Chapter 87 Chapter 29

Jotaro yelled loudly at the gate of the bamboo fence: "Sister Atong! I'm back." Then I sat by the clear river next to the house, washing the mud off my feet. Under the thatched roof of Shanyue Nunnery, the name of the nunnery is engraved on the wooden plaque.The little swallow pulled white feces on it, chirped, and watched Jotaro washing his feet from above. "Oh! It's so cold! It's so cold!" He frowned, fiddled with the water with his little feet, and had no intention of drying them. This small river flows out of the nearby Silver Pavilion Temple Garden. It is clearer than the water in Dongting Lake and colder than the moonlight in Chibi.

However, the earth here is warm.Jotaro sat on the lilac bush.He squinted his eyes, enjoying the beauty of the world alone, intoxicated by it. Before long, he dried his feet with weeds and walked quietly down the corridor.This is the idle house of a certain monk in Ginkaku-ji Temple, and it happens to be vacant. According to the Karasuma family, Atong has temporarily rented this place since the day after he and Musashi parted ways in Mount Guasheng. Atong has been recuperating here since that day. Of course, the detailed results of the Xiasong duel are also reported here. And Tiancheng Taro is like a carrier pigeon, as soon as there is news, he will come back and report to Atong.Therefore, I went back and forth between Xiasong battlefield and here dozens of times that day.

Jotaro believes that the news that Musashi is safe and sound can cure Atong's current illness better than medicine. It can be proved by the fact that Ah Tong is getting better and can sit leaning on the table.Jotaro once worried that he didn't know what to do.If Musashi died in Xiasong, Atong must die for him. "Ah! I'm so hungry. Sister Atong, what were you doing just now?" Atong looked at the flushed Jotaro. "I've been sitting up since morning." "Why do you never tire of sitting?" "Although my body can't move around, but my heart is walking everywhere! Cheng Tai, where did you go early this morning? There are rice dumplings sent by someone yesterday in the wooden box over there. Take it and eat it." !"

"I'll eat the zongzi later, I have good news for you." "What's up?" "Master Musashi—" "Oh!" "I heard it's in Mount Rui." "Ah... have you gone to Mount Rui?" "Yesterday, the day before yesterday, and a few days ago, I inquired everywhere every day. Today I finally found out that Master Musashi lives in Wudong Temple in the East Pagoda." "Really? So, he is really safe and sound!" "Now that we know the news, let's leave early, otherwise he doesn't know where he is going. I am ready to leave after eating rice dumplings. Sister Atong, you should also prepare. We will go to Wudong Temple to find him right now." .”

Atong's eyes stared blankly at the sky.Her heart has drifted away through the eaves. After eating the rice dumplings, Jotaro put on his clothes and urged again: "Let's go!" However, A Tong didn't look ready to leave at all, and kept sitting on the bed. "What's wrong?" Jotaro was a little unhappy, and asked: "Chengtai, let's not go to Wudong Temple." "what?" Jotaro pouted, not knowing why. "why?" "No reason!" "Oh! That's what makes women annoying. I clearly want to fly over there immediately, but now I know where the man is, but I'm just pretending here and don't want to leave."

"As Cheng Tai said, I really want to fly to him." "That's why I said hurry up and fly there!" "But...but, Jota, when I saw Musashi at Kuasheng Mountain a few days ago, I thought that was the last time I saw him in my life, so I said everything in my heart. And Musashi also said : Even if we are alive, we will never see each other again.” "But it's because he's alive that you're going to see him. Isn't it?" "No!" "Can't you go?" "Although the victory of Xiamatsu has been decided, does Musashi really think that he has won? I don't understand what kind of mentality he retreated to Ruishan? In addition, he also said a lot to me. When I let go of his sleeve, I was already determined to cut off the love of this life. Therefore, even if I know where Musashi is, if I don't have his consent..."

"If Master hasn't said anything for ten or twenty years, what are you going to do?" "Then—it will always be like this!" "Are you going to sit here and look at the sky forever?" "yes!" "Sister Atong is really strange." "You probably can't understand it... but I can understand it." "understand what?" "Musashi's heart. After Guashengshan broke up with Musashi, I understand Musashi's heart more deeply than before. That is trust. Before, I loved Musashi very much and loved him with my whole life. Even in front of you, I I also have to admit that I really loved him so painfully. But at that time, I didn’t know if I really trusted him. Now it’s different, whether it’s life or death, or separation, I firmly believe that the two people’s hearts are like The lovebirds are tightly entangled with each other like Lian Lizhi. So I am not lonely at all... All Musashi thinks about is training."

Jotaro was listening quietly, but suddenly shouted: "Liar! Women can only lie. Alright! Don't say you want to see Master! From now on, no matter how much you cry, I will ignore you." The efforts of the past few days have all come to naught.Jotaro was so angry that he didn't say a word until the evening. Soon after nightfall, there was a red light from torches outside the nunnery, and there was a knock on the door. The servant of the Karasuma family delivered a letter to Jotaro. "Mr. Musashi thought that Miss Atong was still living in the mansion, so he sent someone to deliver the letter to the mansion. As soon as my lord heard that it was written by Musashi, he immediately sent me to deliver it. Moreover, the lord asked me to convey my concern to Atong. The meaning of the girl's illness."

The servant went back after speaking. Jotaro held the letter in his hand: "Ah! It's really the master's handwriting! If the master died in Xiamatsu, it would be impossible to write this letter. The recipient wrote it to Atong-san! However, it was not written to Jotaro." Atong came out from behind the house: "Jota, the man from the official residence sent it just now, is it a letter from Musashi?" "yes!" Jotaro deliberately put the letter behind his back: "But, it's none of Sister Atong's business, is it?" "Show me!"

"Never." "You are bad!" She was in a hurry, and tears were about to fall again.Jotaro had no choice but to hand the letter to her: "Look at you, you obviously miss him so much, and I said to go to see him together, but you pretended not to care." Atong couldn't listen anymore. She opened the letter under the low lamp.The white fingers holding the letter trembled with the flame of the wick. She didn't know why tonight, but she turned on the lights very brightly, and she felt very comfortable in her heart.Now I know that this is a good omen—— This is a letter from Musashi.It is indeed his handwriting and the fragrance of ink.

Even the ink looks like a rainbow!Atong's eyelashes glistened with bright teardrops. This is dreaming! Her mind went blank with joy.Atong couldn't believe it was true. During the An Lushan Rebellion, Emperor Ming, who lost Concubine Yang in the panic, ordered Taoist priests to search for her soul because she missed her too much.The Taoist went up to Qiongbi and down to Huangquan, but still couldn't find it, and finally found the fairy with beautiful appearance and snow skin in Penglai Palace on the sea.Then report the matter to the emperor.In the description of this story, there is the consternation and joy of the imperial concubine.A Tong felt that the poems were about herself, and she read the short letters repeatedly in a daze, never getting tired of them. "When you wait for someone, you will feel that time passes very slowly. By the way, go to see him early!" She was going to tell Jotaro so, but she was already overwhelmed with joy.I made an opinion in my heart, so I thought I told Jotaro as well. She packed her clothes quickly, and wrote a letter of thanks to the head of the nunnery, the monks of Ginkakuji Temple, and the people who took care of them.Then put on your shoes and walk out the door first. She said to Jotaro who was sitting in the room puffing up his face: "Chengtai, you were ready just now... come out quickly, I have to lock the door!" "I don't know! Where are you going?" Not even the jack can move him now.Jotaro was really angry this time. "Chengtai, are you angry?" "Of course I'm angry!" "why?" "Because Sister Atong is too capricious! I finally found out about Master and asked you to go, but you refused to go." "Didn't I already tell you why I can't go? And now it's because I received a letter from Musashi!" "That letter, you just read it yourself, and don't let me read it!" "Ah! I'm so sorry! Jota, I'm sorry!" "Forget it! I don't want to watch it anymore." "Don't be so angry! Look at this letter. Don't you think it's strange! It's the first time that Musashi wrote to me! It's also the first time that he thoughtfully said he would wait for me. Ah! For me, since I was born, I have never been happier than this...Jota, please don't be angry, take me to Seta...OK? Please, don't be so angry!" "..." "Besides, Jota, don't you want to see Musashi?" "..." Jotaro silently put the wooden knife in his waist, and then slung over his shoulder the big towel wrapped just now, and then quickly ran outside the nunnery, pointing his sword at Atong: "Go as soon as you want! Come out quickly! If you keep procrastinating, I will lock you up from the outside!" "Ah! What a scary person!" So, the two walked towards Mount Shiga overnight.Jotaro was still angry, and he didn't say a word all the way, looking a little deserted. He walked ahead by himself.Sometimes I pick off the leaves and play the leaf flute; sometimes I sing and kick stones, as if I have nowhere to vent my emotions.Upon seeing this, Atong said: "Chengtai, I brought a nice thing, but I kept forgetting to take it out. How about you?" "what?" "Bamboo Leaf Candy!" "Ok!" "Didn't Karasuma-sama ask someone to bring some candies and biscuits the day before yesterday? There are still some left!" "..." Jotaro didn't say he wanted to eat, nor said he didn't want to eat, but just walked forward silently, causing Atong to be out of breath, and followed him closely: "Doesn't Chengtai eat it? I want to eat it!" This time, Jotaro recovered a little. When they climbed Mount Shiga, the Big Dipper was already white, and the clouds in the sky were also dyed with the color before dawn. "Sister Atong, are you tired?" "Yeah! It's tiring to climb uphill all the time." "It's about to go downhill, and it will be easy later. Ah! I saw the lake!" "That's Lake Hato. Where is Seta?" "there." He pointed with his finger: "Master said he would wait, but would he come so early?" "But it will take a long time to get to Seta!" "Yeah! From here, it seems to be close at hand!" "Would you like to take a break?" "OK!" Jotaro breathed a sigh of relief, happily looking for a place to rest. "Sister A-Tong! Sister A-Tong! There is no dew under this tree, come here! Sit here." Those are two huge acacia trees. The two sat down under two acacia trees. Jotaro said: "What kind of tree is this?" Atong looked up and told him: "This is a silk tree." Then he said: "When Musashi and I were young, we often went to play at a place called Qibao Temple. There was this kind of tree there, so I recognized it. In June, it blooms light red silky flowers. When the moon comes out, its leaves They will sleep together!" "That's why it's called a sleeping tree?" "Although the pronunciation is the same, it is not the same word. It cannot be written as 'sleep', but 'Acacia'." "why?" "Probably someone named it with a homonym and a different word...Look at these two trees, even if they don't have this name, they are happily together!" "Do trees also have joys and sorrows?" "Chengtai, the trees also have hearts! Look carefully at the trees on this whole mountain. Some trees enjoy themselves alone, some trees sigh sadly, and some trees sing like Chengtai! However, most of the trees, Cynical! If you ask some people about stones, they will tell you a lot! So it cannot be said that trees are lifeless and emotionless in this world." "After you say that, I think so too! So what do you think of this acacia tree?" "I envy them so much!" "why?" "You know it! It's a poem written by a poet, Bai Letian." "Oh!" "There is a sentence at the end: I wish to be a lovebird in the sky, and a Lianli branch in the earth. The Lianli branch mentioned in the poem is probably this kind of tree! I always thought so just now." "Lian Li? What do you mean?" "The branches, trunks and roots of the two trees were originally separated, but they grow together and stand between the sky and the earth, and they are happily combined in spring, summer, autumn and winter." "Ouch! Aren't you referring to you and Master Musashi?" "Chengtai, why do you say that!" "Whatever I say!" "Ah! It's dawn! What a beautiful cloud this morning!" "The birds are starting to sing. After we descend from here, it's time to have breakfast!" "Chengtai, don't you sing?" "What song is it?" "I suddenly thought of Li Bai. Jota, do you still remember the poems Master Karasuma's servant taught you..." "?" "Yes, that's the poem. Can you read that poem to me? Just like reading a book." Jotaro immediately read loudly: "The poem?" "That's right! Continue reading!" After reading this, Jotaro suddenly stood up and urged Atong to concentrate on listening to the poem. "Stop reading, my stomach is starving. Hurry up to Otsu to have breakfast!"