Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 150 - 149: Intimacy

Chapter 150: Chapter 149: Intimacy

When she arrived at their home, Mrs. Song placed Chu Hanyan on the floor and said apologetically, "Little Yan insisted on coming over to play in Auntie’s small house, and here we are, bothering you again."

Luo Mingcheng added, "The older girl also mentioned something about the aroma."

Mrs. Wei thought her son was saying Chu Hanyan was greedy, so she smacked him unhappily, teasing, "Always blaming others for your weak will."

Chu Hanyan stuttered out, "Bui...Building, fra...fragrance."

Chen Afu realized that by "fragrance" the little girl was referring to the almost imperceptible aroma in her house. This scent could only be noticed if one paid close attention, clearly the little girl’s sense of smell was quite good.

She approached, crouched down and pinched the little girl’s cheeks, smiling and said, "You’re so smart, Yan. Always keep this up, whenever you want something, just express it."

Seeing that Chu Hanyan admired his house, Dabao was thrilled. He held the little girl’s hand and guided her into the yard, boasting, "It’s great living so close. Whenever we feel like visiting, we can just step right over."

Chen Afu had just begun playing with the children in the West Chamber South Room when Miao’er came to fetch Chu Hanyan, announcing that the master had returned and that the girl needed to head back.

Chen Afu knew she meant that Abbot Liao Chen was back. Everyone in Tang Garden referred to Chu Lingxuan as ’sir’ and Liao Chen as ’master’.

Upon hearing the news, Mrs. Wei and Mrs. Song promptly got up and took the children back to Tang Garden. Chen Afu also requested a pack horse carriage from Mrs. Wei, wanting to return the orchid to Abbot Liao Chen.

When leaving, Mrs. Wei was still carrying a basket of blocks, fearing that little Yan would make a fuss about coming back the next day.

Qi Qi and Hui Hui, upset over not being able to go to Tang Garden that day, were sulking in the corner. Seeing the others preparing to leave, they cheered up and began hopping and shouting, "Let’s play, let’s play."

Then, Qi Qi flew onto Chu Hanyan’s hand, while Hui Hui landed on Luo Mingcheng’s hand, both children were delighted.

Now that the two families lived so close, the birds could easily flutter between their houses. Chen Afu only advised, "Don’t misbehave over there. No stealing food. And come home early."

After just a quarter of an hour, the carriage from Tang Garden arrived. Chen Afu, carrying the orchid, took the carriage to Tang Garden.

At the moment, Abbot Liao Chen, brimming with joy, was seated on a Luohan bed in Yiran Courtyard, chatting with her granddaughter nested in her lap. Each time she saw the girl, she was astonished by the progress she had made.

Chu Lingxuan sat beside them. Having just returned from Capital City, he had stopped by the Yamen office before riding back to Tang Garden. Qi Qi and Hui Hui were perched on a tea table next to him, munching on nuts.

That both Chu Lingxuan and Abbot Liao Chen had returned on the same day was an unexpected surprise. Add to that Chu Hanyan’s substantial development, and their joy only magnified. The small family enjoyed a quiet chat, with Abbot Liao Chen and Chu Lingxuan doing most of the talking and Hanyan occasionally chiming in.

When Chen Afu arrived at Yiran Courtyard, she was surprised to see Chu Lingxuan there as well. She greeted Liao Chen and Chu Lingxuan and then took a seat.

Chu Lingxuan said, "Please have a seat, Master Chen," with a slight curl of his lips. He made a slight bow.

Liao Chen also smiled, "Amitabha Buddha, thank you, Donor Chen. You’ve been doing an excellent job in instructing Hanyan."

She looked at the orchid, surprised. When she had first taken it to her, the flower was nearly dead. But now the flower was not only alive but also sprouting several dark purple buds.

She counted - twenty-four in all. She exclaimed, "Amitabha Buddha, usually the ink orchid produces no more than sixteen or seventeen flowers, but this time it has sprouted twenty-four buds. Donor Chen, you truly are a master at caring for orchids."

Chen Afu didn’t know how to react and could only chuckle awkwardly. Had she known the flower would thrive so extraordinarily, she would have transferred it outside of her space earlier.

Chu Hanyan surprisingly cut in, saying, "Auntie... skilled."

After she finished speaking, she gave a big thumbs up before staring expectantly at Chen Afu. It seemed like she was urging her to praise her quick response.

Her charming demeanor amused everyone, causing them to burst into laughter. Hanyan seemed embarrassed, and she slid off Liao Chen’s lap to hug Chen Afu’s legs, burying her head in her lap.

Chen Afu stroked Hanyan’s head, laughing and saying, "Yan is so clever for praising Auntie’s flower raising skills, which makes Auntie very happy. What am I going to do? I’m so pleased that I might not be able to sleep tonight."

Hanyan looked up and smartly replied to Chen Afu, "Hold... big swallow... sleep... well."

Chen Afu broke out into laughter, showing off her pearl-like teeth. Her eyes were twinkling with joy. She exaggeratedly said, "Oh, Yan is so smart, that’s a great idea. Alright, Auntie will definitely hold the big swallow while she sleeps tonight."

Hanyan pursed her lips and began to giggle. Although her smile was slight, it was as sweet as if she had consumed honey. She pondered briefly, then walked toward her bedroom.

Mrs. Song went over and tried to lead her, but Hanyan dodged her and refused to be led. Without other options, Mrs. Song followed along behind her.

Just as the others were wondering about Hanyan’s actions, she returned from her room, holding her big swallow plush doll in her arms.

She walked up to Chen Afu, held up the doll, and said, "Gift...Auntie...sleep...well."

Chen Afu was genuinely touched; she was surprised that the little girl was willing to give her most treasured possession to her.

She picked up Hanyan and held her tightly in her arms, whispering, "Thank you, Yan. You’re so good and generous to give such a nice thing to Auntie. But Auntie has a big swallow at home too, so this one should stay and sleep with you..."

Watching the two of them interact—seeing Chu Hanyan who could now communicate properly—Abbot Liao Chen choked up and silent tears streamed down her cheeks. Chu Lingxuan, too, was deeply moved, feeling a stir of emotions he had never experienced before.

Their relationship wasn’t like a teacher and student, or a master and servant, or even like a mother and daughter in their era. Yet it was clear to everyone that they seemed even closer than actual mother and daughter.

No wonder Yan’s recovery was so swift! No wonder Yan could communicate with her like a normal child! It wasn’t just because Chen Afu’s method of instruction was appropriate, but more so because she spent time with Yan, treated her like a normal child, and truly cared for her.

Every single word from Chen Afu was commonplace yet unexpected, not something they could come up with or articulate. But these words precisely resonated with Yan’s thoughts.

Looking at the expression on Yan’s face while she sat in Chen Afu’s lap - relaxed, satisfied, dependent - even her aura seemed to have increased.

After chatting with the little girl for a while, Chen Afu decided it was inappropriate to stay and intrude on the rare family reunion. She coaxed the little girl a bit, managed to ignore the profound reluctance in her eyes, rubbed her head a little with her cheek, and then got up to leave.

Abbot Liao Chen said, "I’ve heard that Donor Chen has moved. I specially commissioned a statue of Guanyin in hopes of wishing Chen Donor’s family good health and abundant prosperity."

A nun behind her presented a red sandalwood statue of Guanyin.