<aside> 🔑 Key: 🦌: Lu Chen/Alkaid 🖌️: MC 😺: Cat/Chang Sheng 📿: Little monk/Chang Hui 🧗: Travellers 🏯: Temple abbot
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We chased after that suspected cat’s footprints to behind the temple hall. There is a pair of half opened door, behind those doors there seems to be a courtyard. As I was about to knock on the door… 😺: MREOW—! I immediately pushed the door open. Two people wearing traveller clothing, surrounding a monk that looks about 10 year old and raising their camera preparing to take a picture in an intrusive manner. In the little monk’s embrace, he was already hugging the cat tightly, the cat has its ears lowered in fear. 📿: Its scared, this will scare it. 🧗♂️: There are pictures of temple cats that are taken here. If its not because of those pictures, we wouldn’t have climbed this far into the snowy mountain. 😺: MREOW! 🧗: Heh, this cat is very fierce. 😺: Hiss… 🦌: Stop. Alkaid moved in front of the traveller. I also stepped in front, hiding the little monk and the cat behind me. 🧗♂️: Who are you, mind your own business. We were here first! Alkaid gently took a deep breath, looking at both of their exposed hands. 🦌: There isn’t a doctor here, going down the mountain on foot is also not easy. If both of you got scratched by the cat… 🦌: — you will be in danger. The burly tall man standing in front who raised the camera and reflective board and took a step back out of fear. I secretly smiled in my head, looking at the usual gentle Alkaid scaring them all on his own. The other traveller quietly pulled the other’s sleeve. 🧗♂️: Forget it, forget it. We will go somewhere else to take pictures. Your cat is too fierce!
After the two travellers left, I turned around and squatted down and faced the small monk. The already calmed cat swiftly leaped out of the little monk’s embrace, sitting by his feet and licking it paw. 📿: The humble monk Chang Hui, gratefully thank both of you for the help. 📿: Also thank you on behalf of Chang Sheng*… Ah, Chang Sheng is its name. 🖌️: Chang Sheng? That is a nice name. 🖌️: Hello, Chang Sheng. 😺: Meow. 📿: It was my master who named it, he considers Chang Sheng as my senior brother.
Four years ago, during New Years Eve, this kitten sat in the entrance of the abbot’s chamber for the whole night. When it was time for morning class, the abbot saw Chang Sheng still at the entrance, snow fell on its head, it is said to be fate granted by Buddha, hence he took it in, and got its name. 📿: Actually Chang Sheng isn’t usually this fierce, Chang Sheng is smart, and likes to be close with people he likes…. Chang Hui kept rambling, I glanced to the absent minded Alkaid. I tapped Alkaid’s hand. 🖌️: Let’s not trouble Chang Sheng and Little Master Chang Hui, shall we get going? Alkaid lightly nodded his head.
We returned to the front courtyard, we found a flight of stairs that isn’t covered by snow and sat down, coincidentally facing the plum tree. The tree was premating its fragrance in the whole courtyard. I didn’t know when Chang Sheng followed us out, keeping its distance from us and its small eyes were always on us. I held onto Alkaid’s arm, but didn’t lean my body against his. 🖌️: “Chang Sheng”… mentioning that name, what was on your mind? Alkaid started to raise his head slightly, a tree of white flowers fully reflected in his eyes. 🦌: I don’t have deep feelings for Enci temple, I had very rich travelling experience. Red walls, old temples and white snow is not only unique to here. 🦌: Sometimes I think about this place, my first thought is Zaph’s grumbling, and those few sets of pictures that I randomly took, received positive comments across different platforms. 🖌️: Zaph… was he grumbling about the difficult climb, or having to eat a vegetarian diet in the temple…. 🦌: And the beds in the lodging was hard. Alkaid laughed helplessly. 🦌: But “Chang Sheng” made me think of another “Chang Sheng” Alkaid words were somewhat vague, but I guessed easily, the other “Chang Sheng” should be the one he met five years ago, that cat that entered his viewfinder. 🦌:Chang Sheng isn’t here, I personally experienced its death
=Flashback= A cat lived in this temple that was far from the hustle and bustle. Five years ago when Alkaid saw the cat he wasn’t too surprised, he knew the monks and are kind and charitable, and would adopt the cat into the warm temple, and feed it. But contrary, it was Zaph who believed bumping into the temple’s cat is good luck and he dragged Alkaid to ask the cat to grant his countless wishes.
They stayed at Enci temple for three nights, and got along well with the kitten. The spam in their backpacks were also mainly used by Zaph to win the “The Great Temple Cat’s” favour.
Alkaid formed a connection with the temple cat, because he was always up in the early mornings in the temple, taking pictures by himself. And no matter where he took pictures, the cat would always step into his shot with big eyes. 🦌:… I can’t avoid you. So this collection can only be cat-themed. When he was sitting on the stairs to rest, Alkaid saw the cat sitting in front of him, and spoke softly to it. 🏯: Its name is Chang Sheng. 🦌: Does this name have a story behind it? The abbot walked under the plum tree, a few plum blossom petals fell onto his faded kasaya. 🏯: No, it’s very rare to come upon living things in this temple, so we hope it will live a little longer. In the final morning before they left, Alkaid posted those pictures he took on <Huan Cai>. The theme of those photos were early mornings in the snow, and red walls with no one around, every details in every place of the temple is taken, the existing extensive red walls with green roofs, also the mossy stone between the cracks on the wall. The comments towards those photos, the photography world all said “Brimming with desolate beauty, prying into the sparse glimpses of the original life in the temple.” And with more masses of media coverage and forums, people one after another reposted the “Red walls and temple cat”, shouting “The temple cat’ spirit” “The great cat bless me to climb high in my college entrance exams”.
The comments and sentiments toward both photos were distinctly different, Alkaid didn’t think too much of it. But now, he is aware of the changes in his own feelings of that time are frozen in these photos.
=End of flashback=
🖌️: Then…how did that Chang Sheng left this world? 🦌: I don’t know. The abbot was not willing to tell us. Alkaid pointed to this plum tree in front of us. 🦌: He buried Chang Sheng under this tree with his own hands, later he said to me — 🦌: Many flowers are send out by the wind and the rain, human life is long enough. But life, is not only goodbyes. ???: To think that Mr. McGrath* bothered to still remember this old monk’s words. Steady footsteps sounded behind us. The abbot wearing a kasaya with a smile walked towards us.
Chang Sheng Chang Sheng name means longevity or vitality, so when Alkaid asked if there is any story behind the name, because its a weird name but also he thinks there must be a reason to name a cat a significant name such as longevity.
Mr McGrath He was actually called Alkaid a benefactor, patron of the temple. But it sounded unnatural in English, so I opted to just use mister.