Chapter 201: Praying to God and Buddha, Shou'an Hall Night Talk

The imperial examination began and the Imperial Examination Hall was closed.

The entire Bianjing's original restlessness suddenly subsided, and a sense of peace and tranquility suddenly emerged.

The test will be held early the next morning.

Hualan accepted the invitation of her mother Wang Ruofu and went to Yuqing Temple to burn incense.

Not just Yuqing Temple.

As soon as Hua Lan walked out of the Yuqing Temple, she was dragged by Wang Ruofu to another place.

When they were about to go home at noon, they could be seen under the statue of Confucius in the Da Ci'en Temple and the famous academy outside the city.

It can be said that visiting a temple is like visiting a fair.

After finishing everything, Hua Lan was exhausted, so she didn't go to Sheng Hong for lunch, but went straight back to her home to have lunch and rest.

Jiying Lane.

Sheng family.

Wei Ruixuan.

Sheng Hong is also on vacation at home today.

The dinner table.

Looking at Wang Ruofu's slightly tired expression, Sheng Hong was slightly touched.

Although he didn't think burning incense and praying to Buddha was useful, Wang Ruofu's concern for her children was more real than gold.

Seeing Wang Ruofu's extreme behavior, Sheng Hong wanted to talk to her for a while, comforting her to relax and not be too anxious. But before he could open his mouth, he saw Wang Ruofu hurriedly running to the Taoist hall in the side room where statues of gods were enshrined.

"Didn't you go out to worship this morning? How come you can't even take care of your meal when you get home..." Sheng Hong murmured in a low voice as he watched Wang Ruofu's departing back.

He just doesn't understand.

Why is it that Wang Ruofu is not so honest on weekdays, but now he is trying to cram at the last minute?

Sheng Hong shook his head, ignored it, and started eating slowly.

After having enough wine and food.

Sheng Hong originally planned to take a rest for a while, but after thinking about it, he decided to walk towards the meditation hall while digesting his food.

"I want to see which true master you are worshipping."

Even Wang Ruofu doesn’t come to this Taoist hall often, let alone Sheng Hong.

The only time he came in was when he happened to see Wang Ruofu crying inside, so he came in to comfort her. But at that time he only focused his attention on Wang Ruofu, and paid no attention to the statues and Taoist priests who seemed to be of no concern to him.

However, Sheng Hong knew that Wang Ruofu and Hua Lan went to Yuqing Temple, a Taoist temple, so he naturally thought that Wang Ruofu was worshipping the Taoist God.

With the intention of watching a good show, Sheng Hong tiptoed towards the side room.

Once inside.

I saw Wang Ruofu kneeling on the mat, with her hands clasped together, facing the portrait in front of her...

portrait?

Sheng Hong was stunned.

He thought that when Wang Ruofu burned incense and prayed for blessings, there should at least be a shrine or a statue of Taoism, right?
Why did you put up a portrait of a god...

Ok?
Why are there three paintings hanging?
Sheng Hong was stunned again.

"I didn't expect my wife to understand the principle of sharing the spoils equally," Sheng Hong muttered to himself.

Sheng Hong had also seen the small Buddhist hall arranged by Old Madam Sheng, but it was very different from the one Wang Ruofu had at the moment.

It cannot be said that they are exactly the same, it can only be said that they are completely unrelated.

Sheng Hong became curious and immediately walked forward.

As I got closer, I heard Wang Ruofu muttering in a low voice with her eyes closed:

"Please God bless my Bai Er High School!"

Sheng Hong raised his eyebrows slightly: "Hmm, it turns out that he is not the Taoist priest, but the Buddha."

Then Wang Ruofu in front of him moved slightly to the side and uttered:
"Emperor Wenchang, you must make sure my Bai'er passes the exam and is on the list!"

???

Sheng Hong's face was immediately filled with question marks.

You were chanting for the Bodhisattva before, and now you are praying to the Emperor?

He thought that the three portraits were of gods from the same system, but he didn't expect that one was from Buddhism and the other was from Taoism.

Wait, Sheng Hong's heart skipped a beat. The third picture couldn't be...

"Master Confucius, my son Bai'er has been reading your books and talking since he was young. He holds you in his heart the most. You must protect him and help him pass the imperial examination!"

"..."

Sheng Hong: I thought she treated everyone equally, but I never expected she treated everyone the same.

Sheng Hong leaned forward again and took a closer look.

Sure enough, three portraits with different styles were hung on the same wall, bringing together Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.

I couldn't help but feel funny and blurted out:
"Confucius said, 'The Master does not speak of strange things, supernatural powers, or gods.' You worship all three. Which one are you praying to?"

At the same time, Sheng Hong understood why Wang Ruofu went out, and he looked tired.

I'm afraid he didn't just go to Yuqing Temple, he might have also visited the other two.

"Too much oil will not spoil the dish, and too much courtesy will not be blamed."

Wang Ruofu looked at Sheng Hong and explained:
"Don't worry about which deity it is. As long as I offer more incense, they will naturally bless our Changbai."

Sheng Hong didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said helplessly:

"If Changbai has real talent and knowledge, then his name will definitely be on the list no matter what.

If he is just an illiterate commoner, it would be useless even if you ran to India and knelt at the feet of the Western Buddha to beg for mercy. "

"Whether it's useful or not, I've always done my best."

Wang Ruofu said hurriedly:
"Look at the Duke and Duchess of Qi. They went to the Daxiangguo Temple to burn incense early this morning and donated several hundred strings of money."

"Oh?"

Sheng Hong's expression was slightly teasing:

"Didn't you go to Yuqing Temple? How did you know about the Daxiangguo Temple? Did you go there too and see it?"

"I...I didn't go either." Wang Ruofu stuttered.

She was not wrong.

She went to the Da Ci'en Temple, not the Daxiangguo Temple.

At this point, Wang Ruofu remembered that the Duke of Qi and his wife had prayed together, so it would definitely be more effective. So she immediately stood up and walked to Sheng Hong, stretched out her hand to push and urge him:
"Sir, you come and worship too."

"I won't bow!"

Facing Wang Ruofu's invitation to play in a double row, Sheng Hong refused:

"Just worship on your own, why are you dragging me along?"

Wang Ruofu tugged at Sheng Hong's sleeves a few more times, but Sheng Hong seemed to have taken root and didn't move at all, with resistance written all over his face.

At this time, Rulan's voice came from outside:

"Mother, Fang Mama is here to talk to you!"

Mother Fang came to tell me that the old lady must have something to talk to me about.

Wang Ruofu did not dare to delay and could only glare at Sheng Hong angrily, then let go of his hand and walked out of the house.

Only then did Sheng Hong breathe a sigh of relief.

Then he looked up at the statue on the wall and the cushion on the ground, and seeing that there was no one around, he immediately felt tempted, but to be safe, Sheng Hong still walked out of the door and peeked outside.

Make sure no one is around.

Sheng Hong then quickly walked to the futon and knelt down on his knees.

"My dear gods and saints, I beg you to use your great powers to bless my sons Chang Feng and Chang Bai, so that they can pass the imperial examination and bring honor to our Sheng family."

"May the gods and Buddhas bless you, may the gods and Buddhas bless you!"

"..."

Sheng Hong closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and worshiped devoutly to the statue in front of him, muttering words to pray for Changfeng and Changbai to get into high school.

Eventually, the passion faded.

Sheng Hong seemed to remember that his son-in-law Yang Wenyuan was also taking the imperial examination, so he added:
“If the Divine Master has the energy to do so, I hope he can protect my son-in-law Wenyuan.”

Sheng Hong was muttering to himself when he suddenly heard a noise coming from outside the door.

Hearing the noise, Sheng Hong knew that Wang Ruofu had returned, so he quickly stood up and put on a serious look again.

Wang Ruofu entered the room and saw Sheng Hong still standing there, looking at the portrait on the wall with a thoughtful expression, so she immediately continued to persuade him:

"Sir, why don't you worship too? It won't do any harm for Bai'er!" "Go away, why are you worshipping?" Sheng Hong spoke in a very firm tone, pulling up his trousers.

"Okay..." Wang Ruofu seemed a little discouraged.

As he spoke, Sheng Hong unconsciously brushed away the non-existent dust in front of his knees with his hand.

After a moment, he seemed to realize something, his arm stiffened, and he immediately retracted it, while asking:

"What did mother want to talk to you about just now?"

Wang Ruofu didn't notice Sheng Hong's abnormality, and just replied:
"My mother asked me to go to Shou'an Hall for dinner in the evening. She said she had something to discuss."

Sheng Hong nodded.

"I specifically asked Fang Mama to come and pass on a message. I think there must be something important to discuss. Then let's go to Shou'an Hall to have dinner with mother tonight."

"What us?"

Wang Ruofu looked at Sheng Hong with a strange look:
"Didn't I tell you that my mother only allowed me to go? Why are you going to join in the fun?"

Obviously, Wang Ruofu still remembered the grudge against Sheng Hong for not worshipping the gods, so her words were a bit harsh.

Sheng Hong was caught off guard and choked, unable to utter a single sound.

After a while, he said with an embarrassed look:
"Then I think it's about women's affairs. Why didn't you say it earlier..."

Wang Ruofu also felt that this was the case, but did not want to agree with it, especially since Changbai and Changfeng were taking the imperial examinations at home. If she went to Shou'an Hall for dinner, Sheng Hong would definitely go to Linqi Pavilion tonight, which made her feel even more uncomfortable.

"I heard that everyone in Linqi Pavilion has a copy of the Book of Changes and carries a compass with them everywhere they go. Sir, since you don't want to worship the gods, you can go to Lin Xiaoniang's place for a fortune-teller during dinner." Wang Ruofu said calmly.

"Is there still this?"

Sheng Hong didn't expect that not only Wang Ruofu was praying to God, but Lin Qinshuang was also secretly making efforts.

But Sheng Hong didn't want to do it anymore.

He could still pray to gods and Buddhas, but the I Ching and the abacus were really difficult for him.

So he frowned immediately:

"That's outrageous! You don't work hard on weekdays, and you just do this kind of thing at home. If this gets out, I'm afraid people will laugh at you!"

After saying that, Sheng Hong ran out.

Seeing Sheng Hong's aggressive look, Wang Ruofu immediately looked happy, thinking that he was going to cause trouble for Lin Qinshuang.

With a tone of gloating, he hurriedly asked:

"Sir, are you going to take care of Linqi Pavilion?"

Sheng Hong paused:
"Why are you going? I have to go on official business!"

Sheng Hong is not stupid.

Both sides were showing off their prowess, but his balance was not completely tilted towards Lin Qinshuang. It was more like a triangle formed between him, Wang Ruofu, Lin Qinshuang and Wei Xiaoniang.

Although it is not an equilateral triangle, I don’t want to be biased towards either side.

Therefore, there is no time to hide, so how could I possibly think of moving forward?

Seeing that Sheng Hong was not going to call for punishment but instead seemed to be fleeing, Wang Ruofu pursed her lips.

night.

Shou'an Hall.

Wang Ruofu took Rulan to Shou'an Hall for dinner.

Now that Wang Ruofu is close to Old Lady Sheng, and Hualan often goes home, Rulan comes to Shou'an Hall more frequently.

The more times you meet and the longer you spend together, the more familiar you can become with anyone, let alone grandparents and grandchildren.

And because Rulan's carefree personality makes it easy for the old man to like her, so when Rulan returns to Shou'an Hall now it's like going home, without any of the usual restraints.

As soon as Wang Ruofu called her, she came happily.

Shou'an Hall did not arrange for us to dine at the same table tonight.

Instead, he placed a small table in the front room for himself and Wang Ruofu to have dinner there. As for Minglan and Rulan, they went to Minglan's own room to eat.

When Wang Ruofu saw this, he immediately understood that there was something to discuss.

Minglan and Rulan left and were taken care of by Mother Liu.

Then Mrs. Sheng asked Fang Mama to watch outside the house. When Wang Ruofu looked at her in confusion, she spoke:

"Madam, do you know why I am looking for you today?"

Wang Ruofu shook her head honestly.

"There's a letter from the He family at Baishitan."

Old Madam Sheng took out a letter from her sleeve pocket, handed it to Wang Ruofu, and asked her to open it.

While Wang Ruofu was reading the letter, Old Lady Sheng said:
"The letter sent to me by Old Madam He just arrived today, saying that she will be leaving for Bianjing in the near future. Calculating the date, she should arrive around mid-to-late March."

Wang Ruofu simply glanced at the letter handed to her by Old Lady Sheng. It was unclear whether she had read it clearly or simply trusted the old lady's words.

After hearing what Old Lady Sheng said, she immediately put down the letter in her hand and said with a happy expression:
"I have been looking forward to it for so long, and finally Old Madam He is here!"

Hualan has never been pregnant with a child, which is the biggest worry in Wang Ruofu's heart.

Last winter, I learned that Old Madam He was going to Beijing, so I wanted to borrow the favor of Old Madam Sheng to help take a look.

I thought it would come in the spring, but no news came after waiting for a long time.

But this matter cannot be rushed.

After all, it is you who asks others for help and wants them to do something for you. You can't always rush them, right?
Now that the news has finally come, Wang Ruofu can finally feel relieved.

Old Madam Sheng saw what Wang Ruofu was thinking and said:

"After all, my old sister is only two years younger than me, and she's older now. It was a very cold year last year, so I guess that's why she came a little late."

"It's not too late, not too late." Wang Ruofu waved her hand quickly.

Although she felt it was too late, she could not say it out loud, even in front of Old Madam Sheng.

In the end it's good.

Old Madam Sheng nodded and continued:
"She came to the capital this time with her little grandson, He Hongwen, who is about the same age as Changbai and Changfeng, and is also unmarried."

"what?"

Mrs. Sheng’s words immediately made Wang Ruofu’s mind full of imagination.

At this age, he still comes to my house. Could it be that he wants to meet someone?
Seeing Wang Ruofu's behavior, Old Lady Sheng remained calm and said:

"You don't have to think too much. I don't think my old sister came here for marriage. After all, my daughter still has one or two years before she reaches the age of marriage. It must be something else that made her write with some sadness."

"Depressed? What's that for?" Wang Ruofu asked puzzledly.

Mrs. Sheng immediately gave Wang Ruofu an unpleasant look:
"I haven't seen her for a long time, how can I know?"

Wang Ruofu immediately fell silent in anger.

"But it's good that she's okay."

Old Madam Sheng spoke slowly:
"Since she told me in advance in the letter, I guess she is asking us for help. This can just offset our problem and avoid having to owe us a favor."

The older you get, the more you think.

If it were when they were young, given the friendship between Old Madam Sheng and Old Madam He, helping someone would be just a matter of a word.

But now that they are both old, they should not only think about their own friendship, but also consider their future generations.

In this way, helping is no longer a personal favor, but falls more on the two families, which then has to be counted as a debt of favor.

As we all know, the debt of favor is the hardest to repay.

It would be best if we could help each other and owe nothing to each other.

"That's the best!" Wang Ruofu nodded hurriedly.

Wang Ruofu was originally worried that Old Lady He had brought He Hongwen here in order to propose marriage.

And the most outstanding one in his family is his daughter Rulan...

Wang Ruofu naturally refused.

Although the He family in Baishitan is good, Rulan at home is no longer the same as before.

My elder sister is the eldest lady of the Marquis’ Mansion.

His brother was also about to become a young and promising new Jinshi (although she prayed to gods and Buddhas for blessings, Wang Ruofu had a blind confidence that Changbai would pass the imperial examination).

He Hongwen is just a grandson of the He family. He will not be able to inherit the main family in the future and can only be a branch of the family.

Wang Ruofu was extremely unhappy.

She also wanted to give Rulan a son from a scholarly family or a noble family in the future, but she couldn't let it end up with He Hongwen.

Wang Ruofu felt relieved knowing that Mrs. He had needs.

She didn't believe that there were any problems in Bian Jing that she couldn't solve.

If worst comes to worst, isn’t there still the Marquis of Pingyang’s Mansion?
After all, it is for the inheritance of the Yang family.

If we can’t solve it ourselves, then let the Yang family solve it!
(End of this chapter)