Picking mulberries

"Yo ho, brat, what kind of eyes are you calling Grandpa Cui!" Cui Dongxu patted Qiu Yang on the back of the head.

"What?" Qiu Yang said unconvinced, "The only thing wrong with the teacher's eyes is that Cui Bobo is obviously very young. It's inappropriate to call him grandpa. Is there such a young grandpa?"

"Okay, okay, uncle, uncle, it makes me young, young man, your name is Qiu Yang, Su's mother has mentioned you to me several times, come and play more often in the future," Cui Shicheng said very kindly He joked, "He's so handsome that he can even compare to your teacher."

"It's all given by my parents, there's nothing I can do about it." Qiu Yang got cheap and behaved.

"Don't be so stinky, I know it was given by your parents, otherwise it was made by plastic surgery." Cui Dongxu laughed.

Driver Gao put the things in the house and drove back. Cui Shicheng walked to the flower garden where his son was tending with great interest, and said without words: "Professional is professional, and it grows very well."

"Dad, don't go to the factory tomorrow, it's the holidays." Cui Dongxu said.

"No, let's take a break. Manager Chang is in charge. Today, some employees were given some benefits for the Dragon Boat Festival, and some of them were given time off. It's rare. The country stipulated a holiday a few years ago. As a member of the party, he has a good reputation for many years The father of a great university professor in the academic world has to express that he supports the implementation of national policies." Cui Shicheng joked.

"Uncle Cui is so humorous." Qiu Yang laughed from behind.

"The accent doesn't sound like a foreigner, where is Xiaoqiu from?" Cui Shicheng turned around and asked.

"Shuangqiao Longgong Township."

"Longgong, it's not too far away. Shuangqiao County and Hebu County are neighboring counties. No wonder the accent is similar to my hometown. Longgong is the place where 'Luqiusi' is produced. It's a good place." Cui Shicheng nodded. .

"You are from Longgong? Why didn't you tell me earlier, I am very familiar with you, and have been there several times." Cui Dongxu complained to Qiu Yang.

"Has the teacher been there several times?" Qiu Yang pretended to be confused.I said in my heart, I want to say it, you haven't asked me all this time.

"It used to be very good, and there were mulberry fields everywhere. Later, due to the large loss of migrant workers, most of the mulberry fields were abandoned. Has it changed over the years?" Cui Dongxu asked.

"It's much better. If you go in spring and summer, there will be a sea of ​​green and mulberry fields everywhere. If you walk in it, you will get lost." Qiu Yang said proudly.

"Oh, it's interesting that all the people in the township serve silkworms," ​​Cui Shicheng said, "Can 'Lvqiu silk' still be bought? Is the skill lost and no longer produced?" I know a lot about things that are rarer and more expensive. Although "Luqiusi" and "Qingxi Tea" are both famous brands of Shuangqiao, the output is much lower than that of "Qingxi Tea", and most people don't see it. I have seen it, let alone wearing "Lvqiu silk" fabrics.

"The skill has not been lost, but the output is very small. My family can weave less than one piece a year. That's when my grandma, parents, and my aunt and uncle all participated."

"Ah, your family also produces 'Luqiu silk'? Isn't it the ancestral skill of the Luqiu clan?" Cui Shicheng asked in surprise.

"My surname is Luqiu, and I don't know which dynasty it was in. My ancestors simplified it to Qiu. It seems to be to avoid disaster." Although Qiu Yang knew the origin of his surname, the specific legend about his ancestors was unknown. It is smattering.

"Changed surname to avoid disaster?" Cui Shicheng didn't understand.

"In the feudal society, there were many crimes of killing the nine clans. Some people committed the crime of killing the nine clans. Those of the same clan as him must have suffered bad luck, so some people changed their surnames and fled for their lives," Cui Dongxu explained to his father. Said, "Gong Yaping, the dean of my school, Dad knows about it."

"Of course I know, we have eaten together many times."

"I heard from him that his ancestor's surname was not Gong, and he changed it to avoid disaster." Cui Dongxu said.

"Really, what's his original surname?" Cui Shicheng didn't expect that Gong Yaping, a college student, and a hairy young man had textual research on the origin of his surname, but he had almost forgotten his hometown, and suddenly felt a sense of shame. Thinking about it, it's time to go back to my hometown to find out the situation.

"My surname is Lu," Cui Dongxu saw that his father was asking about it, so he said what Gong Yaping said when he was drunk, "It is said that after the death of Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, Empress Lu Zhi came to power and wanted to use her natal family Lu in the court. The people with the surname suppressed the Liu family. After Lu’s pheasant died, the descendants of the Liu family began to counterattack and tried their best to eradicate the people with the surname Lu, and killed all the members of the Lu family in the court. Therefore, those who escaped from the imperial city changed their original surnames. , and some wore a hat on the Lu word, and the palace chief said he was a descendant of that branch."

"So that's what happened."

"It's not entirely true. For example, our surname Qiu also has people with the surname Qiu. I think the surname Gong is the same. They are all legends passed down from the older generation. There is no evidence for it, so it is not credible." Seeing that Cui Shicheng's expression was not very good, Qiu Yang said casually, "Uncle Cui, let's go in, it's so stuffy outside, it looks like it's going to rain this day, but it keeps holding back."

Cui Dongxu had nothing in common with his father before, and it was rare to see each other. He had been harboring suspicions about him for a while, and he could be regarded as the most familiar stranger. So he sat in the living room and chatted casually with Cui Shicheng, caring about the affairs of the factory, and Su Ma, who was handling the items brought by driver Gao, also interjected a few words from time to time. Although they noticed that the relationship between their father and son was a little abnormal, they also chimed in a few words at the right time, which eased the atmosphere.

"Is the living room too spacious? The lighting is too strong, even if you turn on the temperature control device, it won't be effective immediately." Mama Su complained.

"It's a bit big. I originally wanted to separate a single room by the west wall for a statue of Guan Gong, but our professor Cui objected. He thought it was rustic and vulgar, so there was nothing we could do about it." Cui Shicheng laughed.

"I think it's good to offer a Buddha statue, and it matches the decoration style of the whole living room very well." Qiu Yang suggested rashly.

"Hey, the brat wants to be scolded again, no one worships Buddha statues at home, and wants to transform my living room into a temple." Cui Dongxu didn't speak so casually with his father, but he laughed and scolded Qiu Yang freely.

"Of course, big Buddhas like Dainichi Tathagata and Amitabha cannot be enshrined at home, but some Bodhisattvas can still be invited home, such as Avalokitesvara, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra. You should have seen Maitreya Buddha in someone's home." Seeing Cui Shicheng's face change, Qiu Yang ignored Cui Dongxu's ridicule and continued to tease him.

"You, a Buddhist follower, are here to promote the Dharma." Cui Dongxu said with white eyes.

"Oh, Xiao Qiu is a Buddhist believer?" Cui Shicheng was very surprised. In today's society, he would never think of a young man as a Buddhist believer, let alone a college student in a key university.

"Well, I have believed in Buddhism since I was a child." Qiu Yang nodded calmly, "If a big family like Uncle Cui invites the Bodhisattva back, it will not only highlight the solemnity of the entire living room, but also help to seek good fortune and avoid evil. The effect of evil. Bodhisattvas are all benevolent and kind-hearted. If you face them every day, you can make people look away from gains and losses, and look down on honors and disgraces. Over time, people's desires will be well curbed, and their mood will also improve."

"Tell you boy, I'm almost as old as you as a teacher. If you want to brainwash me, don't count on it." Cui Dongxu laughed.

"Freedom of belief, there is no such thing as brainwashing or not. It's just that each person's spiritual sustenance is different." Qiu Yang insisted on his own opinion.I hate it in my heart, and I come again and again, what does it mean that the party is older than me, and it is obviously pretending to be old in front of me.

"Xiaoqiu is right, everyone has their own spiritual beliefs," Cui Shicheng interrupted his son's accusation, "Although you are his teacher, it is impossible to monopolize his spiritual world. Buying a statue at home...please I think it's a good idea for the Bodhisattva to come."

"I also think what Xiaoqiu said is right. Bodhisattvas have the function of town houses. It seems that there are shrines enshrined in Mayor Ge's house. Alas, if the Bodhisattvas were invited earlier, maybe the madam's illness would be cured." It's cured..." Su's mother realized that she was going too far, so she quickly stopped talking.

"Xiaoqiu, what kind of Bodhisattva should you invite, Guanyin?" Cui Shicheng asked Qiu Yang seriously.

"Dad, you really listen to him." Cui Dongxu called.

"This is a good thing. Keep your family safe and sound. This time I am the master. I won't listen to your opinion. You well-educated party members have too many scruples." Cui Shicheng ignored his son's objection.

"Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva seems to be enshrined only when people ask for a son." Cui Dongxu has some common sense anyway.

"That's not necessarily true," Qiu Yang retorted, "She is the Great Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and she has many incarnations, the common ones are Water Moon Avalokitesvara, Willow Avalokitesvara, White Clothes Avalokitesvara, Six Seasons Avalokitesvara, Ma Lang Fu Avalokitesvara, Majestic Avalokitesvara. Avalokitesvara of Virtue, Avalokitesvara of Nengjing, Avalokitesvara of Fish Basket, Avalokitesvara of Sprinkling Water, etc., and Avalokitesvara of Sending Children is just one of them. But having said that, most of the ordinary people enshrining Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is the wish of the teacher. Uncle Cui, I suggest, How about asking Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva to come?"

"Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva?" Cui Shicheng didn't understand.

"Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's Sanskrit name is "Qichadi Bosha", which means the treasure of the earth, which is the embodiment of great wishes. , is based on the virtues of great filial piety and great wishes, so it is also known as the "Great Wishing Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva". Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva can make all living beings increase their energy, improve health, and eliminate diseases. Buddhism The doctrine says that if you get close to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, all physical and mental illnesses, afflictions and sorrows can be eliminated." Qiu Yang explained.

"This is good, this is good, I like this kind of stuff," Cui Shicheng was excited, his personality of a local tyrant was revealed, "Xiaoqiu, does Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva look similar to Guanyin Bodhisattva?"

"No, no," Qiu Yang said with a smile, "Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva has been completely feminized in the inheritance and evolution of the past dynasties, and has become a female Bodhisattva. Uncle Cui should know the Tang monk in the TV series Journey to the West. There is a saying that He is the incarnation of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, so the Buddha statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva looks similar to the Tang monk shown on TV. It is a man with a male body, bald head, wearing a Vairocana crown, wearing cassock, holding a tin staff in one hand, and a jewel in the other. Its shape is to hold banners and lotus flowers."

"Oh... I've seen it before, I've seen it in someone's store, that's Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, I always thought it was Tang Seng." Cui Shicheng said as if suddenly enlightened.

"Many people misunderstood him as Tang Xuanzang." Qiu Yang laughed.

"Xiaoqiu, let's see how to remodel the living room and where to put it? How old is it, please?"

"What Uncle Cui just said about renovating the west wall is quite reasonable. On the one hand, it blocks the sunlight from the west in the living room, and on the other hand, it also effectively uses the space. The Buddha statue should not be too large. People have a feeling of overwhelming. If it is a Buddha statue in a temple, the height of the standing Buddha statue is 1.3 meters, that is, [-] feet. The Buddhists call it "the golden body of the six sons and mothers", and the height of the seated statue is two meters. Seven is the most suitable. It is impossible to enshrine Buddha statues at home, and it is taboo to compare them with temples. It is not suitable to use standing statues at home, but sitting statues are better. Anyway, the space is large enough. I recommend using [-]m[-], which is the standard height of temple sitting statues. half."

"You are very professional in what you said. You are a Buddhist believer, so I will do as you say. What kind of material should I use? I heard that it seems to be a bronze statue and a golden body is the best." Cui Shicheng said very domineeringly.

"Golden body..." Qiu Yang's face turned red, rich people are different, not to mention the price of a layer of gold plated, even the copper base will cost a lot of money, " said Buddha Guang Puzhao The Buddha's light is golden light, and it is of course best to use a golden body, but generally the ones enshrined at home should not be too conspicuous. Buddhism originally advocates retreating from the world, and offering a golden Bodhisattva at home will make people feel ostentatious The composition is greater than the composition of self-cultivation, which is counterproductive. Stone is too cold, and it is not suitable for home use. I suggest using wood carvings."

"Wood carving, yes there is," Cui Shicheng said excitedly, "I know a Taiwanese businessman who specializes in wood carving, and his products are exported abroad. I will contact him later. I heard that sandalwood is quite good. , how about using sandalwood?"

"There's nothing wrong with sandalwood, it's pretty good." Qiu Yang originally suggested using camphor wood, but he didn't expect that Cui Shicheng, who is rich and powerful, would buy sandalwood when he invited him.

"Xiaoqiu is on vacation for three days, right? How about tomorrow... oh, tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival, and people have already flown back to Taiwan for the holiday. When will Xiaoqiu be free?" Cui Shicheng asked impatiently.

"Usually free on weekends."

"Then I'll call you and accompany me to the engraving factory."

"No problem, I'll be here whenever you call." Qiu Yang said with a heck of a voice.

"I can't stand you guys, but it hit it off right away," Cui Dongxu, who was left out in the cold, got up with great taste, "You guys take your time, I'm going upstairs to read a book."

Cui Shicheng and Qiu Yang were gesticulating by the west wall, and no one cared about Cui Dongxu's departure. This made Su's mother, who was watching from the sidelines, very funny and relieved. I haven't seen Mr. Cui so easy-going and happy for many years. Well, this guy Xiao Qiu is really a pistachio. With him around, the taste of this family is much stronger. Maybe he can slowly change Mr. Cui's temperament and make this family more like a family.

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Please don't hesitate to give me your words, old friends, your encouragement is the driving force of the sun, heh...