With virtue

Master Yuanmeng's meditation room was set up in a cave next to the kiln. It was made with local materials, expanded a bit, and covered with some planks, and was very simple.

As Wang Haiting followed Master Yuanmeng through the courtyard gate, he couldn't help but glance back—the path they had come from was now swallowed up by the shadows of the trees, and the hustle and bustle of the kiln was completely gone.

The meditation room was simply furnished. On the wooden shelf on the west wall were scriptures of various sizes. In the center, on a sandalwood table, sat a bronze Buddha statue. Incense smoke curled from the incense burner in front of the Buddha, and some ritual implements were arranged around it.

The three children were placed in a corner of the meditation room, sitting on the floor with a low table in front of them.

Master Yuanmeng sat upright opposite the low table, his robe spread out, his appearance solemn and dignified.

When he saw Wang Haiting enter, he smiled slightly and gestured for him to sit down.

After the three children were seated, he spoke: "Amitabha, my three young benefactors, do not be afraid. I have invited you here today because I have something good to discuss with you."

His gaze lingered on Wang Haiting's face for a moment: "I heard from Chen Wanchuan and the kiln masters that you were sent up the mountain to be mountain god children and suffered a lot. It was not easy for you to come down the mountain and find a job in Ding kiln to make a living. It is truly rare to have such determination at such a young age."

Master Yuanmeng, however, did not take it to heart and continued gently, "Learning a craft is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Burning charcoal, treading and kneading mud, baking in the kiln fire in summer and having your hands cracked in winter—it takes ten or eight years to become a master. At your age, you should be studying, learning to read and write, and understanding the principles of the classics. Why waste your time in those smoke and coal ash?"

He continued, "I do have another way out. Why don't you come and become my disciples and grandchildren? You'll only have to chant scriptures and sweep the courtyard every day. You'll have no worries about food and clothing. It's a hundred times better than suffering in the kiln. Besides, you can learn magic."

As he spoke, he clapped his hands lightly. The side door of the meditation room opened in response, revealing a tray floating in the air.

This is clearly magic.

The dishes on the tray seemed to come alive, jumping out on their own and fluttering onto the low table; they were all stacks of pastries.

The pastries were exquisite, including sugar cakes, wheat cakes, cheese, apricot slices, plums, fragrant crispy plums, sugared mung beans, crystal dumplings, and even a bowl of iced milk custard in the center, with a rich milky aroma and fine ice crystals floating on top.

A variety of items were arranged on most of the table, making it appear even more dazzling in the setting of the meditation room.

The two children had never seen anything like it before. The sweet aroma of the cheese filled their noses, and their eyes widened. Their little mouths opened involuntarily, and saliva dripped down their chins.

Wang Haiting swallowed hard, his mouth watering. His eyes were glued to the pastries, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets, but he clenched his fists and placed them on his knees, not daring to move.

He saw another doll reach out, so he quickly stomped on it under the table and tugged at its sleeve. The doll winced and pulled its hand back, giving him a pitiful look. Wang Haiting gave it a frantic wink and then shook his head slightly.

However, another child couldn't wait any longer. He grabbed a piece of candy and stuffed it into his mouth, making a crunching sound as he bit into it, leaving sugar crumbs all over his mouth and face.

Seeing that his companions had all eaten, he also grabbed a sugar-coated mung bean, put it in his mouth, and his eyes narrowed from the sweetness.

The two children were wolfing down their food, completely oblivious to Wang Haiting's gaze.

Master Yuanmeng smiled as he watched the children scrambling for food. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his gaze, however, went beyond the rim of the teacup and landed on Wang Haiting, who hadn't reached out at all.

The child sat upright, fists on his knees, his mouth agape, clearly drooling, yet stubbornly pursing his lips, refusing to touch the snacks.

"Why aren't you eating?" Master Yuanmeng put down his teacup and said gently, "Do you think the snacks aren't good?"

Wang Haiting shook his head vigorously and replied, "Delicious! This must be delicious! I feel full just from the smell!"

After saying that, he sniffed hard, looking quite satisfied, but his stomach started rumbling loudly at that moment.

It really tastes good, but he doesn't dare...

"Haha, are you worried that this humble monk is a child trafficker?" Master Yuanmeng couldn't help but laugh when he saw Wang Haiting's alarmed expression.

He picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and spoke softly and kindly: "Don't worry, just eat. These snacks were sent from Dingzhou City this morning."

Wang Haiting didn't move. He licked his chapped lips, trying not to look at the exquisite pastries on the table. He raised his eyes to look directly at Master Yuanmeng and asked, "Master, we were doing just fine at the kiln, why did you send us here?"

"Because you're lucky." Master Yuanmeng put down his teacup, his gaze sweeping over Wang Haiting's face, his tone carrying a hint of meaning, "You met a Taoist uncle, and your uncle is very powerful and kind-hearted."

"Is my life good...?" Wang Haiting lowered his head, his voice suddenly becoming softer. His small hands, stained black with coal dust, rested on his knees, with bits of coke still embedded in his fingernails.

"What's wrong? Do you feel like you're unlucky?" Master Yuanmeng tilted his head slightly, seemingly intrigued by the child's sudden drop in mood.

Wang Haiting was silent for a while before speaking in a low voice: "After I was born, I was the most precious child in the family. My parents doted on me and even asked the village scholar to name me. But after my younger brother was born, everyone said he was a child prodigy, and they gave him everything. In the end..." He bit his lip, his voice lowering even further, "...in the end, they abandoned me on the mountain. Is this a good fortune telling?"

Master Yuanmeng did not respond immediately.

He picked up his teacup and put it down again, looking at Wang Haiting, a fleeting, barely perceptible flicker in his eyes.

This expression is hard to describe; if I had to put it into words, it would be a complex look that could almost be described as "acceptance."

Then, he regained his composure.

"Good, why not?" he said calmly. "There are many children abandoned in this world, but few are picked up. And even fewer are picked up by someone like you, the Taoist uncle. Your life is much better than your parents' younger brother."

Wang Haiting raised his head: "I'd rather stay with my parents. If I learn my skills at Ding Kiln, they probably won't stop me from going back."

"Hehe," Master Yuanmeng chuckled softly, his laughter containing no sarcasm but rather the感慨 of someone who had been through it all. "Actually, it's possible." He placed the teacup on the low table, slowly clasped his hands together, and looked past the three children, his gaze landing on the faded Buddhist painting on the wall.

The Buddha in the painting has lowered his eyes and a half-smile, as if he is listening.

"Do you know? I was also abandoned by my parents."

The words came suddenly, and the voice wasn't loud, but they were like a stone thrown into calm water, causing even the two children who were engrossed in eating their snacks to stop. One of them even looked up, half a piece of cake still stuffed in his cheek, and mumbled, "Master, are you one too?"