~ A PRAYER HALL WHERE NO ONE CAN PRAY FOR BLESSINGS ~
Mu Yunyao wanted to avoid Su Qingwu, but as soon as she moved, the pain in her eyes became more intense. Immediately, tears gathered in her eyes, “You don’t need to worry. Mind your own business!”
Su Qingwu, who had been pushed, did not let go of his hand. Instead, he pulled down Mu Yunyao’s sleeves and spoke with an almost imperceptible sense of urgency: “You must not use your hands to rub your eyes if you’re blinded by sand. Don’t move. I’ll help you blow it a bit.”
When she closed her eyes, she couldn’t see the things around her. Being surrounded by Su Qingwu’s breath, Mu Yunyao suddenly felt a burst of panic. She could not help but recall everything she had experienced in her previous life, and her breath suddenly became chaotic. “No need to trouble Cousin Brother, Si Qin.... Si Qin....”
She didn’t know if Si Qin was busy helping Su Qing organize her things or else, but she didn’t hear Mu Yunyao’s shout.
Su Qingwu frowned, raised his hand, and gently held onto Mu Yunyao’s face. The warm feeling from his hands caused his eyes to darken as he steadied his breath and whispered: “Don’t move recklessly!” After he finished speaking, he gently blew at Mu Yunyao’s eyes.
Mu Yunyao ignored the pain in her eyes and directly pushed Su Qingwu to the side. “Cousin, please have some self-respect.” Her eyes were slightly red, and as she forced them open, tears began to flow uncontrollably.
Su Qingwu looked at her now and then thought of what she had just said. He couldn’t help feeling a trace of regret. He shouldn’t have asked Mu Yunyao about it so frankly just now. After all, it was as she had said, she had indeed only been in the Capital for a short twenty days. Except when she twice entered the Palace, she didn’t even come out of the residence, so there was no chance to arrange something like this. More importantly, the girl dancing in front of Huan Cai Pavilion had the same dance posture as Yuyi, and Mu Yunyao had never seen Yuyi dance before.
“I just wanted to help you.” Su Qingwu frowned as he looked at Mu Yunyao.
“I dare not trouble Cousin.” Mu Yunyao turned and walked towards the side room. She wasn’t in the mood. She hated the Su family and didn’t have the slightest bit of goodwill towards Su Qingwu.
After finishing her work, Si Qin walked out. Seeing her like this, she hurriedly went forward to support her. Her voice filled with worry, “Miss, what happened to you?”
“I was blinded by the sandstorm. Please help me to take a look.”
Si Qin hurriedly helped Mu Yunyao inspect. After blowing for a few times, she blew the sand out of her eyes, “Is Miss better now?”
Although her eyes no longer hurt, she was still red with some tears. Mu Yunyao blinked and let out a sigh of relief. “It’s alright. Is everything in the room ready?”
“It has already been prepared. Miss, do you want to go back and res first?”
“Yes.”
Listening to the conversation between the two, Su Qingwu loosened his fist, expressionlessly twirling his fingertip. It seemed that there was a touch on his fingertips that had just touched Mu Yunyao’s cheek. It was warm as jade, smooth as cream, so beautiful that it caused one’s heart to tremble.
After a long time, he bent down and picked up a piece of ginkgo leaf from the ground. There seemed to be some emotions struggling in his eyes, but he suppressed them with his rationality, “All things in the world is transformed, everything in a state of mind is immobility....”
After he finished reciting the Buddhist scriptures, Su Qingwu turned around and left. But the ginkgo leaf he had picked up in his hand didn’t throw down in the end.
After settling down, they would have to kneel for four hours starting from the night.
Jin Lan and Jin Qiao had already started preparing for Su Qing and Mu Yunyao. Seeing that it was time to kneel down at night, they took out an exquisite the sewn cotton pad and tied it to their legs. The cotton pad was filled with herbs that could activate the blood circulation through the meridians. It was filled with cotton and was extraordinarily soft. In addition, there was a prayer mat that was prepared in advance. Thus, when they then used to kneel four hours, it wasn’t too much to bear.
Actually, most of the kneeling scriptures focused on that form, and they usually didn’t need to kneel for that long.
Mu Yunyao looked at Su Yaxian and the others, her heart filled with regret. She had implicated them this time, so when Su Yaxian planned to leave the Eldest Madam later, she could take this opportunity to help her, which is to repay today’s apology.
In the prayer hall, the candle was brightly lit, the sound of the wooden fish was quiet and pleasant, and the scent of sandalwood was calming the mind. Mu Yunyao brought up the Buddhist scripture she had copied and placed it on the incense table under the Buddha throne.
Su Yaxian and the others also placed the Buddhist scriptures that they had copied down on the side. However, they had only copied down two scrolls and compared them to Mu Yunyao’s twenty scrolls, which is in strong contrast for the comparison.
Su Qingwu couldn’t help but narrow his eyes as he turned to look at Mu Yunyao, only to discover that her expression was as usual. The corner of her lips held a slight smile as if there wasn’t the slightest bit of complaint or injustice.
Su Qingwu represented the Su family and stepped forward to offer his incense stick. He retreated, knelt on the prayer mat in front of him, and saluted.
After Mu Yunyao and the others followed to salute, they all knelt on the prayer mats and calmed their hearts, waiting for the monks to recite the Buddhist scriptures and pray for blessings.
For a moment, the entire hall was quiet. The only sound that could be heard was the wooden fish.
Mu Yunyao raised her head to look at Buddha, who was sitting high on the throne. Her eyes were exceptionally calm. After a long time, she leaned over and bowed towards Buddha, silently muttered in her heart: “I have been reborn, I wish my mother to live a long life.”
She had her own arrangement for the future. She could move forward step by step and not rely on the Buddha’s pity. The only thing she could wish for was her mother could live a long life. She hoped that her mother would live to a hundred years old. If this wish of hers could be fulfilled, then she will pay silvers to rebuild Baohua Temple. She will do it over and over again.
At the same time, Su Qing also saluted to Buddha on the other side. But what she prays for is that she hopes Mu Yunyao’s life will be safe, smooth, and never go through the hardships of her previous life again.
The wooden fish sounded regularly. Su Qingwu was actually reciting a Buddhist scripture. However, his purpose was not to pray for blessings but to calm his mind. He doesn’t want to let Mu Yunyao disrupt his mind, nor is he willing to fall into a dilemma because of her. So he tries to pull out the seeds that have taken root in his heart over and over again.
There was no need to mention the three sisters. Su Yaxian and her two sisters only hoped that time would pass faster.
Although they were nominally praying for the Old Master of the Su family in the prayer hall, no one could actually think of him there.
The first night passed peacefully. Although the time was a bit difficult, they had not suffered much when they were fully prepared, except that feel numbness in their knees as they knelt down.
After four hours, Mu Yunyao accompanied Su Qing back to the side room.
Si Qin and Si Qi immediately brought hot water to soak their legs in the cold air.
After Mu Yunyao finished soaking her feet, she felt much more comfortable. Just as she returned to her room, she saw a small slip of paper lying on the table. After opening it, she saw Yue Wang’s handwriting on it, which only had two words written succinctly: By the stream.
Mu Yunyao creased her brows and burned the slip of paper on the candle flame. Yue Wang also came to Baohua Temple?
Eww… don’t care how “nice” that Su Qingwu is but stay away from Yaoyao. 😤
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