The fire was turbulent and the surrounding area was dim.
Lu Qiuniang just sat like that, her body motionless, like a clay sculpture.
There were indescribable colors in his eyes, including anger, disappointment, sorrow, and sadness...all kinds of emotions were mixed together, turning into an indescribable temperament.
Yang Zhaoxi had never thought that her mother was so weak and helpless. She lost her husband when she was young and suffered from wars. She often held her young son in her arms and was worried all night, unable to sleep peacefully. She also never thought that her mother was so tough and stubborn, living in poverty in the mountains.
, but he made his own living, never accepted favors for nothing, and often found time to teach the women in the village the needlework skills he learned in the palace.
However, at this moment, he knelt on the ground for a long time, but Lu Qiuniang remained silent. She neither softly persuaded nor scolded, as if she was staring at a stranger, giving him an indescribable feeling of alienation.
"Xi'er, tell the truth, why did you come back to the mountain?" Lu Qiuniang suddenly spoke, and there was no wave in her voice.
Yang Chaoxi suddenly panicked, and she was really afraid of what would happen. Just now she was worried that her mother would know about this, but she didn't expect that when she came back in vain, she would still block her. She couldn't help but said with a guilty conscience: "My child misses his mother and his father."
, I just came back to take a look... I happened to earn some money again, so I wanted to buy some rice, cloth, and silk to supplement my mother's family income... "
"lie!"
Lu Qiuniang slapped the wooden stake, stood up suddenly, and threw a bag of things in front of him with a bang, "What kind of peasant are you doing? How can you earn so much money! The nine-ring white jade belt in your bag, the topaz
The finger ring, the golden hairpin, the silver-inlaid blue field jade pendant...where did they get it?!"
Only then did Yang Chaoxi suddenly realize: It turned out that his mother had gone through his baggage and found the silver collar and ornaments he got from Shao Qinggang. But at that time, she saw Xiaodouzi bitten by a vicious dog, and she was scratched by a falcon.
His back was broken, and he was so angry that he could not calm down, so he made this decision and extorted a lot of money and treasures from him. But after all, it was something from an evil source. At this moment, his mother was questioning him face to face, but she was speechless.
When Lu Qiuniang saw that he was silent, she became more and more angry. She picked up the cypress stick in the corner and hit Yang Zhaoxi on the head and face: "I will save you money on food and clothing and eat chaffy vegetables. I will send you to Shangqing Temple to learn Taoism and martial arts... I don't expect it."
You can be crowned a prince, become a prime minister, and honor your ancestors. I always want you to learn how to behave in the world.
But you...you are so mean! Relying on your skills in fists and kicks, you stole these stolen goods from who knows which household. I must teach you a lesson for your dead father...
... I will tie you up early tomorrow morning! Go find Guan Lizheng and surrender... You, you are so angry as a mother... Wuwuwu!"
Yang Zhaoxi did not dodge or evade, and she endured dozens of sticks from her, but she did not feel much pain. But her mother could not be cruel in the end. After beating her for a while, she threw the cypress stick aside and started crying at the desk.
When Yang Chaoxi saw his mother crying, he felt extremely sad. Seeing that she had stopped, he muttered for a long time, and then briefly told his mother the origin of these belongings. He only said that he had seen the playboy indulge in doggy style at that time.
He hurt people and acted suddenly out of righteous indignation. These goods were begged to be used to treat Xiaodouzi's injuries. However, he concealed his escape from Shangqing Guan and several things he did in Luoyang City, so as not to hurt his mother.
More worried.
While Lu Qiuniang was sobbing, she listened to the story of the future and realized that he was not forgetful of his wealth. But taking other people's property by force was against the laws of the prosperous dynasty after all.
So he held back his tears and said: "Xi'er, you are getting older every year, and you should think twice about what you say and do. For things like this, you must take care of yourself, do what you can, and don't cause any trouble.
You are a good person who should not be messed with. Wei Niang knows that you have some ambitions, to be a knight who helps the world and saves the people, but the Yang family only has you as a solitary child. If something goes wrong again... Wei Niang will also go to the spring.
How can you explain to your cruel and short-lived father?"
Yang Chaoxi hurriedly leaned down, kowtowed to Lu Qiuniang respectfully and said, "I understand, my child."
Lu Qiuniang sniffed, then pointed at the long sword on his back and said, "Mom, I almost forgot, what were you doing when you went out with your sword in the middle of the night?"
Only then did Yang Zhaoxi become really panicked and stammered: "My child, my child hasn't come back for a long time, so he went to the barren slope to see his father... He was worried that there would be jackals and leopards coming into the village to look for food at night, so...
I also carried the sword on my back..."
Lu Qiuniang looked into his eyes and said with a burning gaze: "Is this really so? Could it be that he secretly went to the cow..."
"How can mother speculate on a child like this?!" Yang Zhaoxi immediately raised her neck and said with her chest heaving, "They... they are done, so why should I humiliate myself again!"
Lu Qiuniang then smiled with tears in her eyes: "It's okay if you don't. Mom, I just hope that you can be open-minded about everything and don't make any mistakes. This life has its ups and downs, but if you make one wrong move, it will be irreversible. That's when you can't recover."
I really regret it."
Yang Zhaoxi nodded silently. It was already getting late, so the mother and son returned to the bedroom, settled down to sleep, and spent the night without talking.
The next morning, after the cockcrow, Yang Zhaoxi got up and washed up.
After breakfast, he repaired the wooden fence, said goodbye to his mother, and then went back to Guandashi thatched cottage.
Luo Changqing's back injury was not healed, and he was still lying on the kang without getting up. He was pointed at him with a sword. He finally managed to put on his robe and boots. He also made a few steamed cakes from the kitchen, and was finally beaten by Yang Chaoxi.
He urged them to hurry up and go to the thatched cottage in the middle of the mountain together.
The grass in the middle of the mountain is deep and dense, with many grass and vines climbing wantonly, covering the small thatched cottage with a layer of green.
The two of them dug through the grass to find the path and almost missed the thatched cottage as they climbed all the way.
Fortunately, Monk Huilang said "Amitabha" and pointed out the direction for the two of them. When they walked to the thatched cottage, they saw another strange-shaped bluestone piled on top of the rosette carved from bluestone.
Just looking at the roughly chiselled outline, it is not difficult to guess that this monk must have been sitting in his hut and was extremely bored, so he wanted to carve a statue of the Buddha so that he could urge himself to recite sutras and practice hard every day.
When Yang Chaoxi was distracted, the monk Huilang had already stepped out of the thatched hut. He clasped his palms together, bowed and saluted, and said with a smile on his face: "I have been waiting for you two for a long time! The poor monk had known that Donor Luo was deeply obsessed with it and could not extricate himself, so he would definitely meet
Then I looked for the poor monk to find a way to escape. So for the rest of the month, the poor monk only wandered in the mountains every day and never dared to leave here."
As he said that, he looked at Yang Chaoxi and said, "Taoist Priest Chong Lingzi is getting better, but there seems to be resentment in his eyebrows. If he doesn't channel it on his own, I'm afraid he won't be able to escape the bloody disaster in the near future..."
"Monk! Shut your crow mouth! You are pretending to be a fool in front of others, and I am too lazy to expose you. But if you use this trick to play tricks on me, be careful that I will blow up your bastard!"
When Yang Chaoxi saw that Monk Huilang was going on and on about defrauding him and Luo Changqing of their incense money, he couldn't help but retorted,
"I brought him here today not to listen to you sing the 'Ecstasy Sutra' or to use the 'Secrets to Generate Money'. I just want to ask you a question, and you can answer it truthfully."
"Master Taoist, please speak!" Monk Huilang was not angry and spoke concisely and concisely.
Yang Chaoxi raised his eyebrows and said immediately: "This Uncle Luo Shi has seen through the world of mortals and wants to sit down with you and become a novice monk asking for alms. I wonder what do you think, monk?"
Monk Huilang laughed and said, "That's good, that's good! All living beings have the root of wisdom, and the Buddha can help those who are destined. If the donor of Luo Luo is really willing to let go of the fetters of worldly fate and sincerely come into my door, he can't get what he wants! Moreover, the poor monk has had something in his dream recently.
Zen Master Bukong's body is ill and he is about to return to Chang'an. This thatched cottage in the middle of the mountain is vacant and can be used by Donor Luo to sit and meditate. It's just..."
Monk Huilang deliberately remained silent, with a look of embarrassment on his face.
Luo Changqing immediately said anxiously: "If the Zen Master has any instructions, please speak out. I sincerely worship the Buddha and hope that the Zen Master can enlighten me!"
At first, Yang Chaoxi heard him promise and said that he had colluded with Luo Changqing. When he said the word "just", all the doubts in his mind were cleared. He knew that he was going to cheat again in the name of cultivating merit.
Luo Changqing's money couldn't help but bring up a playful smile, but he didn't expose it on the spot.
Sure enough, Monk Huilang had a tangled look on his face. After a long while, he seemed to make up his mind and said the Buddha's name: "Amitabha! Lord Luo, you should know the laws of the Sheng Dynasty. Anyone who wants to enter my Buddhist sect and become a ordained person must meet three conditions:
The first step was to obtain an empty-name ultimatum with the seal of the ancestral temple. Although this ultimatum was not uncommon, the poor monk did not have it. He had to ask for one from Chongfu Temple when he returned to Chang'an.
The second step is to strictly abide by the rules of Buddhism. Donor Luo is intelligent in mind, healthy in body, and in his prime. As long as he has no parents, wife and children to drag him down, has never committed any crime, and can strictly abide by the rules and precepts, he can be considered as having initially settled in Zen.
The third step is to give up the wealth in your hands and donate it to the Buddhist monks as precept money to prove your determination to take refuge.
During my absence in Luoyang, you will stay here to chant sutras, rest, and beg for alms, and I will ordain you when I return."
After hearing this, Luo Changqing wondered what Huilang meant. He was asked to return to the city first, settle down his parents, wife and children, and prepare more money for purchasing empty-name certificates and managing public relations. Fortunately,
His parents are no longer alive, and he has never married or had children, so he is really alone. Moreover, if the small courtyard he bought in Luoyang was turned into gold and silver, it would be quite valuable.
Immediately he knelt down and kowtowed: "Disciple, as instructed by the Zen Master, will go back with Yang Shaoxia today. After taking care of everything in the city, he will return to this hut and wait for the return of the Zen Master."
Monk Huilang smiled and nodded: "Go!"
"etc!"
Luo Changqing was about to stand up and leave, but Yang Chaoxi suddenly spoke, as if to disrupt his plan. Just as he was in doubt, he heard him continue,
"Monk! Monks don't tell lies. There is another unknown matter on the trail. I happened to bump into you today. I hope you will tell the truth."
Monk Huilang said with great interest: "Taoist Master, please teach me!"
Yang Zhaoxi then slowly revealed a mystery that had been buried in his heart for several days: "Monk, Xiaodao was in a bad mood that day and asked you for advice on martial arts. Why did you actually use the Shimen's authentic Kung Fu technique to 'cross the river with a reed'?
The price was passed on to Xiaodao?
Although Xiaodao got a big advantage out of this, the more I thought about it later, the more strange and weird I felt! Could it be that the monk also saw that Xiaodao was extraordinary and wanted to help me join your path to enlightenment?"
After hearing this, Monk Huilang burst into laughter: "Buddha said, 'It cannot be said'. There is cause and effect for this matter. There is no need for Taoist priests to be suspicious. When you know it, someone will solve the mystery for you."