As a result, the second year brought four continuous months of rain.
That year, tenant rent increased to seventy percent.
The tenants thought, "Once, twice, but not thrice; it’s been two consecutive years of floods, maybe next year better days will come for us!"
However, in the third year, the entire prefecture experienced a severe drought!
Shuiyue Village, known for its fertile soil and never lacking water, had only one water source left outside the village.
That year, Cizhao Temple invited a master monk to perform rituals, claiming that the tenants lacked virtue and bore karmic debts from past lives, hence the heavenly punishment. Now, by chanting sutras and using great magical power, he could accumulate virtue for the tenants, ensuring favorable weather in the future.
The tenants sincerely believed this and sold everything they had to gather enough rent, hoping that one day Buddha would forgive them, and they would no longer worry about food.
But could things really go as these tenants wished?
This year, Qiuzhou had a favorable climate and granaries were filled, but the tenants’ grain was entirely taken by the monks. Moreover, the tenant rent increased to one hundred twenty percent!
That meant the tenants didn’t get a single grain and still had to pay to farm and give money to the temple.
Where’s the logic in this world?
Some tenants complained to the Government Office, but after checking the records, the officials declared the temple was not at fault; the monastery had debts to be repaid every year.
To comfort the tenants, the officials said that the monks were merciful and gave them fields to cultivate. It was their own poor management that resulted in poor harvests, not the temple’s fault; rather it showed their lack of virtue.
The Cizhao Temple was so prosperous; it was the largest landlord in Quyang Prefecture. The Government Office relied on them to survive. The Prefectural Governor’s seven or eight concubines ate delicacies, and the county officials received plenty of silver from the incense offerings. What did you tenants have?
The Prefectural Governor, reasoning with emotions and logic, also used the tenants’ complaints to pay his respects to the deities at Cizhao Temple. As he returned, his entire sedan chair sparkled with a golden glow, as if coated in a divine light.
After this incident, the monks grew even more compassionate, occasionally donating old grain mixed with husks, ensuring the tenants remained nutritionally balanced and did not starve.
Moreover, on every new and full moon, they organized life-release ceremonies, preaching Buddhist Teachings to these tenants.
Because of this, Cizhao Temple’s reputation spread throughout the region; such benevolent actions certainly indicated virtuous monks, which naturally led to prosperous incense offerings.
Xu Qing continued reading, noting that a year ago, when a tenant’s family faced a grain shortage and survival seemed impossible, they went to the steward at Xiaoci Temple, hoping to borrow some grain.
A monk named Xuyun, who had visited the tenant’s home to collect dues and knew their situation, received him. The monk said, "A monk’s heart is compassionate; borrowing grain isn’t an issue. It happens to be that I need someone to deliver a message to Cizhao Temple. If you help me with this task, I’ll happily give you a stone’s weight of grain."
The tenant was grateful, but the monk also added, "This grain will be given after you return from delivering the message. The matter is urgent, have a meal here, and quickly be on your way!"
Unaware of the monk’s intentions, the tenant believed him. He took the message and directly went to Cizhao Temple.
However, as soon as the tenant left Xiaoci Temple, Monk Xuyun went to the tenant’s home, saying the temple had d grain, and asked his wife and children to collect it from the temple.
The tenant’s wife asked about her husband’s whereabouts and why he hadn’t returned with grain. Monk Xuyun explained that the tenant had taken on the task of repairing the temple’s roof for five continuous days, and fearing the family might run out of food during this time, he came to inform them.
Without suspecting deception, the tenant’s wife left her eight or nine-year-old child at home and went alone to Xiaoci Temple.
When the tenant returned from Cizhao Temple, he was informed by the monks at Xiaoci Temple that his wife, searching for him, accidentally fell off a cliff and died.
With no proof to the contrary, the tenant searched the cliffs repeatedly but didn’t find her body, believing the monk’s words that she was snatched by wild animals. He buried an empty grave and completed the funeral rituals in haste.
However, two days ago, when the tenant went to Xiaoci Temple again, he accidentally came across two drunken monks.
Seeing him, the monks began to mock and shove him playfully. For the sake of getting grain, the tenant endured their insults and ridicule in silence.
Seeing the tenant was like a sealed gourd, unresponsive, the two drunk monks grew bored. One spat, "What a coward! You’re not even as tough as your wife..."
Hearing this, the other monk laughed, "It’s a pity your wife didn’t understand the situation; otherwise, we could’ve had more fun with her."
Angered by their words, the tenant immediately understood the situation.
However, a starving man was no match for the monks.
The two monks beat the tenant nearly to death. Once they sobered up, they felt remorse.
But they didn’t dare let the tenant go, so they confessed to Monk Xuyun, seeking his counsel.
Upon hearing this, Monk Xuyun remained silent. He picked up a lotus iron hammer he always carried, and with a grim face, resolved to finish the matter in one blow, ending the tenant’s life.
Xu Qing, having finished reading the tenant’s life story, still had some questions in mind.