White tea legend

Chapter 143 White Snake

Spring returns to the earth and everything is renewed.

The tea garden next to Longgai Temple also ushered in the annual tea picking season.

At this time, the tea trees are showing their green buds, and the sun shines through the clouds and mist on the mountains, covering this ancient land with a layer of golden gauze.

In the temple, the young monk Ji Zan also set out to pick tea with a bamboo basket on his back.

Ji Zhen was handsome and kind-hearted. The monks in the temple and the villagers at the foot of the mountain loved him very much.

Growing up, whenever the spring breeze blew, Ji Zhan always took the initiative to go up the mountain to help the tea farmers pick new tea. His figure shuttled through the tea gardens, like a hard-working little bee.

The tea farmers saw that although Ji Zan was young, he was willing to help others, so they often played with him and tested his knowledge. Sometimes they asked him about Buddhist principles, and sometimes they chatted and laughed with him. Ji Zan always responded to everyone one by one without losing tact and compassion. The tea farmers were both surprised and pleased with his performance, and praised him as a future pillar of Buddhism who could inherit the old monk's mantle and become the new abbot of Longgai Temple.

In the afternoon, the spring sun was warm, and Ji Zan was busy on the tea mountain.

Suddenly, a urgent cry for help came to his ears. He ran towards the sound and saw a tea farmer accidentally slipping and injuring his leg, with blood flowing down his leg. Ji Zan hurriedly stepped forward and carefully bandaged the tea farmer's wound. His movements were gentle and skillful, showing the knowledge of rescue he had learned in the temple.

The tea farmer looked at the little monk with gratitude, and a warm current surged in his heart.

At this moment, Ji Zan saw an old woman carrying a heavy tea basket, walking hobbled on the mountain road. Her figure is as curved as an old pine in the mountains, and it seems that she will be blown over by the wind at any time.

Ji Zan stepped forward without hesitation and asked softly: "Mother-in-law, do you want to go home? Let me take you back."

The old woman looked at Ji Zhan's young face, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and was soon replaced by a warm smile. She nodded and handed the basket to Ji Zan with confidence.

Ji Zan carefully supported the old woman and listened to her tell stories about the past while walking slowly.

The old woman's home is not far away, but the mountain road is rugged. For her, every step is a challenge. Fortunately, with Ji Zan's support, this journey became no longer difficult. Along the way, the spring breeze blew on my face, the fragrance of flowers hit my face, and everything seemed so peaceful and harmonious.

When they arrived at the old woman's house, the sunset had quietly set on the top of the mountain.

When the old woman's family saw Ji Zan returning the old man, they couldn't help but thank her profusely.

Ji Chan smiled and shook his head and said, "The donor is too modest. Monks should help others." After bidding farewell to the old woman's family, Ji Chan hurried back to the temple.

Back in the temple, Ji Zun did not go to rest immediately. Instead, he sat alone on the futon, facing the Buddha statue and meditating.

He was thinking about whether what he did today was in line with Buddhism and whether it could really benefit all sentient beings.

As night fell, the lights in the Buddhist temple were soft and bright, illuminating Ji Zan's face and his pure and selfless heart.

When Ji Zhen was concentrating on asking about the Buddha, he didn't know that there were two female Bodhisattvas standing outside the window: Taimu Empress and Bixia Yuanjun.

"Is he the reincarnation of the God of Medicine?" Taimu asked.

Bixia Yuanjun nodded: "It's a pity that I'm still looking for that tea plant all over the world. I don't know that he is hiding in the temple to ask the Buddha."

"One is searching in the mortal world, while the other has settled outside the mortal world. Bixia Yuanjun, do you think they are destined to meet again?"

Whether there is fate or not, Bixia Yuanjun has the final say.

She is the goddess in charge of marriage.

But Bixia Yuanjun said to Taimu Empress: "Let it happen, it depends on God's will."

In the Zen room, Ji Zan fell asleep and soon had a dream.

In his dream, he was on a mountain peak, which was full of strange peaks and rocks.

There is a cave with the words "Hongxue Cave" written on the cliff at the entrance.

Next to Hongxue Cave, there is a tea tree.

This tea tree looks different from the tea trees Ji Zan has seen in his life.

Its leaves are like snow and its branches are like frost. It is spring, and the new buds are beginning to show, as if covered with a thin layer of white mist, revealing the vitality of life in the haze. The sun penetrates the mist and shines on these white-haired tea leaves, as if they are covered with a layer of gold, making them look particularly enchanting. Ji Zan stepped forward, caressed the tea tree, and murmured, "What kind of tea tree is this? It's covered with white hairs and looks very strange."

As soon as he finished speaking, the tea tree swayed in the wind, flashing green light, and a girl in white and green gradient clothes appeared.

Ji Zun felt that the person in front of him was familiar yet strange, as if he had known him for five hundred years.

"You are……"

"I am this tea plant!"

"May I ask what kind of tea it is? I have never seen it before." The little monk's eyes flashed curiously.

"You chose my name for me! You even forgot it yourself."

The little monk was shocked, and a name suddenly appeared in his heart.

"Are you Bai Cha?"

"Yes, miracle doctor, I had such a hard time looking for you!"

"Where did you find me?"

"The world of mortals."

"It's no wonder. I am already outside the mortal world, but you are still looking for me in the mortal world. How can you find me?"

Ji Zan suddenly woke up, surrounded by the scene of the Zen room:

An oil lamp hanging on the roof, its light is soft and warm, seems to be able to illuminate the softest corners of people's hearts. Under the lamp, a wooden table stood quietly. On the table were several Buddhist scriptures and a string of wooden rosary beads, which were his daily companions for practice.

There was a small futon placed by the window. At this moment, he was meditating on the futon and had just had a dream.

Next to the futon, a blooming lotus stands gracefully in a porcelain vase. Its purity and elegance complement the temperament of this space. There is a broom in the corner, cleaning the room spotlessly.

An ink painting hangs on the wall of the Zen room. The painting shows an eminent monk walking in the mountains. The brushwork is simple and powerful, revealing an otherworldly artistic conception. At the bottom of the picture, a neat line of regular script reads "Heart is like still water". These four words are the goal of the young monk's practice and the motto of his life.

At this time, the Zen room was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood, but the little monk's heart was filled with waves.

It's all because of that dream!

In the dream, there was a beautiful girl who was looking for him in the world of mortals...

Thinking of this, the young monk was suddenly frightened and ran out of the meditation room crying, looking for the old monk: "Master, Master, Master..."

The young monk hurried out of his meditation room, his footsteps hurried. He walked through the quiet corridor, crossed the low-hanging pine branches, and headed towards the tea house.

The master abbot is standing in the tea frying room, holding a long shovel, and is concentrating on frying the newly picked tea leaves. The fire is strong, the heat is rolling, and the aroma of tea rises into the sky with the heat, filling the entire space.

The master abbot was dressed in gray monk robes and a bamboo hat, and his movements were calm and leisurely, as if they were performing a silent dance.

The little monk stood at the door, hesitated for a moment, and finally plucked up the courage to knock on the door gently. Hearing the sound, the abbot master turned around with a kind smile on his face. He put down the shovel in his hand and motioned for the young monk to come in.

"Master, I am confused, and I came here to ask for advice." The young monk bowed, his tone was sincere, and there were tears on his eyelashes.

"Say it." The abbot continued to stir-fry the tea leaves. The fire illuminated his face, making it look more compassionate and peaceful.

"Disciple, I have just blasphemed the Buddha." The young monk said, as if facing a powerful enemy, he burst into tears.

"Ji Zun, are you dreaming?" The abbot seemed to know his disciple very well.

"Disciple, I dreamed of a lady..."

"What's that lady's name?"

"She said her surname was Bai, and her name was Bai Niangzi." Ji Zhan sobbed heavily as he spoke.