Chapter 15

In this world, no one could understand his loneliness, which led Xu Hao to spontaneously combine the poem he read last night and adapt it into a ci, reflecting his current state of mind.

Unfortunately, there was no sensational effect, just like a pebble falling into a pond, leaving no trace.

After tasting it, the old lady commented, "Young people do not know the taste of sorrow, they force themselves to write about it. What do children know? Nonsense."

I, I have no common language with you. Xu Hao was so depressed that he almost bit his tongue. Suddenly, he remembered something and hurriedly turned his head to look around, hoping to see if there was a beautiful lady nearby who might hear his "masterpiece" and then, following the protagonist's mode, form a touching and tragic love story.

However, reality always goes against one's wishes. Apart from a village girl who had just finished relieving herself and stood up from the nearby grass, there was no other female creature.

The village girl busily tied her long and dirty red sash, and in the midst of her work, she still managed to look up and smile brightly. Xu Hao suppressed the boiling in his stomach, quickly withdrew his gaze, and muttered, "Do not look at what is improper, do not look at what is improper!"

This interlude passed quickly. Lai Bao returned on the exhausted little green horse. Xu Hao, feeling sorry for the horse, ordered him to lead the horse and walk beside the old lady.

They walked for almost an hour, and the whole family was greatly surprised by Xu Hao's displayed perseverance. Even the servants, who were used to walking all year round, found it hard to bear the scorching heat, let alone a young master who had been pampered since childhood.

Madam Xiao's face showed a gratified smile, while Madam Wang and Madam Liu were secretly amazed at the extraordinary stamina of the third son. However, Xu Hao was far from relaxed on the surface. His physical strength was severely depleted, his legs felt heavy and unresponsive, and his feet ached from the small stones on the road.

Fortunately, they had reached their destination, a place called Seven Mile Pines. Xu Hao secretly sighed in relief. Although he could still勉强支撑, he would have to expose his physical condition if he continued. He took a deep breath and looked around. The rugged mountain path was filled with men and women burning incense, like ants.

Xu Hao frowned and raised his hand to shield his forehead. He saw temples, monasteries, and shrines everywhere on the mountain. On the plaque at the entrance of the nearest temple on the left, three gilded characters read "Guanyin Hall"; on the other side, it read "Gongde Chan Temple."

Smoke rose everywhere on the mountain, and black dust scattered with the wind, creating an image of a bustling religious site, a holy place of Buddhism. People were packed together, leaving no gaps.

Just as Xu Hao was about to order the male servants to push through a path and the female servants to protect the convoy, Xu Wen led Xu Ji and Xu Song and others, galloping over with a fierce momentum.

In an instant, the whole road was in chaos, and pedestrians fled to the sides in fear. Women and children who fell down cried out, and curses arose.

Xu Wen, riding on his horse, slowed down, glared, and shouted, "The Duke of Wei is here, who dares to cause trouble?"

The people immediately fell silent. Someone came forward to lift the fallen children, and the women hurriedly got up. The crowd automatically dispersed to the sides.

Xu Hao stared at the scene, only now realizing the vast gap between the ancient nobility and the common people, like the difference between heaven and earth. Yet, the people all had an expression of taking it for granted.

The elders, including the old lady, watched the commotion with satisfaction and were then escorted by their family members to proceed up the mountain. Xu Hao shook his head and slowly followed behind.

Halfway up the mountain, there was a huge archway. In front of the archway was an open space, and on both sides was a couplet: "The imperial map is eternal, a thousand years of prosperity; the Buddha's light shines, ten thousand people look up."

The group stopped to rest, had a cup of tea, and then continued along the relatively flat mountain path for about an hour, arriving at a place called Jinfu Temple. The temple was grand and majestic, with towering buildings and high eaves, giving a solemn and dignified feeling.

The couplet on the two pillars at the entrance was quite interesting: "You draw lots, he recites the Buddha, the bell rings together, but the five tones and six laws are indistinguishable; they come to burn incense, go to light candles, the smoke swirls, and it is hard to tell east from west."

"Quite interesting," Xu Hao smiled, though he did not believe in Buddhism, the humorous and satirical couplet piqued his interest in exploring the temple.

The servants moved about in an orderly manner, serving Xu Wen and the others as they dismounted. The women also got off their sedan chairs and carriages, and the servants stood guard. The old lady clasped her hands and stood at the temple entrance, muttering prayers. Later, the maids and old women brought clean well water, and the whole family washed their hands.

A few servants lit the incense and candles they had brought, and a robed elder in charge of the temple came forward, smiling and respectfully bowing to the old lady.

The old lady also smiled and returned the bow. The two clearly knew each other well, exchanged a few pleasantries, and the elder then recited "Amitabha" to the others, inviting all the benefactors to enter the temple and pay respects to the Buddha.

Xu Hao did not walk with his brothers but followed his elder sister and younger sister. The group entered the gate, passed through the corridor, and arrived at the majestic main hall.

There were many men and women burning incense and making wishes in the main hall. Under the Buddha's teaching of equality for all beings, the Xu family could not exert their authority and had to follow local customs. Of course, the Buddha would not let them wait in vain. Four or five young monks with clear features came forward, respectfully asking for their names and addresses.

The old lady and the elder were catching up, and the three madams each gave their names. The monk at the desk wrote three documents and handed them to the young monks.

Once the masters were done, the servants from each household gathered around, each reporting their names. Some maids who were about to come of age even shyly gave their birth dates.

Almost everyone in the main hall was female, with only a few men, including Xu Hao, while Xu Wen and the others went to the side hall.

After a short wait, the center of the main hall was cleared. The old lady stood at the front with a solemn expression, the three madams stood behind her, and the sisters stood in the third row according to their age. A distance away, the maids and old women knelt in a dense crowd, following their masters' movements.

Only Xu Hao stood proudly in the main hall with his hands behind his back. In his previous life, he had only bowed to deceased elders during the Qingming Festival and had never knelt to anyone. He did not plan to change that in this life.

Fortunately, everyone was busy worshipping the Buddha and did not pay attention to him. As the monk hit the drum and the monk struck the bell, the women all clasped their hands in reverence, each bowing and praying. No one knew what each person was secretly praying for, but it was mostly about seeking the Buddha's protection for the family, health, and finding a suitable husband.

After three rounds of kneeling, they drew lots. After a busy session, everyone had drawn their lots, and they gave the elder the money for the incense and the documents. Then, they followed the old lady to view the magnificent Buddhist murals in the corridors.

Xu Hao initially thought it was quite good, not spending much money, and it was different from what he had imagined. However, suddenly, seven or eight monks with donation books in their hands rushed over.

"Stay back," Xu Hao stepped forward to protect his sister Xu Qinglian, and the monks, seeing this, stopped with smiling faces.

Then came a barrage of sweet talk. These monks were all smooth-tongued, as sweet as men in courtship. One said they needed to repair the main hall, another said they needed to build a bell tower, all chanting the Buddha's name and urging the benefactors to donate money, making the merits sound like a heavenly rain.

Xu Hao, impatient, pulled Madam Xiao and his elder sister and turned to leave. The Xu family, used to this, all followed with smiles when the second madam led the way.

However, the monks did not give up. Wherever the Xu family went, the monks followed, and they continued their endless talk, determined not to leave until they achieved their goal.

The old lady remained calm and silent, but the first madam, Madam Wang, became annoyed and frowned. "We came to burn incense and make merit today. Give them five thousand coins to get rid of their nagging and avoid annoying people."

The old lady smiled and said, "Thanks to you, we can leave now."

The second madam, Madam Liu, supporting her, laughed. "Last time, I was soft-hearted and gave them money. I was just thinking of speaking up, but fortunately, the old lady pinched me. Sure enough, my sister-in-law couldn't help but speak up. Ha ha!"

Everyone couldn't help but laugh. Madam Liu, both angry and amused, said, "Oh, I didn't expect to be tricked by the old lady. Please, next time, pinch my hand too, so my second sister can also contribute."

"She's too cunning, it's not easy to trick her," the old lady chuckled and walked out of the hall, adding, "If you don't believe me, wait and see. Next time, this monkey will pretend to be sick and not come."

Xu Hao almost laughed. His mother, with a raised eyebrow, smiled and said, "With the old lady as the Buddha, how can I, this little monkey, dare not come? Tomorrow, I'll steal the treasure box from your room, and even a small amount will be enough for the temple's monks to live comfortably for ten or eight years."

"Oh, that's my funeral money, it can't be touched," the old lady pretended to be horrified, making everyone, including those in front and behind her, burst into laughter. Xu Hao was also infected and laughed heartily.

Outside the hall, a few managing old women scattered five thousand copper coins. The previously dignified monks, like flies seeing blood, ignored the other worshippers and all fell to the ground, fighting over the coins, including the young monks and the monk who struck the bell. Everyone managed to grab some money.

In a moment, the trained monks scattered and ran to another group of wealthy people, continuing their fundraising.

Only the empty ground and the grass growing stubbornly from the cracks were left behind.

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