143: Chapter 143 When the Plums Ripen: Childhood Sweetheart Male Lead 21

Early in the morning, the dawn light was faint, and the thin mist in the garden had not yet dispersed.

Nan Li went to the main courtyard to invite Old Madam, preparing to set off together to Honglu Temple to pray for blessings.

Her heart had been in turmoil these past few days, so she thought she could use the tranquility of the ancient temple to calm herself down.

When the two stepped out of the gate of Qinghe Garden, Nan Li suddenly halted her steps.

Outside the door was that black Maybach she was all too familiar with.

Meng Zhu was leaning against the car door, dressed in casual attire. Seeing them come out, he smiled and opened the back seat door.

So... he was going along too.

Nan Li subconsciously gripped Old Madam's arm and muttered in a low voice.

"Grandmother, isn't it enough for me to accompany you? Why is... Brother Courtesy Name here too?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt it was inappropriate and hurriedly added an explanation in a panic, her voice growing quieter as she spoke.

"I was just afraid of delaying Brother Courtesy Name's work! He is so busy..."

Old Madam gently patted the back of Nan Li's hand and amusedly comforted her.

"Silly girl, your Brother Courtesy Name isn't busy these two days."

She smiled and drew out her tone.

"I am also taking advantage of this trip to pray for blessings at Honglu Temple to ask about the marriage prospects for the two of you."

Wha... what?

This sentence was like a thunderbolt, striking directly on top of Nan Li's head.

She was stunned on the spot, her clear apricot eyes widened round, and her brain buzzed.

Only the words "ask about the marriage prospects for the two of you" echoed repeatedly.

Did Grandmother mean... she wanted to ask about the marriage prospects between her and Brother Courtesy Name?

Until she was shoved into the car, Nan Li still hadn't realized she had misunderstood; she was completely distracted and restless.

On the way, she was like a startled quail, curling herself up in the corner of the back seat, either looking down or looking out the window, not daring to say a single word.

She dared not even look up at the front row.

When the vehicle arrived at Honglu Temple, Nan Li finally regained her senses slightly.

This Honglu Temple was solemn and dignified, filled with incense smoke, and was said to have a long history.

It was not Nan Li's first time here, but she still looked around everywhere, using it to hide her nervousness.

Walking into the Mahavira Hall, the abbot, holding prayer beads, had long been waiting there.

Since Old Madam of the Meng Family came every year, she would naturally notify the temple in advance each time.

"Amitabha, greetings, The Old Matriarch of the Meng Family." The abbot put his hands together and bowed slightly.

"Thank you for your trouble, Master."

Old Madam smiled and nodded, taking out two pre-prepared slips of paper from her handbag and handing them over.

"Master, these are the birth characters of the two children."

The abbot took the slips of paper, examined them for a while, frowned, and went to the inner hall.

Old Madam walked to the prayer mat in front of the Buddha statue, knelt down, lit three sticks of incense, and bowed devoutly.

Seeing this, Nan Li followed suit and knelt down beside her.

Meng Zhu did not step forward; he stood not far behind the two, his gaze falling on Nan Li's slender back.

She knelt there with her eyes closed, her expression different from when she worshipped Buddha in her youth, carrying an unprecedented seriousness.

Meng Zhu watched her quietly like this, his thoughts drifting, recalling the kind woman in his last movie.

He was suddenly curious: at this very moment, what was Zhaoyu saying to the Buddha statue?

[What is this narration talking about?]

[It's talking about Nan Li's inner thoughts.]

[No, I mean, what are these inner thoughts?]

[She's been kneeling here for ages just to ask Buddha what kind of emotion can be eternal?]

[What's the big deal? It's easy to understand, right?]

[She fell in love with Meng Zhu and wanted to build a friendship or familial bond with him, yet she couldn't stop love from arriving.]

[She is actually questioning the Buddha: why can't love be eternal, why did her father cheat, why do the hearts of lovers change, and why is friendship so easy to last?]

So, was she thinking about these things?

Meng Zhu narrowed his eyes, secretly thinking he shouldn't rush.

It was unknown how much time had passed; Old Madam had already risen, but Nan Li still kept her eyes closed, maintaining her prayer posture.

Just then, the abbot who went to the inner hall returned.

He walked to the door and handed the two slips of paper back to Grandmother, his expression carrying a hint of complexity.

"The Old Matriarch of the Meng Family, I have examined them."

"How is it?"

Grandmother asked with concern.

The abbot pondered for a moment and spoke slowly.

"It can be considered... destined by fate, a match made in heaven."

The abbot changed the subject and added another sentence.

"However... the timing is not yet right."

"The timing is not yet right?"

Grandmother frowned in confusion.

"What does Master mean by this? Does it mean that these two children are... not yet suitable for marriage right now?"

The abbot shook his head, a smile appearing on his face.

"The Old Matriarch need not worry."

He glanced at the two young figures in the hall, his voice steady and certain.

"Wait for another autumn and winter, and you will understand."

After the three left the Mahavira Hall, the deacon monk leaned in beside the abbot.

"Abbot Uncle, both have destined romantic ties; is this rare?"

The abbot nodded slightly.

"It is indeed rare. These two have a marriage bond from a previous life, but the time for them to marry is still a bit too early."

The deacon monk was stunned.

"Uncle, are you saying that these two are destined to be husband and wife?"

The abbot nodded.

"Naturally, I am not speaking nonsense."

The deacon monk slapped his forehead.

"Oh, I was wrong, I was wrong, it's all my fault for being confused and conveying it wrong. Abbot, The Old Matriarch of the Meng Family wanted to calculate their marriage prospects separately, not their marriage bond as a couple."

Now the abbot was also stunned. He thought about it and then shook his head with a smile.

"It is fine. Since it is destined by fate, just let it take its course. The Old Matriarch of the Meng Family will eventually understand."

At this time, Old Madam of the Meng Family still could not figure it out.

Saying it was a match made in heaven, yet also saying the timing wasn't right.

Zhaoyu was fine; perhaps she still needed to experience some bumps in the road with the person she liked.

But for this scoundrel Meng Zhu, who didn't even have a girl he liked, where did this match made in heaven come from?

She couldn't figure it out for a long time.

The Mahavira Hall of a formal temple generally does not provide fortune-telling by drawing lots.

Old Madam simply took the two of them and went to the Guanyin Hall instead.

After worshipping Guanyin, Old Madam turned her head directly, pointed at the lot tube, and instructed Meng Zhu.

"You go and draw a marriage lot."

Meng Zhu was slightly surprised; it seemed Old Madam was indeed a bit anxious.

Naturally, he had no intention of making Old Madam unhappy, so he obediently stepped forward and knelt on the prayer mat.

He held the lot tube with both hands and shook it with a calm expression.

"Clatter..."

The crisp sound of bamboo lots colliding echoed in the hall.

Not long after, with a "clack" sound, a bamboo lot jumped out of the tube and fell to the ground.

Meng Zhu picked it up without even looking at it and handed it to Old Madam.

Old Madam took it, and it was written on it.

The ninety-ninth lot, average.

Old Madam examined it for a moment, then hurriedly took the lot and walked to the side hall room to find the incense master to interpret the lot.

"Master, please take a look at this. This is the marriage lot my grandson just drew."

Nan Li was curious, so she followed and leaned in, standing next to Grandmother to peek.

Meng Zhu walked slowly at the very back.

The incense master in the room took the bamboo lot, read the lot text he found, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

"This lot text says:"

"Crossing the vast waves to visit the phoenix, seeking spring while leaning on the railing all day. The hardest thing in the human world is to meet, separated only by a fence before the courtyard."

After reading, he looked up, just about to speak congratulations, but his gaze happened to meet the man standing at the back.

Meng Zhu's expression was calm as he looked at the incense master, subtly shaking his head, his eyes filled with deep meaning.

The incense master was also a perceptive person, having seen all kinds of pilgrims in this temple. He turned to look at Nan Li and immediately understood.

So he paused, swallowed the words that were originally on his lips, and instead put on a gentle smile.

"The Old Matriarch, as for asking about marriage, this is indeed an average lot. It means your grandson's good match is separated by rivers and seas, and the beauty is still far away in a foreign land."

The master pointed at the lot text.

"He still needs to wait alone; there is no suitable person around him at the moment. This marriage requires waiting for the right time; one must not be impatient."

Hearing the phrase "there is no suitable person around him at the moment," Nan Li, standing to the side, suddenly curled her fingers.

For some reason, her heart felt as if it had been lightly stung by something, evoking an indescribable soreness and emptiness.

That's right, someone as outstanding as Brother Courtesy Name indeed has no one by his side who can match him at the moment.

Nan Li lowered her eyes, hiding the ripples in her pupils, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

After hearing the interpretation of the lot, Old Madam was naturally very disappointed, couldn't help but sigh, and turned back to glare at Meng Zhu.

"I told you, you scoundrel, all day long it's just work, and you don't know how to walk around and explore."

"I was wrong, Grandmother. Let's go back."

Meng Zhu just bowed his head slightly, appearing humble and teachable.

[When I type a question mark, it's not that I have a problem, it's that the movie has a problem. What happened to monks not telling lies? This monk is lying.]

[You know how to interpret lots too?]

[I don't, but didn't you see Meng Zhu shaking his head at the monk?]

[Saw it, everyone knows, I thought you knew how to interpret lots. Is there any expert who can explain the correct content?]

[The original work doesn't have this part, it's a bit annoying.]

[The people from the Tea Society definitely know, but they won't say.]

Scanning the bullet comments, Meng Zhu naturally knew the correct meaning of the lot, but he wouldn't say it now; the timing was not right.

When the three left the room, Old Madam was still unwilling, turning to look at Nan Li beside her.

"Zhaoyu, girl, how about... you go and draw one too?"

Nan Li was startled and hurriedly shook her head like a rattle-drum.

"No, no, no, Grandmother, I won't draw one!"

Her mind was very chaotic right now, and she had an inexplicable resistance to these lots.

Seeing her like this, Old Madam secretly pondered in her heart.

This girl probably already has someone she likes. Forget it, if she won't draw, she won't.

The three walked out of the Guanyin Hall.

Near the door, Nan Li looked back at the Guanyin statue, then looked at Grandmother, who had a depressed expression beside her.

She blurted out on an impulse.

"Grandmother, you don't need to worry. How can one fully believe in drawing lots? It's all fake. Zhaoyu doesn't believe in these things."

These words, she didn't know who she was comforting, but Nan Li just wanted to say them.

Old Madam was amused by her serious look, the gloom on her face dispersed a lot, and she reached out and tapped her forehead.

"You, you just know how to say nice things to comfort Grandmother."