Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 227 - 226: A Minor Request

Chapter 227: Chapter 226: A Minor Request

Master Wu Zhi escorted Chen Afu out of the Zen room, then nimbly turned back, opened the cabinet, and took out the box. He looked at it greedily, sniffed it, stroked his beard and laughed for a while. Finally, he pulled out the green swallow nest, put it back in the box, and placed it back into his cabinet.

He said to another young monk who was about seven or eight years old, "Gui Er, I’m going to be making medicine behind closed doors for twenty days, seeing no one... ah, no, I’m not seeing anyone for thirty days. I will be making medicine for the first twenty days, and incense for the last ten days. Vegetarian meals will be left at the doorstep of the medicine or incense room. Remember, no one is allowed to disturb me. As for Master Li, your senior brother Gui Ling can give him acupuncture treatment tomorrow, then ask him to come back to the temple after two months."

The little monk Gui Er quickly bowed in agreement.

Chen Afu and others were escorted out of Lingyin Temple by the little monk Gui Yi and they set off on a carriage towards Yingxue Nunnery.

In her mind, she could still hear Jin Yanzi’s sobbing. The little one would usually consider even a leaf as a treasure measured meticulously with its eyes, let alone the more precious green swallow nest. Giving away so much, it was as if she had plucked out the kiddo’s little heart.

But with Qiu Yue by her side, she could neither enter the space to console it, nor communicate with it, so all she could do was listen, causing her both heartache and guilt.

Now in the spring season, the further up the mountain they traveled, the more the greenery flourished, dotted with clusters of brilliantly blooming mountain flowers.

In the backyard of Yingxue Nunnery, several children were playing in the courtyard outside the Zen hall. Their cheerful and clear laughter broke the usual tranquility. Liao Chen sat aside, unable to hide the smile in her eyes.

As she smiled, she seemed to see another scene; a beautiful young woman sat under the porch making clothes for her husband, occasionally looking up at the children playing in the yard.

The young and handsome husband arrived, and the beautiful woman quickly put down the clothes in her hand and rose to welcome him. The children ran even faster— the daughter was already in her father’s embrace, and the son was being led by his hand.

The husband approached the woman, smiled softly, and said, "Yun’er, I’m back."

This scene felt like something from a past life, causing her to often feel a sense of uncertainty. Was that beautiful woman once her? Was the handsome man her previous husband? Did she once have a husband, children, and a family?

A layer of mist appeared in Liao Chen’s eyes. She quickly raised her hand to wipe it away, bowed her head, and rotated the Buddhist beads in her hand, starting to recite the scriptures.

Suddenly, the children’s shouting grew louder.

"Mother..."

"Auntie..."

"Aunt Chen..."

With their shouts, all four children threw themselves toward Chen Afu at the entrance of the courtyard. Some hugged her waist while others grabbed onto her skirt.

Chen Afu chuckled, squatted down, and embraced all four children, laughing, "Little ones, lower your voices. This is a sacred place of Buddhism, we can’t disturb the Bodhisattva."

The children simultaneously held up their chubby index fingers to their lips and went "shush". Their voices instantly lowered.

Chen Afu looked at Dabao, who was grinning from ear to ear, and thought about the calamity that the old monk had mentioned. Her heart ached terribly. She really wanted to keep him tied to her, not letting him leave her side for even a moment.

She touched his little face and said, "Dabao, you have to be safe and sound, nothing bad can happen to you."

Dabao was somewhat perplexed, but he nodded and said, "Oh."

Chu Hanyan said in a jealous tone, "What about Yan? Did Auntie forget about Yan?"

Yang Qian also insisted, "And me, and me."

Yang Chao didn’t speak, but the look in his eyes indicated that he shouldn’t be forgotten either.

Chen Afu touched each of their little faces and chuckled, "And all of you, you must be good."

Then, Chen Afu was surrounded and led by them to Abbot Liao Chen, bowed in respect, and laughed, "Abbot Liao Chen."

Liao Chen stood up and laughed, "Afu, thank you. I really like the white robes you made. And thank you even more. Yan’er is brighter and smarter than when I saw her last time. Ah, it’s wonderful. She always brings surprises every time I see her."

The reason the little girl could progress so quickly was not only because of herself but also because of Jin Bao’s great sacrifice, who was crying in the void at this moment.

Chen Afu chuckled as she looked at Ms. Chu, who was looking up eagerly for a compliment. He patted her little face and smiled at Liao Chen, "Yan is very intelligent, I’m also growing fonder of her." He continued, "I’m not very good at sewing, my stitching isn’t very neat, I must have been laughed at by Abbot."

After a few words with Liao Chen, Chen Afu, shedding the little ones for a while, rushed to the Zen Room. She shut the door, and quickly entered the space.

She saw Jin Yanzi lying on the ground, covering her head with her wings, crying painfully, and her little body was twitching.

Chen Afu squatted down, picked her up, and held her in his hand. He said, "Baby, stop crying. Your mommy feels so sad seeing you like this."

Jin Yanzi put down her wings. Her eyes were already swollen from crying. The little beak half-opened, and its little pink tongue trembling. The tears had set off the feathers on her head, and she was sobbing. She said, "I’ve been alive for so many years, and I’ve never had to give up so much all at once. Just one green swallow’s nest took me at least twenty years to weave. It was not only time-consuming but also drained a lot of my energy. With one swoop, it all was extorted away by the bald monk. Wuu wuu wuu..."

Chu saw her pathetic look, and her heart ached even more. Holding her up to his face, he said, "Ah, baby! You’re breaking my heart with your tears. You should stop crying. Thank you on behalf of Dabao."

Finishing his words, Chen couldn’t help but kissed her little beak. Once, twice, three times. He then took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away her tears.

Jin Bao stopped crying. It looked blankly at Chen Afu with half-closed eyes, which then turned into adoration. Chen Afu had kissed it twice before, but each time was so fleeting that it didn’t have time to react. This time, it finally experienced what it felt like to be kissed and loved.

Looking at Chen Afu, Jin Bao extended her neck and chirped, "Mommy, why do I feel a tingling sensation? Kissing feels so nice. I love it... it makes me so happy. In the future, can you kiss me more? Just like you kiss Dabao and Yan’er. Don’t worry, my little mouth might be powerful, but it won’t hurt you."

A truly love-deprived child. With those innocent eyes and that sweet request, Chen Afu’s heart softened like cotton candy. From this moment on, she was no longer afraid of its little sharp mouth.

Chen Afu lifted Jin Bao up to her face and kissed it again, whispering, "You’re mommy’s baby, you definitely won’t hurt me. In the future, mommy will kiss you more, just like you’re my own child."

Upon hearing this, Jin Yanzi smiled with her little beak and shoved the tip of her wing into her mouth, as if she was savoring the memory of the kiss.

Seeing that it was better now, Chen Afu gently placed it on the ground and said, "My baby, rest well. Mommy can’t stay here for long, they’re waiting for me outside." After saying this, she quickly left the space.