(6)
Bai Feng and the others, who were hiking among the dangerous mountains, naturally knew nothing about what was going on at the bottom of the mountain. They had already put a lot of effort into dealing with the stone steps under their feet that were covered with moss and weeds. Yang Ji led the way, pausing now and then: holding the wooden cane in his hand to check whether the road ahead was stable; and pointing to the bare hillside beside him, he bluntly said that there had been a landslide accident there, and warned those behind him. A few people must not make big moves or make loud noises.
Layers of stone steps were piled up between extremely steep mountain streams, and the rushing trickle of water flowed not far from the sides of the few people. At first, walking along the mountain col, you can still use the sound of water hitting the bird's song as an elegant foil. But as time went by, the terrain gradually became steeper, and the distance between the stone steps gradually increased. Among the people behind Yang Ji, only Bai Feng could keep up with him without showing signs of fatigue. The rest of the people who had not even stepped through the mountain gate were beginning to struggle with their hands holding the wooden crutches.
The two girls were walking with their wooden sticks, and they had no choice but to wipe the sweat from their faces with dusty hands. Their neat makeup had long been replaced by looks of embarrassment on their faces. It was probably the first time that Qian Xi, a weak scholar, had walked to such a high place, and his face was both excited and unconceivably tired. He supported the weak Mei Niang and walked at the end. His eyes were not only on Mei Niang, but also on the various vegetation on the mountain and the villages and towns below. Groups of beech trees take root in Qingliang Mountain, surrounding the stone steps in the mountain forest, reflecting the Qingliang Lake and Yanzi Town at the foot of the mountain. There are countless trickles flowing slowly, providing natural ice springs for people at the foot of the mountain, nourishing crops and hearts.
Bai Feng, who was in front of Qian Xi, kept bending down to lead Murong Yan forward, having no time to care about others. Seeing Murong Yan stumbling on her feet, as if she would fall immediately without her care, it really made people feel extremely sympathetic. Maybe she wanted Gan Xi and Mei Niang behind her to get out of danger as soon as possible, so she didn't want to delay their journey! Despite her embarrassment, she did not say a word of frustration, nor did she tell anyone about the blisters on her soles. She just gritted her teeth, held the wooden cane in one hand, and relied on the care of the young man in white with the other, enduring the pain and kept walking.
After a while, a few people passed by a unique pavilion. There was nothing else in the pavilion except a stone table and several stone benches. Yang Ji looked back at the juniors, smiled "Haha" and said, "For people who don't often go up the mountain, you are pretty awesome! Let's take a rest in that pavilion first!" After hearing this, several people said, Then he went to the pavilion.
There is very little vegetation where the pavilion is located, which seems to be intentional. Inside, you can see the panoramic view of Yanzi Town at the foot of the mountain; if you raise your eyes and head, you can see the endless blue sky.
The vast and green fields surround the town, interspersed with paths and field ridges. From time to time, farmers walked past it, and the movements of hoeing and cultivating could still be vaguely discerned; looking down along the trickling stream, it was Qingliang Lake. The town by the lake is still lively, but the pedestrians and merchants have become densely packed dots, and it is impossible to tell who is who. People can't help but think: What are the people in the town doing now?
The further you go up the mountain, the cooler the climate becomes. Although the crowds are thinner, the sound in the sky is clearer; although all the people walking up are tired, as long as they see the grand view in front of them, they will instantly feel relaxed and happy, and their energy will double!
Fatigue and troubles are just passing clouds; war and refugees have nothing to do with this place. Yang Ji drank water, pointed to the red bricks and green tiles buried in the mountains, and said, "Qingliang Temple is right there. Let's hit the road after the rest!"
After being immersed in the beautiful scenery, the few people remembered the purpose of their trip, straightened their clothes and got ready to hit the road. Unexpectedly, Murong Yan suddenly frowned in pain. As I sat on the stone bench for a while, the injured area under my feet was temporarily relaxed. But the human body is very sensitive, and it will only return the pain that has been temporarily forgotten twice, and it will never disappear suddenly. Murong Yan was stagnant at the edge of the stone bench and had to hold the table tightly with both hands, unable to take a step forward.
Seeing his strange appearance, Bai Feng already understood the reason for Murong Yan's predicament, so he stepped forward to greet him to sit down, slowly took off his small cotton shoes, and saw the roots of the pair of snow-white cloth socks. His feet were stained with blood, and he couldn't bear to blame: "Yan'er, you should have called me to help you if you can't leave! Why did you get yourself in this way..."
"Um..." Murong Yan looked at her feet, slightly embarrassed, and said, "This road is so difficult, how can you help me?" After that, Bai Feng helped her put on her shoes, and bowed her back to The other party replied: "Of course, let me carry you on my back!" After saying that, Murong Yan glanced at Qian Xi and his wife beside her, and saw that the other party nodded with a smile, so she was more respectful than obeying.
"Hahaha! Get on the road quickly, it will be difficult to walk on the mountain when the sun goes down!" Yang Ji said, then loaded up the food and went ahead.
Several foreigners followed closely, and when they saw the Qingliang Temple approaching, their hearts that had been hanging around were mostly relieved. Especially the girl who was clinging to her lover's body had a little blush on her face, as if the pain just now had become a cloud. She may have never thought that one day she would be cared for and loved so naturally. She put her cheek against Bai Feng's shoulder and whispered softly: "Brother Feng, after this matter is resolved, do you plan to follow Mr. Zhao back to Yuyi Town?"
"Why, you suddenly asked about this matter?"
"Yan'er just wants to say that no matter where Brother Feng goes, Yan'er will be with you every step of the way!"
"Thank you, Yan'er. The same goes for me - no matter what happens, I will always protect you!"
Qingliang Temple seemed to arrive in the blink of an eye. At least in the eyes of the lovers, the journey from the pavilion to the temple did not seem as long as they imagined. The walls of the temple are made of red bricks and are not large in scale. This may be because it is inconvenient to build too majestic buildings on the mountain. The wooden door in front of the temple is dusty, as is the plaque on the top. The words "Qingliang Temple" are so weathered that one can only vaguely understand its meaning. At this time, a monk was cleaning fallen leaves under a plum tree not far from the stone path. There were bunches of green fruits on the tree, which looked very beautiful in the setting sun.
When Yang Ji saw the monk, he came up to greet him. After saying a few words, the monk put the broom next to the tree trunk and ran to the temple. Then Yang Ji took Bai Feng and others to the temple. After entering, he found that the building inside was particularly new and beautiful. Even though the style is mainly simple and solemn, the shiny red paint and tiles are really unexpected. Facing the door is a majestic hall. To enter the hall, you need to pass through a small pond in front of the door, which is crossed by three interconnected arch bridges. They lead to three different halls respectively. The stone steps are lined with green trees on both sides, covering up the side halls on both sides, thus highlighting the grandeur of the main hall.
Several people stepped on the stone tile floor, enjoying the long-lost sense of security, and followed Yang Ji straight to the main hall. When entering the temple, the first thing that catches the eye is the huge golden Buddha statue: This Buddha is as tall as two or three adult men and as wide as a thousand-year-old banyan tree. Even if four or five adults hold hands and form a circle, they may not be able to surround it. live. There are a few spiritual tablets scattered under the Buddha statue. They must have contributed to this Buddhist temple during their lifetimes. Secondly, the hall is extremely empty. Apart from the Buddha statue, there are only felts placed in front of the Buddha statue and candles for lighting. As long as you speak a little louder, it will bring reverberation. In addition, people do not dare to speak nonsense in front of gods and Buddhas, so people who come to worship Buddha will be much more cautious about what they say.
Yang Ji put down the sweet wine he had brought and knelt down on one of the felts. The willow wood sign in front of him read the words "Beloved wife Wang's spiritual place". He bowed several times, and then motioned to the guests who came with him to bow too, saying that even if Even if you don’t believe it, you can still feel at ease.
At the other end of the hall, two seemingly tiny figures were also worshiping Buddha. They seemed to be a man and a woman. The man was bald and looked like a monk; the woman was dressed in purple and black, and her face could not be seen clearly. They were banging the wooden fish "dong dong" while mumbling something. The woman looked at the new Buddhist worshiper and suddenly became angry. Originally, this place was supposed to be a place of majesty and confrontation, but in the next moment, it turned into a scene of farce.
"Mei Lingshuang! You actually came to your door yourself! Stinky monk, catch me that bitch who seduces men!"
Mei Niang followed the sound and found that it was the Miao woman who plotted against her in front of the Tutu Temple that day! I saw that she was about to get up and ask for help from the restraints of the people behind her, and she was swearing curse words from time to time.
"Let me go, you stinky bald donkey! If you don't help me, don't stop me!"
"This is a place to worship Buddha, stop messing around!" The monk-like man tightly tied the Miao woman's shoulders, trying to stop her disrespectful behavior.
"You don't understand me at all. Have you ever had ugly spots on your face?" Seeing that the Miao woman had no intention of retreating, the man behind her had no choice but to slap her on the back of the head, knocking her unconscious. Then he helped her bow a few times to the Buddha and left the hall apologetically.
Miao Nu's dirty words naturally alarmed the monks in the temple. They came to the main hall one after another and watched the monk and Miao Nu stay away from there. An old monk saw Yang Ji and hurriedly went over to apologize and said, "Donor Yang, I'm so rude! That monk came up the mountain last night and said he wanted to ask Abbot Xuanqing for Buddhist scriptures. He also had a woman with him. It's so rude. That's outrageous! According to the rules of the temple, visitors have to recite the "Bodhi Sutra" for a whole day before seeking advice from the abbot. In addition, the abbot has been unwell in recent years, so there are fewer and fewer visitors nowadays. They were reciting the sutra just now! I I knew they couldn't bear it, look at that Miao girl, how does she look like a Buddhist?" After saying this, the old monk sighed and walked away.
Bai Feng, Murong Yan, and Yang Ji, who didn't know what happened, got an explanation for Mei Niang, knew the cause and effect, and knew that they were two of the masters sent by the eunuch. Seeing that it was getting late, Yang Ji promised to go see the abbot early tomorrow morning and ask where the Yanzitan, a place of refuge from the world, was. Then, under the arrangement of the monks, everyone moved into the wing rooms in the temple.
