She thought she’d be the first to arrive, but her star employee, Sun Mengmeng, was already there.
Seeing Sun Mengmeng, Xiao Churan smiled, “Mengmeng, you’re here early today!”
Sun Mengmeng laughed, “Morning, Boss! I got up at the crack of dawn to visit Qixia Temple, hoping to get a health talisman for my family from the master, but it was a wasted trip, gutted!”
Xiao Churan asked curiously, “How’d you miss them? Isn’t Qixia Temple open today?”
“It’s open alright,” Sun Mengmeng shrugged, “I just got the dates wrong. Master Jingqing’s coming tomorrow, not today, but I went at the crack of dawn.”
“Master Jingqing?” Xiao Churan frowned, murmuring, “I’ve heard that name somewhere.”
Sun Mengmeng grinned, “Master Jingqing’s dead famous, one of the youngest high monks in the country. His understanding of Buddhist teachings is miles ahead of most. These past couple of years, he’s been travelling to temples nationwide, preaching and blessing talismans. They say his health and peace talismans are the most effective.”
“Really?” Xiao Churan asked, surprised.
“Absolutely!” Sun Mengmeng said, “Boss, how about we go to Qixia Temple tomorrow morning, seven o’clock sharp? We’ll be back in time for work. You could get a few talismans for your husband and parents.”
Xiao Churan laughed, “My husband’s quite into feng shui himself, you know. He even makes talismans, gave me one ages ago.”
“That’s different,” Sun Mengmeng said earnestly, “Feng shui’s more like the I Ching and Eight Trigrams, tied to our Taoist traditions. Master Jingqing’s a Buddhist master, his talismans are from the Buddhist school, like Android versus iPhone, different systems altogether.”
Xiao Churan burst out laughing at her logic and analogy, “Mengmeng, you’re a right talent with metaphors like that! But have you thought, whether it’s Android or iPhone, isn’t one enough?”
Sun Mengmeng said seriously, “Boss, you know Indians, right? They worship millions of gods, but the key is they pray to every one they meet. Why? For extra protection! When I’m in a fix, I pray to all the gods, Eastern and Western, just in case one’s not home and another’s passing by, then I’m sorted!”
With that, she raised an eyebrow and grinned, “Boss, let me show you.”
She closed her eyes, clasped her hands, and said devoutly, “God, Jesus, Buddha, Bodhisattva, Primordial Heavenly Venerate, Jade Emperor, Queen Mother of the West, your humble servant Sun Mengmeng prays to all deities for wealth and a long life. Amitabha, Amen, Amen, as urgent as a decree!”
Xiao Churan laughed at her earnest act, “First time I’ve seen someone pray like that.”
“Pretty good, eh?” Sun Mengmeng giggled, “It’s my secret trick. So, Boss, fancy coming tomorrow? One more deity, one more layer of protection, and it’s just a ticket to Qixia Temple, no loss, no scam.”
Xiao Churan warmed to Sun Mengmeng’s quirky charm. The company had grown to dozens of employees over the year, but most were seasoned workplace types, guarded and scheming. Sun Mengmeng was different—dedicated, never complaining, quick-witted, and eager to learn, making Xiao Churan keen to nurture her.
Her words struck a chord too. It was just an early start, no harm done to her or her family, whether it worked or not.
So she smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll take your word for it. Tomorrow at seven, Qixia Temple entrance!”
Sun Mengmeng beamed, “Brilliant! It’s a deal then, Boss!”
