At Baozhu's pointed question, Guanshan and Guanyun both froze. Guanshan was a poor liar, and a trace of embarrassment crossed his face. "We shouldn't have received those people at the main gate," he said quietly.
"Fang Xie is quite right to ask," Yang Xingjian said. "This is exceedingly strange. I would also like to get to the bottom of it."
Guanyun immediately offered a smile and said respectfully, "You may not know, Patrons, but this is the unique way my master, Venerable Tanlin, practices charity. Floods and droughts come one after another, and times are hard. Prolonged hunger drives people to eat one another, a grievous sin. Our master cannot bear to witness such scenes of hell, so he exchanges rice for the bodies of those who have starved, lest the hungry eat their remains. Those who take the grain can survive a few days longer, while we prepare the dead for burial in a cemetery provided by a benefactor. Thus, each finds their proper place. If you are interested, Patrons, you may visit the cemetery outside the city when you have time."
Hearing this, Yang Xingjian and Baozhu both breathed a sigh of relief.
Wei Xun had settled the donkey and ox cart and had been standing nearby for some time. At Guanyun's explanation, he suddenly interjected, "How do you know the bodies you buy died naturally? What if someone gets so hungry they deliberately kill someone to trade for rice?"
Seeing that this green-clothed servant's words were far from friendly, Guanshan and Guanyun were unwilling to explain further. Guanshan answered tersely, "We examine them. If we discover a victim of violence, we naturally report it to the authorities. It is getting late. Once the sun sets, you will miss the temple's most famous sight. Please come with this