Three years later
A red-coated double-column carriage swayed slowly on the busy street.
The green-covered carriage stopped at the foot of a large mountain, the curtain was opened, and a woman stepped out of the carriage.
The woman wears a blue green smoked sweater with a pleated skirt of water mist and green grass. She has a bun on her head and a hollow gold hairpin inserted at an angle. She behaves dignified and gentle.
The coachman and the maid called the woman 'Mrs. Zuodu'.
Yes, this woman is Jiang Min, 'Mrs. Zuodu'.
"Outside, please don't call me 'Mrs. Zuodu'."
Three years later, Jiang Min is still not pregnant, which makes her very worried, especially when facing her elderly parents-in-law, she feels like a mountain of pressure.
Looking up from the bottom of the mountain, there is a Buddhist temple. I heard that this Buddhist temple is very sacred. As long as you accumulate virtue and do good deeds, you will receive blessings.
Jiang Min came here to worship Buddha and pray for blessings despite the long journey.
In the pure land of Buddhism, Jiang Min didn't want to be too ostentatious, so she ordered her maid Ah Gu and the coachman not to call her by her identity.
Ah Gu and the coachman bowed and said, "It's Madam."
In order to show his piety, Jiang Min had to walk to the Buddhist temple.
To reach the Buddhist temple, you must walk up a long and narrow stone staircase.
The sun was shining brightly, and Jiang Min climbed up with difficulty.
When the maid Ah Gu saw her wife staggering up the stairs, her heart almost burst out of her chest.
"Madam, can you do this? Why don't you let Ah Gu help you?" Ah Gu was worried about his wife's safety, so he went up to help her.
"Ah Gen, don't help me. If the Buddha sees it, he will think that I am not pious enough." Jiang Min refused the maid's help.
Ah Gu said worriedly: "But madam, these stone steps are too bare!"
"It's okay, I'll pay attention." After comforting the maid, Jiang Min continued to crawl.
Jiang Min finally climbed to the top of the mountain with perseverance, and a solemn Buddhist temple came into view.
In front of the Buddhist temple, there is a large golden Buddha with shining golden light. Its head is as high as the mountain, its feet are on the river, its hands are touching its knees.
When Jiang Min saw the golden Buddha in front of the Buddhist temple, she immediately felt no longer tired, and her eyes seemed to see the light of hope.
Jiang Min put incense sticks on the incense burner, then faced the Buddha and prayed devoutly with her hands together!
Since this Buddhist temple is quite famous in Kyoto, there are many people worshiping Buddha and praying here.
At this time, an old monk came towards Jiang Min, followed by a young monk.
Amitabha!
"Is this the first time this lady has come to this temple?"
"Yes, master!" Jiang Min clasped her hands in return.
The old monk saw that Jiang Min was going to the Buddhist temple to pray for the first time, so he started talking with Jiang Min.
After Jiang Minlai spent a while with the old monk, he asked Agu and the young monk to go to the merit cabinet to donate some sesame oil money, and then he followed the old monk to the temple to worship Buddha and pray for blessings.
Jiang Min came to the temple, put her hands together, and knelt down to worship devoutly.
For the sake of Jiang Min's piety, the old monk agreed to write a prayer for Jiang Min and asked Jiang Min what she wanted to pray to the Buddha.
What Jiang Min wants to pray for most is a son, but her father-in-law and mother-in-law are not in good health recently, and she and her husband are not going well in the officialdom.
Jiang Min thought for a while and asked the old monk: "Master, can I ask Buddha for some blessings?"
"No, I can only ask for one wish from the Buddha when I come to the Buddhist temple. People can't be too greedy." The old monk replied decisively.
Being rejected by the old monk, Jiang Min suddenly felt extremely ashamed.
Jiang Min hurriedly explained: "Master misunderstood, I am not praying for myself."
"Then who are you praying for?" the old monk asked.
"The elderly at home are getting weaker and weaker, and my husband's career is not going as he expected. I want to pray for them."
"Even so, it won't work." The old monk said.
"Why? Didn't the master just say that as long as you accumulate virtue and do good deeds, you can get blessings from the Buddha. Now I will give my blessings to my relatives, why can't I do it?" Jiang Min was stunned!
"Amitabha! It is your selfishness to give your blessings to your relatives. If everyone does good deeds with selfish motives, it cannot be called 'doing good'; if it cannot be called true 'doing good', then what is the point? Accumulating virtue? If you can’t accumulate virtue, how will you get any blessings?"
I don’t understand, how can it be selfish to give one’s blessings to relatives and loved ones? Is it right to be selfless?
The old monk's words made Jiang Min even more confused.
The old monk recited another sentence: Amitabha!
"Madam, do you still want to pray?" the old monk asked.
Jiang Min was stunned and said, "Of course."
"But you can only pray for one blessing." The old monk said.
Jiang Min thought for a while and said, "My husband is a single descendant of the third generation. The slave family's wish is to give birth to a son for my husband."
Asking for Zifu?
The old monk showed a troubled expression.
Jiang Min knelt down and asked the old monk to write her a blessing note and bless the Buddha.
Although the old monk was in a difficult situation, he still wrote a note asking for a child for Jiang Min.
After leaving, Jiang Min donated incense money to the Buddhist temple to express her gratitude.
Jiang Min followed the old monk's instructions, eating fast and chanting Buddha's name every day to accumulate virtue and do good deeds.
…………………………
On this day, Sima Ao, who was out on inspection, returned home. When he couldn't see Jiang Min, he asked the housekeeper. "Where's Madam?"
The housekeeper looked at the time and said, "Sir, madam, at this hour, it's time to distribute porridge at the Buddhist temple."
Buddhist temple serving porridge?
Sima Ao didn't understand, so he asked the housekeeper again, where has Madam been and what has she been doing recently?
The housekeeper told Sima Ao that his wife had recently become obsessed with worshiping Buddha and often gave away porridge and donated clothes to the poor.
"Okay, I understand."
Sima Ao knew about Jiang Min's current situation, so he asked the housekeeper to step aside first.
………………………
At night, Sima Ao asked Jiang Min where he had been today.
Jiang Min told Sima Ao that today she went to worship Buddha, serve porridge, and visit her father and mother.
"How are those two old men in good health?" Sima Ao asked.
Because of his busy work schedule, Sima Ao hasn't visited his parents for a long time. Jiang Min often visits and takes care of them instead.
Jiang Min has to serve her husband and her parents-in-law.
In order to keep the two together, Jiang Min often ran in both directions.
"Father's health is fine, but mother's leg injury occurred again." Jiang Min replied.
Over the years, I have been patrolling various places and have not been able to come back to visit my parents. I am really an unfilial son.
As soon as Sima Ao heard that his mother's leg was injured again, Sima Ao felt guilty in his heart.
"Mother's leg injury makes her sick again? Didn't you call a doctor?" Sima Ao asked.
"Please call the doctor. The doctor said that the winter nights are long and cold, my mother's rheumatism has accumulated for a long time, and she has a leg injury, so it is unlikely to relapse."
"This year's winter is indeed colder than in previous years. I will send them more charcoal and some quilts tomorrow." As he spoke, Sima Ao looked sadly out the window where there was thick ice and snow.
Jiang Min responded, "I will." and reassured Sima Ao not to worry too much.
"Ma'am, thank you for your hard work!"
Sima Ao gazed lovingly at the gentle and virtuous Jiang Min and held her in his arms.
Being able to pay for the people you love is a blessing, so Jiang Min never feels hard and never complains.
"Husband, there is no need to say polite words between you and me."
Jiang Min lay tenderly in Sima Ao's arms, with a happy smile on her face.
