Qin Tiexin followed Lin Chuan and replied to Lin Residence.
He went to the main hall first and saluted Marquis Lin and Madam Lin. Marquis Lin was drinking tea, and Madam Lin was sitting next to him, flipping through an account book. When they saw him come in, they all put down what they were holding.
"I have been helped by the Marquis and his wife to take care of me these days." Qin Tiexin said straight to the point, "The poor monk rented a house in the city and moved there today. I have been bothered by him for many days and I really feel sorry for him."
Madam Lin was startled, his eyes were confused at first, and then there was a layer of obvious reluctance.
She opened her mouth, wanting to speak to persuade him to stay, but when she saw Qin Tiexin's expression was calm but her tone was very firm, she swallowed the words again.
She could only nod her head and said warmly, "Master and Chuan'er, Wei'er, Feng'er are all good friends, so there is no need to see anyone outside. If you don't live well in that house, you can come back at any time. Treat this place as your own home."
Qin Tiexin responded without further explanation.
He actually didn't want to leave. Lin Residence treated him well. Marquis Lin was a generous person and never treated him as an outsider. Madam Lin was considerate in every aspect. When he arrived, he specially asked the kitchen to cook vegetarian meals in different ways. He and Lin Chuan and Lin Wei also got along with each other and developed feelings. After living in this house for these days, it would be a lie to say that he does not miss them.
But he knew that as the Star Selection Trial card deepened, the more likely he was to be exposed, the more dangerous Lin Residence would be.
The news in the teahouse has already made the matter of "Liu Qing" a commotion. Senior Brother Chen Xi used a substitute and an explosion to muddy the waters, but muddy waters do not mean absolute safety. Once his identity is found out, Lin Residence, as his place of residence, will be implicated.
He couldn't take the risk.
Madam Lin hesitated for a moment and asked in a low voice, "What about little master Ming'an? Master, do you want to take him away with him?"
Speaking of Ming'an, there was a bit more obvious reluctance in Madam Lin's tone. Qin Tiexin could hear that the reluctance was even worse than when trying to keep him.
Over the past twenty days, Madam Lin has completely fallen in love with this little monk.
The five or six-year-old child is handsome, polite, good at talking, and occasionally a little stubborn.
I recite sutras in the Buddhist hall on time every day, and after I finish reciting, I help the housekeeper clean the yard and water the flowers. I don't be picky about eating, I eat whatever is given to me, and I always say "Thank you for the hospitality."
Madam Lin has three children of her own, and the youngest, Lin Feng, is much older than Ming'an. When she saw Ming'an, she remembered the time when she took care of the children by herself, and her heart became completely soft.
Qin Tiexin thought for a while and said, "I respect Ming'an's opinion. If he wants to stay in Lin Residence, I will never force him. If he wants to follow me, I will take him with me."
Madam Lin said nothing more and just nodded.
She knew that it was useless to say anything. She knew the temper of that child Ming'an very well.
During the more than twenty days when Qin Tiexin went to Secret Realm Trial, Ming'an spent most of the time in the Buddhist hall in the small courtyard.
Madam Lin didn't pay attention at first, but later the housekeeper said that the young master prayed for the senior brothers in the secret realm every day. From morning to night, except for eating and sleeping, he hardly moved anywhere.
Three sticks of incense were lit on the incense table, and green smoke rose thinly. He knelt on the futon and read verse after verse in his little mouth.
Two days ago, Lin Chuan and Lin Wei came back from Secret Realm Trial. Ming'an was so happy that she ran all the way to the gate to greet them with her short legs.
As a result, we only waited until Lin Chuan came back, but did not see Qin Tiexin.
The child's face turned pale at that time, his lips were trembling, and he forced himself to ask, "Where is your senior brother?"
Upon seeing this, Lin Chuan quickly explained, saying that Senior Brother Ming had some things to deal with and would be back in a few days. He was fine. Ming'an nodded, but tears fell one by one and couldn't stop it. It was not until Lin Chuan repeatedly assured that senior brother Mingjue was safe and had some personal matters that he slowly recovered.
But since that day, Ming'an has formed a habit. Whenever he has free time, he will move a small bench to the gate of Lin Residence and sit there, looking straight at the street.
From morning to night, except for eating and sleeping, he stayed there almost all the time. The housekeeper persuaded him several times, saying that it was very windy outside and that he should go inside and wait. He refused to listen and only said, "Senior brother, you can see me at the first sight when you come back."
The housekeeper couldn't resist him, so he had to prepare a thick coat for him and put a small charcoal stove next to him.
It just so happened that today, Ming'an sat at the gate until noon. He was really sleepy, so he was persuaded by the housekeeper to go back to the small courtyard to sleep. Not long after he left with his front legs, Qin Tiexin came back from the other direction with his rear legs, and they just missed each other.
Qin Tiexin said goodbye to Marquis Lin, Madam Lin, Lin Chuan, and Lin Wei. He said he could come to him anytime if anything happened, and then turned and walked towards the small courtyard in the backyard.
He knew in his heart that he actually didn't have much luggage to pack, so he kept all the important things with him in the storage ring.
This time I went to the courtyard mainly to see Ming'an.
He walked quietly into the courtyard door and stood at the door for a while. The courtyard was very quiet, with the only sound of the wind rustling through the treetops.
Several pots of flowers planted by Ming'an are still placed under the wall, with shiny green leaves.
Qin Tiexin Push the door open.
Ming'an was lying on his little bed sleeping, a small ball, leaning sideways, still holding a corner of the quilt in his hand.
Breathing evenly, the wings of the nose were quivering slightly. There was an obvious wet mark on the edge of the pillow, which was darker than the fabric next to it.
The location is just under the eyes. No need to guess, it is the mark of crying.
Qin Tiexin didn't make a sound, and slowly sat down by the bed. The wooden bed made a soft sound, and Ming'an didn't wake up.
His eyes scanned the room.
There are several wooden Buddha statues placed on the small table, lined up in a row. The knife skills are still immature, and some places are cut deeper and some are shallower, but you can see at a glance that each one is better than the other.
The first few can still be seen as Buddhas, with round faces, big ears, and peaceful expressions. But as you go further back, the face shape, eyebrows, and demeanor of the Buddha gradually change. The brow bones rise, the bridge of the nose straightens, and the eyes converge, becoming more and more like Qin Tiexin and now "Mingjue".
Qin Tiexin looked at it for a while, then looked away, as if his chest was lightly hit by something.
Next to the Buddha statue is a stack of rice paper, pressed with a small piece of Shitou. The edges of the paper are curled, and there are still dried ink spots on some places.
Qin Tiexin Pick it up and gently unfold the top one.
There are only four words on it: Brother, be safe.
The handwriting is crooked and the thickness of the strokes varies. The word "brother" is written top-heavy, and the word "" is crooked to the horizon. In some places, the ink was turned over before it was dry, and it smeared into a small blur of ink. It was obviously written by someone without special training.
But these thirty or forty pieces of paper were densely packed with these four words written from beginning to end.
Qin Tiexin's hand holding the rice paper tightened.
He never knew that in this huge, unaccompanied Heavenly South Domain, besides Senior Brother Chen Xi, there was also a junior brother who was really looking forward to his safe return.
This little monk, who is five or six years old, can't fight, can't make elixirs, and can't even write well. All he can do is kneel in front of the Buddha and chant sutras every day, sit and wait at the gate, and write these four words on paper.
Peace, brother.