On the eve of Chinese New Year's Eve, the thin snow branches, the cold is devastating, the rivers are silent, and the mountains are white. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

Qixia Mountain is located in the western suburbs of Huadu, with majestic mountains and beautiful scenery, and has been a holy place of Buddhism since ancient times. On the top of the mountain, there is not only the royal temple Huguo Temple, but also many temples on the mountainside, and the literati and scholars all come here to visit.

Qingxin Nunnery is the only nunnery among the many Buddhist temples on Qixia Mountain, the environment is quiet, the scenery of the four seasons is different, every year there are many dignitaries and dignitaries of the female dependents come to burn incense and worship the Buddha, so the incense is prosperous.

As soon as the sky dawned, Qingjia took a broom and worked hard to clean up the snow in front of the Qingxin Nunnery, the snow was still falling, fluttering and sprinkling, but listening to the presiding teacher, these days there will be nobles who come to burn incense and worship the Buddha to come to the nunnery to pray for blessings, the snow road is slippery, in order not to disturb the guests, it is necessary to keep letting people sweep the snow on the ground. According to the instructions, Qingjia cleaned very seriously, and didn't know if he missed the breakfast time, so he hurried to the back kitchen, and finally only got two steamed buns that were already cold.

It was too cold, and his hands were frozen like freshly pulled carrots, Qingjia lowered his head and took a bite of the steamed bun and swallowed it hard, feeling lost and annoyed and wanted to cry.

The days on the mountain are bitter, monotonous, and boring. Although the Qingxin Nunnery is flourishing with incense, it is a place of Buddhism after all, even if it is as proud as Master Xuanhong, it must abide by the rules and precepts, and there must be no transgression. For girls who are only in their early teens, it is extremely painful to spend their youth here every day.

Qingjia had never come down the mountain, and she didn't know what the outside world looked like, and the other children on the mountain were roughly the same. Only Ming Fan beside Xuanhong Shitai is different, she can not only follow Xuanhong Shitai down the mountain, but every time she comes back, she will bring back something they have never seen before. At the age of ten, a piece of maltose made Ming Fan become angry in the hearts of all the children.

Every time Qingjia recalls the sweet taste, smashes it, smashes it, and can't help but think that it is really the best thing in the world.

Just as Qingjia was savoring the tempting taste in his memory, he stuffed the steamed bun that had become a little rough after being cold into his mouth. Suddenly, someone pushed her behind her back, so shocked that she trembled, and the remaining half of the steamed bun in her hand fell to the ground, and when she turned her head, Ming Fan stood behind him with an expressionless face, and said in a voice as high as usual: "My master asked me to look for you, saying that someone is looking for you, and you are in the backyard, you go quickly." ”

With a sigh in my heart, looking for my own?

Qingjia was a little incredible, and was about to ask, but Ming Fan already seemed to not want to look at it anymore, shook the Buddha beads in his hand and turned to leave, Qingjia scratched his head and was a little puzzled, and then quickly picked up the steamed bun that had just fallen on the ground, patted it and put it in his arms: Amitabha, Master Xuanhe said that wasting food is a big sin, and it is unavoidable.

After praying silently in her heart, Qingjia hurriedly ran to the backyard, the snow was getting heavier and heavier, and it took a short time to fall on her shoulders and her hair everywhere. When she arrived in the backyard, she saw Mrs. Xuanhe waiting for her at the door, Qingjia ran over happily, Mrs. Xuanhe gently patted the snow on her body, and her eyes were soft and kind: "Your family is here, ready to take you back, you get along well." ”

Qingjia never expected it to be like this - family?

She grew up in the Qingxin Nunnery, and always thought that she was abandoned by her parents like other children of the same age.

Now when I hear the news, I can't react for a while, panicked, I can't believe it, and there are many more shocks than surprises. Qingjia couldn't help but hesitate, feeling apprehensive in his heart, he looked at Xuanhe Shitai, and his eyes were full of panic. Mrs. Shi stroked the scattered hair around her ears for her, and said gently, "Go ahead." ”

Qingjia looked at Mrs. Shi in a daze, nodded half-loudly, and pushed the door in.

The inner room of the reception of distinguished guests, Qingjia has not been here a few times when he has grown so big, the place of Qing cultivation is simple, but there is nothing special but it is much more spacious than the ordinary wing room, the ground is paved with smooth bluestone bricks, the front wall is enshrined with the golden body Guanyin, the Buddha lamp lasts forever, and the sandalwood is curling. Master Xuanhong sat on the right seat, habitually rubbing the Buddha beads made of white jade in his hand, while talking to the first graceful and luxurious lady below.

Qingjia stood at the door in a daze, her thin body couldn't stop the invasion of wind and snow, and in the backlight, the corners of her clothes that moved with the wind made her tremble like a little beast pulled out of the nest by someone else.

Master Xuanhong smiled too widely: "Silly boy, close the door quickly, what are you doing blocking the door and eating wind." ”

At this time, the lady in the crimson dress also looked over, and her expression was kind, and beckoned to her: "Come here, let me see." “

Qing Jia stood in front of the lady stiffly, and her fingers, which were red from the cold, were almost numb, but at this time, they involuntarily hid in the wide sleeves and twitched. The lady glanced at her carefully, and Qingjia was so shocked by that look that she couldn't help but lower her head.

"After all these years, you have grown so big," the lady seemed to sigh, paused, and said to her, "I am your mother." ”

Qingjia Huoran raised his head, looked at each other, and saw that the lady added lightly: "Mother-in-law." ”

That clear tone made Qing Jia slightly stunned, and his mouth opened and he couldn't speak.

However, the lady did not know whether she was not paying attention or not caring, ignoring her shock, and continued: "I came today to take you back, calculate, you are already fourteen, and you are about to reach the end of the day." Any later delay would delay your life's work. ”

“…… You go and clean up," paused, looked at Qingjia in a gray and shabby cotton robe, and frowned: "That's it, there's still no need to bother, there is everything in the house, and there will be nothing missing from you." ”

Qingjia didn't react and just listened to Mu Mu, but his heart sank a little bit, and he didn't pay much attention to what the person behind him said, and the whole person was immersed in his own thoughts.

She wanted to ask why she had grown up in the nunnery since she had a family, why no one had ever told her for so many years, why they had never seen her......

Her brain was so messy that she didn't hear Master Xuanhong calling her, and it wasn't until her arm was touched that Qing Jia came back to her senses, her eyes widened silently, and she didn't know why.

Master Xuanhong couldn't help laughing and said: "There is still some time, you might as well go and say goodbye to your master, presumably she must be reluctant to give you, she should have something to say to you." After that, he waved his hand: "Go quickly." ”

Qingjia listened to the words and retreated softly.

……

Unconsciously walked to the door of Mrs. Xuanhe, and before she could knock on the door, she heard Mrs. Xuanhe's calm and peaceful voice inside: "Qingjia? ”

"Hey." With just one word, Qingjia himself could find that his nasal voice was aggravated, and his eyes were sour and unbearable.

"Good boy, come in."

Gently pushing the door open, Master Xuanhe was meditating, knocking on the wooden fish with one hand and plucking the Buddha beads with the other, looking serene and solemn.

Qingjia didn't dare to make a sound, so he stepped forward quietly, saw that the Buddha incense was about to burn out, and took out three sticks from the incense table and lit them, and then bowed three times to the statue of Guanyin, and respectfully inserted it into the incense burner.

At this time, Master Xuanhe slowly opened his eyes, and the sound of the wooden fish also stopped abruptly, and his expression was rare and serious.

"Qingjia, good boy, you have to listen carefully to everything the teacher says now, it is a matter of your life experience......

Qingjia knelt on the futon, and there was a faint feeling in her heart, I was afraid that something that would change the fate of her life was about to come out, and she couldn't help but feel manic.

Then, Mrs. Xuanhe looked directly into her eyes and said, it turned out that she was the concubine of Lu Yi, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, and was born only three months later than the eldest daughter, because her mother died in childbirth when she gave birth to her, and Mrs. Lu had to bring her into the courtyard to raise her with her eldest sister. But the eldest sister was born in poor health, and she was sick for a long time, and she didn't get better until she was half a year old.

For the sake of her daughter's body, Mrs. Lu was exhausted, and in order to seek peace of mind, she invited Mrs. Xuanhong of Qingxin Nunnery to come and light the longevity lamp for her eldest daughter. The eldest daughter's frail health is also the reason why fate is against her.

Mrs. Lu watched her daughter sick and dying every day, while the concubine was lively and active, and the nurse who was only half a year old could take care of her tiredly. Now that I heard this, I was even more resentful, and I didn't have the heart to investigate the truth of this statement, and I couldn't wait to send this child away immediately, and I wouldn't see it in this life.

Master Xuanhong often wanders around these powerful inner rooms, how can she not know what this Mrs. Lu is thinking, so she said: "If Mrs. is relieved, she can hand over the second lady to me and take her back to the nunnery, so that the daughter can recuperate with peace of mind, avoid disasters, and keep the family safe; Then the second lady serves the Buddha, not only to cultivate the body and mind, but also to accumulate good fortune for your house, so that the adults will have prosperous official fortunes and the family will be safe and happy. As for the second lady herself, she can be regarded as filial piety to her parents and good at being good at sisters. Xuan Hong's tongue was full of lotus flowers, what he said was reasonable and well-founded, Mrs. Lu already disliked this concubine, so she naturally obeyed everything.

In this way, the little child was sent to the mountains as soon as he was weaned, and this stay was fourteen years. In the first year, when the relatives of the Lu Mansion came to burn incense and worship the Buddha, outsiders gossiped and looked at her a few times, and then it was probably the eldest daughter's body that gradually improved, and Mrs. Lu did not come much.

Master Xuanhe doesn't know much, but he has a rough idea.

"Master......" Qingjia's heart turned over the river and the sea, and finally only converged into one sentence: "I don't want to leave, I don't want to go back......"

She grew up here, and in her heart, this place has long been her irreplaceable home.

Mrs. Xuanhe raised her since she was a child, and she is like a teacher and mother in her heart. Although the days on the mountain are hard, she is willing to eat. Now she wants to follow a person who is completely strange to her, she is not only dazed and scared but also sad, knowing the cause and effect, no one should like her in that house, instead of begging for disgust, it is better to be accompanied by the ancient Buddha of the green lantern on this mountain, anyway, she has long been used to life here, and she doesn't feel anything bad.

"Silly child," Master Xuanhe touched her head as he had done countless times before, and then took her into his arms and patted her on the back, as if to soothe the frightened little animal: "Master can't bear you, but he can't mistake you." At your age, it's time to plan well, and since they came to pick you up, it means that they are still interested. If you can find a good family, it is better than a lonely life in the mountains, if you are reluctant, it is not too late to come back if you are really unsatisfied, there is a teacher, there is always a place for you. ”

Qingjia's heart was sour, and she couldn't help crying.

The thin body trembled in Mrs. Shi's arms, Mrs. Xuanhe was helpless, this child was raised by her, and it was already a mother-daughter relationship.

Qingjia stayed in Mrs. Xuanhe's room for a while, and it was not until lunchtime that she could stop her choked voice and went out with her master.

There was nothing to pack up, and Mrs. Lu wouldn't let her bring those old clothes. After lunch, Mrs. Lu was about to leave. When the other children in the nunnery heard that Qingjia was leaving, they were envious and reluctant, and they all ran to the door to see each other, which made Qingjia cry for a while, until Mrs. Lu and others were impatient, and people urged and urged, and then they got on a red-skinned sedan chair that followed.

The mountain road is rugged, the road is slippery in snowy days, where has Qingjia sat in a sedan chair before, only to feel up and down, dizzy and bloated, and vomited twice on the road. Mrs. Lu's face became more and more bad, gloomy as the black and oppressive sky.

Finally went down the mountain, changed to the carriage, the carriage was wide, the official road was wide and smooth, and the driving was much smoother, Qingjia was tired and hungry, and fell asleep in a daze. I don't know how many hours later, she was woken up, lifted the curtain, and got out of the carriage, only to find that the place where the carriage stopped was a magnificent and luxurious mansion.

Qingjia has never gone down the mountain, only feel that this gate is more generous than that of Qingxin Nunnery, the two stone lions at the door are vivid, and the plaque hanging in the middle is engraved with the word Lufu, although it is late at night in winter, but the lights are bright, very conspicuous.

The guard at the door saw Mrs. Lu open the door respectfully, and a middle-aged man came out from inside, and said, "Madame is finally back, let the old slave go to ......."

Before the guard's words were finished, Mrs. Lu waved her hand: "No need, it's late at night, there is no need to alarm others," the corner of her eyes swept over Qingjia, whose cheeks were cold and red, and said lightly: "Steward Li, this is the second young lady, I am probably tired of running all the way today, let's settle in Xiyuan tonight, and wait until I see the master tomorrow before making plans." ”

Steward Li replied in a low voice, and Mrs. Lu didn't say anything more, tightened the red fox cloak on her body, took the delicate hand stove handed over by the maid and walked straight to the main courtyard.

It's been a day, and everyone is tired.

"Second Miss, please come with the old slave." Steward Li has been in the Lu Mansion for many years and has always been cautious in his duties, although Mrs. Lu does not like Qingjia very much, but he is still respectful and polite.

Qingjia nodded, wanting to help him get the lantern, but Steward Li refused with a smile: "Second Miss, this can't be helped, let's let the old slave come." ”

Qingjia had no choice but to give up, so he had to follow him step by step. The Lu Mansion was very large, Qingjia didn't know how many corridors he had passed through, and when he met a few pavilions on the road, and his body was about to freeze, Steward Li finally stopped in front of a small single building, and there were two maids waiting in the house. Steward Li instructed: "This is the second young lady, who has been praying for the Lu family on the mountain before, and when you return to the house today, you will serve well, be careful in everything, and don't be lazy." ”

The two maids hurriedly answered and welcomed Qingjia in. Steward Li stood at the door and bowed down and said, "The old slave here has sent someone to clean it carefully today, and the young lady will rest here tonight." ”

Qingjia nodded, tired, hungry and sleepy, she only felt that she was about to faint. After Steward Li left, the two maids were also clever, one brought snacks and the other prepared hot water. Qing Jia was very tired, ate something, soaked in hot water to warm up and fell asleep.