After thinking it over, Xiao Hua descended from the sky and came to the neighboring house beside Wang Zhengfei's home. The Agriculturalists' small courtyard had no walls to speak of, only some withered branches stuck into the ground to serve as a yard. Xiao Hua stood beside the fence that could barely be called a gate, pressed his palms together, and said, "Amitabha..."
As Xiao Hua's voice entered the house, a man in his forties poked his head out through the flickering lamplight. He immediately pulled back, and a rather thin woman came out holding a grayish lump in her hand. Before Xiao Hua could speak, she held the thing out to him and said somewhat unhappily, "Little monk, you've come to the wrong door. If you're begging for alms, you need to go into the village. Master Wang lives there..."
Xiao Hua smiled and hurriedly raised a hand. "Auntie, you misunderstand. This poor monk hasn't come to beg for alms!"
"Oh? If you aren't seeking alms, what have you come for, little master?" Hearing that Xiao Hua was not begging, the woman hastily pulled back the thing in her hand. Even her form of address changed as she asked curiously.
Xiao Hua pointed toward Wang Zhengfei's home beside them and asked, "Auntie, is that the home of little benefactor Wang Zhengfei?"
"Yes!" The woman nodded. "What does little master want with Wang Zhengfei? Oh, I understand. Your temple wants Wang Zhengfei to paint something, doesn't it?"
Xiao Hua was delighted when he heard that. He no longer needed to make up an excuse, so he nodded. "Just as Auntie said. But why is there no one at little benefactor Wang Zhengfei's home?"
"Oh dear, little master, what terrible timing! I'm afraid you've made the trip for nothing!" the woman