Chapter 33: Empty Coffin Temple
At daybreak, I went downstairs in a daze.
I don’t know what happened today. I was woken up by my brother Westminster last night when I was sleeping soundly. He said I had to get up early today.
During breakfast, Brother Westminster looked at my clothes and a smile appeared on his face.
This was my first time wearing a skirt, and I pulled the hem of my skirt a little embarrassedly.
"Tian'er looks really good in a skirt," Westminster said with a wicked smile.
I nodded: "Aunt Xin also said that this skirt suits me very well."
"Of course, this is my choice, how can it not look good?" Westminster raised her eyebrows.
I widened my eyes. It was amazing that Brother Ximin could choose skirts for girls.
Xi Minjun's face was full of smiles.
"But where are we going today? Why do we have to wear skirts?" I asked curiously while taking a bite of a piece of cake.
"Why, even eating cakes can't curb Tian'er's curiosity?" Westminster said with a smile.
I smiled awkwardly and then started to wolf down my breakfast.
Ximin wiped the cake off my face lovingly and shook her head, saying, "You don't look like a girl at all."
I was a little dissatisfied: "Why do you say that? Anyway, I am not a monster."
Ximin's hands froze in mid-air, and she said sternly, "No matter what others say, you are a real monster, and the monster I like."
I nodded with joy.
"Cousin." Apple walked in wearing a white dress, looking like a fairy.
Westminster hummed.
"Can we go now?" Apple seemed to be in a particularly good mood today. Even her hideous scars were covered up without leaving any traces, making her look particularly delicate.
…She also wanted to go play. Thinking of her cruelty, my happy heart sank a little.
"Cousin, you haven't prepared a nutritious breakfast for me in a long time." Bai Tian seemed to have forgotten what happened yesterday.
"When did I become a nutritionist?" Westminster asked lightly.
Apple smiled and said, "You are a famous doctor. Who wouldn't want to win your favor? If you say it is nutritious, then it must be nutritious."
Westminster stood up.
"Cousin, that's not what I meant. I feel that Bai Tian looks different since he came to the villa, especially after resting in Xuanyu Pavilion last night." Apple twisted her waist slightly.
After hearing what Apple said, Ximin couldn't help but look at Baitian again. His once pale face had become much more rosy, and he seemed to be much taller than before. He sat there quietly like a fairy who didn't eat the earthly world, frowning and looking into the distance from time to time, as if he didn't care about anyone, didn't pay attention to anyone, except when he was holding that annoying black cat, he would smile happily...
Cousin, what are you looking at? Apple suppressed her anger and shook Westminster's arm coquettishly.
Ximin collected his thoughts, his handsome face blushed as he said, "What else can I see? I am happy to see Baitian grow up and look better."
Apple cursed in her heart: "This Bai Tian is really not a good thing. You have such a misleading face at such a young age. Sooner or later, I will destroy you." But she said gently: "That's right. Seeing the changes in Bai Tian, I'm sure their families in the countryside will be happy."
Ximin frowned and said, "Apple, you are grown up now. You are not a little girl anymore. You should be more careful with your words."
"Cousin, okay, okay, I get it. I just wanted to ask, when are you going to take her there?" Apple glanced at Bai Tian who was still looking out the window. What country girl, what leaving hometown, seemed to have no effect on her world. What a shameless woman.
Ximin was a little impatient and lowered her voice and said, "Don't mention this matter again."
"Let's go, Tian'er," Westminster walked out with a slightly annoyed look on her face.
Apple's pretty face was filled with dark clouds, her eyes were filled with mist, and the hatred in her heart increased even more.
The car was driving very fast. Seeing Bai Tian falling asleep after a while, Ximin felt even heavier in his heart. Pingguo's words kept flashing in his mind. "Cousin, if you really love this little girl, I won't say anything, but don't you think she is weird? She can always see things from other worlds, which is definitely not good for her, and you are also easy to be controlled by dirty things." Ximin thought that she mistook Zhuzi for Bai Tian and made all kinds of confessions. If this girl heard it, she would be scared to death. Although she would be his wife in the future, he would be the substitute of his eldest brother... Thinking about Uncle Jiu's instructions and the so-called family, Ximin felt particularly depressed and couldn't help but close his eyes irritably.
"Tian'er, wake up, we're here." Ximin called softly.
"Brother Ximin, why are we here? Didn't you say we were going out to play?" I looked at the strange temple building in front of me in confusion.
Ximin whispered softly, "This is the Empty Coffin Temple, which is rare in the world. I brought you here to see it. Just follow me obediently."
"But, didn't Apple come too? Why are there only two of us?" After getting off the car, I realized that Apple, who had been chattering in my ear, was no longer there. I looked at Westminster in confusion.
What? Tianer doesn't like to be with me? Ximin suddenly looked at me. I was stunned and then shook my head.
So, Tianer likes to stay with me? Ximin continued to ask.
I was a little confused and still shook my head.
Ximin nodded: "The road ahead will be long. If you need to stay with me all the time, are you willing?"
How long will we be together and why should we stay together?
Together, together is a lifetime, just the two of us. Westminster's words became softer and softer, as if he was talking to himself.
"How long is a lifetime? Will it last until death? Then can I take the little black monster with me?" I asked with blinking eyes.
"That black cat?" Westminster ruffled my hair lovingly, shook her head and chuckled.
Seeing brother Westminster's smile, I became extremely excited, so I stopped talking and just followed him carefully.
Not far away stood a little boy with a handsome face, dressed in a simple navy blue monk robe, and looked about the same age as me.
When he saw us coming, he didn't say anything, just made a gesture of invitation and walked away.
I only felt that I had walked hundreds of steps and my calves were aching when I finally reached a pavilion. The little boy went up to the pavilion and whispered a few words to a bald elder in a monk's robe, who then came over to lead us forward.
"Amitābha, it is a great honor for me to meet you, little donor." The bald elder suddenly bowed to me.
I looked at him quietly.
Westminster nodded.
"The elder is worthy of being a hermit. Tian'er is over eight years old and has been different from others since he was young. I implore the elder to pray for his soul." Ximin bowed deeply to him respectfully.
The bald elder did not return the greeting. He smiled, made a gesture of invitation, and walked straight to the main courtyard of the temple.
I trotted after it and was shocked by the strange building in front of me.
There are buildings in the world that are built on cliffs. This slightly old building must be hundreds of years old. But why can it still stand firm and motionless as if it were glued to it after years of ups and downs?
"Om-Om", the sudden sound of morning bells and evening drums came, which shocked people. At this time, I was in an ancient temple deep in the mountains. With the heavy sound of bells and drums, the thousand-year-old temple was suddenly lingering in a quiet, charming and Zen atmosphere. The temple surrounded by fireworks made me relax a lot.
From a distance, this Zen temple looks like a palace in heaven. Surrounded by mountains and water, with dense forests and bamboos, the temple is hidden. Many dilapidated and mottled alleys have been renovated, especially the rows of buildings that cover the sky. The roof of the temple is covered with glazed tiles, and many immortals are carved on the roof, which are lifelike.
Just as I was about to step into the gate of the Zen temple, a chubby white baby bumped into me and my legs went limp.
This baby has a chubby head, arms like lotus roots, and is plump and white, very cute.
I quickly helped him up and wanted to rub his chubby little hands, but the baby broke free in fear and looked at me nervously. When he heard the noise behind him, he ran to the backyard in panic and disappeared into the alley in a blink of an eye.
"Hey, little brother..." Before I could finish my words, the doll had disappeared. I thought the doll looked more like a little sister, and I couldn't tell whether it was a boy or a girl, so I didn't call him. Brother Westminster came over from a distance and looked behind me cautiously.
"Young donor, please." A few pieces of ancient capital old tea slowly floated up and down in the bronze teacup, with hot steam curling up like a dream.
The bald elder spoke very slowly, sounding a little anxious.
“Master, Uncle Jiu must have told you a lot before. I come here this time hoping to get your help.” Ximin said lightly.
"Grandpa, does the little boy in the red bellyband also live here?" I looked around but couldn't find the cute fat child, so I finally asked curiously.
"Grandpa?" Westminster was surprised.
"Oh?" The bald old man's face changed slightly, and he glanced at me with a strange look and said, "This little donor is indeed extraordinary. He has spiritual power and can see things that ordinary people cannot see."
Westminster nodded.
Looking at everyone's serious expressions, I sensed a taboo, so I just sat quietly and stopped asking questions.
It turned out that this fat baby was an alien to this world. I didn't feel any regret in my heart. I wondered what kind of suffering this cute baby had gone through to lose his life. The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt, and my head was a little confused.
"It is a blessing for our temple to have a young disciple like you." The bald elder put his hands together again and bowed devoutly.
“When the old man said ‘disciple’, my heart tightened. I didn’t know what ‘disciple’ meant.
Westminster smiled faintly, and no emotion could be seen on his handsome face under the fragrance of tea.
(End of this chapter)
