By Jia Xiuzhen

On the eighth day of the lunar new year, the mansion offered sacrifices to the stars, with thousands of copper lamps and flickering lights, as if the stars had fallen to the ground.

After dinner, Mrs. Wang called Baoyu and told him, "Tomorrow, you will go to Miaoyun Temple with your second elder brother Lian to worship the stars, and then go to Qingxu Temple to pay homage to everyone's new year's star in the family." .They all have our horoscopes there, which ones to worship this year has already been decided, and one more don’t forget to get back the peace talisman that was offered.”

Baoyu agreed one by one, and asked again: "Didn't you only worship the stars in the Qingxu Temple in the past, why did you go to one more place this time?"

Mrs. Wang smiled and said: "How do you know this! The master of Miaoyun Temple has always lived in the palace, and now he is a famous living fairy. It's just that he is usually not in front of people, and it is difficult for ordinary people to meet. This year they Only by doing meritorious deeds, this day's time is given. When people go to worship the stars and pray for blessings, they are all presided over by the temple master himself.

Not everyone can go, it's because of your elder sister's favor that we got in, not even your uncle's.Your father is not at home, if you don't go, who will you go?It's just that this time I'm afraid several princes are also there, and you don't know all of them. You will be accompanied by your second elder brother Lian, so you just follow the ceremony. "

When Baoyu heard about it, he was very bored, and he knew it would not work if he wanted to shirk it.I had no choice but to agree.Mrs. Wang is also afraid that he will be rude in front of people tomorrow, so she doesn't need to remember all kinds of instructions.

Early the next morning, I packed up and took Mingyan, Li Gui and others, followed by Lai Da, who gathered Jia Lian and went to Miaoyun Temple together.I thought I might meet Feng Ziying, Liu Fang and others, but when I went there to have a look, that was not the case at all.

As soon as they arrived at the gate of the mountain, two clever Taoist boys came up to meet and greet them. After asking about their identities, they were led to rest in a single courtyard in the temple.After serving the plain tea, after a while, the officiant was invited to take a bath in the fragrant soup.After such a lot of tossing, I went to the front hall to wait for the sacrifice.It is a big hall, but there are curtains all over the inside, and small rooms are divided. On the top, an old Taoist recites Taoist scriptures loudly, and a group of Taoist priests of different ages gather around and kowtow from time to time.

After more than a quarter of an hour, two more young Taoist priests came over, looked at the star sacrifice token given just now, and led the two of them to a high platform.Along the way, no one else was seen.On the high platform, there is only one incense table, and there are two futons in front of them, and they kneel down.When I looked up, I saw that there were incense tables set up in a few places far away, and there were also people kneeling in front of them.It's just too far away, and there is still a meandering water in the middle, which makes it even more unreal.

I don't know how this high platform was built, there is a very high dome on it, and there are faint stars.With a yell, a Taoist with a wide robe and long sleeves, holding a wooden sword, stepped forward in the middle of the high platform.The place where he was was not higher than where they were kneeling, but the ground was covered with spell patterns, watching him step forward and back, it seemed to coincide with the spell.

Baoyu saw that he didn't seem to do the usual Taoist way, and he didn't have incense candles, and he didn't burn yellow paper, so he didn't know what he was doing.Just when he was wondering, he saw him suddenly withdraw his momentum, raised his wooden sword and pointed upwards, and suddenly the stars were shining on the dome, Baoyu felt that his mind was empty.Seeing him swaying from the side, Jia Lian thought he was frightened and quickly reached out to support him.He said again: "What kind of new technique is this? It's so popular now."

Baoyu asked in a low voice, "Second brother, don't you feel any discomfort?"

Jia Lian shook his head and looked at Baoyu again: "What's the matter? Did you just bluff all of a sudden?"

Baoyu shook his head, but he couldn't tell what it was like, so he said, "Go away when it's over, it's too weird here."

Jia Lian also nodded.Just as he was talking, he heard a proclamation: "The sacrifice to the stars is over, kneel down and kowtow to the gods."

Baoyu and Jia Lian hurriedly kowtowed twice to the incense table, and the two little Taoist priests who had just waited for them to come up came and led them back to the small courtyard where they rested at first, where the attendants were waiting.Another refreshment, Baoyu and Jia Lian resigned, and the Taoist boy sent them to the mountain gate, where they went to Qingxu temple again.

When I returned home in the next afternoon, I reported all my trip to Mrs. Jiamu Wang. Jiamu said with a smile: "This Miaoyun Temple is really different from other places. This arrangement is also interesting."

Mrs. Wang said: "Several families don't meet each other, but there are many stories missing."

Baoyu wanted to talk about the dizziness at that time, but he was afraid that it would arouse Jia Mu and Mrs. Wang's worries.And after all, nothing happened now, so I had no choice but to suppress it.He only said that he was tired, and Mrs. Jia Muwang told him to go back and rest quickly.

Jialan's New Year's Day is very boring at home, and his servants can't be with him all the time. He was strolling around today, and he heard a few women say, "Second Master Bao...Miaoyunguan...tsk tsk..." and so on. , the word Miaoyunguan fell into his ears.Thinking of those people who came to search the mountain last time, I made up my mind to inquire about it.

When I arrived at Yihong Courtyard, I heard that Baoyu had just come back, so I didn't care about the embarrassment of those big girls, and because of their young age, they yelled all the way: "Second Uncle Bao, Uncle Bao!" and went in.

Baoyu doesn't bother Jia Lan very much, he just treats him like a child.Seeing him coming, he let him sit down and let Xiren bring fruit.Jia Lan smiled inwardly, and began to talk about his "Aunt Lin" in a few words. Sure enough, Baoyu was talking and laughing a few times. How could it be that half-dead look just now? !

Jia Lan ate a piece of fruit cake and asked casually, "Where did Second Uncle go to play this time? Why is he so tired?"

No one can say what Baoyu is worrying about. For a child like Jia Lan, it doesn't hurt to say it.So he told the Taoist priest what he felt.Jia Lan frowned when she heard this, and asked, "Second Uncle Lian, is everything okay?"

Baoyu replied: "I asked Lian's second brother at that time, but he didn't feel anything."

Jia Lan glanced at Baoyu and thought to himself: "The Miaoyun temple has searched the mountain before, and when I went to look again, it turned out that several blindfolds there were untied, and even everything was gone. It can be seen that they are the same as the magic way. People have something to do with each other. The green-faced ghosts that the magician found out that day seem to be very similar to the things of Mo Yan Bao's second uncle Lian and second aunt that I heard before. In this way..."

Looking at Baoyu again, could it be that his second uncle is being targeted?Tsk tsk, but I don't know why.It's just that I don't know much about these spells, so I have to ask those boys, or wait for Sister Guiliu to come back, it will be easy to handle.

When Baoyu told the story, he felt a lot more comfortable in his heart.In addition, I didn't feel any aftermath, so I put the matter behind my head after a while.

Jia Lan went back to Daoxiang Village and told his mother about it.Li Wan nodded and said: "Forget it, I'll take a closer look at dinner later."

When Jiamu delivered the meal, Sister Li Wan and Feng waited in front of her. She took the time to focus her consciousness on Baoyu, and saw that her spirit was alive and well, and there was nothing suspicious about it.When I came back to discuss with Jia Lan's mother and son, Li Wan said: "I can't see anything now, and I don't have anything very useful here. If it is really missed, what kind of prohibition is used now to scare the snake away. Anyway, on weekdays Take a closer look."

Jia Lan nodded indifferently and said: "The Taoist priest of Miaoyun Temple doesn't know how true he is. Uncle Bao is fine, or maybe I'm overthinking. Don't worry, mother, I will make people stare there .”

Li Wan wanted to say a few words, but recalling Jia Lan's discourse on Taoism a few days ago, he swallowed his words, and said: "Be careful, don't suspect someone of stealing the axe, and cause trouble for the upper body."

Jia Lan didn't take this to heart, and said with a smile: "Mother is too careful, it's fine if I don't look for them now, and I'm afraid they will harm me?"

Li Wan suddenly asked: "Lan'er, if I tell you now that you are not allowed to interfere in this matter, what should you do?"

Jia Lan was taken aback for a moment, then quickly laughed and said, "Then I will naturally listen to my mother."

Li Wan asked with a smile: "Really? Just let this matter go?"

Jia Lan pursed her lips and said with a smile, "I won't interfere, just look at... the assembly, right?"

Li Wan stood up, stood in front of the window, and murmured: "Sure enough...there is no such thing as listening to anyone's words in this world, and when we arrive here, it's just my own words..."

Jia Lan never understood what he heard, so he just asked, "Mother? You really don't want me to take care of it?"

Li Wan turned back and smiled and said, "Didn't you just say that? I won't allow it, but you can always come up with a way to allow it. Don't worry about me, just do what you think. Put all your thoughts on preventing me from getting annoyed." , but lost caution on the other side, and the loss outweighs the gain.”

Jia Lan only heard that Li Wan did not prohibit him from doing things, so he happily agreed.Only he didn't notice - his mother disciplined him less and less now...

In a blink of an eye, the Lantern Festival was approaching, and Sister Feng discussed the festival arrangements with Mrs. Wang. Mrs. Wang said: "I just talked about it with the old lady yesterday. The lady told someone to bring it out. The old lady in the palace is not in good health. Nowadays, I have always been sincere and filial, even the lady We have reduced our meals and removed our make-up, and we don't want to make too much noise for fun."

Sister Feng was stunned: "Didn't you say that the concubine was not well? It's only been a few days, how come the empress dowager is sick?"

Mrs. Wang shook her head and said: "The concubine has been fine for the past two days, but the old empress has repeatedly announced the imperial doctor. Don't talk about this, the old lady said the day before yesterday, so let's invite some people from the clan and set up a few tables for a lively family banquet. Visiting relatives is not allowed this year, even the Lantern Festival feast has been withdrawn in the palace."

Sister Feng wrote it down as she said, and made arrangements for herself.

Mother Jia sent someone to ask Daiyu again. Daiyu wanted to stay at home to take care of the Lantern Festival, but she was still at home for more than a month. Mother Jia replied.

The Qing Xiaos naturally couldn't bear her, Daiyu smiled and said, "When I'm not at home, you can't have fun? Everything is ready, you just go and have fun, I'm here."

Qing Xiao said: "The girl is not here, just us, what's the fun? It's the same as when we were inside. Who has the means and who doesn't know? It's not surprising to see it out! It's better for the girl to take that The second and fourth girls next to us will come to our house, and that will be fun."

Daiyu nodded and smiled and said, "I can see it. You guys are all actors, and I'm the only one who needs to be on the stage! But it's not like that?"

Yue Lan smiled and said: "When I was studying in the original school, the master said that 'one who sees himself because of entertaining people's eyes is not the way'. Although we have listened to it for many years, we still haven't gotten out of this state of mind. I always think about it. When is the best time to show off your abilities."

Daiyu laughed loudly and said, "Sister Yuelan, it doesn't matter if Qingxiao and the others have said this, you are such a calm and quiet person, and you actually say such ostentatious words, it really makes people don't know what to say."

Yue Lan smiled and said: "This heart is no longer the way, and there may be a way forward for it calmly. If you still pretend to cover it up, I'm afraid you will really fall into the devil's den, and there will be no hope for diligence."

Daiyu nodded and said: "So that's the case. If you want to get rid of your heart disease, you must first be able to avoid it before you can talk about it."

Yue Lan said, "Young lady can say these words, that's why we want to 'show off' in front of you. If our hearts are too serious, we just want to show off our abilities, and she will only be jealous there." In the sense of self-pity, aren't we working in vain? Therefore, we can't blame us for showing off. If we really want to show off, we need someone who can understand it, and it's not easy to get."

Daiyu said with a smile: "Since that's the case, it's no fun to show off in front of me alone. After the new year, let's find a time to call them all. In this way, the bigger the stage is, the more you will show off your skills." , wouldn't it be better?"

After hearing this, Qing Xiao laughed and praised the plan.