Chapter 563: Chapter 563: It’s Still Clean Beneath the Buddha’s Feet

The incense and candles in the store came in various forms, both of them were visiting the temple for the first time and had never seen these before.

"Is this incense... ten thousand yuan each?"

Shen Yan pointed at the incense priced at ten thousand yuan above and looked in disbelief at the monk selling the incense.

The monk appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with kind features and smiling eyes that curved when he smiled, giving a genuine impression.

"Amitabha, do the benefactors wish to buy incense?"

Shen Yan nodded; she and Lu Chuan were here to burn incense and pray, so they definitely needed to buy incense, but she immediately shook her head.

"We do want to buy incense, but the one for ten thousand yuan is too expensive, we won’t buy that one."

The ten-thousand-yuan incense wasn’t the most expensive in the store. Beside it were several larger incense sticks without a price tag, and the cheapest ones were placed on the counter.

A box for one hundred and eighty yuan.

"Amitabha."

Whenever the middle-aged monk spoke, he would start with ’Amitabha,’ and just for that, Lu Chuan had to give him a high score.

Regardless of whether their incense was expensive or not, when they spoke, it was clear they were a proper monk.

Unlike Lu Chuan’s classmate, who went on a blind date when they returned during the New Year.

A monk going on a blind date...

It was surprisingly in-demand.

The reason was quite simple—good benefits, with housing and car, and a high salary.

Moreover, the likelihood of infidelity seemed low in the monk profession, so the girls felt at ease.

In any case, it was just a job, chanting and selling incense in the monastery was somewhat better than being a policeman like Lu Chuan, at least they didn’t have overtime and there was no danger to life.

With the Buddha’s blessing, ordinary criminals wouldn’t commit crimes in a temple.

The monk might have noticed Shen Yan’s beauty and said a few more words.

"The benefactor is mistaken. The incense itself isn’t worth much; the key is how much your sincerity is worth."

"Burning incense and praying is about your own heart, forming your own Buddha connection, how much incense you burn depends on what you’re asking for."

"For big things, you spend more money; for small things, you spend less. You’re buying your own peace of mind."

This is interesting?

Shen Yan and Lu Chuan exchanged a glance, finding the monk rather intriguing.

Look at what they said, the ten-thousand-yuan incense might be expensive, but the incense itself isn’t worth that much; it’s about how much your wish is worth.

Shen Yan and Lu Chuan’s wish was a bit different from others’.

Most people come to burn incense to wish for wealth or official success or family health.

The two of them...

They didn’t wish for those things; they wished not to encounter a murder case whenever they went out.

"Which one should we... buy?"

Shen Yan couldn’t decide. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Other people prayed for things; they prayed for their lives.

How much is a human life worth?

Lu Chuan felt that human life is priceless.

Oh well, since they’re already here, a bit of extra cash wouldn’t hurt.

Moreover, when the Great Buddha Temple was built, his grandfather had donated ten million.

Compared to now... buying incense for ten thousand isn’t much.

"Boss... I mean, Master, we’ll take this ten-thousand-yuan incense."

The middle-aged monk, hearing that they really wanted to buy this incense...

He was slightly stunned, then clasped his hands together: "Amitabha, the benefactor is straightforward!"

"Wang, come out and serve the benefactor!"

Ten thousand yuan!

Three sticks mean thirty thousand yuan!

This month’s KPI is secured.

Thank the Buddha!

Lu Chuan naturally didn’t know monks had KPIs or quotas for selling incense.

But evidently, he didn’t care much about it either.

And after spending thirty thousand yuan buying three sticks of incense, the service they received was such that they didn’t even need to offer the incense themselves because they were too thick for one person to handle.

The middle-aged monk, along with his assistant, took care of everything for Lu Chuan and Shen Yan.

"Rest assured, with incense this expensive, the Buddha will surely hear your prayers."

Lu Chuan agreed with that sentiment.

The Buddha resides in the Western Heaven, a long journey, and perhaps the wish needs some travel expenses.

Thirty thousand yuan...

It’s surely enough for a plane ticket.

After the incense was offered, Lu Chuan and Shen Yan bowed three times to the Great Buddha.

"Buddha, please bless us so that when we go on dates, we don’t encounter any murder cases."

"Buddha, please bless us so that when we go on dates, we don’t encounter any murder cases."

After Lu Chuan said it, Shen Yan learned and repeated it. Their wish was considered complete.

"Let’s go home!"

They had toured the temple fair, eaten snacks, burned incense, and now it was time to head back.

Whether or not the Buddha truly manifested, whatever the case, nothing else happened during this temple visit.

"You see, places like the Great Buddha Temple are indeed clean."

Shen Yan nodded in agreement.

This temple visit... was indeed nice.

But the incense... or rather, the wish was really expensive.

How much is my annual salary...?

Actually, many people spent a lot of money on incense, but Lu Chuan and Shen Yan came on the first day of the month, a minor temple fair, so there weren’t a lot of people. On the fifteenth of the lunar month, it would be different; during the major temple fair, the temple would hold a blessing ceremony.

That’s when the most incense would be burned.

And few people bought the 180-yuan box of incense.

Because the incense burner was particularly deep, only the large incense sticks would reach in and be visible.

Smaller incense would just be inserted inside the burner and not be seen from the outside.

Plus, placing them could easily lead to burns.

So most people bought incense that was several hundred yuan.

At least make it visible.

Of course, Lu Chuan somewhat understood this situation; temples always have their revenue sources, and the government-provided funds were just enough to cover salaries.

Ticket sales, though significant, only improved living conditions slightly.

Selling incense was different; the Great Buddha Temple had a large flow of people, with abundant incense offerings, making incense sales the primary income source for the temple.

Whether monks drove BMWs or Benzs, lived in apartments or villas, depended on how much incense they sold.

It was an ordinary weekend.

After visiting the Great Buddha Temple, the two went to see a movie and ate hot pot in the afternoon.

The next day, the two went fishing.

Yes, Lu Chuan had a hobby of fishing.

Influenced by Old Lu, Lu Chuan became fond of fishing in college.

Of course, compared to someone like Old Lu, who was a seasoned fisherman, Lu Chuan was just a beginner—at best, he could be called an entry-level enthusiast.

This was Shen Yan’s first time going out fishing.

Although Comrade Old Shen also fished, Shen Yan had never gone along before.

At the fishing ground...

To be honest, it was pretty interesting.

"Lu Chuan, is this... a bite?"

While Lu Chuan was baiting the hook, he glanced at the wildly bobbing fishing float in the water—was this the new fisherman effect?

It had only been half an hour, and this was already the fifth one, right?

He couldn’t bait as fast as she could catch fish.

"Quick, pull it up!"

"Oh."

Shen Yan unhurriedly lifted the fishing rod, and soon, a lively skygazer fish was brought up.

"Lu Chuan, what kind of fish is this?"

...