CHAPTER 383: CHAPTER 383: WHO TAUGHT YOU THAT?

Master Xiao Han looked at her and thought for a moment before saying, "Alright, little donor, please wait outside for a moment while I inform them. However, I do not know if the temple master will see you."

After speaking, he closed the gate of Hu Yun Temple.

Gu Jinli’s eyebrows slightly furrowed, already sensing that the temple master must have instructed something; otherwise, Master Xiao Han wouldn’t have made such comments and asked her to wait outside.

The last time was her first visit to Hu Yun Temple, when Master Xiao Han had welcomed her and Gu Daya inside to sit and wait.

Gu Jin’an also felt something was amiss and went up the steps, asking Gu Jinli, "Xiao Yu, did you offend the temple master during your last visit?"

Gu Jinli shook her head: "How could that be? The temple master is essentially a tycoon; I’m trying to ingratiate myself with her, how could I possibly offend her?"

Could it be that she knew Gu Jinli was eyeing the precious medicinal herbs of Hu Yun Temple, so she wouldn’t let her in again to prevent her from impulsively asking for them?

Impossible, Hu Yun Temple freely grows such valuable medicinal herbs on its grounds and isn’t afraid of them being taken.

Could it be...

Gu Jinli thought of something but wasn’t sure yet; further probing was needed to find out.

Upon hearing this, Gu Jin’an, although filled with doubts, could only wait.

"Wang Yongfu found two relatively flat stones and moved them under the eaves at the entrance of Hu Yun Temple, suggesting the two Young Masters to sit and rest."

Gu Jin’an and Gu Jinli, having walked the mountain path for half an hour, were also somewhat tired and simply sat down to wait.

Nowadays, the weather is sweltering, with the sun hanging high in the sky like a fireball. Fortunately, here in the deep mountains, not only is the wind strong, but it’s also much cooler than down the mountain, making their wait outside bearable.

However, Master Xiao Han took quite a while this time, nearly three quarters of an hour before returning.

With a squeak, Master Xiao Han opened the gate of Hu Yun Temple and said to Gu Jinli, "Little donor, the temple master said she only likes cultivating medicine and treating illnesses, and she’s not curious about people like embroidery. If you have no other business, please leave."

After he finished speaking, Master Xiao Han looked at Gu Jinli and leaned in to whisper, "Little donor, did you offend our temple master during your last visit?"

Her face had the look of ’Don’t try to deceive me, I’ve figured it out.’

With a resigned smile, Gu Jinli said, "I swear to heaven, I absolutely did not offend the temple master."

It’s the temple master who is capricious, leaving her puzzled.

However...

The more the temple master avoids seeing her, the more it proves her conjecture.

Gu Jinli took out a stick of mosquito incense, handed it to Master Xiao Han, and said, "Master Xiao Han, please run another errand for me and take this mosquito incense to the temple master and tell her that I mainly came to deliver new medicine today, and this is the new medicinal incense I’ve made."

She likes cultivating medicine and treating illnesses, so I will give her a stick of mosquito incense. As long as the temple master is not determined never to see her in this life, she will surely invite her into Hu Yun Temple.

After listening, Master Xiao Han curiously glanced at the mosquito incense, took it, and sniffed, "It has a bit of a floral scent."

Gu Jinli smiled and said, "It’s made from herbal medicine; it contains a herb called white rod daisy, so the mosquito incense has a faint scent of flowers and grass."

"Mosquito coil?" Master Xiao Han frowned and said, "I have never heard of it. However, the temple master really loves fresh things made from herbs. Little donor, your gift truly touches the temple master’s heart. Just wait, I’ll go announce your arrival. The temple master will definitely see you."

After saying that, he closed the big gate and cheerfully ran off to inform the temple master.

Sure enough, in just over fifteen minutes, Master Xiao Han ran back to open the gate for her and smiled, "Little donor, please come in. Our temple master said he wants to meet you."

Gu Jinli smiled and said to Master Xiao Han, "I have brought some food for the temple. Master Xiao Han, please help me lead the mule inside, and I will carry the remaining items in the basket."

"Alright." Master Xiao Han was different from the temple master; the young girl was lively and charming, not seeming like someone devoted to asceticism. She had a strong earthly aura. Upon hearing this, she herself came out and led the mule into Hu Yun Temple.

"Big Brother, Uncle Wang, you two wait outside. I’ll be out in no more than two hours," Gu Jinli instructed before carrying the loads filled with soy oil and soy products into Hu Yun Temple.

After Master Xiao Han closed the gate, he led the mule and Gu Jinli towards the courtyard where the temple master resided.

Along the way, Gu Jinli gazed at the precious medicinal herbs by the roadside, especially salivating at the sight of the blooming ginseng.

Hu Yun Temple was indeed wealthy, so wealthy that she desired every single type of herb here!

Master Xiao Han glanced at her and asked, "Little donor, do you like medicinal herbs?"

Gu Jinli nodded vigorously: "Very much."

How could she not like something that could be exchanged for money, something that was like gold growing from the soil?

Master Xiao Han was quite generous: "If little donor likes them, when you go back, I’ll give you a few pots."

Gu Jinli was almost petrified: "You can give them away?" And several pots at that, from you personally? Does the temple master know about this? Won’t she get angry?

Master Xiao Han winked at Gu Jinli and said, "Yes, I can give them away, just not the ginseng or Lingzhi. Those are too valuable; giving them away might bring trouble."

There were quite a few patients visiting the temple, and sometimes, the temple master would also give some medicinal herbs to the patients. But not ginseng or Lingzhi, as these two herbs were too precious and giving them away could bring misfortune.

Gu Jinli was so delighted that she immediately decided to become like sisters with Master Xiao Han: "Master Xiao Han, you are so kind. Thank you so much."

Master Xiao Han laughed heartily: "Little donor, you are also very good. Every time you come to our Hu Yun Temple, you bring so many things. You even brought us soy oil to eat. The last time you brought soy oil, we used it for cooking, and it really tasted great. After eating it, we felt fulfilled and it kept us from getting hungry."

"You don’t know, but before in our temple, we didn’t use oil in cooking. Every time after eating, I would feel so hungry within two hours and would complain to my fellow sisters, but they wouldn’t let me eat saying that asceticism is meant to be austerely enduring and we shouldn’t eat before meal times."

And those seasoning spices, when added to the food, even wild vegetables and radishes become fragrant and very delicious.

While talking, Master Xiao Han led her to the courtyard where the temple master lived, knocked on the door, and the voice of the temple master came, "Come in."

Master Xiao Han led the mule while Gu Jinli carried the loads into the courtyard.

This time in the courtyard, no one was preparing medicine, only the temple master was sitting under the porch, holding a stick of mosquito coil, and upon seeing Gu Jinli, asked, "Did you make this? Who taught you how to make it, and how did you know that white rod daisy has the effect of killing mosquitoes and repelling insects?"

White rod daisy, this medicinal herb has always been used for drinking; no one had ever thought of sun-drying it, grinding it into powder, and mixing it with two other medicinal herbs to create a mosquito and insect repellent.

And this kind of medicinal incense was very special; in the noble families of the former dynasty, nobles used medicinal scents by directly sprinkling them into charcoal-burning copper incense burners, slowly baking them with the charcoal fire to release the scent of the medicine to fumigate the room.

To make it directly into incense sticks like this, it was her first time seeing it.