In April, the drizzle is as fine as silk or mist, and the traces of winter have completely faded away. Bright greenery is everywhere along the road, and strolling in the rain to feel the "fine rain and gentle breeze" is a unique experience.
The carriage swayed and rattled as it headed out of the city. The peach blossoms at Yong'an Temple were in bloom, and Ye Jiu and Yun Jia's long-awaited spring outing finally began.
Yong'an Temple is located on Qingxiao Mountain. Carriages can only stop at the foot of the mountain. There are a thousand steps on the way to Yong'an Temple. Only by climbing up to show your sincerity will the temple receive you.
Ye Jiu took Yun Jia's hand and said, "If you're tired, just tell me, and I'll carry you upstairs."
"But isn't it said that the temple doesn't accept people who haven't climbed all the steps?" Yun Jia gripped her hand tightly, the veil obscuring his view, making it difficult to see the steps.
"That's true, but he can't have someone watching him all the way. I'll put you down when we're almost there. Besides, if she won't let you in, then you'll have to wait for me outside the temple."
Ye Jiu took a breath and said, "I want to go in and pray for your safety. It's said that this temple is especially effective for praying for peace. I'm asking her to protect you and keep you safe and sound."
Yun Jia's nose tingled with emotion. "I want to beg for you too, but I don't want you to hug me."
Ye Jiu smiled and nodded, "Okay, if you can't climb anymore, just tell me, and we'll rest for a while before going up again."
Ye Jiu could have used her light-footed skills to jump up directly, but in order to make the peace charm more effective, she chose to climb up step by step like an ordinary person. She thought Yun Jia's body wouldn't be able to take it, but unexpectedly, he gritted his teeth and followed her all the way up.
Although I had to stop and rest three times along the way, I managed to climb up on my own.
Yun Jia stood in front of the temple, panting heavily, while Ye Jiu's breathing was only a little erratic, after all, her years of practicing the horse stance hadn't been for nothing.
Yun Jia leaned against Ye Jiu, his legs went weak, and Ye Jiu hugged him, saying helplessly, "I should have rested a little longer."
Yun Jia forced herself to speak, "Cough cough, I'm fine..."
Ye Jiu patted his back to help him catch his breath, "Take a break, and we'll go into the temple when you're feeling better."
Perhaps it was because the peach blossoms were in bloom that there were many people coming and going at the temple entrance, and they couldn't help but take a few more glances at the combination of Yun Jia leaning on Ye Jiu.
The stares from passersby made Yun Jia shy. Embarrassed, he straightened up, grabbed Ye Jiu's sleeve, and whispered, "Let's go inside. People on the street are staring at us."
"Of course, it's up to you."
There were quite a few people like them who came to the temple together. In the front courtyard of the temple, there was a statue of a Bodhisattva. Ye Jiu spent a few copper coins to buy six sticks of incense, gave three sticks to Yun Jia, and followed the crowd to line up to offer incense.
Wanting to be ignited and to rise into wisps of white smoke, Ye Jiu knelt on the ground and kowtowed respectfully.
May my senior brother be blessed with peace and safety for the rest of his life. Peace and safety are all that matter.
Yun Jia also closed her eyes and kowtowed.
May Ye Jiu be safe and sound, and live a carefree life.
They knelt before the palace, praying for the other's safety.
After offering incense, Ye Jiu couldn't help but laugh when she thought about how the two of them had been kneeling and being urged by the nuns in the temple. Yun Jia was shy, but luckily she had a veil to cover herself up. Ye Jiu, however, had no choice but to wear it. But she was thick-skinned and didn't care.
"What's the big deal? It's just a way to prove our sincerity. What if the Bodhisattva gives us a little more nectar?"
After offering incense, it was getting late. The nun put her hands together and introduced to them that there were rooms available for guests to stay overnight in the temple's backyard. The room cost one tael per night and included a vegetarian meal.
Everything else was fine, but the price really got to her. Why didn't they just rob us?! Now she understood why the temple looked so luxurious.
Seeing Ye Jiu's expression, Yun Jia knew she was worried about the money. He held her hand tightly and whispered, "It's getting late. By the time we get home, it will be very late. Let's stay here for the night."
Ye Jiu changed her mind and said to the nun, "Okay, two rooms."
"Hey, no." Yun Jia covered Ye Jiu's mouth. "Thank you for your help, Master. One room will be fine."
The nun's expression remained unchanged as she nodded, "Please follow me."
Following behind the nun, Ye Jiu didn't dare to ask loudly. She leaned close to Yun Jia's ear and asked, "Why is there only one room?"
Yun Jia smiled and whispered in her ear, "Don't you want to share a room with me?"
Ye Jiu instantly understood what he meant, pulled him close to her waist, lifted the white veil on his hat, and whispered in his ear, "Senior brother, why are you so clingy?"
Yun Jia pushed her away, "In public..."
Ye Jiu chuckled, "Then I'll talk to my senior brother when I get back to my room."
The temple building was very simple. Once you opened the door, you could see everything inside: a bed, a table, two chairs, and a low table and a futon with tea set on it by the window.
Outside the window is a peach grove; it seems quite a few people come here to stay overnight and drink tea.
"The vegetarian meal will be delivered to your room," the nun said before leaving.
Ye Jiu walked into the room and wiped the table. "Hmm, it's very clean, not a speck of dust."
Ye Jiu looked around the room and sat on a futon next to the low table. "Come here quickly, this is probably the most beautiful peach blossom forest in the temple."
Yun Jia sat opposite her as instructed, gripped the window frame with her hands, rested her chin on her hands, and smiled, "Don't you think this money was well spent?"
"Yes, if you hadn't persuaded me, I would have carried you down and flown down, and naturally I would have missed this beautiful scenery."
“There must be a reason why Yong’an Temple dares to charge such high prices. I inquired before coming here and found out that because the peach blossoms are in bloom in April, the rooms are expensive and scarce. We are very lucky to be able to book a room now.”
Ye Jiu picked up the teapot and weighed it in her hand. She lifted the lid and saw that the tea was already brewed inside. No one else knew in advance that the nun was coming, so how come the tea was already brewed?
Yun Jia immediately saw through her confusion. "The tea in the rooms is changed every half hour. It's peak season now, so we don't have to worry about not having guests. Therefore, we prepare tea in all the rooms and change it every half hour if there are no guests checking in, to ensure that the tea is always hot."
"That's quite thoughtful."
Ye Jiu picked up the teacup. Small water droplets clung to the cup's walls, indicating it had been carefully washed. She wasn't particular about such things, so she poured the water directly into the cup and took a small sip.
"It's a bit bitter, but acceptable. I can't tell what kind of tea it is," she commented.
Yun Jia poured herself a cup, took a small sip, and said, "It's green tea. This is the season for drinking green tea."
Ye Jiu (starry-eyed): "How do you know everything! Senior brother is so amazing."
"I just happen to be interested in tea."
"My senior brother is interested in many things. For example, calligraphy, playing the zither, and chess, and he is very good at all of them."
Yun Jia smiled wryly and remained silent.
These are just things to kill time. Without you by his side, what else can he do besides these?
Seeing that he was no longer speaking, Ye Jiu also fell silent, sipping her tea and admiring the peach blossoms.
Yun Jia clenched his hands nervously. He wanted to break the silence, but didn't know what to say.
He looked up at the person in front of him, sighed, and whispered, "Xiao Jiu, if you want to learn those things, I can teach you."
"Okay, when will you teach me to write?"
Three years ago, Ye Jiu's handwriting looked like a dog crawling, and three years later it still looks like a dog crawling. Adapting to calligraphy is truly a long and difficult process.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
