Chapter 227: Simple Request

Master Wuzhi escorted Chen Feng out of the meditation room and, with agile movements, swiftly returned to the cabinet to open the box. Greedily, he examined the contents, sniffed them, and tugged at his beard in delight for quite some time. Finally, he took out a piece of green swallow’s nest and then closed the box, putting it back into the cabinet.

He said to another seven or eight-year-old young monk, “Little Gui, I will be secluding myself for twenty days to prepare medicine… no, that’s not right, it’s actually thirty days. The first twenty days will be for medicine preparation, and the last ten days for incense. Meals will be delivered to the medicine preparation room or the incense preparation room. Remember, no one is allowed to disturb me. As for the guest Li, let your senior brother Guayi perform acupuncture for him tomorrow, and then ask him to come back to the temple in two months.”

Little Gui, the young monk, quickly nodded in acknowledgment.

Chen Feng and her group were escorted out of the Lingyin Temple by Guayi, the young monk, and they headed towards the Yingshuan Monastery.

Throughout the journey, she could still hear the Golden Swallow’s intermittent crying. The little creature normally used eye boogers as a unit of measurement for leaves, let alone the more precious green swallow’s nest. Giving away so much had undoubtedly hurt it deeply.

With Autumn by her side, she couldn’t console the Golden Swallow in the space, nor communicate with it, so she could only listen, feeling both heartbroken and guilty.

It was springtime, and as they ascended the mountain, the greenery became increasingly lush, interspersed with clusters of colorful mountain flowers.

In the backyard of the Yingshuan Monastery, several children were playing in the courtyard outside the meditation room, their lively laughter shattering the usual tranquility. Abbess Liao Chen sat to the side, unable to conceal the smile in her eyes.

As she chuckled, she suddenly saw another scene in her mind—a beautiful young woman sitting on the veranda sewing clothes for her husband, occasionally glancing at the joyous play of her two children in the courtyard.

The handsome husband returned, and the beautiful woman hurriedly set aside her sewing to greet him. The children rushed even faster, the daughter already embraced by her husband, and the son held by his hand.

Approaching the woman, the husband smiled gently and said, “Wife, I’m back.”

The scene felt as distant as a story from a past life. So much so that she often felt uncertain—was that beautiful woman once herself? Was that handsome man her husband? Did she ever have a husband, children, and a family of her own?

A mist formed in Abbess Liao Chen’s eyes. She quickly wiped it away, bowed her head, and began reciting scriptures while turning the prayer beads in her hand.

Suddenly, the children’s voices grew louder.

“Mother…”

“Aunt…”

“Aunt Chen…”

With their calls, the four children rushed towards Chen Feng at the courtyard gate, embracing her waist and clutching at her skirt.

Chen Feng chuckled, crouching down to embrace all four children, saying, “Darlings, keep your voices down. This is a peaceful place of Buddhism, and we mustn’t disturb the serenity of the Bodhisattva.”

The children simultaneously placed their little chubby fingers to their lips, shushing each other, and their voices tapered off.

Looking at Dabao, who was grinning widely, Chen Feng thought about the old monk’s warning of a disaster. Her heart ached so much that she wished she could tie him to her waist and never let him leave her side.

She gently touched his little face and said, “Dabao, you must be good, nothing should happen to you.”

Dabao, slightly bewildered, nodded and said, “Okay.”

Chu Hanyan, feeling jealous, said, “What about me? Auntie, have you forgotten about me?”

Yang Qian, also discontented, added, “And me, what about me?”

Yang Chao remained silent, but his expression indicated that he shouldn’t be forgotten either.

Chen Feng, patting each of their little faces, smiled and said, “And you, all of you must be good.”

Then, Chen Feng, surrounded by the children, approached Abbess Liao Chen, bowed, and said, “Abbess Liao Chen.”

Abbess Liao Chen rose and smiled, “Ms. Feng, thank you. The plain clothes you made are greatly appreciated by this poor nun. And, thank you for Yanyan. She’s become even brighter and more cheerful since the last time this poor nun saw her. Ah, it’s wonderful. This child always surprises me whenever I see her.”

The fact that the little girl had progressed so rapidly wasn’t just because of herself but also due to the generous Golden Swallow, who was currently sobbing in the space.

After chatting with Abbess Liao Chen for a while, Chen Feng bid farewell and discreetly slipped away from the children, quickly entering the meditation room. She closed the door and then stepped into the space.

Inside, she found the Golden Swallow lying on the ground, covering its head with its wings, sobbing and trembling.

Chen Feng lifted it into her cupped hands and said, “Darling, please stop crying. It hurts Mommy to see you like this.”

The Golden Swallow lowered its wings, its eyes swollen from crying, its beak half open, and its tiny pink tongue quivering. Tears had dampened the feathers on its small head, and it continued to sob. It said, “I’ve been alive for so many years and have never given away so much at once. It would take at least twenty years of hard work to weave a piece of green swallow’s nest. Not only is it time-consuming, but it also depletes a lot of energy. To be cheated out of so much at once by that old baldy donkey… hoo, hoo, hoo…”

Seeing the pitiful state of the Golden Swallow, Chen Feng’s heart ached even more. She cradled it in her palms, saying, “Oh, my darling, you’ve broken Mommy’s heart. Please stop crying. Mommy thanks you on behalf of Big Brother Dabao.”

After speaking, she couldn’t help but kiss its tiny beak once, then twice, and then a third time. She then took out a handkerchief from her pocket and gently wiped away its tears.

The Golden Swallow stopped crying, initially looking at Chen Feng blankly, but then its expression softened into affection. It had been kissed twice by Chen Feng before, but each time was so quick that it hadn’t reacted in time. This time, it finally felt the warmth of being loved and kissed by someone.

Looking at Chen Feng, it stretched out its neck and said, “Mommy, why do I feel all tingly? Kissing is so nice, I like it, it makes me happy. Can you kiss me more in the future? Just like how you kiss Big Brother Dabao and Sister Hanyan. Don’t worry, although my little beak is sharp, it won’t hurt Mommy.”

This neglected child. Its hopeful eyes and simple request softened Chen Feng’s heart like marshmallow. From that moment on, she was no longer afraid of its sharp little beak.

Chen Feng held it up to her eye level and kissed it once again, whispering, “You are Mommy’s precious, and you surely won’t hurt Mommy. From now on, Mommy will kiss you more, just like kissing her own children.”

Upon hearing this, thhe Golden Swallow smiled, its beak twitching, seemingly savoring the kisses from earlier.

Seeing it feeling better, Chen Feng gently placed it on the ground and said, “Darling, rest well. Mommy can’t stay here for long, they’re waiting for me outside.” With that, she swiftly exited the space.