Chapter 895: Footprints
This time, she didn’t dare to face him head-on again like before, stubbornly matching his strength. She could only avoid him, as if Lin Tian was a plague she couldn’t afford to provoke or even look at.
But she was unwilling to accept it; she felt she lost too unjustly.
She also thought that the talk of Cloud Tea being bitter was utter nonsense!
There are countless scholars and elegant guests who love Cloud Tea and have penned many timeless verses about it.
In short, the most profound impression Cloud Tea leaves on people is: sweet!
Now, they are saying it’s bitter tea, and it’s coming from Lin Tian’s mouth, so she immediately wanted to taste it.
Wang Sijing picked up the bowl of tea she had just drunk from, in which three petals of tea leaves, opened by the boiling water, floated. Without thinking, she put those three leaves into her mouth.
First, she gently bit down, and as the honey-like taste spread in her mouth, a smile appeared on Wang Sijing’s face.
This is clearly sweet! As sweet as it gets!
Then, she chewed it a few more times.
Still sweet, as if a whole spoonful of honey had been put in her mouth.
Suddenly... that honey-like sweetness disappeared, like a mud ox entering the sea, rain into the great river, vanishing without a trace.
Replacing it was a bitterness that penetrated the soul, so bitter it made one’s body and soul tremble, and tears streamed down Wang Sijing’s face.
She used what little inner strength she had left to try and expel the bitterness from her body, but it was to no avail.
"Hehe, Buddha Tea has four stages. If the leaves are freshly picked, they are fragrant. After processing, using boiling spring water to steep them yields sweetness. Now, if the soaked leaves are put in your mouth and chewed slightly, the sweetness dissipates completely, leaving only bitterness."
Seeing everyone shed tears from the bitterness, the old monk continued, "This bitterness, as this patron said, is truly indescribable."
It’s more than just indescribable bitterness. If this weren’t the Five Pure Ones Temple, people would probably have started cursing.
Then, the old monk continued, "But don’t worry, this bitterness is temporary. It fades away in moments, and when the sweetness returns to your taste buds, it’s the moment when bitterness turns to sweetness."
Someone couldn’t resist asking, "Master, how long will this bitterness last?"
There were quite a few asking this, and some even grabbed snow from the trees and stuffed it in their mouths to numb them, hoping to escape the bitterness.
Lin Tian stood by the old monk and said, "Depends on luck."
"What?"
Someone widened their eyes, looking confusedly at Lin Tian.
The old monk smiled, waving his hand slightly, and said, "This patron means it varies from person to person. All beings suffer, but the sweetness and bitterness differ, just like these tea leaves, don’t they? Tea is like life."
Lin Tian opened his mouth, somewhat speechless.
Look at the master, given his time spent in the temple, his words come as a set.
These tea leaves are essentially the same, only the steeping time determines how much sugar is extracted.
Yet the old monk spoke a profound life philosophy from it.
The old monk again bowed slightly to Lin Tian, saying, "Thank you, patron."
"Master, you are..."
The old monk told the other tea-giving young monks, "I need to retreat for a few days, I leave this place to you."
"Yes!" The young monks, holding a Buddhist greeting, nodded in agreement.
Then, the old monk said to Lin Tian, "Fate has brought us together, I think we will meet again in the future."
"Haha, I hope so."
The old monk was leaving, and naturally, Lin Tian didn’t try to keep him. No inquiries about his name, no polite exchanges, everything was as it should be.
After drinking Buddha Tea, Lin Tian and the others paid respects to each of the Buddha statues in the main hall.
After that, the group of eight went to find an old monk to have their fortunes told.
Suddenly, Yan Xinrou patted Lin Tian on the shoulder and said, "Did you forget what we mainly came here today for?"
Lin Tian replied, "No, we came to find the master Shu Xuanyi."
"There’s another very important thing!"
"What?" Lin Tian’s mind raced, was there something else they came here for?
"Silly son," Zhang Nianping said softly next to Lin Tian, "Don’t forget, today we’re mainly here to pray to the Child-Giving Guanyin."
After speaking, Zhang Nianping glanced at the three ’daughters-in-law’ around and said, "I think you need to kowtow more to the Bodhisattva to have more children."
"..."
For the words of elders, especially from his mom and mother-in-law, Lin Tian didn’t dare to disobey. He toured the temple again, regardless of whether it was the Child-Giving Guanyin, he paid respects to every one.
Liou Qingcheng, Bai Shishi, and Mei Ruyan also followed suit. Watching this, Zhang Nianping beamed with joy, as if they were already pregnant with Lin Tian’s children.
With that visit, it was now noon. They also served vegetarian meals and noodles here, and to express their sincerity towards the ’Child-Giving Guanyin’, Zhang Nianping and Yan Xinrou unanimously decided to eat here.
After lunch, Lin Tian approached a young monk and asked, "Young master, may I ask where the abbot Shuqing is?"
The young monk asked calmly, "What business do you have with the abbot?"
Yan Xinrou quickly replied, "Master Shu Xuanyi saved my daughter’s life, we came here specially to thank him."
"No need." The young monk shook his head, saying, "The abbot has done countless good deeds, if everyone came to thank him, he wouldn’t have time to meet everyone. It’s enough for you to light a few more incense sticks for the temple."
Lin Tian smiled and said, "Then can I at least see little monk Qiyi?"
The young monk curiously observed Lin Tian and asked in surprise, "You know Master Bai?"
"Master Bai?" Now it was Lin Tian’s turn to be surprised, that little kid has such a high rank?
"I’m talking about Qiyi, a seven or eight-year-old child, just over a meter tall, not your Master Bai, right?"
Lin Tian looked at the young monk in front of him, already in his twenties, calling a kid as Master Bai, which was too strange, right?
The young monk nodded and said, "That’s Master Bai, he’s the abbot’s personal disciple, exceptionally talented, hence his high rank."
Lin Tian nodded, not dwelling on it, and then said, "I have a promise with little monk Qiyi. I want to give him a book, and it’s best to give it to him in person. I might not see Master Shu Xuanyi, but I can at least see little monk Qiyi, right?"
The young monk thought for a while and then said, "Since there’s a promise, then naturally it’s possible. Master Bai should be in the Zen Thought Hall now, just behind this main hall. Circle a lakeside pavilion, then cross a stone bridge to get there."
"Thank you."
After thanking him, Lin Tian followed the directions given by the young monk, leading Yan Xinrou and others through the less crowded areas towards the backyard.
The backyard of the Five Pure Ones Temple was evidently the monks’ living quarters, with far fewer people compared to the temple hall. Plus, the snowfall made it look especially peaceful.