latelenovela Chapter 300 A Buddhist Ritual Begins at a Temple on the Outskirts of the Capital
Chapter 300 A Buddhist Ritual Begins at a Temple on the Outskirts of the Capital
On this day, the weather was fine, a spring breeze blew, and all things awoke. The temple bell rang at Chenshi (7-9 AM).
The deep, resonant sound of the bell emanated from the temple, traveled across mountains and fields, and echoed in the air surrounding the capital.
Those who hear the bell know that the temple's religious ceremony has begun.
The powerful and wealthy people from Beijing who had previously booked rooms arrived at the temple yesterday and completed their bathing and changing.
Just as Rodda had predicted.
Only a few members of the Ren family attended, namely Old Madam Ren, Ren Randan, Ren Ranman, and Xiao Jinning.
Three maids went, namely the two head maids who served the old lady, named Yingxin and Yuexin.
The last one was Wenwen, who disguised herself as Ren Randan's maid and followed the others.
At this moment, everyone who came to participate in the religious ceremony gathered in the square in front of the temple hall. As soon as the bell rang, they all knelt on the prayer cushions, quietly lowering their heads and listening attentively to the chanting in the hall.
The maids of the Ren family knelt down behind their master.
Wenwen was right behind Ren Randan, but she didn't kneel. Instead, she sat cross-legged, using her clothes as cover.
Wenwen believed that respect was not about bending one's knees, but about having reverence in one's heart. She felt that her heart was full of reverence for Buddha and for Heaven, and that was enough.
As time passed, the chanting in the hall flowed like a clear spring into everyone's hearts, and an indescribable atmosphere of peace and tranquility permeated the square.
Wenwen took the opportunity to send a telepathic message to the people kneeling around her.
"Uncle Ye, eldest brother, second brother, is that our grandmaster chanting scriptures inside? Are you listening?"
Yes, last night, Ye Jingchuan, Wen Chengjian, and Wen Chengbin arrived at the temple and met up with Wenwen.
At this moment, the three people knelt in three different directions in the square, about ten feet away from the Ren family members. In case of an accident, they could protect them.
Ye Jingchuan: "He is the master of the temple now. The grandmaster is the last one. It's not his turn yet."
Wen Chengjian: "Don't worry, sister, those people haven't come to the temple yet."
Wen Chengbin: "We're holding a religious ceremony today. I estimate those beasts won't step into this place until we're giving a lecture on Zen."
Wenwen: "Why don't I see the Luo sisters?"
Wen Chengjian: "Luo Meijiao arrived last night but left in the middle of the night, less than an hour later."
"..."
The group chatted happily.
Suddenly, a deep voice rang in their ears at the same time, "You bunch of brats, watch your words, Amitabha!"
???
Their grandmaster caught them chatting!
However, the voice of the grandmaster was devoid of any emotion, gentle and calm, quite different from his loud voice when he was walking chickens and fighting dogs in the valley.
Just as Wenwen was silently comparing the voices, she heard a few questions.
Ye Jingchuan: "Grandmaster, how much longer until it ends?"
Wen Chengjian: "Grandmaster, are you going to be the finale?"
Wen Chengbin: "Grandmaster, don't hold this position for too long, I... I need to pee..."
The Grandmaster took a deep breath: "...Wen'er, what do you say?"
Wenwen was especially well-behaved: "Grandmaster, I'm listening very well, please keep it up!"
Ahhhhh...
That was a perfectly timed and brilliantly executed flattery.
Ye Jingchuan, Wen Chengjian, and Wen Chengbin all disbelieved that Wenwen had said those words, but the voice was indeed hers.
The group could only suppress their anger.
The grandmaster was extremely satisfied: "I see. Are you all itching for a beating? Hold it in if you need to pee. You all need to learn from Wen'er and be more composed."
Wenwen started it, and she was the one who got praised in the end. Where can you complain about that?
The three of them sighed, shook their heads helplessly, and could only grit their teeth in silence.
The religious ceremony did not end until noon.
After it was over, everyone went back to their rooms to rest.
There was another religious ceremony in the afternoon, which only ended as night fell.
Next up is a lecture on Zen, which will last for three days starting tomorrow.
Discussing Zen is a hobby of all students and literati.
Therefore, after the religious ceremony ended, that very night, the temple was suddenly filled with many students and so-called refined scholars.
Of course, there were many sons of the powerful and wealthy, as well as many young ladies from rich families.
And so, Luo Da and his group of young masters arrived at the temple.
Luo Meijiao and Luo Yingpei also entered the temple's backyard under the guidance of their elders.
There is a courtyard specially set aside in the backyard of the temple, which is specifically for female pilgrims to stay in.
Coincidentally, the house that the Luo family booked was next to the house that the Ren family booked.
Separated by only a wall, the Luo family arrived late at night, and the conversations between the masters and maids inside the house greatly disturbed the sleep of the people.
The next morning, after everyone in the courtyard woke up and came out of their rooms, the Luo family maid went up to apologize to each of them, offering them a small plate of pastries or snacks, explaining that they had stayed late the night before and had caused them trouble, and asking for their forgiveness.
Hearing the sounds from the courtyard, Wenwen and her grandmother exchanged a glance and nodded almost imperceptibly.
Madam Ren instructed, "Yingxin, Yuexin, go to the kitchen and bring the vegetarian meal back to your room."
The maid stepped out of the room, and before she even took the first step down the stairs, she heard a delighted voice from the courtyard: "Oh my, it's Sister Yingxin and Sister Yuexin! What a coincidence that we've met here."
In the capital, families often attend various banquets and parties, so it's natural that the maids would get to know each other.
The saying goes, "You can't hit someone who's smiling at you."
At this moment, the Luo family maid smiled radiantly, "Sisters, I'm so sorry about last night. These are two kinds of pastries given to us by our master. Please take them back and try them."
Although the Luo family was secretly targeting the Ren family, when out in public, they still had to put on a facade. From the master to the maid, everyone wore a hypocritical face.
The pastries handed over by the maid were snow-white and beautiful, but I wondered what color the filling was.
"Thank you." Yingxin took it without saying anything more, then went back into the house and put it down.
The Luo family maidservants didn't go back to their rooms to rest until they had delivered the snacks to each room.
Not long after breakfast, the bell rang, and the masters began to preach Zen. Those who were interested went to the relevant houses to listen to the Zen teachings.
Just as Madam Ren and her entourage stepped out of the room, the door to the next room opened, and Madam Luo, along with her two sisters, came out as well.
Enemies meeting are bound to be extremely hostile. Oh, no, we're all adults; we know how to hide our true feelings, how to pretend, and how to be patient.
The two elderly people nodded to each other amicably. Madam Ren didn't want to say anything more and took two steps forward. Unexpectedly, before she could take her third step, Madam Luo's voice rang out from behind her.
"Madam Ren, which meditation room are you planning to go to for the lecture? Why don't we go together?"
Madam Ren thought to herself: No matter which family you live in, you are not on the same path. Why bother to offend them? The shameless Luo family members are so annoying. I wish I could kill them. However, she remembered Wenwen's instructions and had to endure it.
Madam Ren turned around and said with a faint smile, "Madam Luo, I'm going to room number three. Shall we go together?"