The old lady and Lu Xiang got out of the carriage. Lu Xiang quietly looked at the smoke rising from the huge incense burner in the square in front of her. Listening to the distant bell, her restless heart subconsciously calmed down.
"Amitabha. Greetings, Benefactor Lu." A novice monk put his palms together and walked quickly to the Old Madam. "I received the note that you would be coming yesterday. The room has been arranged. Please come in."
"Thank you, Little Master." The old lady clasped her hands together and bowed back.
She was a frequent visitor to Hua'an Temple and the mother of the prefecture magistrate. From the abbot to the little monk who swept the floor, no one dared to neglect her.
Not to mention that they were only going to stay for 10 days to half a month. Even if they wanted to stay for half or one year, they would have to make proper arrangements for her.
Hua'an Temple was very large. A bamboo forest separated the front hall from the backyard.
The backyard was divided into two again. One side was for male guests, and the other side was for female guests.
The novice monk led the old madam and Lu Xiang to an independent courtyard before leaving.
Nanny Wen led the maids into the house and placed the luggage one by one. She pointed to a room next to Old Madam's bedroom and said to Yun Zhe and Wu Yue, "The Third Miss will live in the room next to Old Madam's. The two of you go and clean up."
"Alright, Nanny Wen."
The old lady held Lu Xiang's hand and asked with a kind smile, "Xiangxiang, are you tired?"
Lu Xiang's heart warmed when she saw the old lady's heartache for her as if she was a fragile porcelain doll. The smile on her lips was as sweet as candy. "I'm not tired, but Grandmother, are you tired from sitting in the carriage for so long? Do you want to rest?"
"I'm not tired. I'll go to the front hall to offer incense and chant sutra. You can walk around the temple in the meantime." The old lady was so happy that her granddaughter had shown care and concern for her.
Lu Xiang held the old lady's arm. "I can see the scenery anytime. I'll go with Grandmother instead."
When the Old Madam heard this, she was overjoyed.
On the mast of the main hall of Hua'an Temple hung a plaque - "Great Hall of Great Strength". The tall Sumeru Seat was carved from white jade. It was crystal clear and white. On the throne was a golden Buddha statue. He had a kind expression on his face and saved all living beings. Eighteen exquisite golden arhat statues were enshrined on both sides of the wall.
Lu Xiang knelt in front of the Buddha statue, her gaze dreamy.
"Buddha grants wishes, right? You saw my fate in my previous life, so you let me be reborn so that I could personally take revenge on those who harmed and bullied me." she thought.
There was too much hatred in her heart that was corroding her flesh and blood at all times.
The Buddha smiled and his kind eyes seemed to be consoling Lu Xiang. "Child, it's your fortune to have two lives. Don't kill unnecessarily and bear the heavy consequences of it." Lu Xiang felt that the Buddha had spoken these words to her.
But if she didn't kill, she would be killed.
After her rebirth, she just wanted to pick up the butcher's knife and kill all her enemies.
"Xiangxiang… Xiangxiang…"
The call in her ears gradually became clearer.
Lu Xiang came back to her senses and turned to look at the old lady beside her. The incense in her hand had already burnt to half of its original length.
"What are you thinking about? Why are you in such a daze?" The Old Madam asked with a smile.
Lu Xiang pursed her lips and chuckled. "Looking at Buddha's benevolent face, I'm thinking about how many things I've done in the past to make Grandmother angry." She inserted the incense into the incense burner and kowtowed three times piously. "What did Grandmother want to say to me?"
"Child, don't think too much." The Old Madam stroked Lu Xiang's head lovingly.
She was also afraid that her granddaughter would think too much, causing her to be distant as before.
After all, she liked her granddaughter now, who liked to cling to her and smile obediently.
"There's a chef in Hua'an Temple who's very good at making vegetarian dishes. Grandmother will bring you to try his dishes." Old Madam pulled Lu Xiang up and smiled. "Don't think that he's just a normal chef in the temple. It's not easy to eat his dishes. One can only do so either by fate or by making an appointment in advance. I've asked Nanny Wen to investigate. We are fated to meet the chef today. He happens to be the main chef today."
"Sure."
"Especially the dish named 'Nine Radiance Buddha Light'. Although it's just a vegetarian dish, even Duke An praised it endlessly."
"Is that so? The dish was so famous that Duke An made a special visit here to try it?" Lu Xiang was really surprised. She knew who Duke An was, but she had never heard before that the chef from Hua'an Temple was famous for his vegetarian dishes.
After all, she had only been to Hua'an Temple once in her previous life, and it was with Lu Mingzhu.
Her grandmother also did not bring her to eat vegetarian food like today.
"That's right." The Old Madam held Lu Xiang's hand and said with a smile, "That's why I said that we are fated to meet this chef today. He also happened to make this particular dish today."
Lu Xiang licked her lips and quickened her pace. "Grandmother, let's go there quickly."
Delicious food should be eaten while it's hot.
In the back garden of the Lu Manor, Concubine Yao hurriedly looked for Madam Liu. When she saw the mother and daughter duo sitting in the pavilion with smiles on their faces while eating snacks, she rolled her eyes in anger.
"Liu He…"
When Liu heard her angry roar, she was so frightened that she almost choked on the pastry she was eating. She gulped down a cup of tea and finally swallowed it. She looked at Concubine Yao unhappily, "Sister Yao, why are you so loud? I was almost scared to death by you."
Concubine Yao gritted her teeth. "You're so relaxed over here. Old Madam has stayed at the Hua'an Temple for eight days, and you're still indifferent to it?"
Madam Liu caught her breath. When she heard this, she couldn't help but sneer and say, "Sister Yao, there's no need for us to hide anymore, right? Why should I be anxious if the Old Madam doesn't come back?"
It would be even better if that old woman died outside. This way, no one would be able to stop the Master from elevating her to the position of the legitimate wife.
Madam Liu's life was very comfortable when Old Madam Lu was not in the manor. She had Lu Youping's love and everyone in the residence respected her. It was as if she was the matriarch of the household.
"Idiot." Concubine Yao couldn't take it anymore and scolded loudly.
Madam Liu's face darkened and she stood up from the stool. "Are you crazy? Why are you scolding me?"
She must have knocked her head against the wall to dare to yell at her.
First, she gave her a shock and then she scolded her.
"B*tch, when I become Mrs. Lu, she would be the first person that I will chase out of the manor." she thought.
Concubine Yao looked at Madam Liu standing in front of her. She looked beautiful and she was filled with envy and jealousy.
Back then, she selected Madam Liu and sent her to the Master's side in order to cause trouble for the first wife, and to sow discord between her and the Master.
Initially, she thought that the Master had liked her for her beauty. However, she did not expect that Liu He was able to make the Master fall in love with her and become the person he cherished from the bottom of his heart. He did not hesitate to go against the Old Madam for her and even wanted to make her his legitimate wife.
The jealousy in Concubine Yao's heart grew like wild grass.
She was clearly not bad-looking herself and had given birth to a son, but the Master's gaze had never stayed on her.
There was no love from him, so she could only firmly hold onto Madam Liu as a chess piece.
Fortunately, Madam Liu wasn't smart enough. Otherwise, she wouldn't dare to make use of such a woman.
Thinking of this, Concubine Yao was no longer as angry at Madam Liu's stupidity.