报恩古寺de新拉车

Early Saturday morning a week later, my parents drove me an hour to Bao'en Ancient Temple once more. In the backseat lay quietly the black flat-bottomed cart I'd carefully selected the previous week—its handles wrapped with non-slip tape, its wheels silent, promising a smooth push.

This flatbed cart was the gift I asked my parents for on my 17th birthday!

Pushing open the temple gate, Aunt Li was scrubbing the cage mats with blue gloves on. Her eyes lit up the moment she spotted the cart: "These wheels roll so smoothly!" Wearing her well-worn black-and-white sneakers, she circled the cart, lightly tapping the sturdy anti-slip surface with her fingers, and smiled.

The little ones under the eaves had already gathered around. A black-and-white spotted puppy rubbed against my pant leg, while the curly-haired dog and the mongrel were grooming each other, their tails wagging like little fans gently swaying.

I first helped push the new cart over to the grain sacks, then crouched down to examine the curly-haired dog's ears—last week I'd noticed it had a lot of earwax, so this time I'd brought cotton swabs. As I wiped them out, it gently rested its chin on my knee and stayed perfectly still.Aunt Li remarked that the cart saved her half the effort. "Before, I'd need to catch my breath after three trips. Now, pushing a full sack of grain is no trouble at all."

Before leaving, I stroked the spotted puppy's head. It rested its paw on the metal bar of the new cart, leaving a few strands of light-colored fur on the cool metal. A breeze blew in from beyond the wall, carrying the faint scent of osmanthus. The new cart stood quietly under the eaves, alongside a broom and a plastic basin, becoming the brightest "new addition" in this ancient temple.

What truly brings them peace of mind has never been anything extravagant. It's a cart that glides smoothly when pushed, a pair of hands that gently clean their ears, and someone willing to drive silently for so long along this journey.