Records of the Lost Cases of Helaitang in the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 222 Le Niang
During the Mengxia season, when the sun set late in the evening, when Zhang Xiru, Wang Heng and Xiaocai climbed up to the main peak, they saw the afterglow of the setting sun, and the skyline of Lianxing Peak was filled with brilliant rays of light and five colors. Everyone looked to the west at the shadow of Languang Mountain, and they were heartbroken. I was so drunk that I suddenly felt that my trip was worthwhile.

The Liu family will hold a life-releasing ceremony tomorrow, and today they will stay overnight at the Vimalakirti Courtyard a few hundred steps west of Jubao Temple. There is a life-release pond between the villa and the gate of Jubao Temple, which is the sanctuary used by Jubao Temple to entertain distinguished guests.

There were servants sweeping the Vimal Villa in twos and threes, and occasionally there were one or two young novice monks among the working crowd. Liu's servants led Zhang Xiru and his party to the west wing. The wing was a suite with one light and one dark, with a room in the middle. Separated by paper windows, the furnishings in the room are simple, and the utensils are all clean and spotless. They have obviously been cleaned by Liu's servants.

Not long after the three of them sat down and took out their luggage, Liu's housekeeper A De asked to see him. He was a man in his forties, fair-skinned, with a slightly hunched back, and walked with a twist. He walked from the corridor and came closer. , Wang Heng noticed that he had orchid fingers on his left hand, which seemed to be a bit effeminate.

"Mr. Zhang, you have worked hard all the way." Ade said to the little maid Ashue who was following behind him: "What are you doing standing still? Hurry up and give Mr. Zhang some face wash."

Butler Ade saluted Zhang Xiru and said, "Mr. Zhang, my wife asked Xiangji Kitchen of Jubao Temple to prepare a table of good vegetarian dishes. Please move to the dining hall."

Ade saw Wang Heng and Xiaocai putting away their luggage and asked, "Mr. Zhang, who are these two?"

Zhang Xiru said with a smile: "The Wang brothers are the sons of a family of acquaintances from my hometown. This time I asked them to accompany me to the mountains to escape the summer heat."

Ade invited him enthusiastically: "You two young masters, let's go and have some fast food together."

The dusk was getting darker. Wang Heng and Xiaocai had already had dinner at this time in the past. Today, they were tired from running around and climbed the mountain again, but they had no appetite at all.

Seeing that after going up the mountain and entering the ancient temple, they might not be able to find any other place to eat, so they followed Zhang Xiru to the dining hall.

The dining hall of Vimalakirti Villa is at the east end, with the door facing west. Zhang Xiru and the other three followed Butler Ade through the corridor, and when they were about to enter the dining hall, a girl's words came from the back room: "Mother, a man and woman of seven years have passed. Don’t eat together if you don’t share the same table.”

The three of them were stunned and slowed down their steps, when they saw an eight or nine-year-old girl walking out of the back room. She had a broad forehead, a high nose, and wavy ears. Her face was not ugly, but she was not pretty by any means. The clothes are very gorgeous, and the mountain air is slightly cool. This little girl is wearing a brocade armor over a pink shirt and a gold ring on her double-ringed bun. She seems to be a young lady from the Liu family.

When the little girl saw the person coming, she lowered her head and walked away hastily, followed by a maid.

"This little girl is only a few years old, but she is so learned." Wang Hengxin said that it would be fine elsewhere. In the temple, all living beings are equal.

Seeing that the three guests were hesitant after hearing the little girl's words, the housekeeper Ade stretched out his hand to push the door open as a gesture of invitation: "Mr. Zhang, my wife is waiting in the back room."

Zhang Xiru, always free and easy, walked into the dining hall. Wang Heng and Xiaocai quickly followed.

As night falls, the dining hall is lit with lamps, and the maids are surrounding a flower-lettered woman in a white shirt and skirt. Her brows are as graceful as the famous peonies.

When Wang Heng saw her, he lost his composure and glanced at the woman a few more times. Fang and Xiaocai exchanged surprised looks.

If you want to be pretty, dress modestly. The old saying is true.

They only thought Liu Biejia's widow, Mrs. Liu, was a widow in her forties or fifties, and they never expected to be so young and beautiful.

The woman stood up and blessed Mr. Zhang: "Mr. Zhang has been tired all the way, so it would be better if A De takes care of Hao Sheng and has some fast food. If there is anything missing in the monastery, just ask A De for it. The little woman will take her leave first." ”

"Le Niang, there's no need to be polite. We usually do it ourselves, so we don't need servants to serve us." After Zhang Xiru finished speaking, he felt a little out of words and laughed sarcastically. Mrs. Liu glanced at him and walked out quietly.

Wang Hengxin said, it seems that Mr. Zhang and Mrs. Liu are more familiar with each other than he thought.

Mr. Zhang asked Ade to rest as well. They never had to be served when they ate.

The vegetarian food at Jubao Temple is hard to describe. The pine mushroom oil in the temple is extremely delicious and is a rare specialty. The monks put pine mushroom oil in every vegetarian dish, making it popular among thousands of people. They were all greasy, which turned off my appetite.

Zhang Xiru moved his chopsticks for a few moments before losing interest and took two plain steamed buns as a cushion.

On the contrary, Wang Heng and Xiaocai were young men after all. Although they didn't have much appetite, they still ate two large bowls of rice each.

In the dining hall, all the servants of the Liu family had dispersed. A young novice monk was cleaning the table. Seeing Wang Heng and the others getting up after eating, they came over and solemnly said to each other: "Three donors, this temple is located in a deep mountain, and it rained heavily during the day. Don’t walk around at night.”

This statement sounds very abrupt, does it mean there will be danger at night? Jubao Temple is a large temple with many monks, and it is not located in a barren mountain or old forest. What dangers are there?

Xiaocai thought the novice was joking with them, but seeing that he had a dignified and serious face, he didn't recognize him, so there was no premise for him to be joking.

Mr. Zhang nodded and said, "Thank you, little master, for reminding me."

Due to the little novice's reminder, the three of them decided to go directly back to the west wing, rest early, recharge their batteries, and visit Jubao Temple tomorrow.

In the west wing room, Liu's maid had already prepared the water for washing. Wang Heng suddenly figured out something and said to Zhang Xiru: "This Mrs. Liu looks familiar at first glance. I thought about it all the way. When I think about it, it turns out that she is somewhat similar to Miss Yang Aiyang."

Zhang Xiru was surprised: "Oh, when you said that, it seems a bit similar. Le Niang is slightly older than Yang Ai by a few years."

Xiaocai said: "The appearance may be slightly similar, but the temperament is completely different."

Seeing that Zhang Xiru was thoughtful, the topic did not continue.

The west wing was bright and dark, so Zhang Xiru lived in the outer room, while Wang Heng and Xiaocai lived in the dark room.

The seemingly non-existent Buddhist fragrance filled his mouth and nose, everywhere, making Wang Heng unable to sleep.

I got up and lit the lamp, and asked Xiaocai to take out the old book "Reminiscences from the Lotus Fragrance Tower" that he had picked up on the treasure table. It was very pleasant to read a book under the lamp in the mountain house in the quiet night.

"Memories of Lotus Fragrance Tower" by Li Xunzhi
In the third month of spring, Mrs. Chen's wife came back. In the shadow of lotus lamps, she recounted her childhood fun.

Talking about poetry, Fu Niang's favorite line is from "Miscellaneous Poems of Living on the Lake" by Jiang Baishi of the Southern Song Dynasty: "The lotus leaves are like clouds, and the fragrance continues. The boat sways into Xiling."

So I built a small building next to the lotus pond in the villa and named it Hexiang Tower. I lived here with Fu Niang, and at night, I repented of my wisdom deeds. If I reincarnated into the human world again, I also hope to be husband and wife forever. remember.