Ciyun Temple was easy enough to find. Follow the main street all the way out of the city, and you would reach it simply by going with the steadily thickening crowds.
In the open ground before the temple, stalls of every kind stood in a neat line, their banners fluttering in the wind as voices rose and fell in a lively din. There were vendors selling food, bolts of cloth, farm tools and household goods, as well as people offering various services—writing letters for others, telling fortunes, reading characters, and the like. The bustling scene came at them all at once.
The closer they got to the entrance, the more clearly they could hear the overlapping sounds of chirping, barking, and meowing. Lin Jing tugged at the corner of Lin Wu’s clothes, craning his neck to look ahead. There was so much to see that his eyes hardly knew where to settle.
Rows of bamboo cages and woven rattan baskets had been packed tightly together, with all sorts of furry little heads poking out from inside.
“Come take a look, young sir! Have a look at this litter!” An old man saw Lin Jing edging closer and immediately lifted the old cloth half-covering a bamboo cage. Inside, several puppies were huddled together, their eyes not yet fully open. “Country dogs—hardy and easy to raise. They’re excellent for guarding the house.”
Lin Jing squatted down and watched them for quite some time. After thinking it over seriously, he shook his head. “They’re still too little. It’ll take so long for them to grow up.”
An auntie nearby quickly waved him over. “Come have a look at ours! These pups are half-grown. Bring one home, raise it for a month or so, and it’ll already be able to guard the gate.”
Lin Jing tilted his little head to the side and examined them carefully.
Lin Wu also looked around. There certainly were plenty of puppies here, but most were on the small side, and their coats lacked luster. There really wasn’t a sturdy little dog that could make a person’s eyes light up.
Lin Jing tugged at Lin Wu’s hem. “Ma, let’s sell our things first and come back for the dogs afterward.”
Lin Wu lowered her head and saw that his eyes were still glued to the puppies, even though selling their goods was still at the forefront of his mind. He had principles, this boy. Even puppies couldn’t come before making money.
In fact, she had already discussed the plan with him on the way there: first sell the jerky, thin crisps, and bookmarks, then come back to choose a puppy. They couldn’t very well take home a puppy and bring it straight to the stall. It hadn’t learned how to guard the house yet, but it would have learned how to sell goods with them first.
This whole family really did have money for brains.
They made their way through the crowd and arrived at the open area where the food stalls were gathered.
Lin Wu set out the folding stool and placed the basket on top. Then she cleared her throat and called out loudly:
“Fragrant, crispy honey-glazed jerky and thin crisps! Fresh from the oven—have a piece for free!”
Standing beside her leg, Lin Jing also opened his mouth and called out. But this experienced Little Shopkeeper no longer needed to copy anyone. He had ideas of his own.
“Jade Soul bookmarks! Bookmarks for those destined to top the exams! Carry one while you study, and your learning will grow by an inch!”
Even Lin Wu was stunned. She lowered her head and saw him cupping both hands around his mouth, shouting with all his might. The little fellow had come up with one polished sales pitch after another. Who knew when he had thought of them?
He really was different now that he had started school.
His cry happened to catch the attention of a young man passing by, and the man stopped.
“You sell Jade Soul bookmarks here?” he asked, turning toward them.
His younger brother, who had only been attending the elementary academy for less than two years, had come home a few days ago with a bookmark he had apparently bought from somewhere. He treasured it as though it were some priceless object, showing it off to everyone he met and declaring, “This is the Jade Soul bookmark personally praised by Master Jianshan! Only students of the elementary academy can get one.”
“Yes, sir. Take a look.” Lin Wu lifted the white cloth covering the basket. Inside, the bookmarks were arranged in neat rows. Aside from the single sample displayed on top, the rest were packed in oiled-paper bags. She handed the sample to him.
The young man accepted it and examined it carefully. “It really is.”
Ciyun Temple was shaded by ancient trees and lush greenery, with the smoke of incense lingering there year-round. Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, falling across the thin leaf-veined bookmark and casting it in an amber-like glow.
It was indeed the same bookmark his younger brother had been showing off all day. Seen in person, it possessed an even more rustic and understated beauty.
“Give me one—” The young man had barely begun speaking when a sturdy little body suddenly charged over from behind and crashed squarely into his lower back.
“Jing!”
The child’s voice was loud and clear. He had sent his elder brother stumbling half a step forward, yet paid no attention as he slipped past him.
“Jing, didn’t you say you were coming to buy a puppy today?”
The young man steadied himself and reached out to grab his own brother by the back of his collar. “How many times have I told you not to run about wildly when we’re outside? Mind your manners.”
The Little Shopkeeper Lin Jing stood behind the stall with an utterly calm expression and explained, “We’re selling the jerky, thin crisps, and bookmarks first. After we’re done, we’ll go buy the puppy.”
“Thin crisps! You sell thin crisps!” The child immediately grew excited. “I want some thin crisps.”
Lin Wu lifted the cloth, took out a small oiled-paper bag, poured some onto a little porcelain dish, and held it out. “You two young sirs are welcome to try them.”
The child picked up a small piece and popped it into his mouth. After chewing a few times, he licked his lips. “They’re delicious! They taste even better than yesterday’s!”
Lin Wu secretly nodded to herself. Naturally they did. The first batch, made yesterday morning, had been overbaked.
The palm-sized little oiled-paper bags in the basket had been portioned out by Lin Wu and Lin Jing the night before. The thin crisps cost five wen a bag, while the jerky cost fifteen. Each portion was just right for eating while strolling through the temple fair.
“Five wen a bag,” Lin Jing told his little classmate, sounding completely at ease. It was obvious he had done this sort of business before.
“Then I’ll buy five bags. Two for me, one for Father, one for Mother, and one for Elder Sister.” As he spoke, the child pulled out his little coin pouch.
“What about mine?” asked the young man beside him, who had just paid for his bookmark and was tucking it into his sleeve pocket.
Without even looking up, the child replied, “You can buy your own, Brother.”
The young man was so exasperated that he nearly laughed. “Fine, I’ll buy my own. I’ll buy five bags, and I won’t give you a single one.”
Lin Wu watched as, in the blink of an eye, ten bags of thin crisps were sold.
Perhaps the brothers’ bickering had attracted attention, or perhaps Lin Jing’s two enthusiastic sales pitches had done the trick. In any case, within moments, five or six more children had crowded around the stall, with their elders following behind.
“Jing, have you bought the puppy yet?”
“Are these the thin crisps you ate yesterday?”
“I want to buy honey-glazed jerky!”
The children chattered and jostled, pushing one another this way and that like a nestful of sparrows just out of the nest.
Lin Wu looked at the children who had surrounded their little stall so thoroughly that not even a drop of water could pass through, then at Lin Jing, who was handling everything with practiced ease.
At last, she understood how all those orders Lin Jing received at the academy had come about.
“Didn’t I tell you not to buy everything you see? Jing’s thin crisps and jerky are almost sold out!” Tigerhead arrived late, dragging Qi Lang through the crowd.
Qi Lang was still holding a candied hawthorn skewer in his left hand and a roasted chicken wing in his right. The moment he heard this, he grew anxious and declared grandly, “Then I’ll take everything! I’ll buy all the jerky!”
A little boy beside him immediately panicked. “No! I still want to buy some too. Qi Lang, you can’t take it all!”
“Then I’ll take all the thin crisps!” another child’s voice rang out from the side.
This wasn’t merely brisk business anymore. It was complete chaos.
The children who had already bought something refused to leave, either. They stood beside the stall, crunching away at their thin crisps. As soon as they finished one bag, their little hands came reaching over again, copper coins clutched tightly in their palms.
Sparrow came running through the crowd. As soon as she reached them, she gave a light cough, clasped her hands behind her back, and slowed her steps.
The children turned around. At once, they became much more well-behaved and called out one after another, “Sparrow Jie!”
“Make some room,” Sparrow waved her hand. “If you’re not buying anything, don’t block the way.”
“We are buying! Who said we weren’t?”
Sparrow did not bother arguing with them. She walked straight to Lin Wu’s side and rolled up her sleeves. “Older Sister, I’ll help you. Are you managing all right?”
“I am, it’s just…” Lin Wu glanced at the little spendthrifts in front of her, each one loudly declaring that they would “take everything,” and thought for a moment. Then she raised her voice. “Too much of any snack isn’t good for you. You can’t eat too much. Each person may buy five bags at most. No more.”
“Five bags is fine. I’ll eat all five myself and won’t give any to my parents,” Tigerhead said, staring at the dried meat and crisp crackers. Suddenly, a crafty idea came to him. “Older Sister, can I buy five bags each for my grandfather, my parents, my older brother, and my aunt? They didn’t have time to come, so I’m buying them on their behalf!”
Lin Wu gave him a look. She couldn’t help thinking that Tigerhead truly lived up to his name—his mind was as nimble as ever—but her answer was firm. “You can only buy for yourself.”
Sparrow glared at Tigerhead as well. “Don’t cause trouble!”
With the children’s help, their goods were soon completely sold out.
“Jing, are you going to buy a puppy? Let’s go together!” Tigerhead asked eagerly while chewing on a piece of dried meat.
Lin Jing did not answer at once. He tilted his head up toward Lin Wu, his eyes shining brightly. It was obvious that he wanted to go.
Lin Wu gently lifted the empty bamboo basket. When she turned around, she saw the grand vermilion buildings in the distance. Ciyun Temple spread up the mountainside in tier upon tier, its halls and pavilions arranged at varying heights. Wisps of smoke rose from the incense burners and drifted into the surrounding woods. Viewed from afar, the temple seemed to possess an almost otherworldly air.
Her voice was soft and even. “Since we’ve come all the way to Ciyun Temple, why don’t we offer incense before we leave?”
“All right!” Sparrow immediately trotted a few steps ahead, then turned back to call to everyone. “I know the way. The side entrance is closer, so we won’t have to go around to the main gate. I often come here with my mother to offer incense. I could find my way even with my eyes closed.”
The group followed her into the temple.
Lin Wu’s destination was the Memorial Pavilion in a side room on the western side of Ciyun Temple. It was a place where ordinary people could offer incense for deceased relatives. There were no ancestral tablets, no formal rites, and no permanent monk stationed there—only an incense table, cushions for kneeling, and a merit box.
Lin Wu lowered her head and said softly to Lin Jing, “It’s like when we burn paper offerings on the Winter Solstice. We’re sending a token of our thoughts to those who are far away.”
Lin Jing nodded lightly. He understood at once.
Together, they stepped into the Memorial Pavilion.
Sparrow and Tigerhead did not go inside. They squatted on the stone steps outside, keeping watch over Lin Wu and the others’ bamboo basket while dappled shadows from the trees shifted across the steps.
Fresh flowers and pure water were set out on the incense table. Beside the merit box lay bundles of slender incense sticks.
Lin Wu took a few coins from her purse and dropped them into the box. She picked up three sticks of incense and lit them from the candle flame.
Apart from them, only two or three other people were inside. All were silent, sitting quietly on their own cushions. Wisps of blue smoke curled upward, seeming to enfold the two kneeling figures.
A short while later, Lin Wu led Lin Jing out by the hand.
As the sun climbed higher, more and more people streamed into the temple fair. Those who had come from farther away to attend the market must have been arriving one after another.
Sparrow stood up and brushed the dust from her skirt. “I know a quiet little path. We can take it to the entrance without having to squeeze through the crowds.”
With that, she led them down a side path.
The lane was narrow and peaceful, bordered on both sides by gray-white courtyard walls. Withered vines, already yellowing, hung over the tops.
They had only gone a few steps when Lin Jing suddenly felt something furry brush against his heel.
He lowered his head and froze for a moment. Then his entire body went rigid.
“Doggy!” he and Tigerhead exclaimed almost simultaneously.
They both squatted down, staring fixedly at the small creature on the ground.
It was a little yellow dog.
Its round eyes were black, bright, and moist. Its head was as round as a ball of risen dough, and its dense fur looked warm and golden in the sunlight. Its body was short and plump, while its four legs were thick and sturdy. From its frame alone, one could tell that it was a strong, healthy puppy.
“It’s so fat!” Tigerhead whispered, afraid of startling it. “It looks like a round yellow jar!”
“I think it looks like a yellow steamed bun—the kind that’s just come out of the pot,” Lin Jing said, offering a different opinion as he stared at the puppy’s chubby little body.
The puppy was clearly not very interested in these two excited human children. It slowly turned its head away, swayed its plump body, and took one waddling step after another toward Lin Wu.
Lin Wu was bending down to look at it when the puppy seemed to summon all its strength. It hooked its front paws around her leg and struggled to raise its entire round, chubby body upright.
“It stood up!” Even Sparrow could not help crying out in surprise.
Lin Wu stroked the puppy’s round head.
The little fat dog immediately rubbed its head against her palm. After that, it turned and nudged the bamboo basket beside her hand. Its little nose sniffed back and forth along the gaps in the bamboo strips, while its tail wagged like a tiny fan in the blazing summer sun.
That was when Lin Wu realized the puppy had an ulterior motive.
She took out the paper bag from the basket. Inside were the few pieces of dried meat and crisp crackers left over from the samples.
“It wants our dried meat!” Lin Jing leaned over, watching closely.
“That dog has an amazingly sharp nose,” Tigerhead marveled.
Lin Wu took out a piece of dried meat and held it out.
The puppy did not open its mouth.
It merely lifted its head and gazed at Lin Wu with its glossy black eyes. Its tail wagged even more eagerly, yet it stubbornly refused to touch the piece of dried meat in her hand.
“Huh?” Lin Jing was gently stroking the puppy’s back with one small hand. Seeing this, he became puzzled as well. “Doesn’t it like dried meat? Maybe it wants a crisp cracker?”
Looking down at the puppy’s pleading expression and its refusal to open its mouth, Lin Wu suddenly remembered the mongrel her family had kept when she was a child. That dog would never eat food handed directly to it. The food had to be placed on the ground or in a dish before it would eat.
She tried setting the piece of dried meat on a fallen leaf.
Sure enough, the little fat dog immediately lowered its head and wolfed it down. After chewing a few times, it let out a small, satisfied whine.
When it finished, it simply sat down, lifted its round head, and gazed at Lin Wu, its tail sweeping back and forth across the ground.
That shamelessly entitled expression, as though it had every right to expect more treats, melted everyone’s hearts.
The last few pieces of dried meat and crisp crackers were taken out one by one and fed into the eagerly waiting little mouth.
Only when the paper bag was completely empty did they finally awaken from the spell cast by the chubby puppy’s begging.
“Whose dog is this?” Lin Wu asked, holding the surprisingly heavy little bundle of flesh and looking around in confusion.
Lin Jing immediately chimed in, “Could it belong to the stall selling dogs near the entrance? If it does, we can buy it from the vendor.”
Sparrow shook her head. “Probably not. We’re already some distance from the temple fair. The monks’ living quarters are nearby. I think it may belong to the temple. Quite a few temples keep dogs to guard the grounds.”
Lin Wu nodded and, with no other choice, hugged the chubby little dog and continued along the path. After only a few steps, they spotted a small kitchen courtyard. Several baskets of radishes were drying by the gate, while a young monk crouched beside them, turning the radishes over one by one.
Hearing their footsteps, he looked up. His eyes immediately landed on the furry bundle in Lin Wu’s arms.
“Amitabha,” the young monk said, quickly standing and opening the gate. “Afu, how did you get out again?”
“Afu?” Lin Wu lowered her gaze to the chubby puppy in her arms. It was resting its head contentedly in the crook of her elbow, showing not the slightest sign that it realized it had done anything wrong.
“This one was born to the temple abbot’s watchdog—a litter of six, and this one is the greediest of them all. Its religious name is Laifu,” the young monk explained, taking the puppy from her with a helpless sigh. “It usually knows better than to leave the courtyard. Today, it must have smelled the food from the temple fair and slipped out. It has broken its vows.”
After Lin Wu and the others explained what had happened, the young monk apologized repeatedly and led them to the abbot’s quarters to return the wayward puppy.
The abbot’s courtyard was secluded and tranquil. An old monk with a full head of white hair sat beneath the covered walkway, basking in the sun. An open scripture rested across his knees, though he was not reading it and merely sat with his eyes closed, resting.
The young monk carried Laifu over and quietly explained the circumstances.
The abbot opened his eyes. His gaze passed over the young monk and settled on Lin Wu.
“What brings you to our humble temple today?” he asked in a calm, measured voice.
Lin Wu answered honestly. “I came to the temple fair for three reasons. First, to find a puppy to guard our home. Second, to sell some food I made myself. And third, to pay respects to an old friend and offer some incense.”
The abbot nodded, then shifted his gaze to Lin Jing. “Young sir, what do you call this puppy?”
Lin Jing was rather confused. “Laifu?”
He had just heard the young monk say that the dog was called “Afu” and thought the name suited it well. But this was a temple, and even the dogs had religious names. Surely that meant the religious name sounded more impressive.
The abbot closed his eyes again. “This dog came to you of its own accord, rather than being sought by you. Since you have already given it a name, your fates are now bound by destiny.”
Lin Jing blinked, not yet having fully grasped what the abbot meant, but Lin Wu had understood. “Thank you, Abbot.”
And so they left the courtyard with Laifu in their arms.
When they passed the Memorial Pavilion again, Lin Wu stepped inside and placed three qian of silver into the merit box. That was roughly the going price for a healthy puppy.
Outside, the young monk held Laifu and bid them farewell. He stroked Laifu’s round head and murmured his parting instructions. “Afu, once you reach your new home, guard it well. Don’t sleep too much, don’t be greedy, and don’t go running off after dried meat again.”
Once they left the temple fair, Sparrow suddenly slapped her forehead, finally remembering the important matter she had pushed to the back of her mind.
She hurriedly grabbed Lin Wu and spoke so quickly that the words tumbled out like beans from a tipped basket. “Elder Sister, I nearly forgot to tell you! My older brother sent word through someone that they’ve already set out from Nan’ya and are on their way back to Huzhou! He said the matter of the bookmarks sounded excellent and that he’ll discuss it in detail with you once he arrives.”
Then she added indignantly, “It was clearly a business between us and Elder Sister, so how did it suddenly become a business between my brother and you?”
“Exactly!” Tigerhead immediately chimed in. “My brother always does this—he’s always stealing our business and bullying people.”
Lin Wu could only smile and reassure them. “He probably just doesn’t trust me with such a small venture and wants to inspect everything carefully on your behalf.”
That was what she said, but she still felt somewhat uneasy. Shen Guanting had not even sent back a letter. Instead, he had set out for Huzhou directly. As for Nan’ya, had everything gone smoothly, or had the situation deteriorated so badly that he could do nothing but withdraw for the time being?
Lin Wu lowered her eyes, her thoughts drifting.
Sparrow continued, “Oh, and my brother also said that the dried meat was delicious! The gifts were delivered too—nothing was left behind.”
Only then did Lin Wu relax. It seemed that nothing had gone wrong.
“Thank you and Tigerhead for helping carry the message and pass along our words. When I make some new treats, the first batch will be saved for the two of you.”
Sparrow and Tigerhead’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Elder Sister!”
After parting ways with Sparrow and Tigerhead, the two of them began walking home at an unhurried pace.
As they walked, Lin Jing suddenly raised his little head and asked softly, “Did my gift arrive too?”
“It should have. Once Sparrow’s brother reaches Huzhou, we’ll pay him a visit and ask him properly.”
“All right!” Lin Jing answered. He bounded ahead a few steps, but before he had gone far, he turned and ran back to look at the puppy in the bamboo basket.
The basket that had originally held the dried meat now had a small cushion laid inside. Laifu was sprawled on its back, its belly rising and falling as it slept soundly. The young monk had said that it had slept on that cushion ever since it was little, so he had given it to them as well.
Lin Jing stared at the puppy for a long while. At last, he could not resist edging closer to Lin Wu and whispering behind his hand, “It’s so fat.”
The moment he finished speaking, Laifu rolled over in the basket.
Caught bad-mouthing the puppy on the spot, Lin Jing immediately straightened his little back, looking guilty.
Lin Wu burst into laughter.
