Chapter 436: Chapter 159 People Should Not Be Deceived_4
Pei Yunmeng paused for a moment, no longer said anything, then picked up his chopsticks.
Lu Tong had already taken a bite of the crispy sugar biscuit.
The freshly made crispy sugar biscuits could burn one’s mouth if eaten too soon, but after cooling for a while, they were just perfect. Biting into it, the sweet fragrance of sesame and brown sugar filled the taste buds, a truly blissful flavor.
Pei Yunmeng watched her thoughtfully.
He asked, "Does Doctor Lu have a particular fondness for sweets?"
Previously, at Renxin Medical Hall, Lu Tong had given him a bamboo tube of ginger honey drink that was so sweet it was almost cloying. Even Duan Xiaoyan couldn’t stand it, yet she seemed to take it in stride.
It seemed that on his several visits to the Renxin Medical Hall, he had frequently noticed sweet syrup water on the small tables there... along with lotus flower pastries—Lu Tong’s taste was extremely sweet.
Lu Tong paused then responded with a "Hmm."
He nodded, "I see."
Then he said no more.
The meal was quite enjoyable.
Country dishes were always hearty, and compared to the delicacies of the restaurants in Shengjing City, they had more of a natural flavor. After the two had finished eating, Qingfeng inside also finished, and the three returned to the tea garden entrance where they had arrived, with Qingfeng leading the carriage, and all three descended the mountain together.
By then the sun was setting gradually, and the entire Tuoluo Mountain was not as lush as when they’d arrived. The coppery red afterglow cast a bloody hue over it, and along the lakeside, a couple of white egrets flew past, gradually disappearing into the distant mountains.
The downhill road was always easier than the uphill path, and just as the sun set and the carriage passed the foot of the mountain, the lanterns outside the homes lit up.
From outside the carriage, a cacophonous murmur of voices carried faintly, and Lu Tong lifted the carriage curtain to see a temple entrance on the busy street they were traveling. A crowd was lining up in a long queue at a porridge stall at the front, where several men dressed like household servants were ladling rice porridge from an iron pot into the bowls of the people waiting in line.
These people were all ragged, with sallow, emaciated faces. Lu Tong watched for a moment, then realized what was happening—this was a charity porridge distribution.
During the great plague in Changwu County that year, wealthy merchants with good hearts had distributed porridge on the streets at first.
"That’s the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion’s people providing relief for the hungry," Pei Yunmeng’s voice came from beside her.
"The Grand Preceptor’s Mansion?" Lu Tong turned around abruptly.
Pei Yunmeng leaned against the carriage, glanced out at the lively scene, and spoke indifferently, "You should know about Qi Qing getting a son in his old age."
Lu Tong furrowed her brow.
Miao Liangfang had told her that Qi Qing had had two wives. The first wife had been married to him for many years without conceiving and had died without leaving any offspring. However, the second wife he married afterward gave birth to the children Qi Yutai and Qi Huaying.
But what did that have to do with Qi Qing giving out porridge?
Pei Yunmeng’s lips curved slightly, "Qi Qing had been childless for many years, and a master told his fortune, saying that his ancestors had committed grave sins. He was advised to give more in charity and perform acts of kindness."
He spoke with a smile at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes held a hint of mockery, "Afterward, Qi Qing provided relief to the famine victims year after year, invited high monks to build temples, mended bridges, and built roads, and after taking a second wife, he indeed had a son and a daughter."
"And from then on, our Grand Preceptor became a firm believer in fate and karma."
He spoke sarcastically, but Lu Tong only found it laughable.
If Qi Qing truly believed in fate and karma, how could he have dealt such a murderous hand against the Lu Family and the Yang Family? If there really was such a thing as karma and retribution, could a few bowls of porridge and a few temple ceremonies really offset the crimes of exterminating an entire family?
How absurd.
Pei Yunmeng glanced at her, "What are you thinking about?"
"I am thinking that the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion does this simply because they believe ’One can deceive men, but not the gods.’
"But they are mistaken."
Lu Tong spoke coldly, "It is people who are the least deceivable."