A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1430 Believe in Science! (Please Subscribe!)
The summer sun shone through the sycamore leaves, casting dappled light. Hua Shier rode his bicycle, with Wu Shanshan on the back, through the stone-paved streets of Textile Lane 3, through the crisscrossing streets and alleys of Suzhou, and finally turned into a deep alley of bluestone.

At the end of the alley, a group of white-walled and gray-tiled houses stand silently, with high and wide gates.

This is the smallest garden in Suzhou, Canli Garden!

While Canliyuan is said to be small, the garden itself is small, but the living area is large.

This garden was built by a salt merchant during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. Later, it came into the possession of the painter Wu Daiqiu. Lao Bai bought this garden from Wu's descendants.

The Remnant Garden is a front-house-back-garden-style building, covering an area of ​​approximately 3350 square meters. It is divided into three sections: central, east, and west. The central section consists of five courtyards: the entrance hall, the sedan chair hall, the main hall, the upper hall, and the main building. The main hall has three bays. Behind the entrance hall are Western-style bungalows, which served as the original owner's studio, bedroom, and reception room. The garden in the middle of the eastern section is the Remnant Garden.

Why is this garden considered the smallest garden in Suzhou?
Although the area occupied by the front house and back garden is quite large, the living area is large, while the garden area is only 140 square meters.

According to Lao Bai and Hua Shier, it took a lot of effort to buy this house because after 1958, the central and western sections were rented out by the housing management department and became residential tenements. The Wu family was left with the eastern section of the house, including Canliyuan.

In order to buy the entire Remnant Garden, Lao Bai had to resettle dozens of households to restore the garden to its original state.

Seeing Hua Shier park his bicycle in front of the house, Wu Shanshan jumped off the bike with a puzzled look on her face.

"Brother Pengfei, where is this?"

Wu Shanshan looked up at the imposing gate, her eyes filled with doubt. This was not like an ordinary family's house. She couldn't understand why Hua Shier had brought her here when he said he wanted to give her a surprise. The answer was something she never dared to imagine.

Hua Shier did not answer immediately, but took out a bunch of heavy brass keys of various styles from his pocket and walked to a slightly smaller side door.

With a creak, the door hinges turned, and he turned to the side with a smile:

"Come on, let's go inside and take a look."

Hua Shier pushed the bicycle into the house, looked back and saw Wu Shanshan still standing there dumbfounded. He couldn't help but laugh, turned around, took her hand, and led her through the gate.

Wu Shanshan felt a little guilty:
"Brother Pengfei, where is this place? How did you get the key? Is it inappropriate for us to come in like this?"

Hua Twelve closed the door behind him and then smiled:
"Don't ask anything yet. I'll take you on a tour of this house and show you around, and then I'll tell you the answer!"

He pulled Wu Shanshan inside, first passing through the first somewhat simple entrance hall, and then a neat courtyard opened up before them.

Directly opposite is a grand hall with three bays, exuding an imposing presence, with thick beams and pillars and a soaring roof ridge.

Hua Shier led her up the steps and pushed open the half-closed lattice door.

The hall was spacious and bright, with newly restored nanmu wood column bases gleaming with a warm luster, and the floor paved with generous square bricks. Looking up, one could see a huge plaque hanging in the center of the hall, bearing three powerful characters in clerical script: "Chungu Hall".

"This is the main hall of the Central Courtyard!"

Hua Shier looked at the old-fashioned building, which had been restored to its original state, and he liked it very much:

“I’ve seen it before, it was so dilapidated that the beams and pillars were eaten by insects. We still hired the best ancient building craftsmen in Suzhou to restore it to its original state, using old materials and old techniques.”

Passing through Chun Gu Hall, there are more private halls and pavilions behind it. The courtyards are deep and winding, and pomegranates, magnolias, and green bamboos have been newly planted in the courtyards, and new green leaves are already visible.

Then, they turned to the west.

The atmosphere here is more elegant, with the main building being a very unique structure called "Lai Lu Cao Tang".

It was cleverly designed in the style of a ship's hall, with a beautiful and smooth curved roof, resembling a painted boat moored on land.

There is a small winding pond and rocky islet in front of the hall. Although there is no water, it is full of artistic conception.

"This place can be used as a tea room or a study in the future."

Hua Shier pushed open the lattice window of the 'Ship Hall', and sunlight instantly flooded in, casting fine shadows on the blue brick floor.

"This place is best in summer. The breeze through here is cooler than anything else."

He turned to the side, his eyes gleaming with the light of a young man showing off his treasures: "If you find it too hot, there are machines called air conditioners that have been brought from Hong Kong Island that can produce cool air."

He paused, lowering his voice as if sharing a more private thought:
“When winter comes, let’s set up a small red clay stove here and warm a pot of wine. If it starts snowing outside the window…” He looked at Wu Shanshan, his smile carrying a touch of poetic invitation, “wouldn’t that evoke the feeling of ‘The evening sky threatens snow, shall we have a drink?’”

Wu Shanshan stood by the window, closed her eyes and imagined herself as the owner of this room. She could already imagine the pleasant feeling of reading by the window, watching the rain and listening to the wind in the future.

Then she nodded vigorously to Hua Shier. Since he let her fantasize, she would go along with it for the moment. After all, fantasies are wonderful and free.

Hua Shier pulled Wu Shanshan to the East Road, where a magnificent brick-carved gatehouse came into view. The plaque in the center of the gatehouse was inscribed with four seal characters, "Qing Xie Zhong Si," and the inscription was clearly dated: Xinwei year of the Jiaqing reign.

"The grasshopper is an insect that symbolizes many children and grandchildren, and a prosperous family."

Hua Shier pointed to the intricate brick carvings, which depicted flowers and auspicious beasts: "This gate tower itself is a cultural relic, and it's a miracle that it has been preserved intact."

Passing through this ancient gatehouse, which is full of blessings, you will find a single-story house that blends Chinese and Western styles, with bright and clean windows.

"This was the original owner's residence."

Hua Shier explained, "I kept the basic layout, but rearranged the interior. You can change it again if you don't like it!"

Looking at Wu Shanshan's expression, which seemed to say, "What are you talking about? What does this have to do with us?"

Hua Shier smiled again and pulled her away to see the real 'Residual Grain Garden'!
The two turned into the room through a moon gate on one side.

As she stepped inside, Wu Shanshan couldn't help but let out a soft "Ah."

In stark contrast to the orderly and imposing buildings of the previous buildings, this place feels like a condensed and exquisite natural world.

The garden is indeed not large, but it has everything: mountains, ponds, pavilions, trees, vines, and rocks. The layout is compact and ingenious.

At the center of the garden is a clear pond where koi can be seen swimming. The pond is surrounded by Taihu stones piled up to form rugged mountains with caves and tunnels that can be climbed.

The pond occupies most of the garden, giving the small garden a sense of spaciousness.

The west side of the garden is backed by a wall and features a Huangshi Mountain. The highest point is in the northwest corner, where a pavilion stands atop the artificial hill with the words "Kuocang Pavilion" on its plaque. This pavilion is the highest point in the garden and offers a panoramic view of the entire landscape.

The garden is lush with flowers and trees. In addition to the old vine, there are tall trees dotting the rocks, while in the lower areas there are ribbon grass, roses, and banana trees, all full of vitality.

Every view, viewed from any angle, resembles a meticulously crafted three-dimensional painting.

Wu Shanshan was amazed by the exquisite beauty of this place, which was small yet complete and had a beautiful view at every turn. She walked carefully along the narrow stone path, afraid of disturbing the tranquility.

Hua Shier took her hand and led her to the Kuocang Pavilion, overlooking the entire garden. Once Wu Shanshan was feeling refreshed and relaxed, he smiled and said:

"You've probably heard of this garden; it's called 'Remnant Grain Garden.' The name 'Remnant Grain' comes from a poem by Du Fu, meaning that even if only half a grain of rice remains, it can sustain one's morning."

He turned to look at Wu Shanshan, who, sensing his gaze, turned around. Their eyes met, and Wu Shanshan, blushing slightly, asked:

"What are you doing? And what does all this have to do with us? No matter how nice the place is, it belongs to someone else. Let's just look and not overthink it!" Hua Shier listened to her rambling with a smile. Wu Shanshan felt uncomfortable under his gaze and blushed, saying:

"Alright, I know you're trying to cheer me up. Let's go, return the keys, and make sure nothing's missing—we can't afford to pay for it!"

Hua Shier waited until she finished speaking before laughing and saying:

"Do I look like someone who likes to talk nonsense? The reason I've told you so much is because this garden will belong to us from now on. After you marry me, this will be our home!"

“I really like the name ‘Remnant Garden’. It’s like my wish for our future. Even if the starting point is just ‘a grain of rice,’ I will prepare the most complete home for you.”

Wu Shanshan's heart skipped a beat, her cheeks flushed, and she said, embarrassed and annoyed:

"Who said I was going to marry you? Stop fooling around and give the key back right now!"

Hua Shier took her hand and placed the bunch of keys in it:

"This is the future home I've chosen for ourselves. I bought it through a friend on Hong Kong Island, but it's still registered in my friend's name for now. Once the property becomes available for sale, it will be transferred to our names!"

"We'll live here after we get married, do you like it?"

Seeing Hua Shier's serious expression, Wu Shanshan remained silent for a long time.

Her eyes slowly reddened, and then she gripped the keys tightly.

"I don't care if you're lying to me or not, I've already believed you. If this is a dream, let it last a little longer, okay?"

Hua Shier smiled and hugged her in his arms:
"Then you're doomed, because this dream will be longer than you can imagine, so long that you won't even be able to wake up!"

While the childhood sweethearts were deeply in love, Huang Ling, Song Ying, and Zhang Amei were offering incense at Xiyuan Temple.

The three women had no common sense about burning incense; they just worshipped any god they saw.

Everything went smoothly at first. Huang Ling prayed for her children to get good grades, Song Ying prayed for her son to be admitted to the No. 1 Middle School and continue to be in the same class as Zhuang Xiaoting, and Zhang Amei prayed in her heart that her daughter Zhang Min would also graduate smoothly from technical school, get a good job in the factory, and have a better and better life, surpassing the two children of the Wu family, so that she would always be superior to Wu Jianguo.

But when Huang Ling helped her nephew make a wish to Pengfei, problems arose.

The three incense sticks, just inserted into the incense burner, instantly broke in two, not horizontally, but vertically, from the tip to the tip, as if cleaved by a sword. The three sticks became six, with smooth ends.

This startled Huang Ling, as well as Song Ying and Zhang Amei who were standing nearby.

Song Ying immediately objected, grabbed a monk, and asked:

"What kind of incense does your temple sell? Why would you use such defective products to worship the Bodhisattva?"

The monk was bewildered by the incense sticks changing from three to six, and rubbed his eyes:

"I've never seen anything like this before. Please don't worry, I'll get you three thicker incense sticks!"

Huang Ling took the three thick incense sticks, placed them in the incense burner, and then made a new wish, praying for her nephew's academic success and bright future.

Then there was a cracking sound, and the three thick incense sticks split in two, becoming six sticks.

This not only attracted the attention of the surrounding worshippers, but also alarmed the abbot. When the monks brought the abbot over, the abbot solemnly addressed the onlookers:
"Dear benefactors, this was all an accident. Please believe in science and not be superstitious!"

These words made everyone around roll their eyes. Did they think we were here for tourism and didn't believe us?

The abbot said to Huang Ling and the other two women, "Gentlemen, there are too many people here. Let's talk in private for a moment!"

Once they left the main hall and reached a less crowded area, the abbot spoke:

"May I ask what wishes you gentlemen made to the Bodhisattva? Although the Bodhisattva is all-powerful, he cannot grant everything. For example, now that we live in a new society, if you wished to become empresses, I'm afraid that wouldn't be possible!"

Huang Ling said, "I just wished that the Bodhisattva would bless my nephew so that he could get good grades, have a bright future, and succeed in his studies!"

"this one?"

The abbot was somewhat skeptical, but seeing Huang Ling's earnest expression, which didn't seem like she was lying, he asked:

"Is that so? Your nephew is not good at studying. If he doesn't study on his own, even the Bodhisattva can't help him!"

Huang Ling shook her head: "My nephew gets first place in his grade every year!"

"That's strange!"

After pondering for a moment, the abbot suggested, "In the Arhat Hall of my Xiyuan Temple, there is an Arhat statue of the Living Buddha Ji Gong, which is extremely efficacious. Why don't you go there and pay your respects?"

After what had just happened, Huang Ling felt uneasy, fearing something might have happened to her nephew, and immediately nodded, saying:
"Alright, let's go and offer our prayers then!"

The abbot personally led the three women to the Arhat Hall. The hall was surrounded by seated statues of five hundred Arhats, with two standing statues on each side of the center. The abbot led them to a lifelike standing statue and introduced it:

"This is the Arhat statue of the Living Buddha Ji Gong!"

This time, the abbot personally taught Huang Ling how to worship and how to offer incense.

Following the procedure, Huang Ling was about to kowtow after offering incense. However, the incense did not burn out, and suddenly she felt the ground tremble, as if an earthquake had occurred. She then saw that the statue of Ji Gong was slowly moving under the vibration, turning forty-five degrees and facing the crowd from the side.

It's as if they don't receive incense or worship.

Song Ying whispered, "Sister Ling, let's go, this is too scary!"

Zhang Amei nodded in agreement: "Was there going to be an earthquake just now? Maybe we should leave!"

The abbot, however, became quite enthusiastic:

“Three benefactors, this humble monk listens to the radio every day, and there has never been an earthquake warning. Please believe in science. What just happened was definitely not an earthquake, but a manifestation of the Arhats!”

The three women were speechless. Do you want to hear what you're saying?
The abbot suggested, "Our Buddhist sect also has divination methods. I am not particularly skilled in this art, but I am well-versed in it. Why don't you tell me your nephew's birth date and name, and I can perform a divination for you free of charge to see if today's events are auspicious or inauspicious?"

When Hua Shier returned to the alley with Wu Shanshan, who had a happy smile on her face, they had just entered the alley when they heard Song Ying's loud voice coming from the direction of the Zhuang and Lin families' courtyards:

"Let me tell you, that old monk was spitting out blood like a fountain! Luckily we dodged quickly, or we would have been sprayed all over!"

"They took him straight to the hospital, and before he left, he told us to trust science. Bullshit! He has high blood pressure himself, and he's still telling fortunes."

Hua Shier told Wu Shanshan to go home by herself. When he returned to the courtyard, he saw that both the Zhuang and Lin families were there. Everyone was looking at him strangely. Huang Ling, however, pulled him aside and told him what had happened that day, then said:
"Don't overthink it. Your aunt doesn't believe in these things. Just focus on the exam and don't feel pressured. You'll definitely do well!"

Hua Shier chuckled after hearing this. The monk actually wanted to tell his fortune? He was already lucky to have survived on the spot; he must have done a lot of good deeds and had some merit.

That was the end of it. That night, Hua Shier left behind a clone and returned to the Remnant Grain Garden, where he set up an incense table and began drawing lots.

He was incredibly lucky and won two 'item upgrade cards' in two draws!
Thank you to 08a and Little Tiger of the Demon Realm for the donations, and thank you to all the brothers who voted with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you so much!