vision of dawn

South of France, Toulouse.

St. Ann's Monastery is an ancient monastery. Little monk Liao Liming heard from the priest that it has stood on this land since the Middle Ages. It is white, sacred and beautiful.

Liao Liming spent seventeen springs in this monastery. He loves his Lord and is satisfied with his life, because since he can remember, he has been a little monk in this monastery. Liao Liming surrounds Jesus every day He spins around, always wears a robe with a narrow neckline, and is used to hiding his face under the hood when he walks.

The Saint-Ann Monastery in Southern France is not as old as the famous Jacobin Monastery, so there are very few people who come to confess and practice.

But Mr. Xi is an exception.

The man who came strolling from that grassy road is called "Xi", and he will continue to visit this suburban monastery steadily from June to August every year.

Other monks called Mr. Xi a "pious believer" with admiration, but Liao Liming once heard Mr. Xi's accompanying interpreter secretly complaining that he was a "lasuperstition"—a superstitious person.

Liao Liming thinks this is very inappropriate, because Mr. Xi is doing business between Asia and Europe, and it is only normal for him to hope that his honest business will be recognized by the Lord, so as to gain some extra money-making luck.

This Boss Xi is currently running a fresh-keeping shipping line and a winery, and is about to start oyster trading. Liao Liming knows this because Boss Xi likes to chatter in the confessional, and Father Marco, who is on duty, often entrusts Liao Liming to listen on his behalf.

That way he can hit the town on Friday nights and play bingo himself.

Little monk Liao Liming obediently sat in the listening room, the door lock opened and closed and made a small ticking sound, and after a short while, the confession room next door also ticked, Boss Xi sat down and began to speak broken French and "Father Marko" chatting.He has been visiting here for three years, and after he thought he had mastered French, he ruthlessly fired the accompanying interpreter, and single-handedly shuttled through various towns in southern France, as well as this peaceful monastery.

Boss Xi has never had a second person, family or friend. Liao Liming caressed the grain of the wooden door while listening to him confess in a low but pleasant voice.

It's not a big crime, just a trivial matter, Boss Xi is a very moral businessman, Liao Liming thought, but also a lonely person.

Clap, at the end of the confession procedure, the small walnut window opened, Liao Liming stretched out his hand, and immediately received a moment of moisture on the skin, and a soft sigh of "thank you", which was Boss Xi kissing him Back of hand and farewell.

Just when Liao Liming thought that this was the end of the day, the people in the confession room suddenly said, "You are not Father Marco, what is your name?"

"My name is Xi Wenbai, what's your name?"

Liao Liming didn't know how to answer, out of the desire to defend Father Marko, he quickly opened the door and ran away.

As long as Boss Xi didn't see him, everything would be explained.

The door of the confession room was opened immediately, and Xi Wenbo chased him out, "frère! frère!" calling him loudly.

Liao Liming pulled up his hood and ran quickly, bypassing the long corridor, and disappeared. Xi Wenbai lost the little monk, sat under the Roman column and rubbed his face. Suddenly, he felt a sense of loss.

It came so strongly, but it seemed familiar, the heart was pounding in the chest, and it was sore and painful.

We can't just forget it like this, Xi Wenbo thought, but why can't we just forget it?He didn't know it himself, anyway, it wasn't because of an accident that the civet cat in the listening room was replaced by the prince.

Since then, there has been a suspicious person wandering around in St. Ann's Abbey.

However, the old monks are all familiar with Boss Xi, and he is so pious year after year, thinking that he should not do something bad to the monastery, so just let him visit everywhere as a seasonal Friendly people.

Liao Liming has been hiding in the back garden of the monastery for a while. He is staying under a tall statue of the Virgin Mary. The Bible is spread flat on his knees. Slowly smooth the chamfers.

"—this is the sweetness I found in misery: you promised me life*."

After reading, he raised his eyes to see Xi Wenbo standing in front of him, the cool shadow cast on half of his face, reflecting the shape of wings.

"Frère, the little monk who likes to run away." Xi Wenbo stared at him, "I caught you."

"Mr. Xi." Liao Liming stood up hastily, his robe was still covered with wet grass clippings, exuding a fresh smell.

"Please don't blame Father Marco," he explained, "I...I just, Father Marco trusts me..."

Xi Wenbo was speechless, and eagerly took a step towards him, while Liao Liming shrank back subconsciously.

What does he want to do!Little cultivator Liao Liming thought in horror, what is he going to do?

Something touched on the top of his head, and then a shining arc slid across and landed between them. Xi Wenbai stopped, knelt down on one knee and picked it up. The dirt stained his trousers, but he didn't seem to notice it at all. don't care.

"Is this yours?" Xi Wenbo asked while hooking the silver chain.

Liao Liming shook his head, "It has been hanging here, on the angel statue, and no one has ever come to claim it."

"Maybe it belongs to a monastery." Xi Wenbo smiled, and Liao Liming stared at him without blinking, and there seemed to be the sound of falling flowers in his ears.

Xi Wenbai raised his hand slightly, and hung the pendant back to the angel statue. The little ring swayed slightly, forming a beautiful arc in the sunlight.

"It's so beautiful, it looks like a wedding ring." Xi Wenbo looked at it.

"If it is, then it doesn't belong to anyone at the Abbey."

"Why?" Xi Wenbo uttered a lovely syllable.

"Monks are not allowed to marry." Liao Liming said, "We serve the Lord."

Xi Wenbai thought for a while, "Then are there any monks who went to get married?"

"...Yes, I've heard of a few, two." Liao Liming reluctantly answered him.

"Little monk, I hope the topic of marriage won't make you feel abrupt."

"Yes, it's really abrupt." Liao Liming stopped talking, "I'm leaving."

"You are very honest." Xi Wenbai chuckled lightly.

"I'm leaving." Liao Liming repeated.

Xi Wenbo stepped aside and looked at Liao Liming with a smile. It was very interesting to talk to this little monk. He was considering whether to extend his vacation properly.

The little monk walked hurriedly with the thick Bible in his arms, and the book slipped out of his arms. Seeing that it was about to fall, Xi Wenbo caught it very quickly, and his arms and arms were separated as soon as they touched.

Xi Wenbo held it for a while, then opened the title page in silence, and remembered a name.

"Mr. Xi." Liao Liming awkwardly took back the Bible, hugged it in his arms, stroked it, then turned and left.

He drew his hood up, eyebrows furrowed under cover.

He realized the fact that he did not reject all the things that Xi Wenbai said and did to him, and then he was surprised to find that he didn't want to leave.

The sudden idea made him feel a little ashamed.

"Liao Liming!" Xi Wenbo called out his name, "August has not yet passed, can I see you again?"

Liao Liming didn't answer, so Xi Wenbo came here for a week, asking each time, "Can I see you again?"

"The monastery doesn't have a door lock, Mr. Xi." Liao Liming said helplessly.

"You haven't been in the confession room recently." Xi Wenbo asked.

"Father Marko is here."

"He's not a good listener," Xi Wenbo said, "He always interrupts me."

"He must have his reasons."

"Little monk, I'm leaving for Provence tomorrow."

Liao Liming stopped suddenly, waiting for the next sentence.

"I won't be back until five days later." Xi Wenbo said, "So can I repent today?"

Liao Liming couldn't see any causal relationship, but nodded in agreement with Xi Wenbai who wanted to repent every day. After all, it might be very difficult for this person not to repent for five days. Liao Liming didn't know if there was a suitable one in Provence. The monastery for Xi Wenbo to publish such a long confession.

They walked one after the other, and other little monks passed by him like a gust of wind, holding their robes, and whispered: "Look, look, Mr. Xi seems to be wearing a miniature!"

"Cen'estpas?" Liao Liming said low and fast, but Xi Wenbai nodded vigorously behind him Oui, Oui, Liao Liming glanced back at him, "You don't understand French, Mr. Xi."

"Little monk, didn't you just answer ''no'?"

"You just don't understand." Liao Liming shook his head and concluded, "You don't understand French."

Xi Wenbai was deeply disappointed because his French level was questioned, and Liao Liming suddenly couldn't bear it, so he found a topic and said: "The lavender in Provence is in full bloom."

"A sea of ​​purple." Xi Wenbai tried his best to make his expression sound authentic, "Do you like purple?"

"I like green." Liao Liming pointed to the bushes beside him, "Like this."

"Levertest la couleur des fées." (Green is the color of fairies) Xi Wenbai smiled, "So, are you a fairy?"

"Okay, don't say any more." Liao Liming stopped him, but it didn't sound fierce.

On this day, Boss Xi left after finishing his confession. Liao Liming watched him off from the bell tower, watching the figure from his back getting smaller and smaller.

When sleeping at night, Liao Liming had a very strange dream.

He dreamed of a very modern big house, with floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious balconies as bright as a rainy day, champagne roses trembled in the air, soft footsteps sounded behind him, someone hugged him and whispered something in his ear The continuous love words made him go limp all over, and he couldn't control his neck to respond.

What followed was an extremely lustful sexual intercourse, surrounded by a dizzying halo, the man imprisoning him moved slowly and powerfully, and he could see his face clearly through his teary eyes.

Liao Liming woke up sweating profusely, and his legs were already sticky to the touch.

Liao Liming lay back on the bed and covered his eyes with his forearm as the fishy smell was faintly present.

No, this must be the Lord's inspection and trial for him, Liao Liming thought, he can't indulge in this, he needs to serve his Lord.

"The Lord is with me, and the God of Jacob is our fortress*." Liao Liming recited silently, "The Lord is with me."

Suddenly, the face in my mind turned into Xi Wenbai, with straight eyebrows, handsome beyond ordinary.

"Like a god... is it allowed?" Liao Liming gave up reciting, staring at the cross on the wall in a daze.

The hallucination struck, and gradually, it trembled like a living thing, collided and screamed in the silent place.

Five days later, Xi Wenbo came to the monastery as scheduled, and showed a bouquet of well-protected lavender in front of Liao Liming, hoping to be rewarded.

"I saw you three years ago, and you were sitting here playing with a dried flower." Xi Wenbo said, "It was a beautiful scene."

"That's my bookmark, it's still there." Liao Liming squinted his eyes in the sunlight, he turned to a page of the Bible, took out the bookmark and showed it to Xi Wenbo.

"It's always fresh, isn't it?" Xi Wenbai looked at it carefully, "by your side."

"Oui." Liao Liming touched it lightly, then picked up the lavender on the grass, "Thank you for the gift too."

"No thanks." Xi Wenbo stroked his hair, and then sat down next to him, so close, it was like cuddling each other.

"Liao Liming, I think I'm in love with you." Xi Wenbai said softly but solemnly, "No, I'm just in love with you."

Liao Liming looked at him unprepared, his cheeks began to feel hot.

Xi Wenbai lifted off the hood that Liao Liming was trying to hide, "Listen to me, this is the first time I like someone, but I'm pretty sure it's like, it's always my mind is confused and my heart hurts, so I like you, I like your frankness and cuteness, wherever you are."

His French has never been so fluent. Xi Wenbai finished speaking in one breath and was surprised by himself. Liao Liming opened his mouth slightly, digested his confession for a while, and then buried his face embarrassingly, "I am a monk, I can't... .”

"Do you feel the same way about me?" Xi Wenbo asked him eagerly, "It's the same way I feel about you."

"Mr. Xi... what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking." Xi Wenbo looked at him, "I want you to be by my side all the time, and I want to go to Europe or Asia with you, wherever you want."

"I don't want to leave the monastery." Liao Liming raised his face and said seriously, "This is my home."

Xi Wenbai's expression became lonely, Liao Liming knew that he was lonely, maybe this kind of loneliness made him long for company, that's all.

"Little monk, I will leave in half a month." Xi Wenbai said sadly, his vacation has been extended to the point that it cannot be extended any longer, "Can I still come to see you?"

"En." Liao Liming nodded.

From that time on, Xi Wenbai no longer mentioned such words as whether he likes it or not, he likes it or not, he and Liao Liming idly wandered in the grassy back garden with nothing to do as before, chatting about what he has seen and heard around the world over the years, Talk about his self-built house in Pennsylvania.Xi Wenbai is not a very devout believer, he likes to quote Jesus' sentences randomly to tease Liao Liming, he said, "I will serve the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength—"

He tampered with the second half of the sentence without authorization, "Liao Liming, who serves the Lord."

Liao Liming shushed him, but Xi Wenbo didn't repent, opened his black eyes and began to pretend he didn't understand French.

"He is my master, please don't make such a joke." Liao Liming said with a flat mouth.

Xi Wenbai smiled and shook his head, "What a stubborn little monk."

When it came time to bid farewell, Xi Wenbai waited until the last moment to leave, and Liao Liming came to see him off at the station after worship. This little monk didn't change his black robe, and his forehead was still slightly sweaty.

"I'm leaving." Xi Wenbai waved his hand sadly while carrying the cowhide case, "Goodbye, little monk."

Liao Liming swallowed his saliva and wanted to ask him when he would come again next time.

The train whistled for the last time before leaving, Xi Wenbai stuffed the suitcase through the window first, then turned around, hugged Liao Liming lightly and politely, "Oh, I want to confess again."

Liao Liming giggled, the corners of his eyes were wet.

White steam filled the entire platform, he chased the train for a few steps, and finally stopped like a ghost.A vendor selling roasted bagels passed by him, and Liao Liming paid for the last one, and finally returned to the monastery by bus for three hours.

The days passed peacefully. In June of the following year, Xi Wenbai did not come, and Liao Liming cleaned the confession room all day until November.

Another year later, Xi Wenbai still did not come, but Liao Liming often dreamed of him, not as enthusiastic as the first time, but warm and natural, he was making coffee, Xi Wenbai insisted on adding a lot of milk to it, but in his memory , Mr. Xi did not mention to him what kind of coffee he likes to drink.

Why doesn't he come?Liao Liming thought melancholy, ah, maybe Mr. Xi was hurt and didn't want to come again.

This year, Liao Liming waited from Christmas to Easter, watching the thin snow melt and the vegetation grow, and the ring hanging under the angel statue has been baptized by snow and water, and it is more and more glamorous.

On this day, Liao Liming sat under Maria, reading the small print over and over again.

“I prostrate myself at your feet; therefore my heart rejoices, and my spirit rejoices, and my body shall dwell in safety*.”

He closed his eyes and let out a sigh.

"Hey, little monk."

Liao Liming held his breath for an instant and opened his eyes.

His hair has grown a lot, Liao Liming thought, nothing else has changed.

"Liao Liming, good morning." Xi Wenbo walked straight against the light with his pockets in his pockets, "I moved the factory to South France, and I want to live here longer."

Liao Liming looked at him: "How long?"

"a long time."

The Bible still stayed on that page, Liao Liming stood up almost staggeringly, and was immediately embraced by Xi Wenbai.

"So my heart is happy, my spirit is happy, and my body will live in peace." Liao Liming said in a low voice.

"What?" Xi Wenbai put on the expression Liao Liming is most familiar with, "Are you... happy when I come back here?"

"En." Liao Liming hugged Xi Wenbai again involuntarily, then stood on tiptoe and kissed his face lightly.

When Xi Wenbai was very shocked, Liao Liming kissed him again.

"Lord, forgive me." Liao Liming thought silently.

He closed his eyes again, and melted into the greenery of the garden and a long, long-lost reunion hug.

"Well, can we do it again?" Xi Wenbo asked cautiously.

"Yes." Liao Liming said briskly, and gave Xi Wenbai all the oxygen he had left.

So a kiss, a fragrance, the angel looks down, and the seasons are like spring.

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“Thisismy comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.”—Psalm 119:50

"The LORD of host sis with us; the God of Jacobis our fortress."—Psalm 46:7

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.—Psalm 16:9

Thanks to all the friends who like Little Doctor and Boss Xi, this episode is dedicated to you, bow down.

Finally, thanks to my good friend xiangxiang for making this wonderful monastery story, love you.