Cheng Chi clearly hadn’t expected Fayu Temple to have designs on him.
He smiled and said, “When you go to Jinling to raise funds, if I’m still in Jinling, I’ll naturally do my duty.”
The guest monk said “Oh,” and asked curiously, “Does Benefactor Cheng have plans to travel far in the near future?”
“Travel far is too much to say,” Cheng Chi smiled. “It’s just that I manage the household affairs, and I’m away from home seven out of ten days. Of the three days I’m home, I often have social engagements, rarely having a moment of leisure. I’m just afraid you might come when I happen to be away. However, I’ll instruct the household steward so that at the very least you won’t get lost in Jinling!” By the end, his words carried a teasing tone.
As for making introductions and such, he didn’t mention it at all.
The guest monk couldn’t help feeling somewhat disappointed.
He had thought that someone as young and successful as Cheng Chi would usually care greatly about face, and with a few kind words would agree even if reluctant… He hadn’t expected to run into an iron wall.
However, nothing in this world happened overnight. He would just have to find ways to continue wearing down this Benefactor Cheng with persistent effort.
He continued smiling warmly and attentively accompanying Cheng Chi and the others up the mountain.
But Old Madam Guo was advanced in years after all, and by the time they’d walked halfway, she was already gasping for breath.
Zhou Shaojin, who was walking beside Old Madam Guo, and Cheng Chi, who had been watching his mother, immediately noticed. One went to support Old Madam, while the other said, “We’ve walked for quite a while and are tired. Let’s rest here.”
Zhou Shaojin quickly agreed.
Biyu, who was accompanying them, hurried to take a cushion from a young servant and placed it on a nearby bluestone.
Zhou Shaojin helped Old Madam Guo sit down, only then noticing that to their east was a beach.
As the azure waves rippled, the sea and sky became one color. When the waves surged, it was like a white line rolling forward. This made Zhou Shaojin, who had never seen the sea before, not only amazed but also found it extremely beautiful.
She couldn’t help but point into the distance, saying, “Old Madam, look!”
Old Madam Guo looked in that direction, just as a wave came crashing in, splashing up countless spray.
“The scenery is very beautiful,” Old Madam Guo smiled and nodded.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, “I wonder whether the tidal bore of Qiantang River is more beautiful or the beach at Mount Putuo!”
“Each has its own merits,” Cheng Chi said, having walked over at some point. He stood behind Zhou Shaojin looking at the beach. “The waves here are broad and vast, while the waves there are like ten thousand galloping horses. You’ll know once you go see them.”
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but feel anticipation.
Old Madam Guo stood up and walked forward a few steps, gazing at the small islands in the distance.
Chun Wan tugged at Zhou Shaojin’s sleeve, silently mouthing the words “combs.”
She was asking when they could go shopping.
Zhou Shaojin’s brow furrowed slightly.
Ji Ying asked quietly, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Zhou Shaojin said, then felt it wouldn’t be bad to tell Ji Ying about this. Perhaps Ji Ying could think of a solution. So she added, “We need to buy some things to take back. I wonder when we can go shopping?”
“We?” Ji Ying said quietly. “You don’t mean you and your maid, do you?”
Zhou Shaojin’s face reddened slightly as she said, “I need to buy things to take back as gifts too!”
Ji Ying was exasperated and said, “At a time like this, you’re still thinking about such worldly things. What can I even say to you?”
“Then don’t say anything,” Zhou Shaojin smiled with pressed lips. “Some people like beautiful scenery, some people like shopping. Isn’t going out to have fun just about doing what you enjoy?”
“Fine, fine. I won’t talk to you anymore,” Ji Ying pretended to be angry and said softly. “You just keep thinking about what things to buy to take back!”
Zhou Shaojin’s eyes curved into crescents, making Cheng Chi, who was standing nearby and couldn’t help but overhear, secretly smile to himself.
He hadn’t expected that this girl, who appeared gentle and docile, would speak and act with such straightforward wisdom that seemed foolish but was actually clever.
Huiji Temple naturally couldn’t compare with the magnificent and imposing Fayu Temple, but it was built among highland forests, peaceful and tranquil. Standing at the mountain gate, one could look down over Mount Putuo, and beyond the gate were birdsong and fragrant flowers with peculiar and secluded peaks—another kind of pleasure altogether.
The guest monk in the temple, having received notice, hurried out to greet them.
Cheng Chi led them on a tour around Huiji Temple. They struck the bell at the bell tower, drank tea at the pavilion behind the mountain, donated five hundred taels of silver as incense money, and seeing it was getting late, were led by the Fayu Temple guest monk back to Fayu Temple via the southern mountain path.
After this round trip, except for Cheng Chi and a few others, everyone looked weary. After hastily eating a vegetarian meal, they each returned to their rooms to rest.
With familiar Chun Wan accompanying her, and Cheng Chi traveling with them, Zhou Shaojin quickly fell asleep in the unfamiliar room. The next day she was awakened by Chun Wan.
She bashfully washed and dressed, then hurried to Old Madam Guo’s quarters.
Old Madam Guo was waiting for Cheng Chi to come have breakfast together. Seeing Zhou Shaojin wearing a lotus-colored plain lake-silk vest, her jet-black hair in a bun with a small red-gold lilac flower, looking fresh and pretty like a budding crabapple blossom, her mood improved considerably. She couldn’t help but smile and say, “You’re dressed so beautifully today. At your young age, you should dress like this more often.”
Zhou Shaojin blushed and responded “Yes,” but looked up to see Cheng Chi walking in.
He wore a dark fine-cloth Daoist robe, his expression gentle and modest, his bearing free and easy, as if he were a figure who had walked out of a painting.
“Mother!” He stepped forward and bowed to Old Madam Guo, saying, “I’ve asked the temple to hold a ceremony for us. Would you like to go watch later?”
Old Madam Guo nodded.
After breakfast, they went together to the side hall of the Imperial Stele Hall.
Prayer mats had already been laid out.
Eighty-one monks prayed for the Cheng family’s blessings.
The wooden clappers sounded, incense and candles were lit, and the great hall filled with the scent of sandalwood.
Zhou Shaojin and Old Madam Guo followed the monks in chanting several scrolls of scripture before leaving the great hall.
By this time the sun had risen, and pilgrims were gradually arriving.
The guest monk who had accompanied them yesterday saw them emerge from the great hall and came forward with a smile. After bowing to Old Madam Guo, he said, “Old Madam, our abbot has just decided to personally open a dharma altar for you tomorrow.”
This was the highest honor.
Old Madam Guo was both surprised and delighted, quickly saying, “Many thanks to the abbot. This old woman is unworthy of such honor.”
“Not at all, not at all!” The guest monk smiled humbly. “That Old Madam could come so far to offer incense at our temple shows sincerity enough to move all the heavenly bodhisattvas, which is why our abbot decided to open the dharma altar…”
While he spoke these flattering words, Zhou Shaojin glanced at Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi smiled slightly, as if he had no idea why Fayu Temple had suddenly decided to open an altar and expound scriptures for Old Madam Guo.
The guest monk went on at length, and seeing pilgrims entering the hall to offer incense, he finally changed the subject and invited Old Madam Guo and Cheng Chi to visit Chaoyin Cave and Purple Bamboo Grove.
Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Chi accompanied Old Madam Guo, spending the entire morning at Meitan Ridge. It wasn’t until literati and poets flooded in to compose and recite poetry that they returned to their lodging room.
Nanny Lu hurried to help Old Madam Guo change clothes.
Only then did Zhou Shaojin quietly ask Cheng Chi, “Uncle Chi, is it appropriate to open an altar specifically to expound scriptures for Old Madam?”
“What’s inappropriate about it?” Cheng Chi said indifferently. “Don’t they just want to build a Great Hero Hall? If Old Madam is happy, our family could provide the silver!”
Donate an entire Great Hero Hall to Fayu Temple?!
Zhou Shaojin felt sweat breaking out on her forehead.
But Cheng Chi thought more and more that this was a good idea.
Everyone in Jinling said the Cheng family was wealthy. Sometimes being too wealthy wasn’t necessarily a good thing. If they could take this opportunity to donate a sum of silver to a temple, especially one like Fayu Temple that had imperial recognition, they could not only gain the temple’s protection but also make others mistakenly believe that most of the Cheng family’s wealth had been donated…
He nodded slightly and smiled, “Let’s see if Fayu Temple has what it takes!”
Zhou Shaojin laughed awkwardly.
In the afternoon, they went to the beach.
The humid air and crashing waves made Zhou Shaojin feel it was novel and interesting.
Cheng Chi suggested Old Madam Guo take off her shoes and walk on the beach.
Old Madam Guo chided, “You child, your mother is so old, how can she act wildly like a child!”
“This isn’t acting wildly,” Cheng Chi patiently explained with a smile. “You’ve probably never walked barefoot on a beach in your entire life, have you? Why not try it? There’s no one else here anyway.”
Old Madam Guo was still hesitating when Zhou Shaojin was already eager to try.
She encouraged Old Madam Guo: “It’s just this once! Besides, who knows when we’ll be able to come to Mount Putuo again!”
These words moved Old Madam Guo.
She had Biyu help her remove her shoes, but refused to take off her stockings no matter what. Somewhat embarrassed, she said to Zhou Shaojin, “You take off your shoes too and walk on the sand.”
Old Madam Guo’s words were exactly what Zhou Shaojin wanted.
She followed Old Madam Guo’s example and removed her shoes. Wearing stockings, she stood on the beach, and together with Cheng Chi, one on each side, they supported Old Madam Guo as she walked on the beach.
A wave surged forward. Zhou Shaojin and Old Madam Guo couldn’t avoid it in time, and amidst shrieks, their hems were soaked.
Cheng Chi couldn’t help but smile.
But Old Madam Guo patted her chest and said, “I can’t do this. I need to go back. This is too dangerous, and sand is getting everywhere.”
Cheng Chi didn’t insist and called Biyu over to help Old Madam Guo put on her shoes.
But Zhou Shaojin’s feet rubbed in the sand for a while longer before she put on her shoes.
Cheng Chi watched and smiled.
When they returned to the room, by the time they had washed and freshened up again, it was time for dinner.
Unlike yesterday’s fatigue from their first night at Fayu Temple, after dinner Cheng Chi was invited by the abbot of Fayu Temple to drink tea, while Old Madam Guo dismissed those serving her and spoke privately with Zhou Shaojin: “…These days when you’ve been playing chess with your Uncle Chi, has he said anything strange?”
Zhou Shaojin was stunned. After thinking, she said, “Uncle Chi speaks very little, and when he does, it’s always substantive. The strange things you mention… I really can’t think of what words would count as ‘strange.'”
Hearing this, Old Madam Guo’s expression was very gentle as she said, “Like suddenly saying some place is very nice and he wants to go see it, or suddenly mentioning some historical allusion and praising some famous historical figure…”
Zhou Shaojin thought carefully for a long time and said, “No. I’ve never heard Uncle Chi say such things.”
“Then have you heard your Uncle Chi say when he might be going away?”
“No,” Zhou Shaojin said with certainty.
Only then did Old Madam Guo breathe a sigh of relief, saying, “In the future when you play chess with your Uncle Chi, if he says anything like that, you must tell me.”