Liu Ming'an spent the entire morning bent over writing couplets. By the time he finished the last pair, he could barely straighten his back.
He had used up all the red paper he brought, and there were still several people who wanted couplets but couldn't get them. They asked him, "Scholar, will you be coming back tomorrow?"
Seeing how exhausted Liu Ming'an was, Jiang Ning quickly answered for him, "He won't be here tomorrow, please forgive us."
When those people asked when he would return, Jiang Ning vaguely replied "in a few days," finally managing to disperse the crowd gathered around them.
"Phew~ That was really tiring!" Liu Ming'an pounded his aching back and let out a long sigh.
Jiang Ning counted the copper coins. Between selling portraits and couplets, they had made nearly four taels of silver.
"You worked hard!" Jiang Ning put away the coins and smiled, taking Liu Ming'an's right hand and gently massaging the muscles and joints with her fingertips.
"It wasn't hard at all. I told you, I love doing these things to support our family. With this money, we can eat hot pot several more times." Liu Ming'an smiled back at Jiang Ning, raising his other hand to poke the dimple on her cheek.
Jiang Ning looked at him with a beaming smile, the corners of her eyes slightly curved, a tender look in her gaze.
By now, they had missed lunchtime. Since Aunt Lan, who sold osmanthus cakes next to them, had left early, neither of them had eaten. When returning the table to the Universal Buddha Temple, they saw that the monk's vegetarian meal looked quite appetizing. After a brief discussion, they decided to simply have a meal at the temple.
The couple followed a monk from the Universal Buddha Temple to the dining hall. Along the way, they were surrounded by the fragrance of incense, the continuous sounds of bells, chanting, and wooden fish. As they passed by the Buddha halls, the solemn and majestic atmosphere, along with even a glimpse of the Bodhisattvas and Arhats inside, inspired a sense of awe.
Liu Ming'an whispered in Jiang Ning's ear, "Ah Ning, let's look around here after we eat. I've never been to a temple before."
"Sure," Jiang Ning agreed without hesitation. After all, they had nothing pressing to do back at the inn.
So, after their meal, instead of rushing back, they took a leisurely stroll around the Universal Buddha Temple.
Liu Ming'an was in high spirits, showing great interest in every Buddha hall. As they walked, he carefully read about the origin of each Bodhisattva and Buddha, then followed the crowd in paying respects.
Jiang Ning didn't believe in ghosts or gods, naturally not believing in Buddha either, but she accompanied Liu Ming'an since he was enjoying himself.
She told herself to think of it as a date. Modern couples go shopping or watch movies on dates, while she was visiting a temple and worshipping Buddha with Liu Ming'an in ancient times. It was more or less the same thing.
The Universal Buddha Temple was vast with numerous Buddha halls. They started their tour from the east side, strolling leisurely. After an hour, they finally reached the main hall in the center of the temple.
From a distance, Jiang Ning saw a group of people circling the main hall, which puzzled her. "Is this some kind of ritual?" she asked.
An old man nearby heard her question and cheerfully explained, "Young lady, you must be from out of town. There's always been a saying about this Universal Buddha Temple. They say if you put your palms together, clear your mind of distractions, and circle the Great Buddha Hall thirteen times, you can make a wish to Buddha. It's said to bless your family with good health and longevity."
"Thank you for the explanation, sir," Liu Ming'an politely expressed his gratitude.
The old man waved his hand with a smile and went off to light some incense.
Liu Ming'an turned to Jiang Ning with an eager look on his face. "Ah Ning..."
"You want to try it?" Jiang Ning asked, immediately realizing it was a redundant question.
How could anyone believe such nonsense? Jiang Ning inwardly scoffed, but her face betrayed nothing. She simply said, "Go ahead then. I'll look around elsewhere and come find you later."
Liu Ming'an thought Jiang Ning was worried about getting tired, so he said "Alright" and joined the line of people circling the hall.
The circumference of the main hall was estimated to be about 300 meters, and the people walking were moving slowly. Jiang Ning calculated that it would take Liu Ming'an about 40 minutes to complete thirteen rounds.
It was too long to wait, so Jiang Ning thought about going back to sit in a pavilion they had passed earlier. However, after walking just a few steps, she spotted a familiar face.
It was Aunt Lan, the woman who sold osmanthus cakes.
Jiang Ning recalled the conversation between Liu Ming'an and Aunt Lan earlier that morning. The woman had said she had something to do today, which was why she closed her stall early. So this was what she meant – coming to worship Buddha.
Jiang Ning watched as Aunt Lan walked into a dimly lit Buddha hall. Looking up at the sign above the hall, she saw it was called the "Hall of Longevity."
Jiang Ning remembered that the Hall of Longevity housed memorial tablets, which could be for both the living and the dead. As long as enough money for incense and oil was paid each year, the monks would light an oil lamp for you and ensure it never went out.
Glancing back at Liu Ming'an, who was still circling the hall, Jiang Ning decided to walk towards the Hall of Longevity.
She knew very well that Liu Ming'an was circling the hall to pray for her well-being. So she thought she might as well check out the Hall of Longevity. If the price was reasonable, she could consider getting a longevity tablet and lamp lit for him as a gesture of reciprocation.
As soon as Jiang Ning entered the Hall of Longevity, a monk by the door put his palms together and said, "Amitabha." He then asked, "Has the patron come to request a longevity tablet?"
"How much does it cost?" Jiang Ning asked straightforwardly.
The monk was visibly taken aback. Who would start with such a businesslike tone? Shouldn't they ask about the procedure first?
"Patron, money is but a worldly possession. We in the Buddhist community keep our six senses pure and do not concern ourselves with secular matters. We don't conduct business," the monk replied after some thought, then added another "Amitabha."
Jiang Ning remained silent, just staring at him steadily.
Sure enough, the monk continued, "Requesting a longevity tablet and lighting a longevity lamp is meant to accumulate blessings and virtue for someone the patron cares about. Buddha saves all living beings, even cutting his own flesh to feed eagles, demonstrating great love. We disciples of Buddha take our vows morning and evening, dedicating our lives to spiritual cultivation, all for the sake of allowing all beings under heaven to bask in Buddha's light, to cultivate themselves and achieve salvation..."
Jiang Ning listened to this lengthy speech with an expressionless face, feeling the urge to leave.
"...Therefore, as long as the patron adds one tael of silver for incense and oil money each month, and sincerely worships Buddha, the person for whom the patron wishes to request a tablet will receive Buddha's blessing. If they are living, they will have smooth sailing in all matters and enjoy longevity; if they have passed on, they will rest in peace in the underworld and be reborn into a wealthy family in their next life, living a peaceful and joyous life."
Jiang Ning could certainly afford one tael of silver, but one tael per month would amount to twelve taels a year. Not to mention that she was about to leave for the capital soon, just thinking about how Liu Ming'an had worked so hard that his back ached to earn money, Jiang Ning couldn't bring herself to spend one tael of silver on this intangible Buddha.
It's better to rely on oneself than on Buddha. She would protect her scholar herself!
The monk before her was still waiting for her response. Having made up her mind not to waste money on this, Jiang Ning walked further into the hall, saying perfunctorily, "Let me have a look first."
But in truth, there wasn't much to see in this hall. Rows upon rows of memorial tablets, countless oil lamps. Jiang Ning inappropriately thought of a phrase: ghostly and eerie.
After a complete circuit, Jiang Ning saw Aunt Lan kneeling on a prayer mat at the far end of the main hall. She had her palms pressed together, a look of devout sincerity on her face as she murmured something.
Jiang Ning looked up and saw a longevity tablet in front of Aunt Lan. The black wooden tablet had three characters written neatly in the center: "Nangong Ling". There was also a line of smaller characters beside it, but the light was too dim to see clearly. Jiang Ning guessed it might be something like a birth date and time.
"Nangong..." Jiang Ning muttered to herself. This was the third time she had encountered this surname. The first two times were because of that "Chancellor Nangong", and this time it was because of an unfamiliar woman. She wondered if this surname was common in Great Liang.
Jiang Ning quickly walked past Aunt Lan, catching snippets of the woman's words: "...bless Ling'er with peace and safety year after year..."