pray

While packing her luggage, Baoqin secretly glanced at the girl sitting at the table.

She couldn't help but whisper, "The young lady is fascinated again."

After returning home from Miss Su's clinic yesterday, the young lady's mouth corners would rise from time to time, and she kept holding her medical book and refused to put it down.

"Miss, Miss." Baoqin walked up to the girl and called her several times before finally calling her back to her senses, "Miss, it's time for us to set off."

Today is the first day of May. According to custom, the women of the Mu family will go to Lingyin Temple to burn incense and pray for blessings.

However, this time, the old lady of the Mu family is not in good health and may not be able to go.

Mu An Ning raised his eyes and nodded, then stood up. However, after taking a few steps, he turned back and picked up the medical book.

She raised her lips slightly and smiled at Baoqin: "Take this with you too."

She didn't think so before, but now she feels that temples are really boring.

If I don't bring some books to kill time, these two days will probably become long and boring.

She had already silently decided in her heart that she would not go to the temple today. After all, her sincere prayers for nearly three years had gone in vain, and none of them had been fulfilled.

She doesn't have any demands now. Instead of pinning her hopes on these illusory things, she might as well learn more to help herself.

However, Xu insisted that she must go to the temple, and Mu Wan'er was still left in the mansion to practice embroidery.

What is somewhat puzzling is that Xu once again agreed to let Mu Jingyue go along.

Baoqin reluctantly took the medical book from the girl and put it in her bag, muttering, "Miss, you're only staying for two days."

Mu An Ning seemed to be reminded of something by Bao Qin's words, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly: "I have to bring it with me even if it's only for two days."

After seeing off Aunt Fang yesterday, Dr. Lu examined several more patients and asked her to watch from the side, asking her a few questions from time to time.

Of course, she could only answer reluctantly, but Dr. Lu did not seem to be unhappy about it. Instead, he gave her a medical book before leaving.

The reason why she treasured this book so much was because she discovered that this medical book was written by Dr. Lu himself.

Although the content of the book was a bit obscure and difficult to understand, she felt the benefit of it after reading only a few pages.

*

In the bumpy carriage, Luo Zhiyan curled her lips and gently shook Luo's arm: "Aunt, Yan'er is almost dizzy."

Luo patted her hands, lifted the curtain helplessly, and said to the young man on horseback wearing a royal blue brocade robe: "Ah Huai, ride slower."

Gu Huaizhi was not used to riding in a horse-drawn carriage, so he chose to ride a horse this time up the mountain.

But in order to keep up with him, the carriage would inevitably follow the speed of his horse and gradually speed up.

The young man on the horse did not look back, but just said "I know", and then pulled the reins to slow down the horse.

Luo Zhiyan patted her chest and put down the handkerchief that was covering her mouth.

She almost vomited it out just now.

I don't know why Brother Huai is so anxious. Anyway, I'll be staying there for two or three days, so a few hours won't make a difference.

After Luo Zhiyan slowed down a little, she eagerly hammered Luo's arm.

There was a hint of expectation in her voice: "Aunt, is it possible to pray for marriage at the Lingyin Temple today?"

Luo nodded, then held her niece's hand lovingly and said with a smile, "Yan'er, you are still young, why are you thinking about seeking a marriage?"

Of course she understood who her niece was looking for in marriage, but she was reluctant to expose her niece's little thoughts.

"Yan'er isn't a kid anymore." Luo Zhiyan pouted her lips, clearly disagreeing with what Luo said: "All those girls my age have already been engaged!"

Just like Mu An Ning, who is about the same age as her, but she and Brother Huai were engaged three years ago.

Thinking of this, she felt a little angry.

If her parents hadn't been dragging their feet on arranging a marriage for her, she might have been the one to be married to Brother Huai.

When Luo heard this, a trace of distress and care flashed across her eyes.

She tapped Luo Zhiyan's brow with her finger, smiled and shook her head: "If Yan'er leaves the house, you will have less time to spend with your parents."

Ever since Luo Zhiyan's brother died young, her parents gave all their love to her and naturally were reluctant to let her get married early.

So over the years, the couple has been delaying their daughter's marriage, thinking that it is not impossible to support her for the rest of her life.

Luo Zhiyan glanced at the handsome and tall boy outside the car through the car curtain that was blown by the wind.

She leaned on Luo's shoulder and said coquettishly with a smile on her face: "Then Yan'er will marry closer, so that father and mother can come to visit Yan'er often."

Luo touched her niece's head lovingly, but sighed secretly in her heart.

Although her niece was spoiled by her family and had a bit of a spoiled personality, she was indeed very lovable.

But as for the future daughter-in-law, she has other candidates.

*

Lingyin Temple is the largest temple in Shangjing. It is built on the top of Lingyin Mountain and is also very popular and bustling with people.

After finally entering the temple, Luo looked at the scar on her son's face. The more she looked, the more worried she felt: "Ah Huai, you've had this scar on your face for a few days. Why isn't it getting better?"

Appearance is important not only for women but also for men.

She has always been proud of her son's appearance, which is similar to hers. But if he were disfigured, not only other girls, but even she would inevitably dislike him.

Gu Huai reached out his hand subconsciously and touched the scabbed scar on his face.

His eyes dimmed slightly, and then he forced himself to raise the corners of his lips: "Mother, it's only been a few days, it's nothing serious."

The minor wound on his face was nothing serious, but the girl's cold words that day kept lingering in his ears.

The Mu family had not arrived yet, but he really wanted to see her as soon as possible, even if the girl didn't want to at all.

Luo Zhiyan, who was standing next to Luo Shi, puffed up her cheeks and complained in a cute voice, "Brother Huai, Yan'er told you to use the box of scar cream I gave you, but you just didn't listen."

Gu Huaizhi glanced at her coldly and said, "You should keep those weird things for yourself."

He already has the ointment given by Mu An Ning, so he doesn't need anything else.

Luo looked at the two people making trouble and smiled helplessly. Then he handed the fortune stick box given by the little monk to them and said, "Ahuai, Yan'er, would you like to draw a fortune stick?"

Luo Zhiyan's eyes lit up, she nodded repeatedly, closed her eyes and began to make a wish.

Gu Huaizhi frowned and wanted to refuse subconsciously, but then he thought of what the old man Xuanling said that day.

The word of rejection turned into the word "yes" in his mouth.

He just didn't believe it. How could he and Mu An Ning have no destiny?

How could it be possible...that this is a bad fate?

He pursed his thin lips, glanced at Luo Zhiyan, and then closed his eyes as if imitating her.

After Luo Zhiyan asked all the questions she wanted to ask in her mind, she rolled up her sleeves and started shaking the lottery box.

However, after a while, she threw the fallen stick back and frowned tightly.

She pouted her red lips and complained in a cute voice: "Humph, so boring, these things really can't be taken seriously."

Her fate with Brother Huai cannot be determined by these fortune sticks!

Mrs. Luo knew at a glance that her niece did not draw the lot that she wanted.

She laughed helplessly and said meaningfully, "Sometimes it's accurate."

Although it was not uncommon for cousins ​​to ask to marry their cousins ​​since ancient times, she saw clearly that her son only regarded Luo Zhiyan as a sister and no one else.

Seeing that Gu Huaizhi also opened his eyes, Luo immediately handed him the lottery box and said jokingly, "Ah Huai, what did you ask that took you so long?"

In fact, needless to say, she had guessed half of it. Her son had never believed these things before, but this time he believed them for the first time.

It must be related to peace.

Gu Huaizhi was teased by Luo and took the lottery ticket tube rather stiffly.

He shook his head and coughed lightly, pretending to be nonchalant: "Nothing, just asking a small question."

Although he said this, he stared at the lottery ticket holder in his hand, and his palms felt a little sticky unconsciously.

Finally, a wooden stick fell out.

His throat rolled unconsciously, and after taking a deep breath, he finally turned the wooden stick over slowly.

His black eyes were fixed on the words above for a long time, unable to come back to his senses, and that familiar feeling of tightness in the chest suddenly came over him again.

How is this possible?

Luo looked at her son's strange expression, her heart tensed, and she asked tentatively: "Ahuai, what did you draw?"

Could it be signing a contract?

Luo Zhiyan stared at the lot in the boy's hand with her bright eyes and asked curiously, "Brother Huai, please show it to me and my aunt."

Gu Huaizhi slowly raised his eyes and, like Luo Zhiyan, threw the stick in his hand back into the stick box.

His tone was a little stiff: "There's nothing good to see. You really shouldn't believe this."

He paused and suddenly said, "Mother, this temple is too boring. I'm going to go out for a walk."

Having said this, he turned around, walked around the other pilgrims, and strode out.

Luo frowned. Although her son refused to say anything, she obviously felt something was wrong.

While Luo was stunned, Luo Zhiyan quickly picked out the lot that the boy had drawn earlier.

Luo Zhiyan couldn't help laughing and handed the wooden stick to Luo: "Aunt, no wonder Brother Huai wanted to go out for some fresh air, it turns out that the one he drew was worse than Yan'er's."

At least she drew a "bad lot", but Brother Huai drew a "worst lot".

I don’t know what Brother Huai asked.

*

Gu Huaizhi followed the crowd to an empty place.

In the center of the courtyard stood an ancient tree that was obviously several hundred years old, its branches hung with red ribbons and yellowed papers.

The young man stood there quietly, feeling mixed emotions as he thought about the lot he had just drawn.

Suddenly, a light breeze blew, and a few pieces of paper fell from the branches and floated quietly in the air.

Gu Huaizhi lowered his eyelids and picked up one at random as if possessed by a ghost.

He slowly unfolded the piece of paper, and what caught his eyes were two lines of elegant small calligraphy with flowers on it.

——May you get what you want.

——Wish to be of one mind

For some reason, the second line of words was not completed, and the ink was slightly smudged.

The writer did not give his name, but it was impossible for him not to guess who it was because the same handwriting had appeared in his house before.

The boy's heart sank, and when he raised his eyes, he happened to see the girl slowly approaching through the drooping branches.

She also held a piece of paper and a red ribbon in her hands.

The woman next to her asked her, "Big sister, what did you wish for? Did you wish for a marriage?"

Gu Huaizhi unconsciously clenched the paper in his hand and held his breath.