Jinyi Spring

Chapter 96 A Chance Encounter at Baoxiang Mountain

On the fourth day of the eleventh lunar month, Madam Ming's fourth course of treatment ended.

Madam Ming's health had clearly improved, and her cheeks had gained some weight.

Feng Chuchen smiled and said, "Madam Ming looks much better."

Madam Ming smiled and said, "Yes, I feel much better. I take a walk in the courtyard every day, and yesterday I even went to Furong Hall for a while."

Feng Chuchen said, "Appropriate exercise is good for the body."

She placed the needles in Madam Ming's hair and sat down to the side.

A maidservant came in and reported, "Madam, Miss Wan requests an audience."

Madam Ming's face showed a hint of displeasure. She closed her eyes and said, "Let her in."

Feng Chuchen's heart skipped a beat. Could this Miss Wan be the concubine of the Duke of Dingguo?
A beautiful, slightly plump woman in her thirties walked in. She wore a slightly worn, light red silk cotton jacket, and her hair was adorned with three silver lotus hairpins, one long and two short.

She has a very low-key and gentle demeanor.

Feng Chuchen had always thought that Miss Wan was at most in her early twenties, but he didn't expect her to be so old.

She was in her thirties, which was considered young in her previous life; in ancient times, she would have been a grandmother.

Miss Wan curtsied and greeted her, "Madam."

Madam Ming didn't open her eyes, and lazily asked, "What is it?"

Wanru's eyes reddened, and she pursed her lips, saying, "My mother is seriously ill, and my sister-in-law said she's afraid she won't make it. I want to go back and keep her company."

Madam Ming opened her eyes and said, "Filial piety is the most important virtue. Go back and stay for a few days. Remember not to let your illness linger. Come back soon, Master is still..."

She held back what she was about to say and said to a maid, "Give Miss Wan ten taels of silver to take home."

"Thank you ma'am."

Wanru accepted the silver and withdrew.

Feng Chuchen thought to herself, "Did Madam Ming ask Miss Wan to come back early so that she could serve the Duke of Dingguo?"

The wisdom and virtue of women in ancient times is something my modern soul cannot comprehend.

After finishing lunch and coming out, it started snowing heavily again, and even Feng Chuchen, who was not afraid of the cold, felt a chill.

Once on the mule cart, Banxia lit the charcoal in the small copper hand warmer and handed it to Feng Chuchen.

She touched Feng Chuchen's fingers and withdrew her hand from the cold. "The girl's hands are as cold as popsicles."

The popsicle she was referring to was, of course, a tree branch covered in ice.

Feng Chuchen didn't feel cold at all, and handed the hand warmer back to her, saying, "I'm not cold, you can use it."

Banxia handed it to her again, saying, "You're freezing like this and you still say you're not cold."

Back home, Feng Chuchen said to Aunt Wang, "Tomorrow is the fifth day of the lunar new year. I want to go to Guanghe Temple to light eternal lamps for my aunt and parents. Shaoyao will come with me, but don't let Buji know."

In the Beijing area, the Jokhang Temple on Longevity Hill is the most popular temple, because the eminent monk Master Chihui there is deeply versed in Buddhism, and even the emperor holds him in high esteem. However, the Jokhang Temple is located on Longevity Hill, and it takes nearly three hours to travel there by carriage.

Guanghe Temple is the second most popular temple, located on Baoxiang Mountain. It takes a little over an hour to reach it by car from Beisheng Gate.

Aunt Wang went back into the house and took out one tael of silver and fifty copper coins. "Young lady, please buy some incense and candles for me to burn for the Bodhisattva. Thank you, Bodhisattva, for blessing me to become a healer. Also, please light an everlasting lamp for my elder sister in my name."

Feng Chuchen accepted the money. "Okay."

Banxia also gave fifty coins to Shaoyao to buy incense and candles, praying to the Bodhisattva to bless her so that her medical skills would become more and more refined.

The next day at dawn, a biting wind howled, and breath turned to frost as the fiery red sun peeked over the rooftops.

After seeing Feng Buji off, Feng Chuchen, wearing a cotton-padded jacket and a cotton cloak trimmed with fur, boarded the mule cart with Shaoyao, who was wearing a long dog-skin coat.

There were cotton mattresses, hand warmers, and foot warmers in the car.

There was also a water bag of liquor, which Uncle Wu used to keep warm.

Uncle Wu, wearing a sheepskin coat, a dog-skin hat, and dog-skin gloves, drove his mule cart out of the alley.

More than a year after transmigrating, this was Feng Chuchen's first time visiting a temple to offer incense, and she was a little excited.

Peony was even more excited, chattering away the whole way.

It took about half an hour to get out of Beisheng Gate, and another hour or so to reach the foot of Baoxiang Mountain around noon.

Baoxiang Mountain was covered in snow in winter.

Uncle Wu found a sheltered teahouse to park and rest, while Feng Chuchen and Shaoyao climbed up Baoxiang Mountain.

This is the southwest side of Baoxiang Mountain. There is a winding stone staircase path. Although it is a long way, the path is easy to walk.

Because of the snow on the steps, we walked slowly, and it took more than half an hour to reach Guangji Temple. We were already starving.

Feng Chuchen devoutly offered incense, donated twenty taels of silver for incense oil, and lit longevity lamps for her aunt, adoptive parents, the original owner of the body, and her mother from her previous life.

Peony asked, puzzled, "Miss, why are there five lamps?"

“My aunt, my parents, and two other people I know.”

She didn't name anyone, and Peony didn't dare to ask any further questions.

After everything was completed, it was already past midnight. The two went to the vegetarian hall and ate a vegetarian meal.

The afternoon sun turned the snow reddish, and although it wasn't very warm, it still felt cozy.

It was still early, so Feng Chuchen took Shaoyao for a stroll around the temple.

I heard that the best attraction nearby is the Bilong Pavilion. It's a two-story, octagonal pavilion built on a cliff top, and looking down at the Baicang River, it resembles a green dragon.

Bilong Pavilion was also one of the most famous scenic spots in the Great Yan Dynasty, and many literati wrote poems and lyrics about it.

Feng Chuchen and his companion looked around the first floor of Bilong Pavilion. The snow-capped mountains were magnificent, with thousands of peaks vying for attention, giving them a sense of grandeur.

Upon reaching the second floor, I saw the backs of two men, one wearing a black cloak and the other a blue cloak.

Her hair and cloak fluttered in the wind.

Feng Chuchen and Shaoyao ignored them and went directly to the other side.

Suddenly, a familiar male voice came from behind, "Grandpa, that's the Baicang River, that's the Zixia Temple, that's Qingmiao Mountain. You've been looking for more than a quarter of an hour..."

Peony's eyes widened in surprise. Why did that voice sound so familiar?

Feng Chuchen also felt a sense of familiarity.

The two looked back.

Peony exclaimed in surprise, "It's you?"

The two men turned around, and it was Ming Shanyue and the big black guy.

The big, dark-skinned man blurted out, "Silly girl!"

Peony retorted, "Big dummy."

"Guo Hei" (a derogatory term for Guo Wengui).

"Peony."

Ming Shanyue and Feng Chuchen spoke up at the same time to stop them.

The two of them stopped talking, and then glared at each other, exchanging sharp glances.

The other two glanced at each other and found they were about ten feet apart.

They all glanced at the stairwell and saw that it was only two steps away from Ming Shanyue.

This distance is safe!
Both of them felt much more relieved.

After administering acupuncture to Wen Qian, Feng Chuchen saw Ming Shanyue for the first time.

Ming Shanyue's face and nose were red from the cold, and her drooping hair was covered with frost, indicating that she had been outside for quite some time.

After so many days, Feng Chuchen's fear of this plague god had faded somewhat.

Ming Shanyue was the first to greet her, "Miss Feng, what a coincidence."

They had met a few times, either in fleeting glances or under dim lights. Today, with the snow shining brightly, Ming Shanyue could finally see her clearly. He had always known that Feng Chuchen was fair-skinned and pretty, but only now did he realize that her fair complexion was unusually striking.

In this awful weather, almost everyone's cheeks and noses were red from the cold, their bodies were more or less curled up and stiff, and some were even shivering slightly.

She alone possessed skin as white as snow, as smooth as jade, and her posture was graceful, her expression serene. It was as if the swirling snowstorm had nothing to do with her, like a fairy in a snowy wonderland.

Especially the small cinnabar mole between her eyebrows, as vibrant as a red plum blossom in the snow...

She also has a birthmark!

Ming Shanyue's gaze greatly displeased Feng Chuchen.

She said, "Lord Ming, you've also come to offer incense?"

The voice is cold.

Ming Shanyue quickly looked away from her face and said awkwardly, "Yes." She then clasped her hands in a fist and palm salute, "My mother is much better, thank you, Dr. Feng."

His words were a double entendre, thanking Feng Chuchen for giving Wen Qian a moment of clarity, which allowed him to learn the big secret.

"You're too kind, Lord Ming."

"We've been here for a while, goodbye."

"Please."

Ming Shanyue walked towards the stairwell, feeling somewhat annoyed. What was wrong with him today? He had been staring at the girl's face the whole time.

Turning back, he saw Guo Hei still staring at the big girl, and said irritably, "Aren't you afraid of staring your eyes out? I'm leaving."

Guo Heihei blushed, glared at Shaoyao fiercely, then turned his head and followed his master.

Peony was furious. She took a few steps around to stand in front of Shu Hei and glared back at him with even more force.

He has to see that glare.

Feng Chuchen was amused and said reproachfully, "You're so big, yet you're so childish."

Peony pouted and said, "That big black guy is the childish one. He glared at me first."

Feng Chuchen arrived at the place where Ming Shanyue had stood.

I just heard them mention "Qingmiao Mountain".

Qingmiao Mountain actually extends all the way to here.

The wind was blowing from this direction, and the cold wind stung Peony's face, so she quickly covered it with her sleeve. She glanced at Feng Chuchen, then used her sleeve again to cover her mistress's face.

Feng Chuchen shook her head and said, "No need, I'm not cold."

Peony, take your sleeves away.

The distant western mountains stretch out in a continuous range, covered in snow.

That is Qingmiao Mountain, separated from Baoxiang Mountain by a river.

A river meanders from the southwest of Baoxiang Mountain, its banks frozen over, yet water still flows through it, carrying floating ice floes as it stubbornly heads towards Qingmiao Mountain. From a distance, it resembles a winding white dragon.

This is the Bai Cang River.

It is winter now. If it were spring, summer or autumn, the trees would be lush and reflect the green of the river, making the Bai Cang River look like a green dragon.

The Bilong Pavilion got its name from this.

Peony pointed to Qingmiao Mountain and said, "Girl, my home is to the northeast of there, and Jiupo Ridge and Baima Village are to the south. You can reach Baima Village by going along that road..."

It turns out that this place leads directly to Baima Village.

Feng Chuchen looked down at the foot of the mountain. Not far from the Bai Cang River stood a small temple with a golden tiled roof that shone brightly in the sunlight.

That is the Zixia Nunnery.

Feng Chuchen said, "From now on, we can take Buji to Zixia Temple instead of climbing mountains."

Peony said, "Zixia Nunnery is a royal nunnery. Except for specific days, only members of the royal family and women from wealthy families can go there to burn incense. We ordinary people can only go on the first day of each month, plus the fifth and fifteenth of the first lunar month."

Feng Chuchen remained silent. The Buddha said all beings are equal, yet even within Buddhist temples, there are still distinctions of rank.

It's windy here; Peony started sneezing after only standing there for a quarter of an hour.

Feng Chuchen said, "Let's go back."

As soon as the two reached the foot of the mountain, they suddenly saw a small black bird startled across the sky, circling above them once before flying down.

The little bird landed on Feng Chuchen's shoulder; it was Ah Xuan.

Feng Chuchen smiled and said, "Oh, what are you doing here?"

Ah Xuan exclaimed, "Even the lotus cannot compare to a beautiful woman's makeup, alas!"

His sighs were pitiful to behold.

Feng Chuchen took it in her hand and laughed, "If I hadn't seen you, I would have really thought it was a beautiful woman sighing. Come home with me, I've been thinking about you for days."

Ah Xuan suddenly flew up and called out again, "Amitabha."

It flew higher and higher, heading towards that golden tiled roof.

Having no other choice, Feng Chuchen found Uncle Wu and headed towards the capital.

By the time we returned to Beianfang, it was completely dark.

Peony lifted the cotton curtain and laughed, "Young Master didn't meet you at the alley entrance, he must be angry because you didn't bring him."

After getting out of the car and entering the courtyard, Banxia winked at them and then stroked the roof with her mouth.

It means the young master is angry.

Feng Chuchen went to the main room, where Feng Buji was facing the wall, angry.

Feng Chuchen went over and hugged him, coaxing him, "It's too cold, I was afraid you wouldn't be able to stand it, that's why I didn't bring you."

Feng Buji tilted his head back even higher, "I'm all better now! I'm a man, if my sister, a little woman, can take it, why can't I?"
“I’ve always held you close to my heart, and you’re always the first person I think of in everything. You went to the temple without me and even kept it from me, how could I not be angry… Humph, my chest hurts, it hurts so much, I’m about to faint…”

Feng Chuchen suppressed a laugh and said sweetly, "I've always cherished my little brother. I know, I know. Next time, I'll take him with me wherever I go, and I won't hide anything from you anymore..."

Feng Buji lowered his head, saying, "Sister keeps her word."

"Of course it counts."

He then made a wish: "I will visit the Hu family on the tenth day of the first lunar month, and take my younger brother to the Zixia Temple to offer incense on the fifth day of the first lunar month next year."

Feng Buji had never been to a temple before, and his eyes crinkled with laughter; he was no longer angry.

Peony smiled and said, "Miss knows that the young master likes braised duck, so she specially asked me to get out of the carriage and buy it."

He continued, "Today we ran into Lord Ming and that big black guy again. I glared at the big black guy several times. If the girl hadn't held me back, I would have punched him."

Feng Buji and the other girls, including Mu Jin, all pursed their lips, looking at them as if to say, "You're bragging."

"Don't believe me? Wait until next time you run into him and see how I beat him up."

Feng Chuchen warned, "Don't cause trouble."

A few days later, one morning, Shen's daughter-in-law gave birth to a son at the clinic and then died from severe bleeding.

This was the first pregnant woman to die in nearly three months since the clinic opened.

Shen's wife was an elderly mother suffering from hyperactive yang. Feng Chuchen stayed in the delivery room for an afternoon and a whole night, but after two hours of resuscitation efforts, she could not be saved.

When this pregnant woman was brought in the day before yesterday, Feng Chuchen didn't want to admit her, explaining the risks involved.

Grandma Shen pleaded tearfully, "I know my daughter-in-law won't survive; all the midwives and doctors say so. But if she gives birth at home, the child might never see the light of day."

"Please, Dr. Feng, have mercy! If you can't save the mother, save the child..."

Feng Chuchen also knew that if the woman gave birth at home, it was very likely that neither she nor the baby would survive.

She accepted the money, wrote down the mother's condition and dangers in the hospital's register, and had the family sign and affix their fingerprints.

However, after the woman died in childbirth, the man in the family cried and said that the hospital's treatment was inadequate, which caused the woman's death, and tried to use this as an excuse to avoid paying the hospital fees.

The accommodation fee wasn't much, but they shouldn't be allowed to slander it like that.