Today should have been an ordinary day—not a festival, and with nothing major happening.
But for Monk Jingli, the ninth of August was undoubtedly quite special.
His dear junior brother had arranged to treat him to a meal in Linzi that day!
For this, he had worked very hard, finishing his tasks ahead of schedule and clearing out a full two days.
His master had asked sourly, "It's just one meal. Why do you need to specifically squeeze out two whole days?"
He had replied confidently, "Won't we need to stroll around Linzi after eating? Linzi is so big! We'll have to spend several days seeing it. Two days is already too little."
He knew his master was jealous, because he was the first person in the entire Hanging Temple to receive an invitation from his junior brother!
But there was no helping it.
His junior brother had suffered far too much in Linzi, tormented every day by all that glittering wine and flashing lights. No matter what, he had to accompany him in eating for two days.
As fellow disciples, they had to share sweetness and bitterness alike.
He had to give his junior brother strength, so that he could cast off the Mortal World as soon as possible, take tonsure, and return to the fold.
However...
There was always a gap between imagination and reality.
And this gap was enormous!
He had never imagined that the first meal he ate after arriving in Linzi... would be in prison!
"Here!"
A jailer held a chipped bowl containing two pitch-black corn buns. He shoved the bowl through the bars and dropped it onto the floor. The buns struck the broken bowl with loud clanging sounds.
Monk Jingli was no stranger to corn buns. Back when he had begged for alms,