A piece of Japanese incense

The temple door is half-open, and the wooden door has long lost its former glory. A few rays of light shine through the cracks, and it seems that one can still glimpse the pious figures of the believers passing by.

The land temple is surrounded by weeds and wild flowers sway in the wind. They have found a new home in this abandoned holy land.

"Looking at this situation, it must have been a long time since anyone has set foot here. It's right here."

I pointed to a random location, and Yuzhu and the others began to carry the sacks one by one to the open space.

Inside the temple, the statues are covered in dust, the incense burners have collapsed, the stone walls are covered with moss, and only a few broken candles silently tell of the loneliness that no one cares about.

Aban stood silently alone on the steps in front of the temple, which once carried the footsteps of countless believers but are now invaded by weeds and saplings, which tenaciously grow out of the cracks.

"Ah He." Ah Ban's voice was gentle.

I heard the shout and turned to answer him. He stood there motionless, quietly waiting for me to approach.

"I've heard my father mention this temple before."

I looked at him with some surprise.

"Eight or nine miles west of Suiyuan, there is an abandoned Zhangxian Temple. The wall painting shows a man holding a bow and arrow and shooting a celestial dog." Aban seemed to be repeating the words of Butler Wang.

I looked around inside. The statue was still sitting there solemnly, but the gold paint on it had peeled off, revealing the original color of the soil underneath, and it looked a little lonely. The murals around it, which once vividly depicted the colors of mythological stories, had been painted into a gray background by time, with only a few traces of remaining beauty.

"What a coincidence! The first place you arrived after leaving Suiyuan was here." I patted his shoulder with relief.

"This is what my father told me before you entered the secret room." He lowered his brows and said with a slightly sad look.

I immediately felt that this temple was extraordinary: "Why mention this temple?"

"I'm not sure. He was already dying at that time, and his speech was intermittent." Aban felt a little regretful.

"Oh, right! Aban! Do you still remember? Your father's two big boxes!"

Upon hearing this, Aban's eyes lit up.

"When we get back and open the box, we'll know what he has to say!"

A-ban smiled, took big strides, and helped Yuzhu and the others dig the land.

As the night deepened, the deep blue sky was dotted with sparse stars, and the dim glow of the street lamps was sprinkled on the cobblestone road in the alley.

We were like cautious cats, leading our horses silently through the familiar alleys. Our heartbeats quickened with each light step, and every step we took felt like we were stepping on cotton, fearing that the slightest sound would break the tranquility of the night.

The stone steps at the back door of my house seemed like a checkpoint. I held my breath and gently pushed the door open. The creaking sound was particularly loud in my ears.

When we passed by my grandmother's yard, we slowed down, tilted our ears slightly, and listened to the movements inside the house, fearing that any sound would wake them from their deep sleep.

My mind kept replaying the possible scenarios:

Will the door lock get stuck?

Will Fugui suddenly wake up and start barking?

What if my mother is still not asleep? How should I explain why I come home so late at night?

How to explain to her the existence of Aban and keep him in the mansion?

These thoughts flew around in my mind like a swarm of buzzing bees, making me feel anxious and irritated.

"Ahe!"

My heart was beating like a restless deer, running wildly in my chest.

Fortunately, it was Yu Nian's voice. I pulled him and trotted into his room, carefully introducing Aban to him.

Yu Nian looked at Aban. Aban's breathing became shallow and rapid, as if a deep breath would break the silence around him.

"Let him stay here with me tonight." Yu Nian frowned, and his eyes flashed with sharp rays of light like knives.

I didn't dare look directly into Yu Nian's eyes. My body leaned forward slightly with my shoulders drooping.

"Look at what you look like! How many times have you rolled in the mud?" Yu Nian pinched the corner of my clothes, looking very disgusted.

I grinned at him and said, "Brother Nian, you have to keep it a secret for me. I will come to settle Ah Ban tomorrow after I deal with mother."

"Ah He!" Ah Ban pulled my arm reluctantly.

"Go back and take a shower quickly!" Yu Nian seemed a little impatient.

I patted Aban on the shoulder and comforted him before returning to my own courtyard.

As the dream passed, a burst of urgent and powerful dog barking suddenly penetrated the dream and broke my sleep. I slowly opened my sleepy eyes, and Fuguier's eager eyes and wagging tail awakened my sleeping consciousness.

"Fuguier~" I called softly, put my hands through the curtain, gently hugged Fuguier's head, closed my eyes and took a nap, enjoying this brief tranquility.

"girl!"

"Ahem, girl!"

The sound of Yutuan and Yuyi whispering came one after another.

"I know! I know! Can you please stop reciting...ah...mother!"

My mother was sitting upright in front of the bed, staring at me, her face flushed red, and she said nothing. The air around them seemed to be frozen, filled with tension and oppression.

I pushed Fuguier away, jumped off the bed, and hugged my mother's legs with my hands: "When did you come? Why didn't you wake me up in advance?"

I blinked my eyes, tilted my head, pouted my lips, and put on an innocent look.

She stood up expressionlessly and left the room.

Yu Tuan sat down on the stool: "It's over, it's over, what does this mean, young lady? Did the master tell her that I speak without restraint and want to kick me out of Yun Mansion?"

I sneered at her with a gloating look on my face: "Yutuan, you are just guilty!"

"Anyway, I said it was you who taught me, I don't care~" Yu Tuan sighed to the sky.

I lay on Fuguier, lazily not thinking about anything.

What is coming will eventually come. After a peaceful breakfast, the family meeting came as scheduled.

Because Yu Nianchao passed the exam and was appointed to the Hanlin Academy, he was only punished by having him eat a plate of greasy braised pork, which he hated the most, when he returned home for a month.

But for me, haha, it’s different. The matter of entering the palace has not been finalized yet. However, I cannot leave the house within two years, even on my birthday.

I was so angry that I laughed, ha——ha——ha——

Forget it. (I’m angry that I didn’t post the 2000 words.)

I followed Yu Nian dejectedly towards his yard.

"Ah He, what are you going to do with that person? He can't stay in our house forever." Yu Nian lowered his head and asked quietly,

"His house was burned down, where can he go?" I asked.

"What nonsense! How dare you bring anyone home?"

I suggested: "Oh! That's right! Brother Nian! You are very knowledgeable, you can teach him to read and write. Or you can let him live with you."

"How can he, a living person, stay in my house all his life?"

"Oh yeah..." I thought.