Autumn is crisp and sunny, which is a good time to peel crabs.
Near noon, Liu Li was dancing a hundred ropes in the open space at the entrance of the Earl's Mansion.
In fact, it's just rope skipping. Liu Xiang and the gatekeeper Lao Yu stood on both sides and shook the rope. The rope danced in the air. It looked like there were dozens or hundreds of ropes moving, so it was called "Jumping Baisuo".
I saw Liu Li jumping lightly into the dancing rope, jumping up and down as the rope rose and fell, like a nimble deer. The colorful rope with two little servant girls tied to her head also flew up and down, like a cheerful deer.
little butterfly.
Just as she was dancing vigorously, Liu Li suddenly felt her eyes darkening.
"Wow, it's dark, is it going to rain?" Liu Xiang took the opportunity to stop rocking the rope, rubbed his sore arms, and looked outside.
But I saw that the sun was still hanging in the sky, and a fat monk wearing a bamboo hat and robes and shoes blocked the light.
"Amitabha, you two little donors, this poor monk is so polite." The monk had a pair of triangular eyes and looked fierce, but his words were unexpectedly gentle. He first greeted the two children, and then said hello to the old disciple.
He saluted with a single palm:
"I'd like to thank you for your sincerity and tell me that my old friend Dao Yan is here to visit."
"Oh, okay, you wait." The old man was about to put down the rope, but the sister-in-law Liu Xiang rushed to say:
"I'll go, you stay here and watch your sister."
With that said, he ran in quickly.
"Hahaha." Monk Daoyan touched his head and said with a smile, "Does this poor monk look like a bad guy?"
Lao Yu and Liu Li looked at him carefully, then nodded together.
"Alas, in fact, the poor monk became a monk at the age of fourteen and has never even killed a chicken." Dao Yan said feeling hurt.
"Master, are you here to ask for alms?" Liu Li felt embarrassed and naturally changed the subject.
"No..." Dao Yan was about to say no, but there was thunder in his stomach, so he felt embarrassed. "You can put it that way."
"Please eat some candy." Liu Li took out two pieces of candy from his purse.
"Haha. Thank you little benefactor." Dao Yan took it with a smile, and the two squatted at the door, eating the candy with relish.
The old man kept holding on to the rope and stood vigilantly behind the two of them, ready to put a chokehold on the vicious monk at any time if something bad happened.
Fortunately, Liu Jing came out after a while. Seeing her niece squatting at the door with a fat monk, she couldn't help but frown. Alas, this child is too familiar...
"Master, please come in, father," he said to the fat monk.
"Oh." Daoyan quickly stuffed the candy into his mouth, but when he wanted to get up, his body swayed, and he hurriedly asked for help: "He helped the poor monk, his feet are numb."
The old man quickly supported him.
"Xiao Tan Yue, thank you for your charity." Dao Yan clasped his hands again and thanked Liu Li.
"You're welcome." Liu Lijian said with a smile.
~~
Dao Yan limped and followed Liu Jing to the backyard.
In the courtyard, a large maple tree stands like a canopy. The green crown of the tree has been dyed with bits of gold and smudged with drops of yellow.
Liu Bowen was sitting on a lounge chair under the tree, drinking tea and reading, leisurely and contentedly.
"Mr. Qingtian is so elegant." Monk Dao Yan walked in, smiling and clasping his hands.
"You monster monk, you didn't just stay in Suzhou, why did you come to Nanjing to make a fuss?" Liu Ji put down the book, picked up the purple clay teapot, washed the cup, and poured a cup of tea for Dao Yan.
"Is it possible that Mr. Guanzhong is here, but not the monk?" Dao Yan sat down, picked up the teacup, looked at it, and then put it down.
"Why, you think my tea is not good?" Liu Ji said unhappily: "There are only ten people in the world who can drink my cup of tea."
"No, no, Mr. Qingtian has misunderstood." Dao Yan waved his hand hurriedly, touching his belly and said, "It is true that the Temple of the Five Internal Organs is completely empty. If you drink tea again, the walls will be scraped off."
As he said this, he put his hands together and said with a smile: "The main thing is to change the alms into a bowl of rice. The poor monk is very grateful."
"Are you, a fair-weather monk, starting to beg for food?" Liu Ji looked at Dao Yan, who had a fat head, big ears, and triangular eyes. He looked like a butcher of pigs.
"Hey, how can we call it begging for food? It should be called alms." Dao Yan smiled and said, "Let someone prepare a meal first. I'm so hungry that I can't talk."
"You just came here when the food was ready, right?" Liu Ji laughed and scolded, and ordered the servant: "We don't dare to offend the monk who is begging for food, let's start the meal."
~~
"Hmm, it's delicious..." Dao Yan had a piece of bread in one hand and a braised duck leg in the other. One bite of the bread was followed by a bite of the duck leg, and it tasted delicious.
Liu Ji's family all eat a light diet. Although they are not Buddhists, they rarely eat meat or fish.
Although Daoyan lived in Buddhism, he enjoyed all kinds of meat. Liu Ji even asked people to go to the street to buy duck legs and cut pig heads for him.
"How many days have you not eaten?" Liu Ji picked up a piece of dried shredded rice with chopsticks and chewed it carefully.
Daoyan stretched out three fingers on his right hand.
"Three days?" Liu Ji asked curiously: "How did you do this?"
"Hey, don't mention it." Dao Yan said vaguely while eating: "Isn't this the emperor's order for monks who are proficient in Confucianism to take the exam in the Ministry of Rites? The poor monk is also among the candidates. He thought that the poor monk should be regarded as the most Confucian among the monks.
Okay, okay, why don’t you just hold on to the fact that you’ve been selected?”
"Yes." Liu Ji nodded and said, "You are one of the 'Ten Friends of Gao Jidi and Beiguo'."
"Oh, you are making fun of this poor monk." Even though Dao Yan said this, he looked proud.
At first, he had good relations with Gao Qi, Yang Ji and others, and they often held essay meetings together to write poems and discuss Taoism. Because the eleven members of the group were active in Beiguo, Suzhou, they were called the "Ten Friends of Gao Jidi and Beiguo".
Gao Jidi is Gao Qi, so "Gao Jidi Beiguo Shiyou" means "Gao Qi and his ten good friends"...
However, considering that Yang Ji, Zhang Yu, Xu Bi, Wang Xing, Wang Yi and others are all famous poets and writers in the world. These "Ten Friends" are not too watery, it's just that Gao Qi is too famous...
Dao Yan can be among Gao Qi's ten friends, so his knowledge is naturally good. At least he can take the exam.
"So the poor monk came excitedly with only one-way travel expenses, not even the living expenses in the capital. He thought that he would be able to eat the royal food when he became a monk." But accidents happened everywhere, Dao Yan said depressedly: "
Unexpectedly, I lost the election..."
"Tianjie Temple is rich and powerful, but it still doesn't care about food?" Liu Ji asked funnyly: "Besides, you were called to the capital after all, so you can have a good time with others, so it's not a big deal to give you a share of expenses, right?"
"After the poor monk lost the election, he felt that there was something shady, so he made a big fuss in Tianjie Temple. As a result, he was imprisoned for three days. He was kicked out today..." Daoyan sucked the duck leg bone until it turned white, and then sucked the oil from his fingers,
The talent was still not exhausted and he said: "The poor monk has offended the chief monk. Now he has no relatives in Beijing, so he can only shamelessly come to see Mr. Qingtian."
"Do you want me to pay for the expenses? Or help you find Tianjie Temple to accommodate you?" Liu Jidao: "I still have some friendship with Master Huitan."
"Hehe, it's not the case." Dao Yan said with a sly smile: "The poor monk just came to see you, ask for a meal and then leave."
ps. Chapter 1. I couldn’t sleep a wink because of the pain last night. I really can’t get up today. I just finished writing the first chapter. Sorry.
