The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 821 - 799 Companions on the Journey

Chapter 821: Chapter 799 Companions on the Journey

Manbao couldn’t help but turn his head and exchange a look with Bai Shan, then, turning back, they both offered County Magistrate Tang an expansive smile, nearly dazzling him with its brilliance.

Although he knew he shouldn’t feel this way, County Magistrate Tang couldn’t help but shudder, as if ants were rapidly crawling up his spine.

County Magistrate Tang’s gaze slid back and forth between the two, and he asked, "But I remember the academy usually only gives a three-day holiday for the second day of the second lunar month. You came back yesterday and are leaving again tomorrow?"

Bai Shan responded, "I asked for two extra days off."

County Magistrate Tang looked at him with suspicion, "Just to celebrate the second day of the second lunar month?"

Bai Shan nodded, "Didn’t Lord Tang also come? Clearly, you are very interested in our local temple fair too. We participate in the temple fair every year, and it would feel like something was missing if we didn’t come this year."

County Magistrate Tang smiled and rose from the stone, "Since it’s such a coincidence, why don’t we go together?"

Manbao nodded enthusiastically, "We are familiar with this place, County Magistrate Tang. How about we play hosts and show you around?"

County Magistrate Tang smiled and nodded.

So, the group set off together.

Seeing that they did not stop for a break on the way and climbed straight up the mountain, County Magistrate Tang couldn’t help asking, "Aren’t you tired?"

Manbao and Bai Shan turned to look at him, hesitating, "Lord Tang, are you tired? Should we take a break?"

County Magistrate Tang looked up at the Taoist temple, looming in the distance, and said firmly, "No, I’m not tired."

Therefore, the group continued onwards. County Magistrate Tang felt the need to explain, "Your mountain paths here are rather steep, so walking them is quite tiring. I climb Qixia Mountain every year and can reach the top without stopping."

"Really?" Manbao glanced at their mountain, then recalled Qixia Mountain, reluctantly agreeing, "That’s true, you can drive up Qixia Mountain, but here we can only walk. We’ve climbed it since we were young, so we don’t really feel tired."

County Magistrate Tang became curious, "Do you often come here to climb mountains?"

"Yes," replied Manbao. "Every year for the temple fair on the second day of the second lunar month, for the Dragon Boat Festival in May, Ghost Festival in July, Double Ninth Festival in September, and even before New Year’s Eve to offer incense, we would come here. In the past, when our teacher had leisure time, he would also bring us here to climb and enjoy the distant views."

County Magistrate Tang took a moment to look down at the people still moving at the foot of the mountain, then thought about Mr. Zhuang’s age, and exclaimed, "Mr. Zhuang is in good health!"

Manbao and Bai Shan nodded together, then stealthily glanced at County Magistrate Tang.

However, the two of them were planning to ask a favor of him, so they could only offer praise. How could they possibly put him down?

Compliments came easily to Manbao, "Lord Tang, you’re also quite impressive. Look, the others climbing with us are all used to hard farm work, and they need to take two breaks to make it up here."

Bai Shan, racking his brains, added a little more, "Everyone is sweating quite a bit and looks rather disheveled, but my lord still looks dashing and effortless."

County Magistrate Tang glanced at Bai Shan and said, "If you can’t give a compliment, don’t bother."

He pulled out his handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead and opened his folding fan to fan himself.

Manbao watched him struggle with the folding fan for a while before speaking up, "Lord Tang, it’s not good to fan yourself after sweating, and it’s still chilly in spring. It’s bad for your health."

County Magistrate Tang, remembering she was a doctor, paused with the fan and without a change of expression, closed it, asking, "How much further to go?"

"Not much longer, just a bit more to walk, and this stretch of the road is quite level."

County Magistrate Tang then followed Manbao forward, and indeed, after moving forward a bit more, the road became smoother. He then saw many people coming up another path; most of them were young and strong, with many carrying an elder on their backs or supporting an elder by hand.

County Magistrate Tang couldn’t help but make a sound of surprise, and Manbao explained, "That’s a different path, it’s smoother and easier to walk. That’s the one we usually take when we come up to offer incense."

County Magistrate Tang asked, "Then why don’t we take that one?"

Manbao said, "Because the scenery isn’t as good as this one, and it’s narrower. This road was improved with the help of local tycoons at County Magistrate Yang’s request—it’s much easier to travel."

County Magistrate Tang didn’t find it easy to walk at all. He looked at Bai Shan and asked, "Did your family also contribute money?"

Bai Shan nodded, "We did contribute a little, but not much. My eldest uncle, as well as the Zhang and Liu families from the town, contributed the most."

County Magistrate Tang then looked at him with a smile and said, "Local tycoons, huh."

Manbao nodded in firm agreement and added, "Local tycoons."

Bai Shan gave her a look and said nothing.

The Daoist temple was bustling with incense burning vigorously, a lively atmosphere. Whether or not they brought incense, everyone who came here would kneel down and worship.

Wealthy families, like the Bai family, the Zhang family, the Liu family, and other big households, would also donate some charitable money to the temple.

Of course, their treatment was different. When they came to offer incense, Taoist Shouqing and his colleagues would vacate the remaining rooms in the temple for them to rest.

If there weren’t enough rooms, they built two new ones in the past two years, specifically for guests.

There was no helping it; the temple’s popularity was growing, and more and more affluent families were visiting. They couldn’t afford to appear too shabby.

With the charitable donations from worshippers, they renovated the rooms, which were then used by those very worshippers. Daoxu once quietly told Manbao, "The money is really just passing through our hands before returning to them; we’re the ones working hard for nothing. It really isn’t worth it."

Manbao asked, "With so many people coming, isn’t there any surplus charitable money?"

"There is," he said, "but the master used it to buy rice, flour, and medicine. If the lay visitors on the mountain ask for medicine, the master gives it to them."

Manbao said, "That makes it worthwhile."

Daoxu said, "But we’re worn out. Recently, we’ve been transcribing fewer scriptures and have less time for meditation."

Daohe, standing by, then said, "Seems like Manbao is more suited for cultivation than you. You’ve wasted so much time on the mountain and still don’t see things as clearly as Manbao does."

Daohe continued, "What do you need money for as a poor Daoist? Holding onto it is useless like wasted thread. It’s better to spend it—received from good people, and used for good people."

Even Bai Shan couldn’t resist applauding Daohe, saying, "A calm heart leads to a long way."

Daoxu, not convinced, retorted, "Money has many uses. If we keep some, at least we can eat meat, can’t we? We’re not monks, we don’t have to abstain from certain foods, so we can buy lots of tasty things."

Manbao burst into laughter and said, "Be careful, next time Master Jiechen comes, I’ll tell him what you said."

Daohe called her a "tattletale."

Daohe said, "Eating too much meat isn’t good either. You shouldn’t always be focused on carnal desires. Ask Manbao if eating too much meat is good for your health."

Manbao said, "It’s not good for the body, but it is good for the mouth and the heart."

Daoxu and Bai Shan then laughed together with Manbao, while Daohe silently watched them from aside.

Manbao was familiar with the people in the Daoist temple, but after checking out the crowd inside, she said to County Magistrate Tang, "I’m guessing there are no rooms available for you to rest, but I know some of the young Daoists. If you don’t mind, I can take you to rest in their quarters?"

County Magistrate Tang looked at her and said, "You’ve become so polite all of a sudden, it quite scares me."