Goodbye Cambridge

  It's not a big deal, and I'm not afraid of being known, just don't want to attract attention. Lin Jing pinched her fingers, looked in that direction, came back to her senses, shook off the dirt, and carried the things in her hand back into the house.

  However, humans always have some conditioned reflexive actions. Just like Lin Jing, although he told himself it was no big deal, the next day in early class, Lin Jing couldn't help but sneak a few more glances at that person.

  This old man was just a young boy, either eleven or twelve, or maybe thirteen or fourteen. As for his exact age, please forgive me, Lin Jing has never been good at making rough estimates like this.

  It was just that when Lin Jing stole a glance again, he happened to meet someone's gaze head-on. Lin Jing quickly withdrew his gaze and only then realized that the old man seemed to have nodded at him just now.

  In the next few days of early classes, Lin Jing found that when the old man passed by his own mat, he would slow down and nod at him whenever Lin Jing looked up - although the extent was actually very small, but Lin Jing didn't think it was just his eyes playing tricks on him.

  On New Year's Eve, the monk's morning class continued as usual. After the morning class was dismissed, Lin Jing still had to sweep the stairs.

  It's really a world outside the red dust. If Lin Jing hadn't been counting down the days, it would have been hard to notice that today was already New Year's Eve.

  Lin Jing returned to her room after finishing her chores and didn't follow her usual routine of copying scriptures and reciting books, but instead just sat there in a daze.

  Living in a foreign land as a stranger, every time a good festival comes, I miss my relatives more, Wang Wei is really too hateful, how can he write such a poem.

  Lin Jing was just an ordinary person. Although she wanted to be strong, she couldn't cultivate herself to the point of being cold-hearted and ruthless. At this moment, she missed home.

  It's not the dark and gloomy Lin Mansion, but her real home in her previous life. There was the faint smell of her father's tobacco and the sound of her mother's nagging, only now she can no longer smell or hear them.

  Lin Jing didn't want to cry, because she knew that tears were useless. Moscow didn't believe in tears. But at this moment, these water droplets filled with hydrogen and oxygen flowed out uncontrollably.

  It wasn't until he heard his door being knocked on that Lin Jing realized the light had dimmed without him noticing. He rubbed his face, sitting still and not getting up to open the door, not wanting anyone to see him in this state.

  However, the person outside was persistent and continued knocking. This time, not only did they knock, but they also shouted, "Little monk, quickly open the door. Don't think I don't know you're inside."

  "This is Jin Fu's tone, Lin Jing sighed, with this person's usual behavior, if he didn't stop him, he would definitely continue to make trouble, and when the time came, it would attract others, which wouldn't be good."

  Lin Jing got up and opened the door, Jin Fu's hand that was knocking on the door almost hit her forehead.

  "Hmph, I knew you were hiding in the house. If you don't open the door, I'll get the big monk to break it down!" Jin Fu said loudly, "You're not happy to see me, do you think I'm happy to stick with your cold face? Here, this is what my family's master ordered me to deliver. You'd better thank him and accept it."

  As he spoke, Jin Fu handed over the thing in his hand to Lin Jing, almost touching Lin Jing's nose.

  Lin Jing stared at the food box in front of her nose, a bit bewildered, "What's this?"

  "Don't worry, this is vegetarian, the temple can't have meat. Why don't you quickly take it and say thank you? Are you still thinking about eating meat dumplings? I knew you weren't a honest little monk! Luckily my master thought of you and asked me to bring it over. What's wrong with you?" Jin Fu said a lot, only to notice Lin Jing's abnormality, "You were just hiding in the house crying? Who bullied you, this small and weak little monk, also dared to bully? No way, tell me, I'll go find him!"

  Mixed with gratitude and helplessness, Lin Jing was teased by Jin Fu to the point of being speechless, hurriedly saying: "It's not that, no one bullied me. I just...I just miss home, miss my parents."

  Lin Jing couldn't bear to deceive others about their enthusiasm, so he told the truth. Who would have thought that Jin Fu listened and was full of doubts, "Huh? Didn't your household send someone to pick him up a few days ago?"

  Lin Jing's heart skipped a beat. Indeed, there are no secrets in the world. However, these things aren't anything significant either. His own background isn't really a secret after all.

  Jin Fu suddenly showed a sympathetic expression, muttering to himself: "Oh, I understand. Little monk, if you don't want to stay in the temple, why not go ask my family's master for help? Let him find someone to deliver a message to your home?" He then whispered to himself again, "No, no, this is too much trouble and won't work out." Next, he turned to Lin Jing and said: "Or I can go back and talk to my family's master, and you can follow him?"

  Lin Jing was really crying and laughing this time, although he didn't know how Jin Fu's sympathy had unfolded, but looking at his face full of sympathy, well, it was probably that Lin Jing had been bullied and couldn't return home. Although the essence wasn't wrong, but now Lin Jing really didn't want to go back to the mansion.

  However, Lin Jing was quite grateful for this person's sincerity and kind heart. He adjusted his clothes, bowed to Jin Fu, and this time it was sincere. Then he said: "Thank you. But no need, I came to the temple voluntarily, and I also sincerely prayed for my parents." Only, they were not the "parents" of Lin's household.

  If it was just an excuse at first, after staying in the temple for a while, getting used to the morning bell and evening drum, and reciting scriptures, Lin Jing really took this as a little thought for his parents from the previous life. He even hoped that by crossing over, he could completely erase the traces of himself from that life, so that it would be as if he had never existed, and therefore would not have any sorrow or longing.

  "Really?" Jin Fu's face was filled with incredulity, but he just looked at Lin Jing's solemn nod, feeling a bit stifled. "Alright, alright. But, little monk, you'd better think it through, or else it'll be too late later."

  "I'm telling the truth. And, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart." Lin Jing smiled gratefully at Jin Fu, and no matter what happened in the future, he would remember this moment of genuine care.

  Jin Fu looked at Lin Jing, opened his mouth as if to say something, but still didn't say anything, nodded and hummed in agreement, then turned around and walked away.

  Lin Jing waited until he couldn't see Jin Fu's figure anymore before turning around and closing the door.

  The lunchbox was opened on the table. Inside, there were steaming hot dumplings.

  Lin Jing only felt that her stomach had suddenly become an empty bag, so empty it hurt. She hastily picked up a dumpling and stuffed it into her mouth, not even bothering to look for chopsticks.

  The filling was ordinary, but it tasted surprisingly good. However, Lin Jing found himself in a dilemma - he couldn't tell whether his sense of taste was too sensitive or too dull. If it was sensitive, he could appreciate the extra freshness of the dumplings; if it was dull, he couldn't even make out what kind of filling they had - was it leek and radish? Cabbage and tofu? He just ate one after another, filling his empty stomach.

  Jin Fu said that when someone came to pick up Lin Jing, Lin Jing was not without suspicion of the old man's intentions. However, he immediately self-deprecated, thinking that he was being paranoid, and that he was just a "庶子" (a child born out of wedlock) who could barely keep himself safe, so what could others possibly want from him?

  It's just that they think they are pitiful themselves.

  Lin Jing is not a self-righteous young man, he won't feel offended just because of others' sympathy, nor will he think that his sacred self-esteem has been trampled on. As long as it comes from good intentions, no matter how small, he should appreciate the kindness in that.

  Looking at the empty plate in front of him, Lin Jing suddenly realized that he had eaten too much.

  Tomorrow, I have to return the food box to others. But returning an empty box doesn't feel right. Lin Jing thought for a moment, went out and fetched a basin of water, carefully washed the food box clean, put it aside to dry, then washed his hands clean, carefully tidied up the table, only then lit the lamp, took out pen and inkstone, chose the best ink and paper, and began to copy scriptures.

  Tomorrow, I'll put this scripture in the box and return it to its owner. Although they may not appreciate it, this is all that my current self can muster up.

  Lin Jing carefully wrote, every stroke was very deliberate. With great difficulty, a Buddhist scripture was finally copied, and he put down his pen, blew gently on the wet ink on the paper, and heard the sound of the bell outside.

  The bell tolls, each sound echoing and dispersing, with a lingering flavor that has been passed down through the ages. Counting carefully, there are 108 strokes in total. It turns out that while copying scriptures, they bid farewell to the old year and welcomed the new one.

  At this moment, Lin Jing felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction in his heart, a strange feeling.

  On the first day of the New Year, the temple's ceremony was quite early and grand. However, Lin Jing was a bit distracted. Because at this moment, that old man hadn't arrived yet.

  Not only did he not come, but the cushion that was originally his was also occupied by someone else, sitting cross-legged. Does this mean that person will never come again?

  Finally, the morning class ended, and Lin Jing didn't go to sweep the stairs as usual, but instead headed towards that Zen temple. The temple gate was closed, with a huge lock on it, telling Lin Jing that there was no one inside anymore.

  Just like the old man came quietly, he left without a sound. Lin Jing suddenly thought of Xu Zhimo's poem and waved his hand, not taking away a single cloud, but leaving behind a lunch box and the handwritten book that my sister wanted to return as a favor! Tears, this time I really owe someone a favor.

  Well, just owe it then. Anyway, the word "sister" doesn't sound that great now either.

  Lin Jing took a deep breath and turned to leave, there were still many steps waiting to be swept.

  Days have become no different from before. However, the passage of time and the changing of the seasons will never stop. Unbeknownst to me, spring has already deepened.

  Lin Jing had not yet fully appreciated the pleasant spring day and the beauty of the temple's scenery when people from Lin Manor came looking for him again. This time, it was none other than Lin Ruhai who made an appearance, accompanied by several attendants and young servants who were only allowed to stay at the mountain gate.

  The First Watch