In the separate courtyard, some infants could already crawl and walk. They were very active, wildly occupying large areas of activity space, making the narrow side room feel particularly cramped. Simon even suspected he was living in a sardine can.
The Woman did not have enough time to manage them, so she simply let them be. Thus, Simon was sometimes woken up in his sleep by one or several children pressing down on him. They would giggle, drool, and laugh even harder when they saw Simon glare at them.
The tender bodies brought Simon different sensations, so, to be fair, he did not dislike these children. Seeing their smiling faces, Simon would feel a similar joy well up from the bottom of his heart.
So he often wore a slight, mature smile, looking nothing like a child.
The great monks of Shaolin would occasionally visit the separate courtyard, among them was that Bald Donkey Jueguang. He had a strong impression of Simon, after all, he was the child he personally took in. Every time he came, Simon would smile at him.
Jueguang grew fonder of this little infant. He told his fellow disciples that this child was destined for Buddhism, naturally peaceful and joyful, and perhaps even possessed past life wisdom, making him a greatly promising talent.
Jueguang's statement was not opposed by anyone. Everyone could sense Simon's unusual nature.
They would gather around Simon to observe him, their bald heads shiny, their breath warm. Whenever this happened, Simon would close his eyes, ignoring these adults.
The monks and the Woman would laugh heartily, chat for a few moments, and then disperse to attend to the other children.
After visiting the children and reminding the monks guarding the separate courtyard to be diligent and not forget their cultivation, the great monks would then leave in twos and threes.
Jueguang was always the last to leave.
He would walk up to Simon, and Simon would open his eyes and smile at him.
In late autumn, the ground was already covered in frost. The monks once again came to visit the separate courtyard.
This was pretty much the last visit for the year. After winter set in, the monks would be very busy. The temple was holding a Water and Land Dharma Assembly, and everyone had to prepare meticulously for one or two months. At that time, in addition to a large number of devotees, Shaolin would also invite righteous people from all over the world to attend the assembly. The entire Mount Song area would be very lively. After the assembly, the monks would close the temple for cultivation, practicing meditation, running incense, and practicing martial arts. In short, they would not have time to visit these little infants anymore.
The next visit would be during the Spring Festival. The Woman would go home, and the monks would invite the widowed, orphaned, lonely, and helpless people from nearby villages and towns to gather at the separate courtyard. Firstly, they could help care for the children, and secondly, everyone could have a lively time together, spreading kindness and Buddhist teachings.
The monks arrived after noon and left at sunset. Jueguang was still the last to leave, and before he left, he specifically looked after Simon.
"This little rascal is truly spiritual!" Jueguang patted Simon's smooth, bald head. After his full month, the Woman had shaved off Simon's fetal hair, and no new hair had grown out yet. His scalp was both clean and soft.
Jueguang's palm was warm and dry, rough like worn-out cowhide, making Simon's head itch.
His smile widened, becoming a little silly.
Jueguang also laughed. He leaned close to Simon's small face and whispered, "Good, good child, grow up quickly, and I will teach you martial arts. You must know, a fist is mightier than Buddhist teachings. If your martial arts are good, everyone will have to listen to you. If my martial arts were good enough, my words would be law!"
Simon nodded in agreement. Jueguang was stunned for a moment, then his heart blossomed with joy, he laughed heartily, and strode away.
The Water and Land Dharma Assembly began.
The usually quiet Mount Song was unusually noisy today. People were everywhere, walking beneath the snow-covered pine forests, in front of strange rocks and cliffs, enjoying themselves and making joyful sounds.
The venue was inside the temple. The gongs, drums, bells, chimes, and cymbals clanged incessantly, carrying far on the wind, blowing through the trees, mixing with the rustling of pine needles and the trembling sound of snowflakes, becoming indistinct and gentle.
The Dharma Assembly lasted seven days and nights, and Simon also listened to seven days and nights of noise.
There was always an end. The voice of an old man, louder than the instruments and the wind and snow, echoed from afar, yet sounded as if it were right next to his ear, "Assembly concluded!"
The Water and Land Dharma Assembly was over. Seven days and nights of lively activity were dismissed with just two words.
For Simon, after listening to so much noise, the sudden silence was somewhat unsettling.
He could already walk, so he often moved past other children to the window, watching the snowy scenery on clear and sunny days.
The scenery outside the window constantly changed. The snow accumulated thicker and thicker. After the winter solstice, the sun rose higher day by day.
Unknowingly, the Spring Festival arrived.
The Woman congratulated each other, and also congratulated the children who couldn't understand, then packed their things, saying, "Off to celebrate the New Year!" And so, groups of them left, leaving only one Woman surnamed Li. She was a solitary widow, with no distant relatives or close neighbors, and planned to stay to attend the Spring Festival scripture assembly, listen to the monks preach, and share her feelings with other unfortunate people. Of course, she also had to take care of the children.
She was a bit overwhelmed.
The children also seemed to feel the joyful atmosphere of the New Year, and were particularly active today.
They were shouting and yelling on the kang, and a few pairs even started fighting.
Simon would separate them, then take one in each hand, cupping their chubby chins to make them shut up.
For some reason, this trick was surprisingly effective.
Later, these children would line up to have Simon cup their chins.
The Woman surnamed Li laughed happily, her expression benevolent.
The Spring Festival Dharma Assembly was attended by over ninety solitary men and women, young and old. The monks addressed them as benefactors, devotees, and Layman, very peacefully and equally.
Seven monks came, all Zen masters, with profound Buddhist scholarship.
The day before, monks had already come to the courtyard to set up sheds, arrange tables and chairs, and build fire pits. Now, the devotees voluntarily went to the woodshed to fetch firewood and start fires. The temperature today was not low, but there was a light breeze, so a bonfire would be much more comfortable. If the room hadn't been too narrow, they really should have held the gathering indoors.
Fortunately, those strong enough to climb the mountain were generally in good health. There were also elderly people, who were devout followers. They struggled up the mountain, arriving out of breath and looking like they could keel over at any moment, so they went inside early to stay with the children.
Simon did not particularly like the stale smell of elderly people. Children are especially sensitive to such smells. However, these old men and women were experienced and knew how to interact with children, and quickly gained their approval.
The infants taken in by the temple seemed to be naturally more outgoing and not afraid of strangers, perhaps because they had never experienced any malice; the world had been overly gentle to them.
When all the children were gathered around the elderly, Simon, still sitting by the window, seemed very unconventional.
The old man greeted him, and Simon turned his head and smiled.
Seeing this, gradually no one bothered Simon anymore.
In the courtyard, the devotees gathered around the seven Zen masters, forming seven circles. The monks preached within the circles; some explained the Heart Sutra, others the Buddhist worldview.
Simon heard them talk about a Mount Sumeru at the center of the world and pursed his lips, which was noticed by a sharp-eyed monk.
The monk seemed to know about this precocious child, so he feigned anger and pointed at him, "Little child! What are you laughing at?!"
--+--
T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
It may not be worth it now, but who knows, it might be different in the future. Who knows!
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