Dongchuan (Haikou) is a famous seaport city in the north (of Hainan Island). The city is surrounded by the sea, as if a jewel in the north (of the island), which attract many tourists from all around the country.
This time, Qin Chao clearly knew he didn’t come here by himself to play around, but to complete an arduous task. That is, to protect the daughter of Liao Dongkai. The unruly and wayward Liao Shasha.
Su Fei had told him in advance that he didn’t need to bring any luggage. When he arrived there, someone will naturally take care everything for him.
The only thing that kept Qin Chao content was that his salary has been sent down. The sense of holding the money inside his pocket is a very different feeling. It seemed like the whole world was full of life.
Therefore, at the junction, Qin Chao generously bought a one yuan popsicle and ate it while waiting for the man who will pick him up.
Half an hour later, the people from Liao Dongkai household has not come to meet him. This made Qin Chao feel somewhat strange, ‘How could the people from the Chairman of Dafa Real Estate have no sense of time?’ He thought.
So he made a call to Su Fei.
“Boss Su, how could Liao Dong hasn’t sent his people to pick me up? I’ve been waiting here squatting for quite a while!”
This time, Qin Chao wore a black trench coat, which was previously given by Su Fei. This guy is squatting at the entrance of the train station, which is a crowded place where nobody will see him twice.
“Impossible, Liao Dong has always been very punctual.” From her tone, Su Fei also felt very strange, “At this time, they should have arrived at the airport.”
“Airport? Boss Su, I’m at the train station!”
“Train Station!? What are you doing in the train station!? Didn’t I tell you to buy a plane ticket?”
“Ahem… the plane ticket is too expensive!”
“You idiot! You just wait there forever!”
“Don’t….Director Su, you wouldn’t want me to be begging for food at the train station would you?”
“Then just go begging! See if you’re going to starve to death!”
“I was wrong, Director Su. For the sake of this brother of yours, who milked from the same mother, please help this brother out!”
“Who…who milked from the same place as you! Forget it. I think you suffered enough. Just go find a taxi and ask for Liao Dongkai’s Mansion. Those drivers will take you there. I’ll tell Liao Dongkai, making him wait for you at his home.”
“Okay, okay. My Boss Su is the best. How about I take you to dinner….”
He still hasn’t finished his talk, but the phone call already ended from the other side. Qin Chao was helpless. He has the three no- of youth, no car, no house, and no deposit. If he wants to save some money, it’s actually quite understandable.
“Hello brother, how are you.” When Qin Chao just stood up, a very decent looking middle aged woman gently greeted him.
“Em, who are you?” Qin Chao gawked, thinking, ‘Since when did I have brothers in all over the country, so, everywhere I go, there will be someone who recognizes me?’
This middle-aged woman looked somewhat depressed. Followed by her side, a young 18-19-year-old girl with delicate appearance but slightly ashen look, who timidly looked at Qin Chao.
“Sorry to bother you, brother. We, mother and daughter, came here to visit a relative, but without any result. Even our wallets were also stolen away.” The middle-aged woman patted her thighs and heavily sighed, “Ai, it doesn’t matter if I starve, but my child hasn’t eaten for days. Big brother, I think you are a good man, can you help us buy some food for my child? Take a look how hungry she became now.”
‘Hungry for several days? But your complexions are rosy.’ Qin Chao kept this words inside his heart. He had heard that various scams were happening at the train station, but this was Qin Chao’s first encounter with such thing.
“Big brother, would you be so kind? I don’t want any money. Just gives the child something to eat please!” Seeing that Qin Chao’s legs were about to leave, the middle-aged woman immediately pleaded.
Qin Chao frowned, thinking, ‘this person is really persistent.’ He looked up, saw the young girl’s body and suddenly can’t endure anymore.
‘This girl should be in school,’ he thought. Seeing the timidity in her eyes, it seemed like she also didn’t want to do this kind of thing.
This girl reminded Qin Chao of Li Na. If Li Na’s mom was like this middle-aged woman, would Li Na be like this?
People said there were many swindlers in this place, but what if these people weren’t lying? Qin Chao shook his head, drew 200 yuan from his pocket and put it in the young girl’s hand.
“Go get something to eat.” With that, despite some consternation in the young girl’s eyes, he turned around and walked away. The middle-aged woman’s face looked pleasantly surprised, and she secretly thought that she unexpectedly met with a big client today.
“Aunt Wang, let us not do this sort of thing anymore…” After seeing Qin Chao had gone away, the young girl finally said in a low voice.
“Fart! If we don’t do this, what are we going to eat!” The middle-aged woman suddenly snatched the 200 bill from the young girl’s hand, “We got lucky today. Maybe that guy took a liking for you, this silly girl! Humph, the idiot.”
“Aunt Wang….” The girl timidly said, “He, he is not stupid. He is a good man.”
“Good man my ass! There is no good person these days anymore!” Aunt Wang made a ‘pei’ and spat on the ground, “If there is a good person, you wouldn’t be sold here! If not for me, your Aunt Wang, right now you’ll be serving the smelly men in god knows what nightclub! Cut the crap, quickly get back to work! Look, there is a distracted youth over there, go, walk.”
With that, these two figures slowly disappeared among the crowds.
“Benefactor, please stay behind.”
When Qin Chao was looking around for a taxi, a man in a yellow gown and draped in a monk’s golden kasaya, slowly walked over to him.
There were six rings of burned scars on top of the head of this 40-50 years old monk, which have a solemn and dignified face. Seeing Qin Chao, his right palm suddenly moved to the front and did a Buddhist ceremonial greeting. His left hand then put out a black alms bowl and said with a kind voice.
“Benefactor, you have a predestined affinity with the Buddha, it is better to perform a good charity.”
“This, this….” Qin Chao covered his pocket, thinking, ‘Damn, this father has just pulled out two hundred yuan bills, how come a monk is soliciting for my money!’
“Sorry, I am not a Buddhist. I have something to do, so, I’ll take my leave.”
Qin Chao made a bow and was about to slip away.
“Benefactor, please wait.” The monk stopped in front of Qin Chao and gently said, “Benefactor, your natural disposition is good, how can you obsessed with money.”
“I….this….” Qin Chao thought that this old monk was going to lecture him about Dharma.
“Benefactor, actually, everyone is a Buddha. However, mortals have desire, anger and ignorance, so they won’t become a Buddha and doesn’t have great wisdom. Put down the greed and that’s an Arhat, Put down the anger and that’s a Bodhisattva. If all the afflictions were put down, you could become a Buddha. Benefactor, I think you have great wisdom, don’t let these things bother you.”
Hearing this, Qin Chao was stupefied. ‘This monk actually has some truth,’ he thought. He is, after all, a cultivator. If he cannot put aside these things, how can he accomplish great things in the cultivation world?
“Benefactor please look.” From the pocket waist, which printed with a lotus flower, the monk pulled out a golden booklet, “This is the Diamond Sutra, which this poor monk only give to a predestined person. As long as Benefactor gift some good charity, you are that predestined person.”
Qin Chao looked at the booklet, making his heart moved, ‘They said, all roads (of Cultivation) lead to Rome (originally: different routes to the same destination). If I study this sutra, perhaps there will be some advantage to my cultivation.’
‘Forget it, just consider it as what this monk said. I met with him because I am the predestined person.’ He pulled out 200 yuan from his pocket, hesitated, and, under the watchful eyes of the monk, plugged 100 back into his pocket.
When Qin Chao was about to put the money into the alms bowl, the great monk suddenly opened his mouth.
“Benefactor, wait for a moment, I detect something evil, please follow this poor monk to hide.”
“Evil?” Qin Chao was shocked, “Where does this evil come? I don’t sense anything.”
“The local law enforcement has arrived (begging/asking for alms is forbidden in the public places in China). Benefactor, please hide along with this poor monk.”
“……”
Qin Chao was pulled away by this monk and left the train station. He was at a loss and didn’t know where this monk would take him.
“Master, where are we going?”
“Benefactor, look. The sun is right on top of our heads. Although this poor monk is practicing Dharma, I still can’t shake off my human body. My belly is crying because of hunger. Please come along to eat with this poor monk.”
“Ah? Where are we going to eat?”
“McDonald is fine.”
“……”
“What? Does Benefactor not like the taste of sweet? Fine, let’s go to KFC then.”
Qin Chao was completely speechless, thinking, ‘What kind of monk is this!’
Thus, in a KFC next to the train station, there was this scene: A great monk with a solemn and dignified look was sitting at a table by the window with a grouchy young man.
The waitress was actually nonchalant about this strange sight and came over to ask for their order.
“Master, what do you want to eat today?”
The waitress casually asked the monk, who, with folded hands, perform a Buddhist greeting, and then said.
“Two portions, just like in the past.”
“Okay, please wait a moment, Master.” The waitress did a Buddhist greeting, turned around and walked away.
Qin Chao has a silly look, “Wasn’t KFC a self-order restaurant? How could Master have such preferential treatment?”
“Benefactor don’t laugh at me.” The Master chuckled and said, “That waitress is this poor monk’s female disciple.”
“D….damn….” Qin Chao was totally speechless. This time, there was a particularly long line of people who were ordering their food. But for the monk to have someone, who helped to bring his order, was very different indeed. Soon, their table was covered with french fries, hamburgers, and two large size of coke.
“Benefactor, don’t be polite. Since you and this poor monk have a predestined meeting, this poor monk invited you to eat.”
“I’m too embarrassed.” Qin Chao politely declined.
“Since that is the case, this poor monk will not be polite anymore and will leave the bill to Benefactor. Sure enough, the benefactor is predestined to meet with me, hehe.”
Seeing the Master’s smiling appearance, Qin Chao’s tears was almost poured down.
But the Master is actually an interesting man, making Qin Chao curious whether this man is a liar, or a meat eating, wine drinking, enlightened monk? At that time, the Master quietly put the alms bowl before Qin Chao and said with a smile.
“Benefactor, don’t forget your good fortune.”
“Ahem….” Qin Chao almost spurted out the coke. He quickly wiped his mouth and reluctantly put 100 bills into the alms bowl.
“Then this book will be granted to Benefactor. Remember, don’t let other people see it.”
The Master put the Diamond Sutra into Qin Chao’s hand. When Qin Chao took a look, he was surprised. It turned out it was just a simplified version. When he opened the page, the printed words on top of it reads:
“Diamond Heart Sutra.”
Qin Chao casually glanced at the last page of the book. The row of small printed words shockingly screamed:
“Price: 15 Yuan.”