Tongren Hexagram (Middle to Upper Level)
Chapter 13 Fellowship Hexagram - Upper-middle level - The steward of the Taoist temple
The carriage gradually moved away from the hustle and bustle of the street and sped along the uneven mountain path.
Du Chunhong's voice rang out in the carriage, "Your father and I have been here for ten years. We have finally reunited with you. If you want to achieve as much as you did in your previous life, we have plenty of time to support you in this life."
"Mom, I thought you could retire early, stay home and walk your birds or play ball, wouldn't that be nice? I'm afraid I can't even lie down anymore."
Gouxiang gave her the Taoist temple, and she couldn't really ignore it.
Du Chunhong shook her head. "You haven't experienced life in the Marquis's mansion. What do you mean by 'lying down'? That's too boring. People always need to find something to do, not for money or profit. I'm willing to do it. Besides, if you really want to rebuild the Taoist temple, this is the time when you need people."
Du Chunhong is absolutely right. Her parents were a craftsman and a master chef, respectively, both outstanding figures in the entire Song Dynasty.
Although rebuilding the Taoist temple is a waste of talent, it is still better than wasting talent.
"Hmm, I'll sound out Mr. Li first. If he can be used by me, then our great undertaking will be accomplished."
Amidst the sound of horses' hooves and billowing dust, Manager Li watched as the carriage came to a stop at the foot of Tianbao Mountain.
As everyone lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage, a unique fragrance of trees wafted into their nostrils.
Manager Li had been in Bianliang for over ten years, but this was the first time he had set foot on Tianbao Mountain.
I did visit Dibao Mountain, which is located opposite, once five years ago, when I went in and out with the people from the Marquis's mansion to pray for blessings.
Fu Lou has a lot of accounts to handle, and he hasn't had much free time in recent years. In addition, he is a bit serious and stubborn, so he can't get along with most of the other employees.
Many people felt that he was rigid and impersonal, and only had a superficial acquaintance with him.
He stood at the foot of the mountain, looking up at the majestic mountain range. The distant, undulating mountains made Tianbao Mountain seem even more ethereal.
The swirling clouds and mist around the mountainside made the Hebai Temple they spoke of seem even more mysterious.
Du Chunhong slowed down a little this time, allowing Rong Yan to have a few words with Manager Li.
Manager Li's full name is Li Fuquan. He is from Fuzhou. Years ago, Lady Hou saved his life, so he, a down-on-his-luck scholar, was put to use by her.
Unfortunately, due to Mrs. Hou's misjudgments in the business world over the years, Fu Lou has suffered continuous losses.
The manager of the external affairs department took all the blame upon himself, which drew criticism. Under immense pressure, he had no choice but to resign. Unexpectedly, Lady Hou showed no intention of trying to persuade him to stay.
In the twilight of his life, he felt a chill in his heart and aggrieved, and for a time he was utterly despondent.
Just then, Lady Hou approached him and said, "The young mistress said you are an old general, and as the saying goes, an old horse knows the way. She admires your talent and hopes you can stay and help her."
Li Fuquan did not agree immediately; he wanted to meet her.
Choosing a master requires that it be worthwhile.
Whether it was the chill in the mountains or the cold on the steps, his gait was somewhat slow.
Rong Yan had walked this staircase countless times. She even remembered the exact number of steps: one hundred and eight in total, with some sections so steep that only one person could walk at a time.
It was this sense of familiarity that made her pace quicken, unlike the hesitant manner of Manager Li.
Rong Yan slowed down and turned around to smile at Manager Li. "Manager Li, you don't need to deliberately walk behind others. I don't like to put in a lot of effort when I speak."
She was telling the truth. How could you expect her to say something like that while walking up the mountain steps, looking back every step of the way?
Even if she didn't feel it was dangerous, she still found it tiring.
Manager Li was somewhat surprised. He hesitated for a moment and declined, saying, "Young Madam, my hearing is still good. You don't need to turn around; I can hear you clearly."
Rong Yan didn't continue speaking. Since he insisted, she would let him have his way.
After walking alone along that steep mountain path, she waited for him at a bend that could allow several people to pass at the same time. Seeing that he looked a little tired from coming up, she smiled.
"Will Manager Li be angry with me for inviting you up the mountain on our first meeting?"
"How could that be? It's Fuquan's good fortune. I have no ability to earn the young mistress's attention."
"Manager Li is a talented man, there is no need to belittle yourself. If we can get your help, I think the Taoist temple will prosper in the future."
The shopkeeper was somewhat flustered and hurriedly waved his hand, saying, "No, no, no, young mistress, you flatter me. If it weren't for your insistence, I would have already set off for my hometown. I know I am not capable enough, and I dare not accept the title of your great help. I am too old to be of any help to you."
"I've always trusted my judgment. If I say you can do it, you definitely can. Or perhaps you think I'm a woman and are unwilling to waste my talents?"
The shopkeeper appeared humble, as if he dared not do it.
"As people get older, they inevitably develop more ailments. Young mistress, you would never understand the pain I felt when my legs ached all night in the cold. It's too cold up north, too cold."
As he finished speaking, tears welled up in his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away, taking advantage of the strong wind.
Rong Yan knew exactly what he meant by "coldness."
She said he was a talented person, and that was no exaggeration.
From accounting to general affairs, from personnel appointments to transportation arrangements, the long-term workers and security personnel are all in place. Isn't this the perfect all-rounder for a large enterprise?
She never believed that such a "capable" person existed before.
After reading about his past deeds, it is no exaggeration to say that his mother-in-law's success today is largely due to him.
As for the business gradually declining, she didn't believe it was his fault.
Even if someone has had a glorious past, it proves that they are very capable.
This was a highly talented individual she had desperately needed since becoming the abbess. If it weren't for Madam Wang's disdain and the loss of such a valuable asset, it wouldn't have been her turn.
Her tone lacked the weakness and timidity of a woman, and was far less affected by the pedantry of a scholar. She spoke with an unquestionable air: "Old Master Li, I'll take that as your agreement. I won't mistreat you from now on; you'll be my steward of the Taoist temple."
Rong Yan was standing on a small uphill slope, so Manager Li was looking up at her.
The sky was clear and the wind was strong, which slightly lifted the strands of hair at her temples. Although the veil covered her face, the thin veil could not hide the brilliance of her watery eyes.
He seemed to sense in her the domineering spirit of a man determined to win!
He was somewhat stunned, and couldn't quite remember how he got up there.
Many years later, when many disciples asked him how a layman could be personally invited by the abbot to work on the mountain, he still remembered the shock of that one glance.
When they arrived at the gate of the Taoist temple, Manager Li was so shocked by what he saw that he quickly came to his senses.
He didn't know whose words it was that made him slowly close his impolite lips.
"Isn't this Taoist temple a little too secluded?" Du Chunhong's voice rang in his ears.
The tranquility that Madam Du described was quite respectable; this is far more than just tranquility.
Even though he rarely went to Taoist temples, he had seen quite a few of them in his life, even though he never entered one.
I've never seen a Taoist temple like Hebai Temple before in my life.
It's not fair to describe it as dilapidated; "utterly destitute" would be a more apt description.
He also learned from Madam Hou that the current abbot was none other than the young mistress before him.
She is called the abbot because she is only a closed-door disciple of the Taoist priest Gouxiang and has not been ordained, so she cannot be considered the abbot of the temple.
Looking at the Hebai Temple in front of him now, he felt extremely uncomfortable, as if he had only said half of what he wanted to say.
And so, the group walked in astonishment from the entrance of the Taoist temple until they entered. Despite their inner shock, their deep-seated reverence for their patriarch was still evident in their every gesture.
The temple was deserted, with no one to greet guests.
Although there were hardly any fallen leaves under the decaying wood and dilapidated carvings, the objects inside the temple were arranged neatly and cleanly, making it quite comfortable.
Just as Ji Kong and Ji Xin came out of the teaching hall, they saw several people.
Although Ji Xin was young, she remained very composed when she saw that there were outsiders present, though her bright eyes were still fixed on Rong Yan.
Ji Kong bowed to the group and said, “Dear friends, although our temple is now closed, you can go to the Heavenly Venerable Hall to offer incense and pray for blessings. If you want to ask for divination or fortune telling…” He paused and glanced at Rong Yan with a smile.
After returning the greeting, Du Chunhong politely inquired, "Do you have a dining hall?"
Ji Xin shook his head, "In the past, there were few worshippers at the temple, and the monks in the dining hall said that they needed to prepare more vegetarian meals all the time, which would be a waste, so they didn't."
After listening, Du Chunhong nodded thoughtfully.
"Let me introduce you. This is the new steward, and this is my senior brother. He used to assist the abbot with the steward's tasks. If you have any questions in the future, you can ask Master Jikong."
After exchanging pleasantries, Rong Yan led Li Fuquan around and got straight to the point: "Old Mr. Li, as you can see, this is the current state of our temple. Some halls have been in disrepair for years. Apart from the four main golden nanmu trees and some ebony in the Ancestral Hall, the rest are somewhat damaged. If we were to repair them all, how much silver would it cost?"
Li Fuquan was both apprehensive and pleased by Rong Yan's very polite attitude towards him, but after a moment he blurted out, "Ten thousand taels."
Rong Yan frowned. "If we could sell the jujube wood in the palace as religious artifacts, and then use that money to buy relatively cheaper mulberry wood, do you think that would be feasible?"
Because the word for mulberry wood sounds like "funeral grave," ordinary people generally avoid this type of wood.
Ji Kong glanced at Rong Yan from afar. The light from outside the palace gently shone on her veil, reflecting the sheen of her clothes, making her appear as if she were enveloped in a layer of light and shadow, which was quite beautiful.
"Senior brother, what are you looking at?"
"It's nothing. Let's go to the back mountain to pick some celery and make some dumplings for everyone. Then we can invite them to eat them in the dining hall, okay? Your senior sister loves your dumplings the most."
Upon hearing this, Ji Xin nodded happily.
He had been eating pickled vegetables for several days, and he was overjoyed to hear that he could eat vegetarian dumplings in the dining hall.
Li Fuquan's voice was quite loud in the distance. Ji Xin didn't understand, so he glanced at it and followed Ji Kong.
On the other end, Li Fuquan was shocked when he heard Rong Yan's suggestion. "What?!" Manager Li was so surprised that he couldn't stop his voice.
"The young mistress is going to make these logs into magical artifacts and sell them?!"
Rong Yan seemed accustomed to the manager's surprise. She nodded slightly, and the veil on her head swayed with her movements, revealing a layer of shimmering white pearls.
"good."
Manager Li stared at the young mistress across from him, his lips trembling slightly.
This seemingly noble young lady actually said she wanted to sell the jujube wood in the temple, and that she would have to pry it out. If he wasn't sure he hadn't misheard, he would have been speechless.
Young Madam, this action might make you a laughingstock among the young ladies. Such a move would be unheard of in the entire city of Bianliang. Moreover, as the eldest daughter-in-law, her every action affects the reputation of the Marquis's mansion. If the face-conscious Lady Marquis were to find out, the situation would certainly become serious.
"It would be inappropriate for a young lady to take over and then immediately sell off the temple's property..."
She, a lady of high standing, had fallen so low as to sell the pillars of a Taoist temple. Not only would the Lady of the Marquis lose face, but all the young ladies in the capital would look down on her if they knew!
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