he took her around a few corners and stopped in front of an extremely inconspicuous small door.
Yun Wu asked again: "Where is this?"
Xie Yi didn't answer.
Zhou Qing, who was following behind them, seemed to be hesitant to speak. He tried to speak several times along the way, but when he reached the door, he couldn't help but say, "Master, this isn't right..."
Xie Yi raised his eyes and glanced at him calmly. Zhou Qing fell silent and lowered his head, but his face was still troubled.
Yun Wu looked at the two of them in confusion, not understanding what they were talking about.
The small door was not locked. Xie Yi reached out and pushed it gently. With a creaking sound, it was easily pushed open.
Inside the door was just a narrow, quiet room, square and only a few steps in size. Inside was a table with a lamp on it and a cushion on the floor, that was all.
There were no windows inside, only a single candle, quietly emitting a brilliant glow, illuminating the small room. Yun Wu followed him into the room and saw that the lamp inside was identical to the eternally burning lamp outside. The only difference was that there was no inscription on the bottom that indicated for whom the lamp was prayed.
"Who is this lamp dedicated to?" Yun Wu asked, "Why is it here?"
Xie Yi said calmly, "A dead person."
Yun Wu: "Do you come here often?"
Xie Yi: "I come here every day."
Yun Wu: "What are you doing here?"
Xie Yi: "Do nothing."
Xie Yi lifted his skirt and sat cross-legged on the mat. He straightened his back so he could look directly into the lamp's eyes. The eternal flame burned incessantly, burning quietly in the dark inner room.
He doesn't have to do anything. As long as he sees the lamp, he will remember why it is hiding here under an assumed name, he will remember the responsibilities he has to bear, and he will remember that it is waiting for the day to see the light of day again.
He didn't have to do anything, as someone had already given him thousands of words of advice with great sincerity.
Yun Wu asked in disbelief, "You come to Jinyun Temple every year, but you just sit here and watch the lanterns, doing nothing?"
Xie Yi was silent for a moment, then said, "I talk to him occasionally."
Yun Wu: "What?"
Xie Yi: "I won't tell you anything about scolding him."
Zhou Qing: “…”
Yun Wu: “…”
Yun Wu was dumbfounded, looking at him with shock in her eyes.
She had expected someone who had been ill for a long time to be upset, but she hadn't expected him to curse even a stranger's eternally burning lamp. Thinking about it this way, Xie Yi's occasional harsh words were actually a sign of his good temper.
Yun Wu clasped her hands together, bowed towards the lamp apologetically, and said "sin, sin" several times in her heart.
After she finished her worship, she wondered again: "Why doesn't this lamp have a name? Who put it here?"
Xie Yi replied, "He was once a criminal, unable to enjoy incense and offerings. He could only hide here under an assumed name, allowing future generations to pay tribute to him."
Yun Wu was surprised: "He is a sinner?!"
Xie Yi nodded: "So it is."
"Back then? What about now?"
"Someone vindicated him and cleared his name."
“…”
Yun Wu wanted to ask him what happened and what this person had to do with him, but looking at Xie Yi's calm profile, her lips moved, and she swallowed the rest of the question.
When she came in just now, Zhou Qing wanted to stop her. Could this eternal lamp enshrined here alone belong to some special person?
Yun Wu thought to herself: Since he comes here every year and talks to this lamp every day, perhaps the person this lamp is dedicated to must be an important person to Xie Yi.
If he wanted to talk, he would have told her directly, without hiding anything. If he didn't want to talk, no matter how many times she asked, it would be a waste of time. She guessed that Xie Yi must be harboring a big secret, just like he had some people on the mountain of Jinyun Temple that Yun Wu had never seen, such as Zhou Qing who was guarding the door at this moment.
Not only did she not know, maybe even the people in the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion didn't know.
But why would he, a sickly and frail man living deep in the inner chamber, make these preparations?
Yun Wu couldn't think of it.
She clasped her hands together and bowed devoutly before asking, "Now that he's cleared of all charges, will he be gone from here? Then, can we give him a name so he can be worshipped?"
Xie Yi was slightly startled and murmured, "Indeed."
Suddenly there were a few noises outside the door. Yun Wu turned around and saw Zhou Qing looking into the house excitedly. Their eyes met and Zhou Qing seemed to be hesitant to speak.
She was completely confused, and Xie Yi beside her had already issued an order: "Zhou Qing, go get some incense."
Zhou Qing responded and walked out quickly.
Not long after, he hurried back carrying an incense burner and incense sticks. When Yun Wu took the things from him, she noticed that he was standing restrainedly outside the door, not taking a step inside.
She placed the incense burner, Xie Yi lit the incense, and handed it to her.
Yun Wu held the incense stick, a puzzled look on her face: "Me?"
Xie Yi nodded: "You are my wife, it is reasonable for you to burn a stick of incense for him."
Although she was full of confusion, Yun Wu still bowed obediently.
This eternal lamp seemed to have been burning for many years. She guessed that it must be dedicated to an elder, so she politely said some auspicious words of greeting and blessing in her heart before inserting the incense into the incense burner.
The green smoke from the incense rose into the air and gradually dissipated, as if it had conveyed greetings to the other side of the Forgotten River.
After stepping out of the lantern hall and bathing in the sunlight again, Yun Wu felt as if she was in another world.
She looked back and, through the lights, she seemed to still be able to see the eternally burning lamp in the dark room. She asked Xie Yi, "Do you still want to leave it there?"
"Leave it there." Xie Yi said casually, "If you take it out, it will be inconvenient for me to worship him in the future."
This is a strange thing to say. Since the person who worships the eternal lamp is no longer a criminal, you can worship him openly. What's the inconvenience?
Yun Wu was filled with confusion, but before she could ask, Xie Yi pulled her forward. Xie Yi had just gone to see the eternal lantern, and his spirits were high. He strode forward, forcing Yun Wu to jog to keep up.
She ran after him and asked, "Where are we going?"
"Don't you want to know what I usually do?" Xie Yi said succinctly: "Let's go catch the carp of Master Huizhen."
Yun Wu was horrified: "What?!"
…
Master Huizhen was a highly accomplished monk in Jinyun Temple. As soon as Xie Yi stepped into his courtyard, he was immediately spotted by the young monk.
The young novices recognized him, put their hands together, and bowed slightly to him: "Thank you, benefactor."
Xie Yi asked casually, "Where's Huizhen?"
The young novice monk said, "Master Huizhen is chanting sutras in the room."
Xie Yi responded and pulled Yun Wu inside.
Yun Wu felt guilty with every step she took, especially when she passed by the pond and saw the golden and red koi swimming among the lotus leaves. She kept her eyes straight ahead, fearing that the young monks next to her would notice something was wrong.
Buddha, she didn't like to eat carp, and she really had no improper thoughts about the koi in the pond, and she didn't dare to commit the sin of killing in the important Buddhist place. She had persuaded Xie Yi all the way and said everything she could say, but she didn't know if Xie Yi listened to her.
After being pulled into the house by Xie Yi and no longer seeing the koi in the pond, she finally let go of her worries and became curious about this master whom she had never met.
After all, this Master Huizhen had once told them their fortune.
It was Master Huizhen who had divined a marriage for Xie Yi, which led to her marrying Xie Yi to bring him good luck. It was widely known that Master Huizhen was an accomplished monk whose divinations were very accurate, and he had divined that the two of them were a match made in heaven.
Yun Wu secretly glanced at the husband beside her, and then lowered her eyelashes in embarrassment.
Xie Yi rushed in. A monk with a white beard was twirling his Buddhist beads and chanting. He showed no anger at being interrupted. He simply opened his eyes gently, his old eyes clear and said, "Thank you, benefactor."
He looked at Yun Wu again. Even though it was the first time they met, he called Yun Wu out directly: "Donor Yun."
Yun Wu quickly bowed and greeted him.
"Old monk." Xie Yi sat down beside him without any hesitation, his eyes scanning Master Huizhen. "This is the first time I've brought someone to see you. Do you want a gift?"
Yun Wu was shocked and quickly waved her hands: "No, no need."
She hinted at Xie Yi with her eyes: How can you be so rude to Master Huizhen?!
"He and my father are old acquaintances. He is considered your elder, so there is no need to be polite with him." Xie Yi said, his eyes fell on Master Huizhen's wrist: "I think this string of Buddhist beads is quite good."
Master Huizhen smiled indulgently and actually took off the Buddhist beads from his wrist.
He always carried this string of Buddhist beads with him. After years of being bathed in Buddhist chants and soaked in sandalwood, it had become an extraordinary object. Yun Wu held it in both hands, feeling extremely apprehensive.
"Can I really accept it?" Yun Wu looked at Xie Yi nervously, hoping that he would say that this was a joke played by Master Huizhen.
Xie Yi raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Why not? If he hadn't arranged our marriage, you and I wouldn't be husband and wife. Consider this as his compensation to you."
After saying that, he rolled up his sleeves again and extended his hand to Master Huizhen in front of Yun Wu, "Old monk, I've married her. Now do you want to take another look and see if I'm still sick?"
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The author has something to say: Ahhh, it’s still too late, I’ll update one chapter first
As promised, I will stay up late to continue writing. I don’t know what time it will be in the early morning. Don’t wait, come and see it tomorrow morning.
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