Although Wenxin Temple is located in a busy city, it gives people a sense of tranquility in the midst of hustle and bustle.
"I built my hut in the human world, yet there is no carriage or horse to visit! I ask you how you can do that, because your heart is calm and peaceful." Jiang Changning chanted a poem softly, lifted her skirt and stepped over the threshold of the courtyard.
After entering the temple gate, the first thing you see is a screen wall.
On the screen wall, there is a big word "Buddha".
Going around the screen wall is the front yard of the nunnery, with a row of mulberry trees planted along the wall.
There are three large vats in the yard, with several lotus plants planted in them.
Although it is not the lotus blooming season in late spring, the layers of green lotus leaves are still pleasing to the eye.
The lotus and Buddha have an indissoluble bond.
And what Buddhism likes to talk about most is this kind of fate. Jiang Changning smelled the rich sandalwood in the air, listened to the clear sound of the wooden fish in the house, lowered her eyelids and whispered: "Buddha, I wish to establish a good relationship with you."
When you walk into the main hall where Guanyin Bodhisattva is enshrined, you will see three or four women kneeling on a cushion, holding three incense sticks in their hands and praying devoutly.
On the left and right of the incense table sat a nun in black robes, who looked to be in her early twenties.
Jiang Changning waited for the women to get up and leave before she stepped forward, took three incense sticks, lit them, knelt down, and kowtowed. "I, the believer Jiang Changning, pray to the Bodhisattva to bless our wet nurse Zhou to recover soon. If she recovers, I am willing to rebuild the Bodhisattva's golden body, rebuild the Wenxin Temple, and fast for 49 days."
This was a heavy promise. The nun on the left opened her eyes, glanced at Jiang Changning, then closed them again and chanted, "Amitabha."
Jiang Changning inserted three incense sticks into the incense burner and saw the red rope in the jade box on the incense table.
"Master, how do I get the Heart Peace Rope?" Jiang Changning walked to the nun on the left, bowed and asked.
"Amitabha, donors can go to the side hall and make a donation. Please feel at ease."
"Thank you for your guidance, Master." Jiang Changning went to the side hall and donated ten taels of incense money to the nun there, and received five red ropes that had been offered to the Bodhisattva.
"It's so expensive." Fu Cui muttered carefully.
Jiang Changning smiled. It’s indeed expensive, two taels of silver for one.
In today's world, ten taels of silver can allow an ordinary family of four to live a good life for a year.
Since he had taken a detour to come to the Wenxin Temple, Jiang Changning was not in a hurry to leave and planned to take a look around the temple.
The three-story pagoda in the nunnery is an octagonal three-story pavilion-style brick pagoda. It is not too tall and contains Buddhist scriptures.
"Why did this nunnery build a tower for the dead here? Don't they think it's unlucky?" Fu Cui pouted with disgust.
"Fu Cui, don't talk nonsense. There is no such thing as bad luck in a Buddhist temple." Jiang Changning said sternly.
Shu Fei glared at her and said, "I will punish you by making you copy the Buddhist scriptures ten thousand times."
Fu Cui stuck out her tongue and said, "Miss, I was wrong. Don't be angry. Tell me about this tower."
"The stupa is used to enshrine relics, scriptures, and religious objects. Based on the objects enshrined, this stupa can be called a Sutra Stupa."
"Based on their nature and meaning, there are blessing towers, gratitude towers, and longevity towers."
"Based on the shape, there are square towers, round towers, hexagonal towers, and octagonal towers."
"According to the building materials, there are brick towers, stone towers, jade towers, sand towers, mud towers, iron towers, copper towers, gold towers, silver towers, and glazed towers."
"Not every pagoda houses relics, or what you call a pagoda for the dead, do you understand?"
"The girl is right." A sudden male voice came from behind the pagoda.
Jiang Changning was shocked. How could there be a man in the inner courtyard of a nunnery
While Jiang Changning was astonished, three men walked out from behind the tower. The man in the middle was dressed in black, had a handsome face, was elegant and dignified, had a graceful demeanor, and wore a jade crown to tie up his hair.
There were streams of light floating on the corners of the robe; the embroiderer had embroidered auspicious clouds on the corners with silver thread.
While Jiang Changning was looking at the man, the man was also looking at her.
At the cuffs embroidered with blue and white flowers, a pair of slender hands as white and tender as scallions were revealed, holding a white handkerchief.
Her naturally falling black hair was as black as ink, making her face look as white as snow. Her watery eyes were sparkling and full of affection, as if she could see into people's hearts.
Jiang Changning took a step back under the man's direct gaze, his brows slightly furrowed. This man was so rude.
Fu Cui stepped forward to block her way, put her hands on her hips, and asked fiercely: "What are you looking at?"
"Fu Cui, let's go." Jiang Changning hurriedly turned around and left with two maids.
The man is dressed luxuriously, he is either a noble or a wealthy man, so it is best not to provoke him.
"Cao Jiang, come and take a look." The man ordered with a smile.
The man in brown following behind him answered, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Jiang Changning, his master and his servant left the nunnery and found a carriage parked on the side of the road. "Uncle Biao, let's go back home."
Fu Cui helped Jiang Changning get on the carriage, and Biaozi drove away.
Cao Jiang saw the sign on the carriage clearly and turned back.
The man also came out of the nunnery and got on a carriage with a black eagle emblem painted on it.
The black eagle is the symbol of the Prince of Jin’s Mansion, and the man is none other than the current Prince of Jin, Helian Yu.
"Your Highness, this is the Zhuang family's carriage." Cao Jiang stood by the window and reported.
"Zhuang family?" Helian Yu pondered. This surname was not common. "It's the family of Zhuang Shenmao, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Go check it out."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Cao Jiang replied.
Jiang Changning, who was leaving in a carriage, never expected that when they met Helian Yu by chance, he would want to investigate her.
After returning to the Zhuang family, Jiang Changning went to see Old Mrs. Zhuang.
Old Madam Zhuang was playing cards with three other old ladies, one of whom was Aunt He, who gave birth to a daughter for Old Master Zhuang.
There is also Madam Zhuang’s wet-sister-in-law. Like Nanny Zhou, her children and grandchildren were freed from slavery and became free citizens. They took the imperial examinations and became officials in the court. Nanny Yu was like an old feudal lord at home.
The last one is Mrs. Huangsan, the wife of the youngest son of Mr. Zhuang’s uncle. Both her husband and son are unpromising, so she can only rely on Mr. Zhuang’s lineage for a living.
I think it’s because she came that we’re playing cards today.
The maid Tongfu was the one who helped Old Madam Zhuang to look at the cards.
"Madam, Changning is back." Jiang Changning knelt down and saluted.
"Ning girl is back. Is your wet nurse okay?" Old Mrs. Zhuang asked casually while throwing cards.
"Thank you for your concern, old lady. The wet nurse is in good health. After some rest, she can return home." Jiang Changning's lie not only expressed good wishes, but also had a deterrent effect.
Nanny Zhou was already a good woman, and her two sons both served as officials in the court.
Although his official position is not high at this time, he has a bright future and should not be underestimated.
"That's good." Old Mrs. Zhuang said lightly.
"Oh, I haven't seen you for a while. Today I see that my cousin has grown into a big girl! Look at her appearance, she is somewhat similar to my sister-in-law when she was young." Old Mrs. Huang San said with a smile.
Aunt He and Nanny Yu also followed suit and flattered Old Madam Zhuang.
(End of this chapter)