Chapter 56: Heading to Tongyang Temple

  As the train lurched forward, Fang Qing opened a side window and leaned over to gaze out.

  Amidst the endless cornfields, a small house occasionally appeared, its smoke curling against the backdrop of the rising sun and the green hills in the distance. Fang Qing's restless heart finally settled.

  Ever since that day at the hospital, when she had an argument with Wen's mother, Fang Qing hadn't seen the Wen family since.

  Her mother told her that Wen Ling and Wen Ning had both come looking for her, but she refused to leave, so her mother had to persuade them to leave.

  Fang Qing sighed. Although Aunt Wen's words had made her uncomfortable and even aggrieved at the time, after calming down and reflecting on them, she realized that she had indeed been unlucky over the past two years.

  First, she'd encountered hooligans, then been attacked at school. She'd finally gotten over it, and now, Wen Ling had been kidnapped...

  Fortunately, she'd gotten through it all without incident. But now, looking back, it was indeed her fault. Was she really, as Aunt Wen claimed, a jinx?
  Fang Qing leaned against the window, puzzled. She'd never believed in such things before, but if she could be reborn, what else could be impossible?
  The thought of being alone again made Fang Qing feel a little lost. After all, she longed for friends...

  Seeing her sister staring out the window again, her eldest brother Fang Ming, wary of her wandering thoughts, pulled out a deck of cards from his pocket and offered them to her. "Want to play?"

  Fang Qing, bored, shook her head.

  Fang Ming gritted his teeth. "50 cents a win!"

  Fang Qing turned back in surprise. "Why are you so generous today? You dare to play so big? Don't you want to save money?"

  Fang Qing understood. "What a joke! Am I going to lose? Don't you dare to play?"

  Fang Qing, seeing her brother so forthright for the first time, immediately shifted her focus, stretched, and sat back. "Come on, whoever loses buys ice cream..."

  Fang Ming shuffled the cards. "Little guy, just stop crying later..."

  As the sun set, the four members of the Fang family finally got off the train at Taishan Station.

  Fang Qing touched the dozen yuan in his pocket and winked proudly at his eldest brother. "Thank you, brother!"

  Fang Ming felt a pang of pain, but his sister finally gave up her stern expression. The loss was worth it. She casually tossed her large bag and said, "No big deal."

  The family of four exited the platform, a little lost in the unfamiliar city.

  Fang's mother, who had never traveled so far before, clutched her bag, unsure of what to do next. Meanwhile, Fang's father calmly urged the three of them to follow him. "If anyone tries to stop you, ignore them and just follow me."

  Fang Qing, despite having lived two lifetimes, had never traveled far, let alone to a strange city looking for reliable accommodations. He could only clutch his backpack and follow his family quickly.

  As they exited the train station, a group of people gathered around them, trying to persuade them to stay in a great hotel. Fang's father sternly refused and quickened his pace.

  But Fang's mother hadn't seen much of the world. Although her husband warned her to ignore them, the people surrounding her were talking so much that she was actually tempted. "Decai, this lady said her hotel is new, clean, and cheap. Why don't we go check it out?"

  Fang's father took a few steps and saw that his wife hadn't followed him. He turned back and saw that his wife, with shining eyes, was about to follow them. Infuriated, he returned and quickly left with his wife and children.

  "We don't need it!"

  Fang's mother watched her husband's face darken. She could only shut up and follow him.

  The four of them walked along the main street for a long time before Fang's father saw a noodle shop and took his family inside. They ordered a few bowls of noodles and two side dishes, and chatted with the owner as they ate.

  The owner was a local, a skilled cook, and very welcoming. He was immediately interested when he heard that the family was looking for a temple to burn incense.

  "We're not famous in Taishan for anything else, but this temple is famous! Not to mention the surrounding hills and temples, Tongyang Temple on Jingtai Mountain is at least hundreds of years old. I heard a few experts came a while ago to renovate the temple..."

  The four of them enjoyed a satisfying meal and a pleasant chat with the noodle shop owner. Mr. Fang, drawing on his past experience of connecting with locals while working in the countryside, not only learned the directions to Tongyang Temple from the noodle shop owner but also found two reputable hotels. After

  paying, Mr. Fang and his family followed the noodle shop owner's instructions and quickly found the hotel.

  After handing over their IDs and household registration books, the hotel staff confirmed they were a family of four and recommended a suite and two double rooms. Mrs. Fang decided the suite was the right choice and finally paid for it and took the keys.

  The suite, located on the second floor, was spacious and clean, with a wide view. Fang Qing ultimately chose the small bed in the small room, while his parents and eldest brother chose the two large beds outside.

  After a night's rest, before dawn the next day, Mr. Fang gathered everyone and groped their way to Tongyang Temple.

  The morning breeze blew across Fang Qing's cheeks, bringing with it the moist air and the refreshing mountain air. He wiped the sweat from his face, gazing at the towering peak and sighing, "How long will it take to reach the summit?"

  His father and mother, already well advanced, turned back to see the lagging siblings, waving their arms and shouting, "Hurry up! Don't stop! The climb will be even harder once the sun comes out."

  The siblings panted, holding onto their knees, and took the steps one step at a time. After walking for an unknown amount of time, they finally came upon a pavilion halfway up the mountain. Two elderly white-haired men were already inside. Though they looked elderly, they appeared to be in good spirits. Seeing the family of four ascend, they smiled and asked.

  The elderly couple lived at the foot of the mountain. They had been professors at a provincial university. Now retired, they had returned to their rural home to enjoy their remaining years. They climbed the mountain every morning, listening to the morning bells and occasionally enjoying a vegetarian meal at the temple. Their life was quite comfortable and relaxing.

  The old lady seemed to like Fang Qing very much. She pulled Fang Qing to her side and kept asking her how old she was and what she wanted to do in the future. Fang Qing was very kind and patient to the old lady, and answered them patiently with a smile.

  It was said that the family of four came out not only to relax, but more importantly, they wanted to let the Buddha's light from the temple remove the bad luck from their daughter. Hearing this, the old couple laughed, "What era is it now? We don't care about these things! But Master Huizhi on the mountain is very knowledgeable about calligraphy, painting and philosophy. If you can meet him, it won't be a wasted trip..."

  After saying goodbye to the two old people, the family of four continued to move forward, listening to the birds singing in the mountains and the gurgling of the stream. When the sun climbed to the top of the mountain, the family of four finally reached the top of the mountain.

  Crossing a stone path, Fang Qing carefully separated the trees on both sides, and everyone finally saw the legendary Tongyang Temple.

  (End of this chapter)