“Madam!… Push harder! Hold on! The baby is coming! You can’t fall asleep…”
The midwife was frantic, seeing that the woman in labor had no strength left.
“The baby’s black hair is already visible! Madam! Push harder!”
Lady Lin’s face was pale, sweat-soaked strands of hair clinging to her forehead. She knew that her strength was spent, that she might not make it. Her child, her child!
Cold tears slid from the corners of her eyes into her hairline. How she wished she could see her child with her own eyes!
“Madam…”
Old Madam Lin by the bedside, her eyes blurred with tears, gripped her hand with all her might. “Don’t give up! My dear girl! Think of the child! You must hold on! Girl!”
The young maid Taohong watched her mistress’s condition, her heart aching unbearably. She couldn’t help but rush out of the room, crouching by the door and sobbing quietly.
“Amitabha! Young benefactor, quickly take this and have the benefactor inside hold it in her mouth!”
Taohong looked at the hand extended before her, grabbed whatever it was without a second glance, and ran back inside.
“The old monk gave this. Madam, hold it in your mouth! Hold it and you’ll gain strength!”
Taohong slipped the dark object into Lady Lin’s mouth. The moment it touched her lips, Lady Lin felt a strange fragrance spread through her, and slowly, she found her body filling with strength.
“Yes! Just like that! Madam, push! Wonderful! Keep pushing!…”
As Lady Lin pushed, the midwife rejoiced and encouraged her with all her might.
Old Madam Lin and the maids were suddenly filled with renewed vigor. The heavy atmosphere in the room dissipated entirely, replaced by anticipation for the new life.
Outside the door, an elderly monk sat cross-legged, holding prayer beads and chanting sutras in a low voice.
A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes, a smile spreading across his face. His gaze swept over the green lotus that had abruptly bloomed in the large water vat beneath the eaves.
“It’s out! It’s out!”
“Waa…”
With a faint cry, Lady Lin successfully delivered the child.
“Congratulations, Madam! It’s a daughter!”
Lady Lin’s suspended heart finally settled. She even propped herself up on her elbows and raised her body. “Quick, let me see!”
The midwife held up the child in her arms. Lady Lin saw the baby clearly—a wrinkled little face, eyes tightly shut. As if sensing her mother’s gaze, the baby opened her eyes and rolled them twice.
“Look, she looks just like you did when you were little!”
Old Madam Lin wept tears of joy.
The midwife deftly handled the umbilical cord, quickly washed the baby, wrapped her up, and handed her to Old Madam Lin, who took her and gently placed her beside Lady Lin.
Lady Lin hugged the child tightly, pressing her cheek carefully against the baby’s little face.
Only then did she realize the crucial role the thing in her mouth had played. By now, she had bitten it to pieces and swallowed it. A warm sensation spread from her chest, flowing through her limbs and throughout her entire body.
The midwife had already efficiently dealt with the placenta and examined her body, confirming all was well. She said reassuringly, “This little girl must be a blessed treasure, keeping Madam safe and sound!”
“Danxin, reward them! Everyone today—reward them all!”
“Yes!” The head maid Danxin responded, wiping the tears from her face, and took out the gold and silver she had prepared in advance to give to the midwife.
“Old Madam Lin, go personally and thank the great master outside. Please also ask the master to give the child a name.”
Lady Lin instructed in a low voice. By now, the pallor had faded from her face, replaced by a hint of color, and she radiated vitality from head to toe.
“Yes! Rest assured, Madam! I’ll go right away.”
Before long, Mother Lin returned, a look of joy on her face.
“The master said this child is destined to be connected to Pudu Temple. If you agree, madam, she may stay here at the temple until the full month is complete before leaving. As for the naming, he will send it over shortly.”
“That would be wonderful indeed—we’ll stay until the full month then. As for my husband, send someone to deliver word to him.” Lady Lin was overjoyed to hear this.
In Master Huiru’s meditation room, Abbot Zhiqing was conversing with his teacher.
“Master, you rarely leave the back mountain these days. Why make an exception today?”
“The baby girl born at the temple today shares a connection with me. See that they are settled properly and do not neglect them.”
“Disciple understands.”
“This is the name I have chosen for her. Take it to them.”
Abbot Zhiqing took the sheet of paper his master handed him. “Qinghe?”
“Bowing low to honor the root, the people regard it as heaven.”
Abbot Zhiqing suddenly understood, seeming to grasp his master’s meaning.
In a secluded courtyard near the back mountain of Pudu Temple, Mother Lin was settling the servants in.
Fortunately, everything had been prepared in advance. They had set out in haste from their hometown, and Lady Lin, worried about mishaps on the road, had brought the midwife along as well. Otherwise, in this desolate place with no village ahead and no inn behind, they would have been at a complete loss.
“Baobao, mother’s little Baobao…”
Lady Lin’s milk came in quickly—by the second day she had enough. The little girl, fed and content, opened her tiny mouth in a yawn and drifted off to sleep.
“Fallen asleep?” Danxin gently took the child and placed her beside Lady Lin, covering her with a small quilt.
“Have you sent the letter?” Lady Lin’s eyes were full of the child, and as she gazed at the little one’s peaceful sleeping face, a flicker of guilt passed through her heart.
“Yes, it’s sent. Barring any accidents, my lord should receive the news in about half a month. As for the family back home…” Mother Lin looked at Lady Lin cautiously, hesitating.
Lady Lin gave a bitter smile. “Don’t send word there for now. Back then… ah! The old lady’s health isn’t good, and I don’t know if her anger has subsided… To be fair, it was my lack of planning. The moment I received my husband’s letter, I was too eager to set out. If I had simply stayed home, had the child, and come after the new year, perhaps we wouldn’t have been delayed on the road.”
“Is there any parent in this world who doesn’t cherish their child? Speaking of which, this child is truly blessed. Master Huiru said she has a connection with Pudu Temple, and this was meant to happen. I heard from the young novices that Master Huiru is a highly renowned monk for a hundred li around. He has been cultivating in the back mountain for years and rarely comes out. This time, he made an exception.” Hearing the tone in her words, Mother Lin sighed inwardly but said nothing more, afraid of upsetting her. Instead, she turned the conversation to Master Huiru.
“Master Huiru is an enlightened monk and our savior. For Qinghe to receive his protection is a blessing she earned in a past life. What I wish for her most is a smooth life, safe and peaceful.”
“The master also said that in the coming days, he will offer prayers for Qinghe, and when the time comes, he will personally preside over her full-month ceremony.”
“Really?!” Lady Lin was both astonished and delighted. She had never imagined she would encounter such fortune here. Having walked through the gates of death, she now held deep reverence and trust for Master Huiru. Had he not extended his aid, she and Qinghe would never have had the chance to meet again. “If that’s the case, we’ll offer more incense money, and every year we’ll send someone to the temple to pay respects.”
“What you say is right, madam.”
In the blink of an eye, a month had passed. Abbot Zhiqing came in person to invite Lady Lin.
Mrs. Lin, holding the child, accompanied by Old Madam Lin and Danxin, arrived at the Guanyin Hall in the temple. Guided by a young novice monk, she first paid respects to the Goddess of Mercy before approaching Master Huiru, kneeling and offering thanks.
“Mrs. Lin, with her daughter, respectfully thanks the Master for the life-saving grace.”
“Amitabha! Good and virtuous, benefactor need not be overly courteous.”
Master Huiru rose from the prayer mat, washed her hands in the basin held by the novice monk, solemnly placed them on Hebao’s head to chant a sutra, then took out a thumb-sized, entirely black bead.
“This bead is called Sumeru, nurtured for many years on the back mountain. If the young benefactor encounters a serious illness at age five, wear this bead close to the body, and it will ensure safety.” Mrs. Lin expressed her thanks, accepted it with care, and kept it close.