Chapter 45 Mahayana Golden Phrases

The shopkeeper of Dao Ning Medical Clinic used alcohol to clean Cui Chong's wound before using forceps to remove the bullet.
There was no fresh blood flowing from the wound. He was surprised and adjusted his glasses, saying, "I have never seen a patient like Dao Chang before. This bandage is a bit unnecessary!"
Cui Chong retracted his hands and said with a soft expression, "Shopkeeper, how is the surgery fee calculated?"
His mouth curved into a smile and he said, "For something as simple as this, where would there be any fee?"
As he spoke, he put down the tools in his hand and casually asked:
"You look like a friendly Taoist. How should I address you?"
"Cui Chong."
The shopkeeper's smile became even stronger: "That's quite a coincidence. We are also from the same family, with the same surname of Cui. I am Cui Daoning."
"The name of his clinic seems to be his own name. It seems that he has put a lot of effort into it."
When it comes to his clinic, his smile becomes even more pronounced and he speaks more enthusiastically: "My family inherited a traditional Chinese medicine clinic. My younger brother inherited it and runs the TCM clinic, while I opened this Western medicine clinic because of my interest."
"Teacher, the whole family is grabbing medicine."
While Chen An was packing medical equipment, he heard the conversation between the two and laughed carelessly.
Cui Daoning said seriously, "We are not grabbing medicine, we are physicians."
He holds a profound reverence for his identity and profession, seeing them as more than just a means of making a living.
As the night falls, Cui Daoning invites him to stay and have a meal together, saying, "We hit it off at first sight, Daoist. My wife will be back soon."
Just as the words fell silent, the door to the clinic was gently pushed open.
The man who had been sitting on the bench not long ago was now running fast with his slightly chubby body.
"I'm back!"
A woman with rosy cheeks handed her coat to her husband and smiled beautifully: "Hmm!"
"Did Tao Rong take you back?"
Cui Daoning's tone was slightly questioning, and the woman pouted and said, "You didn't come with me, so I had to find Tao Rong."
"I am not afraid of going, but I am worried about you being uncomfortable."
The couple looked like they were loving, but the observant Cui Chong saw through the facade.
The woman's lipstick was smudged and her coat was placed unevenly on her shoulders.
However, these speculations are unnecessary to tell the other party, as he has a habit of not interfering in other people's affairs.
He just sat there quietly, and the woman saw the figure sitting in the room when she came in.
"Guests came to the house? Why didn't you tell me?"
Cui Daoning explained with a smile, "It's the Taoist priest we met in the hotel, and he's staying for dinner tonight since it's late."
The lighting inside was dim, and the woman standing at the door couldn't see clearly what Cuichong looked like.
She smiled and said, "That's really fate."
The Daoning Medical Hall was undoubtedly better off compared to the average people's life in the city, although it paled in comparison to the wealth of the Liang family.
He Anxia served some steamed buns and a few plates of vegetarian dishes, as well as one plate of chicken, which was the only meat on the big table.
He Anxia smiled and pointed to the chicken with his chopsticks, saying, "Daoist, this is lotus leaf chicken, the best thing I've ever had when I went down the mountain! You just came down the mountain, right? You must try it."
When he first came down the mountain, he had nothing and was starving. His master gave him a lotus leaf chicken to fill his stomach, so he always thought that lotus leaf chicken was the best thing to eat in the world.
Mingming is drooling over lotus leaf chicken, but he still stuffs the steamed buns into his mouth one by one.
This is his true goodness and beauty in his heart. His innocent heart is infinitely magnified by Cui Daoning, revealing his kind side.
Perhaps they had already established a connection when He Anxia stole her lotus leaf chicken.
In China, it is customary not to speak during meals or sleep. Aside from a few mutterings from He Anxia, the only sound was the clinking of chopsticks.
Upon the end of the banquet, Cui Chong bid his thanks and didn't stay for long, while the women's eyes lingered on him.
"Daochang, it's already late at night. Why not stay at Daoning Medical Hall for a night and continue your journey tomorrow?"
A soft and tender voice of a woman came, and Cui Daoning echoed: "Yes, it's hard to find a place to stay late at night, Daoist."
Cui Chong still insisted on declining and chose to leave the Daoning Medical Hall.
The streets were bustling with people, lanterns hung high, and roadside vendors added to the lively atmosphere.
He walked forward with a sword sheathed on his back, his shadow stretching long in the dim light of the night.
Just keep walking, through the bustling crowds and streets, he saw a temple.
The temple is quiet and still, and you can hear the chirping of cicadas and birds. The temple gate is wide open.
He doesn't have any hostility towards faith as a Taoist, but he also has a relatively low level of belief in it.
However, he doesn't completely deny it, as there is something mysterious about everything that happens to him without the intervention of gods or Buddhas.
One can sleep on an empty street, in a cozy room and also in a temple where incense burns day and night.
Inside the main hall, candles provide light as he folds his hands and bows: "Passing through here, I would like to stay overnight."
The floor paved with blue stone slabs was very cool and hard, but he slept soundly.
Before dawn, he had already opened his eyes and heard the sound of a bell ringing when he opened the door.
A monk of around fifty years old, dressed in a robe, stood in front of him and smiled as he said, "Donor, did you sleep well last night?"
"Thanks to this sacred place, I slept peacefully," he replied.
"The heart of the donor is like calm water, and can be at peace anywhere. It is truly a wonderful state of mind."
"The old monk's eyes flashed a glimmer of light as he glanced at Cui Chong, feeling his inner radiance."
"As a pine tree, this humble monk is the abbot of this temple. Donor may stay for some vegetarian meals before leaving."
"Thank you for hosting me, but unfortunately I am not destined for Buddhism. I will not disturb the temple anymore."
As Song Master spoke behind him, "Those who talk well about the nature of the mind will never abandon the law of cause and effect. And those who deeply believe in cause and effect will eventually have great clarity in their nature. Your body carries the manifestation of hell, how can you say that you have no connection with the Buddha?"
Cui Chong stopped his steps. The Hell Transformation Diagram was a product of the previous world, although it was also related to this world, he believed that here it was just an ordinary scroll painting.
"Please enlighten me, host."
Without any hesitation, Cui Chong immediately asked, while Rong Song, the host, simply said, "The ten realms are not separate from one mind."
"When the law of cause and effect arrives, the donor will naturally understand everything."
Cui Chong only felt obscured and in a fog, feeling that the monk only liked to speak in riddles, knowing everything but not directly stating it.