Always By Your Side

Chapter 16: I Like You

Auntie Zhu finished her business at her son’s wedding and finally returned to work. Yuanyuan seemed to welcome her spring liberation.

She initially thought that she wouldn’t be included in these matters anymore, but on the day that Cheng Bai was discharged from the hospital, Uncle Shenghua was on a business trip and Auntie Zhu wanted to cook at home. So Yuanyuan could only agree to pick up Cheng Bai.

When she arrived at the hospital, as soon as she entered room 806, she saw Cheng Bai sitting on the sofa. He had already changed out of his hospital clothes and wore relaxed, light-grey sportswear. Because he was injured, he had lost a lot of weight compared to before he’d gone to the disaster area. His face was somewhat stern. When Cheng Bai saw her come in, he seemed a little surprised, but nothing was revealed in his tone. “Take the luggage, let’s go.”

“Yi? We’re not waiting for Lao Yang to come here so we can go together?”

“He’ll be here soon. It takes a long time to find a parking spot at the hospital. We’ll go to the front entrance and wait for him, then go directly.” Cheng Bai used the armrest of the sofa to support himself as he got up, then sat in the wheelchair. He was currently in the recuperation stage and still couldn’t walk a lot.

Yuanyuan had no choice but to go over and take the travel bag. She hoisted it over her back, then pushed the wheelchair out the door. 

“Doctor Cheng, Yuanyuan, do you need my help?” Nurse Xiao Zhao saw the two of them coming out and eagerly ran around the workstation to ask.

“Elder sister Xiao Zhao, no need, thank you.”

Nurse Xiao Zhao had already become close friends with Yuanyuan. She said to her: “Before you came, the leaders of the hospital just left. They said to let Doctor Cheng get a good rest at home for a while. When he comes back, they’ll give him a commendation.”

“Oh, oh.”

Cheng Bai thanked Nurse Xiao Zhao and the other colleagues who were standing to see him off: “During this time you’ve all worked hard.”

The nurses repeatedly said “you’re welcome”.

Soon after, Cheng Bai said to Yuanyuan: “Let’s go, let’s not disturb other people at work.”

Other people might not have been able to detect it, but Yuanyuan knew he was getting impatient.

So Yuanyuan hurriedly said goodbye to everyone and pushed Cheng Bai into the elevator. As soon as the elevator door closed, a nurse said: “Doctor Cheng really lost a lot of weight.”

“It can’t be helped. But he’s still so good-looking.”

On Yuanyuan’s end, as soon as they arrived at the hospital gates, Cheng Bai received a call from Lao Yang. His tone was anxious and angry, saying that he had encountered an unreasonable person on the road. While changing lanes, his car was scraped, and the other party quarreled with him self-righteously and confidently. Currently, the two were waiting for the traffic police to come and deal with it. He wouldn’t be able to leave for a while.

Yuanyuan could also hear Lao Yang’s loud voice. He was unable to pick them up? What were they to do? There were people coming and going from the entrance of the hospital, and she was carrying a sick and wounded person, so it wouldn’t be easy to call for a taxi.

There was a red bus slowly pulling up to the bus stop ahead. Yuanyuan had a flash of inspiration and jutted her lip toward the direction of the bus, asking Cheng Bai, “How about taking the bus?”

Cheng Bai saw that the demand for taxis indeed exceeded the supply. The people around him seemed unwilling to fight over them, but he didn’t want to be surrounded by so many people under the sun, so he nodded.

There were a lot of people waiting for the bus, but it was still orderly, especially at the hospital stop. For someone like Cheng Bai whose legs and feet were an inconvenience, people would give way when they saw him. When the bus arrived, Yuanyuan helped Cheng Bai inside, then brought the folded wheelchair in. At this time, Yuanyuan suddenly felt that she was the real man.

Cheng Bai hadn’t taken the bus since high school. He usually rode his bike to school, so the feeling of being a passenger on a bus was something he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

Because this was only the second stop, there weren’t many people. Yuanyuan saw that the seat for the elderly, sick, disabled, and pregnant was empty. She pointed her finger at the seat and told Cheng Bai, “Go sit there.”

Cheng Bai turned his head and gave her a look. At this time, an auntie got on. When she scanned her card, a loud “senior card” sound rang from the system. The auntie walked towards the special seats. As soon as she sat down, she took a look at Cheng Bai.

The auntie hesitated for a moment, then stood up and said to Cheng Bai: “Youngster, sit down, sit down.”

Before Cheng Bai could answer, the auntie stretched her hand out vigorously and rushed to the seat behind.

The bus started again. Yuanyuan saw that Cheng Bai was still standing there and had no intention of sitting down. She couldn’t help but say, “Why don’t you sit, what’s so difficult about it, right now you’ve got a disability…”

At that moment, the bus driver slammed on the brakes. The passengers all surged forward from the force, and Cheng Bai happened to fall on Yuanyuan’s body. Cheng Bai was approximately twenty centimetres taller than Yuanyuan. Although he wasn’t robust, he also wasn’t completely lean. Fortunately, Yuanyuan had lots of experience with taking the bus. In addition, she normally practiced the horse stance a lot. Therefore, she didn’t get knocked down by him. But although she hadn’t fallen, she was given a complete, full-on embrace. For a split second, she clearly felt the tip of Cheng Bai’s nose rubbing across her cheek, sliding all the way to her earlobe.

When Cheng Bai let go of her, Yuanyuan supported him and muttered, “Don’t die for saving face, right now you’re fully qualified for the special seat.”

This time Cheng Bai didn’t continue to refuse. He sat on the seat with a cold expression. After a number of stops, more and more people boarded the bus. Cheng Bai furrowed his eyebrows and said, “Get off.”

“What? There are still four stops left.” Yuanyuan thought she had heard him wrong.

“Get off the bus, I’m dizzy.”

Seeing that Cheng Bai’s complexion was indeed bad, Yuanyuan didn’t persist. After reaching the next stop, she helped Cheng Bai off the bus, propped his wheelchair up, and helped him sit. 

Fortunately, the road was smooth and clean the entire way. It was already autumn now, and the luxuriant, fragrant camphor branches along the road blocked most of the sunlight so that it wasn’t too hot. But the distance of four bus stops was not short at all.

As she walked to the Cheng family’s house, Yuanyuan felt that her legs were going to break. She took off the travel bag while gasping for air and sat down at the entrance. At this time, Cheng Bai coldly said: “Just now there were so many empty taxis on the way, why didn’t you call one?”

Because I was single-minded! I whole-heartedly tried to push you home as soon as possible, how would I even think of calling a taxi?! Yuanyuan raised her head and glared at Cheng Bai, “You couldn’t just mention it to me?”

“I thought you enjoyed walking.”

Yuanyuan knew his mouth was poisonous. She didn’t want to waste her strength arguing with him, but she was still in a bad mood. So much so that when Auntie Zhu cooked her favourite Dongpo pork to urge her to stay, she didn’t nod. She only wanted to go back to her place and lie down for a while. 

Walking out of the Cheng house, Yuanyuan felt aches and pains in her feet. She subconsciously picked up her phone and composed an extremely long text, recounting Cheng Bai’s bad deeds one by one. After that, she viciously scolded him one more time and finally pressed the send button. The moment she sent it, she felt very refreshed, as if she had taken out all the garbage. But as soon as she got on the bus and sat down, her mind suddenly cleared. Just now, she had actually sent such a long-winded text message to Fu Beichen!

Would he find her particularly dislikeable? It was all malicious words about another person…Would he think she was being awfully petty? The more Yuanyuan thought about it, the more she regretted it. With an ostrich mentality, she took advantage of Fu Beichen’s failure to reply and pressed the power button, turning off her phone.

Yuanyuan leaned her head against the glass window, thinking: I don’t know when it started, but I care very much about what he thinks of me.

When Fu Beichen received the text message, he happened to be checking an important piece of information. Because yesterday, his name had finally appeared in his dream.

In that life, his name was Fu Yuanzheng.

He researched the history of the Song Dynasty. There had only been one person named Fu Yuanzheng that was recorded.

This person was a minister who, in the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty, came third in the Hanlin examination and married Princess Jiachun. Afterwards, he fled with the princess, but it was unknown where he ended up.

Fu Yuanzheng still married Princess Jiachun?

Princess, husband…Fu Beichen felt something flash in his mind, but before he could grasp onto the clues, his text ringtone sounded. When he saw it was Yuanyuan, he suddenly realized in a moment of spiritual light, wasn’t it the princess and her husband’s shrine in Yuxi! He remembered that there was a Princess Jiachun from the Southern Song Dynasty enshrined there with her husband.

Fu Beichen put down the information. After reading the extremely long text message, he couldn’t help but smile. His complicated mood from the previous moment also calmed down a little. He suddenly wanted to hear her voice, so he gave Yuanyuan a call.

Who knew that on the other end, her phone was turned off. Today was Friday, the first day of the Mid-Autumn Festival. He remembered her saying that she was going back to her hometown during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Yuanyuan went back to her residence to rest for a while, then packed two changes of clothes and went back home.

After lunch, Yuanyuan helped her mother manage the teahouse. Her family’s teahouse had opened for business last week—the store basically preserved the original book café’s fresh and clean decorations. Just the bookcases had been removed, and only two remained. They had been transformed into display racks for tea leaves and tea utensils. As evening approached, Yuanyuan went to find Jiang Xiaoqi. She had thought about it for a long time. When other girls encountered problems, especially emotional problems, didn’t they all call on their friends and girlfriends to discuss?

Yuxi’s Chongfu Temple was an ancient temple with a long history. On ordinary days, the burning of joss sticks was quite prosperous. On holidays, naturally even more people came to burn incense and worship Buddha.

Yuanyuan didn’t want to blindly search for Jiang Xiaoqi in the crowd. Just as she was about to take out her cell phone and call him, she saw him.

Jiang Xiaoqi looked especially benevolent today, wearing a kasaya draped over his shoulders and holding a stack of glistening yellow things. With a dignified face, he walked to the gate and said loudly: “Benefactors seeking a marriage predestined by fate, please go to Guanyin Hall! On the third day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, female benefactors can burn incense to obtain the flying peach blossom talisman blessed by the Master Abbot in front of the thousand-year-old acacia tree at half price. Only ninety-nine per day, first come first served!”

That naughty little boy who used to lie on his desk and sleep soundly had really become a Buddhist disciple. Yuanyuan still found it a bit miraculous even now. She thought to herself, I won’t disturb Master Jingshan while he’s doing business. Oh, to do good deeds. I’ll find some shade under a tree and wait.

When Jiang Xiaoqi sold all of the peach blossom talismans in his hand, he used his large robe to wipe his sweat. Just as he was about to get some water, he saw Cheng Yuanyuan waving at him.

Jiang Xiaoqi said a few words to a little novice monk beside him, then walked over to Yuanyuan and greeted her: “Amitabha.”

Yuanyuan followed suit and respectfully replied, “Amitabha.”

Jiang Xiaoqi looked Cheng Yuanyuan up and down. “Last time I said that if you had worries you could come find me, and I’d lend you the meditation room specially prepared to receive worshipers. I see you’ve made this trip for that purpose, so let’s go, I’ll lead you there.”

“Was it so obvious?” Yuanyuan couldn’t help touching her face.

Yuanyuan followed Jiang Xiaoqi to a small courtyard. At the gate was a sign that read “Visitors Not Permitted”. They passed the gates and entered. There were ancient trees and dried up vines, creating a scene of exceptional charm and beauty. Compared to the noise from before, Yuanyuan felt that this place was quiet and clean. The meditation room was in this old courtyard. The last time she had visited, she only saw it from a distance and had never come in. 

Jiang Xiaoqi pushed the door open and invited Yuanyuan to go in. The room had a small red clay stove with a pig-iron pot over it. Steam whistled out of the pot.

“Yi, no one’s afraid of it boiling over?” Yuanyuan asked as she leaned over.

“I had someone prepare it when I saw you,” Jiang Xiaoqi said slowly.

“Sure enough, Master Jingshan is different now, so cool.” Yuanyuan smiled and walked to a stool on the side, put her feet together, and sat down.

“What’s troubling you, just say it.” Jiang Xiaoqi picked up the iron pot, made two cups of tea, and put one cup in front of Yuanyuan.

Yuanyuan glanced into the cup. Sure enough, it was the so-called meditation tea made by Master Jingshan.

Yuanyuan thought for a while, then said: “I…seem to like someone.” She “seemed” to because she was a little unsure. This time it felt different from when she had liked Cheng Bai in the past. She recalled what she had said to Cheng Bai at her grandmother’s funeral last time, how she thought she relied on Cheng Bai like a baby chick. It was filled with the young, inexperienced, ambiguous first awakenings of love. But when she thought of Fu Beichen, it was like the dust had settled and she was left with serenity. As if she was complete…

Yuanyuan thought and thought, and finally couldn’t help but smile. “En, I like him.” Then she frowned and said, “He takes good care of me, but I always feel that he’s good to me because of…because of other purposes—I don’t know how I should express this kind of feeling. Master Jingshan, what should I do?”

After listening, Jiang Xiaoqi was frozen for three seconds, then said: “Benefactor Cheng Yuanyuan, are you sure you want to talk about emotional issues with a monk?”

“Don’t people come here to seek marriages predestined by fate?” Yuanyuan was slightly embarrassed by Jiang Xiaoqi’s question, but since she had already said it anyway, she persevered in asking, “Can’t you take care of my emotional troubles?”

Jiang Xiaoqi took a sip of tea and said: “We just give people ‘hope’. As for how to deal with emotional matters, our monks’ solution has always been: Convert to Buddhism.”

“……”

“But if you want to know what Jiang Xiaoqi has to say—That person you like, what’s his intention? Is he very poor and eyeing your money?”

Yuanyuan lowered her head, “I’m very poor. He shouldn’t be short of money at all.” After all, he was an outstanding expert.

“Then he’s ugly and after your looks?”

Yuanyuan lowered her head even more, “He’s more remarkable than me in every aspect.”

Jiang Xiaoqi didn’t say anything. He reached out and patted Yuanyuan’s shoulder. “Then just take it that you’ve accumulated virtue in your previous life, and he’s come to repay your kindness. Kindness and fate are also love.”

Yuanyuan couldn’t help laughing, “Then I must have done a great merit and accumulated many virtues in my past life.”

Jiang Xiaoqi looked at the person in front of him. He suddenly remembered that when he was a child, she had given him a little of the New Year’s money her father gave her every year. It was because his parents never gave him any remaining New Year’s money. She said that she would send it to the children in the mountains. At that time, she was also still a child. Later, her father died and she went to find him. She had probably cried for a long time. Her eyes were swollen like walnuts, her face full of sadness, but she only said to him: It’s okay, I’m okay, but from now on I won’t be able to give you New Year’s money…

Three years old was young, seven years old was old.1

Jiang Xiaoqi began to speak: “Cheng Yuanyuan, you have an exquisitely made, benevolent and righteous heart. And you deserve to be treated kindly by the heavens, and the Buddha will bless and protect you.

Hearing this, Yuanyuan burst with joy: “Thank you Master Jingshan.”