Chapter 89: No Matter. I Have Plenty of Strength.

"My lady, look: this is the monthly allowance I collected for you. But the steward said the master ordered me to draw out a little extra, so you can offer more incense money, and when we return, you may also buy some things a young lady needs."

It was not yet time to receive the monthly allowance, but yesterday Steward Chen had summoned her to the accounting room to collect it, saying it was for her.

In this place, going out to burn incense and sightsee always cost money, and Li Rui had also thoughtfully reminded her to buy some feminine necessities with Zhang Xiaolan.

"Brother Li thinks of everything as carefully as ever." Zhang Xiaolan should have long since realized that someone as attentive as Li Rui had considered so much for her.

"Hehe! Still, our master is the best to you. This is only part of the incense money I brought along; when I return, I will give you the rest."

Xiaolian naturally thought her master was wonderful. But that was only toward this one woman, Zhang Xiaolan. It could be said that Zhang Xiaolan was something special to Li Rui, and Xiaolian could feel it very clearly.

"Just keep it safe on you."

At the foot of the mountain, they could already see people arriving even earlier than they had. There were truly so many pilgrims coming today to offer incense and worship Buddha, and the carriages parked below the temple were especially numerous. It seemed this place was indeed thriving.

"So many pilgrims here!" Zhang Xiaolan stepped down from the carriage and saw that the rest area at the temple's base was already filled with parked carts and horses.

Many others were walking in pairs or small groups, each carrying baskets filled with incense, candles, and offerings. Zhang Xiaolan and the others had also brought quite a lot of offerings today, and they would later have to be carried up the mountain by hand.

"Yes. It's because the Bodhisattva here is said to be especially efficacious, and the divination lots are too. And since today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, even more people have come. Look, there are even people who prepared more than we did."

Xiaolian also watched the pilgrims passing in and out of the mountain, observing the things they carried. This temple had many devotees, and today being Mid-Autumn, the crowd was especially large.

They had all arrived relatively early, yet some people had already gotten there first. Some lived nearby; others seemed to have come from the capital. They likely had set out before dawn.

Zhang Xiaolan saw that Hai Zi and Ling Xiao had already unloaded everything from the carriage. She walked over to look; there was quite a lot, but if they each carried a little, it would be fine. Only the heavier items would have to be borne on men's backs and shoulders.

"Today will be hard on Ling Xiao and Hai Zi, carrying so many things up there." Zhang Xiaolan patted their shoulders, both to encourage them and to thank them.

"It is nothing. I have plenty of strength."

Ling Xiao was the practical sort; he had known from the start that he was coming to do hard labor. Besides, how could girls be made to do such heavy work? Of course it should be left to men.

"My lady, I still need to watch the carriage, so I won't go up."

Hai Zi seemed intent on slacking off, finding a reason that was not entirely unreasonable.

"If you don't go up, then who will carry these things?"

Xiaolian immediately grew displeased. Did all these things mean to be left to Ling Xiao alone?

"But the carriage can't be left unattended either!"

Hai Zi put on a look of difficulty, his mind full of little schemes and calculations.

"It doesn't matter. I'll carry it all myself." Ling Xiao did not think so much; he only intended to shoulder it all himself.

"Hai Zi can just leave the carriage in the care of those monks over there. There are many pilgrims today, so even the temple monks have come down to help them. See those monks? They are here to guide people and watch over things."

Zhang Xiaolan looked around. When they had parked here earlier, little monks had already been directing them. Otherwise, the place would have been a chaotic sprawl of parked carts. Letting the monks help keep an eye on the carriage was perfectly fine; after all, not every vehicle here had someone staying with it.