Light of the afternoon sun shine brightly through the open window, illuminating the would be dark corner. The inn keeper ran back and forth between the tables, taking orders, bring drinks and foods.

“Yes ! Yes! One Peking Duck” and run to the kitchen and run back with a pine of rice wine to another table.

“ Why of course Sir. My wife make the best Mantou in town. One bite and you will be hook for life.” He smile at the dirty dress traveler.

“ It’s the reason why I marry her.” He laugh merrily. The traveler weary face turn a little softer and his frown slowly turn upside down. Not many people are kind to him due to the way he was dressed, such a good nature man was hard to find in this place. The man place an extra copper down on the table for the Inn Keeper after he got his meal.

Yon Gan Fe, the Inn keeper, always smile to all of his guests. He believe that all guest that enter his business must be treated like a good friend. No matter how they are dresses or if they stay for awhile or just walk in to use the waste hole (toilet). A young man of 35, after many years of hard work and with some luck, finally obtain his dream of opening a small Inn at his home town.

At the young age of 13 he apprentice himself to a innkeeper of a nearby city, Chun Lu with the help of his friends uncle. After 17 after learning all the skill he could, he travel to around working in the big Inns all around the land of river and lake. Finally after years of work and painstaking money saving, sometime not buying food when hungry or waste money on woman, clothing and gamble like many youth of his age. He return home and bought his small Inn.

His family was happy for him but they always complain that he should marry.

“ Dreams can wait. You are already more than 28 years old.”

“ As a man you must build a family!”

“ Your younger brother is only 16 and he already has a kid coming.”

“ The daughter of the bean curd shops is still not marry yet why don’t you marry her.”

“You are not getting younger, you should find one before you grow to old to give me a grandkids.”

The none-stop comments about him being single drive him mad and one day after the final straw.

“ I told the shop owner of the medicine shop that you will go meet his friend’s, brother’s nephew’s daughter in the next town over .”

“………….”

“ I heard she is a very nice girl, and her family has a pretty good background too. They are blacksmiths, her brother is a government officer. I heard he just pass with top score.” His mom smile at his dad.

“ Oh that right, but isn’t she marry already. No way someone like that will want our old bachelor son.” His dad took a slip of his tea.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

“………………..”

“ Oh No!! “ His mom laugh and cover her mouth with her left hand. “ No not her. He is meeting her friend’s husband’s servant’s sister.”

“ So how is her family?” His father take a bite of his Laobing.

“ No idea, but they got to be good from what I heard.”

“What you heard?”

“…………..”

“ Nothing bad.”

Gan Fe stare dagger at the two who seem to be having the time of their life, while he was running around serving his guest. His face turn burn with rage, from embarrassment, the whole conversation was heard by everyone there at the time.

He curse under his breath.

“ So we finally getting another daughter-in-law. We can finally rest in peace.”

“ Well that is if the young lady will take our son.”

Gan Fe chuck down a few cups of alcohol and walk up to his parent with a smile.

“Father, Mother.” He give them a respectful bow.

“I’m going to go to the monastery and become a monk now. So you don’t have to worry about me marrying.” Silent fill the entire inn. The guests froze in place and turn to look at the drama unfolding before their eyes.

“What are you saying?... Monk!” His father put down his Laobing and stare at his son with knitted eyebrows.

“Hahaha! That’s a good one.” The mother took it as his son joking.

“Why not ?” Gan Fe just obtain enlightenment, he could feel all of his problem flow away from him. It was so simple. Why didn’t I think of it before. That was the answer to all of his problem. The path of Buddha. The path of no annoying parent with too much time and bugging their hardworking son to marry some random woman they found on the street.

“But..but Monks can’t eat meat or drink alcohol.” Said the mother.

“Ha! I’m not eating it, I’m just handling it. They never said anything about serving it. Beside I like fish better.”

“……..” Taken aback the mother look to his husband for help.

“Can Monk even work?”

“What about the Inn? “

“HA! We got you now.”

“No one say a monk can’t also be an Innkeeper.”

“ What about greed? Money is a form of greed.”

“ Greed is taking that which is not yours. I work and I get pay. It is a righteous path. Even Buddha need money to feed the hungry and buy herbs for the sick. Beside what do you think keep the temples running. ” He clap his hand together and offer a prayer to Buddha.

“ Namo Amituofo!”