Chapter 212: Let’s Become Monks Together
Normal people, upon seeing the protagonist, would want to kowtow and pledge their loyalty.
They want to follow him from his humble beginnings.
Waiting to reap the greatest rewards later on.
It’s like buying stocks. I know he will soar, he will rise, he will go from ten cents to a million. If I buy when he is ten cents, I will get rich. Even though he is at ten dollars now, if I buy, I will still get rich.
But abnormal people have different thoughts.
For example, our born villain, Comrade Jiang Changtian.
When Jiang Changtian saw Chu Xi, who was worth ten dollars a share, the first thing he thought of was how to drive the price down~~~~
It was a bit strenuous for him to do it alone, and in the end, it was unclear who would benefit.
Fortunately, there was Censor He, and Censor He would likely be very enthusiastic.
After Jiang Huaisheng hit Jiang Wan and then hit himself, he muttered Buddhist scriptures under his breath, repenting continuously.
He had originally wanted to become a monk, but he couldn’t let go of his Mother or Wan’er.
Now, this scene only strengthened his determination to become a monk.
He pressed his palms together and said to his Mother, “Mother, you have always liked to worship Buddha. I remember when you were young, you would copy scriptures every day. You should come with me and become a monk. We will devote our hearts to Buddha. As long as we have true Buddha-hearts, Buddha will surely forgive the mistakes we have made.”
Old Madam Jiang thought her eldest son was just chanting Buddha’s name to escape reality.
But she never expected that he had become so obsessed that he actually wanted his aged Mother to become a nun with him.
Old Madam Jiang grabbed her cane and struck him.
Jiang Huaisheng did not even dodge.
He took one blow after another, squarely.
“Thud!”
“Bang!”
The cane struck flesh and bone, emitting a dull thud.
On the third strike, Old Madam Jiang didn’t hit him again; she released the cane in shock, her face flushed with anger and distress.
“Why didn’t you dodge? If it’s a small stick, you take it; if it’s a big stick, you run! Do you want to anger your Mother to death?”
Old Madam Jiang clutched her chest, her breathing becoming rapid.
Jiang Huaisheng, having taken two blows, swayed, his cheeks swollen—he had truly used force when hitting himself. He smiled, “Mother never let my younger brother dodge either. When he dodged, you said he was unfilial. I don’t want to carry the reputation of being unfilial even after becoming a monk.”
Jiang Huaisheng swayed and turned around, struggling to locate his daughter. He turned his head and said to Wan’er:
“Wan’er, follow Father and become a nun. Really, this young master looks unreliable; he has no hair on his lips, so he cannot be trusted to handle matters. He makes promises to you now, but who knows if they can be fulfilled later? You have always had great wisdom. Follow Father and become a nun, serving the Buddha. Buddha will not deceive you. Wealth and power are all just an illusory dream. Wan’er, trust Father; Father will not harm you. Follow Father and become a nun, and only then will you have a good end.”
Jiang Huaisheng saw his daughter’s face, which had been reddened by his own hand. He hadn’t used much force when he hit her, and he regretted it immediately after. Fortunately, it wasn’t a serious injury; it seemed to be recovering quite fast, just a slight redness.
Jiang Wan shook her head in disbelief.
She was still young; why would she want to become a nun?
She wasn’t crazy.
Was her Father crazy?
She thought he was just keen on Buddhism to escape reality.
But now he actually wanted her and her grandmother to become nuns with him.
She thought of her dream, where Jiang Changtian eventually became a monk.
Everything was the opposite, as if the fate of Jiang Changtian’s family had fallen upon her own. She was terrified.
She wanted to shake her Father awake; becoming a monk was useless, the Buddha was useless, and the Shangqiu Temple in the Prefecture City had been razed by Jiang Changtian. Only power was useful.
But in front of Young Master Liu and Chu Xi, she couldn’t say that.
She just shed tears, looking at her Father sadly, without saying a word.
This made Young Master Liu, who was watching from the side, ache with sympathy.
He felt that Miss Wan’er truly had it too hard.
Jiang Huaisheng looked at his daughter’s tear-stained, pitiful face, sighed, and then glanced back at Jiang Changtian. Without saying a word of greeting, with tears in his eyes and appearing as if he had gone mad, he looked up and laughed three times: “Hahaha,” and then stumbled out.
Old Madam Jiang, with tears in her eyes, watched her eldest son’s fleeing figure. She picked up her cane and jabbed the ground hard, her mouth opening to curse again, “Unfilial son, unfilial son,” but she felt her throat was hoarse; no matter how hard she tried to curse, it seemed she couldn’t make a sound.
Jiang Changtian watched his eldest brother’s stumbling, fleeing figure quietly.
The Buddhist gate is not a pure land, and turning back is not reaching the shore.
Put down the butcher’s knife, and you will be slaughtered immediately.
…
Liu Tong didn’t know what kind of serious illness Miss Wan’er’s Father had.
To say he was unreliable right in front of his face—he might have been a bit reckless, but he truly loved Wan’er, and he was determined to marry her.
Did this uncle have some major problem, urging his daughter and his own Mother to become nuns?
Chu Xi was completely bewildered. This uncle of his, in name only, had just run off like that? Did he really leave the Old Madam to him?
Not a single person in this family was normal. His cousin wanted to elope with someone; the Old Madam looked sickly, but her strength when hitting people was immense. Just now, with those two strikes she delivered, he saw Jiang Da sway, and when he finally ran out, he was stumbling, clearly injured quite badly.
Chu Xi always felt that the way Commander Jiang looked at him was very strange, making him feel very uneasy.
He stood up, preparing to take his leave.
But he was enthusiastically asked to stay.
“Although you don’t want to acknowledge me as your uncle, since Heir Chu has come, stay for a meal. Censor He will be here in a while, and there is also my good-for-nothing son-in-law; you should have all met him.”
Liu Tong had also wanted to take his leave, but upon hearing the names of the people Lord Sima mentioned, he became nervous again.
Young General Meng was not his friend; his social circle was lower, and he couldn’t get close to Young General Meng, but that didn’t stop him and his friends from mocking Meng Shaoxia.
Mocking the Meng Family for having only one heir, mocking him for marrying a country girl, mocking him for surely being unable to change the fate of having only one heir, saying that perhaps the family line would end with him.
And who in the capital didn’t know the great name of Censor He? He had heard his Father mention him many times at home, each time saying, “Absolutely not. If we happen to get caught by that man surnamed He, our whole family is finished.”
Now, to be dining with Censor He and Young General Meng, as well as the Imperial Grandson Chu Xi, the eldest son of the Seventh Prince, Heir Chu—Young Master Liu, this ordinary second-generation official, felt very nervous and thrilled.
He didn’t know where to put his hands and feet.
He wanted to leave, but didn’t dare to speak up.
Jiang Wan was very anxious; she desperately wanted to leave the Jiang Mansion, but Liu Tong didn’t even dare to ask to leave.
She looked at him with pleading eyes and even secretly tugged at his sleeve, but he didn’t understand.
So she was forced to stay for the meal.
In the evening, Censor He and Meng Shaoxia indeed arrived.
Meng Shaoxia wore a black robe, with white flour on his sleeves and hair, looking somewhat comical.
Upon seeing Chu Xi and Liu Tong, he greeted them warmly.
“Welcome, Heir Chu, Young Master Liu, to my humble home. My wife is pregnant, so I was just taking care of her and making her some food; I accidentally got some on my clothes. I kneaded the dough for tonight’s noodles; you all must taste it later.”
Chu Xi had forgotten Meng Shaoxia; in his memory, he had a Little Square Face, but he didn’t expect that when they met again, he would have a round face.
Liu Tong was a bit nervous and quickly responded, “Brother Meng is amazing, you even know how to knead dough.”
Chu Xi cupped his hands, “Brother Meng, congratulations. We are in for a treat tonight; we are benefiting from your wife’s fortune.”
Censor He had also finished work; he looked very exhausted and a bit fierce.
But his tone was unexpectedly quite amiable, especially towards Heir Chu; he appeared exceptionally warm, which made Liu Tong feel a bit jealous. Indeed, different statuses lead to different treatment.
Chu Xi was also puzzled. Wasn’t this Censor He notoriously difficult to deal with? Why was he so kind to him?
And over on the women’s side.
Jiang Wan arrived at the Jiang Mansion and saw the women of the Jiang Family for the first time.
Lady Qin was graceful and elegant. It was said that Jiang Yu was pregnant; her face was more beautiful than a flower, full of happiness. Jiang Mianmian had outstanding features; one could imagine that when she grew up, she would be even more beautiful than her.
Jiang Wan felt very uncomfortable seeing Jiang Mianmian, as it reminded her of the teardrop from the Buddha’s eye.
Old Madam Jiang was even more uncomfortable.
Looking at that country woman from back then, who now lived more luxuriously than she did, with maidservants and old nannies to serve her.
She wasn’t warm to them at all and kept showing off.
Even though she was very hungry, she was stuffed with anger from the showing off.
But Jiang Wan cherished the meal, eating in large mouthfuls.
The noodles were not delicious and lacked chewiness, but it was said that Meng Shaoxia had kneaded the dough himself.
She took a bite, and heard Jiang Yu retch on the side.
She ate in large mouthfuls, burying her head in the bowl.
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