“Knock knock...” There was a knock on the door. Song You opened it to find the nun from earlier.
“What is it, Master?”
“Have you had dinner?”
“I’m not hungry, Master. There’s no need to trouble yourself.”
“There’s some thin porridge left in the pot. If you don’t mind, I can bring you a bowl to make do.”
“I'm already very grateful for the shelter you’ve provided. I couldn’t possibly ask you to go to the trouble of preparing a meal,” Song You replied respectfully.
“Just don’t mind if it’s not too tasty.” The nun glanced into his room and saw that he had taken out his wet clothes, blankets, and mats and spread them on the floor. She made no move to help him further and turned to walk back into the darkness.
After a while, she returned with a large bowl and a small coarse bowl. “Just leave them when you’re done.”
“Thank you, Master.” Song You accepted the bowls with both hands, still maintaining his respectful demeanor.
The large bowl contained thin porridge. Though it was in a large bowl, it was very watery, almost sloshing about. The small coarse bowl held pickled vegetables. To his surprise, it was pickled cauliflower—small golden yellow florets of cauliflower plucked out from the plant, faintly visible in the darkness. It seemed this was their dinner for the night.
As the light continued to fade, Song You ate in the darkness.
This was the first time he had eaten pickled cauliflower. He found the pickled cauliflower unexpectedly tangy and refreshing, which made even the thin porridge taste flavorful.
“...” Song You focused on his meal, ignoring the outside sounds.
The calico cat had its ears pricked up, looking toward the next room. Meanwhile, Song You occasionally patted its head.
In these times, Daoist temples, as well as Buddhist monasteries and hermitages alike had their share of improper practices.
What constituted “improper” varied from person to person.
Some Buddhist temples, instead of focusing on the study of Buddhist teachings, engaged in usury, ignored precepts, or sought out wives. They indulged in meat and wine, under the guise of fancy names like “zuanlicai”, “shuisuohua”, or “banruotang.” Some people considered these temples or monks improper for such behaviors. Similarly, some Daoist temples abandoned the study of Daoist scriptures for commerce, martial arts, or disputes with others, leading others to view them as improper as well.
But there were even more improper examples.
Temples and monasteries, meant to be sanctuaries away from the worldly filth, often turned into places of corruption and even became lawless zones.
There were often fugitives hiding within or villains masquerading as monks to cover their true activities. Generally speaking, the situation was worse in Buddhist temples than Daoist temples, primarily because the regulations in Buddhist temples facilitated such behavior. Essentially, these people were neither true monks nor Daoist priests. R�
For example, some nunneries actually catered to men. But this did not concern Song You.
The nunnery had provided him shelter on a rainy night. Regardless of their identity, they were benefactors in this instance.
Moreover, they had given him a meal.
“Slurp...”
Song You poured the last bit of pickled cauliflower into the thin porridge, stirred it, and drank it in one gulp before placing the bowl and chopsticks on the windowsill. At that moment, the noise from next door ceased, but the rain continued to pour heavily. He sat cross-legged for a while, using his body heat to slowly dry his clothes, and then lay down without undressing.
“The people next door have stopped talking.”
“Don’t listen to them, Lady Calico.”
“Why?”
“Just sleep peacefully.”
“The rain is getting heavier.”
“Yes...”
The mountain full of lily magnolias was wasted. Perhaps, the night rain in March should not be listened to.
***
In the morning, the sound of birds chirping outside was clear and melodious.
The calico cat, repeatedly drawn by the sound, would crawl out of the bed and run to the window to check. kept crawling out from under the covers to check the window. Once the birdcalls stopped, she would crawl back to continue curling up. She did this numerous times throughout the morning.
In any case, Song You woke up the moment she took her first step, but he didn't want to get up and stayed in bed a while longer, until he heard some chaotic voices from outside.
Deep down, he was still guilty.
Song You withdrew his gaze and observed the helpless nuns, including the side profile of the nun who had offered him shelter last night, who now averted her gaze. With his expression now respectful, he bowed and said, “Thank you, masters, for the shelter from the rain and for the meal.”
“The rain has stopped. You may leave.”
“I just wanted to ask, who was that person?”
“Why do you ask about him?”
“Oh, I mean no offense to you all.” Song You quickly lowered his head in a bow. “I just noticed that man seemed to have bad luck. I thought maybe he might be facing some recent misfortune. Though I have no way to help, I thought I might try to find him and see if I could offer some assistance in exchange for some money.”
“Forget it. He is Lord Li, a notorious official in the city. He fears neither heaven nor earth and worships andn supports the Clever Immortal. Even if he faces misfortune, it won’t be your concern. If you really approach him, you might get into trouble.”
“And who is the Clever Immortal?”
“You’re an outsider. It’s best not to ask too many questions.”
“Thank you for the warning.”
“Just clean up and leave.”
Song You thanked them. “Thank you, masters.”
“Don’t mention it. I just hope you don’t think we sullied your cultivation here,” said the nun from last night as she casted a glance at Song You. “If you really have some skills and wish to thank us, don’t focus your efforts on Lord Li. He’s not someone to provoke. Instead, when you burn incense and worship the gods in the future, help to clear our karma so we don’t end up in hell.”
“Master, you jest.” Song You lowered his head again. “There is no such thing as hell in this world. Even if there were, Master, you neither steal nor rob and are kind-hearted. If such a person were to end up in hell, then hell would have to be larger than the human world to contain everyone.”
These words made the nun pause in surprise.
She seemed touched, turning her gaze to the Daoist priest’s face, where she saw no trace of contempt—a sight that was both natural but rare to her. She opened her mouth to speak but fell silent, ultimately remaining quiet.
The world was harsh, and things rarely went as desired.
The nun waved her hand, urging, “We don’t have anything good to eat here, so we won’t ask you to stay for breakfast. Go on, go on.”
“A night’s stay is more than I could ask for, and I’m already extremely grateful. The dinner last night was also scrumptious. I wouldn’t dare to ask for more.” Song You bowed once more and said respectfully, “I’ll go tidy up now.”
With that, he turned and returned to the small room.
Earlier, when he went outside, the calico cat followed him out. He stood there, and the cat sat by his feet. When he looked at Lord Li, the cat also fixed its gaze on Lord Li. Now, the cat has turned and followed him back into the house, looking exceptionally perceptive spiritually.
While packing up, Song You murmured, “The Clever Immortal...”
He found it quite intriguing. It seemed that not only were there many legends of immortals and demons in Pingzhou, but their connections with the mortal world were also quite significant.
He wondered whether it was because these so-called immortals and demons frequently interacted with humans, creating a dense mystical atmosphere, or whether this dense atmosphere drew more people to interact with these beings, attracting more immortals and demons to encounter mortals.
“Daoist priest, what are you saying?”
“Nothing.” Song You continued to pack his belongings.
The cat stood by the Daoist priest's feet, its small paws getting dirty as they stepped on the still-wet ground. The Daoist priest placed the still-damp saddle bag on the horse's back, then bid farewell to the nuns before descending the mountain.
The road was muddy after the rain, and the descent was slippery.
The Daoist priest left a footprint with each step, while the cat left a paw-print, which looked like a blooming plum blossom.
Fortunately, the path wasn’t long.
On the main road below, there were already early risers. Seeing him descend from the small hillside in Daoist robes, they looked at him with strange looks. However, Song You ignored them and continued down the mountain.
After walking for a while, he looked back and saw that the nunnery at the top of the slope had been washed clean by the overnight rain. It seemed he could still see a silhouette at the door.
Sometimes, worldly gazes could be as piercing as swords. Although the nuns were kind, their hearts were humble and sensitive. They had genuinely helped him, yet they feared being looked down upon.
But how could he?
Not even Bodhisattva had helped him in the slightest, yet they had offered him shelter for a whole night.
And there was also dinner. It was a pity he didn’t get to have breakfast; the pickled cauliflower was truly delicious.