Chapter 73

Su Ruoyun and Ms. Ming didn't stay at the cheongsam store for long either. After setting the time with the master to come and pick up the clothes, they left.

The two Red Flag cars returned on the same journey as they came.

Su Ruoyun followed Ms. Ming back to the Family Courtyard. As the birthday banquet approached, the Su family became more and more busy. From the number of tables, the number of people, to the specific list of personnel and positions, everything had to be determined.

Even Su Ruoyun couldn't avoid it. Although there were several elders on top worrying and busy, she couldn't avoid helping to arrange things.

Until this day, the fifteenth day of the fifth lunar month, Old Lady Su led the relatives in the family to the temple to offer incense and pray for blessings together. Leaving aside the men in their positions, even Su Mingyan and Su Jiayi 'escorted' them up the mountain.

The old lady had walked out of the battlefield where the flames of war were flying. When she was young, she carried dynamite packs to blow up bunkers. She was not afraid of anything and never believed in Buddha. It was just that with the increase of age, she unconsciously became a little superstitious and in awe of Buddha.

A black Red Flag sedan, closely surrounded by several Audi cars, set off from the courtyard and went straight to the temple. The motorcade stopped in front of the main gate of the temple.

The temple was towering, the ancient temple was quiet, and the plaque was hung high above the mountain gate, with black characters on a gold background.

In front of the temple, the abbot wearing a yellow and red cassock stood solemnly with the monks, waiting for a long time.

Seeing the guard open the car door, the abbot walked up, twisting the prayer beads with both hands, bowed slightly, raised his hand to salute: "Old Lady."

Old Lady Su put her hands together to return the salute: "Master Huimiao."

The group walked up the steps slowly and stepped into the main hall.

The weather was good today, the sky was clear and the wind was clear, the ancient trees in the temple were towering, the branches and leaves were intertwined, blocking the hustle and bustle of the dusty world and the dazzling sunlight, carrying a unique quietness. The flowers and plants in the flower bed added a bit of elegance and auspiciousness to this solemn place. Occasionally, they met a few little novices wearing plain monk clothes, holding brooms, and sweeping the floor seriously.

In the main hall, Su Ruoyun stood behind Ming Manrong, and everyone stood in order. The monk handed over candles and incense respectfully.

Light the candles first, then the incense.

The two candles burned vigorously, the flames at the wicks were soaring, and the incense sticks rose with curling blue smoke under the touch of the flames, as if they had spirituality, drifting toward the sky leisurely.

Su Ruoyun closed her eyes, raised her hands to her eyebrows, listened to Old Lady Su's prayer for blessings in her ears, and bowed slightly, looking pious.

The smell of fireworks and sandalwood suddenly permeated the hall. The abbot began to lecture on scriptures and Dharma according to the convention. The words were all Buddhist principles and Zen machines, profound and difficult to understand. The younger generation was not interested and walked out of the Mahavira Hall in unison.

Su Jiayi put his hands in his pockets. He was used to being lazy and had no restraint in the temple. He leaned sideways against the vermilion gate. His careless posture was out of tune with the solemn atmosphere around him. Having been in the military region for four or five years, he naturally didn't believe in these ethereal things at all.

Su Mingyan was much more serious. His black coat wrapped his body properly, but his wrist was still an expensive steel watch. He stood tall and straight. In contrast, Chen Xiangjin was dressed in a white shirt, black trousers, and a suit jacket outside, like a gentleman, with a serious handsome face.

The three men followed behind their sisters.

Chen Xiangwei had never been to the Fafo Temple, her eyes full of curiosity and expectation, looking around with great interest: "Cousin, do you believe in Buddha?"

It was hard to say whether she believed or not.

"The people of the Celestial Dynasty believe in Buddha, which is different from Western believers. The people of the Celestial Dynasty pay attention to relying on themselves first in everything, doing things completely, and then seeking the protection of Buddha, while Western believers mostly entrust all their hope to Jesus, relying on prayer to seek guidance."

Su Zhanyu was born in the Su family of Sijiucheng and had extremely strict requirements for the brother and sister in terms of language and culture. Even if they were in the Hong Kong area, they must never forget their own cultural roots.

Chen Xiangwei tilted her head, and a flash of inspiration flashed in her mind, thinking of that common saying: "Man proposes, God disposes?"

"Yes, that's the truth."

Su Ruoyun and Chen Xiangwei walked out of the threshold arm in arm, and the five of them strolled around in the temple.

Walking along the path toward the back, passing through heavy bamboo shadows, the breeze blew gently over the pagoda, and the bells on the eaves rang "ding-ding", as ethereal and clear as Sanskrit, making people's state of mind gradually return to tranquility. Being in this place, 'mysterious and mysterious, the gate of all wonders'.

The five people didn't care and sat directly on the ground, sitting scattered on a few steps.

Chen Xiangjin glanced at the ground, which was covered with a thin layer of dust. He lowered his eyes, looked at the stiff custom-made suit on his body, sniffed his nose, a bit disgusted. Taking advantage of the fact that others were not paying attention, he took out a handkerchief from his pocket silently and placed it on the steps.

He nodded, and only then sat down with satisfaction.

Su Ruoyun couldn't stay idle, walked to the ancient vat nearby carelessly, reached into the vat with her slender fingers, broke off a blooming lotus flower, placed that touch of pink in her hands, and played with the petals with her fingertips, interested.

Seeing this scene, the corners of Su Jiayi's mouth raised slightly, a trace of mischief flashed in his eyes, and he deliberately scared her, his voice low: "Daring to pick flowers in the temple, are you really not afraid that the Buddha will come to you to settle accounts in the middle of the night?"

Hearing this, Su Ruoyun's movement paused suddenly, the water lily in her hand trembled a few times, and she turned her head to look at Su Jiayi, asking hesitantly: "Should, not, right."

She looked like she had been frightened.

Just when Su Mingyan found it funny and was about to speak, a gentle voice inserted from the side, attracting everyone to look over: "The Buddha is compassionate and will not care about this lotus flower picked by Miss Su, and what's more..."

A master wearing a gray-black monk robe stood beside the pagoda, his eyebrows smiling, his face kind, and his tone paused slightly: "Buddhism pays attention to the cause and effect of all things. The water lily being picked by Miss Su is, to the Buddha, just a small episode in the cause and effect, so how could he take this to heart?"

"The Master is indeed the Master." Su Ruoyun put her hands together solemnly, saluted the master, bowed her head, and after the salute, she turned around and threw a proud look at Su Jiayi.

Seeing this, the smile in the master's eyes deepened.

Su Jiayi shook his head and smiled helplessly.

By the time Old Lady Su walked out of the main hall, an hour had passed. The group rested in the Zen room for a while, finding cushions and wooden stools to sit for a while.

The Zen room was located deep in the temple, and the surroundings were quiet. Occasionally, a breeze blew, and a cool feeling was transmitted, which also made people's hearts calm down.

Old Lady Su twisted the prayer beads with her fingers, closed her eyes as if pretending to sleep, and suddenly popped out a sentence: "Master Huimiao said that good things are coming to our family."

"Cough, cough, cough—" Su Ruoyun was comfortably drinking the mung bean soup specially boiled by the temple to quench her thirst. Hearing this sentence suddenly, the soup water choked into her nose, and she coughed out in difficulty.