This ancient temple looks very old.
Seen from the outside, the vermilion gate and the surrounding wall are slightly dark in color. There are dozens of stone steps in front of the gate, all of which are swept very clean.
Qin Zhao stood at the foot of the stone steps, looking at the monk from afar, making sure that he was indeed talking to him.
Old friend
Has he been here before
Or maybe... the little fish has been here before
Qin Zhao suddenly remembered that when Fang Tian mentioned the origin of the koi to them before, he did say that the fish was once raised by a senior monk in a temple.
Could it be this ancient temple
Qin Zhao's eyes dimmed, and after hesitating for a moment, he stepped onto the stone steps.
No matter whether the old friend the monk was talking about was him or Xiaoyu, he needed to go in and find out.
Qin Zhao was invited into the ancient temple by the monk.
This ancient temple looks plain from the outside, but the interior is very well decorated. After crossing the vermilion gate, there is a wide courtyard. There is a tall incense burner in the middle of the courtyard, and on the left and right sides are corridors and bell and drum towers, all of which are cleaned very well.
The monk's Buddhist name is Jingchen. He looks to be about the same age as Qin Zhao, but he is already the abbot of this temple.
As he led Qin Zhao inside, he introduced the ancient temple to him.
This ancient temple is called Yunguan Temple. It was built by the previous dynasty and is more than 600 years old. The temple is located in a remote area and deep in the mountains. In the past, there were few pilgrims. Most of them were villagers from several nearby villages and towns who came to worship, or to entertain some travelers passing through.
Jingchen led them to a side courtyard, clasped his hands together, and said, "The time for the vegetarian meal in the temple has passed. I will ask the kitchen to prepare some more food for you. I hope you won't mind the simple food in this ancient temple in the mountains."
Qin Zhao returned the greeting and said, "I dare not. Thank you for your help, Master."
Just as Jingchen was about to leave, Qin Zhao stopped him again: "I still have something unclear. Master just mentioned that an old friend came here. I wonder what he meant by that?"
Jingchen just smiled and nodded, saying, "Your heart is as clear as a mirror, so why ask more questions?"
“… Please take a rest. I will be back soon.”
Qin Zhao couldn't get anything out of the monk, so he had to give up.
Just as he was about to enter the yard, the fish basket in his hand moved slightly. He lowered his head and met a pair of round, clear eyes.
The little koi fish wagged its tail and spoke in human language: "We have already entered the temple? Why didn't you wake me up!"
In this case, wouldn't he only be able to maintain his body as a fish while in the temple
Qin Zhao had originally thought of waiting for him to wake up and transform back into human form before entering the temple, but who knew the abbot would come so quickly? Qin Zhao explained to Jing Li what had just happened, and the latter tilted his head.
"Old friend?" asked the little koi, "Have you been here before?"
Qin Zhao shook his head. He had no memory of having been here before.
"I think he is referring to you." Qin Zhao said.
"I?"
Jing Li looked around, and strangely enough, he did feel that this place looked familiar.
Could this really be the place where the original little fish once lived
Jing Li said: "Let's go in and take a look."
Qin Zhao walked into the yard.
This is an independent courtyard with a quiet and unique environment. A little monk about seven or eight years old is sweeping the floor in a corner of the courtyard.
Opposite the courtyard gate is the main house. The main house is very large and slightly higher than the side rooms next to it. The eaves are covered with glazed tiles, which looks magnificent.
There is a lotus pond in the center of the yard. Even though it is winter now, the lotus leaves in the pond are still lush.
In the center of the lotus pond, a lotus flower blooms slowly, but its shape is different from ordinary lotus flowers.
Qin Zhao walked to the edge of the lotus pond. The little koi fish poked its head out of the fish basket and looked at the strangely shaped lotus. At this moment, a childish voice sounded behind them: "This is a twin lotus."
Jing Li was so scared that he quickly shrank back into the fish basket. Qin Zhao turned around and saw the little monk who was sweeping the floor not far away coming over.
The young monk put his hands together and bowed to Qin Zhao, saying, "You must be the distinguished guest that Master mentioned. I have cleaned up the room. You can go in and rest."
Qin Zhao asked: "The lotus grows from June to August. Why is it blooming in February?"
"Donor, you may not know that the lotus flowers in this lotus pond bloom all year round, which is very mysterious."
The little monk was smart, maybe because the temple was quiet and there was no one to talk to in the past, but once he started talking he couldn't stop: "I heard that this lotus pond has been like this for five years, but I have lived in Yunguan Temple for three years, and this is the first time I have seen a pair of lotus flowers. Master said that all things have spirits, maybe this lotus pond anticipated that the old friend would return and was welcoming him."
An old friend again.
Qin Zhao's eyes moved slightly, and he subconsciously lowered his head and met the pair of puzzled eyes in the fish basket.
Before Qin Zhao could ask his question, the monk said enthusiastically, "Come with me."
The young monk led him into the main house. The house was elegantly decorated and the air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood. It did not look like a guest room for entertaining travelers, but rather a Zen temple where some eminent monk practiced Buddhism.
Qin Zhao placed the fish basket on the table. The little koi fish took advantage of the little monk's inattention and poked out half of its head.
Very familiar.
Whether it was the lotus pond outside or this room, Jing Li felt very familiar with it. They had not yet entered the inner room, but Jing Li could even tell what was arranged inside.
So weird…
Before this, Jing Li had never had any memory of his original body. He once thought that perhaps because his original body was an ordinary little fish, it did not have many memories.
But when I got here, those scenes that had been buried in my memory slowly emerged.
And... he even felt that it was not the memory of his original body, he felt... it was himself.
He felt like he had lived here before.
"Donor, please have some tea." The little monk poured a cup of tea over. Jing Li was so scared that he wanted to hide in the fish basket again, but the little monk came over and said with a smile, "Don't be afraid, don't you remember me?"
Jing Li: “…”
The little monk thought for a moment and said, "Wait for me."
He turned and left the house, and after a while, he came back holding a transparent container full of water.
The vessel was round, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, and it was a little difficult for the little monk to hold it. There were some water plants and pebbles on the bottom of the vessel. The little monk put the vessel on the table and said to Qin Zhao, "Donor, put the little koi in it. It used to like to sleep here."
Qin Zhao did not move, and asked: "Is this the old friend you just mentioned?"
The little monk nodded and said, "Yes, the lotus pond you just saw is called the Spiritual Carp Pond. The little koi used to live there and were taken care of by my disciples."
"Spiritual Carp Pond..." Qin Zhao lowered his head and looked at Jing Li, who shook his head innocently.
He can't remember.
Qin Zhao sighed silently, took the little koi out of the fish basket and put it into the transparent fish tank.
The fish tank has an excellent view. The little koi rolled comfortably as soon as it entered the water and dived into the water plants.
The little monk lay on the fish tank and looked at him with interest, his eyebrows full of joy: "You still like it here so much."
The little koi wagged its tail happily in the water.
Qin Zhao asked again: "Since it lived here before, why was it lost?"
When the monk mentioned this incident, he became depressed: "… It's all my fault for not being careful."
He said, "Last March, our master passed away and Master became the abbot. During those days, the temple was busy and I didn't come here for a while. By the time I settled down, the little guy had disappeared."
"But Master taught me the principles of karma and destiny, and told me to wait patiently, and that we will meet each other if we are destined to meet."
“I didn’t expect it to come back.”
"It's just..." The little monk observed the little koi through the glass and frowned in confusion, "Why does it seem to have gained a lot of weight?"
"!!!"
The little koi's body tilted and it almost hit the wall of the fish tank.
He looked up angrily and waved his fish fin at the little monk in dissatisfaction.
How is he fat
The little monk smiled and comforted her: "Okay, okay, I know you are not fat. You have been out for so long, but your temper is still so bad. I was worried all day that you didn't eat well or sleep well outside..."
Qin Zhao watched the interaction between the two, his eyes dimmed slightly, and he felt mixed emotions.
The young monk still had things to deal with, so he didn't stay here for too long. He quickly said goodbye to Qin Zhao and left.
The little koi played in the water for a while, and felt that the discomfort from dizziness and vomiting was finally gone, and he felt very comfortable.
But Qin Zhao never said a word.
Jing Li noticed his abnormality, pushed aside the water plants and swam out, and asked in a low voice: "Qin Zhao... are you unhappy?"
"No." Qin Zhao raised his hand and pressed it against the wall of the fish tank, tapping the little koi's head through the glass. "I'm very happy that you're back home."
"You lied to me." Jing Li said, "You just aren't very happy."
They have been together for so long, how could Jing Li not notice Qin Zhao's emotional changes.
He floated to the surface of the water, motioned Qin Zhao to stretch out his hand, then gently jumped up and kissed Qin Zhao's fingertips.
Qin Zhao looked at him without saying anything. Jing Li jumped up and kissed him again.
The little koi fish jumped around in the water, splashing water everywhere.
Qin Zhao couldn't help laughing: "Okay, stop messing around."
"I'm not messing around, I'm just trying to comfort you." Jing Li was tired of jumping around, panting, "You don't think I want to stay here, do you?"
The smile on Qin Zhao's face faded a little.
Jing Li said, "I do feel this place is very familiar, and I may have lived here before, but I have a home now. We are married, you won't abandon me in the temple and let me only eat vegetarian food in the future, right?"
Qin Zhao: “…”
Is vegetarianism the focus of this matter
Qin Zhao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He reached out and touched the little koi's head: "I will never abandon you. Sorry, I was overthinking it."
Jing Li: "That's right, stop imagining it."
"But there is something we have to consider."
"What?"
Qin Zhao said: "If you are really the lost koi in this temple, I brought you back here, and it is only right that you return it to its original owner."
Jing Li stood there in a daze, forgetting even to move his fins.
What Qin Zhao said makes sense.
Xiaohe is still unclear, but they already know from previous information that the koi was smuggled out of the temple by someone during the chaos. Regardless of the twists and turns in the middle, the ownership of the koi should still belong to Yunguan Temple.
If Qin Zhao insisted on taking him away, his behavior would be no different from that group of thieves who stole the koi.
Jing Li figured out the relationship, and his fins drooped down.
He thought he had cured his bad luck wherever he went, but who could have known that even staying on the side of the road would turn out like this? Really amazing.
Qin Zhao comforted him, "It's okay, I will discuss it with the abbot and buy you back later."
Jing Li nodded, still feeling a little depressed.
If only he didn't get seasick.
If they hadn't been seasick, they would still be on the boat and would be able to reach Gangneung early tomorrow morning.
There wouldn't be so many problems.
It was not convenient for Jing Li to change back to human form, so he stayed in the fish tank obediently. Qin Zhao walked around in the yard for a while and then returned to the house.
Now that it is getting dark, the sound of bells echoes in the mountains, the sound is long and distant.
"There is no one else in this yard except us." Qin Zhao said.
Jing Li poked his head out from the water plants: "No, then no, it just so happens that you like quietness, isn't this good?"
"It's not bad, it's too good." Qin Zhao frowned slightly. "Temple usually build guest houses to entertain pilgrims. I just went out to take a look. There are several guest houses next to this courtyard. They are all empty. Don't you think it's a bit strange?"
The guest house was vacant, but they were arranged to stay in this side courtyard with excellent conditions.
Is it just because Qin Zhao sent the little koi back
Qin Zhao was a little skeptical.
Before he could figure out the reason, someone knocked on the door.
Qin Zhao opened the door and the abbot named Jingchen walked in carrying food.
Jingchen bowed to Qin Zhao and said, "Thank you for waiting. The meal is ready."
Qin Zhao stood up and returned the greeting: "Thank you, Master."
Jingchen nodded, but out of the corner of his eye he saw the little koi in the fish tank looking eagerly at the food. His eyes flickered slightly, as if a little surprised.
Qin Zhao didn't notice this and said, "Master, please stay. I have something else to discuss with you."
Jingchen came back to his senses and said, "Donor, please speak."
Qin Zhao said truthfully: "It was just a coincidence that I came here today. I didn't know beforehand that this koi was originally from Yunguan Temple. Now that it has happened by chance, I want to formally buy this fish from you, Master. Please name a price."
In fact, even if Qin Zhao left the little koi here, the little koi would still have a way to escape by himself and go to Jiangling to find him.
But that is definitely not the way of a gentleman, and Qin Zhao would not choose to do that.
"You are a righteous person, which makes me admire you." Jingchen said, "But this koi is not actually from the temple, but someone has left it here. If you want to buy it, you shouldn't come to me."
Qin Zhao frowned: "Who was its original owner?"
Jingchen didn't rush to answer.
He suddenly glanced at the little koi in the water and said gently, "It may not even remember that this little fish was hatched in the temple five years ago."
Jing Li was stunned.
“… It was originally a fish egg. According to my master, the previous abbot of Yunguan Temple, this fish egg has been stored in this carp pond since he took over as abbot. No one knows where it came from or how old it is.”
"Until five years ago, a distinguished guest passed by Yunguan Temple and came in to stay overnight."
"The distinguished guest heard about the miraculous story of the fish egg and moved into this courtyard. That very night, the fish egg hatched into this koi."
"Since the fish was hatched, it has been pestering the distinguished guest. The distinguished guest has lived in the temple for more than half a month, and the fish has been pestering him every day, making him unable to live in peace. The abbot felt that the fish had a connection with the distinguished guest, so he gave it to him as a gift."
"That distinguished guest also liked this little fish very much, but he had something important to attend to at the time, so he asked Yunguan Temple to raise it for him, and agreed to take the little fish away within three years."
"This fish tank was given to me by that distinguished guest before he left. It has been placed in this room before." Jingchen smiled and said, "It's interesting to say that this little fish is quite smart. It always sneaks into the fish tank to play when Minghui isn't paying attention. It seems to understand that this is a gift from its owner."
The monk had a kind face and a calm voice. Jing Li looked up at him, and suddenly a memory that seemed very long ago emerged in his mind.
"… Why are you so clingy, little fish? Do you think I'm your mother?"
"You are quite courageous, little fish. If you dare to jump onto my bed in the middle of the night and wet my clothes again, I will have you boiled in a pot."
"You want to follow me so much? I can't take you with me now. Stay here and I'll come pick you up in a few years."
Jing Li couldn't remember who the person in his memory was, not even his appearance, figure, or voice.
He only knew that from one day on, he had been waiting for that person, day after day. He jumped out of the carp pond again and again, sneaked into the house, and jumped into the fish tank left by that person.
It seemed that the person would suddenly appear, touch him with his hand and smile at him.
But that person didn't come.
No one came to see him.
Jing Li sank to the bottom of the water, gently moving his fins, and suddenly felt a little uncomfortable in his heart.
Qin Zhao lowered his eyes to look at the little koi in the water, vaguely understanding something, and asked in a low voice: "Why didn't that person come to pick it up?"
Jingchen said calmly: "Because that distinguished guest passed away three years ago."
At this moment, the sun was setting, and the setting sun shone in from the door, illuminating the room with a golden glow. But Qin Zhao's face was extremely pale. He closed his eyes and said in a low voice, "That person... is Prince Rong?"
Jingchen: “Yes.”
The room was silent for a while. After a while, Qin Zhao smiled softly: "So that's how it is... So that's how it is..."
His words sounded like an exclamation, or like he had suddenly realized something.
Qin Zhao bowed to Jingchen and saluted solemnly: "Thank you for telling me, Master. I understand now."
Jingchen nodded and said, "Please enjoy your meal, my lord. I will send a disciple to take you down the mountain tomorrow morning."
"good."
Qin Zhao was about to see him out when Jingchen walked to the door and remembered something: "Oh, I have one more thing..."
He turned back to the fish tank, rolled up the sleeves of his monk's robe, reached into the water, and directly took the little koi out.
Jing Li had not yet recovered from what he had just heard. It was not until the water came out of his body that he realized what was happening and began to struggle.
But he was held down by a pair of strong hands.
Qin Zhao asked: "Master, what are you doing?"
"Don't worry, I won't hurt it." Jingchen explained, "There are many carps in the temple, and I know their habits very well. I just noticed that this koi seems to be in a strange state, so I want to take a closer look."
Qin Zhao frowned: "Is there something wrong with your body?"
Jing Li's health has recovered recently, but he still hasn't forgotten how uncomfortable the little guy looked a few days ago.
During that time, no matter how Qin Zhao diagnosed his pulse, he could not find anything abnormal. Now that he thinks about it, it may be because this little fish is not a human, so even if there is something wrong with its body, it will not show through its pulse.
Therefore, Jing Li should not see a human doctor, but should seek help from someone who understands the habits of fish.
Jingchen handed the little koi to Qin Zhao and said, "Please hold it firmly for me."
Jing Li's body was clamped tightly, and only his tail was still struggling.
Why do you need to take him to see a doctor when he's fine? There's nothing abnormal with his body.
"Don't move." Qin Zhao gently held his body and pressed him in his palm. "You have been feeling unwell for the past few days. Let the master take a look at you."
After saying that, a pair of strange hands pressed on Jing Li's abdomen.
Jing Li didn't like being touched by anyone other than Qin Zhao, so he twisted his body left and right to dodge, but Qin Zhao held him down hard and he couldn't move.
The hands pressing on his abdomen became stronger.
This guy just watched others touch him
Are you still a close husband
Jing Li was both angry and annoyed. As soon as Jing Chen withdrew his hand, he immediately bit Qin Zhao's fingertips and jumped back into the water.
The little koi dove headfirst into the water plants, leaving only a tiny bit of its bright red tail outside.
Still swaying from side to side unhappily.
Qin Zhao could almost guess what the little guy was cursing at him in his heart. He shook his head helplessly and asked, "Master, can you see any abnormality in its body?"
Jingchen nodded: "I figured it out."
Upon hearing this, the little koi fish stopped swinging its tail.
I only heard Jingchen say leisurely: "It's not abnormal, I'm just pregnant."
Tsk, they said there was nothing wrong with his body, but he kept touching him for so long, when he was obviously just...
only…
Is there…what is this thing
Jing Li stood up from the water grass and looked at the monk in front of him in astonishment.
The monk put his hands together and said to Qin Zhao calmly, "According to what I have seen, this koi will give birth to fish within three months. Congratulations, donor."