Wang Fang nodded at the village chief, and without another word, he jumped onto the carriage. He drove off without a backward glance.
He left with such a suave demeanor, so briskly. In Zhao Jiaqi's eyes, she had never seen Wang Fang smile, not even a faint one.
After the carriage had gone, Zhao Jiaqi and the village chief walked back, and she said, "That Wang Fang seems rather unhappy. You didn't force him to go, did you?"
Speaking of this, Wang Yuanzhi chuckled and explained to her, "This child has been cold by nature since he was young. It might be because his parents died. Afterwards, he followed me. As long as I had food, I'd share it with him."
"But this child is also grateful. If my family has any chores, he'll lend a hand. However, that cold expression, it truly can't be changed."
Wang Yuanzhi sighed, "He says that only by being this way can people fear him, and he won't be bullied."
Zhao Jiaqi nodded slowly, "So that's how it is. I thought he looked like that because you worked him without paying him."
Wang Yuanzhi waved his hand, "It's absolutely impossible for me to not pay for work. Besides, do I look like I'm short of their wages?"
The question made Zhao Jiaqi too embarrassed to answer "yes," so she could only smile and shake her head.
That evening, for dinner, Wang Yuanzhi invited them to the front hall. The table was laid with seven or eight dishes, all of them exquisite and appearing to be delicious.
Wang Yuanzhi also invited his wife out, and had Wang Hui accompany them. During the meal, he introduced his wife.
"This is my wife, her name is Tian Guo, but everyone calls her Wang Tian Shi. She dislikes killing in her life. She usually chants scriptures in her Buddhist hall, which is why you've rarely seen her these past few days."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jiaqi's eyes lit up with admiration. "People like that are full of great compassion. Those who do many good deeds in their lives always possess a different kind of aura, which is very comforting to behold."
She was flattering him so much, it was almost becoming risqué, and Zhao Jiaqi herself felt a bit awkward.
Wang Tian Shi's expression didn't change much upon hearing her words, but she couldn't say she particularly liked them. She simply nodded calmly.
"This is my only hobby. Sometimes I can't stand certain things. Rather than getting angry, it's more comfortable to chant scriptures. Over time, I naturally grew to like it."
Although Zhao Jiaqi was not a devout believer, she respected these deities. What she was saying was akin to a student in a private school, who had to study the Four Books and Five Classics every day; it was a habit, and once formed, it was hard to change.
Zhao Jiaqi found the atmosphere at the dinner table very... awkward.
She found a topic and asked Wang Tian Shi, "What scriptures do you chant, Madam? I also have great reverence, but sometimes I can't find the right way."
Wang Tian Shi gave her a faint glance, her expressionless face softly saying, "I chant the Heart Sutra. It helps to calm the mind when one is agitated."
It was the Heart Sutra, then. If she remembered correctly, the first sentence was, "Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva."
She inquired, "Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, when practicing the profound Prajnaparamita, perceived that the five aggregates are all empty. I don't quite understand the latter part. Could Madam enlighten me?"
Wang Tian Shi hadn't expected her to know a few phrases. Regardless of the reason, this was to her liking.
"This Heart Sutra is very profound. I still haven't fully grasped its meaning. The last phrase, 'perceived that the five aggregates are all empty,' refers to the emptiness of the inherent nature of the five aggregates: sensation, perception, mental formations, consciousness, and form. None of them are truly immutable or eternal."
This explanation again left Zhao Jiaqi bewildered. Based on her understanding of the text, it was as if a state of mind or spirit had been reached where everything seemed to not exist, yet also existed.
Hence, it was further stated, "Form is emptiness, emptiness is form..."
She smiled awkwardly, "What Madam says is very insightful. Perhaps we ordinary mortals have not yet penetrated the profound mystery within."
Wang Tian Shi genuinely smiled this time and comforted her, "It's alright. The Heart Sutra offers different understandings with each recitation. If you have Buddha in your heart and do not commit evil deeds, and can be true to your conscience, that is all that matters. The rest is secondary."
Zhao Jiaqi agreed with these words; the Madam's values were quite upright. This was Zhao Jiaqi's assessment of her.
It was also the first time she had evaluated someone's values.
However, Wang Yuanzhi, who was on the side, looked displeased. Wang Tian Shi didn't look at him, but instead attended to Zhao Jiaqi, continuously serving her vegetarian dishes.
"As the saying goes, eating too much rich food is not good for the stomach. Eating some greens aids digestion. At our age, our health is paramount!"
Zhao Jiaqi quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, that's exactly right. Especially for us women, we can't neglect health and wellness. If we don't take good care of ourselves, the days ahead will be more arduous."
The two women got into conversation, leaving Wang Yuanzhi aside. He was beginning to worry if his "crazy wife" would reveal some things to her.
So, he winked at his daughter, Wang Hui. Wang Hui, understanding his intention, immediately joined the conversation.
"Mother, you don't know, this Madam has very skillful hands. She arranged those flowers in the vase, and they instantly looked beautiful. If it were me, I would have put all those flowers in the vase together."
She said this coquettishly to Wang Tian Shi, actually trying to divert her mother's attention by talking about trivial matters, so that her mother wouldn't focus too much on the guest.
"You're just a tomboy, what do you know?" Wang Tian Shi said lightly, then lowered her head to eat her meal.
Wang Hui, however, was unhappy upon hearing this, "I just haven't attended private school, why do you say that about me? How am I a tomboy?"
Saying this, she put down her chopsticks on the table, very upset, "If you hadn't been chanting those darn scriptures in the Buddhist hall every day and taught me more, how could I have become like this?"
Zhao Jiaqi saw that a family feud was about to erupt. She rolled her eyes and decided not to get involved, not to wade into the muddy waters. Perhaps she could glean something from their argument.
But unfortunately, despite her clever plan, there was no further development, which was quite disappointing to her.
There was a long silence at the table, broken only by the sound of cutlery. Wang Hui, after confronting Wang Tian Shi, was glared at by her father and became quiet again.
Just then, a large fish, braised red, was served. It looked very tempting.
Wang Yuanzhi introduced, "This is a specialty fish from our region. Its flesh is tender and fresh. You must try it."
Zhao Jiaqi was also delighted to see the fish and picked up a piece with her chopsticks. Before it even reached her mouth, a feeling of nausea overwhelmed her.
Her stomach felt sour, and she almost spat out what she had just eaten.