Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 279 Miracle
Han Si was in a hurry to go to Baode Temple to check the situation, so he subconsciously quickened his pace, leaving the older Shen Zhongguan behind, who was panting heavily from exhaustion.

Shen Zhongguan tried several times to break free from Han Si, but Han Si seemed to have taken the wrong medicine, holding him tightly with one hand, as if trying to peel off a layer of skin from him.

For several days, Shen Zhongguan had been served comfortably by Han Si. He even thought that he could complete the task smoothly after going out for a stroll. He never expected that he would have to suffer in the end.

It's also his fault; he was so eager to visit Baode Temple.

A clear, crisp bell rang out.

Those who had not yet stepped into the temple gates became even more eager, getting up early to attend the Dharma assembly, as no one wanted to miss it.

"hurry up."

Some people urged others on, while others crowded around.

Shen Zhongguan was involuntarily swept forward by the crowd. After walking quickly for a while, he couldn't help but clutch his chest and gasp for breath, feeling as if he had suffered a great torment.

Fortunately, everyone slowed down when they arrived at the temple gate.

Because several young monks stood not far away, their hands clasped together, chanting Buddhist mantras, their kind expressions effectively calming the restless crowd.

People come here to worship Buddha. If they bring their hostility into the temple, wouldn't that be counterproductive?

Shen Zhongguan bent over and coughed, feeling as if he had finally come back to life. But Han Si, who was standing next to him, saw something and shook Shen Zhongguan vigorously with one hand.

"China..." Han Si said, "Look, what's that?"

Shen Zhongguan jerked his arm, throwing Han Si off his feet. Just as he was about to vent his anger on him, he saw the crowd automatically part to both sides, with a group of people carrying or shouldering things towards the temple.

The people instinctively put their hands together in prayer, and only a few, unaware of what was happening, couldn't help but ask.

Han Si was one of them.

Shen Zhongguan also began chanting Buddhist mantras, finding Han Si extremely noisy today.

"What are they moving?"

“That was an offering to the temple,” someone in the know said. “It happened once at the end of last year, didn’t you know?”

Han Si, naturally unaware of this, then asked, "Why are there so many things? Aren't they usually just offering incense money?"

The man looked devout: "You think this is an ordinary temple? This is Baode Temple. The abbot here did not ask the government for the full amount of monastic land. All the donations he received were used to open soup kitchens and were given to the disaster victims in the city and the refugees who came to Daming Prefecture."

"Many of the monks in the temple are still working in the coal mines."

Upon hearing this, Han Si's eyes flashed: "Making monks work? Wouldn't that just be making money for the merchants?"

The speaker's face immediately darkened: "What are you saying? Madam Xie pays the monks the same wages for their work. If the goal is to make money, why not just raise the price of Buddhist charcoal? Why go to such lengths? Madam Xie has even donated her coal mine to the government."

"If you don't know, buy a tabloid or ask someone in town. Don't ruin someone else's reputation..."

Having said that, the man clearly didn't want to pay any more attention to Han Si.

Once the people carrying the donations had entered the temple, the pilgrims continued on their way.

Han Si turned to look at Shen Zhongguan and found that Shen Zhongguan was talking to another worshipper. The two of them put their hands together, as if they were exchanging Buddhist teachings.

They were clearly misled by those rumors again.

Han Si finally entered the temple, and everywhere he looked, there were worshippers.

The donations were piled up in a small Zen courtyard, quickly filling it up.

Han Si seized the opportunity to ask a young novice monk, "May I ask, Master, what are you all giving as alms?" The young novice monk bowed and replied, "Most virtuous people give alms of grain and seeds."

Grain seeds? Han Si was somewhat surprised. Everyone said that the temple did not have many fields, so why would it need so many grain seeds?

But now no one is there to answer his questions.

There must have been some arrangement, otherwise this wouldn't have happened.

Before I could figure it out, I heard someone shout, "Hurry... the time is almost up."

The Dharma assembly was held in a side hall, which was small and couldn't accommodate many people, so many worshippers could only watch from outside. Han Si couldn't find Shen Zhongguan and didn't know where he had been squeezed out of the hall. After searching around several times without success, he could only wait until the Dharma assembly ended to make a decision.

The bell rang again.

After three bell tolls, Abbot Zhiyuan of Baode Temple, dressed in his monastic robes, slowly walked out, followed by other monks also wearing red robes. These eminent monks came from various temples to co-manage the Dharma assembly with Abbot Zhiyuan.

The senior monk was followed by a group of fully ordained monks, and then by novices.

As the monks stood still, Master Zhiyuan accepted the lotus-shaped magpie-tail incense burner handed to him by the monks. Incense was lit, and wisps of smoke swirled and circulated continuously within the burner.

Monks, bhikkhus, and novices began chanting Buddhist scriptures.

The believers inside and outside the hall also began to chant along with the monks.

As the rising smoke enveloped him, Master Zhiyuan began to walk around the Buddha statue to pray for blessings. This was supposed to be an exceptionally solemn and dignified scene, but Master Zhiyuan couldn't help but be distracted. He subconsciously glanced into the main hall.

Xie Yuyan and several merchants stood in the hall.

"Alas," Master Zhiyuan sighed inwardly. He had never imagined that when he performed the ritual, the hall would be filled with merchants. If it had been a few months ago, and he had dreamt of this scene, he would have thought it was a nightmare, and that Buddha might be giving him a warning.

But now it has truly happened.

The most terrifying thing is that... he didn't feel anything particularly wrong, and he didn't even struggle too much internally. Instead, what appeared in his mind were the piles of grain seeds and the expectant eyes of the people.

Has his Buddhist heart been corrupted? Or has he been deceived?
They actually obeyed Madam Xie's arrangements so obediently and did their jobs honestly.

"Master, just perform your rituals, I'll take care of the rest."

This is what Madam Xie said.

Zhiyuan didn't know why he should believe her, since she had burned down the temple twice.

Thinking of this, Zhiyuan glanced furtively at the Buddha statue and the prayer flags around him, fearing that he might start a fire again in full view of everyone.

The prayer flags fluttered slightly, and the nearby Buddhist lamps swayed accordingly, but fortunately there were no other unusual phenomena.

Zhiyuan continued walking, wondering what tricks Madam Xie had played.
After circumambulating the Buddha three times, the monk Zhiyuan returned to the Buddha and began to lead everyone in worship.

Put down the magpie-tail incense burner, light the incense and candles, bow your head and silently pray, and kneel in worship.

After everyone bowed three times, Monk Zhiyuan finally felt relieved. The Dharma assembly had gone smoothly up to this point, and there shouldn't be any problems later.

Just as he was about to get up from the prayer mat, he suddenly heard a cry of surprise in his ear, followed by someone shouting, "It's a miracle! Buddha has appeared!"

Zhiyuan subconsciously raised his head, and before he knew it, a beam of light fell on the face of the Buddha statue in the center. The halo reflected the figure of the Buddha, making the entire hall appear even more sacred.

Zhiyuan was stunned, and subconsciously knelt back down.

Could it be... that Buddha really did appear?

(End of this chapter)