Supernatural Girls

Chapter 10: The Blessed one (Part 2)

Lin had been staying at the Nengyin Monastery for over a month, and the monotonous daily life began to bore her, making her yearn for the outside world. When she heard there was an opportunity to meet a blessed person, she immediately felt it was a rare chance to get some fresh air.

Early the next morning, Ann and Lin donned Tibetan women’s clothing and followed the map provided by Nengyin Monastery, walking along the winding mountain path. By noon, they finally arrived at Sobu Village, located in the southern part of Lhasa. The village sat at a bend in a tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, surrounded by vast fields of barley and scattered forests. The Tibetan houses were ancient and solemn, with colorful prayer flags gently swaying in the breeze. The villagers led simple lives, relying on sheep herding and farming, enjoying a slow and relaxed pace.

As they walked, Lin asked, "Ann, what do you think this blessed person will be like?"

Ann smiled without replying.

When they reached the entrance of the village, they saw an elderly Tibetan grandmother sitting in her yard, basking in the sun. They approached and bowed respectfully, briefly explaining their purpose. The grandmother nodded and pointed to a house at the end of the village. "Dorji's family had monks visit yesterday," she said enthusiastically. "Continue on, and when you see that big green pine tree, the house will be right next to it."

After thanking the grandmother, the two continued along the small path through the barley fields. Not far ahead, they spotted the tall, lush old pine tree, and next to it was indeed a Tibetan house with a spacious courtyard filled with the sounds of children playing. Outside the gate, a Tibetan couple in their thirties was busy. The husband was squatting on the ground, repairing farm tools, while the wife was hanging colorful clothes to dry. The sunlight made the colors even more vibrant.

As Ann and Lin approached, they pressed their hands together and greeted the couple. The husband, who was Dorji, replied in heavily accented Mandarin, "You must be from Nengyin Monastery? Monks were here yesterday."

Lin felt a bit frustrated, thinking this trip might have been in vain—this couple was living comfortably; why would Dorji leave his wife and children to practice in a temple? Would anyone be foolish enough to do that? If it were her, no matter how blessed she was, she wouldn't go to Nengyin Monastery to practice.

Ann nodded. "Yes, we came to visit the blessed person mentioned by Kangbu."

The wife, Lhamo, smiled and set down her laundry, pointing to two children playing in the yard. "The blessed person you’re looking for is our son, Abu. They are twins; the one in dark blue is Yuan, and the one in yellow is Gong. The blessed one is among them." In Tibet, the term "Abu" is often used affectionately for boys.

Lin couldn’t help but laugh. They should have inquired more about the blessed person from the monk who came yesterday; she never expected it to be a child.

The twin boys, about seven years old, were round and adorable, nearly identical. Gong had slightly thicker eyebrows and a few freckles on his nose, while Yuan had slender eyebrows and a straight nose. These subtle differences made each of them unique. On the grass, they took turns playing a game of "rock tossing," jumping up and celebrating each time they successfully landed a rock.

Lin took out a small spinning top from her backpack and called them over, "Do you want to play with this?" The moment they saw the toy, their eyes lit up. As the top spun on the ground, they clapped and laughed around it. Gong was particularly energetic, while Yuan seemed somewhat distracted.

Ann approached Yuan and gently asked, "Do you like this top?"

Yuan looked up at her and replied, "I like it, but it can only spin for a while before it stops."

"Do you know why it stops?" Ann continued to ask.

Yuan looked at the top and replied, "It can't spin forever, just like the wind will stop and the water will calm down."

Ann and Lin exchanged surprised glances—this Yuan was likely the blessed person!

Lin became excited. "Yuan, would you come with us to the temple? Kangbu really likes you."

Yuan glanced back at his parents, hesitating slightly, then posed a challenge: "If you can answer me one question, I'll go with you." He quickly found two identical leaves in the yard and provocatively said, "If you can prove these two leaves are exactly the same, I will go to the temple."

This was quite a challenging question. There are no two leaves in the world that are exactly alike; even if they are the same size, their textures would differ.

Ann took the leaves and smiled, saying, "Yuan is very clever. Let me solve it in a special way." She took out a small mirror from her bag and placed the two leaves on either side. When the reflections in the mirror perfectly overlapped, they appeared identical.

Lin clapped her hands and laughed, "Look, in the mirror, they are exactly the same!"

Yuan frowned, clearly unconvinced: "The shadows are the same, but the leaves themselves haven’t become identical."

Ann nodded, "You’re right; the mirror can only reflect the surface and cannot change the essence of things. However, sometimes what we see depends on our perspective. Some people focus on the color and shape of the leaves, while others might think about their growth and the surrounding environment. The question you posed is to help us understand that each leaf is unique, isn't it?"

Yuan nodded slightly, and a hint of softening appeared on his face.

“Learning Buddhism is a joyful thing. Yuan, being chosen by Kangbu is a blessing for you!” As these words echoed, a young man and a girl entered the courtyard. The girl, dressed in a red Tibetan robe, immediately embraced Yuan, spinning around with a smile, while the man was Ke Ding. Dorji and Lhamo clearly had a good relationship with them, smiling and stepping forward to greet them warmly.

Taking advantage of Dorji and Lhamo’s time to prepare butter tea, Ke Ding greeted Ann with a grin. "We arrived at Nengyin Monastery right after you left. Kangbu was worried you might not be familiar with the environment in Tibet, so he specifically sent us to pick you up."

Ann felt a sense of reunion, her heart slightly moved. Ke Ding then turned to Lin with a teasing tone, "How have you been, Lin? I’m your lifesaver. How will you repay me?" Just as he finished, the girl in red coldly laughed, sarcastically saying, "She nearly broke your nose when she was unconscious, and you still want a favor!"

Ke Ding shrugged it off, smiling as he waved his hand. "Lin didn't mean to; I’ve long forgotten about that." He then introduced, "This is Fu Qing from the Doorless Academy, your future senior sister."

Fu Qing glanced at Ann and Lin, her lips curling into a slight smirk, laced with disdain: "Let’s talk after you pass the academy’s assessment."

Ann politely thanked the two for saving their lives, while Lin was tempted to roll her eyes but ultimately held back.

In Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism is the core of Tibetan culture, and going to a temple for practice is seen as a noble choice. For children from Tibetan families, entering Nengyin Monastery signifies not only spiritual practice but also that the family can earn religious merit and blessings by raising a monk, which is highly respected in Tibetan society.

Dorji and Lhamo had been offering incense at Nengyin Monastery for many years and held deep respect for Kangbu. Now that they saw the Monastery had sent three groups of people to pick up Yuan, they accepted the decision since Yuan no longer resisted going to the Monastery for practice.

The couple carefully packed Yuan’s daily clothes and reminded him of some life details. They then invited everyone to enjoy Tibetan mutton soup together. The rich aroma of the soup dispelled the chill of the highland evening. As night fell, though Dorji and Lhamo wore smiles, their eyes betrayed their reluctance as they watched Yuan leave.

In the deep of night, the group of five returned to the Nengyin Monastery. Kangbu and the monks awaited them in the main hall and were pleased to see Yuan return to the temple safely.

Kangbu instructed the monks to arrange a room for Yuan, who surprisingly insisted on sharing a room with Ann. The others couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. Fu Qing felt a twinge of jealousy and casually suggested, "Since Yuan likes Ann so much, why not follow her to the academy first and then come back to the Nengyin Monastery?"

Yuan, feeling sleepy and fuzzy-headed, agreed without a second thought.