Ch 210 (Extra 21): The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Chapter 210: Lotus Leaves Stretching Broad and Green

Lian Ou Side Story 2

Lian Ou spent the entire day nervous and on edge, yet also excited and fascinated.

Running a stall was harder than he imagined, but once he got started, it somehow no longer seemed quite so difficult.

At first he huddled there like a quail, too scared to speak. Gradually, he dared imitate the vendors around him and softly call out to customers, introducing and recommending his goods to people who stopped at the stall.

On both sides of him were women and fulang running stalls. Seeing a young ge’er with a little sister, they were not overly warm, but openly and secretly looked after them a little.

Most of the customers wandering this area were also young women and ge’er. Everyone was fairly friendly. Some bargained over prices, but even if no agreement was reached, nobody quarreled.

By noon, more than ten of the decorative knots in his bundle had already sold, greatly exceeding Lian Ou’s expectations.

Around midday, the cries of the food vendors grew louder. Some nearby stall owners bought food to eat, sweet steamed cakes or steaming hot vegetarian noodles. But more often, people took out the dry food they had brought from home, somehow obtained bowls of hot water, and ate with that.

The auntie beside them selling silk flowers saw the siblings stretching their necks to watch and kindly explained,

“The temple monks prepare hot water specially for small vendors like us who paid stall fees. There’s a little side gate at the western corner where you can ask for hot water. It’s free. In winter they even hand out ginger soup.”

But bowls had to be brought yourself.

Since this was Lian Ou’s first time here, naturally he had not brought any. He thanked the auntie and silently remembered it for next time.

Then he took out the steamed buns and flatbread they had brought from home and shared them with Lian Rong.

“This time we weren’t prepared enough and forgot bowls. If you’re thirsty, take two coins and go buy sweet soup over there.”

Lian Rong stretched her neck to stare longingly for a while before finally shaking her head.

“Forget it. We’ve only earned a little money. Gege, I’m not thirsty.”

The sweet soup sold at the market was only plum juice boiled with a tiny bit of sugar, yet a small bowl still cost two copper coins.

Lian Ou rubbed his little sister’s head.

“Then endure it for now. Once we earn money this time, we’ll buy half a jin of meat and stew it at home.”

The siblings were encouraging each other when unexpectedly a little monk came over carrying a bowl of hot water and handed it to Lian Rong.

“You’re first-timers, so you didn’t know. We’re lending this bowl from the temple for now. Just return it to the western side gate after closing your stall. But tomorrow we won’t lend one again!”

Then he ran off like a gust of wind.

Lian Ou accepted the hot water and said to Lian Rong,

“These monks are really kind. The little monks are nice, and that great monk this morning was a good person too. He even helped guide us.”

The auntie selling silk flowers beside them glanced at Lian Ou several extra times after hearing that.

After lunch hour passed, little monks wandered by their area twice more. Huiming also came once.

He did not speak with Lian Ou and barely let his gaze linger on him, only briefly surveying the area around the stall before leaving.

The moment Huiming left, the auntie selling silk flowers visibly relaxed.

Curious, Lian Ou looked over, and the auntie immediately tugged him into conversation.

“You just got here, so you don’t know anything. Don’t be fooled by how compassionate those monks look on the surface. If you dirty up their place, they change faces fast.”

“When closing up, all lotus leaves and oil paper used for food have to be cleaned away. You’re not allowed to splash dirty water around either. Our side isn’t bad, but those snack vendors? If they leave things messy, those monks chase them out, deduct their money, and even scold people. They really won’t let them stay!”

Lian Ou was surprised.

He had not expected the monks, who all seemed so gentle and amiable, to actually have tempers. He simply could not imagine Huiming chasing people away and scolding them.

Still, he could tell the auntie carried some resentment toward the monks, probably feeling they were overly strict and trying to complain to him.

But inwardly, Lian Ou did not agree.

This was a Buddhist place of peace and purity. Wasn’t it normal for people to dislike it being dirtied?

So he did not really respond, only paid extra attention to keeping his little section clean and tidy.

The day passed just like that.

As evening approached and the sky darkened, Lian Shi came to pick up the siblings.

Lian Ou had him stay behind to clean and organize the stall one more time while he himself took the borrowed bowl to return it at the side gate.

Coincidentally, Huiming was the only person there.

He sat in a woven rattan rocking chair, looking nothing like his earlier serious and proper self. He seemed very relaxed.

After returning the bowl, Lian Ou thanked him.

Huiming shook his head.

“I don’t know which little junior monk lent this to you, so there’s no need to thank me. Just remember to bring your own bowl tomorrow.”

After pausing briefly, he added,

“I forgot to ask. Will you still be setting up a stall tomorrow?”

“Yes, yes, we’re coming.”

They had sold over thirty decorative knots in a single day, which was excellent profit. Lian Ou estimated that by the Dragon Boat Festival itself, nearly everything in the bundle would be sold out.

Huiming nodded.

“Then tomorrow you can come earlier. I’ll arrange a better location for you.”

Lian Ou hurriedly thanked him again.

This time Huiming did not refuse the gratitude. Instead, he urged him to hurry home before the sky grew fully dark.

“Your older brother brought you here this morning. Has he come to pick you up now?”

“He has. We’re leaving now.”

Lian Ou truly felt this monk was a very good person. Huiming was even worried about a young ge’er walking at night with his little sister.

Monks who recited scriptures really did carry compassion in their hearts.

So what if they liked cleanliness a bit? Did they have to be like village men, stinking and uncaring about anything?

When he returned to the stall, Lian Shi had already packed everything up. There had not been much to begin with.

As he worked, Lian Shi muttered,

“This tiny little patch of ground, what’s there to clean up… You ge’er really are troublesome…”

Lian Ou rolled his eyes at him irritably.

Even his own biological brother was nowhere near as clean as that master monk!

If not for his fulang constantly cleaning up after him, his smelly socks and armpits alone could force people to retreat two li away. Only after marrying and being managed by a fulang did he barely start resembling a human being.

Unlike Master Huiming, who was clean everywhere and even carried the faint scent of sandalwood.

“Tomorrow let’s come even earlier. Master Huiming said if we come early, he’ll save us a better spot.”

On the way home, Lian Ou told Lian Shi,

“And tomorrow Big Brother doesn’t need to come pick us up. Rong-jie and I can walk back ourselves while it’s still light.”

After thinking about it, Lian Shi agreed.

“Sounds good. There’s still tons of work in the fields. I left a little early today, and the eldest branch already started making sarcastic comments. They’ve already been unhappy since you two stopped staying home to cook. But if I don’t come pick you up, Mother worries.”

Miaoqian Village was not that far. As long as it was still daylight, it was safe enough.

Unable to resist, Lian Ou opened his money pouch to show him the coins inside.

“Look, this is what we earned today.”

Half belonged to Shen Qing, while the other half would be split between himself and Lian Rong. It did not need to be handed over to the family account.

“Once everything’s sold and we settle accounts with Qing-ge’er, we’ll buy a bag of peach crisps for Lian Qiao to keep in her room, and half a jin of meat so the family can taste something rich.”

At the mention of peach crisps and meat, all three siblings swallowed instinctively.

After working all day, their stomachs were empty, and their walking speed unconsciously quickened.

Miaoqian Village had been lively all day, but now it gradually returned to silence.

A little novice monk searched for quite a while before finally finding Huiming sitting at the western side gate.

“Senior Brother, why are you sitting here? Dinner’s ready. Everyone’s waiting for you! Tonight there’s red bean sweet zongzi and honey-date eight-treasure rice. It smells so sweet and delicious!”

Now that their little temple earned income from the market fair, they were no longer short on money, and everyone could eat their fill.

Still, they were monks. Meat and strong flavors were forbidden, so daily meals remained plain.

For monks truly devoted to Buddhism, that was fine. They had spiritual goals to pursue.

But these little novice monks, including Huiming himself, were all abandoned orphans from nearby villages. Entering Buddhism had not been a path they chose themselves.

Children were naturally greedy at that age. Finally encountering a festival celebration, they were all thrilled.

“Senior Brother, why are you staring at a bowl? Is it dirty? I can wash it for you. Let’s go already.”

The little novice tugged at Huiming’s sleeve.

The evening meal bell rang.

Huiming seemed to wake from a dream. He smiled gently at the novice monk.

“You go ahead. I won’t eat. I’m going to the main hall to recite scriptures for a while.”

His thumb rubbed along the rim of the bowl, but halfway through he suddenly stopped. Abruptly rising to his feet, he scooped up a ladle of hot water and carefully washed the bowl clean.

The novice monk jumped in surprise, then became thoroughly confused.

“Senior Brother, what’s wrong? Can’t you recite scriptures after dinner? Doesn’t your stomach hurt from being hungry?”

Huiming said nothing.

He returned the cleaned bowl to his room and then went to recite scriptures.

He needed to punish himself a little.

To clear his mind.

He had developed mortal desires.

And spoken falsehoods.

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

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