Baiyun Temple was built halfway up the mountain. The mountain road was steep, and the carriage couldn’t go up, so it stopped at the foot of the mountain. Men, women, old and young, officials and nobles, all had to walk up the mountain.
This was a bit difficult for Wei Nanxun, who had rarely gone out since she was a child, but the more remote and steep it was, the more at ease she felt. She couldn’t even find the place herself, let alone others.
Near lunchtime, the group of four arrived at Baiyun Temple. Perhaps it was past the time for daily chanting and worship, there weren’t many pilgrims coming and going in the temple.
Lin Grandpa came to worship Buddha every month and was familiar with the abbot, so they were also arranged in the side room，and a young monk led them to have lunch.
Wei Nanxun was not a picky person about food, and her appetite was small. Two weak women were away from home, and they couldn’t show off their wealth, so they always did what was convenient. They were very simple in terms of food, clothing, and use.
Unexpectedly, the vegetarian food at Baiyun Temple was particularly exquisite, from scallion tofu to winter melon soup, osmanthus root, and vegetarian three delicacies. Although no meat was added, it was fresh, fragrant, juicy, and delicious. Even she couldn’t help but have more bowls of rice. If Zhixia hadn’t been afraid of her indigestion and persuaded her, she would have wanted to eat more.
After lunch, Grandpa and his wife went to worship Buddha. The two of them were idle and wanted to stroll around the temple, after all, they had to stay here for a few days, so they had to figure out the surroundings.
Baiyun Temple didn’t look big, with only the front hall, the main hall, and the back hall. Although the incense was strong on weekdays, it was not repaired in a grand style. Instead, it was surrounded by bamboo forests and pine and cypress trees. The tall trees shielded the sky, isolating the heat of the summer.
“This is a good place to escape the heat. If it weren’t for Little Tiger being at home, I would have wanted to stay here for a few more days.”
Zhixia liked the gurgling mountain springs on the mountain: “Elder Sister, there must be fish in the downstream area. If it weren’t for this pure land of Buddhism, I would have taken off my shoes and gone down to catch fish and grilled them to eat.”
“You, you, you’re really a little glutton, even more gluttonous than Little Tiger.”
The two of them went around the back hall and saw a winding mountain path, which was the road to the back mountain. She was a little tired and thirsty, and saw a clear spring flowing down the mountain wall not far away, so she wanted to go over and get some water.
But before she could take a few steps forward, she was stopped by a passing young monk: “Female benefactor, please stop. The front is the forbidden area of the back mountain. Wild animals often appear in the mountains, which is very dangerous and not suitable for female benefactors to go alone.”
Wei Nanxun looked around strangely. She clearly saw a courtyard in the bamboo forest not far ahead, which was unique and elegant. It didn’t look like a dangerous place, but rather like a place for dignitaries to rest.
But she didn’t want to cause trouble, so she restrained her curiosity and politely returned a salute.
“Thank you, little master, for reminding me.”
Zhixia also saw the courtyard in the back mountain and wanted to say something to Wei Nanxun, but she covered her mouth, and the two of them just strolled around and returned to the side room.
“Elder Sister, you clearly saw it too, why did you stop me? The courtyard in front doesn’t look like where these monks live.”
“You also know that it doesn’t look like it belongs to the temple. Those who can live here must be people with unusual identities. We are just passing by, don’t provoke unnecessary trouble.”
Zhixia suddenly realized and said “Oh.”
“Okay, you’ve been walking for half a day, you’re tired too, let’s rest for a while. If there’s nothing special, don’t walk around casually.”
Zhixia was carefree and used to doing whatever she said. After checking the room, she locked the door and fell asleep with her clothes on.
Leaving Wei Nanxun restless, Baiyun Temple looked like just an ordinary temple, but from the vegetarian food to the layout to the forbidden area in the back mountain, everything revealed a mystery. For a while, she didn’t know whether it was right or wrong to come.
After resting for a while, the two got up and went out.
This was what they had agreed on when they came. She was going to offer lamps and pray in the afternoon, and worship the Guanyin Bodhisattva. An old master would light the lamps and answer questions for her.
She had said it herself, that she was coming to Baiyun Temple to seek marriage, so she couldn’t go back on her word at the last minute. Therefore, Zhixia stayed in front of the Medicine Buddha statue in the front hall to pray for peace and listen to the abbot chanting scriptures to enlighten her, while she took the incense, candles, and lanterns to the Guanyin Hall in the back hall alone.
Wei Nanxun didn’t have many opportunities to go to temples. She had gone to temples with her mother a few times when she was young to fulfill vows, but she was too young to remember and couldn’t understand these gods and Buddhas.
The only impression was that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were all dignified and solemn, but this Guanyin Hall was very special.
In the center of the hall was a white jade Guanyin statue, only half a person tall. Behind it was a golden lotus, and a black wooden box was suspended above its head. The Bodhisattva’s eyes were closed, but her face was extremely kind and benevolent.
While she was slightly stunned, an old monk in a kasaya slowly came and stood in front of the Guanyin statue and said: “It is said that Dharma Master Dao Yi once built a hut in the mountains of Baiyun Mountain. One night, he discovered a luminous jade stone, and then found someone to carve this white-robed Guanyin. Later, he suspended the ancient Buddha relics above the head of the Guanyin statue, which made the treasure image full of aura, and all requests were answered. Especially for seeking marriage.”
The old monk said the last sentence while looking at her, with a smile in his eyes and a kind expression.
It made Wei Nanxun a little embarrassed. If she had known it was so effective, she wouldn’t have come.
The last thing she wanted to believe in this life was marriage. She was unwilling to entrust herself to a man again, with her life and death, joy and anger all controlled by another person. She wanted to rely on herself, and wanted freedom and respect.
Unless there was someone who could be controlled by her, respect her, give her freedom, and heal her past pain.
Seeing her in a daze, the old monk brought a futon: “This old monk sees that the girl seems to have obsessions in her heart. These obsessions and thoughts are nothing more than not being able to let go. Only by letting go can you let yourself go and look forward.”
Obsessions and thoughts are nothing more than not being able to let go.
These words were simply stabbing at her heart. She wanted to escape, she couldn’t face Pei Yuyan directly, wasn’t it because she couldn’t let go, wasn’t it because of the fear and unwillingness in her heart?
Having been reborn for so long, Wei Nanxun showed confusion and incomprehension for the first time: “Master, then, what should I do?”
The old monk didn’t say much, just smiled and shook his head: “Benefactor, since you are here, be at peace.”
She seemed to be seen through for a moment, with nowhere to hide in front of the Bodhisattva. Since she had been reborn, she shouldn’t be trapped in that old cage, and had to find an exit to break free from it.
Meeting the wrong marriage, falling in love with the wrong person, was not her fault, and she didn’t have to pay for it with two lives.
After the old monk finished speaking, he bowed again and left as he had come.
Wei Nanxun dared not be negligent or disrespectful in the slightest, and respectfully knelt on the futon, clasping her hands together and prostrating herself to the ground.
Bodhisattva, this disciple has no other request, only that I will have no regrets in this life, and that I will not repeat the same mistakes.
She didn’t ask to have one heart with someone and never be apart, and she didn’t ask for someone to mend her broken heart, but only asked for no regrets.
After three loud kowtows, she was about to get up when she saw the candle flame on the Buddha altar flicker, and a sacrificial fruit placed next to it actually rolled off.
She was about to step forward to put the thing back in place when she heard the sound of horses’ hooves and noisy shouts coming from outside the mountain gate not far away.
“Search for me! Be sure to find the person for me!”