dragon pen

A cool breeze blows.

The blow woke up the little monk sleeping under the window.

Shi Kong moved, and when he woke up, he found that his body was much refreshed, and the feeling of being muddled, dizzy and dizzy like falling into a quagmire in the dream disappeared... The pen in his hand was already dry, and the half-copied scriptures had already been blotted with ink It was so stained that it could no longer be used, and the brazier in the meditation room was still burning, but the charcoal fire seemed to be burning out.

"Junior Brother Shikong, Junior Brother Shikong," came the "creaking" sound of people stepping on the snow with one deep foot and one shallow foot. I am thinking about you, let me see if you are awake, and send you some dumplings by the way..."

Shi Kong touched the corner of his lips in embarrassment: "I just fell asleep for a while."

Hui Neng smiled and said, "The scriptures have been copied?"

Shi Kong was stunned for a moment, and quickly stood up from the couch: "Wait, there's still a while—huh?"

A stack of scriptures was accidentally knocked off with his elbow, and the little monk bent down to pick them up, only to find that the scriptures contained the already copied "Heart Sutra". Shikong's familiar font... Shikong blinked, and he didn't realize what was going on: Could it be that he sleepwalked while sleeping and copied these scriptures by himself?

"—Hey, you really obediently copied the scriptures five times. Master just found a reason to let you come to sleep in the meditation room, you honest-minded..."

Seeing the stack of scriptures in Shi Kong's hand, Hui Neng also widened his eyes slightly in surprise, and then glanced at the young monk in the meditation room: "Then you really didn't sleep today?"

Shi Kong yawned, and said helplessly, "Go to bed... I don't know what's going on. Before I went to sleep, I had a bit of a cold, but now I'm fine."

"Then you have a Buddha Lord helping you in your dream." Huineng smiled and handed the food box to Shi Kong through the window, "Eat it while it's hot."

Shi Kong answered and took the food box, and when he put it down, he wanted to thank Huineng, but found that the latter had already left as if he was rushing to do something... Shi Kong scratched his head, and lifted the food bowl , there were indeed steaming dumplings inside——the delicious smell of food penetrated into his nose, and he felt that he was already hungry, so he quickly stuffed one into his mouth, the fragrant juice mixed with cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and water chestnuts Flowing over the tip of the tongue, it was the temperature that just scalded the mouth, and swallowed it whole, although the taste was not clear, the whole person warmed up along the esophagus!

After eating three or five dumplings, the feeling of hunger receded a bit, Shi Kong slowed down the speed of gorging, and was picking up the next dumpling, ready to taste it, when there was an annoying voice from the window——

"Is this the only way to eat during the festival?"

Shi Kong put down his chopsticks, and turned his head to look at the man who appeared by the window at some unknown time—the latter saw him turn his head, and poked the little monk's face bulging because of the dumplings in his mouth: "Today, I'm going down the mountain." The street is so lively, the vendors along the street sell everything, candied haws, sugar figurines, and cotton candy. Children as old as you are all around, screaming, jumping, and monkey-like, but you are sitting here, watching Reading monk scriptures and eating a few dumplings is considered a holiday.”

Shi Kong swallowed the dumpling, twisted his head, "I want you to take care of it."

Zhu Jiuyin lazily said: "You are not optimistic."

Shi Kong snorted: "Seeing that you can't be optimistic."

Zhu Jiuyin lay by the window, thought for a while, and simply reached out to take away the little monk's food box. The latter raised his eyebrows and let out a "ah", but he took the food box and retreated a little later to a place out of Shi Kong's reach: “所以本君便说你们这些秃驴了无生趣，明明是个爱上蹿下跳的年纪，怎么就把人活生生给逼得死气沉沉……别人家的熊孩子还在为太皮打碎了碗要被揍烦恼, but you are sitting in the meditation room and copying that broken scripture—”

"Copying scriptures can calm people down."

"Are you in your twilight years or have you stepped into the coffin with one foot? What peace of mind do you need at such a young age!"

"I want you to take care of it!"

"Can you say that?"

"There will be something else: return the dumplings to me."

"not return."

When the little monk propped half of his body on the edge of the window and wanted to reach the food box, Zhu Jiuyin immediately raised the food box so that he couldn't reach it, and at the same time pressed the other hand on the little monk's face He forcefully pushed back: "Are you going down the mountain with me to play?"

"No more! I still have something to do!"

"I asked other bald donkeys, you are not on duty tonight, monks don't lie."

"That's not going down! What are you doing down the mountain!"

"Eating, drinking and having fun? Do whatever you want, it's inexplicable to guard this cold temple on a big holiday..."

Seeing that the man held the food box as if he was unwilling to return it to him, Shi Kong was really angry, and he slapped away the big hand that was pressing on his face: "I've been here all these years. I don’t think it’s boring and inexplicable to read scriptures during the day and eat dumplings during the festival. Why do you have to judge others by your standards? You’re not me, why do you have to provoke me—”

"Because it's fun."

"..."

The man's raised arm was lowered, and half of his face was poked out from behind the food box. The man narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled, "It's like spotless rice paper, you can't help but want to see if the rice paper is stained with What kind of interesting things will happen if you choose another color—you didn’t disappoint me, after I fed you a drink this morning, your annoyed and intoxicated appearance is so interesting.”

"..."

As the man said, he couldn't help stretching out his hand to poke the dazed face'——

"Go down the mountain, Xuan Zhi." He said viciously and jokingly, "If you don't go down the mountain, I will sue your master for being lazy by borrowing demonic methods to copy scriptures. Is there an unusual aura in the copied scriptures?"

Shi Kong heard the sound of "creaking" when he was grinding his teeth: "Didn't you say that you are not a demon?"

"But I'm not a fairy either." Zhu Jiuyin smiled even brighter.

Shi Kong paused for a moment, then stretched out his hand and slammed the wooden window shut in front of Zhu Jiuyin's face!

Looking at the tightly closed windows, Zhu Jiuyin snorted meaningfully, then turned to look in the direction of the Zen room door——

A moment later, under his unsurprising gaze, the door of the meditation room was creaked open from the inside, and a dejected little monk came out from inside. Standing under the moonlight, his fair skin was almost covered in white snow. Transparently, he stared at the tall man carrying the food box: "I hate you."

Zhu Jiuyin: "Hee."

The little monk lowered his eyes and seemed to give up struggling: "...I'm only going for a while, and I have to come back to wash my clothes."

Zhu Jiuyin sneered, pinched a dumpling from the food box and stuffed it into his mouth as if he was in a good mood, chewed it and muttered "it's not good", and put the food box on the window edge.Then he rolled up his sleeves and walked towards the little monk——

"After eating the dumplings at the foot of the mountain, you will never like the dumplings at the Monk Temple again."

"Shut up."

"I'm not. Watch out for your feet. Hey, you seemed to be stepping on a group of ants just now. It's so miserable. I was carrying some food for the festival but was trampled to death..."

"Really?! Where?! Ahhh I didn't see—"

"I lied to you."

"..."

"Heh heh heh."

"I hate you!"

"Oh."

……

This is the first time that Shi Kong came to the foot of the mountain on a festive day. As Zhu Jiuyin said, the winter solstice at the foot of the mountain is really very lively--some sell all kinds of traditional winter solstice cakes, some sell rouge gouache gadgets, and some sell various kinds of pastries. A variety of lanterns, and the sound of selling along the street is endless...

People in thick padded jackets wandered the streets after dinner, and those with unsatisfied stomachs stayed in front of the steaming booths to drink tofu brains and eat exquisite pastries; Mixed with adults worrying about telling them not to run away...

"Here."

With something warm stuffed in his hand, Shi Kong looked down, only to realize that it was a roasted sweet potato... He was slightly taken aback for a moment, and then his heart felt sour—because every year on the winter solstice, Senior Brother Hui Hai would eat it early in the morning. He would drive them out of bed, ask them to go to the backyard to sweep the fallen leaves, and then rush to get a few sweet potatoes before dinner, and everyone gathered together and roasted them with fallen leaves and dead branches...

Snow fell early in Jinling during the winter solstice this year, and the dead branches could not be swept away, and no one yelled at them to get up in the morning to prepare for those little things that violated the temple rules and were found out by the master and would be scolded.

Shi Kong lowered his head and took a bite of the sweet and hot roasted sweet potato, but he couldn't taste it——

"Why, with an expression of wanting to cry or not, as if someone wronged you, don't you want to eat this shit?"

Shi Kong turned his head to look at the tall man behind him. The latter stood behind him, separating the crowded crowd from him, leaving a small world alone... At this moment, he saw the little monk with black pupils Staring at herself, Zhu Jiuyin smiled strangely: "Today you were dripping halazi and muttering about roasted sweet potatoes in your dream..."

Shi Kong blushed, and quickly tensed his face to defend: "I don't drool when I sleep."

"How do you know you're asleep." Zhu Jiuyin reached out and took the roasted sweet potato from the little monk's hand, and threw it into the garbage dump behind him, "Throw it away if you don't want it."

"Ah, I didn't say no to—"

"Crying while holding food is a defilement of food."

"What kind of nonsense are you!"

"The tofu nao in front looks good. Would you like a bowl? Do you want sweet or salty?"

"..."

Seeing the man who completely disregarded what he said and instructed and immersed himself in his endlessly enjoyable world, Shi Kong lost his temper completely, and was interrupted by madness, and the sadness in his heart because of thinking of Hui Hai was also forcibly washed away ...Passing his unsatisfied stomach, he compromised and said, "I want salty ones."

"Oh."

After a while.

Shikong stared at the sweet tofu brain in front of him: "?????"

"Tofu nao is delicious only if it is sweet. Put the syrup boiled with sweet-scented osmanthus and brown sugar. After a bowl of hot, fragrant and sweet, you will feel warm and feel happy like a fairy!" Zhu Jiuyin held her face in her hands. Laughing, "Salted tofu brain is a cult."

Shi Kong had no choice but to scoop up a spoonful of tofu nao, put it on the tip of his nose tentatively like a puppy, and then tasted it with the tip of his tongue: "You have already made up your mind and asked me what to do..."

The sweet-scented osmanthus sugar is very fragrant and the taste is not bad.

"Basic courtesy is still required."

"..."

The tofu flower that had just entered his tongue almost spat out, Shi Kong raised his eyelids and looked at the man sitting opposite him - people in the whole stall were eating tofu flower in full swing, but the man didn't even touch the bowl in front of him, He just held a small white porcelain pot and drank the liquid in it... Amid the rich sweet-scented osmanthus fragrance, Shi Kong could vaguely smell the sour plum.

"What are you drinking?" He craned his neck.

"Plum wine, how can you not drink in such a cold day, your penis will freeze off."

"...If you drop it, it will fall," Shi Kong said blankly, "Anyway, you have two."

"..."

"Am I wrong?"

"Here, do you want it?"

Zhu Jiuyin smoothly raised the cup on his lips and stretched it out to Shi Kong, only to see that the little monk was stunned for a moment, and then he fell back violently like seeing a demon—even with the little monk on the small table in front of him. The spoon and the bowl also made a slight collision sound, Zhu Jiuyin was stunned: "What are you doing?"

"Take it far away!" Shi Kong looked like he was facing a big enemy, and blushed for some reason, "I don't want it!"

This look of excitement...

Zhu Jiuyin raised the corners of her lips.

"Oh, you don't want to."

So, three hours later.

It was nearly midnight, and the crowds on the lively streets finally dispersed. The festival was about to end, and people went back to their homes to turn off the lights and prepare for bed. When the small vendors also dispersed, the whole street finally fell into silence.

There was a rattling sound of bricks and tiles coming from a certain house.

Sitting swaggeringly on the house, the man held a pot of small wine bottles that seemed to never be filled in his hands. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and looked up at the dim moon in the sky with a calm expression... not far from him, stood A little monk, with a flushed face, milky white heat exhaled from his lips——

The sound of rattling tiles came from under his feet.

At this moment, his eyes were hazy, as if covered with a layer of water mist. He was holding a goldfish-shaped lantern in his hand, and he was walking unsteadily on the narrow eaves. The man in the distance looked at himself: "Look and see! How far is it between me and the guy who was juggling and walking alone?"

Zhu Jiuyin turned her head away, just in time to see him crooked and about to roll off the eaves with a sound of "ah", and hooked his fingers quickly with quick eyesight, and a force picked up the fallen little monk forcibly, and brought him safely to the ground. Put it back on the eaves—

The lantern rolled down to the ground, and the candles inside went out.

The little monk lay on the eaves with his butt pouted, stunned for a while, then grinned silly for a while, and turned into a sad face in the next second, and crawled to Zhu Jiuyin's side with hands and feet.He tugged at his sleeve and said pitifully, "My lantern is off, huh."

Zhu Jiuyin: "..."

The little monk rubbed and rubbed, and his whole body climbed onto Zhu Jiuyin's back like a pile of mud, and pulled his hair: "This benefactor, hiccup, my lantern is gone! It's gone! This little monk is very, very sad." , be merciful, let me let this little monk get drunk to ease your worries with the wine in your hand!"

A thick plum smell mixed with alcohol penetrated into Zhu Jiu's Yin nose.

"...You are already drunk, and you are still drunk to relieve your worries."

Can't bear it anymore, Zhu Jiuyin reached out and grabbed the person on her back. The latter was thumping in his arms and wanted to grab his wine bottle. Zhu Jiuyin quickly lifted the bottle and lay on his arms out of reach of people: "Don't drink."

"You coaxed me to drink again just now, and now I'm not allowed to drink! I'm not allowed to eat dumplings! Why are you like this!" Shi Kong kicked his legs, "I don't care! My lantern is gone! I broke the precept again! I want to drink! "

Zhu Jiuyin simply threw the white jade bottle away, and there was a crisp "pop" sound from the backyard, as if something had been smashed——

"Look," Zhu Jiuyin spread her hands, "It's gone."

Shi Kong was stunned.

Then he cried with a "wow" and got up from Zhu Jiuyin's arms in a hurry. He pushed the man hard: "You did it on purpose! You deliberately led me down the mountain, made me break the precepts, and didn't let me drink. Hate you!"

"What wine do monks drink..."

"The wine and meat have passed through the intestines, and the Buddha's heart will stay!"

"Hey, then don't you care about the second half of the sentence?"

"..."

"?"

"Then I won't be a monk anymore," the little monk muttered with an aggrieved face, "What's the point of being a monk and you can't drink alcohol, and you can't eat meat. If there is no meat in the dumplings, there will be no eggs. Without eggs, I have nothing. Want to eat meat."

"..."

Zhu Jiu wiped his face tiredly, and for the first time seriously repented, as if he had really done something bad——

Hair was pulled again.

"You pay me for wine! I won't be a monk if I have wine! Hahahahahahahaha! I still want to eat meat! Roast chicken! Roast goose! Roast frog!"

And now he is suffering retribution.