Chapter 4 Chapter 4 The Old Man Comes (Part 1)

At the beginning of November, the weather is gradually getting colder, and there are often thick fogs in the mountains, and it is always sunny and sometimes rainy.The bungalow is low, and the weather is often cold and humid at this time, and the whole person is like a dark green moss in a dark corner, and water can be squeezed out.Naturally there are charcoal fires, each house is divided, but when it arrives at our place, it is extremely bad black charcoal. Once it is burned, it becomes smoky, uninhabitable, and chokes so hard that you can't even open your eyes. Jinxi couldn't help asking, but Jingbai, who was in charge over there, just smiled and dismissed her with a sentence, "Dare to ask, is Mochou here to practice according to the order or to enjoy the blessing?" Jinxi was blocked by one sentence Q.

A little nun even smiled and said: "We can't tell whether black charcoal is good charcoal or silver charcoal. Your wife has seen a lot of worlds, so it's better to do it yourself, which is worse than asking for it from other places." No matter how well-cultivated Jinxi was and how patient she was, she couldn't hold it anymore, her face turned purple, and she said, "But that black charcoal is really useless, the lady is just out of the moon, I don't know if Master Jingbai can take care of it, at least the lady does too." Practicing according to the decree."

Jingbai was stocky, but her voice was sharp and discordant with her stature, and said: "Practice according to the order? That's for outsiders to know well. People in our temple, aunt, don't need to say such words. As the saying goes Well said, let’s keep it secret. We are all fools, who doesn’t know that Mo Chou was kicked out of the palace!” After speaking, a group of people burst into laughter. Jingbai's voice was already loud, and when she raised her voice to speak, it was like beating gongs and drums. Jinxi endured and endured, knowing that she couldn't make sense with them, and was about to come out, but a sister-in-law stopped her. Leaving Jinxi behind, he smiled and said, "I'll tell you another good way. There are many trees in the back mountain. It's the same for you to chop some for firewood." He covered his mouth and giggled.

In this kind of weather, the mountain road is steep, how can I go to chop firewood again? This is clearly a joke and embarrassing. Jinxi didn't want to talk to them, so she turned around and left. However, in the end, Jingbai's words were even more harsh, and they still reached her ears, "Excuse me, poor nun, for saying something more, this is not a palace where the lady can get whatever she wants, and the lady is no longer the old lady. Know your identity." These words were spoken so emphatically that Jinxi's face changed slightly, and she walked straight back. When she came back, I was sleeping on the bed with all my clothes on, awake in a daze, only lazy.Huanbi was doing laundry alone in the courtyard outside the door, and when she saw Jinxi coming back empty-handed, she couldn't help but asked anxiously, "Are you ostracized by them again?"

Jinxi didn't speak, just sat beside her and washed clothes together, then poked her head inward for a moment and asked, "Where is the lady?" Huanbi whispered: "Miss is asleep, she hasn't woken up yet." Jinxi breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "If it's really just a row, forget it, you don't know how ugly those people's words are." Huanbi rolled up his sleeves that were about to drop, shook his head and said: "No matter how bad things are, when the former lady was not favored when she first entered the palace, Huang Guiquan and the others said so many bad things in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, don't we have to bear it? "

Jinxi waved her hand and said: "That's all, after all, it's in the palace. It's not uncommon to worship the high and step down, and follow the red top and white. But this is a quiet place of Buddhism, where you practice, you don't know what those aunts say How unpleasant and hurtful are those words.” They all thought I was fast asleep, so Jinxi spoke in a voluble manner, telling Huanbi the whole story. After hearing this, Huanbi couldn't help being startled and angry, and said, "Is this what sisters-in-law would say? It's not as good as a shrew in the market. The lady has fallen to this point, why bother to step on it again? It's right to add insult to injury. What good are they doing?"

Jinxi sighed, and said sadly: "It's already like this when I first came here, how will my wife survive in the days to come?" I just listened quietly, shrinking into the quilt bit by bit, wrapping myself up bit by bit.The weather in November is already winter.As soon as he spoke, a thin white air escaped from his mouth.But no matter how cold the weather is, how can it compare to the turning cold of people's hearts? Wherever you go, is it true that you can't escape right and wrong and entanglements? Ganlu Temple is the last way out, where else can I escape?There is not even a place to live and stay.

I bit the quilt tightly.Naturally, the quilts in the temple cannot be compared with the light and soft cloud silk quilts in the palace. They are so hard to press on the body that they don't feel warm at all.I gritted my teeth sorely, and the tears still fell uncontrollably. Only one drop fell, but I don't want to cry anymore.I knew early on that even if I came to Ganlu Temple, I didn't come to enjoy the blessings. Since I already knew that I had to endure hardships, why bother to feel sad and suffer? I wiped away my tears, got up gently and walked outside.When Huanbi and Jinxi heard the footsteps, they were startled, and they quickly covered up the sadness on their faces with smiles, and said: "The lady is awake, why didn't she sleep for a while and woke up."

I smiled and took their hands and said, "Don't worry, I slept enough to wake up." The weather outside the house was colder than inside, and my clothes were a little thinner.I said slowly, "It's better to ask others than to ask yourself. It's just some charcoal, and it's really useless. We'll go up the mountain and chop it off tomorrow. We have hands and feet, so we won't starve to death or freeze to death." Jinxi knew that I had heard it, and said with a smile: "What are we afraid of if you have a lady's words? It's exactly what you say, it's better to ask for others than to ask for yourself."

Huanbi felt worried, "Miss is not yet confinement, how can you work like this? And miss has always been pampered." I smiled, "No matter how pampered you are, it's a thing of the past. What's the difference between us now?" Huanbi couldn't bear it, her eye circles were slightly red, and said: "Miss said such things, after all, it makes people sad." I pulled them to sit down, rolled up my sleeves, and said, "Although I can't get wet during confinement, it's always okay to starch my clothes. I can't always see you working hard and enjoy the fruits of it for myself."

Jinxi smiled and said: "Since the lady said so, we can't say anything. The only thing is that the lady's body is not out of the moon after all. If there is something wrong with her body, it will be fine. So if the lady can walk, go pick some The firewood is fine, and the heavy work of chopping firewood is left to the slaves and Miss Huanbi." I know that Jinxi and Huanbi want to protect me wholeheartedly, and I am even more grateful in my heart. When I got up the next day, I went to the mountain to collect firewood early in the morning.Just when I met Jingbai bringing two aunts out, and seeing that I was going to collect firewood, she shouted loudly, "Help me to cut a load in the yard too." She took it for granted, and I naturally didn't want to conflict with her or argue with her, so Weiwei agreed. The first time I went, I went early, and there was no one on the mountain, so I happily picked up a handful and sent them back to Jingbai's residence first.She only glanced at it twice, then suddenly stretched out her hand to pinch my arm, and said with a smile: "I see you are being lazy, did you pick these for perfunctory errands? Look at these grasses, how can they be used?" She pinched her finger on the stem of the grass as if pinching me, and the green juice immediately smeared out. She squinted and sneered: "Look at your stupid look, the firewood you picked must be from the back slope. You only look at it tall, but the moisture is too high." Too much is the worst thing to burn. It looks like you have a smart face, but you are stupid, and you can't even pick up firewood. After all, you are a lady who came out of the palace. " She spoke sharply, my arm hurt, I didn't dare to hide, and I didn't dare to reply, so I had to endure it. An aunt next to her was Mo Jue, who was Jingbai's apprentice, hurriedly built a bridge, and said with a flattering smile, "Master is right. Look at her foxy appearance, how can she pick up firewood? It's just a pitiful one. She thought she was still in the palace, so she must be just a foxy girl like the Holy Lord in the palace." I just listened numbly, and a sense of sourness came to my throat.Just thinking about it dumbly, aren't monks out of compassion?Why do you poke at people's wounds like this without mercy?Where did I offend them again. It's just that people are cold and cold. I've seen a lot, and I don't bother to argue. Seeing me blankly, Jingbai didn't make any distinctions, and felt even more disgusted, and said, "Go ahead. I'll be upset after seeing it! Go and pick up two more loads of firewood, or you won't be allowed to eat." I went up the mountain stupidly, this time I remembered my lesson and only picked up the ones on the front slope.Just as he was cutting twice, he saw Mo Yan walking up sullenly. She sized me up, her eyes settled on the firewood, and she asked, "Is this the firewood you picked up?" I didn't see anything wrong, so I could only answer: "Yes." Without saying a word, she turned the whole basket over and dumped all the firewood I just picked up on the ground.She glared at me and said, "Don't be surprised! The ones you picked up will be scolded by Jingbai again when you go back." I was slightly ashamed, bowed my head and said, "I don't know what to pick up. No one told me." Mo Yan didn't raise his head, and said: "The people in Ganlu Temple want to see your jokes, how could they tell you which ones to pick up?" "Gathering firewood sounds like a light job, but it's actually not easy." She broke off a few sticks of firewood and pointed them out to me. "This kind of atsagrass is the best, tall and straight and resistant to burning. Then there's white slag cotton. There is a kind called 'pigeon egg' which looks like a small bamboo and crackles when it burns." I probably haven't seen her sloppy words, so I have to keep it in my heart silently so that I can tell the difference in the future. Mo Yan said again: "Just now Jingbai was right. Mowing grass depends on the location. The grass is divided into front and back slopes. The back slope is wet, and the grass grows tall, but it is not easy to burn due to the moisture. Mowing the grass on the front slope is for the front slope. The slope is sunny and dry, and the weeds grow short and sturdy, light in weight, and durable to burn.” She has quick hands and feet, and she has already cut a lot of them in a short time, and put them all in my basket.I hurriedly followed her to learn, and I had less than a handful of cuts, so I couldn't help but smiled wryly: "I'm really useless. You can teach me how to cut some grass, and it's so useless." She glanced at me, and said with a cold face: "You have never done such heavy work, learn slowly. I also saw that your embroidery skills are difficult to learn, so leave it to me." , at most embroider a duck egg for her." I see that although she is cold and not very social, she has a warm heart and a cold face.I am naturally very grateful for her willingness to lend a helping hand in this way. The days gradually turned to noon, and after a busy morning, two loads of firewood were piled up high. Although it was winter, I was sweating profusely.Mo Yan helped me step on the ground with piles of piles, and said: "These are enough for you to burn for two days, so you can go to work with Jingbai." I wiped my forehead and looked around, only to see a vast expanse of yellow grass, mostly withered, so I smiled and said, "Why don't you go back first, and I'll pick up some more." Jingbai didn't agree, she couldn't help frowning and said: "How long has it been since you've recovered, so just show it to someone. You haven't confinement yet, so be careful if you make any mistakes, you will suffer in the future. "She used to have crouching silkworm eyebrows, like a man, but now she is curled up in anger, which is even more frightening. I hurriedly smiled and said, "Okay. I just listen to you." I was very grateful and said, "I was sick when I first came here. Thank you for saving me with brown sugar. Now I want to thank you even more." She patted my arm, laughed loudly, and said, "What are you talking about?" Mo Yan was very strong, such a slap on my arm was the place where Jingbai pinched me just now, and I didn't realize it... Oops" uttered.Mo Yan didn't hear right, so he rolled up my sleeves, leaving a bruise where Jingbai pinched just now. Mo Yan was furious, slapped his thigh hard, and said, "I'll tell the abbot." I hurriedly pulled her back, "It's okay, just go back and apply some medicinal wine." Mo Yan said: "Is it just that you picked up the wrong firewood, what a big deal, just pinch you like this?!" She glared at me, "Are you really stupid or fake, don't you know how to fight back when she humiliates you like this? Don’t you know how to tell the abbot?” I looked at her, "So what if I fight back or tell the abbot?" She blurted out, "Of course the abbot will deal with her well!" I bowed my head and walked a few steps silently, and said: "Yes. If I tell the abbot, the abbot will naturally deal with it fairly. But in this way, I offended them even more deeply. The abbot can protect me for a while, but he can't protect me for the rest of my life. If they do something secretly with a grudge, I really can't guard against it. So I can only endure this moment, and hope that it will be better in the future." Mo Yan said indignantly, "You really have such a good temper. If it were me, I would definitely go up there immediately and let them know how great my aunt is." She speaks sharply and sharply, she really doesn't look like a monk.I just smiled all the way: "Yes. If I were as strong as you, naturally I wouldn't compromise." She was proud, "Naturally. Look at Ganlu Temple, who dares to bully me, Mo Yan?" I smiled and nodded, "Of course no one would dare, unless she has the guts of a bear." I thought for a while and felt a little sad, "I just don't know where I offended them, they are always so critical of me. " Mo Yan curled his lips, and said disdainfully: "What else is there? You are young and beautiful, and you came from the palace. You used to be favored by the emperor. Naturally, they don't like it." She sneered and said: " How many of them are old girls, and they haven't even seen a man in their life." I blushed when I said this so bluntly, I just pretended not to hear her and walked beside her.However, she is really strong, carrying two baskets of firewood, she still walks like flying.If I hadn't slowed down my pace in consideration of my weakness, I'm afraid I would have already arrived at Ganlu Temple. Sure enough, when Jingbai saw the firewood I picked up later, she didn't have a single critical gossip, she just frowned and said, "I will pick up two loads of firewood every day in the future." : "Wash it off well, someone from the palace came to see you, don't act like we wronged you or something." I was startled, who in the palace will come to see me?I am an ominous person who was expelled from the palace!My heart suddenly became hot, could it be Meizhuang?Heh, only Mei Zhuang would miss me like this. I don't know if she has been doing well in the past few dozen days, has her complexion become more and more pale? But concubines are not allowed to leave the palace easily, how can Meizhuang come out to see me? Thinking of this, his steps became much faster, his heart was pounding, and he ran straight to his residence. The wooden door was opened by hand, but the abbot was accompanied by a woman in palace attire of about forty years old, with plain white silverware on her head, a dark red velvet silk flower on a slanted hairpin, and a light green cotton dress with gold color embroidery. A stone-blue satin woven dress with pinched flowers on the breasts, with kind eyebrows and eyes, who else is it not Fangruo? I stumbled, but I didn't expect it to be her, so I blurted out: "Aunt Fangruo!" She said "Okay" twice, grabbed my hand, her voice was already choked up, "My lady has been haggard a lot." She touched my wrist bone, and said regretfully, "Why is my lady so thin? ?” Before he finished speaking, he looked at the abbot with displeasure in the corner of his eyes. I know very well that the abbot is innocent, she devotes herself wholeheartedly to the Buddha and seldom cares about other things.So he said: "It's my own poor health, and the whole Ganlu Temple has taken special care of me." Fangruo just gave up, invited the abbot to go out, smiled and pulled me to sit down, and said affectionately: "There are many things for the lady to look at." I was a little puzzled, but I saw her spread out the burden, took out one by one and said: "These foods are rewarded by the queen mother, and they are specially used for the mother's body. The lady is just about to be out of the moon, she should eat some black-bone chicken Bird’s nest is nourishing, but Buddhism is a place of practice after all, one is not allowed to eat meat, and the other is that it is inconvenient to send in too expensive things.” She listed them all, “This is the postpartum recuperation prescription prescribed by the imperial physician. It was Shen Jieyu who specially asked Mrs. Wen to prescribe the prescription and let the servants deliver it. Mrs. Wen has always diagnosed the pulse of the lady, so this prescription is the most suitable for the lady's physique. Even the medicine is prepared, and the lady takes it as it is. There are also these motherwort, yam, dried longan, and dried lychee, all given to the lady by the queen mother. There are also a few silk robes and cotton jackets for the lady to keep out the cold in the winter, and some charcoal fires, although not as good as those in the palace. But it’s okay.” Fang Ruo looked around, “My lady’s place is a bit rough, and the bedding is not warm enough, I’m afraid it’s not enough to survive the winter, especially in this mountain, when the time comes, I’ll send some servants.” I leaned forward and said: "I am a body of guilt, and I really dare not be the queen mother who is so pitiful." Fang Ruo sighed: "My lady's grievances, how can the queen mother not know about it. The queen mother loves her a hundred times, but it's hard to say it out. After all, the emperor was born to the queen mother, and the queen is the queen mother's niece. What's wrong? The Queen Mother has to protect me." Fang Ruo glanced at me, and whispered: "Although it is said that the palm of the hand is fleshy and the back of the hand is also fleshy, but the lady is a person with seven orifices, so she naturally knows that the palm of the hand and the back of the hand are also thick and thin. Don't blame the Queen Mother!" She Pressing my hand hard, it took a lot of strength, it seemed to be comforting, but it was even more exhorting. As if there was a cold wind blowing past my eyes, my eyes felt sore, I held back my tears and said: "I dare not blame the Queen Mother."