Disheartened, Shang Guanning sat in the car and couldn't help muttering, "The master is cunning, and the servants at home are quite astute. They don't say a word more than necessary." Shang Guanning's handsome face bore a mischievous smirk as he confidently drove away.
In the afternoon, around one forty, Huayan and her companions finally arrived in the coastal city and found the Jubin Hotel where they had reserved rooms online. After taking a hot shower, they were exhausted from hours of driving and fell asleep immediately. Wrapped in the scent of sunshine, they slept until dusk before Huayan gradually woke up.
After freshening up, Huayan wore a white T-shirt on top and a pair of light blue denim overalls. She went to the adjacent room to find her father, knocking for a while without any response or door opening. Just as she thought her father might have overslept, a brisk hotel attendant informed her that the guest in this room was having tea on the second floor. After confirming the exact location, Huayan relaxed and went to find her father.
Descending the stairs, she noticed the tea bar wasn't crowded at this time, mostly occupied by people around her father's age. Huayan spotted her father's figure and called out softly, "Dad..."
Her father placed a finger to his lips, gesturing for her to come over with a playful smile. Huayan understood she had spoken too loudly in this serene place a moment ago and apologized with a smile to the other patrons before sitting beside her father and whispering, "Dad, why didn't you wake me up early? You made me worried."
"Hehe, it's Daddy's fault. Try this tea; it's good." Her father's demeanor, like a child presenting a treasure, made Huayan curious about the tea's quality.
She took a sip delicately. It was mild yet refreshing, with the tea's aroma reminiscent of fresh bamboo after rain. Especially the water used for brewing seemed different from ordinary water. "Dad, this tea's water is unique, coupled with the fresh tea leaves, it's really good."
Pleased with Huayan's praise, her father explained, "I heard this brewing water is sourced from De'en Temple. It's only available around this time every year."
After enjoying the tea, Huayan took her father to explore the food street of the coastal city, indulging in various local delicacies like beef ball soup, fish ball soup, skewered beef and lamb, stinky tofu, fried rice cakes...
"Dad, the street food here is delicious," Huayan exclaimed, holding a skewer of lamb in one hand and a squid skewer in the other, ignoring any sense of elegance as she smeared chili and barbecue sauce all over her mouth.
"Take your time, no one's competing with you," her father chuckled.
"Dad, want another skewer?" Huayan eagerly tempted her father to have another skewer.
Although tempted, her father's stomach couldn't handle too much greasy food. He could only shake his head and say, "You go ahead; Daddy's stomach can't handle too much oily stuff."
Huayan made a disappointed face, which made her father smile.
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At nine o'clock, after savoring the famous dishes of the coastal city—two bowls of cloud and mist soup, a plate of pickled cabbage, and a small plate of tender beef chunks—they returned to the hotel with Huayan's belly still full.
Early the next morning, Huayan and her companions took a taxi to De'en Temple. An hour later, they disembarked at the foot of the mountain where the temple was located. The temple was bustling with incense offerings, and a continuous stream of visitors hiked up the mountain.
As they climbed, some visitors discussed the most remarkable monk in De'en Temple, known for his divination skills. It was said that if he agreed to read your fortune, it meant there was a significant issue at hand, whether good or bad, that no one else could determine.
Oddly, he never performed divinations for the elderly, and the price for his services depended entirely on his mood at the time. Sometimes, he refused to divine even if offered a large sum of money, while other times, he enthusiastically divined for beggars. He was indeed a peculiar monk.
"Dad, shall we go and see this monk later?" Huayan asked.
"Do you want a divination?" her father chuckled.
"Not really, just curious." Huayan didn't want her rebirth secret to be exposed. Since her rebirth, she believed in the supernatural, reincarnation, and karma because she was living proof of it. She remembered the words spoken to her by a scholarly man outside the hospital on her first day of rebirth, feeling that he was no ordinary person.
In the temple, the atmosphere was lively, with courtyards filled with various stalls selling incense, candles, handicrafts, and decorations. Huayan and her father lit incense at the main incense burner in the central courtyard and began to explore.
After climbing several flights of stone steps and passing through two pavilions, they found that many people had gathered. After inquiring, they learned that the monk who performed divinations was currently there.
It was said that the location where he performed divinations varied each day, and whether one could see him depended on luck and fate.
Huayan and her father stood under the shade of a roof, quietly observing the monk, who was around forty years old, sitting in the sun, divining for people. Sometimes, after just a few words, clients who had been eagerly waiting for their fortune would shake their heads in panic and leave immediately.
This happened several times, piquing Huayan's curiosity. She asked an elderly person who was also hiding under the roof, and learned that the monk always started by informing clients whether their fortune was auspicious or ominous, and whether they wanted to proceed with the divination was entirely up to them. Sometimes, those informed of a bad omen chose not to continue, preferring to live in ignorance.
Huayan understood this sentiment well. Nobody wanted to live in constant fear. As she pondered, the monk suddenly waved to the other clients and began packing up, as if closing shop early. At this moment, the elderly person expressed surprise.
"Why close up shop so early today?" he exclaimed.
The monk, who had approached Huayan by now, glanced at her and smiled, explaining, "A friend has arrived and needs hospitality."
The monk's gaze made Huayan suddenly feel as if he could see through her, sending shivers down her spine.
"Come inside with me," the monk said to Huayan as if she were an old friend. Both her father and the other remaining clients watched her curiously. Feeling uncomfortable under their scrutiny, Huayan shot the monk an irritated look, inwardly cursing the crazy monk.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Huayan grabbed her bewildered father and followed the monk. Her father, regaining his senses, whispered, "It seems like this monk knows you?" His worry was evident in his eyes.
"I've never met him. Let's follow and see what's going on." Huayan felt reassured by her intuition and the monk's kindness evident in his eyes.
Seemingly aware of Huayan's thoughts, the monk smiled and glanced at her before saying to her father, "Sir, there's no need to worry."
Exiting De'en Temple, the flow of tourists to and from the temple remained steady. Huayan and her father walked down the mountain path in silence. Her father was concerned and wanted to ask what the divination monk had said to her.