The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

Fangzheng was stunned when he heard the mention of a wedding. “You’re getting married?”

Tian Xin smiled happily. “That’s right. I can’t be alone for the rest of my life, right?”

“Then the groom?” Fangzheng asked.

Tian Xin smiled mysteriously and said, “I would like to invite you as the best man.”

Fangzheng was stunned. Best man? To him, as long as he was not the groom, it wasn’t a problem being a best man. However, Fangzheng was curious about who the groom was.

When Fangzheng asked again, Tian Xin gave another mysterious smile and said, “You’ll know when you get there. Alright, let’s not talk about it anymore. I’m going to bring my hero dog and her family home. See you tomorrow!”

With that said, Tian Xin carried the puppies. The hero dog looked at Fangzheng before looking at Tian Xin.

Fangzheng smiled. “What are you looking at? Hurry up and follow her, or you will lose your children. If you follow her, you will have meat to eat. If you follow This Penniless Monk, you will only have vegetables to eat.”

The hero dog nodded and ran off with Tian Xin.

When Fangzheng saw this scene, he scratched his nose and mumbled. “This Penniless Monk was the one who saved the dog. This Penniless Monk was also the one who scared the bad guys away, but she still can’t resist the temptation of meat… Now that I think about it, Jingfa’s fear of starving must have been quite terrible for him to follow This Penniless Monk.”

Fangzheng completely forgot that the reason Jingfa followed him was not because he had a fear of starving, but because he had a fear of being beaten up…

That night, Fangzheng found a small hotel to stay.

However, Fangzheng couldn’t fall asleep. Although he had been to weddings before, all he usually did was eat. He would clap when he heard applause and leave after eating. Now, if he really had to be the best man, he realized that he was severely lacking in the knowledge needed to be one.

In addition, he was a little excited about being the best man for the first time in his life. He could not fall asleep at all.

Helpless, Fangzheng had no choice but to head downstairs and chat with the old man sitting at the bar counter. The old man immediately asked, “Are you the best man for that lass, Tian Xin?”

Fangzheng was taken aback as he asked, “Sir, do you know Tian Xin?”

The old man laughed heartily and said, “I know her! Of course I do! Tian Xin is a good lady. Who here in the area doesn’t know her?”

As he spoke, the old man took out a hundred yuan and placed it on the table. He said, “Since you are Tian Xin’s best man, I can’t accept this money. Hurry up and take it back.”

Fangzheng looked at the old man in surprise. He was even more surprised by Tian Xin’s status in the old man’s heart. He had found a small inn as he didn’t have much money on hand. The facade of the inn was only a few square meters, and there was a small sign hanging on it. It was easy to miss it unless one looked closely.

It was obvious that the old man was not a rich man. He wasn’t accepting money on a rare chance to do business? That meant that Tian Xin was quite influential. However, how could a girl like Tian Xin be so valued by an old man?

Fangzheng asked, “Grandpa, to be honest, I was a last minute choice. By the way, can you tell me about Tian Xin?”

The old man smiled and said, “Tian Xin? She’s a good lady. She appeared a year ago. It was raining at that time, and she kept crying and hugging a black box when she arrived. I didn’t know what it was, but from that day onwards, the girl has been staying here.”

Fangzheng continued listening.

The old man lit a cigarette to make himself more alert. He narrowed his eyes as if he was lost in his memories. “Later, we found out that the son of a local family had died and that this girl came here to deliver his ashes. From then on, the girl has been living here and taking care of the boy’s elderly parents. Not just that, but this girl is really a nice person to everyone. She’s good to all the elders here. She helps whenever any help is needed. Sometimes, she will volunteer even when help isn’t asked for. During the festivals, she spends time chatting with the elderly when she has the time.”

“Of course, that’s not the most important thing. Most importantly, she’s a firefighter. She has helped put out fires in our neighborhood and has saved us from disaster at least five to six times! Especially last year during the New Year, when the children were setting off firecrackers, they lit up a building. This girl risked her life to rush into the fire. She was even braver than those boys. That day, she saved the lives of a family.”

Upon saying this, the old man was also full of admiration.

When Fangzheng heard this, he couldn’t believe that the girl who looked a little muddled was a firefighter! Furthermore, she was a very fierce warrior!

When the old man said that, he took a sip of tea and continued. “It’s obvious you don’t believe me. If you don’t believe me, you can ask around. Who doesn’t know about Tian Xin’s achievements?”

Fangzheng hurriedly said, “Of course I do. It’s just that it’s something I can’t accept for the moment. She doesn’t look that powerful.”

The old man laughed out loud and said, “Girls have hidden muscles. They might look slim, but they’re really strong.”

Fangzheng also laughed foolishly, but a thought flashed through his mind. This girl was going all out. Perhaps, firstly, it was because the fire had taken away her beloved, and secondly…

With this in mind, Fangzheng’s heart sank. He suddenly understood the reason for the Formless Door sending him here and why he had taken on the appearance of Ding Mu.

He was not here to sightsee or pretend to be a boyfriend to warm the girl’s heart. He was here to save the fate of a kind girl!

With this in mind, it was the first time that Fangzheng began to take the mission seriously. This was not a farce, but a rescue operation. It was more difficult than the previous few times.

The old man was old, so he had trouble sleeping. Or perhaps he was having a good chat with Fangzheng, but in any case, they didn’t sleep the entire night. In the beginning, the man talked about Tian Xin, but later on, he shared his childhood experiences. In the end, he told Fangzheng how to be a good best man and what things he had to look out for.

Fangzheng didn’t mind either. Instead, he listened with relish. After all, stories from that era brought with them a sense of immersion and mystery.

The night passed just like that. The next day, the old man personally gave Fangzheng directions and told him where he should go.

After thanking him profusely, Fangzheng returned to his room to wash his face and freshen himself up. He took out his prayer beads, and recited scriptures. With his mind refreshed, he left in high spirits.

Before the sky turned bright, the sound of gongs could be heard. Before Fangzheng could confirm which family it was, he saw a convoy appear. In the middle of the group of people was a sedan car. They were beaming with joy as they walked, playing wedding tunes. They struck the drums and made plenty of noise. Wherever they passed, people opened their windows and peeked out to join the bustle.

Just as Fangzheng was watching, he heard someone shout from upstairs. “Hey, Ding Er! Up here!”

This shout was extremely loud, and Fangzheng could hear it very clearly. Just from the sound alone, he knew that it was Tian Xin’s voice. However, this form of address displeased Fangzheng a little. Tian Xin’s pronunciation had a hint of accent. When she shouted Ding Er, anyone who knew would be able to tell that she was calling him Ding Mu the Second since “Er” meant “two”. Those who didn’t know better would think that she was calling her son home for dinner!