Chapter 21: The Fairy in the Child’s Eyes

Lin Jiabao opened the fence and stood in front of Qingli, feeling too shy to look her in the eye.

In Lin Jiabao’s eyes, the girl before him seemed like a fairy—clean and beautiful, completely out of place with everything around him. He glanced at his own filthy appearance and then at Qingli’s fresh and tidy dress, as well as her fair, jade-like hands hanging by her side. A wave of self-doubt washed over him, making him even less inclined to approach her.

Qingli bent down to look at Lin Jiabao, her tone gentle. “Hey, kid, why are you looking down? Lift your head.”

Nervously clutching his clothes, Lin Jiabao mustered the courage to look up.

Qingli’s beautiful face came into his view, imprinting itself in his heart.

Her beaming smile, her eyes that were impossibly beautiful, her skin as fair as jade—she truly looked like a fairy.

Lin Jiabao stared blankly, feeling as if he had never seen someone so beautiful before.

Noticing his daze, Qingli reached out and ruffled his hair, saying with a smile, “Come on, I’ll take you to your new home.”

As she spoke, she extended her hand toward him.

Lin Jiabao gazed at her pristine palm, hesitant to place his dirty hand in hers. Instinctively, he hid his hand behind his back.

Seeing this, Qingli assumed he was just shy and withdrew her hand.

“Then can you follow me? Is that alright?”

Qingli patiently asked.

Lin Jiabao nodded.

Qingli turned to leave, but Lin Dafu’s wife quickly shouted, “Lin Jiabao, are you really sure you want to go? You should know that your father lived like this. Your family has always been struggling. If he truly had money, would he let you and your mother suffer like this? This person might be a scammer. If you go with her, it could be the end for you. Think carefully, and if you regret it, I’ll allow you to stay.”

Lin Dafu’s wife was unwilling to lose such a free laborer. If Lin Jiabao grew a little older, he could help them even more, benefiting their family. Letting him go would be unwise.

However, Lin Jiabao didn’t pause for a moment, as if he hadn’t heard his aunt’s words, and simply followed Qingli.

The neighbors began to chime in, “It’s no wonder Jiabao doesn’t want to stay. Who would want to remain here after being mistreated? If it were me, I would have left long ago.”

“The Dafu family just wants to keep a free laborer! With Jiabao around, they have to do less work and can even play more.”

“I could never be so heartless as to mistreat a child. How can you live with that on your conscience?”

“Let him go! Jiabao has finally escaped from suffering. No matter how bad things get, it can’t be worse than living here.”

“Exactly! If Dayong and his wife could see this, they would be heartbroken and hate those heartless relatives!”

The neighbors’ voices gradually faded, but their discussions still reached Lin Dafu’s family, making him furious as he instantly slapped his wife.

“I told you to treat Jiabao better! If you had listened, now look at what the villagers are saying! How am I supposed to hold my head high in this village now? You wicked woman, I regret marrying you!”

Lin Dafu was inherently a lazy man who relied on his wife to support the family. He occasionally lost his temper and would lash out, but his wife was no pushover and wouldn’t let him hit her without retaliation.

Immediately, she shot back in anger, “Lin Dafu, how dare you hit me? I’ll fight you, you ungrateful man!”

The couple began to grapple with each other, while the two children, frightened, fled into the house, clinging to each other and shivering.

Qingli brought Lin Jiabao to a house in the town and said to him, “This will be your home from now on, a place that belongs only to you.”

She then turned to the boy who had been following her. “This is Yuan Chu, your servant. He is a few years older than you and will take care of you. Of course, you need to treat him well. You two will live together from now on, supporting each other. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can signal me from Yuhua Mountain. I’ll come down to see you.”

Qingli took out a small signaling device and handed it to Yuan Chu, continuing, “This device can be bought at the firework shop in the east of the city. If you lose it or can’t find it, you can go there to buy another.”

She then pulled out a sum of money and handed it to Lin Jiabao. “This is your father’s money. Since you’re still young, I can’t give it all to you at once. Here are thirty taels for now. I’ll come back in three months and give you more. You’ve already been enrolled in the academy, and you can start attending classes tomorrow. This money should be enough for your living expenses during these three months.”

Not just enough—Lin Jiabao thought it was an enormous amount. Thirty taels would last him for a year; in his village, that was the life savings of many families.

After considering everything, Qingli realized she had nothing else to say. She looked at Lin Jiabao and asked, “I’ve said everything I needed to say. Do you have anything you want to ask? If not, I’ll show you around the area and then I’ll have to leave.”

Hearing that she was going to leave, Lin Jiabao looked at her in surprise, finally mustering the courage to meet her gaze.

“Sister, aren’t you going to live with us?”

Lin Jiabao asked his question with a hint of disappointment.

Qingli smiled and ruffled his hair. “I have many things to do. You need to learn to live on your own, so be brave.”

Lin Jiabao looked at her encouraging smile and could only nod.

“Yes, Father said that a man must be brave. I will be brave.”

Seeing a hint of fear in his eyes, Qingli felt a bit helpless. She took out a safety talisman and gave one to each of them.

“This is a safety talisman. Keep it with you; it will protect you.”

Both boys took the talismans and carefully placed them in their pockets.

“Let’s go! I’ll show you around the area and take you to the academy so you’ll know the way for tomorrow.”

Lin Jiabao nodded and followed Qingli as they left the house.

The souls of Lin Dayong and his wife felt relieved to see their son start a new life.

Qingli took Lin Jiabao to buy some writing supplies and showed him the way to the academy. They wandered around the house before she finally left.

After Qingli departed, the two boys began to speak to each other.

Lin Jiabao felt fortunate to have Yuan Chu with him; otherwise, living alone in the empty house would have been quite frightening.

Although Yuan Chu was quiet, he was reliable and steady in his work. Lin Jiabao, accustomed to labor, joined Yuan Chu in tidying up the house. Soon, they had cleaned the place thoroughly and started their new life.

That evening, Qingli sent Lin Dayong and his wife to the afterlife.

Madam Wang compensated everyone, and then she began to do good deeds everywhere. After a few months, she grew weary of this lifestyle, feeling unburdened. She donated all her money and decided to become a nun, retreating from the world. Each day, she ate vegetarian food and recited Buddhist scriptures, hoping to accumulate more blessings for her son and herself.