Chapter 56: Abbess Liao Chen’s Intervention

Chen Dabao was frightened when he heard they wanted to buy him. Wiping his tears, he pleaded, “I want to go home. I want to be with my mother. Please don’t buy me. My mother won’t be able to cope without me. People in our village say I’m smart, and I can become a scholar in the future. If I do, I can support my mother and grandparents. If I become a servant, I won’t be able to take the imperial examination… *sob*…”

His crying made three birds swoop down, circling above them, squawking loudly.

Abbess Liao chen’s expression turned serious as she folded her hands and said, “Amitabha, everything is about fate. Do not force others. Chen Dabao has accompanied Hanyan for so long and has good intentions towards her. How can you treat his kindness this way? Never bully the weak, especially a child…”

The people were frightened and repeatedly apologized.

Abbess Liao Chen reassured Dabao, “Young friend, don’t be afraid. They won’t force the birds or you. Thank you for playing with Hanyan for so long. You are her first good friend, and she really likes you. This is the first time I’ve seen her get along with a stranger for so long…”

Before leaving, Abbess Liao Chen had a maid bring a bag of snacks and four pens with ink for Dabao and asked him to come back the next day to play with Hanyan.

Dabao hesitated to accept, but Abbess Liao Chen smiled and said, “You are Hanyan’s first good friend. Friends don’t need to be so polite.”

—

The family was once again relieved. Those people not only wanted to buy Golden Treasure, Qiqi, and Gray but also wanted to buy Dabao. Life was truly tough for common people in ancient times.

Chen Feng gently held Dabao and kissed his cheek, saying, “It’s alright, Dabao is home.”

She then thought of the compassionate Abbess Liao Chen…

While selling needlework bags at Yingshuan Monastery, Chen Feng overheard some vendors gossiping about how Abbess Liao Chen was knowledgeable in medicine and often helped the poor with their ailments.

Could this Abbess Liao Chen be the same one she heard at Yingshuan Monastery?

That day, the “hero” told the little girl to “visit her grandmother,” and her mother mentioned that the abbess of Yingshuan Monastery came from a wealthy family.

Could this Abbess Liao Chen at Yingshuan Monastery be the same person, or even the little girl’s own grandmother?

Chen Feng was shocked by her bold speculation. When they returned to the east room, she shared her thoughts with the others.

Mrs. Wang seemed pensive and said that the abbess of Yingshuan Monastery was indeed called Liao Chen, but whether it was the same one from Tangyuan, she didn’t know.

She recalled that Liao Chen had probably entered Yingshuan Monastery nine years ago. Before that, the monastery was smaller, with only three nuns. After her arrival, the monastery expanded, and more nuns joined. Her family even spent a lot of money to build a beautiful back garden, transplanting dozens of century-old magnolia trees and creating a plum garden, attracting many wealthy women to come for incense and outings, which made the monastery more prosperous.

Mrs. Wang was familiar with Yingshuan Monastery because she sought help when she was seriously ill. She didn’t want Chen Feng to continue living in ignorance. Not only did she constantly take care of Chen Feng’s health and seek remedies, but she also often went to Lingyin Temple to pray and occasionally visited Yingshuan Monastery, which was close to Lingyin Temple.

“Mother has also met Abbess Liao Chen?” Chen Feng exclaimed in surprise.

Mrs. Wang said, “Not only has your mother met her, but you have too. When you were seven, I took you to Yingshuan Monastery to ask the abbess to treat your illness. She said her medical skills were limited and couldn’t cure your illness, but before leaving, she gave you some plain snacks to eat. The abbess truly has a heart of a Bodhisattva, with a kind and beautiful nature. I still remember her gaze when she saw you, full of tenderness and not an ounce of disdain. Ah, how could such a good woman…”

Mrs. Wang didn’t continue, but let out a long sigh.

She truly is a compassionate nun.

If they are the same person, what kind of fate led a woman from a wealthy family who already had a son to become a nun? Moreover, even after becoming a nun, she is still entangled in worldly matters?

Chen Feng sighed along with the others.

Chen Ming said, “There are so many secrets in wealthy households, things that we common folks can’t imagine. Dabao, remember, don’t go to the east to play with the birds anymore.”

Mrs. Wang seemed to have a thought and, after glancing at Chen Ming, smiled with pursed lips.

Dabao nodded, saying, “Okay,” and added, “That Abbess Liao Chen is so compassionate and gentle. I really like her. I also likes Hanyan. She’s so pitiful, not crying out loud, just tears rolling down silently. Ah, my heart really can’t bear it.”

He really wanted to go see her again tomorrow and play with her for a while. But thinking about those people wanting to keep him and his brothers at Tangyuan and his grandfather not letting him go, he didn’t dare say anything.

Chen Feng asked, “Did you see the little girl’s father or mother?”

Dabao shook his head, “I didn’t see her father or mother. I only heard those people say someone would come to pick her up in a few days. I don’t know if that uncle is her father. Her mother was never mentioned by anyone.”

In ancient times, daughters were usually taught by their mothers. The last time this little girl was with her father, and in a few days, her father would come to pick her up. In the meantime, she was accompanied by her nun grandmother in the other courtyard. It was unknown what her family situation was like.

Chen Feng opened the bag of snacks, which contained rose jelly cakes, brightly colored, translucent, and fragrant. She had Dabao take some to Shitou, saying it was from a nun. Courtesy should be reciprocated, and it wouldn’t be right to accept gifts from the Wu family without giving anything in return. She specifically instructed him to only say that the little girl at Tangyuan had no one to play with and asked Dabao to be her companion, without mentioning anything else.

The pens and ink were all from the prestigious Wenshang Studio in the capital, given to Chen Ming, who waved his hand, “These are too good for me to use. I’ll save them for A’Lu and Dabao when they go to school. No, when they take the imperial examination.”

Chen Feng smiled, “Dad, you should use them first. They can get new ones when they take the imperial examination.”

Chen Ming shook his head with a smile, reluctant to use them.

Later that afternoon, Chen Feng wanted to make a golden swallow doll to give to the little girl. She took some cotton and rummaged through a pile of cloth for a while, eventually finding a few types suitable for making a swallow. The fabric was average, mostly just plain cloth, with only a small piece of pink silk that could be used for the tongue.

  　　

^[1]“Abbess” is a term for a woman who is the superior of a convent of nuns.