Feeling guilty, Song Shi'an tried to hide the grilled sausage behind his back.
The rustling sound of the plastic bags was exceptionally clear on the quiet mountain road, impossible to hide.
Lin Fan walked over and said, "Brother... you just abandoned me for food, is that it...?"
Song Shi'an quickly waved his hand, righteously declaring, "How could that be! I'm not that kind of person!"
Lin Fan looked at the chili powder still smeared on his lips and said in a resentful tone, "Brother, it's okay if you eat it openly, you really don't have to hide it from me."
His brother doesn't trust him! I'm so heartbroken and sad!
During this time, he ate boiled chicken breast with his brother, and didn't get a single decent bite himself. As a result, his brother secretly went out to buy grilled sausages and hid to eat them.
He felt betrayed by the person he trusted most.
Looking at Lin Fan's expression, as if she had been betrayed by a scumbag, Song Shi'an felt a pang of conscience for a rare second.
He hesitated for a moment, then handed over the other bag he was holding. "Here, you can have half."
Lin Fan put away his dejected look, happily took the bag, and glanced inside.
His brother still cares about him after all; he even bought him something. He realized he had misunderstood him earlier. He knew his brother wasn't that kind of person!
Song Shi'an breathed a sigh of relief. Lin Fan was easy to coax; a bag of food was enough to revive him. Assistants like this were hard to find even with a lantern.
The two continued climbing. Lin Fan was panting heavily when he reached the halfway point, sweat pouring down his back, which was soaked. He had to hold onto the railing and catch his breath every ten or so steps.
Song Shi'an stood a few steps up and looked back at him, still holding the bag of unfinished snacks in his hand, barely out of breath.
Lin Fan looked up at his brother's face, which barely broke a sweat, and then looked at his own legs, which were trembling like a leaf.
Those ten days of grueling training were definitely worth it!
After much difficulty, the two finally reached the top of the mountain.
The temple sits at the highest point, its blue bricks and gray tiles nestled among towering ancient trees. The scent of incense wafts gently from the mountain gate, mingling with the cool mountain air and the faint sound of distant bells, making one unconsciously slow down their pace.
The two followed the group, received incense, and crossed the threshold of the main hall. Inside, the golden Buddha statues were solemn, and the prayer cushions were filled with people who had come to pray for blessings.
The chanting and the sound of the wooden fish drum mingled together, and the entire space fell silent.
Following suit, Song Shi'an knelt down on the empty prayer mat beside him, and just as he closed his eyes, preparing to sincerely bow, he did so.
A woman's voice came from the side; it wasn't loud, but every word was clear in the quiet hall.
"I hope I find a cell phone when I go out tomorrow, the owner calls me, I return the phone to him, and he gives me a thousand yuan to thank me."
Song Shi'an opened his eyes a crack and glanced to the side.
A girl with her hair in a bun was kneeling on the prayer mat next to him, her hands clasped together, her expression devout and earnest, as if she were reporting the project's progress to a Bodhisattva.
Is this what making a wish is like? Before he could finish thinking, the other person continued.
"Then I said I didn't want it, that it was what I should do, but he said he owned a lottery shop, gave me a thousand yuan worth of lottery tickets, and then won ten million."
Song Shi'an suddenly opened his eyes. There was more to come?!
The girl took a deep breath, her speech becoming increasingly rapid. "Because I was embarrassed, I gave the other party five million. He then introduced me to his billionaire friend, and he fell deeply in love with me. So, I lived happily ever after with the billionaire. Thank you, Bodhisattva, please help me, Bodhisattva."
After saying that, he kowtowed three times decisively, got up, patted his knees, and left satisfied.
Song Shi'an knelt on the prayer mat, deeply shocked. Did he really need to make such a specific wish? He even wanted to take out his notebook and write it down.
He clasped his hands together, closed his eyes again, and, with a "better safe than sorry" attitude, listed his wishes one by one in his mind.
I'll buy a lottery ticket when I get down the mountain, hoping to win the grand prize. I hope the original owner can be happy in their next life, and that all their family and friends can be healthy and joyful.
After thinking about it carefully, it seemed there was nothing else. He wasn't greedy; if he made too many wishes, the Bodhisattva would easily forget them. That girl with the bun hairstyle made so many wishes; the Bodhisattva probably needed a little notebook to remember them all.
He kowtowed three times devoutly and then stood up.
As soon as they stepped out of the main hall, Lin Fan came looking for them, excitedly pulling him towards the side hall. "Brother! Let's go over there! I just heard a master there asking for divination and fortune telling, and there were so many people in line!"
The queue outside the side hall turned two corners, and the two of them waited for quite a while before it was their turn.
Song Shi'an sat down opposite the master, who was dressed in a gray monk's robe, with a white beard that reached his chest. In front of him was a bamboo tube filled with fortune slips.
Next to the bamboo tube was a pot of steaming tea, with goji berries floating in the cup.
The master said, "Draw one."
Song Shi'an reverently drew a stick from the bamboo tube and handed it to the master.
The master took the fortune stick, squinted at it for a moment, then looked up at Song Shi'an's face and slowly asked, "Do you want to know about your marriage or your career?"
Lin Fan leaned over and answered for him, "Master, we're asking about our careers."
The master stroked his beard, his voice calm and unhurried, carrying the composure unique to a reclusive sage. "This is an extremely auspicious divination. Auspicious purple clouds rise from the east, and starlight reflects on the moon. You are destined to have a benefactor in your life, and your career will rise like the morning sun, unstoppable. Within a few months to a year, you will surely achieve great success, gaining both fame and fortune, and your reputation will spread far and wide. However, remember not to forget your original aspirations, otherwise, the water that can carry you can also capsize you, leading to the opposite of your intended outcome."
Song Shi'an was quite pleased with the first half of the sentence; every word seemed to flatter him. But what did the second half mean? "Never forget your original intention?"
His original intention was to play a hundred cannon fodder roles, then get rich and retire. Would you call that his original intention...?
Before he could figure it out, the master handed him a yellow paper talisman folded into a triangle and tied with a red string. "Keep it close to your body; it will bring you good luck."
Song Shi'an accepted the talisman with both hands, his fingertips stroking the rough paper, feeling somewhat moved.
The master is such a kind person. He took such good care of him even though they were complete strangers, and he even specifically told him to keep it with him at all times.
The next second, the master pulled a QR code standee from under the table and placed it next to the fortune-telling box, "Special price: two hundred."
Song Shi'an immediately withdrew his earlier emotion...
Master, let him be moved a little longer! The sacred feeling hasn't even warmed up in his heart yet, and a payment QR code is slapped in front of him. Does the Bodhisattva know about this?
Before he could say anything, Lin Fan had already swiftly pulled out his phone, scanned the QR code, and with a ding, two hundred yuan was gone.
After paying, Lin Fan said matter-of-factly, "Brother, the master said to carry it with you at all times. I'll make a tag for you to wear when we get back."
Song Shi'an looked down at the talisman in his hand, then at the master's calm and composed face.
Oh well, since we're already here, two hundred yuan is enough to put our minds at ease; it's practically free.