C29 (1/2)

Just as he was guessing, a young Taoist walked in. ”This must be a temple,” he concluded. Maybe the families in the Northeast are different and like to keep horses. ” He looked at the little Taoist again: his face was small, his features lean and well-dressed; his eyes were lively; and his manner was steady and lovely.

The little Daoist stopped and looked at Farmer's face. When he saw Farmer dressed in his cassock, his chest was bare; his hat was embroidered with an eye-catching Buddhist character; a string of beads hung from his chest; his face was covered with sweat; and he was about fifty years old. He looked like he was worn out from a journey. He was about to ask when he saw that Farmer was a stranger. Farmer chanted the Buddhist prayer first, ”Little Fellow Taoist, I am sorry to disturb you. Is this a Taoist temple? Or a temple? ”

The little Daoist said, ”To reply High Monk, this is neither a Taoist temple nor a temple. It is a small city left behind from ancient times. It was called Uncle Wu. Legend has it that this is an ancient garrison. In the past, all the monks and Taoists have lived here, but now it is different. ” The little Daoist did not continue.

He said to himself, ”Since I have a family, I can eat and live here. It doesn't matter if it's a city or a temple. ” So he asked: ”Do you have a host elder here? Fellow Daoist, please inform the host that a monk from Beijing is seeking an audience. ” The little Daoist stood there unmoving and said, ”High Monk has come from far away, there is no need to be polite. If there is anything you need, just tell me. There was no square meter, no Elders, no Empyreans. The trail was the owner. ”What can I help you with? I will do my best.

Seeing that he was very polite, as if he was an adult, Fa Ming smiled and said, ”That really fits that sentence, you can't judge a book by its cover. You're the leader of this place? ” The little Daoist hurriedly said, ”I don't dare to accept this path.” Fa Ming said, ”Little host, this humble monk would like to request a meal from you. How about we stay for the night?” The little Daoist said somewhat awkwardly, ”Usually, we don't entertain any monk guests here. However, you just happened to be here today, that's an exception. You can eat, but it's inconvenient for you to stay. If you must stay, you must first promise to leave before daybreak so that I can keep you here. The trail did its best. ”

”Since this is a temple, why can't we live here? I want to leave before dawn. That's strange! ” He was too tired to leave, so he could only say vaguely, ”I only went to rest and rest for a meal. I left before daybreak.” The little Daoist nodded and said, ”That's good, but I have been slow with my guests. Please follow me. ”

Farmer followed him inside, into large houses facing south. Seeing that the room was large and empty, a lot of luggage was arranged on the kang. There was a bed on the floor and luggage on it. Rows of wooden pins were nailed to the walls. It was a dormitory for many people. The little Daoist said, ”There is no one else here. I'll be right back. ” Then he went out the door and went to the other house.

When Farmer looked outside again, he saw that no one was moving. It was dead silent. And he said to himself, ”There are many talents here, how can there be only the little Taoist? It's late, what are those people doing? ” The little Daoist suddenly entered the house with difficulty, carrying a wooden bucket of water. Then, Farmer knew why he went out.

The little Daoist put down the bucket and said, ”High Monk, when I saw you had left in a dusty and sweaty state, I went to fetch some water. Wash it first; I will prepare some food for you.” Then he went out again.

Seeing him treat him so courteously, Fa Ming was very touched. From the bottom of his heart, he liked the little Taoist. Just as he finished washing up, the little Daoist returned and said, ”I have prepared the food. Please follow me.” Farmer said a few polite words to him and followed him out of the house and south. They walked a long way and entered a big house facing east. There were many tables and stools arranged inside. It was a dining room reserved for eating. Farmer took a few glances at the room, but didn't ask any questions. He picked a clean stool and sat down. The little Daoist went into the kitchen and brought the food over. He placed it in front of Farmer and said, ”It's still warm. The High Monk can eat. ” ”Sorry to trouble you,” he said. He began to eat. The little Daoist said, ”You're welcome,” and went to stand outside the door. There was something wrong with his expression, as if he was guarding the wind.

Seeing that his expression was off, Fa Ming did not understand what he meant. After taking a few bites, he asked, ”Little abbot, you have many talents here, but why are you the only one here? ”What about those people?” The little Daoist seemed to have seen something, and turned around with a panicked expression, hissing and refusing to ask. While being vigilant of the outside world, he whispered to Fa Ming, ”High Monk, after you finish eating, go to the back and sleep. Hurry up and leave before the sun shines. ”You don't need to ask anything. If you ask too many questions and people hear them, you will lose your life.”