Yellow symbols are used to worship heaven, and incense candles are used to worship gods.
The gods of the ten directions recite the transcendence of the dead.
Housekeeper Zhou twisted a stick of incense and lit it. He accidentally burned his fingers and almost broke the incense stick in his hand. He inserted it into the incense burner. When he turned around, the sound of chanting stopped.
"Master Ma, young master Xunqing, please go to the back room to rest for a while and have a sip of tea." Butler Zhou welcomed the people in. There was no one in the Zhou family now, and he was the only one serving the guests.
Master Ma is very experienced in adjusting his tone. When he has a serious face and smiles, he really has the demeanor of a Taoist master. He bows his head and bows slightly: "Buddha Amitayus, don't worry too much about these mundane things. We are monks." When you are away, keep everything simple.”
Having said that, in the mind of Housekeeper Zhou, Master Ma was a man blessed by the gods, and he did not dare to neglect him easily. He specially found the best tea leaves to brew and brought two plates of exquisite cakes to Xunqing.
Master Ma reservedly picked up the teacup and took a sip, saying: "Purify the souls of the dead and save their mortal misfortune. One day, my merits will be complete."
"Master Ma has worked hard. My whole family has suffered this disaster. I am the only one left as a bad old man. I have no ability to do anything for them. I just hope that they have spirits underground and can rest in peace."
"Steward Zhou has a kind heart and is destined to be a Taoist, so don't worry."
Butler Zhou looked relieved, but soon he sighed again, "But the government has been investigating for so long and there is still no news. I don't know what happened to the yaksha. I'm just afraid that it will hurt innocent people."
Master Ma held the tea cup and glanced sideways, but he did not speak easily.
He can pretend to be so successful and deceive people again and again. He knows that he will make mistakes if he talks too much, but all high-minded people must be cold to appear inscrutable.
After the rest time passed, Master Ma stood up with a whisk and said, "Pindao, go ahead and prepare for the next ritual."
Xunqing stuffed the last piece of pastry into his mouth, and just as he was about to stand up, Butler Zhou said, "Do you like this kind of pastry, little master Xunqing? There are some other styles in the kitchen. I'll make some for you."
Xunqing blushed and said, "No, no need." He was begging for cakes like a child.
Butler Zhou smiled and said to Master Ma, who was standing at the door maintaining his immortal demeanor: "Although Young Master Xunqing is young, he has a stable mind."
Master Ma was actually tired after pretending to be tired all day. He finally got away from Butler Zhou, cleared his throat, glanced at him and said, "Xunqing, just go with Butler Zhou."
As soon as Butler Zhou and Xun Qing left, Marshal Ma immediately spread out on the chair and weakly muttered to himself: "I'm so tired that I can't make enough money."
In the kitchen, Butler Zhou took out a small food basket with the words 'Chongshanfang' engraved on the outside. It is a famous dessert shop in Diqiu.
"Master Ma and little master Xunqing have worked hard these past two days. It's just some pastries. Don't dislike it, little master."
Xunqing blushed and slapped his head, "Thank you for your help."
Housekeeper Zhou who couldn't finish the meal wrapped it up in oil paper and stuffed it into Xunqing's face. "You're welcome. Anyway, I'm the only one in the Zhou family. I see that you are about the same age as our young master, and I feel..."
Butler Zhou wiped the corners of his eyes. He had never married or had children in his life, and was planning to spend the rest of his life in the Zhou family. "I didn't expect such a disaster to happen. I'm sorry for my young master, who followed him at such a young age."
Xunqing held the oiled paper bag, his delicate eyebrows furrowed, and his childish face showed a hint of maturity, "Don't be sad, donor. My master said that nature gives birth to human nature. Simplification comes, and then simplicity goes away. Everything is in order. Everything follows the word nature.”
"What the young master said is true, but this family died in an unknown manner. If I die in the future, I don't know what to say when I go down to see the master." Housekeeper Zhou shook his head and sighed, "I don't know how the investigation by the Criminal Division is going. ”
Xunqing rolled some pastry crumbs in his mouth, and after swallowing them, he suddenly thought of what Qiu Chan said when he gave him something. He frowned and said, "There seems to be some progress."
"Ah? What do you say? Don't worry, young master. I am an old man and I will definitely not say nonsense. I am just worried inside."
Xunqing rubbed his little head, thinking that Qiu Chan had already told others that there should be no secrets, so he said: "In the mountains and forests outside the watershed, the guards found traces of human activities, so I guess they will catch Yasha soon."
Butler Zhou was shocked: "Is Yaksha a human being?"
Xunqing was a little confused, "I don't know. It's just that Sister Qiuchan said that the government has some evidence. I can't think of a few days when the truth will be revealed. Regardless of whether Yaksha is a human or a ghost and has harmed countless people, we must believe that the government will Bring him to justice.”
After walking for a while, Xunqing found no one around him, so he turned around and called: "Butler Zhou?"
"Well...it would be great if we could catch him, but the Zhou family is gone, alas..."
Xunqing sympathized with the old man in his heart and couldn't help but comfort him: "Both life and death are determined. My condolences to the benefactor."
The two returned to the front yard of the ancestral hall. Master Ma was already sitting cross-legged on the ground, with his eyes closed and muttering words in his mouth. Yellow talismans were scattered around, incense and candlelight corresponded, and the atmosphere was quiet, peaceful and filled with Xiao Su's atmosphere.
After finding the right position, he sat down cross-legged, his serious look weakened a bit and became more sophisticated.
Butler Zhou bowed to the Immortal Lord and said, "God bless you, all the Immortal Lords bless you, the villains who killed my entire Zhou family are about to be killed. I will buy more incense and candles to offer as offerings."
Master Ma and Xunqing remained silent until the sound of Butler Zhou's walking footsteps was heard. Master Ma opened one eye to take a look, and after making sure that no one was around, his straight back immediately relaxed.
Master Ma knocked on his back and grinned for a while, "Xunqing, you continue to sit here and recite sutras. Don't go away if you have nothing to do."
Xunqing nodded obediently and asked, "What about you?"
When Master Ma Xunqing opened his eyes, he showed a serious face again, coughed twice and said: "I just felt the guidance of Tianzun when I was meditating with my eyes closed, so I should go back to the room to communicate with Tianzun first."
Xunqing was half convinced and half doubtful. His master had practiced Taoism for so many years and in the end he was still not good enough to communicate directly with the Supreme Being. Is Master Ma so strong in cultivation?
"When cultivating Taoism and practicing Zen, you must have no distractions. How can you benefit from Taoism if your mind is not calm?"
Xunqing felt ashamed: "Master Ma, I was wrong."
"Well, knowing your mistakes and being able to correct them can be considered a bit of enlightenment." Master Ma said a few words and walked out maintaining his immortal demeanor.
Once the original shape of the room was revealed, before he rolled up his quilt and dozed off, he vaguely thought about finding out that the child was too good to be fooled.
—
The incense shop and the coffin shop are on the same street. On weekdays, no one passes by and it looks deserted.
Butler Zhou went to the incense shop for half an hour and came out with a basket filled with sacrificial supplies.
Passing by Chongshanfang, I stopped by to pick up the cakes I had agreed on before. My hands were full and I couldn't find any space. I turned around and accidentally bumped into someone.
The person opposite spoke first: "Hey, Butler Zhou, are you shopping?"
The voice is low and melodious, and the tone of voice is smiling, which makes people feel comfortable.
Butler Zhou said apologetically: "Master Yun, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to bump into you."
Yun Qi waved his hands nonchalantly, throwing away the jade bone fan, and glanced slightly downward at the things he was holding in his hands, "I bought a lot of things, and seeing that it's not convenient for you to carry them, why don't I have someone give you one?" Procedure."
"I dare to trouble you." Housekeeper Zhou declined: "It's just some incense candles, paper money, it's not heavy."
"Oh." Yun Di nodded. When Butler Zhou thought he would just step aside, he raised his chin at the restaurant next to him: "Okay, just sit here. I just want to ask you something."
Butler Zhou entered the restaurant's wing and found that there was another person inside, whom he had also seen before. But because the woman was a widow, he was particularly impressed.
Butler Zhou put down his things tremblingly, "I wonder what Mr. Yun's orders were?" He was not sure now whether bumping into Yun Qi was an accident.
"It's not a big deal." Yun Qi was calm and calm, with half-squinted peach blossom eyes and a naturally romantic look. He said with an informal expression: "The Zhou family is gone, and now you are taking care of everything. It's very hard, right? ?”
Butler Zhou sighed: "What should I do? Master and the others are gone, so I can only do something for them. I hope they have a good journey."
"Don't you have any relatives in the Zhou family?"
"Even though there were brothers and families in Diqiu where the old man came from when he fled, we haven't had any contact with him for so many years and have long since lost contact."
"Oh, it's just a single tree."
The two of them chatted back and forth, all of which were insignificant.
Lu Anran rubbed his nose and noticed the exquisite food box placed next to him by Butler Zhou.
"Steward Zhou, you are as young as a little girl and you like these things." Yun Qi looked over and teased.
Housekeeper Zhou looked embarrassed, "This is not for me to eat, but for my family. My young lady likes it. It's a pity that the little girl can't eat it anymore. I bought it to worship." Then he added: "Oh, by the way, little master Xunqing also I love this kind of pastry, so I bought some more.”
Yun Qi raised his eyebrows, "I see, it seems to taste good."
“Three generations of Chongshanfang have been making pastries, which is known locally as a specialty.”
"Butler Zhou, don't you mind sharing a little?"
Butler Zhou was really stunned and immediately said: "Master Yun, please invite me."
Yun Qi was really rude. He opened the lid of the food box, took out a stack, and put it in front of Lu Anran, "Hey, my mouth is almost watering."
Lu Anran couldn't really drool, but smelling the pastry was really fragrant. He nodded to Butler Zhou, took a piece and put it in his mouth. He suddenly sighed in his heart, it was indeed a century-old store and it lived up to its reputation.
When Butler Zhou saw her eating, he only lifted up a little bit of the masking cloth, but he didn't take it off because he looked at her a few more times out of curiosity.
"Your tone of voice is affectionate, do you think you are very close to Zhou Pei?" Yun Qi called back Butler Zhou's thoughts from the opposite side.
Guan Zhou's family members are old and slow to respond, "Ah, so, I have watched the young lady and the young master grow up. Although it is a bit over the rules to say so, I regard them as my own children in my heart."
Yun Qi's fingertips gently rubbed the food plate, which was gilded with a depiction of the tangled branches of crab apples. The color was bright and majestic, and the crystal-clear and small pastries were stacked on it. It was exquisite and luxurious.
"Such a plate of pastries, I'm afraid it's not cheap?" Just one plate costs several taels of silver.
Butler Zhou pointed to the plate and said, "This plate was not provided by Chongshanfang. I took it from home. The lady only likes to use such a plate to hold cakes. She said it looks good."
Yun Didi nodded: "It looks good, but..." The topic changed, "You Zhou family all use gilt plates to eat pastries. Do you serve dinner directly in gold bowls?"
Butler Zhou: "..."
Yunqi raised his lips, smiled with his eyes moving: "The Zhou family is so rich, they won't do shady business behind the scenes, right?"
Butler Zhou's eyelids twitched as he heard Yun Qi slowly say: "Such as human trafficking."
