Chapter 12 Cannon Fodder White Moonlight 11 I only hope I can keep this heart in the future
The ceremony to celebrate his mother's anniversary was very successful. Ali was busy for three days and finally got rid of an important matter in his mind.
She knelt before the coffin, carefully wiping her mother's tablet with a silk handkerchief, her face full of nostalgia.
"Mother, father, brother, and I are all doing well now. Your spirit in heaven can rest in peace."
After Ali placed the tablet back into the eternal lamp, he looked up with a glimmer in his eyes: "We are not around, you must take care of yourself over there."
There were footsteps behind him. Ali turned around and saw He Zhiyan carrying a incense basket.
These days, He Zhiyan has been very busy with the funeral for He's mother. He is the one who prepares and arranges all the financial matters related to the funeral.
He walked over to Ali, knelt down, lit three incense sticks and handed them to her.
"Thank you, brother." Ali took it with a faint smile.
After the two of them bowed together, He Zhiyan inserted the incense into the candlestick and helped A Li up: "Your knees hurt from kneeling for so long. The abbot is already waiting in the scripture hall."
Ali nodded, then turned back to glance at He's mother's tablet and said, "Then let's go over there now."
During the days of the ritual, Ali bathed and fasted every day. He would go to the main hall to recite scriptures and sweep the floor before dawn. He also copied two chapters of the Lotus Sutra, one of which he placed in front of He's mother's spirit and the other was given to the presiding master, Master Mingshi.
Seeing her sincere heart, Master Mingshi gave Ali a lot of guidance and help in the worship ceremony. Ali was grateful and took the initiative to ask the abbot to provide free medical treatment to the monks in the temple.
Although Puji Temple is located on the edge of the capital and has never been devoid of worshippers, half of the money is used to repair Buddha statues and temples, and the other half is used for spiritual practice and charity. Very little of the money is left for the monks to see doctors and treat illnesses.
In addition, people who practice cultivation usually eat simple meals and have to work hard every day, so those with weak bodies naturally cannot bear it.
Although there is a medicine hall in the temple, most monks just follow the old prescriptions and take some medicine at random, without being able to prescribe the right medicine for the disease.
During these days, Ali had seen no less than five monks who looked sick.
Ali's words were sincere, and Master Mingshi did not say much. He just said, "Amitabha, the donor has the virtue of loving life. I would like to express my deep gratitude on behalf of my humble disciple."
The consultation was scheduled for today. Master Mingshi gathered all the monks in the Sutra Hall. Ali and He Zhiyan were in the hall to diagnose and write prescriptions, while the monk Yansong from the pharmacy was there to help read the prescriptions and dispense the medicines.
Half a day passed quickly, and there were not many monks left in the hall. Ali slowly moved her stiff right hand. He Zhiyan walked behind her and said, "Go and rest. I'll take care of the rest."
Ah Li rubbed his aching neck and let out a long sigh: "But my brother still has..."
Yan Song, who had been busy at the medicine cabinet, suddenly called out, "Mr. He, can Miss He come over for a moment?"
Ali was still a little hesitant, but He Zhiyan had already taken the brush from her hand and motioned her to come over.
Ali had no choice but to get up.
"Master Yansong, what's wrong?"
"Ms. He, take a look." Yan Song handed two prescriptions to Ali.
It turned out that the handwriting of the two prescriptions was extremely similar, and the medicines prescribed were almost the same, but there were a few key ingredients that were different. Yan Song was worried that he had prescribed the wrong medicine, so he called her over.
Ali only took a glance and smiled, "The one on the left was written by my brother, and the one on the right was written by me."
Yan Song nodded repeatedly: "Thank you Miss He, I will prescribe the medicine according to the prescription right away."
Seeing that he was a little flustered, Ah Li followed him and said, "I'll help Master Yansong."
Yansong thanked him, and the two of them chatted while getting the medicine.
"Miss He and Master He's handwriting are so similar. I guess Master He taught them both, right?"
Ah Li picked up a scale and tested the scale: "No, my calligraphy was taught by my brother. It's a pity that I am a stupid student and often make my brother upset."
Yan Song smiled and opened a medicine cabinet: "I didn't expect Miss He had such an interesting story when she was a child."
Ali grabbed some ephedra and put it on the weighing plate. He couldn't help but glance at He Zhiyan who was not far away. He was talking to a monk. His expression was as cold as ever, as if he didn't want strangers to approach him.
Suddenly, he looked over as if he sensed something.
Ali smiled at him, his eyes moving. He Zhiyan didn't say anything, but the coldness on his face dissipated a little.
Suddenly, a furtive figure flashed past the back door of the scripture hall, and no one in the hall noticed it except Ali.
She put down what she was holding and quietly moved over.
There was no one outside the door.
Ali looked around and found a dark piece of clothing sticking out from the corner.
This dress...
She looked back at Yansong who was busy, walked towards the corner, and sure enough, she saw a little monk behind the wall.
The young monk, who looked no more than ten years old and quite clever, was startled by Ah Li's sudden appearance. He quickly pulled her down to a squat position, his index finger raised to his lips, his face flushed with anxiety. "Shh! Don't let Senior Brother find out!"
Ah Li glanced outside and said, "No one else noticed. Is Master Yansong your senior brother?"
The young monk didn't quite believe what she said, and insisted on climbing up the wall to see for himself. After confirming that she was the only one there, he felt relieved and said, "Yes."
A-Li glanced at his monk's robe, which was obviously much too big, and placed his hands on his knees. He asked, "Master Mingshi summoned all the monks in the temple to come here for a consultation today. They've almost finished their consultation now. Why didn't I see you just now?"
The young monk was hesitant at first, but when he heard Ali say that she was a doctor who came to the temple to see patients, his eyes lit up: "Then you must be able to treat illnesses!"
"I can treat illnesses," Ali nodded and said calmly, "but first you have to tell me what you are doing here."
The young monk curled his lips and said, "I...I'll get the medicine."
Ali saw that his face was rosy and he didn't look injured.
The young monk seemed to understand what Ali was thinking, and his voice gradually lost its confidence: "It's not me, it's, it's..."
"I found a man," the young monk observed Ali's expression and spoke slowly, "I found him by the mountain road a few days ago when I was collecting firewood in the back mountains. He was unconscious, so I moved him back to my room."
Ali looked surprised: "Did no one in the temple find you?"
The young monk shook his head: "It was evening service time, and I lived in a room all to myself."
Seeing that Ali didn't say anything, he moved closer and said, "Sister, I'd like you to go over and see him, is that okay?"
Being stared at by the young monk's pair of clear and bright eyes, Ali felt defeated. She thought for a moment and said, "Wait for me."
As she spoke, she returned to the scripture hall. Coincidentally, He Zhiyan was not there, so Ali carried the medicine box and went to the monk's quarters with the young monk.
On the way, Ali learned the name of the little monk, Yan Jing, the youngest of the Yan generation.
When I pushed open Yan Jing's door, I saw a skinny boy lying on the bed. He was about fourteen or fifteen years old. His lips were pale and cracked, but his cheeks were abnormally red.
Ali put down the medicine box and took his wrist pulse.
Yan Jing held his breath and lay on the edge of the bed, his eyes shifting back and forth between Ali and the young man: "Sister, how is he? Is he going to die?"
Ah Li slowly lowered his hand and covered himself with the quilt. "None of the external injuries are fatal. It's just that my body is too weak. A slight cold has caused me to become so seriously ill."
Yan Jing felt relieved and then asked, "Then how can he wake up?"
Ah Li sat down at the table and wrote a prescription. He turned to Yan Jing and said, "Take the medicine according to this prescription. The fever will go away and you will wake up in a few days, but you will need some time to recuperate."
Ah Li read the prescription twice more, dried the ink on it, and handed it to Yan Jing. "Your fellow practitioners don't know there's someone hiding in your room, right? Then how are you going to get the medicine?"
Yan Jing carefully took the prescription, folded it and put it into his sleeve, his big eyes blinking: "I don't know... But don't worry, sister, I have my own way."
Ah Li assumed he had his own connections and didn't ask any more questions, but he couldn't help but ask, "I don't know who this person is. If you're hiding him here secretly, I'm afraid you'll be punished by the abbot."
Yan Jing, however, didn't seem to care much and walked A Li out the door. "Master always taught us to be kind and compassionate to others. Last month, when I went down the mountain with my fellow practitioners to give alms, I saw them helping the people in the same way."
He jumped onto the threshold, looking rather unconvinced. "My brothers always say I'm immature and can't comprehend the Buddha's teachings. Just wait and see. This time I will definitely save this person and impress them."
Seeing Yan Jing's particularly serious look, Ali just patted his head and said, "If there's any problem with his illness in the future, just come to the East Zen Room to find me."
*
Two days later, He's father still did not come to Puji Temple.
Ali gradually became anxious, and when he went to find He Zhiyan, a letter from He's father arrived.
In the letter, He's father said that he was fine, but the Empress Dowager's illness was very serious this time, so the entire medical officer's office was left in the palace. He asked the two to apologize to He's mother on his behalf and make it up to her later.
After seeing the handwritten letter from He's father, Ali felt relieved.
In the afternoon, Ali came back from listening to the sutras and thought of the young man in Yanjing's room. When he heard that the young man had woken up, he turned around and walked towards the monks' quarters.
There was no one in Yan Jing's room. There were a few open scriptures and a few straw grasshoppers on the table.
Ali smiled and walked to the bedside to check on the boy's condition.
The young man seemed to have just fallen asleep, his face was pale, but his pulse had stabilized a lot, and the high fever of several days had subsided.
Ali thought for a moment and wrote down a mild prescription for replenishing qi, placing it under the scripture on the table.
Seeing that Yan Jing had not appeared, Ali remembered that it was the time for meditation and the monks should all be in the hall, so he went over with the medicine box.
Ali went on his way and met Master Mingshi and several of his disciples halfway.
Ah Li greeted him with a smile: "Master Mingshi."
"Congratulations, donor." Master Mingshi also returned the greeting.
Seeing the disciples behind him, each carrying a basket filled with fruits, incense, and candles, Ah Li asked, "Is there any major religious ceremony taking place in the temple these days?"
Master Mingshi nodded, his expression compassionate: "There is unrest at the border. I and the monks in the temple are powerless to do anything. We can only pray devoutly to the Buddha."
Ali understood.
Although she was secluded in her boudoir, she had heard that there had been frequent refugee incidents in the northwest recently, and the government had simply suppressed them, causing the local people to become homeless and countless people to die of starvation and disease.
The news was repeatedly concealed by the government, and it took several months for it to reach the capital. It quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys, and everyone was speculating: "Is the world going to be in chaos again?"
A worry also appeared on Ali's face. "Throughout the dynasties, whenever there was unrest, it was the common people who suffered. With war everywhere, how many people couldn't even get medical treatment, and struggled to death."
"That's exactly what happened," Master Mingshi sighed. "Constantly fighting over worldly matters, both sides become enemies, and both suffer losses. Who is the winner and who is the loser?"
"We are all driven by others and have no choice."
Ah Li looked at the medicine box in her hand. It was made by He's father. "Ah Li, I don't know what the future will be like, but my father taught us since we were young that as a doctor, we must remember..."
She paused, her voice flowing like a clear spring: "I don't judge good and evil rashly, I don't comment on right and wrong. Medicine can save all living beings. There is no high or low in medicine. I only hope that I can keep this heart in the future."
After bidding farewell to Master Mingshi, Ali walked to the mountain gate unconsciously. She looked from afar for a long time but still did not see He's father.
Although I have heard the news, I still feel sad.
Suddenly, the sedan chair of the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion appeared in front of the mountain gate, and Xu Lingjia, dressed in plain clothes, jumped off the sedan chair.
Ali stopped and saw Xu Lingjia walking towards him with big strides, or to be more precise, running towards him.
Ah Li didn't know what was going on, so he just said, "It's rare to see Miss Xu dressed so simply."
Xu Lingjia tugged at his clothes with a complicated expression, wanting to say something but stopping himself: "It's a long story. Come to my place later and I'll tell you in detail."
Behind the two of them, the setting sun burned the sky into a shrimp red color, and the air became slightly stuffy. It looked like there would be a heavy rain tonight.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
