The journey of the only child of a peasant family to take the imperial examination

Classes at the provincial school were about to begin on the 16th day of the first lunar month, and Xu had been thinking about going to the Lingyin Temple in the suburbs on the 15th day of the first lunar month for the whole family to burn incense and worship Buddha.

This also has its own rules. Not everyone goes there every day. Most people choose the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month for a good omen.

The public security around Lin'an City is relatively good at the moment, so many people go out of the city to burn incense, at least much more than the Zhang family expected. There is a traffic jam at the city gate, and there are also many luxurious carriages from wealthy families.

Zhang Laoer could only slow down the mule cart in the traffic and move forward slowly with the flow of traffic.

Xu sighed, "It's worthy of being the capital. So many people are going to burn incense. We've already gotten up early and left, yet we're still stuck at the city gate."

"It's the capital, there are a lot of people, and everyone wants a good omen," Zhang Pingan replied, leaning against the car window and looking outside.

Originally, he didn't like to join in this kind of fun, but he couldn't resist Xu's insistence on going to worship, and Zhang Laoer also agreed, so he simply went out with her to relax.

Today is a rare good day, with no wind, no snow, and the sun is out, which is really suitable for traveling.

Only after we finally got out of the city did the road become smooth.

The mule cart moved slowly along the official road. On both sides of the road were farmlands with snow still on them. At first glance, there wasn't much to see, but the breeze and the fresh air would make people feel better involuntarily.

Liu Ya leaned against the car window to look out with some excitement, whispering with Wu Ya from time to time. She was much more energetic than staying at home.

Xu didn't care. She just ate a handful of melon seeds in her hand, feeling very comfortable.

After walking for about half an hour, we finally saw the gate of Lingyin Temple. Many carriages were already parked at the gate.

The temple is surrounded by towering ancient trees and curling with incense. It covers a vast area, and the occasional ringing of bells is melodious and deep. Just looking at it from afar makes people feel solemn and dignified.

When we arrived at the door, there were young monks welcoming guests, and there was a special parking area. Although there were many people, it was not chaotic.

After Xu and her family got off the mule cart, they tidied their clothes and then walked into the temple under the guidance of the young monk.

The first thing to do is to go to the main hall to burn incense and ask for a fortune, which is also the main purpose of this trip.

There were many pilgrims in the main hall, and everyone had to queue up and take turns to go in. When it was the Zhang family's turn, Xu walked in quietly with her children. After burning incense, she pulled a few people to kneel down, clasped her hands together respectfully, and prayed silently and devoutly, hoping that her son would be successful in his studies, her daughter would find an ideal husband, and the whole family would be peaceful and smooth!

Then the lots are drawn.

The temple is a very magical place. Whether you believe in these things or not, once you walk in, your mood will involuntarily become peaceful and you will forget the worldly troubles for a short time.

Zhang Ping'an followed Xu and kowtowed three times respectfully, then shook a lot.

After the mother and her two children came out, they were planning to go directly to interpret the fortune, but there were too many people. The young monk next to them suggested that they go somewhere else first. The scenery of the temple was also very nice, and it didn’t hurt to see more since it was a rare trip. They could wait until after lunch to come back, when there would be fewer people.

Xu thought about it and it made sense. Since she had come so far, she had to take a good look at it. She could also show off in front of her sisters-in-law when she returned.

Anyway, I have nothing to do today, and no one else objects.

So the family started to wander around the temple. In addition to the main hall, there are indeed many other places to visit in Lingyin Temple. There is an orchard on the east side and a vegetable garden on the south side. Unlike ordinary vegetable gardens, each row of vegetables is planted neatly and separated by stone slabs in the middle. It is very clean, practical and elegant.

There are also small Buddhist temples and vegetarian houses, which are mainly used by powerful people to stay here temporarily to copy scriptures and pray for blessings, making them appear more pious.

When they walked to the north, they saw a clear pond with many people gathered around it. Xu walked over to take a look with great interest and found that it was full of turtles and koi, big and small. There were also children feeding the fish with fish food begged from monks. When they saw the fish swimming over and competing for food, they laughed, and their laughter echoed in the temple.

Zhang Ping'an walked closer and saw that the sign blocked by people had the words "Release Pond" written on it. It seemed that the animals were released by pilgrims.

Xu was extremely disappointed. She could not appreciate these things. She spent money to buy them and then released them. In her opinion, they were useless and just a waste of time. She instantly lost interest in the release pond.

It is suggested to go early to eat vegetarian food, so that you can go to interpret the fortune and go home after eating. Vegetarian food is also a specialty of Lingyin Temple and is well-known.

When we went to the vegetarian hall, it was still early and not many people there. To order food, we had to go to the window and talk to the chef. It was a bit like a buffet.

Xu didn't want to spend more money, so she asked each person to order a bowl of vegetarian noodles as a token of her appreciation.

Zhang Pingan thought that it was a rare opportunity to come here, so he didn't listen to his mother. In addition to ordering noodles, he also ordered a few vegetarian dishes, which were said to taste like meat.

The chefs worked quickly, and the dish was ready in no time. Mrs. Xu complained about wasting money, but she ate it with great praise: "Hmm, it really tastes like meat, a bit like chicken."

"Really?" Wu Ya also tasted it, and then her eyes lit up, "It really tastes like meat, little brother, you should try it too."

"It's really delicious. The name 'Vegetarian Chicken' is a good one, very appropriate," Zhang Ping'an said with a smile after eating a piece.

Zhang Lao Er didn't care for these things; he just thought the food tasted good and praised it, "No wonder the chefs in the vegetarian hall are fatter than those in the main hall. The food really tastes good. The vegetarian dishes have a meaty flavor. The food is really good!"

After finishing the meal, Zhang Pingan saw that more and more people came to the dining hall. He thought it was almost time, so he took a few people back to the entrance of the main hall to interpret the divination.

By this time, there were not many people in the room, so it was soon Xu's turn. The person who interpreted the fortune was a kind-looking old monk who spoke slowly. When he interpreted Xu's fortune, he first unfolded the text and slowly read: "Good fortune is coming to you, and joy is rising. Auspicious clouds are swirling around you. Sincere wishes will be answered, and good fortune will shine brightly and bring long-lasting blessings."

Then he smiled and said, "Congratulations, female donor. This means good fortune is coming to your family. This is a very good fortune."

Xu laughed so hard that she couldn't stop. She quickly said, "There are also my son and daughter. Master, please help me take a look."

The fortune stick Zhang Ping'an drew only had two sentences. The monk who interpreted the fortune smiled and said, "From now on, your fame will rise and you will reach the blue sky. This is an excellent sign, benefactor. It indicates a bright future and you will definitely achieve great things in the future."

"Thank you, Master," Zhang Ping'an bowed and expressed his gratitude.

Xu felt very lucky today, having drawn two excellent lots. When she got to the lot for "Wu Ya Liu Ya", the old monk said, "Even though mandarin ducks are not destined to part, they are connected by a thread even though they are thousands of miles apart. Well, not bad, it's a winning lot."

"Ah, what does this mean?" Xu didn't understand those two sentences.

The old monk patiently explained: "It's just that your marriage may not go smoothly, but the final result will be good, so don't worry!"