A Thousand Hills

Chapter 26

Xie Bo really convinced Xie Moru, he was going to die of worry, Xie Moru just drank tea quietly.Of course, Second Uncle Xie was worried about whether he should tell Xie Moru, or not.

Xie Bo looked at Xie Moru's profile while drinking tea quietly, and couldn't help asking, "Mo Ru, what are you thinking?"

Xie Moru put the teacup in his hand on the high table beside him, and said, "I'm thinking about this mountain, do you know if it has a name?"

Xie's house is at the foot of the mountain, Xie Bai couldn't help but smile, his habit since he was a child is to just say what he wants.Xie Moru is different, Xie Moru will say "this thing is very good" and "what's the name" when he wants something.He really believed it, and Xie Moru really didn't want to hear about the old affairs of the Fang family, otherwise, with Xie Moru's temperament, he would never have uttered such a clear rejection - needless to say.

Xie Bo said, "This mountain is called Qixia Mountain, because it is west of the imperial capital, it is also called Xishan Mountain."

Xie Moru nodded slightly, "I saw it in a book."

Xie Bo laughed, "It's still early, and the mountain is cool, so there's not much heat. Would you like to go to the mountain to see it? Let's go together. Xishan Temple's vegetarian food is a must. How about having a vegetarian meal at Xishan Temple at noon?"

This suggestion was right in Xie Moru's heart, Xie Moru was naturally moved, but still suppressed his temper and asked, "What about Su Buyu and Mr. Li?"

Xie Bai smiled, "Their bosses are grown alone, so there is no need to worry too much, just let the steward take care of Su and Li." After telling the steward to serve Su and Li, Xie Bo took Xie Moru out of the other courtyard and went up the mountain.Xie Moru ordered wisteria and phoenix trees to accompany him, and said, "The most famous place in the imperial capital should be Tianqi Temple. It is said that Tianqi Temple is a thousand-year-old temple. I read in the book that there are many noble people's houses in Xishan, where they escape from the summer heat."

"Yes, our house is at the foot of the mountain, which saves the hard work of climbing the mountain. Further up is Li Qiao's house." Xie Bai pointed her to a secluded path.

Xie Moru frowned slightly. When Li Qiao arrived at Xie's other courtyard, he was holding a bamboo stick and wearing straw sandals, and neither of them were decorated for fun.The straw sandals are half old, with dirt and grass clippings on the soles, and the bottom of the bamboo stick has cracks, which can be seen to be used for walking.Su Buyu came here on horseback, so he must live far away, but Li Qiao doesn't seem to live close.Xie Moru didn't have time to think, so he listened to Xie Bo, "In fact, Xishan Temple is also a famous temple, but it is not as old as Tianqi Temple, and Tianqi Temple enshrines royal incense, so it is naturally more precious. However, Xishan Temple is also very prosperous. It can also be ranked in the top three in the imperial capital. The abbot of Xishan Temple, Master Wenxiu, is a famous eminent monk, and his Dharma is profound, even better than the abbot of Tianqi Temple."

Xie Moru said, "Is Master Wenxiu still in Xishan Temple?"

"It is. The master was born in Xishan Temple and has been studying Buddhism in Xishan Temple." Xie Bai smiled, "There are many scenic spots on this mountain. The most famous scenery is the ten thousand plum trees on the mountainside. Now If you can’t see it, let’s see it in winter, ten thousand plum blossoms are like fire, it’s really a scenic spot in the imperial capital.”

Although Xie Moru was going up the mountain for the first time in his life, he could catch up with Xie Bai's words and said, "I read it in a book, saying that this plum forest was originally planted by the Mingyue Princess of the previous dynasty. The scene can be imagined. Know."

Xie Bai figured it out, but now there are many taboos, and he said casually, "After the Taizu came to the court, he gave the plum forest here and the Merlin Palace to Princess Ningping as a separate courtyard. I heard that the princess used to do it every winter Come here to enjoy the plum scenery. Your mother doesn’t like plum blossoms, but prefers azaleas. The azalea tree in the azalea courtyard was transplanted from South Vietnam, and there is no such beautiful azalea tree in the entire imperial capital.”

Although he did not deny these things, Xie Bai was still a little sad when he mentioned it suddenly, but Xie Moru just listened quietly, under the shade of the trees, the sun was shining in spots, and the mountain road in front of him was rugged and winding, Xie Moru's brows Without moving, Xie Bo asked, "What kind of flowers do you like?"

Xie Moru thought for a while, "There are no flowers that I hate too much. Flowers bloom or wither at any time of the year. When they bloom, they add to the scenery. When they wither, there are other flowers to decorate the scenery. Flowers bloom in all seasons. It makes no difference to me."

Xie Bo asked, "Is there anything you like?"

"Of course there is." Xie Moru smiled, "Everyone has likes and dislikes, I just don't care about flowers and plants."

"I like reading books." Xie Moru said, "If there are no books in this world, how lonely it would be. I also like calligraphy and painting, and Mr. Li's calligraphy and painting are very good. I also want to learn how to ride a horse. Second uncle, can you teach me when you have time?"

Xie Bo raised his eyebrows, "Why do you want to learn how to ride a horse?"

"Didn't Second Uncle say that there are many rich girls who can ride horses and hunt? If not, it would be shameless to talk about it in the future." Xie Moru said with a smile, his eyebrows stretched, as if the wind was flowing, "This is an excuse, In fact, the main reason is that I want to learn. Watching my second uncle ride a horse, I feel very majestic and free."

Xie Bo smiled, "I'll buy you a set of clothes when I go back, and we'll come out when I'm free. After you've finished practicing, how about taking you to play rabbits?"

Xie Moru nodded, "Very good, very good."

Xie Bo sighed, "You can't always be so old-fashioned at such a young age."

"How about that?" Xie Moru asked.

Xie Bai said, "Girls, if you want to be cute and sweet, you should say 'Yes, yes', and then try to find a better way to thank second uncle." Haha laughed and couldn't continue.

In fact, Xie Bo has been to this mountain many times, but Xie Moru is very interested, there are many flowers and trees, I have only seen the map in the past, this time I saw the real thing, so I inevitably spent more time on the road.

It was not the beginning when the uncle and nephew arrived at Xishan Temple.Xishan Temple is a well-known temple, where high-ranking officials and dignitaries often come and go, and the monks in the temple have also developed a good eye. When the guest monk saw Xie Bai, he smiled, "Second Master, do you want to burn incense?" He actually recognized Xie Bai. .

Xie Bo looked at Xie Moru, Xie Moru shook his head, "We came here just because of the reputation, so just sit for a while."

The monk who knew the guests said that he would not offer incense when he came here just because of his fame. However, he also knew that the guests were either tired or hungry, so he said with a smile, "There are so many pilgrims today, and the big incense room is full. There is a vacant room in the backyard facing the lake, which is quite elegant."

Xie Bo nodded and said, "We haven't eaten yet, so we can have a table at Su Zhai."

The Zhike monk responded one by one.

The place arranged by the Zhike monk is very good. The lakeside is full of peach trees. Although there is no scene of scorching flowers in spring, it is also interesting to see the piles of fruits now.What's more, the taste of vegetarian food in this temple is also outstanding, although it is nothing more than tofu, mushrooms, green vegetables and the like, but it is delicious, light and suitable.Xie Moru said, "It's really rare to make this kind of rice noodles with vegetable oil and vegetarian food."

The monk brought the fragrant tea and said with a smile, "This is the wild tea made by the ancestor himself. The almsgiver has a taste."

The maid took the tea and served it, Xie Moru asked, "Is Master Wenxiu there?"

The monk was stunned for a moment, and said, "The young monk is only in charge of the knowledge, but I don't know about the patriarch."

Xie Moru said, "Could you go and ask, I read the "Wanli Journey" written by the Master in the past, and there are a few things I don't understand. If Master Wenxiu is in the temple, can I ask for advice in person?"

The monk did not know the identity of Xie Moru, but he recognized Xie Bo, seeing that Xie Bo did not object, he should back down.

After the monk left, Xie Baifang said, "Master Wenxiu also wrote travel notes?" The old monk became an eminent monk, referring to his achievements in Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures.

"I also read it in an old book, before Venerable Wenxiu became a monk at that time, if I hadn't read in another book that recorded Venerable Wenxiu's layman's name and experience, I would not have known that the travelogue was written by the Venerable Master. "Xie Moru said, "It's very exciting, much better than the storybook. If the second uncle wants to read it, I'll lend it to you."

Thinking of the generosity of Xie Moru who sent a maid to give Su Buyu's "The World" to Xie Moyou last time, this time I knew it was Xie Moru's favorite book, and he was so reluctant to lend it out, Xie Bai smiled, "it is good."

Master Wenxiu is well-known in the monk world, and according to Master Wenxiu's status, it is of course impossible to come to see Xie's uncle and nephew. For a while, the young monk invited them, and the two uncles and nephews went to Master Wenxiu's Buddhist hall.

The Buddhist hall was clean and tidy, and the floor was spotless, so the two left their servants outside and took off their boots to enter.Venerable Wenxiu calculated that he was already quite old, but he was only about 50 to [-] years old. His eyes were as clear as a baby's, as if he had no intentions, and he was like an old man who had read everything in the world and understood everything.Xie Bai bowed, "Master, long time no see."

Xie Moru also saluted, Master Wenxiu smiled in his eyes, he was very kind, and gestured with his jaw, "Thank you benefactor, female benefactor, please sit down."

The two uncles and nephews sat cross-legged on the futon in front of Master Wenxiu. Xie Bo smiled, "This is my niece Mo Ru. She has read the travel notes written by the master and is quite puzzled. She came to your temple today for the first time. Hearing that the master is practicing in the temple, I can't help but feel like visiting."

Master Wenxiu looked at Xie Moru and smiled slightly, "When I was young, I was caught up in wars and turmoil, and the people were in dire straits, wandering around, but I have been to some places. At that time, I had nothing to do, so I wrote down a few notes, which were later compiled into a book. , Few people know about it, but the benefactor has seen it."

Master Wenxiu is indeed a very eminent monk, but Xie Moru has always been a matter of fact, she said, "I have read some travel notes, the master's travel notes, human customs, geographical customs, literary talents, very interesting, in the books I read , is first-class good. However, there are still some puzzles, and I hope the master can clarify."

Xie Bo didn't know where Xie Moru came from to speak so loudly this day, and he only said "first-class good" to the contemporary Buddhist masters, but Xie Moru's expression was sincere and solemn, and it was obvious that she meant what she said.At this age, Master Wenxiu's self-cultivation is also top-notch, and he smiled slightly, "Please tell me, benefactor."

What Xie Moru said meant that it was getting late, Xie Bo felt that Xie Moru didn't talk much on weekdays, and he didn't meet anyone who made her want to talk at all.See how happy Xie Moru and Venerable Wen Xiu are chatting.Xie Bo didn't even have the heart to interrupt, but they still had to go down the mountain to return to the city, Xie Bo had to say, "Mo Ru, Master is also tired, and it's getting late. It's the same when I have time to bring you here next time."

Xie Mo felt that the light in the room was dim, and looked out of the window. Sure enough, the sun was setting. Xie Mo smiled, "I didn't notice it for a while, but I disturbed the master for so long."

Master Wenxiu smiled, "I have been writing this book for a long time. This book is written by me when I was still in the mortal world. The benefactor happened to read it. Now I meet the old monk again. It can be seen that the law of karma has come to this point, and it can explain the meaning of the book for the benefactor. Confused, not disturbed."

Xie Moru said seriously, "I didn't enjoy myself to the fullest today, I will come earlier next time."

Master Wenxiu got up to see him off, and Xie Moru stopped by to ask a few words about the Western Barbarian language before he said goodbye to the master.

Xie Moru was in a great mood to be able to consult Master Wenxiu, but the speed of going down the mountain had to be hurry up.Xie Bo was lucky enough to see Xie Moru jumping down the mountain two steps at a time. Xie Bo was really worried that Xie Moru's feet would not be stable and fall down the mountain road, but he didn't want Xie Moru to walk on the ground and be very stable.

Xie Bairen has tall legs and long legs, so it's nothing, but the speed of the uncle and nephew makes the two maids of the sycamore and wisteria tired enough.When they arrived at the other courtyard, both Su and Li had resigned, and Su Buyu left a handwritten letter for Xie Bo.Xie Bo put it away, let Xie Moru put it in the car, and hurried back to the city with Xie Moru.

When they got home, it was already dark, Xie Moru ordered Wisteria to send Su Buyu's words to Xie Bai's courtyard and hand them over to Mo Ju, and took Wutong and Xie Bai to Songbai Courtyard.Mrs. Xie was not angry, but slightly reprimanded, "Going out of the city today, I thought I would come back later, but it's too late, and if it's later, I'm afraid I won't be able to enter the city, why don't I spend the night outside the city."

Xie Shangshu smiled to smooth things over, "Isn't this coming back? The children must have not eaten yet. Didn't they ask the cook to keep the food?" Xie Shangshu thought it was normal. Xie Moru was out of the city for the first time. It is inevitable to look more, and it is not too late.

Mrs. Xie smiled, "If you come back later later, you won't have a meal."

Xie Bai looked at Xie Moru with a smile, "Don't blame me this time. We were in Xishan Temple. We talked with Venerable Wenxiu for more than an hour as soon as we talked. If I didn't remind her, she wouldn't think of leaving."

Even Mrs. Xie felt very honored this time, looking into Xie Moru's eyes with joy, she said, "Master Wenxiu is an eminent monk, he has been talking for so long."

Xie Moru immediately understood what Second Uncle meant, he didn't want his family to know about Su Buyu, no, Second Uncle clearly mentioned Su Buyu in Songbaiyuan last time, so Second Uncle probably didn't want his family to know that he met Li Qiao today.Although he didn't understand the reason, Xie Moru still said, "I read a travel note written by the master before, and there were some things I couldn't understand in it. This time, I happened to hear that the master was practicing in Xishan Temple, so I asked the master for advice." She sincerely praised it. Said, "Master is indeed knowledgeable."

Mrs. Xie laughed, "How can you be learned? Master Wenxiu is an eminent monk. It is not easy to meet each other on weekdays."

Xie Moru looked at Xie Bo, and said, "Thanks to the presence of my second uncle, I first asked the Zhike monk if the master was there, but the Zhike monk said he didn't know. Then he took a look at the second uncle, and then went down to ask, and then saw the master The monks say that all living beings are equal, so it can be seen that they are not equal." Mrs. Xie, Shangshu Xie laughed.

Xie Bo also smiled, thinking that this girl is really clever.

For a while, Su Lan brought the little girl in and served Xie Bai and Xie Mo Ru washed her hands and wiped her face, Mrs. Xie smiled, "You can use it at my place, so you don't have to go back and worry about it."

Xie Baixie went to the cubicle for dinner.

After dinner, tea and a few words, Mrs. Xie kindly sent the uncle and nephew to rest.

Xie Bo sent Xie Moru back to the Rhododendron Courtyard, at that time, the night was just right.

(End of this chapter)