The further you go towards the backyard, the cleaner it gets.
Very few pilgrims come here, and even if they do come, they stay far away.
I felt strange in my heart. After careful observation, I found that the gate of the backyard had been specially arranged in the direction of Qimen Bagua, which was equivalent to hiding this small circular arch.
But I didn't see any traces of cultivation in the young monk who led the way. He probably just learned the art of Qimen Dunjia.
"Two donors, the young monk has sent us to you, and the master is in the courtyard." The young monk in gray stood outside the circular arch with no intention of entering. He clasped his hands and bowed to us again.
"Thank you!" Lu Xiaohong nodded gently, pulled me into the arch, and the young monk in gray turned around and left.
What we didn't expect was that there was something special in this backyard.
There is a long corridor after entering the door. Outside the corridor is a garden. Unlike the ice and snow outside, there is no snow in the garden. There are evergreen plants and dozens of plum trees planted all year round.
It is not the season for plum blossoms to bloom at this time, but the plum trees are already covered with red flower buds. The unopened red plums are dotted among the dark green of the garden, giving them a strange and vibrant look.
There is a lake in the middle of the yard. It is not large in area. There is a layer of white mist on the lake that spreads out in all directions.
I suddenly understood the reason why there was no snow in this yard. That lake was a hot spring lake.
On the other side of the hot spring lake, you can vaguely see a hut.
A burst of tinkling and sweet music sounded. Although I didn't understand music, I could vaguely hear that the music was somewhat joyful, like a hermit welcoming the arrival of a long-lost friend.
The music sounded behind a deep green color, on the other side of the hot spring lake.
Lu Xiaohong took my hand and we walked together along the corridor towards the direction where the music was playing.
The corridor curved and seemed to surround the entire backyard. After walking about two hundred meters, the hut was already in sight.
There is a stone table in front of the hut, with a guqin placed on the table. There are three stone benches beside the table. A monk in gray clothes with white beard and hair is sitting at the table playing the guqin.
Lu Xiaohong and I did not walk down the corridor, but quietly looked at the old monk playing the piano.
This should be Master Mingtong that the young monk in gray is talking about.
After the song ended, Master Mingtong raised his head and turned to look in the direction of me and Lu Xiaohong with a smile. His eyes had no brilliance at all, they were only gray and white, and no black pupils could be seen at all.
Master Mingtong turned out to be blind.
"Amitabha!" Master Mingtong put his hands together and saluted us.
Although Master Mingtong knew that he could not see it, Lu Xiaohong and I still bowed slightly, returned the salute to him, raised our feet and walked towards him in the corridor.
"You two donors, you don't have to be polite. I invited you over because I actually have something to ask for."
Although Master Mingtong is blind, he seems to be able to see our movements.
I subconsciously looked at Master Mingtong's head, and all I saw was a white mist. I couldn't tell what kind of cultivation he had.
"Master, please tell me, as long as we can do it, we will definitely help." Lu Xiaohong said.
"Two benefactors, please sit down while I wait for you to bring me a pot of tea." Master Mingtong said, picked up the guqin, turned around and walked towards the hut.
I looked at the back of Master Mingtong, who was as straight as a green pine, walking straight to the door of the hut. Every step was steady and there was no trace of groping.
If I hadn't thought that he should be extremely familiar with the environment here, I would have suspected that his eyes could actually see.
Lu Xiaohong gave me a don't worry look, and we sat down on the stone bench at the same time.
After a while, Master Mingtong came out of the hut with a round sandalwood tray in his hands. On the tray were a purple clay pot and three small purple clay teacups.
Master Mingtong picked up the teapot, filled three teacups with tea one after another, and then gently placed the teacups in front of me and Lu Xiaohong. Then he lifted up his robe and slowly sat down on the stone bench.
During the whole process, Master Mingtong's movements showed no signs of sluggishness or sloppiness. The tea was just full to the rim of the cup, and there was no trace of spillage.
"I have lived in this backyard for eighteen years!" Master Mingtong finally spoke and sighed quietly.
"Seeing that my deadline is not far away, but the treasure of Guiyuan Temple lost in my hands has not been found yet, I am ashamed, I am afraid I have no face to see my master.
I invite two benefactors here today because I want to shamelessly ask them to help me find the temple treasure that I lost eighteen years ago. I would be very grateful. Even if I do something like a cow or a horse in the next life..."
As Master Mingtong said this, he was going to kneel down to me and Lu Xiaohong.
Lu Xiaohong quickly supported Master Mingtong and said, "Master, there's no need to be polite. Just tell us what you need us to do."
"Then I'm welcome!" Master Mingtong nodded and said.
I stood up and helped Master Mingtong sit back on the stone bench.
"Eighteen years ago, I was the supervisor of the temple, responsible for the daily affairs of the temple." Master Mingtong said.
At that time, Guiyuan Temple was preparing to rebuild the outer mountain gate, repair some of the main halls that had been damaged by time, and reshape the golden body of the Buddha statue.
When Guiyuan Temple was in need of large sums of money, a businesswoman named Bai came and was willing to donate 500,000 yuan.
At that time, half a million was not a small amount of money. With the official subsidies, there was no need to worry about money.
Master Mingjing, the host, was originally unwilling to accept the huge donation from the businesswoman named Bai, but Mingtong couldn't bear to see his senior brothers going out to beg for alms and being looked down upon, so he privately accepted it despite the pressure from the host.
On the day when the businesswoman surnamed Bai came to the temple to donate money, she was not alone. She also brought a five or six-year-old little boy, the son of the businesswoman. The little boy was handsome and beautiful, but a little naughty.
In order to express his gratitude, Mingtong even agreed to the request of the woman named Bai and led the mother and son to visit many of the temple's pavilions that were not open to the public, including the Sutra Pavilion.
When the host found out, he did not criticize Mingtong. He just shook his head and said, "Although Ms. Bai spends generously, her intentions are not right. We outsiders should not do flattering things. You actually led their mother and son into the house."
Sutra Pavilion, you have caused a big disaster!"
Mingtong did not realize at the time what disaster he had caused. Only during a routine inspection of the temple did he discover that the temple's treasure, the Seven Treasure Snails, hidden in a secret room on the second floor of the Buddhist Scripture Pavilion, was missing.
Apart from Mingtong himself, the only people who entered the Sutra Pavilion that day were the mother and son named Bai. There is no doubt that the treasure snail should have been stolen by that mother and son.
But Mingtong couldn't figure it out. Although he took the mother and son into the Sutra Collection Pavilion, he followed the businesswoman surnamed Bai every step of the way. Even if she wanted to steal, she had no chance at all.
Could it be that the son of the businesswoman named Bai, who was only five or six years old, stole it? This chapter has been completed!