Chapter 154: Xie's brother
Xie Mingxu was dressed in a navy blue robe, which made him tall and tall, with an agate-encrusted sword hanging from his narrow waist. His whole body had an indescribably noble aura and a touch of majesty.
"You've only been away for a while, and you're not going to be able to do it anymore? It seems like you're becoming even more lazy when you're away from the border." His voice was pleasant, like a clear spring hitting a rock.
Xie Mingxu stretched out his hand and said, "Follow me, or I will punish you when you go back."
The man in purple held his head and begged for mercy: "Thank you, General Xie, please spare me. I'm just a playboy, useless! I'm following you back to Beijing this time mainly to visit my grandmother. So, I'll go down the mountain first. , I will prepare a welcoming banquet for you in the city, and you can come directly to my house to find me after you come down from the mountain."
After saying that, he turned around and ran away, fearing that if he were slower, he would be caught by Xie Mingxu.
Seeing his friend disappear in a flash, Xie Mingxu pursed his thin lips.
He didn't say anything nonsense. He turned around and was about to continue going up the mountain when he saw a small figure sitting on the big rock beside him.
Shen Ningning blinked her big, round and watery eyes and looked at them for a long time.
The little guy was wearing a thin pink skirt with flowing gauze on both sleeves. His skin was as white as snow, but there were still two clusters of hot red on his face.
Xie Mingxu was startled.
There is a lack of water outside, so even a daughter from a wealthy family has a hard time raising her.
He really hadn’t seen such a pretty and pretty little girl all the way back.
Moreover, the appearance of this little girl actually made him feel kind-hearted.
Shen Ningning's eyes kept following him. Xie Mingxu wanted to stop and exchange a few words, but he was afraid of scaring the little girl.
Hence, he passed by her silently.
When his figure was out of sight, Shen Ningning blinked her big round eyes and said thoughtfully: "The surname is Xie, could he be a relative of Uncle Prime Minister?"
After Shen Ningning had enough rest, she jumped down from the stone and climbed the steps again.
“Hey, hey, hey...” She drank water as she crawled.
I’m not that tired, but my belly is round and full of sugar water.
Shen Ningning climbed halfway up and saw the older brother named Xie standing in front of the steps, checking the soil in the forest on one side.
He frowned and rubbed the rough soil with his long fingers, as if he had made some unexpected discovery.
Shen Ningning walked over and said, "Brother, what are you looking at!"
Xie Mingxu turned his head, looked at the little guy, and said in a cold tone: "It's nothing."
He clapped his hands and dusted them off.
It rained heavily in the capital last night, but the soil was wet, and the color was different from the surrounding soil.
Xie Mingxu suspected that something was buried under the different-colored soil.
But there was a strange little girl beside him, and it was inconvenient for him to dig. Besides, he was going up the mountain to worship Buddha and offer lamps, so he put the matter aside for the time being.
Shen Ningning felt that the elder brother named Xie in front of her was so cold!
Since the other party was not enthusiastic, she naturally stopped chatting with him. She held up her little skirt and skipped up the steps.
After a while, Xie Mingxu caught up with her and took the initiative to ask: "Child, did you go up the mountain alone? Where is your family?"
Shen Ningning looked at him with her dark eyes, and said in a soft voice: "Brother, you don't want to abduct me! We Master Huang said that most of the strangers who call you "kiddy" outside have bad intentions! "
“Next, are you going to give me some sweets to eat and let me go with you?”
Xie Mingxu stumbled and almost fell down from the shock of her words.
His calm and serious face showed a hint of embarrassment: "I'm not a human tooth dealer, so how could I tie you up?"
However, he then thought about it. He had never met this little girl before, so he rashly asked her where her family was, which would indeed make people doubt his purpose.
Xie Mingxu took the initiative to explain: "I want to remind you that we are already deep in the mountains. If you go further, you will get lost. If you came out secretly to play, go back as soon as possible. Don't let your family worry."
Shen Ningning then smiled sweetly and said quirkily: "I'm not sneaking out to play. I want to go to Fashan Temple and let the monks and grandfathers help me repair the beads. Look!"
She dug into her pocket with her little hand and took out a few round Buddhist beads.
Xie Mingxu lowered his eyes and frowned slightly.
The prayer beads that the little girl took out were actually like the string of relics in the prince's hand that he had seen before. According to legend, the prince was born with the legend of the evil **** coming to the world, and he was destined to have a bad fate in his life.
For the sake of the prince, the emperor made bracelets out of all the relics left behind by a eminent monk who passed away a hundred years ago. After consecrating them, he ordered the prince to wear them to pray for peace and to ward off evil spirits.
Xie Mingxu has seen several of them. They are all brown and appear transparent when exposed to light.
He looked at Shen Ningning with an unpredictable look.
If it really belonged to the prince, how could it be in the hands of this little girl?
Shen Ningning only looked at him twice and then put it away.
Xie Mingxu followed her and said calmly: "In that case, let's go together. I'm also going to Fashan Temple."
Shen Ningning suddenly became enthusiastic: "Brother, what are you doing in the temple?"
“Provide light for the family,” he said.
Shen Ningning is an optimistic little chatterbox. On the way up the mountain, she would excitedly share the strange flowers and grass she saw with Xie Mingxu.
As soon as he saw her, Xie Mingxu thought of his sister.
His eyes couldn't help but look sad.
If his little sister is still here, she should be as old as this little girl.
Will follow him, chase after him, or pester him, calling him brother.
Thinking of this, Xie Mingxu couldn't help but remind Shen Ningning, who was running fast in front: "Slow down, be careful of falling."
The two of them came to Fashan Temple together.
Shen Ningning's face flushed with heat, and she wiped the sweat from her fair forehead with her small hands.
Her big dark eyes looked into the temple: "Hey, there are so few people!"
Xie Mingxu also took a look.
Not only are there few people, but there are no one.
Except for the monks sweeping the floor, not even a single pilgrim was seen.
He frowned a little keenly, and before he could speak, Shen Ningning had already walked in carelessly.
“Uncle Monk” The little guy went straight to the monk who was sweeping the floor.
Helping, Xie Mingxu could only follow her footsteps.
The sweeping monk was a man over forty years old, with a strong build. He looked at Shen Ningning with surprise in his eyes.
“Little donor, do you need help?”
“I want to string the broken beads, can you help me?” Shen Ningning said Nuonuo and took out her pocket.
Open it and show it to the monk. It is full of brown beads.
There has always been a tradition in the Cangyun Kingdom. People would bring the items they carry with them to the temple to offer incense, which is commonly known as consecration.
Therefore, the monk thought that Shen Ningning had this idea, nodded immediately, and said with a smile: "Okay."
He raised his head and glanced at Xie Mingxu behind the little guy. Thinking that they were brother and sister, he took the beads in his pocket and sent them into the hall.
“The prayer beads must be placed in front of the Buddha for half an hour to offer incense, and then the poor monk will find a thread to string them on for the little donor.”
Shen Ningning clasped her hands together and said obediently: "Okay, thank you, uncle monk."
The monk smiled: "You're welcome, Amitabha."
He turned and left.
Shen Ningning turned around and saw Xie Mingxu looking at the altar table in front of the Buddha. He frowned deeply.
“Brother, you have been looking at the food on the table. Are you hungry? I have delicious food here!” She hooked her little hand and took out the red fruit from her backpack to share.