Chapter 101: Around the Buddha Hall, the Longevity Card

Liu Mingan had been bending over to write couplets all morning. When he finished the last couplet, he could hardly stand up straight. He

had finished writing on the red paper he brought, but there were still several people who wanted couplets but hadn't bought any, so they asked him, "Sir, will you come tomorrow?"

Seeing that Liu Mingan was exhausted, Jiang Ning quickly helped him answer, "No tomorrow, please forgive me."

Those people asked when he would come again, and Jiang Ning replied, "In two days," and then sent the people who had gathered around him away.

"Huh~ I'm so tired!" Liu Mingan pounded his aching waist and let out a long breath.

Jiang Ning counted the copper plates, and the money from selling portraits and couplets was nearly four taels of silver.

"Thank you for your hard work!" Jiang Ning put away the copper plate, smiled and grabbed Liu Ming'an's right hand, and gently massaged the muscles and joints on his hand with her fingers.

"It's not hard. I said that I like doing this kind of thing to support my family the most. With this money, we can have several hot pot meals again." Liu Ming'an also smiled and looked back at Jiang Ning, raised his other hand and poked the pear-shaped ridges on her face.

Jiang Ning looked at him with a smile, the corners of her eyes slightly curved, and there was a gentleness like water between her eyebrows.

It was past lunch time, because Aunt Lan, who sold osmanthus cakes next door, left early, and neither of them had lunch. When they went to Pufo Temple to return the table, they saw that the monk's vegetarian meal was quite delicious. After discussing it, they decided to have a meal in the temple.

The two followed the monks of Pufo Temple to the temple dining hall. Along the way, the incense was lingering, the sound of bells, chanting of sutras, and wooden fish were incessant. The Buddhist temples they passed by were solemn and solemn, and the Bodhisattvas and Arhats inside were enough to make people feel awe at a casual glance.

Liu Mingan whispered in Jiang Ning's ear: "A Ning, let's walk around here after dinner. I have never been to a temple before."

"Okay." Jiang Ning agreed without hesitation. Anyway, there was nothing to do in the inn.

So, after dinner, the two were not in a hurry to go back, and strolled around Pufo Temple like a quick tour.

Liu Mingan was in high spirits and was very interested in every Buddhist temple. He walked and looked, and he carefully read the origins of each Bodhisattva and Buddha, and then followed everyone to worship.

Jiang Ning didn't believe in ghosts and gods, and naturally didn't believe in Buddhism, but Liu Ming'an was happy, so she accompanied him.

Just treat it as a date, Jiang Ning told herself, modern couples go shopping and watch movies on a date, she and Liu Ming'an went to temples and worshipped Buddha in ancient times, it was similar.

Pufo Temple is very large, with many Buddhist temples. The two started from the east, slowly wandering around, and after an hour they finally reached the main hall in the middle of the temple.

Jiang Ning looked at a group of people circling the main hall from a distance, and was very puzzled: "Is this a ritual?"

An old man nearby heard this and answered cheerfully: "Young girl, are you from another place? There has always been a rumor in this Pufo Temple, that is, if you put your hands together, put aside all distracting thoughts, and circle the main hall thirteen times, you can make a wish to the Buddha to bless your family with good health and worry-free life."

"Thank you for clearing up my doubts, old man." Liu Mingan thanked him politely.

The old man smiled and waved his hands, and went to burn incense by himself.

Liu Mingan turned around, with a look of eagerness to try: "A Ning..."

"You want to go?" Jiang Ning felt that she had said something nonsense after asking.

How could she believe such nonsense? Jiang Ning complained in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face. She just said, "Then you go. I'll go somewhere else and come find you later."

Liu Ming'an thought Jiang Ning was afraid of getting tired, so he said "OK" and joined the team walking around in circles.

The hall is estimated to be three hundred meters in one lap, and the people walking around in circles walk slowly. Jiang Ning estimated that it would take Liu Ming'an more than forty minutes to walk thirteen laps.

It took too long, and Jiang Ning wanted to go back to the pavilion she just passed by to sit down and rest for a while, but she saw an acquaintance after walking a few steps.

It was Auntie Lan who sold osmanthus cakes.

Jiang Ning remembered the conversation between Liu Ming'an and Auntie Lan in the morning. The woman said that she had something to do today, so she closed the stall early. It turned out that she came to worship Buddha.

Jiang Ning watched Auntie Lan walk into a dimly lit Buddhist temple, and looked up at the top of the hall. It was the "Hall of Eternal Life".

Jiang Ning remembered that the tablets in the Hall of Eternal Life should be for the living or the dead. As long as enough money is added every year, the monks here will light an oil lamp for you and ensure that the lamp will not go out.

Turning her head to look at Liu Mingan who was still spinning, Jiang Ning walked towards the Hall of Eternal Life.

Liu Mingan must be spinning to pray for her. Jiang Ning knew it very well. Then she would go to the Hall of Eternal Life to take a look. If the price is cheap, she can consider buying him a tablet of longevity and lighting a lamp of longevity as a return gift.

As soon as Jiang Ning walked into the Hall of Eternal Life, a monk at the door put his hands together and said "Amitabha", and then asked: "Do you want to buy a tablet of longevity?"

"How much?" Jiang Ning asked directly.

The monk was obviously stunned. Who would talk about business right away? Shouldn't he ask what the steps are?

"Donor, money is something outside of the body. Buddhists are pure and don't care about the secular world. We don't do business." The monk thought for a while and replied, and then said "Amitabha".

Jiang Ning didn't say anything, just looked at him quietly.

Sure enough, the monk continued: "Please light the longevity card and the longevity lamp to accumulate blessings and virtues for the people you care about. The Buddha saved all living beings, cut off his flesh to feed eagles, and had great love in his heart. We Buddhist disciples take precepts morning and evening, and practice all our lives, just to let the people in the world bathe in the Buddha's light, cultivate ourselves and be saved..."

Jiang Ning listened to this long speech expressionlessly, and wanted to leave.

"…Therefore, as long as the donor adds one or two taels of silver per month as incense money and sincerely offers sacrifices to the Buddha, the person for whom the donor wants to buy a tablet will be blessed by the Buddha. If the person is alive, everything will go well and he will live a hundred years without worries; if the person is dead, he will rest in peace in the underworld and be reborn into a wealthy family in the next life, and live a peaceful and happy life."

Jiang Ning could certainly afford one or two taels of silver, but one or two taels per month would be twelve taels per year. Not to mention that she was about to go to the capital, when she thought of Liu Mingan's back hurting from making money, Jiang Ning was reluctant to give one or two taels of silver to this illusory Buddha. It is

better to ask for help from oneself than from Buddha. She will protect her scholar!

The monk in front of her was still waiting for her reply. Jiang Ning decided not to spend this money in vain. She walked into the hall perfunctorily and said, "Let me take a look first."

But in fact, there was nothing to see in this hall. There were densely packed tablets and densely packed oil lamps. Jiang Ning thought of a word that was inappropriate: spooky.

After turning around, Jiang Ning saw Aunt Lan kneeling on a cushion at the back of the hall. She was clasping her hands together with a pious look on her face and muttering something.

Jiang Ning looked up and saw a longevity tablet in front of Aunt Lan. In the middle of the black wooden tablet were written the three characters "Nangong Ling", and there was another line of small characters beside it. The light was too dim to see clearly, but Jiang Ning guessed that it should be something like the birth date.

"Nangong..." Jiang Ning muttered in her heart. This was the third time she had come across this surname. The first two times were because of the "Prime Minister Nangong", and this time it was because of a strange woman. She didn't know if this surname was common in Daliang.

Jiang Ning quickly walked past Aunt Lan, and the woman's words floated into her ears: "...May Ling'er be safe every year..."