Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 123 The Job-Stealing Scheme

Monk Zhiyuan belatedly realized that he had frightened the child beside him.

“It’s not what you think,” Zhiyuan said in a low voice, “Our temple… is about to have money.”

"After a while, we might be able to rebuild the main hall."

Yan Sui opened his eyes wide, and after a while he rubbed his ears: "Master, say it again."

Monk Zhiyuan sighed: "What I said is true. Just now, a benefactor named Xie bought the broken coal from the back mountain. From now on, the temple will receive a sum of money every month, which will be enough for the monks' expenses."

"The female benefactor also promised that if the monk wanted to mine, she would give him one hundred coins a day."

Yan Sui was taken aback at first, then a look of joy appeared on his face, but soon his eyes were full of suspicion: "Master, could you have been deceived?"

When will Master encounter such a good thing?
The benefactor the master mentioned brought more than just money; the monks in the temple would no longer go hungry, because at worst, they could still earn money by working hard.

My master once made a great vow not to seize the people's fertile land. If the temple can do this, then this vow can be fulfilled.

The monk Zhiyuan recited a Buddhist saying: "Actually, even now... I don't know if I've been deceived or not."

Yan Sui blinked. Why was that?

“Er Mao,” Monk Zhiyuan called Yan Sui by his childhood name, “if Master were to destroy the entire temple…”

"Master, the temple is gone. In the past, we were bitten by rats when we went to the purification room, and rats kicked our faces when we slept. Have these things still happened recently?"

At this time, Monk Zhiyuan didn't want to mention Er Mao's bite; his skin was badly swollen, and he would cry every time he urinated. He even asked him if he would never be able to find a wife in his life.

Monk Zhiyuan could only advise him that he would never be able to get a wife regardless of whether he was bitten or not.

Yan Sui cried even harder.

Monk Zhiyuan thought about his experience of being bitten again, and he was unable to sit cross-legged for several days.

Recently, it really has been...

“That’s all,” said Monk Zhiyuan.

Yan Sui said, "Because the rats all starved and froze to death."

Monk Zhiyuan breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid that Yan Sui would say that he had eaten all the rats, and that his disciple was so hungry in the middle of the night that his eyes were glowing green and he was swallowing his saliva when he saw rats. He had no choice but to put his hand on his disciple's eyelids and chant sutras for him.

Yan Sui was still worried: "Master, tell me, what did those people say? Did they give you any money?"

"Give me 500 strings of cash as a deposit, it will be delivered in a little while."

Five hundred strings of cash—Yan Sui had never seen so much money in his entire life, even though he was still young.

"Then let's just wait."

Monk Zhiyuan and his disciple stood in front of the mountain gate for more than an hour, watching the Yang family's horses struggle to carry their loads toward them.

"Is it...is it money?" Yan Sui stood up.

The monk Zhiyuan stared at it; such a heavy object could only be a stone, if not silver.

It's impossible for the Yang family to send stones.

So, that's it.

Monk Zhiyuan nodded: "Excellent, excellent, but even if the money arrives, I still can't be sure if I've been cheated?"

Yan Sui reached out and tugged at the tattered robe of the monk Zhiyuan: "What else can Master lie about? Master's flesh is not worth five hundred strings of cash, Master, don't worry."

Monk Zhiyuan was on the verge of tears.

A horse was followed by five mules. The Yang family unloaded the silver and handed it over to the monk.

"We have to go back, it will take us two or three trips."

"Besides copper coins, there was also vegetarian food."

Upon hearing this, Yan Sui swallowed hard, his stomach rumbling involuntarily. Not only him, but all his fellow disciples felt the same way. Everyone was focused on the money, but they didn't notice that the Yang family was paying attention to the road in front of the temple. The eldest daughter-in-law had instructed them to keep an eye on it; the next step was to level the area.

"It's not easy, it's too troublesome."

“In the summer, a lot of rocks are washed down.”

"We still have to get it done. It needs to be finished before New Year's Day. The hired workers and villagers are all working hard. If we lose to them, it's hard to say who the eldest daughter-in-law will trust in the future."

Although Madam Yang is a member of the Yang clan, she is very fair in her dealings with people. Whether you are from a collateral branch or a direct branch, as long as you are willing to work, you can earn money.

If a member of the main branch of the family makes a mistake, the eldest daughter-in-law will show no mercy.

However, the Yang clan members also benefited quite a bit. They were able to receive news immediately; in other words, whatever the eldest daughter-in-law asked them to do, they would do it without fail.

When the eldest daughter-in-law returned to her clan, she said that she had made an agreement with Baode Temple that they would collect coal scraps from the temple in the future.

Those clansmen who were still waiting for the eldest daughter-in-law to bow down to the Xie family were immediately dumbfounded.

With the coal slag in hand, why would Madam need to deal with the Xie family anymore?
Thinking this way, they didn't feel tired while working. However, on their way back, they encountered Grandma Li and the residents of Yong'anfang.

“Grandma,” said a member of the Yang clan, “the road ahead is uneven, please be careful.”

The concern is genuine, and so is the rivalry.

Grandma Li laughed and scolded, "Grandma goes to the market every morning and evening, and I'm in good health."

A group of people chatted and laughed, none of them stopping, and they passed each other in the blink of an eye.

Just as the monks of Baode Temple finished carrying away the silver and money unloaded by the Yang family, they discovered that another group of people was approaching.

"Was that also to deliver money to the female benefactor?"

The guess was quickly confirmed.

Yan Sui watched from the side, his eyes initially drawn to the silver coins. Soon, he became curious as to why the benefactor dared to entrust the silver coins to a fellow resident of the same neighborhood.
If someone among them had bad intentions and embezzled the money, wouldn't she be devastated?

The two groups made two trips, and the money and vegetarian food were all provided.

Yan followed the monks to put down the vegetarian meal, secretly took one and put it in his pocket. When he came out again, he discovered something strange. The residents of Yong'an Ward did not leave immediately. They took a signboard, stuck it in the ground, and began to pick up stones from the ground.

The stones were piled up layer upon layer, making them extremely difficult to clear. The monks had previously created a narrow path large enough for pedestrians, but not suitable for carriages. Now, these people needed to widen the already paved road considerably in order to transport the broken stones and coal out.

It's cold in winter, and the ground is icy; this job is probably going to be difficult.

But these people didn't seem worried at all; they were even scrambling for space. Yan Sui unknowingly ate half a steamed bun, then stood there, stunned, watching the bustling activity below.

"What are they doing?" Yan Sui had never seen such a scene before. It looked like they were repairing the road or seizing territory.

Grandma Li waved her hand and said, "Everything from here to there is ours now. Tomorrow, after we come down from the market, we'll move the stove over as well. There are still some days until the second day of the Lunar New Year, so it'll be enough."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Let’s set up a shed first,” said Grandma Li. “We’ll eat and keep warm here starting tomorrow.”

"Don't worry, we'll take care of these."

Grandma Li smiled, her eyes crinkling: "I'll make you food so you're well-fed and can work well."

After giving instructions, everyone went about their own business. Just as Grandma Li was about to find a place to rest, she discovered that a small child had appeared beside her without her noticing.

The child was wearing patched clothes, the same color as the monk's robes, and although he was said to be a novice monk, he still had hair.

"You are……"

As soon as Grandma Li spoke, the child said, "Grandma, do you need any help here? I can help, as long as you give me some food."

Happy National Day everyone!

(End of this chapter)