vrcanaries Chapter 682 Yuan Ye in the Mountain City (25)
Chapter 682 Yuan Ye in the Mountain City (25)
The two walked out of the main hall, and after only a dozen meters, they heard someone call out behind them:
"Please wait, benefactor!"
Yuan Ye turned his head and saw the same receptionist rushing over. He quickly reached him and said:
“Benefactor, you just donated a large sum of money anonymously. I told the abbot, and he invited you to his room for tea and a chat.”
Before Yuan Ye could speak, Chu Xiaoya said:
"I'm thirsty, Brother Xiao, how about we go get some tea?"
Yuan Ye didn't want to go, but seeing that Chu Xiaoya had already agreed, he had no choice but to say:
"Alright then, since the host is so kind, please lead the way."
The two followed the attendant to the back of the main hall and entered a meditation room. The room was very quiet. The attendant led them to the abbot's room, where an old monk sat upright. He was thin, vigorous, and had a kind face. The assassin quickly went forward to report.
“Elder Abbot, I have brought the benefactor here.”
The host quickly rose from his seat to greet him, putting his hands together in a gesture of respect and saying:
“Amitabha Buddha, it is an honor for the two benefactors to grace my humble abode with their presence. Please take a seat.”
Yuan Ye smiled and said:
"I apologize for disturbing the presiding elder."
The host instructed the guest to serve tea. As soon as Yuan Ye and Chu Xiaoya sat down, the guest served two cups of tea, and a fragrant aroma wafted over.
Yuan Ye picked up the teacup, took a sip, and immediately knew that this tea was no ordinary tea. He quickly asked:
"Elder, I see that this tea leaf is flat and straight, with a clear, green liquor and a mellow taste. It is indeed a fine tea. May I ask what kind of tea it is?"
The host smiled and said:
"You have a good eye for quality, benefactor. This tea is called Jiming Tribute Tea. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Abbot Guanglong of Jiming Temple in Chengkou County, near the mountain city, picked tea leaves from the ancient tea trees planted in the Ming Dynasty behind the temple, processed them, and presented them to the imperial court."
Emperor Qianlong greatly praised it after tasting it and designated it as tribute tea from Jiming Temple. This is how it got its name.
The guest master standing to the side said:
"This tea was given to the abbot of Jiming Temple by the current abbot. It was picked from the ancient tea tree in the temple. This Buddhist tea is extremely precious. The abbot is reluctant to drink it and only brings it out to very important guests."
Yuan Ye exclaimed in admiration:
"I see. It is indeed no ordinary product. I am truly grateful to the abbot for the opportunity to drink it today."
Chu Xiaoya smiled and said:
"Brother Xiao, I'm only able to enjoy such good tea today because of you."
Seeing that Chu Xiaoya was speaking without thinking, Yuan Ye pretended to glare at him, and Chu Xiaoya stuck out her tongue and dared not speak anymore.
The host, unperturbed, smiled and said:
"Today, Benefactor Xiao has generously donated a large sum of money, which I deeply admire. This humble offering of tea is insufficient to repay even a fraction of your kindness. May I ask where Benefactor Xiao comes from?"
He heard the young woman call him Brother Xiao, and knew that his surname was Xiao. This Mr. Xiao had an extraordinary air about him, but he didn't know his background.
"I come from the United States and this is my first time visiting this mountain city. I have finished my business and am preparing to return to the United States tomorrow. Since I still have some time, I would like to enjoy the scenery of this mountain city. Miss Chu took me to visit your temple. Miss Chu told me that your temple has a monk rescue team that bravely rescues the wounded whenever Japanese planes bomb it. I was deeply impressed after hearing this, so I donated some incense money to express my respect."
It's nothing to boast about, but the abbot's hospitality is so kind that I feel ashamed.
Yuan Ye said modestly.
“You flatter me, benefactor. The Buddha is compassionate and saves all sentient beings. This is what we Buddhist disciples should do. It is a matter of fate that you have come to our small temple after returning from America. If you ever come to this mountain town again, please come to our small temple again for tea and conversation.”
"That's natural."
Yuan Ye nodded and then asked:
"Elder Abbot, I have a question for you. The three characters 'Luohan Temple' on your temple gate are written with vigorous and powerful strokes, demonstrating a profound foundation in regular script and capturing the essence of Yan Zhenqing's style. I wonder who wrote them?"
The host smiled and said:
The three characters "Luohan Temple" were inscribed by Ji Yingxiong, who served as the prefect of Chengdu during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. His calligraphy was indeed excellent, and he was also diligent and capable in his duties, attached great importance to education, and had outstanding political achievements. He was a rare good official.
"Since you have asked this question, it seems you are quite interested in calligraphy and must have some knowledge of it. I have a small request: could you leave a piece of your calligraphy for our humble temple as a memento? Would that be alright, Benefactor Xiao?"
Chu Xiaoya immediately said:
“Of course, Brother Xiao, just write the couplet you mentioned in front of the Maitreya Buddha statue in the Hall of Heavenly Kings. It just so happens that the stone pillar in front is missing a couplet, so carving it on it would be perfect.”
Seeing that Chu Xiaoya had agreed before even speaking and had specified the couplet, Yuan Ye had no choice but to say:
"Since the presiding elder has spoken, how could I refuse? I have no choice but to make a fool of myself."
The group moved to the table, where the host laid out brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Yuan Ye picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and began to write without hesitation. In a short while, a couplet in cursive script appeared on the paper.
"A generous heart can tolerate what the world finds intolerable. A cheerful smile can laugh at the laughable people in the world."
These twenty-odd characters flow like dragons and snakes, powerful yet fluid. The variations in ink density and dryness are extremely rich, and the entire couplet is coherent and unrestrained, demonstrating a very profound calligraphic skill.
Yuan Ye smiled and said:
"I've made a fool of myself; please forgive my poor performance, Elder."
The abbot was somewhat surprised. He was also a well-read man with good calligraphy skills. He hadn't expected that this benefactor, Xiao, was so young yet had such high calligraphy skills. Xiao's request for an inscription was just a formality. Whenever dignitaries came to the temple, he would ask them to inscribe something as a memento, and many of these works were of very high quality.
But to be fair, compared to his works, it's not just a little bit inferior, it's completely on a different level.
The host was amazed and exclaimed in admiration:
“This is truly a rare piece of calligraphy. Benefactor Xiao, you are too modest. What the female benefactor said earlier is correct. This couplet must be engraved on the stone pillar in front of the Maitreya statue. It will surely complement each other and bring glory to our humble abode.”
I'll have someone carve it on the stone pillar tomorrow.
"See? I told you so. But I didn't expect you to have such good handwriting, Brother Xiao."
Chu Xiaoya was also very happy. Although she didn't know much about calligraphy, since the presiding elder said it was good, it must be very good. Brother Xiao was truly amazing; she hadn't expected him to be so multi-talented, and she felt even more admiration for him.
"I am deeply honored to have caught the eye of the presiding elder."
Seeing that it was getting late, Yuan Ye got up to take his leave. The abbot gave him a small packet of Chicken Cry Tribute Tea, which Yuan Ye accepted without hesitation. He put it in his pocket and left the meditation room with Chu Xiaoya. The abbot personally saw them off outside the meditation room.
As the two descended the mountain gate and stepped onto the street, Yuan Ye frowned. He sensed a tremendous, potentially deadly, danger approaching them.
He wondered, where exactly does this deadly danger come from?