"When you're away from home, you have to save some money, understand? Here's some silver in the bag. Hmm, if you don't have enough money to buy books, then buy less rouge and face powder. Anyway, you're not good with words and don't know how to bargain. You'll definitely be ripped off. Anyway, the rouge at the foot of the mountain is also passable. "
"Oh."
"Stupid Nanbei, don't say 'oh oh oh' to me. We'll split the silver in half. You're not allowed to use all the money to buy rouge and face powder for me. Do you remember?! "
"Oh."
"Oh, you idiot! Also, I've asked my father to help you pick some tea leaves. When you reach Mount Longhu, you have to give more gifts and smile when you see people. The monks from our family have to be as magnanimous as my father. But if you get beaten up, don't be stubborn. Quickly run home.
Tell my father and he'll help you vent your anger! "
"Okay, I know what to do."
"There's one more thing. Don't forget. If you meet Hsu Fengnian, remember to tell him to come to our house to play."
"Of course."
"When Hsu Fengnian comes up the mountain, will you help my father or Hsu Fengnian?"
"I'll help you."
"Say it again!"
"I'll help Hsu Fengnian."
"That's more like it."
The white-robed monk lay on the rattan chair and listened to the small squabbles in the room. For some reason, he remembered a kind of noodle tea he had eaten in an alley in the capital during a winter many years ago. The noodle tea was finely ground from a very nourishing crop. The noodle tea was boiling hot. Gently shaking it, it rippled in a small porcelain bowl. The way to eat it was also a little particular. One's mouth had to stick to the edge of the bowl and slowly drink it. In this way, the noodle tea would not burn the tongue when it entered the mouth. The noodle tea in the bowl would also not turn cold early, and all the internal organs would be warm. There were icicles hanging under the eaves of the streets and alleys, but after drinking this bowl of noodle tea, one's body and heart warmed up as well. Of course, what made him feel the most warm in the cold was the woman sitting beside him. Perhaps she was not that good-looking, narrow-minded, and a little unruly, but in the vast world, in the vast sea of people, in such a large capital city, there were hundreds of thousands of people. He did not see His Majesty the Emperor, nor did he see the nobles and officials. He only saw her. Since he already worshipped Buddha more than many people, he had a clear conscience and was worthy of the three thousand strands of worry that he had shaved off. He only felt that he couldn't bear those reverent gazes that treated him like a god. Thus, when he drank the noodles tea with her and when she paid the bill, he blushed a little.
Daily necessities like rice, oil, salt, and simple meals. Very good.
His wife said that there were too many shameless women in the capital, so she forbade him from going there again. If he didn't want to go, then so be it.
The white-robed monk smiled and opened his eyes to look at the sun in the sky. He muttered to himself, "We're all old now."
The woman hanging the clothes had sharp ears and said angrily, "Which family's little vixen is shamelessly trying to seduce you again?"
The abnormally tall monk hurriedly got up and ran to help dry the clothes. He said with a smile, "Wife, let me do it, let me do it."
Li Shitou, who had finished tidying up the luggage, stood at the door and looked at her loving parents. She thought about how her mother snored loudly in her sleep and how her father, who was kicked out of bed every two to three days, didn't mind at all. The little girl suddenly felt a little sad. Would Hsu Fengnian like a girl like her?
The little girl's eyes reddened and the corner of her mouth was full of girlish sorrow. "Stupid Nanbei, I know you won't be able to meet Hsu Fengnian when you go down the mountain."
The little monk panicked. "Then I won't go home after I go down Mount Longhu. I'll go to Beiliang to find His Royal Highness, okay?"
Li Shitou smiled through her tears and rolled her eyes. "Forget it, I'm a heroine. I don't care about this!"
The little monk laughed foolishly.
The white-robed monk shook his head and sighed. Why did he take in such a disappointing and stupid disciple?
The woman smiled knowingly. "It's good that Nanbei isn't like you."
That night, the little monk, Stupid Nanbei, slept soundly as usual. On the other hand, Li Shitou, who had nothing to do with her, tossed and turned. She couldn't fall asleep and only managed to fall asleep very late.
In the early morning, an extremely senior hundred-year-old monk personally came to the thatched cottage at the back of the mountain to welcome the preaching monk to the Hall of Great Strength. The old abbot with snow-white hair and beard led the way. Some of the old fellows in the temple who were in closed-door training also came out. There were at least three to four hundred big bald heads in kasayas gathered in the square, not to mention the many little bald novice monks hiding in the distance to join in the fun. It was a grand occasion that only happened once in ten years. If Li Shitou saw this scene, she would roll her eyes. When she was young, she liked to count how many bald heads there were while listening to the monks chanting sutras. However, counting the days and months of the year was not an interesting thing. Fortunately, Li Shitou slept late and did not get up yet. The white-robed monk and the little monk, Wu Nanbei, did not dare to wake her up. This girl who dreamed of becoming a heroine had a bad temper when she woke up. Even the little monk's master's wife did not dare to touch her, let alone their family of four who had the least status in Jianghu. Moreover, Wu Nanbei was afraid that he would not be able to bear it and would be laughed at or angry if Li Shitou saw it.
The sea of people automatically separated.
The little monk with clear eyes and the lazy white-robed monk walked side by side.
The old abbot, who was known for being a good person, walked down the stairs with a smile. When he saw the little monk, he liked him from the bottom of his heart.
The old abbot was about to speak when he saw the sea of people separated again. He looked up and saw a little girl who was the oldest in the Two Zen Temples running over. She was crying while running?
The stupid master's wife stopped at the edge of the square with a helpless look.
The girl ran to her father and the stupid little monk who grew up with her childhood sweetheart. She cried all the way until her eyes were swollen. She probably fell down while running too fast and was covered in a lot of dust. She grabbed the corner of the little monk's kasaya tightly and said sadly, "Stupid Nanbei, I had a nightmare!"
Even though the big bald heads present were all eminent monks who were famous in the world, they all laughed kindly at this scene.
The white-robed monk and the old abbot looked at each other and sighed slightly at the same time.
Li Shitou held the little monk's kasaya tightly, afraid that if she let go, she would not be able to hold on to it anymore. She would not be able to see this stupid Nanbei who was supposed to be with her forever. She was heartbroken and choked with sobs, "I dreamed that you died and became Buddha. You said you were going to the west and would not talk to me anymore!"
"I called you Wu Nanbei. I said I would not call you stupid Nanbei. I even told you to call me Li Zi and Li Shitou. But you ignored me and still left!"
"Nanbei, I dreamed that you were standing in front of Beiliang. I was standing on the city wall and could only look at you. In front of you were a dense horde of terrifying cavalry. I don't know how many hundreds of thousands there were. But you said, 'The world is so big, allow me to erect a benevolent monument in front of Beiliang'. Then those bad people shot arrows together. They did not charge but just poured arrows on your head! You were bleeding first and your entire kasaya was red. Then you sat down and lowered your head to recite sutras. Your blood turned golden! Then you became a Buddha. Father said that this is what a Bodhisattva looks like. After you became a Buddha, you refused to see me anymore! "
"Stupid Nanbei, I don't want rouge and powder anymore. Don't die, okay?"
The girl spoke intermittently with tears streaming down her face.
The little monk who was reciting sutras with the old monks was like a fairy scattering flowers and nodding his head. He probably felt sorry for Li Shitou and started crying as well.
All the monks in the square were horrified!
They were shocked beyond words.
The old abbot narrowed his eyes and gently looked at the white-robed monk. The latter smiled and said, "It's okay. My disciple won't go to Mount Longhu. I'll go. Master, is that okay?"
The old abbot smiled. It should have been reasonable, but this time he nodded unexpectedly and said, "Okay."
The little monk clumsily straightened his kasaya and put his palms together. He faced the old abbot with the plaque of the Hall of Great Strength behind him and lowered his head and said softly, "If I can really become Buddha, I don't want to become Buddha anymore."
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