Chapter 129 - 82: Several Good People
Meals delivered from Yingmei Temple were bland and plain; a dish of stir-fried tofu, a small serving of green vegetables, and a short wooden barrel containing enough rice for four people.
Upon seeing these two dishes, Wan Lu’s face turned pale. "Wife, we’re not going to eat this all month, are we?"
"What’s wrong with vegetables and tofu?" Ran Yan, sitting cross-legged by the table, picked up her chopsticks and said, "You all eat as well. Once we’re done, there are other things to do."
As Ran Yan spoke, there was an undeniable force of authority, prompting the three others to silently sit down beside her.
During the Zhenguan era, they still practiced separate dining, where everyone had a small table and ate their portions alone, whether it was a casual family meal or a banquet. Sharing plates like this signified real hardship.
Wan Lu pouted, staring down at the rice in her bowl, filled with indignation. It wasn’t for herself, but for Ran Yan; she was about to return to the main estate, having ended her engagement with Qin Silang and nearly sealed the marriage with the Yan Family, a bright future ahead, yet it had evaporated like a mirage, leaving her with vegetables and tofu in a new location.
After dinner, Ran Yan walked around the courtyard for a while. When she thought the time was appropriate, she led Wan Lu to the Temple Master.
At night, one could barely make out that the buildings of Yingmei Temple were constructed from bamboo and wooden planks, hidden deep within a bamboo grove—even resembling paradise. Only in sufficient daylight could one see clearly that these houses were very dilapidated, some wooden huts almost crumbling due to years of moisture. Except for a stone brick temple at the front, the courtyard where Ran Yan stayed seemed the newest, probably repaired exclusively for accommodating visitors.
The Temple Master resided in the east. Walking through the plum grove behind the stone brick temple, they occasionally encountered groups of Buddhist nuns in grey robes, all of whom stepped aside for Ran Yan. Yingmei Temple wasn’t large, and after asking a few nuns, it was easy to find the place.
After passing through the plum grove, they could see a bamboo hut hidden among the trees. Ran Yan glanced at Wan Lu from the corner of her eye. "With that pout, you could tie up a bull."
Wan Lu tilted her head and stretched the corners of her mouth into a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Does this look better, Wife?"