The western suburbs of the capital, Biyun Mountain.
Last night, there was a heavy snowfall in the capital, and the originally lush Biyun Mountain turned into a vast expanse of white.
"Your Majesty, I can't move anymore." Qiu Yutong couldn't move anymore, and sat down on a big rock by the side of the road, breathing heavily into her hands, "It's too cold today. "
Xiao Xizi quickly handed over the brass hand stove: "Master, son, hand stove."
Qiu Yutong took the hand stove and gave a slight "hiss": "It's so hot."
Xiao Xizi scratched her head in embarrassment: "But, it may be that a little more silver charcoal was added, the skin of the little one is rough and the flesh is thick, so I don't feel hot."
"You take it first." Qiu Yutong returned the stove to Xiao Xizi, and looked up again, only to see a narrow and steep bluestone slab winding up, with no end in sight.
He glanced at Lu Xiao hesitantly: "Are you really going up? I heard that Songsi Temple is on the top of the mountain, and it is still far away. It may take an hour to walk."
Lu Xiao said softly: "How do you know?"
Qiu Yutong choked for a moment, then murmured: "I heard what others said."
"I see." Lu Xiao nodded, as if he accepted the answer, and stopped asking.
He hesitated for a moment, knelt down in front of Qiu Yutong, gently squeezed Qiu Yutong's soles with one hand, and took off a small section of the satin white socks with the other, revealing slightly red and swollen ankles, and couldn't help frowning: " It's already swollen...you can't go anymore. Just now I told you not to be brave, you have to go by yourself."
Qiu Yutong said happily: "Then let's go back?"
Lu Xiao didn't say a word, turned around, and picked up Qiu Yutong on his back.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..." Xiao Xizi's eyes widened in shock.
"Shut up!" Zhang Defu quickly grabbed Xiao Xizi, and the two followed behind.
Qiu Yutong lay on Lu Xiao's back stupidly, her mind went blank, and she hadn't reacted yet.
Lu Xiao took his hand and stuffed those cold hands into his neck: "Is it still cold?"
Qiu Yutong stammered, "No, it's not cold anymore."
The mountain road is made of large bluestone slabs. After the snow on it melts, it condenses into ice again, making it very slippery. With Qiu Yutong on his back, Lu Xiao walked up step by step, with a steady pace.
Qiu Yutong lay on the broad and strong back, feeling very stable and warm, and before she knew it, she felt a little drowsy.
Lu Xiao said softly: "I have walked this mountain road in Biyun Mountain once... No, it should be said that someone carried me on my back and walked once."
Qiu Yutong gave a dazed "hmm".
"That was a long time ago... I was only eight years old, and I was frostbitten in the snow, so I couldn't travel long distances. At that time, the whole capital was chasing me, and the Jinwu Guard searched from house to house. They had to take me to Biyun Mountain to recuperate. Master Huikong of Tingsong Temple in Biyun Mountain is his old friend, this place is very remote, no one can find it."
"It snowed a lot that day, much bigger than today. I tugged on his sleeve and tried to walk for a while, but I couldn't walk anymore. I fell down and knocked my knee to blood. He thought for a while, then He asked me to lie on his back and said that he would carry me up the mountain... But how dare I, my whole body is very dirty, and his clothes are snow-white, without any dust, like a fairy."
When Lu Xiao said this, he couldn't help but smiled: "I've been refusing, he got impatient, scolded me for being a mother-in-law when I was young, and then lifted me on his back. Then he said, what's wrong with your hands? so cold?"
"He put my hand in his neck to warm it, and said that he is a monk, not afraid of the cold. Do you think monks are really not afraid of the cold?" Lu Xiao's voice was a little hoarse.
Qiu Yutong didn't answer.
Lu Xiao looked back and saw that Qiu Yutong was lying on his shoulder, already fast asleep.
…
Qiu Yutong slept soundly this time, and even had a dream.
In the dream, he was carrying a little boy on his back, walking slippery step by step on the icy and snowy mountain road. Both sides of the road were tall pine forests, the pine branches were covered with a layer of fluffy white snow, yushuqiongzhi, a vast expanse.
There is silence between the sky and the earth, except for the occasional crisp "click" sound of pine branches being crushed by the snow, there is no other sound.
The boy's hands were as cold as ice, and he kept shaking on his back, but stubbornly refused to make a sound. After thinking for a while, he pulled those cold little hands into the crook of his neck.
The boy flinched: "Master Immortal, it will be cold..."
The little guy is quite sensible.
Qiu Yutong was amused in her heart, and she was too soft, so she coaxed softly: "I am a monk, and monks are not afraid of the cold."
The boy seemed to understand but not understand.
Qiu Yutong didn't bother to explain to him, so she just carried him on her back and walked up the mountain road step by step. The mountain road was long and steep, as if it would never end, and he just kept walking, walking...
…
"Dang-dang--" The melodious sound of the temple bell echoed in the Biyun Mountain, arousing a group of jackdaws, circling in the sky and screaming: "Wow-wow-"
"Hmm..." Qiu Yutong opened her eyes in a daze.
At the end of the mountain road is a small temple, with apricot-yellow courtyard walls and blue-gray ridges, hidden under the cover of dense cedar trees.
Qiu Yutong rubbed her eyes: "Are you there?"
Lu Xiao said softly: "Here we are."
"My feet don't hurt anymore, and I can walk by myself."
It's fine if there's no one on the mountain road, let the monks in Tingsong Temple see it later, let the old friend Huikong see it, how embarrassing it is for someone to carry him at such a big age.
Lu Xiao didn't force it, and put him down: "Be careful."
The two walked into the temple, Zhang Defu and Xiao Xizi followed from afar.
The temple was dark and gloomy, the Buddha smiled with downcast eyes, his golden body was covered with dust, and the fluttering cloth banners were full of dust and cobwebs.
A 13-year-old novice monk sat upright in a corner with his eyes closed, knocking on the wooden fish carefully, making a slight "bang bang" sound.
"This place seems to be a lot dilapidated, a lot of dust." Lu Xiao whispered.
Looking up at the dusty gilt Buddha statue, Qiu Yutong suddenly said softly: "There is nothing in the first place, where is the dust?"
Hearing the sound of people, the little novice opened his eyes, put down the wooden fish in his hand, got up and walked over, clasped his hands together and said, "The two benefactors want to offer incense?"
Qiu Yutong said: "Where is Master Huikong?"
The little monk pursed his lips and said in a low voice: "Master passed away three years ago, and now I am the only one here."
Qiu Yutong was taken aback for a moment, but was speechless for a while. Birth, old age, sickness and death are common things in the world, and monks should be more transparent, but he still felt a little melancholy in his heart.
Lu Xiao was also silent for a moment, then took out an ingot of gold and handed it to the little monk: "Little master, we want to stay here for one night."
The little novice was stunned, and took the gold hesitantly: "But, there are only coarse grains in the temple, and there are not enough quilts..."
Lu Xiao said, "It's okay."
Holding the heavy gold, the little novice said hesitantly, "Even if the benefactor doesn't mind, I don't need this much. Ten copper coins are enough."
Qiu Yutong said softly: "Take it."
After finally persuading the little novice to accept the gold, Qiu Yutong and Lu Xiao each lit three more incense sticks, closed their eyes and paid homage. After offering incense, Lu Xiao looked at the stick on the incense case, hesitated for a moment, and pulled out a bamboo stick from the stick.
Qiu Yutong was a little surprised: "You still believe this?"
"Try it, it's okay." Lu Xiao handed the bamboo stick to the little novice next to him, "Little master, can you solve the stick?"
"A little bit more." The little novice nodded and took the bamboo stick, "I don't know what the benefactor wants to ask?"
Lu Xiao choked.
It was rare for Qiu Yutong to see him choking, and couldn't help but joked: "Why, are you sorry? Could it be that your Majesty... Could it be that Mr. Lu wants to ask for marriage?"
Lu Xiao lowered his eyes and did not speak.
Just when Qiu Yutong thought he was about to get angry, Lu Xiao suddenly said, "Yes, I want a marriage."
Qiu Yutong froze for a moment, almost a little shocked. This kid Lu Xiao has been pure and ascetic since he was a child, and he has not yet opened his mind in his twenties, so why is his heart suddenly swaying? Did he miss something
"Let me see." The little novice nodded, then looked carefully at the bamboo stick, and frowned slightly, "This..."
"How?" Lu Xiao asked anxiously.
The little monk was a little uncertain: "It doesn't seem to be very good."
Lu Xiao frowned and said, "What do you mean?"
"It's a lottery, there is fate but no share, and it's unsolvable... Donors don't have to be too persistent." The little novice was almost apologetic.
"There is no destiny..." Lu Xiao stared blankly at the bamboo stick, almost lost his mind.
Looking at his appearance, Qiu Yutong couldn't bear it, so she persuaded: "These things may not be done accurately. Although love cannot be forced, if you are sincere, I don't think no matter which family you are. will be indifferent."
His apprentice is naturally the best, he still doesn't believe it, with Lu Xiao's talent and appearance, which girl would look down on him as an apprentice.
Lu Xiao didn't say a word, his face was still not very good-looking.
Qiu Yutong racked her brains and tried hard to cheer up her apprentice for a long time, even saying "I will help you", but in the end, Lu Xiao just twitched the corners of his mouth reluctantly, as if smiling wryly After a while: "Yeah."
As the sky gradually darkened, Zhang Defu and Xiao Xizi helped the little novice set up a table of vegetarian food. Although they were all coarse grains and wild vegetables, everyone was hungry, but they ate quite deliciously.
After dinner, the little novice led the four of them to the backyard of the temple. There were not many empty meditation rooms in this small temple. Lu Xiao and Qiu Yutong lived in one room, while Zhang Defu and Xiao Xizi lived in the other.
Not long after, the sky was completely dark, and fine snowflakes were falling from the night sky.
Looking at the snowflakes outside the window, Qiu Yutong felt inexplicably melancholy: "It's snowing again."
The snow in Shuo Xuecheng is much more snowy than the snow in the human world. It is almost like an overturned salt shaker, and it hurts to the face.
"When I came last time, the snow that day was bigger than today." Lu Xiao walked behind him, suddenly made up his mind, and said softly, "Do you still remember..."
Qiu Yutong suddenly said: "Today is already the ninth day of the first lunar month."
Lu Xiao was silent for a moment before saying, "Yes."
Qiu Yutong turned around and stared at Lu Xiao: "Your Majesty, you promised me that after you go back, you will take me to Longmen Street to watch the Lantern Festival."
He had to go to the Rolling Curtain Alley to find the third brother before the end of the Lantern Festival.
Lu Xiao said in a hoarse voice with some difficulty: "Do you have to go?"
Qiu Yutong frowned and said, "You promised me."
Lu Xiao looked at him quietly for a long time before saying softly, "Okay."
It was getting late, Qiu Yutong was tired all day, and after talking with Lu Xiao for a while, he felt a little sleepy, and the two went to bed early.
There was only one bed in the room, and there was no extra quilt. The two of them could only cover a thin quilt. Lu Xiao put all his clothes on the quilt, and hugged him from behind. Qiu Yutong felt a little awkward, and couldn't help but push back a few times, Lu Xiao said sullenly: "Physician Li said, you can't catch the cold anymore."
Qiu Yutong really couldn't hold him back, thinking that Lu Xiao had kept him warm in the same way when he was unconscious from the cold attack before, so he simply smashed the jar and let him go.
The room was quiet and dark, Lu Xiao's body temperature was very warm, not long after, Qiu Yutong felt drowsiness flooding up like a tide.
"When I was young, I lived in this temple for more than a month. It was also winter and it was extremely cold. That person would sleep with his arms around me like this every night..." Lu Xiao said softly.
Qiu Yutong was half asleep and half awake, and said in a daze: "Yes."
Lu Xiao looked down at him with a painful expression.
That night, the north wind was howling outside the window, but the room was very warm. Qiu Yutong was held in Lu Xiao's arms and had many messy dreams. For a while, he was in the inn, giving lectures to Xiao Lu Xiao under the lamp, and for a while In the countryside, he taught Lu Xiao how to practice swords hand in hand, while in the military tent, Lu Xiao was hit by three arrows, and kept smiling and saying it was okay...
After a while, on the newly completed Shuoxue Terrace, under the glow of the sky, Lu Xiao said softly: "I know that I am a heavenly spirit, and I can't practice Taoism in this life, and I can't stand side by side with you. But... if one day, I Can become stronger, I... "
After that, Qiu Yutong couldn't hear clearly. Lu Xiao looked at him with a very anxious expression, and his voice was hoarse: "Master! I, I..."
Qiu Yutong woke up with a jolt.
When he opened his eyes, the room was already full of sunshine. He was covered with a thin quilt and some messy clothes, but he was very warm.
Lu Xiao was standing by the window, wearing only plain white single clothes, quietly looking at the snow all over the mountains, shining brightly under the rising sun.
He turned around and said to Qiu Yutong, "I'll take you to see the Lantern Festival Lantern."
The author has something to say: Iron law: Heavenly Jue Lingmai are all chosen children of heaven.