Yuan Ye and the others waited a short while, and soon little monk Zhiru came in.
He was only about eight or nine years old, with a shaved head, no precepts scars, a fair face and red lips—a very handsome little monk, dressed in a "sweeping dung robe," walking in wooden clogs, making a rather fetching impression. (The "sweeping dung robe" was a type of monastic garment supposedly made from discarded rags as humble as dung, not because it was meant for actually sweeping dung.)
Besides, Japanese monks were quite wealthy; it was just a traditional name, not actually sewn together from battered scraps.
The moment little monk Zhiru entered, he put his palms together and bowed deeply: "Namo Amitabha, this little monk greets all of you, virtuous patrons."
"Praise Namo three times!" Maeda Toshimasa seemed quite familiar with him, responded casually and smiled, asking, "Little Master Zhiru, what brings you here today?"
