The Little Officials of the Song Dynasty

The eighth day of April is the Bathing Buddha Festival. This day is the birthday of the Buddha Shakyamuni. It is said that when the Buddha was born, a dragon spit out perfume for bathing. Therefore, this day is called the Bathing Buddha Festival, also called the Buddha’s Birthday. It is a year of Buddhism. The most important holiday.

On this day, many people in Bianliang will bathe and change clothes, go to the monastery to worship the Buddha and incense. And because of the secular evolution of the Buddha Bathing Festival, many people not only pray for blessings and children, but actually go shopping.

In the temple, besides bathing the Buddha statues with fragrant soup, they also boiled fragrant medicinal sugar water for the pilgrims to make good destiny. This sugar water has a name called Yufoshui.

Such a grand event was not likely to be seen after the Southern Song Dynasty.

On this day, Zheng Ping awakened Yun Yanhui and Shuangyi early, and she had changed into a men's suit so that she could walk. He took Xiaobao to Hu Sanniang next door, and took the two children to Embroidery Alley.

Because of the Buddha Bathing Festival, there are a lot of people on the street today, but there are few people in Xiuxiang. They have all gone to Daxiangguo Temple, and they also have to go there to sell embroidery pieces.

Zheng Ping took the money and went to Xiangguo Temple after a few gossips with the embroidery shop.

The Daxiangguo Temple of this era occupies more than 500 acres of land, with carved beams and painted buildings, and it is magnificent. Because of this prosperous day, it is everywhere. The yellow-green glazed tiles are shining, the pavilions are opposite, and the ancient trees are towering, which is magnificent.

People of the time may have been accustomed to seeing it, but as a modern person, seeing such original and gorgeous ancient buildings, Yun Yan returned to it with a little more shock.

There was already a crowd at this time, and Zheng Ping was not in a hurry, and took the two children in to buy some snacks in her hands and walked slowly.

By this time, the bathing ceremony in the temple was halfway through.

Zheng Ping didn't intend to take the children to drill in, so she took them to look far away.

Yun Yan stretched his neck back and saw many monks worshipping around a Buddha statue. The Buddha statue was placed in a large golden basin, one finger at a time.

Because everyone watched with bated breath, and even so far away, he could still faintly hear the loud voice of a monk singing praises.

"...Looking at the four directions and seven steps in the week, pointing to the heavens and the earth, the kowloon spits out water and makes compassion, and all the ways are authentic..."

Then the monks sang in a Sanskrit chorus together: "I order the water to come, to purify the wisdom and solemn merits. The filthy sentient beings to decontaminate, and to prove the Tathagata purification body."

The monks bathed the Buddha with perfume, sprinkled petals in it, bowed, and then a long-form Buddha's praise.

The believers all listened attentively, but Yun Yanhui and Shuangyi gradually became bored, and took Zheng Ping to ask to look elsewhere.

Zheng Ping seemed to be very interested in this, and her expression was a little dazed, and she took them to other places after she recovered.

…

The Daxiangguo Temple was bustling and hawking.

Yun Yan walked and watched back, treating herself as a visitor. Daxiangguo Temple is really too big. No wonder it can hold such a big temple fair, and it can be divided into different categories.

For example, the big three houses sell all kinds of animals, birds and beasts, as small as cats and dogs, as large as tigers and leopards. Some have been domesticated, but also led by the stall owner to perform, attracting bursts of applause.

In front of Zishengmen, pen, ink, calligraphy and calligraphy are sold, and the people who visit this area are usually scholars.

What other jewelry, clothes, food, there are many varieties.

In another place, it was all about singing, acrobatics, and storytelling. Yun Yanhui also saw the puppet show. The woodcut villains were manipulated to perform and perform kicks, dances and other actions.

Calling Yunyanhui and Shuangyi opened their eyes fiercely, dizzy.

Yun Yan didn't even know a lot of things, but fortunately, he is a child now, even if he asks, he won't be suspected.

Zheng Ping specially prepared a portion of the money today and promised that each person can choose three things. Shuangyi is sensible, and Yun Yanhui is an adult mind, so they choose things that are cheap and they like.

Shuangyi bought all toys, while Yun Yanhui picked them for food, and they were shelf-stable.

After strolling around for a while, Zheng Ping took them to the main hall again, "After bathing the Buddha, there should be a monk starting to send water for the Buddha. Mother will take you to get some."

Although the water for bathing the Buddha sent by the monks is sugar water, it contains the fragrant soup that the monks used to bathe the Buddha before, so it is really worthy of the name.

Zheng Ping led them to the gate of the temple from another road, and indeed there were rows of monks distributing bath water.

Yun Yan looked around, actually not very interested, the old team led some unhygienic sugar water to drink, why bother...

However, Zheng Ping was still very interested, leading them to the back of the team.

But just after walking out a few steps, an old monk stopped them: "Don't worry, wait a minute."

There are too many people, Zheng Ping didn't realize that she was calling her at first, or Shuangyi said, "Mother, that master called you."

Zheng Ping turned her head and met the old monk, and walked over hesitantly, "What is the master's explanation?"

The old monk, who had been looking at them for a long time, pointed to the Yun Yan she was holding back, "Donor, today is the Buddha's birthday. I am waiting to distribute bathing water for the purpose of bonding. However, from the perspective of the poor monk, Linglang is early Destined to the Buddha."

It's like a stick posture that I know everything.

Zheng Ping was surprised, "This, this..."

Yun Yan looked at each other with the old monk, and in less than a second he looked away casually, and shouted with a smile, "Auntie wants to drink sugar water."

The old monk froze for a moment, and said a little depressed: "Donor, although this is not a Linglang, but it is really Buddha-like."

Zheng Ping: "..."

Zheng Ping understood right now, I'm afraid the monk had blamed her just now. So he said helplessly: "Master, this is indeed my son. He is not called aunt, but said that my daughter Yiyi wants to drink sugar water."

This is embarrassing...

A trace of annoyance flashed across the old monk's face, and he said that the pair looked like mother and son!

Both the old monk and Zheng Ping thought this was a misunderstanding caused by a homophone. In order to ease the embarrassment, he gave Zheng Ping sugar water and watched them drink before saying: "The poor monk's name is clear."

Zheng Ping exclaimed, "Master is the Zen master?"

Nodded clearly.

There are all monks from Daxiangguo Temple next to them. Of course, no one has said that the registration number is wrong, so it must be correct.

Zheng Ping's attitude suddenly changed. Before, she still wanted to leave quickly. After knowing that the other party was a Zen master, she immediately became enthusiastic, as if the monk was an illusion just now...

Yun Yan was surprised in her heart, why, was she still a famous monk?

It’s strange to say that the monks of Daxiangguo Temple should not deceive talents like the gods of the rivers and lakes, right? If you want to make money, with such a good location and background, why don’t you make money? There are more monks doing business in this temple, especially this one is still a bit famous, so why should he lie to other women and children?

It was not until later that Yun Yanhui knew that he really felt that Yun Yanhui had a fate with Buddhism. The old monk had studied the relationship, watched his deeds, his temperament, and thought about his eyes. All of them were very close to his heart. "Love at first sight", moved my heart.

At this moment, from Zheng Ping's conversations, Yun Yanhui knew that this old monk was famous because of his excellent medical skills. Daxiangguo Temple often helps disasters and aids the poor, and of course, it often treats diseases voluntarily for the people, so it has a great reputation.

Because of this, Yun Yanhui’s senses towards him have been better, although he still doesn’t understand why he is arrogant, he said that he is a monk and he doesn’t slander... Okay, forget it, this is a monk who also runs a brothel. Years.

Besides, who doesn't have a headache, especially when medical conditions were so bad in ancient times, it is very important to have a good relationship with a doctor.

Seeing that Zheng Ping and Kazran talked more and more speculatively, they knew they had simply put aside the job of bathing in Buddha water, and asked for the pulse of their family of three.

If it weren't for the fact that there was no evil in his eyes, Yun Yan would think that this old man was fond of his mother!

—When it became clear that Yun Yanhui was really suitable for being a monk while taking the pulse, Yun Yanhui understood that the old monk was a man, but he was not his mother.

Fortunately, Zheng Ping was also soft but firmly refused to let Yun Yan go back to become a monk. Believing in Buddhism and respecting him are one thing, and letting her son become a monk is another.

But because it was clear, she also said that in the future, Yun Yan could come back often to receive edification. It is okay to believe in Buddhism if he does not become a monk.

Although it was regrettable, I didn't make a fool of myself and I didn't force it. I even gave them a few packs of Chinese medicine, saying that they could prevent the epidemic, in exchange for Zheng Ping's various gratitudes.

This was the one who sold Amway and delivered medicine, Yun Yan had to believe it even if he was astonished. It was clear that he really wanted him to join the monk's team.

This really made Yun Yan dumbfounded. He couldn't see where he was suitable for being a monk. Could it be that he had accidentally posed a gesture of one finger every day and one finger before?