by Wang ZengQi
Bringing paper with them, many begged Aunt Zhao to do them a favour, namely, to ask the young novice to draw some flower designs for them. Some wanted them for door curtains, decorative streamers or embroidered shoes. Whenever Mingzi came to draw flowers, Xiaoyingzi made a snack for him— boiling two eggs, steaming a bowl of taros or frying some dumplings with lotus-root starch.
她把花掐来，明海就照着画。
到后来，凤仙花、石竹子、水蓼、淡竹叶、天竺果子、腊梅花，他都能画。
大娘看着也喜欢，搂住明海的和尚头：
“你真聪明！你给我当一个干儿子吧！”
小英子捺住他的肩膀，说：
“快叫！快叫！”
小明子跪在地下磕了一个头，从此就叫小英子的娘做干娘。
大英子绣的三双鞋，三十里方圆都传遍了。很多姑娘都走路坐船来看。看完了，就说：“啧啧啧，真好看！这哪是绣的，这是一朵鲜花！”她们就拿了纸来央大娘求了小和尚来画。有求画帐檐的，有求画门帘飘带的，有求画鞋头花的。每回明子来画花，小英子就给他做点好吃的，煮两个鸡蛋，蒸一碗芋头，煎几个藕团子。
So her elder sister could have more time to prepare her dowry, Xiaoyingzi did all the extra farm work. Of course, Mingzi gave her a hand.
The busiest work was transplanting seedlings, irrigating the paddy-fields with a waterwheel and weeding the fields. Other hard jobs were harvesting the rice and threshing the grain on the threshing ground. It was impossible for a single family to accomplish all this unaided, so they all helped each other by working collectively in each other's fields in turn. The helpers got no pay, but were rewarded with six meals a day of meat and wine. Working together in the fields, they sang ballads accompanied by the beating of gongs and drums. It was very lively.
At other times of the year, when the farm work was not so heavy, each family worked separately.
At the third weeding, the rice seedlings had already grown high. Working in this vast expanse of green, Xiaoyingzi sang:
The cape jasmine flowers blossom in six petals,
There is a bridge before my door.
On hearing her clear voice, Mingzi knew at once it was Xiaoyingzi, and raced to the spot. He bent his head and began to weed as soon as he was with her. Usually, it was also his job to lead the buffalo to the water for a mud bath. According to local custom, after taking off the yoke and allowing the beast to take a drink of water, the animal was led to a muddy pool where it would frolic until covered with mud to protect it from mosquito bites.
Two people working a waterwheel for half a day could secure enough water for irrigation. Mingzi and Xiaoyingzi stood side by side treading the wheel rhythmically, singing softly the various ballads learned from Rendu.
The Zhao family had no threshing ground of their own, so after the harvest, they threshed their wheat at Biqi Nunnery. When Uncle Zhao ate his meal, Mingzi worked in his place for a while. Flourishing the whip to urge on the animal, he called out the work signal, "Ge tan de..."
Though this did not mean anything, it was very pleasant to hear. When Mingzi sang it, Aunt Zhao listened and said in admiration, "What a sweet voice the boy has!"
"So pleasant to hear!" Dayingzi chimed in, putting down her knitting.
"He's the best singer in the thirteen provinces," Xiaoyingzi remarked proudly.
因为照顾姐姐赶嫁妆，田里的零碎生活小英子就全包了。她的帮手，是明子。
这地方的忙活是栽秧、车高田水、薅头遍草，再就是割稻子、打场了。这几茬重活，自己一家是忙不过来的。这地方兴换工。排好了日期，几家顾一家，轮流转。不收工钱，但是吃好的。一天吃六顿，两头见肉，顿顿有酒。干活时，敲着锣鼓，唱着歌，热闹得很。其余的时候，各顾各，不显得紧张。
薅三遍草的时候，秧已经很高了，低下头看不见人。只听见非常脆亮的嗓子在一片浓绿里唱：
栀子哎开花哎六瓣头哎……
姐家哎门前哎一道桥哎……
明海就知道小英子在哪里，三步两步就赶到，赶到就低头薅起草来。傍晚牵牛“打汪”，是明子的事。——水牛怕蚊子。这里的习惯，牛卸了轭，饮了水，就牵到一口和好泥水的“汪”里，由它自己打滚扑腾，弄得全身都是泥浆，这样蚊子就咬不透了。低田上水，只要一挂十四轧的水车，两个人车半天就够了。明子和小英子就伏在车杠上，不紧不慢地踩着车轴上的拐子，轻轻地唱着明海向三师父学来的各处山歌。打场的时候，明子能替赵大伯一会，让他回家吃饭——赵家自己没有场，每年都在荸荠庵外面的场上打谷子。他一扬鞭子，喊起了打场号子：
“格当嘚——”
这打场号子有音无字，可是九转十三弯，比什么山歌号子都好听。赵大娘在家，听见明子的号子，就侧起耳朵：
“这孩子这条嗓子！”
连大英子也停下针线：
“真好听！”
小英子非常骄傲地说：
“一十三省数第一！”
As the wheat the temple collected from its tenants was also dried on the same ground, Mingzi often guarded the threshing ground with Xiaoyingzi. Sitting close to each other on a stone roller, they listened to frogs croaking and grasshoppers making the sound "sha..." or they looked at the fireflies flitting before them and the shooting stars in the sky.
"Ah, I've forgotten to tie a knot in my belt!" cried out Xiaoyingzi suddenly.
The local people believed that if one tied a knot in one's belt while watching a shooting star one's wish would come true.
Gathering water chestnuts was Xiaoyingzi's favourite occupation. When autumn was over, the leaves of the water chestnuts had withered. Then the nuts could be pulled out. This was why she liked this work. Besides, water chestnuts grew in the mud, so to find them she had to go barefooted. When she trod on a hard knob she would reach into the mud and pull out a purplish-red water chestnut. She liked doing this and made Mingzi help her, and often trod with her bare foot on his purposely.
晚上，他们一起看场——荸荠庵收来的租稻也晒在场上。他们并肩坐在一个石磙子上，听青蛙打鼓，听寒蛇唱歌——这个地方以为蝼蛄叫是蚯蚓叫，而且叫蚯蚓叫“寒蛇”，听纺纱婆子不停地纺纱，“唦——”，看萤火虫飞来飞去，看天上的流星。
“呀！我忘了在裤带上打一个结！”小英子说。
这里的人相信，在流星掉下来的时候在裤带上打一个结，心里想什么好事，就能如愿。
…… ……
"”荸荠，这是小英子最爱干的生活。秋天过去了，地净场光，荸荠的叶子枯了——荸荠的笔直的小葱一样的圆叶子里是一格一格的，用手一捋，哔哔地响，小英子最爱捋着玩，——荸荠藏在烂泥里。赤了脚，在凉浸浸滑溜溜的泥里踩着，——哎，一个硬疙瘩！伸手下去，一个红紫红紫的荸荠。她自己爱干这生活，还拉了明子一起去。她老是故意用自己的光脚去踩明子的脚。
After finishing their work, Xiaoyingzi returned home with a basket full of water chestnuts, leaving her footprints on the soft mud ridges. These fascinating footprints, with five tiny toes, a flat sole and a slender heel, evoked in Mingzi an unprecedented feeling of pleasure, disturbing him.
Mingzi often went to town in the Zhaos' boat to buy incense, candles, oil and salt for the temple. In the slack season Uncle Zhao rowed the boat, while in the busy one, Xiaoyingzi went in the boat rowed by Mingzi.
The waterway passed through the middle of a stretch of reedy marshes. There were no inhabitants on either side, which made Mingzi a little nervous. Not knowing
why, he would row as fast as he could.
"Mingzi! Mingzi!" Xiaoyingzi shouted to him. "What's the matter with you? Have you gone mad? Why do you row so fast?"
The day when Mingzi was to leave for Shanyin Temple to undergo the initiation rites finally came.
"Do you really want to become a monk?"
"Yes."
她挎着一篮子荸荠回去了，在柔软的田埂上留了一串脚印。明海看着她的脚印，傻了。五个小小的趾头，脚掌平平的，脚跟细细的，脚弓部分缺了一块。明海身上有一种从来没有过的感觉，他觉得心里痒痒的。这一串美丽的脚印把小和尚的心搞乱了。
…… ……
明子常搭赵家的船进城，给庵里买香烛，买油盐。闲时是赵大伯划船；忙时是小英子去，划船的是明子。
从庵赵庄到县城，当中要经过一片很大的芦花荡子。芦苇长得密密的，当中一条水路，四边不见人。划到这里，明子总是无端端地觉得心里很紧张，他就使劲地划桨。
小英子喊起来：
“明子！明子！你怎么啦？你发疯啦？为什么划得这么快？”
…… ……
明海到善因寺去受戒。
“你真的要去烧戒疤呀？”
“真的。”
"They'll burn twelve holes in the top of your head with incense sticks. Won't that be very painful?"
"If so, I'll clench my teeth. My uncle said it was the worst hardship a monk must face."
"Isn't it possible not to have them?"
"Without those scars a man is only a half monk."
"But what's the use of being a real monk?"
"Then you can go anywhere and put your Buddhist robes in any temple."
"What do you mean?"
"You can sleep and eat there."
"Free of charge?"
"Of course! And monks coming from other districts are given the first chance to perform the Buddhist services."
"So that's why it's said, 'Monks coming from other districts can chant the Buddhist sutras better.'Is it all because of the scars on your head?"
"No. You must also have a certificate."
"Oh, I see! You get a certificate to show you're a real monk."
“好好的头皮上烧十二个洞，那不疼死啦？”
“咬咬牙。舅舅说这是当和尚的一大关，总要过的。”
“不受戒不行吗？”
“不受戒的是野和尚。”
“受了戒有啥好处？”
“受了戒就可以到处云游，逢寺挂褡。”
“什么叫‘挂褡’?"
“就是在庙里住。有斋就吃。”
“不把钱？”
“不把钱。有法事，还得先尽外来的师父。”
“怪不得都说‘远来的和尚会念经’。就凭头上这几个戒疤？”
“还要有一份戒牒。”
“闹半天，受戒就是领一张和尚的合格文凭呀！”
"Yes."
"Then, I'll take you there by boat."
"Thanks."
Early the next morning, Xiaoyingzi rowed her boat to the bank in front of Biqi Nunnery. Not knowing why, she felt very excited. Filled with curiosity, she wanted to have a look at the large, well-known Shanyin Temple and watch the ceremony.
Shanyin Temple was the largest one in the whole county. Located on the outside of the county town's eastern gate, it faced a deep moat and was surrounded by tall trees on three sides. As the temple was hidden among the trees, only its magnificent roof was visible from afar. People, therefore, did not know how large it really was. Planks hung on the trees warned: "Beware of fierce dogs." Normally few people dared venture there, but during an initiation ceremony, the dogs were locked up and visitors were allowed to enter the temple freely.
It was indeed a very large temple! Its threshold was higher than Xiaoyingzi's knees. On either side of the entrance were two large posters. On one was written, "Initiation ceremony in progress", and on the other, "Silence!" The atmosphere inside was solemn. No one dared even cough loudly. Minghai went to enroll and complete the formalities. Xiaoyingzi strolled alone around the temple. Good heavens! The four vajras were more than thirty feet tall. Obviously, they had been recently cleaned. The courtyard was at least two mu in area, paved with blue stone slabs and planted with pines and cypresses. The Mahavira Hall was enormous. The moment you stepped into it, you felt a sudden chill all over your body. Everything glistened with a dazzling golden colour. The Buddha Sakyamuni sat on a lotus-stand, which was higher than Xiaoyingzi. Looking up at its face, she could only see the slightly closed lips and fat, round chin. The circumference of the red candles on both sides was so large that you could not put your arms round them. Among the offerings on the altar before the statue, apart from fresh flowers, velvet flowers and silk flowers, were also a corallite, a jade ruyi [1] and a large elephant tusk. Some joss-sticks burned in the incense burner. The fragrance was so strong that, after leaving the hall, Xiaoyingzi could still smell it and even her clothes had absorbed the scent. Heavy embroidered streamers were hung everywhere and she could not guess what they were made of. The inverted bell was so large, it could hold at least ten buckets of water. And the "wooden fish",[2] as big as a cow's head, was painted red. After leaving there she went to look at the hall of the Arhats and then climbed up the Pavilion of a Thousand Buddhas. There were indeed a thousand small Buddhas! Following the other visitors, she saw the Tripitaka Pavilion. Volume after volume of Buddhist sutras was not a particularly interesting sight. Oh dear! Her legs already ached! Suddenly, it occurred to her that she had to buy cooking oil, silk yarn for her elder sister, cloth to make shoes for her mother, two silver butterflies to decorate the ribbons of her own skirt and tobacco for her father, so she left the temple.
“就是！”
“我划船送你去。”
“好。”
小英子早早就把船划到荸荠庵门前。不知是什么道理，她兴奋得很。她充满了好奇心，想去看看善因寺这座大庙，看看受戒是个啥样子。
善因寺是全县第一大庙，在东门外，面临一条水很深的护城河，三面都是大树，寺在树林子里，远处只能隐隐约约看到一点金碧辉煌的屋顶，不知道有多大。树上到处挂着“谨防恶犬”的牌子。这寺里的狗出名地厉害。平常不大有人进去。放戒期间，任人游看，恶狗都锁起来了。
好大一座庙！庙门的门坎比小英子的胳膝都高。迎门矗着两块大牌，一边一块，一块写着斗大两个大字：“放戒”，一块是：“禁止喧哗”。这庙里果然是气象庄严，到了这里谁也不敢大声咳嗽。明海自去报名办事，小英子就到处看看。好家伙，这哼哈二将、四大天王，有三丈多高，都是簇新的，才装修了不久。天井有二亩地大，铺着青石，种着苍松翠柏。“大雄宝殿”，这才真是个“大殿”！一进去，凉嗖嗖的。到处都是金光耀眼。释迦牟尼佛坐在一个莲花座上。单是莲座，就比小英子还高。抬起头来也看不全他的脸，只看到一个微微闭着的嘴唇和胖敦敦的下巴。两边的两根大红蜡烛，一搂多粗。佛像前的大供桌上供着鲜花、绒花、绢花，还有珊瑚树、玉如意、整棵的大象牙。香炉里烧着檀香。小英子出了庙，闻着自己的衣服都是香的。挂了好些幡。这些幡不知是什么缎子的，那么厚重，绣的花真细。这么大一口磬，里头能装五担水！这么大一个木鱼，有一头牛大，漆得通红的。她又去转了转罗汉堂，爬到千佛楼上看了看。真有一千个小佛！她还跟着一些人去看了看藏经楼。藏经楼没有什么看头，都是经书！妈吔！逛了这么一圈，腿都酸了。小英子想起还要给家里打油，替姐姐配丝线，给娘买鞋面布�
��给自己买两个坠围裙飘带的银蝴蝶，给爹买旱烟，就出庙了。
It was almost noon before she had finished shopping and returned to the temple. The monks were eating in the dining hall. How large it was! It could seat nearly eight hundred of them! This temple emphasized discipline even during meal times. On the Buddha's seat were placed two tin vases in which were inserted red velvet flowers. Behind the seat sat an old monk wearing a red garment embroidered with golden yarn and holding a ruler in his hand. If any monk happened to make a slight noise while eating, the old monk was ready to rap him with his ruler. But, in fact, he never had to do this. Though so many monks ate together, none made any noise. How strange that was! Seeing Mingzi also sitting among them, Xiaoyingzi wanted to call to him but hesitated, wondering whether or not it was prohibited. At last she plucked up her courage and shouted to him, "I'm going now!" With his eyes fixed on the table, Mingzi nodded slightly. Xiaoyingzi left in a conspicuous manner, not caring that so many monks stared at her.
等把事情办齐，晌午了。她又到庙里看了看，和尚正在吃粥。好大一个“膳堂”，坐得下八百个和尚。吃粥也有这样多讲究：正面法座上摆着两个锡胆瓶，里面插着红绒花，后面盘膝坐着一个穿了大红满金绣袈裟的和尚，手里拿了戒尺。这戒尺是要打人的。哪个和尚吃粥吃出了声音，他下来就是一戒尺。不过他并不真的打人，只是做个样子。真稀奇，那么多的和尚吃粥，竟然不出一点声音！她看见明子也坐在里面，想跟他打个招呼又不好打。想了想。管他禁止不禁止喧哗，就大声喊了一句：“我走啦！”她看见明子目不斜视地微微点了点头，就不管很多人都朝自己看，大摇大摆地走了。
Three days later in the early morning Xiaoyingzi went to see Mingzi again. She knew that he had become a real monk the night before at midnight. In order to prevent this from being seen by outsiders, it was usually done at midnight. She knew that his hair had been cut by an old barber and his crown shaved as smooth as a ball, otherwise the burning would leave a big scar instead of just a dot. Then the old monk smeared twelve dots of date paste on his crown and lit them with joss-sticks. Immediately after that, Mingzi had to drink a bowl of mushroom soup to inflame the scars on his head and walk around instead of lying down. Mingzi had told her about that.