On this day, the old lama came out of seclusion. After cooking dinner, Lao Tan took some sake and beef jerky and went to the old lama's meditation room.
The old lama's Zen room is almost the same as the great master's, simple and plain, clean and solemn.
The two of them sat across the table from each other and chatted while drinking.
"The donor's wine is becoming more and more mellow. It is as light as tea, as clear as water, and reveals the elegance of plum blossoms." The old lama praised.
"It's made from pure rice. I removed the top pot and it's all the tops. I put a little mountain chrysanthemum and half a pound of rock sugar in it, so it's as clear as tea and has the fragrance of plum. I don't want to drink it. It's not high, so it's better to drink it.
Tea." Old Tan smiled.
"Zen tea is one thing, and wine is the same. The donor can make such a good wine, which shows that he has a deep research on wine and is well versed in the art of wine."
Lao Tan smiled and said, "Master would still say that in this world I am a drinker, commonly known as Jiu Mengzi."
The old lama also laughed, and first affirmed Lao Tan, "You are not." Then he said: "Jiu Mengzi drinks and doesn't understand wine. He goes crazy when he encounters wine, just like a cow drinking. You are a person who understands wine, how can you be with him?"
Compare it.
There is a way to drink wine. Although I am a Buddhist, I should refrain from it, but we who practice Tantric Buddhism can also drink a little and eat meat, it all depends on ourselves."
"Wine and meat have passed through the intestines, and the Buddha's letter remains."
"Haha, it's okay to say that. Carnivorous and vegetarian are all based on one thought. From a health perspective, people must eat meat, and the nutrition needs to be balanced.
Three thousand worlds, all living things, birth and death are natural.
If a person only eats vegetarian food and does not eat meat, he will eventually fall into the mouth of an animal and cease to exist. Isn't this also contrary to the way of survival? On the other hand, cucumbers, vegetables, and whole grains also have life, but they just remain silent and immobile.
To be a human being and a Buddha is all with one mind, and the image will be wrong, and a leaf will block the eyes. Therefore, it is said that the Bodhisattva has no image at all, and takes the appearance of the world as his image."
Lao Tan said: "As Lao Tzu said, the sage has no intention at all and only takes the people's heart as his heart."
The old lama said: "Yes, as the chairman said, serve the people wholeheartedly."
Speaking of which, the two looked at each other, smiled, raised their glasses and took a sip.
"If the donor has a good attitude, the disease will go away on its own," the old lama said.
"Thank you for your good wishes, master." Lao Tan clasped his hands together and nodded.
"Buddha talks about cause and effect. Everything that has a cause has an effect. The benefactor's acquaintance with the senior brother is the cause, and coming here to recuperate is the effect. The senior brother can give a gift to someone else, which shows the benefactor's character. The benefactor can rest assured to practice here. If you have any needs, just ask.
This temple will definitely provide whatever it can provide.”
"Thank you very much."
At noon the next day, Lao Tan went to Donggou to fetch water as usual. When he was discharged from the hospital, Sister Tang called him from behind and wanted to go with him. Lao Tan wanted to ask her cousin about something, so they followed each other to Donggou.
"Brother Tan, I want to ask you something." Sister Tang spoke first.
"What's the matter?" Lao Tan asked.
"Do you know someone named Zhao Shuhua?"
"Zhao Shuhua?" Old Tan stopped suddenly and asked excitedly: "You mean Sister Zhao?"
"Yes, it's her, my cousin, do you know her?"
Sister Zhao is indeed Sister Tang's cousin.
In the early days of the Spring Festival in 2009, Sister Zhao returned to the provincial capital from Binhai Laotan. Unfortunately, something happened. Sister Zhao's mother suffered a heart attack and passed away. Sister Zhao had just recovered from the pain of losing her husband, and her mother passed away again.
It was so overwhelming that she fell ill all of a sudden.
Sister Zhao’s mother and Sister Tang’s mother were biological sisters. Sister Tang’s mother married away in Qingdao. The two elder sisters had not seen each other for nearly twenty years. When they learned that their sister had passed away, the old lady was accompanied by her daughter, Sister Tang, to the provincial capital for the funeral.
, after the funeral, Sister Zhao went to Qingdao with Sister Tang and her aunt under their persuasion.
Sister Zhao lost her mobile phone when she was attending her mother's funeral, so Lao Tan could not contact her after returning to the provincial capital from Binhai. She could not remember Lao Tan's mobile phone number, and the two lost contact.
After arriving in Qingdao, Sister Zhao gradually recovered under the careful care of Sister Tang and her aunt. At that time, Sister Tang's dry goods business was doing well and the company needed people, so she left Sister Zhao to help.
Sister Zhao lasted three years and did very well. Later, with the help of Sister Tang, she started to work alone and is now the boss.
Three years ago, Sister Zhao and Sister Tang returned to the provincial capital to visit their parents' graves and had a meal at Aqiao Dumpling House on Yanfen Street. Unfortunately, Lao Tan was not there at that time and they had no chance to meet.
After Sister Tang got cancer, Sister Zhao helped take care of most of the business. The relationship between Sister Zhao and Sister Tang's husband was very tense for a time. At that time, Sister Zhao discovered that Sister Tang's husband was having an affair and warned Sister Tang.
Sister Tang didn't believe it at first, and she became depressed when she found out the truth. She committed suicide twice but was discovered and saved by Sister Zhao in time. Then she met the old lama last year, and her life had a new beginning.
Sister Tang took advantage of the good signal yesterday to ask Sister Zhao about the company's situation on the phone. By the way, she chatted for a few words and told her about meeting the owner of the dumpling restaurant where she went to eat that year. She said that the owner's surname was Tan and he had cancer.
.
When Sister Zhao said her surname was Tan, she thought of Lao Tan, but she also thought like Lao Tan, how could it be such a coincidence? If her surname was Tan, it must be the younger brother she knew?
Although I thought so, I still asked my cousin if the person named Tan was bald. Sister Tang said yes, bald.
Sister Zhao's heart was excited, and she asked cautiously: "Are you 1.75 or 76 meters tall, with a fierce face, a bit fat, and 45 or 6 years old?"
"Yes, do you know him?" Sister Tang asked.
Sister Zhao didn't say anything on the other end, and tears immediately flowed down her face.
This is the brother she has been looking for for many years.
In order to find Lao Tan, she went to the Blue Flower Pavilion in Binhai, but Lao Tan had left for more than a year. A group of people had changed in the Qinghua Pavilion, and no one knew about Lao Tan.
Every year during the Qingming Festival when she returns to the provincial capital to visit her parents' graves, she will go to Santaizi. She has been to the place where Lao Tan used to rent a house. It is no longer the compound it used to be, but has become a subway station. The surrounding high-rise buildings are bustling, and it is difficult to find someone.
.
But she refused to give up, feeling that Lao Tan must still live in Santaizi, but she didn't know where. She fanciedly searched back and forth on several familiar streets, and comforted herself at the same time - what if she bumped into him?
It's a pity that I have never encountered it.
Hearing my cousin talk about Lao Tan made me feel so happy. Happiness came so suddenly.
Can you not be happy when your cousin meets the younger brother you have been looking for for nine years? Tears are also happiness.
"Hey, talk, do you know me?" Seeing that Sister Zhao didn't speak for a long time, Sister Tang asked again.
"Well, I know him. Ask him if he knows me." Sister Zhao said excitedly.
"Okay, let me ask ------ why haven't I heard you say that?"
"We've been friends for many years, but we just haven't been able to get in touch------You ask first to see if it's him, what if it's not him." Sister Zhao started to worry about gains and losses again, fearing that it wasn't Lao Tan.
Sister Tang Lifang saw Lao Tan's face full of excitement at this time. She obviously knew her cousin Zhao Shuhua, so she asked: "Do you know her?"
"We know each other, she is my sister." Lao Tan said.
"She is your sister? What kind of sister?" Sister Tang asked curiously.
"Oops -" Lao Tan was filled with emotion for a moment. He didn't even know where to start, and he really wanted to know about Sister Zhao. He wanted to know how she came here in the past ten years, why she went to Qingdao, and why.
I can't contact you. How are you now? ------
There are really thousands of words to say and I don’t know where to start.
Fortunately, he and Tang Lifang had time, so they both started talking.
This trip to carry water took a long time, a full three hours. After returning to the Pilgrim Courtyard, Lao Tan began to cook dinner in a happy mood, humming while cooking, and cooked two more dinners than usual
vegetable.
When everyone saw this, they asked why he was so happy about this good thing. He said that he had found his long-lost sister.