Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

After saying this, the two men bowed to each other.

The servant initially paid little attention to the two monks, but upon hearing that it was Lingyin Temple, she immediately perked up and said, "Masters, please wait a moment, I will go and inform the master."

After saying that, he quickly went back, and soon returned to greet the two of them.

The two walked along the main building's corridor in the garden to the end, and then they entered the Autumn Mountain Peak, which was a yellow stone rockery. The stone was almost reddish-brown, and this single color alone evoked the feeling of autumn.

The mountain's elegance also lies in its harmony with the secondary peaks besides the main peak, and in the continuity of its mountain range.

Before long, they finally arrived at the main hall, which was decorated in a magnificent manner. Guangliang and Biqing, however, remained calm, as Lingyin Temple was no less wealthy than this.

Two people sat in the head seat. One was an elderly man dressed in brocade robes with an imposing presence, and the other was a woman dressed in gorgeous clothes with a pretty face. She looked to be about forty years old and still had a charming appearance.

In addition, there was a young girl standing in front of the woman. The girl wore a bright blue and gold-embroidered bun, adorned with yellow hairpins and several colorful openwork flowers, and two clove-bead earrings. She wore a light blue silk blouse with bright flowers and a brown silk ribbed skirt.

She wore a jade-green blouse, a pleated skirt with scattered floral patterns and misty green grass, and a light emerald gauze shawl. Her shoulders were like those of a sculpted figure, her waist slender and graceful, her skin like solidified cream, and her fragrance like a delicate orchid. She was as beautiful as a peach blossom in spring and as pure and elegant as a chrysanthemum in autumn.

The woman was indeed a beautiful woman, but both of them were monks who were ascetic and had no desires, so naturally they didn't know how to appreciate her.

"Amitabha! Greetings, Master Zhou and Madam Zhou."

Guangliang was the first to greet him. Usually, Biqing and Guangliang were the ones who received guests outside Lingyin Temple, so they were quite familiar with this Master Zhou.

"Please, gentlemen, have a seat!"

As he spoke, Master Zhou extended his hand to introduce the two men, inviting them to sit down beside him.

"Thank you very much!"

The two responded and, without any hesitation, sat down next to each other.

Master Zhou asked casually, "The two masters are not at Lingyin Temple. Why have you come to the Zhou residence to see me? May I ask what brings you here?"

As he spoke, he inquired, saying that he wouldn't mind donating some silver.

Upon hearing this, Guangliang and Biqing recounted the events, including the flooding of the Qiantang River and the purchase of grain for disaster relief by Lingyin Temple. They explained that the two men had come to the Zhou residence primarily for two purposes, the first being to purchase grain.

In ancient times, wealthy families had the habit of storing grain, and they also hoped that Master Zhou could contribute some money to disaster relief.

Because of their quirky personalities, the story they told was quite amusing, even making the girl laugh.

"I see!"

Master Zhou sighed and said, "Lingyin Temple is a place where people who live off the land have money to donate to disaster relief, so we should do the same."

As he spoke, Master Zhou made up his mind. He had long since realized that his adopted son was not a good person.

With so much money, it would be better to spend it on something useful.

Chapter 335 The Zhou Family's Great Calamity

Ultimately, Zhou Wencong was merely the adopted son of Master Zhou, and given his poor character, he wouldn't be left much of his wealth.

Master Zhou asked calmly, "Madam, how much grain do we have left?"

As he spoke, he asked his wife how much grain was left in the factory warehouse.

“Master, I have gradually handed these matters over to Wen Cong. You can have him come over and ask him.”

With that, Madam Zhou waved her hand and said, "Quickly go and invite the young master in."

After he finished speaking, the maid beside him nodded and replied, "Yes!"

A short while later, the servant brought in a young man from outside the hall. This young man was their adopted son, Zhou Wencong.

Zhou Wencong stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your son greets Father and Mother!"

After saying that, he lowered his head, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Madam Zhou smiled and said, "Wen Cong, there's no need for such formalities."

Although he was only their adopted son, they still invested a lot of affection in him, treating him like their own son. Unfortunately, that person was unaware of this.

"Yes!"

Zhou Wencong nodded in agreement. In front of his parents, he was very reserved, giving outsiders the impression that he was very polite.

Master Zhou smiled and said, "Masters, this is my son."

After saying that, he introduced his son to the two men.

When Guangliang and Biqing met Zhou Wencong, they saw that he was dressed in brocade robes and had a dignified appearance. It was truly unexpected that this boy would do something like murdering his adoptive parents.

"Oh! My son is very polite!"

As he spoke, Biqing responded repeatedly.

'Pfft! '

The young girl standing next to Madam Zhou couldn't help but laugh after hearing Master Guangliang's words; her smile was truly radiant.

Upon hearing this, Master Zhou felt a wave of dizziness. How could this young monk speak like that?

"What do you mean, 'my son'? You should call me 'Young Master'! Young Master Zhou is very polite!"

When Guangliang saw Biqing talking nonsense, he immediately scolded him.

After listening to the two people's conversation, Zhou Wencong felt resentful, but considering that his parents were present, he had to at least be polite, so he didn't say anything and just chuckled twice.

Master Zhou said calmly, "Wen Cong, I wonder how the recent harvest is, and how much rice and grain we have left in our warehouse."

As he spoke, he inquired about his adopted son.

"Reporting to Father, the Qiantang River has been flooded in recent months, and everyone's harvest has been poor. As a result, rice and grain have not been harvested in many places. As for how much is left in the warehouses, it is all recorded in this book."

After saying this, Zhou Wencong took out a notebook from his pocket and handed it to Master Zhou.

After receiving the money, Master Zhou carefully scanned it twice, then handed it to his wife, saying, "Madam, I wonder how much silver do you think we should donate?"

As he spoke, he asked for his wife's opinion. The two had been married for decades, and although there had been some ups and downs, their relationship was still very good.

After glancing at the account book, Madam Zhou smiled and replied, "How about we donate half of our family fortune to disaster relief?"

After saying that, she asked her husband for his opinion.

what?

Half of the family fortune.

Not to mention Master Zhou, even Guangliang and Biqing were quite surprised. The Zhou family had a large fortune, and if they donated half of their assets, they could help at least several thousand people.

"This...isn't this a bit too much?"

Master Zhou hesitated for a moment, then whispered his opinion to his wife.

"No, not much. You and I both started from scratch. We can't take this money with us when we're born, and we can't take it with us when we die. As long as we leave some for our children and grandchildren, it will be enough for them."

If one's children and grandchildren are incompetent, even a large fortune will be squandered; but if they are capable, they can rise again from the ashes.

As she spoke, Old Madam Zhou laughed; she had a rather easygoing attitude towards money.

After being persuaded by his wife, Master Zhou wavered and nodded in agreement: "Alright, my Zhou family is willing to donate half of our assets to disaster relief."

Having said that, he had essentially agreed.

The Zhou couple were completely unaware of the resentful look in their adopted son's eyes.

Guangliang and Biqing were extremely grateful after hearing what the Zhou couple said. They said, "Master Zhou, Madam Zhou, you are indeed compassionate. Buddha will bless you."

As they spoke, the two men stood up and bowed to the people at the head of the table. At the same time, they expressed their admiration for the Zhou couple, since not everyone is willing to part with their family fortune.

Some people, even after they die, still want to take their body to the grave!

"Hehe, thanks to the great blessings of the masters!"

As they spoke, the Zhou family smiled slightly. They were devout Buddhists, and hearing their words made them even happier.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Guangliang and Biqing decided to stay at the Zhou residence temporarily, and the Zhou family even sent servants to prepare tea and snacks for them.

However, the two of them were starving after traveling all the way, so they followed the wet nurse into the kitchen and ate vegetarian noodles.

Not long after, Madam Zhou arrived, saying she was preparing vegetarian noodles for Master Zhou. After Madam Zhou left, she ran into her son on the way and chatted for a few words, completely unaware of what was happening.

Zhou Wencong poisoned the vegetarian noodles, and after Master Zhou ate them, he died not long afterward.

"Something terrible has happened! Master, someone come quick!"

Upon hearing this, everyone rushed over. They saw black blood flowing from the corner of Master Zhou's mouth, and the dough on the ground had collapsed, burning the red carpet.

Indeed, the poison was too potent, and everyone could tell at a glance that the woman with the plain face was the culprit. However, seeing Madam Zhou crying bitterly, they couldn't very well say that she was the one who killed the master.

But that's what most people actually thought.

"Master, how could you leave me like this!"

Madam Zhou burst into tears.

Chapter 336 Courtroom Standoff

At this moment, Zhou Wencong, who had just walked in, burst into tears upon seeing his adoptive father's death. He squeezed out a few tears and wept while holding his father's body.

At this moment, the young girl Ru Ping came over. Seeing that her uncle had died, she was also very sad. However, no one suspected that Madam Zhou would kill her husband.

However, since someone had died in this case, it was naturally up to the government to handle it. Not long after, government soldiers came to arrest the person.

"mighty!"

Inside the courtroom, on both sides stood officials holding wooden sticks, who simultaneously shouted in low voices. The entire courtroom was arranged in a very solemn manner.