Following his aunt and uncle step by step up the stone stairs, Fang Yi arrived at the Great Buddha Hall of Jincan Temple to burn incense and pay respects to the Buddha. The stream of pilgrims today was exceptionally large, with moving crowds filling every corner.
Compared to the Dragon King Temple in his hometown, Fang Yi felt that Jincan Temple here was vastly larger, far more solemn and majestic, and much more magnificent. Inside the Great Buddha Hall, sacred statues of the Gautama Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, the Eighteen Arhats, and the Four Heavenly Kings were enshrined, while the side halls on either side housed figures such as Yue Fei and Lord Guan. The entire main hall was thick with swirling incense smoke and a bustling sea of bobbing heads.
Fang Yi followed his aunt and uncle, kneeling to kowtow before each and every bodhisattva in the hall in turn. With her hands pressed together in prayer, his aunt murmured incantations under her breath, though it was hard to catch the exact details of what she was praying for. Yet, quite unintentionally, Fang Yi caught a single phrase: "Bless us that the end of the year passes in safety and peace! Grant us a peaceful passage through this year!" A wave of unease involuntarily stirred in his heart—what on earth was his aunt so worried about?
Chapter 97