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墨書 Inktalez
I looked at him gratefully and made a gesture of "Amitabha" with my hands, saying, " Master, you are truly understanding and helpful, like sending charcoal in snowy weather."
He was probably amused by my words and said, " Daoist Ling is indeed quite interesting. But next time, don't make the wrong gesture."
His reminder made me realize that I had made a mistake. I had performed a Buddhist ritual on Taoist territory.
No wonder when I knelt down to draw a lot, he asked me if it was my first time. I had been once before, but I didn't kneel so devoutly then; my mom had dragged me in. I scratched my head awkwardly and chuckled, "It's my first time visiting a Taoist temple so formally." He smiled without saying anything extra, and I felt so awkward in front of him!
I followed him to the vegetarian hall, which has a nice name: Xianyunzhai. It's not very big, with only enough space for about ten small tables.
I paid for the vegetarian meal at the door and when I came in, Zhou Heng had already prepared the meal for me. Although it was simple, it looked good.
He greeted me, " Daoist Ling, this is the lunch, please help yourself."
" Master, it's already quite good." After settling me in, he didn't eat with me. Instead, he told me that he was going to eat with his fellow brothers. It wasn't time for them to eat yet. After this vegetarian meal, I unexpectedly felt very comfortable, even though it was just vegetables and tofu.
I returned the bowls and chopsticks to the cafeteria auntie, a smiling and chubby auntie, who said to me, "You are friends with Master Zhou, right? We still have white fungus soup here, would you like to have some?"
I was a little surprised by her warmth, but I didn't explain, just smiled and said, "Thank you."
"Master Zhou rarely brings friends to the temple."
Auntie's tone of speech made me feel embarrassed, as if there was some hidden meaning in her words. Could it be that in her eyes, it's normal for a Taoist priest to have female friends!
I forced a smile and asked, "Excuse me, what time does the Qingyun Temple cable car close?"
"Oh, it closes at 5:30. Judging by the way things are today, it'll probably close at 5."
Auntie Pang is right. At this moment, the rain outside is getting heavier. I thought it would be lighter after lunch, but it turned out to be even worse than before.
I stand outside the temple, watching the heavy rain pouring down, feeling very anxious. At this rate, I won't be able to stay at Qingyun Temple tonight.
I take a picture of Qingyun Temple in the rain with my phone, intending to post it on my social circle to seek help.
I didn't expect the courtyard, rendered by the rain, to look so elegant in the photo.
Suddenly, my mind was struck by something.
Chinese style? Mood? Isn't Qingyun Temple at this moment a great source of inspiration?
I couldn't wait to run over and stand on the steps, excitedly wanting to jump into the courtyard and appreciate every detail. Here, every plant, every stone... even the angle at which raindrops fall from the eaves, all blend perfectly into Qingyun Temple. This is the artistic conception - Zen.
I couldn't help but step down the steps, overjoyed as if I had found what I was looking for.
"It's still raining," someone pulled me back while I was in an excited state.
Looking up, I saw a large black umbrella above my head, big enough to shelter two people. It was Zhou Heng, who asked me worriedly, "Why did you go to the yard in such heavy rain?" I wiped the water off my face with my hand, feeling a bit crazy but also amused, and chuckled, "I think this time, I didn't come for nothing."
He said helplessly, "I've never seen a Pilgrims like you before."
"I've never seen a Master like you either."
Then, the two of us laughed.
I find chatting with Zhou Heng particularly comforting. His calm demeanor and gentle tone have a way of soothing one's restlessness and bringing a sense of tranquility.
This is probably the difference between a practitioner and us ordinary people.
Excitedly, I run my hand through my hair and tell him, " Master, if today's divination turns out to be accurate, I will come to make an offering."
He put away the umbrella and spoke in a gentle tone, "I hope your wish comes true."
"Master personally interpreting the divination is a sure thing." I didn't know why, but I, who had never believed in divination, was now feeling a bit shaken.
I pointed to a spot in the courtyard and asked, "By the way, what's the name of that bonsai?"
He looked in the direction I pointed and patiently said, "Oh, Serissa, a commonly used plant in bonsai. It has a long flowering period and is quite common. However, the variety of this plant in the garden is relatively rare, donated by a Pilgrims." He seemed to know a lot. Seeing my interest in the courtyard, he led me around the eaves, introducing each one: "Qingyun Temple was built during the Zhen Guan period of the Tang Dynasty. The layout of the courtyard has always been renovated according to the original style without any changes. It is very exquisite in terms of feng shui and architectural aesthetics, so there are many inexplicable visitors. This is Juniperus chinensis, evergreen all year round. Over there is mandala, and the red one is called red maple..." From the bottom of my heart, I admired him. Although Zhou Heng is a Taoist priest, he is a knowledgeable one. It is not difficult to understand his own cultivation from his conversation.
Embarrassingly, although I specialize in garden design, I am lacking in knowledge about plant arrangements. He mentioned common plant configurations in traditional Chinese gardens, which was a real eye-opener for me.
" Master Zhou, you've been a great help to me today," I sincerely thanked him, feeling a deep sense of respect from the bottom of my heart.
He seemed visibly surprised, then calmly replied, "It was nothing."
The rain is gradually getting lighter at this time. I can't stay any longer, otherwise I really won't be able to make it back to the city.
"Can you lend me this umbrella?"
He looked at the eaves and said, "It looks like the rain won't stop. If you take the umbrella and go down now, you should be able to catch the last bus."
I took the umbrella from him, and his slender fingers brushed against it, stirring something up, like ripples on the water.
"Thank you, Master," I said.
He smiled lightly at me, and a gust of wind lifted his sleeve, carrying that faint scent of sandalwood that permeated my heart and soul.
"On a rainy day, the road is slippery. I'd better take you down."
I thought I had misheard and looked at him in astonishment.
He explained, "Last time, a Pilgrims slipped on the road down the mountain in the rain. Fortunately, someone found him in time, otherwise the consequences would have been unthinkable."
I responded with an "oh" and didn't refuse, but I felt my face getting slightly warm.
A strange feeling, like walking on a stone path with a priest holding an umbrella.
Raindrops fell on the umbrella, and the water droplets dripped along the edge of the umbrella, pitter-pattering, as if tapping on my heart, subtle and indescribable.
On the way, we didn't talk much, but exchanged a few words here and there. Every time we turned a corner, he always reminded me to be careful and let him go first before I followed.
The journey of just one hour probably took an hour and a half.
When we arrived at the cable car, I felt quite guilty.
He went through so much trouble to drive me such a long distance.
Coming back from Lingya Mountain, I was already exhausted, and it didn't rain on this side of Rongcheng, so getting out of the car, this huge umbrella in my hand felt a bit strange.
Holding the umbrella, I could still feel Zhou Heng's presence.
What kind of Taoist is he after all? Zhou Heng left a deep impression on me. In a society dominated by materialism, he is undoubtedly a nonconformist. I can't see any worldly complexity in him at all. Looking at those gentle eyes, it's as if all the troubles in the world have vanished into thin air.
Back home, I collapsed onto the sofa and opened WeChat to find dozens of unread messages. I opened the conversation with Du Yuwei, and he sent me the time and location for tomorrow's meeting with the client. He also asked what I was doing today, and couldn't resist showing off that he was having a great time at an endless pool hotel. I simply replied shortly: See you tomorrow.
Du Yuwei immediately called: "Xiao Meng, be sure to prepare the materials and do your best."
"I know. Anything else?"
"Ling Xiaomeng, are you really going to treat me like this?"
"Big boss, you are like a parent to me, how could I dare?"
"That's about right."
"I won't say much to you, I have to get busy."
"Hey hey...."
Du Yuwei still wanted to chat with me, but I decisively hung up on him, which made him so angry that he said the employee hanging up on the boss's call was a rebellion.
I want to quickly revise the first draft to make it more perfect. The events at Qingyun Temple today gave me a lot of inspiration, and I went through the client's information in detail again.
At present, the chances of winning have increased by ten percent.
I am fully committed to my work...
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