Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 455 - 446: Mortal Heart

Chapter 455: Chapter 446: Mortal Heart

It was a busy time for farming and Chen Shiying was eager to show his worth. Aside from May 10th when his daughter was getting married, he was seldom home. On the day Chen Yuhui and He Linsheng returned, it was Chen Yulan and Chu Lingxuan who entertained He Linsheng. Chen Afu did not go back.

From what Chu Lingxuan said upon his return, the couple did not act all lovey-dovey like newlyweds, but there weren’t any issues either.

By the end of May, when Chen Afu was three months pregnant, she planned to go back to Tang Garden for a while. One reason is to let Abbot Liao Chen see the two little brothers, and another is that she missed Mrs. Wang, Chen Ming, and Fu Garden.

Abbot Liao Chen’s disappointment was growing and his spirit was growing colder. Chu Lingxuan wanted to use the little brothers to anchor her desires to the mortal world.

Chu Lingxuan had been quite busy recently, having just gone to the Capital City a couple of days earlier.

From what Chu Lingxuan was implying, Wang Cheng’s issue was about to be resolved soon. Taking advantage of this situation, he would also make a move.

Chen Afu pondered, Dingzhou was the southern gateway to the Capital City, and its strategic geographical position was crucially important. Chu Lingxuan was the nail that the Ninth Prince and the Chus had set up here. Until the Ninth Prince took power, Chu Lingxuan would keep his post here. When he spoke about moving, he probably wasn’t going to go far and stay in Dingzhou.

In Dingzhou, Chu Lingxuan had two superiors, Commander Fu and Deputy General He. This time, he would definitely try to edge out Deputy General He. This had been his dream for many years.

If Deputy General He were to be promoted, there would be no issue. But if he was relegated to a lesser position, they would hate not only the Chus but also Chen Yuhui, who was related to the Chus. Chen Yuhui was not well-liked by He Linsheng already; if this adds to it, her days would become more eventful.

On the 26th, late in the morning, Chen Afu rode in a sedan chair, Marquis Chu and the other children went by carriage, and under the escort of Chu Lingqi and some guards, they returned to the countryside. Mr. Liao also accompanied them.

Because the sedan chair was slow, they had lunch in a small town and only arrived at Shangshui Village by late afternoon.

When Chen Afu lifted the sedan curtain, she saw familiar paths, familiar villages, and felt great excitement. It had been nearly a year since she left.

Manager Luo, his son, and Madam Luo were already waiting at the entrance to the path. "We’ve been expecting you," said Manager Luo when he approached Chen Afu’s sedan chair. "Abbot Liao Chen has been at Tang Garden since midday, she misses the brothers dearly."

Chen Afu nodded and smiled, "Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Luo."

Jin Yanzi, Qi Qi, Hui Hui and Zhui Feng’s family were even more excited, all rushing towards Fu Garden. Especially Zhui Feng and Sasa, they had been stifled in the capital city for nearly a year and were crazy to return to the countryside. With Chang Chang and Duan Duan, they were unstoppable following Jin Yanzi.

Understanding them, Chen Afu had directed Aunt Wang to remove the Yingluo Ring from Sasa and Duan Duan’s necks while in the city. It wasn’t that Chen Afu was greedy, but rather she was afraid that they might be hurt because of the Yingluo Rings. Even though they were formidable and had Jin Yanzi protecting them, it was best always to be prepared.

When they reached the entrance of Tang Garden, everyone got out of their carriages and sedan chairs. Not only were there servants waiting to receive them at the entrance, but Wang Xiaodi and Wang Xiaomei were also standing nearby, smiling.

Alu led the two of them, laughing, back to Lu Garden. Dabao missed his grandparents and also went to Lu Garden. But Chu Lingzhi and Li Xuan were eager to visit the children’s playground, so they went to Fu Garden with some servants.

Chen Afu and her party entered Tang Garden.

Chen Afu, leading the two little brothers and Chu Hanyan, went straight to the Zen Courtyard where Abbot Liao Chen was staying.

Garbed in a White Robe, Liao Chen was sitting on the Luohan bed. Her face appeared calm, yet her eyes were slightly red-rimmed. Chen Afu paid his respects to her while Chu Hanyan bowed her head before her.

Tears welled up in Liao Chen’s eyes as she spoke. "I haven’t seen you guys for quite some time. I’ve missed you so." She glanced at Chen Afu’s belly and added, "Afu, you should sit down. Don’t tire yourself out. Wow, Yan’er, you’ve grown so tall and even prettier."

Chu Hanyan moved closer and leaned on her legs. "We missed you too, grandma. We really did. So much."

Afterward, the two young brothers bowed their heads under the guidance of their mothers.

Unable to hold back her tears any longer, Liao Chen motioned them closer. "Come here and let me have a good look at you."

She cradled Yu gently in her arms. Overcome by emotion she said, "My chubby little grandson, you’ve grown so well, so handsome. Oh, you take after your grandfather." She became aware that her words might be inappropriate and stopped talking, filling the silence with more showers of kisses on Yu’s face. In return, Yu gurgled with laughter and "kissed" her back, leaving his babyish saliva all over her face.

Liao Chen was even more joyful now, hardly willing to let him go.

Perhaps it was due to the time they spent in the space, the two brothers were much smarter than other children their age. Ming knew that whenever someone hugged and kissed his brother, it would be his turn next. But this time, he had been waiting for a long while without being hugged or kissed, and he was upset. He started yelling at Liao Chen.

Ms. Chu knew her brother well. She lightly tugged at her grandmother’s clothes and laughed. "Grandma, Ming is upset because you haven’t held or kissed him yet."

Liao Chen beamed even more widely at that. She quickly handed Yu back to Mrs. Lin then took Ming from Mrs. Jiang’s hands. She planted a kiss on his little face and said, "Oh my, little Ming is jealous already. Good boy, grandma’s here for you."

Delighted, Ming grinned back. He grabbed at her white robe, "kissing" her a few times, and playfully kicked her legs with his little feet.

The children’s antics made Liao Chen cry and laugh all at the same time. She was clearly overjoyed.

Chuckling softly, Chen Afu spoke up, "Yu and Ming love grandma so much, they can’t seem to kiss her enough. Mother, please stay longer at Tang Garden. I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather ever since I got pregnant. I hope you can spend more time with your grandchildren."

Liao Chen looked at the granddaughter beside her, then at the grandsons in her arms and in her daughter-in-law’s arms. She found it hard to say that she would return to the temple tomorrow. After a thoughtful pause, she nodded.

Chen Afu was elated. Chu Lingxuan and his son were most afraid that Liao Chen’s heart would genuinely turn towards Buddhism. By the time they could bring her home, she would not want to return. Now, the grandchildren were the binds that kept her worldly desires alight, giving her more things to hold onto.

Looking at the strikingly beautiful and gentle Liao Chen, Chen Afu thought of Marquis Chu with the scar on his forehead. They were truly a pair made for each other, yet they were forced apart. She wondered if they could ever get together again.

That evening, Liao Chen dined alone in the Zen Courtyard, while Marquis Chu, Chen Afu, and the children had dinner in the Haitang Hall. Dabao did not return and ate at Lu Garden.

After dinner, Chen Afu took Ms. Chu and half a carriage-load of gifts to Lu Garden. Chu Lingzhi and Li Xuan headed to Fu Garden to play, while the two young brothers were carried to the Zen Courtyard to keep Liao Chen company.

It was now the height of summer. While the weather in Dingzhou was unbearably hot, the rural area was much cooler, especially in the evenings. Standing outside the wide-open gate, enveloped by a light breeze carrying the fragrance of flowers, was sheer bliss.

Looking westward, a large expanse of paddy fields stretched out to Xiangluo Village, with Honglin Mountain at the horizon. The sunset had painted the top of the mountain a golden hue. The colors gradually faded, turning into a soft yellow by the time it reached their location.