Chapter 37: Another Encounter

Chen Feng had been traveling through time for so long, yet this was the first time she had laid hands on silver, and she was quite excited. She discreetly stashed the silver into her pocket, but in reality, it had already been placed into her dimensional space.

Seeing the envious and resentful looks around her, she couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy. She tightened her grip on Dabao’s hand and looked around for the golden swallows. Where had that little thing run off to again?

At first, Dabao was overjoyed, but upon noticing the looks from the people around them, he quickly suppressed his excitement and whispered to Chen Feng, “Mother, be careful. That man selling kites is eyeing us with red eyes.”

Chen Feng searched for the figure of the golden swallow. Suddenly, she noticed a swallow hovering above the elegant lady walking towards the temple gate. It was the golden swallow.

Thinking about the large phoenix hairpin on the lady’s head, her heart raced. Releasing Dabao’s hand, she pinched her left palm hard with her right hand. The golden swallow immediately swooped down, flying into her sleeve, chirping, “Why are you calling me back? Can’t you see I’m busy?”

Chen Feng whispered, “With others seeing me earn so much silver, I’m in trouble. You must stick close to protect me.”

The golden swallow grumbled, “Why are you so afraid? I’ll have to find you a bodyguard in the future to save myself from being troubled every time.”

Dabao thought his mother was talking to him and puffed out his chest, saying, “Mother, don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you.”

Chen Feng held Dabao’s hand and hurried downhill. The golden swallow clung to Chen Feng’s clothes, and to others, it looked as if a little swallow was embroidered on her garment.

It was midday, and there were few pedestrians on the road. Despite the dense shade in the mountains, the sunlight streaming through the leaves was still scorching. Excitement, nervousness, and the heat made Chen Feng feel as though her clothes were soaked with sweat.

Seeing Dabao struggling to walk in his loose pants, trying to keep up with her, she stooped to carry him.

Dabao twisted his body, refusing, saying, “Grandma instructed me to protect you. If she sees you carrying me, it’ll be so embarrassing.”

At that moment, Chen Feng felt two men catching up to them, maintaining a steady distance. Dabao also sensed it and instinctively held his mother’s hand tighter.

About two hundred meters ahead, there were several huge rocks that could shield them from the view of passersby. As they continued, Chen Feng’s heart grew heavier. She slowed her pace, hoping to wait for a few more people to descend the mountain, to travel with them. She didn’t want to expose the golden swallow unless absolutely necessary.

The two men seemed to be ready to make their move, as their pace also slowed, following closely behind.

As they neared the rocks, still dozens of meters away, they suddenly saw a group of over a dozen horsemen and two carriages coming up from downhill. Chen Feng felt lucky, the luck of a time-traveling woman was indeed extraordinary. She quickly led Dabao forward.

Reaching the side of the rocks, they encountered the group. However, one of the horsemen caught Chen Feng’s attention—a man she would never forget, the hero who had saved her when she first traveled through time. He was dressed in a moon-white embroidered round-collared robe with arrow sleeves, a golden wide belt, exuding a cold, handsome charm, especially eye-catching while riding his horse.

Dabao also recognized him and excitedly exclaimed to the man, “Sir, sir, I’ve met you again.”

The man, feeling as though the child was addressing him, stopped and looked at Dabao with a slightly puzzled expression.

Dabao shook off Chen Feng’s hand, bowed to the man, and said, “Sir, do you not remember? It was a few months ago in the county town, you saved my mother. My mother has since recovered. Thank you…” He then bowed several times.

As Dabao spoke, a little head poked out of the window of the carriage in front. It was a girl of about four or five years old. Her skin was fair, with chubby cheeks, a plump little mouth, and two large, round eyes, resembling black grapes just plucked from water—moist but not lively.

This child was stunningly beautiful, yet her beautiful eyes also seemed vacant, evoking a sense of heartache.

The golden swallow’s tongue loosened, murmuring, “Such a beautiful little sister, even more beautiful than Dabao.” Then, it flew over and perched on the back of the little girl’s hand resting on the carriage window.

The girl’s eyes finally flickered and turned towards the golden swallow, her face showing a hint of emotion as she softly said, “Birdie… smiling, birdie… smiling.” Her voice was gentle, slow, and soothing. Her lips moved like peach blossoms swaying in the breeze of March.

The golden swallow also murmured softly to the little girl, its tone so gentle it could make one’s legs turn to jelly.

The man, growing impatient with Chen Dabao’s chatter, was surprised to hear the girl speaking. His face lit up, and he quickly dismounted, coming to the side of the carriage, smiling gently as he lowered his head, “Yan’er, was that you speaking just now?”

His voice was light, soft, and cautious, seemingly afraid of startling the girl. At this moment, the ice in his eyes had melted into spring water, and his smile was as warm as the spring sun.

The girl paid no attention to his attempts to please her, she continued to stare vacantly at the golden swallow, repeating, “Birdie… smiling.”

The man was even more delighted upon hearing the girl speak. He laughed and said, “Yan’er really spoke! Does Yan’er like this bird? Daddy will catch it for you.”

As he spoke, he reached out to grab the golden swallow. His hand was quick, but the golden swallow was quicker. In a flash, it darted into the sky, leaving behind a blur of black.

Seeing the bird suddenly fly away, the girl’s eyes filled with large tears, her mouth puckered, and she slowly said, “Birdie… flew away… birdie… flew away…”

Realizing that he had inadvertently scared the bird away, the man regretted it deeply. He quickly climbed into the carriage, embracing the girl and consoling her, “I’m sorry, it’s Daddy’s fault. Daddy was in a hurry. Yan’er, let’s go visit Grandma first. When we return, Daddy will catch a bird for you.”

The girl remained silent, repeating only, “Birdie… flew away…”

The carriage rumbled away.

Chen Feng sighed, “Even in wealthy families, there are still pitiable individuals.” She felt that the girl didn’t seem to be mentally disabled but rather exhibited signs of autism, as mentioned in her past life.

Dabao, watching the departing carriage, said, “Mother, that girl is so pitiful. She loves Golden Treasure so much. Can we let her play with Golden Treasure for a few days?”

Chen Feng replied, “We don’t know that girl, how could we lend Golden Treasure to her? Besides, the girl’s father seems to want to catch Golden Treasure. It’s better to keep our distance from them.”

Dabao pouted. “Oh, I see.”

The golden swallow flew down and clung to Chen Feng’s garment, grumbling unhappily, “This kid is being too generous, wanting to lend me out as if I were a table or a chair. However, that girl was indeed very beautiful.”

The two men who had been following them, upon seeing the child “recognize” the horse riders, had long been scared off. Chen Feng led Dabao to the front of Lingyin Temple. Although there were still many people around, the stalls selling goods were less crowded, while the food stalls were bustling with activity.

Mrs Wang and Chen Lu were already quite anxious, but upon seeing them, Lu greeted them loudly. They still had one Needlework basket left unsold.

Dabao ran over excitedly, pulling Mrs Wang and Chen Lu down, whispering in their ears, “My mother is so capable, she’s sold all the needlework bags and made a lot of money.”