Chapter 162: Fleeing the Emptiness Gate
“If you want the child to stay, you must listen to me,” Wen Mingqian said. “Besides, this money isn’t much. She has many things to do for me. Don’t complain about being tired when the time comes.”
Sun Niangzi felt a little better hearing Wen Mingqian say this. She instructed her daughter, “You must watch more, do more, and speak less. You are not allowed to cause trouble for Madam, nor are you allowed to be lazy or willful.”
Sun Aoshuang agreed to everything. Sun Niangzi then handed her daughter a small bundle she had brought with her, containing her change of clothes, and then took her leave.
Wen Mingqian asked Sang Er to see her out and then hired a carriage to take her home.
At this time, Cui Baozhu also woke up, but she was still groggy. Seeing Granny Hu by her side, she didn’t say much. Knowing that she was sent by Leng Shi to watch her, she took advantage of her illness to order Granny Hu around.
Granny Hu was also an elderly person. She had been up for most of the night before and couldn’t sleep in the morning.
Leng Shi arrived early the next morning.
After a brief exchange with Wen Mingqian, she proposed to take Cui Baozhu back.
“I’m always worried about this child when she’s outside. If she were well and proper, it would be fine, but she’s sick. How can I, her mother, not be concerned?” Leng Shi was very good at saying the right things.
Even though she wished she could grind Cui Baozhu, her stepdaughter, into dust, she still put on a motherly facade in front of Wen Mingqian.
“Logically, the Second Miss should return to the manor, but she is currently ill and it is really not advisable to exert herself. The Reverend Mother also said that she must absolutely not be exposed to the wind during this period, otherwise, it would be life-threatening. It would be better to wait until she recovers a little more.” Wen Mingqian was genuinely worried about Cui Baozhu. Her body was extremely weak now, and after returning, Leng Shi would surely use all sorts of tactics on her.
At that time, how could she recover from her illness with both internal and external torment?
Leng Shi thought about it and did not insist further. She smiled and said to Wen Mingqian, “Then it will be too much trouble for you. I’ve brought two people to stay and take care of her, and I will come to see her every day.”
Then she walked to Cui Baozhu’s bedside, took her hand, and said, “Good child, you have truly suffered. When you are better, I will bring you back and take good care of you.”
Cui Baozhu felt extreme disgust in her heart. No one knew Leng Shi’s true nature better than she did.
The more amiable Leng Shi was to her in front of outsiders, the more harsh and cruel she was to her at home.
Leng Shi squeezed her hand tightly, with a warning tone.
Cui Baozhu’s heart turned cold.
Only after Leng Shi walked out the door did she breathe a sigh of relief. After recuperating at Wu Qiu Nunnery for a few days, Cui Baozhu gradually began to recover.
She had lost a lot of weight during these days and hardly spoke at all.
One day, Wen Mingqian had to go out for something. She thought that since there were two people from the Leng family looking after her, it wouldn’t be a problem.
Seeing that Wen Mingqian had left, Cui Baozhu said to the two people accompanying her, “You can go back. Send my maid to replace me. Inform Madam that a carriage will be prepared to pick me up tomorrow.”
Those two were naturally happy. They were supposed to leave one to take care of her, but Cui Baozhu said, “It’s really not necessary. It’s daytime, and Aoshuang is here. You’ve been here for three or four days, and it must have been difficult. Go back and rest. Having my maid come to serve me is the same. In any case, I’ll be returning tomorrow.”
The two of them thought it made sense and returned to the manor.
After they left, Cui Baozhu told Aoshuang that she was a bit hungry and asked her to go to the kitchen to make her a bowl of porridge.
After Aoshuang left, she struggled to get out of bed, found scissors from the needlework woven basket, and looked at her emaciated reflection in the mirror, letting out a wry smile.
From the day Leng Shi left, she had made up her mind that no matter what, she could not be a fish on a chopping block anymore.
Death, she had died once and knew that death was not easy.
Now she had thought of another path, which was to become a nun.
Cui Baozhu gathered her hair with one hand and held the scissors in the other, gritted her teeth, and cut them off fiercely.
She understood that Wen Mingqian could not protect her forever, and she would eventually have to return home.
But even if she returned home, she would still not escape her tragic fate.
Rather than that, it would be cleaner to cut her hair and become a nun.
Anyway, this was a nunnery, so it was very convenient to become a nun.
When Sun Aoshuang returned, Cui Baozhu had already cut off her hair. Aoshuang was greatly startled, “Miss Cui, you… why did you cut your hair?!”
“Aoshuang, please trouble yourself to invite Reverend Mother Jing An here,” Cui Baozhu said with a smile. “I wish to ask her to shave my head for me.”
Aoshuang had no idea what to do at this point. She quickly ran to invite the Reverend Mother.
Jing An was very surprised upon hearing this and hurried over.
“Amitabha, Second Miss Cui, why do you wish to enter the Emptiness Gate?” Jing An had been taking her pulse daily these past few days, so they were quite familiar with each other.
“Reverend Mother, my intention is decided. It’s just that I was gravely ill a few days ago. I am grateful you saved my life. Now, please ferry me out of this sea of suffering again!” Cui Baozhu said, tears streaming down her face. “If you do not agree, I will only die.” With that, she raised the scissors and pointed them at her own chest.
“Calm yourself, calm yourself. I cannot make this decision alone; I must let the Abbot know,” Jing An said hastily.
“Then please invite the Abbot Reverend Mother over! In any case, today I will either die or become a nun. There is no other choice.”
Reverend Mother Jing Xu saw Cui Baozhu and knew that her intention was decided.
Jing An, however, could not help but quietly advise, “Her stepmother is not someone to be trifled with. If we shave her head, I fear there will be endless trouble later.”
“If we do not shave her head, she will have no other path but death. Those in the Buddhist faith should have compassion. How can we stand by and watch someone die?” Jing Xu said.
Reverend Mother Jing Xu was a true Buddhist disciple. Unlike some who entered the Emptiness Gate but still couldn’t let go of worldly desires and had snobbish eyes.
Her nunnery had always been quiet and secluded, mainly because she refused to curry favor or associate with influential people.
Therefore, when faced with Cui Baozhu’s request, she would not consider offending anyone.
“Since you sincerely wish to have your head shaved, I can certainly ordain you,” Jing Xu said. “Come with me to the main hall!”
“Thank you, Master!” Cui Baozhu choked out.
When Wen Mingqian and Sang Er returned to Wu Qiu Nunnery, they learned that Cui Baozhu had already become a nun.
“This… how could such a big thing happen in just half a day since we left?!” Sang Er was extremely shocked. “The Cui family doesn’t know yet, do they?”
“She was also forced into a corner,” Wen Mingqian felt very sympathetic towards Cui Baozhu. “Although becoming a nun is difficult, she won’t have to endure that kind of filth. At least she will be upright and have her innocence.”
“That may be so, but I fear the Cui family will take their anger out on us,” Sang Er shook her head. “Mother, you have saved Miss Cui the Second from the sea of suffering. But given Leng Shi’s temperament, how could she not hold a grudge?”
“She will definitely be displeased with me, but I do not regret it,” Wen Mingqian said. “It’s better than watching Miss Cui the Second jump into a fiery pit with my own eyes.”
