Chapter 137 A Slap on the Senior Brother's Blockhead
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but peek at Xie Lingjiang's praying back.
Junior sister, isn't it taking you a little too long to burn incense and draw lots?
However, the thought that she might not only draw lots for herself, but also for the younger sister of the Su family.
In addition, one might have to chat with his senior brother in front of the Buddha and ask Guanyin to bestow some Buddha's light upon him.
Thinking about all this, Ouyang Rong felt relieved.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Master?" He suddenly looked away and turned to ask curiously.
"It's alright, Amitabha."
Master Shandao lowered his eyes, put his hands together, and chanted softly.
Out of the corner of his eye, the old monk glanced at the noble lady Xie kneeling before the Buddha and sighed inwardly.
Ouyang Rong touched his face and felt that there was nothing on it, but he felt that Master Shandao's gaze at him just now was a bit strange.
Are they no longer just eyeing the rich ladies and young women down the mountain, but trying to expand their business with him?
Master Shandao asked kindly, "Even if the county magistrate isn't going, will he still draw a fortune stick?"
Ouyang Rong said calmly, "Master, you must have earned a lot of money from incense offerings by holding this temple fair, right?"
Master Shandao, who had intended to say more to matchmake the couple, suddenly changed his expression, but quickly regained his composure and said seriously:
"Amitabha, Your Excellency, you may not know this, but the money for this matchmaking fair was donated by several kind-hearted families from the foot of the mountain."
"Hey, most of the incense money from the temple has been used to repair the Beitian Almshouse. When the county magistrate goes there later, he will know that this old monk was not lying."
Ouyang Rong nodded, smiling broadly, "It was just a casual question, Master, please don't be in a hurry."
"No rush, no rush, Magistrate, you're joking."
Master Shandao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The magistrate's skill in extorting money from the people has become increasingly adept.
Just then, a soft, rattling sound came from ahead.
The two turned to look and saw that Xie Lingjiang had already respectfully placed the incense sticks and then picked up a bamboo tube containing a hundred thin wooden sticks.
This scene immediately attracted the attention of them and many other worshippers nearby.
All that could be seen was a beautiful and graceful lady with flowing hair, wearing a light pink dress, kneeling elegantly on a yellow prayer mat, holding a bamboo tube containing Guanyin divination sticks in her hands.
She was as pure and simple as an autumn chrysanthemum, and as beautiful as a spring peach.
Her face was as beautiful as a peach blossom, her pretty face as radiant as a pearl or as lustrous as jade, with a slight flush of wine. There was a scholarly air about her, but at this moment her delicate eyebrows were slightly furrowed.
It seems there is something troubling and causing you distress.
This scene captivated the other female worshippers who had come to draw lots, evoking feelings of envy, jealousy, or secret thoughts:
I wonder which lucky young man is to have won the heart of this beautiful woman, yet he does not cherish it, leaving her feeling resentful and heartbroken.
At this moment, Ms. Xie, who looked like a celestial being after dressing up and painting her eyebrows, held a bamboo tube.
He didn't say a word at first, then casually shook his head slightly.
"At ease," a bamboo skewer was placed.
The bamboo skewer fell to the ground and lay horizontally.
She didn't even lift her eyelids, and didn't pick it up.
She continued to gently shake the bamboo tube, while her delicate lips parted slightly, as if she were beginning to pray and murmur something.
This time, they seemed to be a little more cautious.
Xie Lingjiang shook the bucket for a long, long time before a bamboo skewer finally popped out of the hole and fell to the ground with a "clatter".
She immediately put down the bamboo tube, picked up the second bamboo stick, and dusted it off.
Then pick up the first bamboo skewer. This was for the youngest sister of the Su family.
Xie Lingjiang put away the first marriage fortune slip.
With both hands and four fingers, he held the second marriage fortune stick.
She rose gracefully, lowered her eyes, and walked towards Ouyang Rong and Master Shandao.
I wonder if it's because her two long legs under the skirt have been kneeling for too long.
She had just tensed up her toes too much – Xie Lingjiang would subconsciously tense her toes to fasten her shoes when she was nervous.
Her legs and feet felt a little numb.
It was less than ten meters, but Xie Lingjiang felt like she had walked for a long time.
But even an ugly daughter-in-law eventually has to meet her in-laws.
Xie Lingjiang didn't look at her senior brother. Instead, she handed her marriage fortune slip to Master Shandao and whispered:
"Master, please help me untie this."
"Is this my junior sister's? Let me see..."
While Master Shandao was looking down at the bamboo sticks, Ouyang Rong also tilted his head slightly and curiously took a look.
There was a line of regular script engraved on the bamboo stick.
"The fifth Guanyin divination slip... If you climb over the east neighbor's wall and embrace the young woman there, you will get a wife. If you don't embrace her, you will not get a wife."
Ouyang Rong uttered the words aloud, then muttered curiously:
"Uh, what does this mean? Are you telling me to go back and climb over the east wall to grope the virgin next door? But... isn't the east courtyard next door the courtyard of the Su family's youngest sister? Could it be that you want to..."
He pondered for a moment, his expression slightly shocked. What kind of fate is this with his junior sister?
Before Xie Lingjiang could even glare at her senior brother for his nonsensical speculations, Master Shandao turned around, chuckled, and stroked his beard, saying:
"Magistrate, please don't overthink it. All one hundred Guanyin divination slips are just metaphors and allegories; they don't actually mean you should thank the female bodhisattva for embracing the master's virgin."
After Master Shandao helped him out of the predicament, he lowered his eyelids and looked at the words on the divination slip for a while.
He remained silent for a moment, stroking his beard without saying a word.
Seeing this, Xie Lingjiang and Ouyang Rong also quieted down.
The atmosphere was somewhat silent. A noble lady from the Xie family, her delicate toes encased in embroidered shoes and socks, was gently tapping the soles of her shoes again.
Master Shandao raised his head.
His gaze swept back and forth between Xie Lingjiang and Ouyang Rong's faces without making a sound.
He nodded and said:
"This is an excellent omen."
Ouyang Rong spoke up for his junior sister: "If the draw is favorable, then should we make a settlement?"
Master Shandao didn't go to see him, but solemnly addressed Xie Lingjiang:
“Female Bodhisattva, this old monk will offer a brief interpretation of this divination slip. You may listen to it for now, and decide for yourself whether to believe it or not.”
"Okay." Xie Lingjiang raised her head slightly.
Master Shandao looked up at the sky outside the main hall, stroked his beard, and sighed:
The meaning of "If you climb over the east neighbor's wall and embrace his virgin, you will get a wife. If you don't embrace her, you won't get a wife" is...
"Whether it's a chance encounter or someone you've met by chance, if you feel that this is someone you can 'dedicate your life to,' then... you must have the courage to actively pursue them and seize the opportunity."
"You can't hesitate, or you'll miss out on a good opportunity."
Master Shandao turned around, his face solemn, and said:
"In short... such a perfect match should not be delayed; when the time is right, it will come naturally, and only by taking action can success be achieved!"
Xie Lingjiang's expression froze, as if she were standing still.
I don't know what she's thinking.
Ouyang Rong listened with great interest, pondered for a moment, and then frowned slightly, feeling displeased on behalf of his junior sister:
"Master, this feels a bit vague. It's just leaving the junior sister waiting... Is it the same as saying nothing at all?"
For some reason, neither Master Shandao nor Xie Lingjiang paid any attention to his words, nor even glanced at him.
No one responded when he spoke, and Ouyang Rong felt slightly embarrassed.
Master Shandao calmly continued:
"Alright then, female bodhisattva, please donate some incense money as a token, and this old monk will give you two red threads for marriage. You keep one, and the other..."
"If you have someone you love, I suggest you find a way to put it on him. This way, you can hold onto his heart, and your marriage will surely be successful."
Xie Lingjiang was stunned for a moment, then her face gradually turned serious.
He nodded almost imperceptibly.
She stood silently, staring for a while at the two red ropes lying in her fair palm.
Beside him, the old man Ouyang Rong chuckled and couldn't stop laughing.
He chuckled and shook his head... Good heavens, Master Shandao, your map of Yan is getting shorter and shorter! You think you can swindle your junior sister out of incense money with just two tattered ropes? What fool would believe that?
The next moment, he suddenly noticed that his junior sister's gaze was glancing over at him, seemingly casually.
"..."
The smile on Ouyang Rong's face gradually disappeared.
This chapter is pure filler; you'll find out in the next one... But looking around, it seems no one has guessed what Xiao Rong is up to...
(End of this chapter)
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