Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 874 Feeling at Ease
Having seen the rehearsal, the actual ceremony now feels less novel.

However, Chen Fan found his place and was no longer just watching the show like before.

When the ceremony began, nearly a hundred elderly pilgrims stood on the outermost edge with devout expressions, watching the Jade Emperor's Birthday Ceremony at Baiyun Temple, which had been held for more than a decade. The Taoist priests bowed, and the pilgrims followed suit, never missing a single moment and staying with the entire ceremony.

Chen Fan stood solemnly beside the offering table, chanting scriptures and offering praises from time to time as the ceremony progressed. Surprisingly, his chanting and praises were perfectly coordinated with the entire ceremony, without the slightest sense of incongruity.

By the time the ceremony ended, it was already noon.

Today, Baiyun Temple even prepared vegetarian food... Well, although the Zhengyi sect does not prohibit meat, the Quanzhen sect forbids it, especially the five pungent vegetables, which are absolutely forbidden.

Actually, the concept of "meat" in Buddhism and Taoism is slightly different from the understanding of ordinary people.

Take the five pungent vegetables, also known as the five spicy vegetables, as an example. They are garlic, shallots (wild garlic), leeks, scallions, and asafoetida (a plant similar to onions). Because of their strong smell, they are believed to stimulate desires after consumption, which is not conducive to purifying the mind and practicing spiritual cultivation.

"腥" refers to foods like meat and fish.

Baiyun Temple is, after all, the ancestral temple of the Quanzhen Longmen School, so eating meat here is indeed a bit inappropriate.

Chen Fan then drank two bowls of porridge and ate a few vegetarian buns with everyone.

They were then invited to a quiet room for tea.

A short while later, Master Liu came over, supporting his aching back, and plopped down on a chair on the other side of the table.

Chen Fan glanced at him, pursed his lips, and said, "Your body is too weak. You still need to practice. Otherwise, when people hear that you are the head of a branch of the Qingwei Sect, but you don't even know a little bit of thunder magic, it will be a disgrace to our ancestors."

Master Liu said irritably, "Do you think I don't want to? Putting everything else aside, thunder magic is a tough skill. To practice thunder magic, you need to consume at least three ounces of flesh every day, otherwise your body will collapse in a few months. Where do you expect me to get flesh?"

"It's simple."

Chen Fan put down his teacup, looked at him and smiled, "I'll give you the title of 'Zhi Guan' of Chaoyang Temple. You'll be the highest-ranking person besides me. You don't need to manage anything. Just take a stroll there every day and have a meal while you're at it. That'll do the job."

Master Liu laughed heartily, "That is indeed a solution."

He then waved his hand, "But forget it. At my age, what use is there for practicing kung fu? Besides, starting today, all the Taoist temples in the capital will be reopening."

The restoration is just the beginning, not the end. Over a decade of strong winds have blown down the roof and walls, and the statues and paintings inside and outside the temple are already dilapidated. These all need to be repaired as soon as possible.

Chen Fan snorted twice, "Well, you're quite the worrywart."

Master Liu sighed, "What else can we do?"

He looked out the window with a dazed expression and said softly, “I am grateful for the kindness of my fellow Daoists who elected me as the vice president of the Beijing Daoist Association and also gave me a position in the National Daoist Association. These are all things I should do.”

Moreover, when the Guandi Temple was demolished, I came to Baiyun Temple to stay temporarily. At that time, fellow Taoists from other temples also invited me to stay. These are all acts of kindness.

Both morally and logically, I cannot stand idly by.

Chen Fan clicked his tongue, looked at him and smiled, "Your personality is quite similar to mine. Neither of us likes to owe favors. It doesn't matter if we suffer a loss ourselves, the important thing is to have a clear conscience."

Master Liu laughed and said, "Isn't cultivating the Tao all about cultivating the 'heart'? Whether it's purifying the heart and reducing desires or going with the flow, what you seek is nothing more than 'peace of mind.' If you can achieve this, then your cultivation of the Tao has not been in vain."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Junior brother, your Daoist cultivation is unparalleled in the world today. Even if the ancient masters were alive, they would probably be no better. In terms of martial arts levels, you should have reached the Transformation Realm, achieved the circulation of Qi throughout the body, and attained the state of emptiness and clarity, right?"

Chen Fan smiled and was about to speak when Master Liu waved his hand and said with a smile, "Once, a dozen or so of us old Daoist friends gathered together for a chat, and when we talked about you, we all praised your Daoist skills."

However, while young grandmasters are rare, they are not unheard of. There are several recorded in Taoist scriptures who reached the level of Celestial Master and Holy Lord before reaching adulthood.

Besides your Taoist skills, what your fellow Taoists admire most about you is your 'peace of mind' state of mind. In your conduct and actions, you never consider who the other party is or whether you can get something in return. Whether you are generous and righteous or daring to be a pioneer, it is all simply because you 'want to do it'.

This mindset is what everyone admires most about you.

Chen Fan blinked, looked at him for a while, and then chuckled and said, "Really? Haha."

How come I didn't know I had this advantage?
No wonder everyone likes Taoist priests; it turns out they have an eye for beauty and are so good at praising people. It's a little embarrassing.

Master Liu laughed heartily, "Of course! Would I lie to you?"

Chen Fan waved his hand, feigning shyness, "Don't praise me anymore, or I'll get carried away."

He paused for a moment, then changed the subject, asking, "Has my uncle sent over the incense money for the offerings?"

Master Liu nodded immediately, "It's been delivered, it was delivered a long time ago. Just as you said, 50,000 for Baiyun Temple and 10,000 for the other temples. He arranged for someone to deliver it here the day before yesterday, a total of over 100,000..."

As he spoke, he raised his hands and chuckled in a low voice, "Back then, I was holding the money bag, and both my hands were shaking. Even before the wind picked up, I had never seen so much money."

Chen Fan clicked his tongue, "That's because your Dao heart isn't strong enough. If it were me, I wouldn't even blink."

If Jiang Lili weren't here, she would definitely help him recall who counted the money repeatedly and couldn't stop smiling when they went to the rural fair in Nanhu Commune and came back to count the money!
Master Liu, unaware of the man's embarrassing incident, immediately laughed and said, "That's different. You're a real person, so you'll definitely perform better."

After exchanging a few jokes, Master Liu finally got down to business, "Ten days from now, on the nineteenth day of the first lunar month, the Yanjiu Festival, Baiyun Temple will hold its first temple fair since the windy day. We have already reported this to the Religious Affairs Bureau and the Street Office, and they have both given positive support."

Will you come then?

Chen Fan didn't stand on ceremony with him and shook his head, saying, "I can't come, I really can't come."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "I have to leave Beijing tomorrow and go to Shanghai for a few days. This was arranged with the Shanghai Film Studio before the New Year; they're going to make a movie based on one of my sister-in-law's novels, and I need to go there to oversee some things."

After I finish things there, I'll be heading back to the provincial capital in Jiangnan. There are things to do at the Writers' Association, classes at school, and preparations for filming the second part of "The Monk Comes Down the Mountain," so I probably won't be able to leave for a while.

With the explanation so clear, Master Liu nodded in understanding, "Since you have things to do, then go ahead and do your thing."

He paused for a moment, then joked, "Anyway, you're just here to watch the show; you can't really help."

Chen Fan pursed his lips, hesitated for two seconds, and said, "I can help you eat two bowls of porridge and three large vegetarian steamed buns." Master Liu replied, "...That's really unnecessary."

……

The next morning, Liu Juan and Ma Lan did not go to the Taoist temple on time, but instead busied themselves making breakfast.

Before long, several large bowls were placed on the dining table.

A big bowl of dumplings—this is purely for the occasion; dumplings for getting on the train, noodles for getting off.

Then there are steamed buns, mantou, white porridge, seaweed and egg soup, plus two meat dishes, which is enough for so many people.

A large round table was set up without designated seats for the host and guests. Li Shangde and his two companions sat together, with Zhou Zhengdong, Zhao Wanru, Chen Fan, and Jiang Lili next to them. If Zhou Jincheng was included, they would make up a table.

Liu Juan and Ma Lan ate in the kitchen as usual. Chen Fan didn't pay attention to them, grabbed a steamed bun and started eating. "Yesterday I ate vegetarian food at Baiyun Temple, and I was too embarrassed to eat as much as I wanted. I only ate three vegetarian steamed buns and then drank two bowls of white porridge to fill my stomach."

In the time it took to say a few words, he had already finished two steamed buns, and only then did Jiang Lili place the egg drop soup she had served him in front of him.

Zhang Xuansong said irritably, "With the meager resources of Baiyun Temple, how could it possibly be enough for your big belly to eat to your heart's content?"

Chen Fan held two large meat buns in his hands and looked at him, saying, "You guys really aren't going to Shanghai? The Shanghai Film Studio is also making a movie, the one with the novel Tian Tian wrote, 'Where the Flowers Bloom,' which has quite a few war scenes. Don't you want to see it?"

Zhang Xuansong immediately shook his head and said, "What's so interesting about seeing a battlefield? Let alone making movies, we've seen plenty of real battlefields already."

Chen Fan laughed and said, "I was just worried that you guys hadn't fought for too long and were missing it."

Lin Yuanxiang immediately said, "Then you're mistaken. Few veterans who have fought in wars want to see the battlefield again."

Li Shangde nodded slightly, "If it weren't for defending the country, who would be willing to risk their life to fight a war? War is really not a good thing."

Zhang Xuansong nodded, then looked at Jiang Tiantian, who was eating dumplings, and smiled, "Tiantian is good."

Upon hearing her name, Jiang Tiantian immediately looked up at him, her eyes filled with confusion. Why was she suddenly mentioned?

Zhang Xuansong continued, "I've also read the novel you wrote. You didn't focus on the battlefield, but rather showed everyone the cruelty of the battlefield from the perspective of a medic."

He pointed to Chen Fan as he spoke, "The battlefields that Xiao Fan writes about are filled with the flames of war and bloodshed on the battlefield. They highlight the soldiers' tenacious fighting spirit, which makes people's blood boil."

But what you wrote was chivalrous and tender, compassionate and empathetic. From a peace perspective, you are better than him.

Chen Fan clicked his tongue. "If you're going to praise me, fine, but why are you putting me down?"

However, he didn't say anything, and he didn't object to praising Tian Tian while criticizing himself.

Jiang Tiantian blushed instantly. She glanced at Chen Fan first, then said to Zhang Xuansong, "Actually, Xiao Fan taught me how to write this novel. He also taught me the plot and writing style..."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhang Xuansong waved his hand and said, "One thing at a time. If you don't have the ability, no matter how much he helps you, you still can't write it. Since you can write such an article, it means you have real ability. If you write it well, you deserve praise."

Jiang Tiantian smiled, then looked at Chen Fan and saw his smiling face. She then turned back to Zhang Xuansong and nodded, "Thank you, Third Master."

Zhang Xuansong grinned, "Hey, that's right."

He then looked at Chen Fan and said, "You guys go first. We'll take the train tonight and arrive in Jiangnan Province tomorrow morning. I'd like to see how that grandson of Yang Zhenlong will play me."

Chen Fan suddenly looked up, frowned, and said, "You said that 'Where the Flowers Bloom' has battlefield scenes and you're not interested. But 'Monk Comes Down the Mountain' has far more war scenes than that."

Zhang Xuansong's face darkened. "You talk too much."

Zhou Zhengdong, standing nearby, couldn't help but chuckle, almost spitting out a mouthful of congee. He quickly grabbed a handkerchief to cover his mouth, wiped it a couple of times, and then said to Zhang Xuansong, "Brother, your apprentice is a bit lacking in discipline."

Zhang Xuansong sighed in agreement, "It's difficult to carve rotten wood, really difficult."

The next second, the dining table was filled with laughter.

The group leisurely finished their breakfast, then each picked up their already packed luggage and prepared to leave.

Zhang Xuansong and his two companions didn't see them off any further, standing at the door of the house and watching them leave.

……

Chen Fan didn't drive today; instead, employees from Wan Muchun Company's Beijing office came to drop them off. The office was right next door, and they were renting Chen Fan's apartment, which couldn't be more convenient.

Two spacious Cadillacs transported them smoothly to the airport.

On the airport tarmac, an American Airlines Boeing 747 was parked on the runway. This aircraft, which was much larger than other planes, attracted the attention of countless people.

Chen Fan got out of the car, walked to Zhou Zhengdong's side, and looked at the huge aircraft in front of him, saying, "Uncle, when you go back to America, why don't you just rent a small private jet that can carry a dozen or so people? Why did you have to rent such a big plane?"

Zhou Zhengdong turned to look at him, "Didn't you tell me to order this plane? How can I make demands on Boeing if I don't take a ride and experience it first?"

Chen Fan silently gave a thumbs up, "Renting a plane directly to improve user experience, impressive."

He then changed the subject, "But haven't you ever flown this type of aircraft in the United States?"

Zhao Wanru walked up to him with her youngest son in her arms and said with a smile, "Why haven't you ridden one? You've ridden quite a few. When we used to go back to China, it was always this type of plane. It's just that the airlines don't have suitable business jets right now, so we have to spend more money to rent this wide-body plane to go back."

He paused for a moment, then added, "However, compared to the Zhou Group, Qianfan Company, and Wanmuchun Company, which are about to undergo changes, this amount of money for chartering a plane is nothing."

Chen Fan nodded. When the staff brought over the luggage, he waved, took a drawing tube, and handed it to Zhou Yali. "Here, this is the rendering of the Shenzhen Bay Hotel. I've already drawn it, and some necessary parameters are marked on it. Take it back to the architectural firm and have them convert it into construction drawings. By the time the drawings are ready, the land in Shenzhen should have been leveled, and then we can start construction directly."

Zhou Yali didn't even look at her, and pulled Jiang Lili towards the gangway, saying, "We'll be staying in Shanghai for another two hours, what's the rush?"

(End of this chapter)