TEFSCBSS Chapter 27

Chapter 27: I am the Senior Brother of the Vajra Temple

The matter of raising pigs at the Wang residence came to an end. It was the last show of defiance from Wang Taifu, facing his son who indulged in his favored concubines and neglected his wife, as well as his grandson who spent his days in revelry.

Since beating and scolding were ineffective, and his daughter-in-law wouldn’t listen, continuing to borrow money even after he stopped giving her monthly allowance, Wang Taifu decided that instead of merely withholding food and supplies, he would renovate the courtyard. The master would raise pigs, the maids would tend to chickens, ducks, and geese, and the servants would cultivate the land.

From dawn to dusk, meals would depend on their crops. If they couldn’t grow food, they would go hungry!

This plan was kept secret from the rest of the capital, and the people in the residence swallowed their pride, quietly enduring. They avoided going out unless necessary. If it hadn’t been for his long absence from Han Yueyi, and if Han Yueyi hadn’t insisted on treating him today, Wang Bokao might not have left the house at all.

Thankfully, he had discovered a place where he could make money without relying on physical labor or his looks — the Xilou Script Shop.

As long as he maintained a spot in the top ten rankings, he would earn a couple of silver coins every month. Perhaps there would even be competitions, and he could earn more silver like he did today.

After finishing everything, Wang Bokao reminisced about the day’s gains and fell into a comfortable sleep.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the capital, a small monk named Wuzhen, dressed in ragged clothes, returned to his humble temple — the Vajra Temple — carrying a large bundle.

Inside the temple, a group of young monks, all with shaved heads and tattered clothes, sat around an elderly monk, the abbot of Vajra Temple, listening to him recount the story of the Buddha cutting his flesh to feed an eagle.

“Long, long ago, there was a mountain where a great monk was chanting scriptures. Suddenly, he saw a hungry eagle chasing a dove, intending to eat it.”

“The monk, feeling pity for the dove, hid it in his robes to protect it. But the eagle, enraged, said, ‘If I do not eat this dove, I will starve. You saved one life, but another will be lost. Is this mercy?’”

“The monk understood the eagle’s reasoning, but could not release the dove. So he took a knife and cut his flesh to feed the eagle.”

“Thus, the dove was saved, and the eagle got food, and both lives were preserved.”

“This is supreme merit.”

The abbot, with a gentle smile, stirred the porridge as he spoke to the young monks, “Children, you must also do good deeds. Saving a life is more virtuous than building a pagoda.”

The young monks nodded, though some were puzzled. One monk with big eyes asked, “Grandmaster, why did the monk cut his flesh? That must have hurt!”

“Yes, it was painful. But the monk was doing something of great significance, something that allowed him to disregard the pain.”

“If one day you encounter something important, no matter how hard or painful it may be, you won’t be afraid.”

The big-eyed monk thought for a moment and nodded with understanding. “I understand. It’s like how I get tired from practicing horse stance every day, but it’s for protecting the abbot and my fellow monks, so no matter how difficult it is, I can keep going.”

The abbot smiled with satisfaction, patted the young monk’s head, and began distributing the porridge.

Hearing the door open, the abbot looked toward the entrance where his old disciple Wuzhen had returned.

“Wuzhen has come back.”

“Master,” Wuzhen responded.

He closed the door behind him and rushed inside, handing his bundle to the abbot. “Master, today I earned some alms in the city and got about one or two silver coins. I spent some of it on buns and pastries, and brought them back for the monks. Please share with them.”

Wuzhen also handed over a large stack of copper coins he had exchanged for.

Sighing, the abbot looked at Wuzhen with a mix of affection and concern. Wuzhen, who was normally rather shy, had somehow managed to gather this amount of money. Normally, alms were given in the form of food, not money.

Wuzhen, now a bit embarrassed, explained the events of the day.

“I went into the city to ask for alms, and I happened to come across a new shop opening. They said that by playing a game, you could win rewards.”

“The total reward was fifty silver coins, but since there were many participants, I managed to answer one of the questions correctly, and that’s how I got my reward.”

The young monks were immediately intrigued. “What kind of game was it? I want to play too!”

Wuzhen chuckled. “It’s a game that tests your knowledge. Do you know of the scholar Wang Qiemu?”

They all nodded, as Wang Qiemu often came with the late mistress, bringing food and treats for them.

“He was in the game with me. He earned a lot of money, do you know why?”

The monks shook their heads.

“Because he read a lot. He found many clues and gave everyone hints, and that’s how he earned so much!” Wuzhen fabricated this story to inspire them, hoping they would learn from it.

“Wow, Wang Qiemu is impressive! I want to be like him!” they exclaimed.

Wuzhen nodded exaggeratedly, then playfully patted the monk with the big eyes on the head. “Of course! From now on, each month, I’ll take the disciple who has learned the most characters and recited the most scriptures to the city to play.”

The big-eyed monk’s face fell. “Does that mean I’ll never get a chance?” He was the slowest to learn and struggled with even the simplest characters.

A monk who had been quietly helping the others distribute food and porridge patted the big-eyed monk’s head. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to wake you up early every day to study.”

The big-eyed monk’s eyes widened in alarm. “Second brother! I can’t get up early!”

“You’ll be studying, not waking up for no reason!” the second brother teased.

“No, no! I’ll study on my own!” The thought of the second brother’s strict discipline made him shudder.

Wuzhen cleared his throat. “Wufei, stop teasing him.”

Wufei smiled and didn’t press the issue, urging the monks to eat and go to bed.

Once everyone was settled, the elderly abbot, tired from the day, went to sleep.

Wuzhen and his second brother Wufei sat side by side on the temple steps, looking up at the moon.

“Brother, was the city fun?”

“It was fine, but being with you all is the happiest.”

“You’re too sentimental. They’ll grow up. Don’t coddle them so much.”

“Even so, in this world, it’s a blessing to get through each day happily. Don’t push them too hard. You always scare them with that stern face.”

Wuzhen patted Wufei’s shoulder. “I’m here. I’ll find a way for all of you.”

He then took out the last of his copper coins and handed them to Wufei. “Here, I saved these for you. With this, you can go play the game at Xilou Script Shop, or buy some food and clothes, or even some books you’d like.”

Wufei took the coins, tucking them into his pocket, grumbling, “You worry too much.”

Wuzhen gave him a playful slap on the back of his head. “Still talking back?”

“I won’t do it again,” Wufei muttered.

Later that night, after lying down on the grass mat, with younger monks sleeping on either side, they all stared up at the distant stars, their thoughts drifting.

“Brother, was that game fun?” the big-eyed monk asked again.

“It was fine.”

“Brother, what if tomorrow I take Wuming to play?”

“Do what you want. Go to sleep.”

The quiet night was filled with the murmurs of monks discussing the new script game, a fresh thing in their otherwise simple lives. It seemed to stir up a bit of excitement like fish attracted to the ripples in the water, curious about the world beyond.