The next morning, after Xie Changgeng left, Mu Fulan put on ordinary clothes and took a carriage out of the city to the Huguo Temple.
Mother Mu thought that she had some feelings yesterday and went to worship Buddha alone today. She prepared an incense basket and other things with her maid and went out with her.
When the carriage arrived at the gate of Huguo Temple, Mu Fulan asked the coachman to wait there while she went up the stairs.
Unlike the bustling scene outside the mountain gate yesterday, today it is quiet and peaceful. There is no one on the stone steps leading straight to the mountain gate. The sun shines on the forest, vines and lychees, and the sound of birds chirping can be heard from the depths of the empty mountain.
When Mu Fulan arrived at the mountain gate, the monk in charge of reception came out. Because there were too many people yesterday, and she was dressed in ordinary clothes today, and she did not reveal her identity, she was led to the Guanyin Hall like any other female pilgrim going up the mountain.
She knelt on the cushion, kowtowed and prayed devoutly, then left Mother Mu and the maid, and went out of the Guanyin Hall to ask the monk in charge of reception about the child she saw yesterday.
"… The child was about this height, wearing a monk's robe, but he hadn't shaved his head…"
She described to the monk in great detail what she had seen.
"He is a layman in front of the elders."
"The elders told me a long time ago that if anyone came to ask about this child, I should bring them to him."
"Please follow me, lady."
The monk said.
All last night, and this morning on the way here, Mu Fulan was restless and worried about gains and losses.
She was afraid to hear that there was no such child in the temple. It was all just her illusion.
And now, because of the monk's words, the hope that was slim but held her heart seemed to be able to continue.
At that moment, she was so grateful that she almost cried.
She suppressed the emotion that suddenly surged in her, thanked the monk, and followed him to the pagoda forest in the back mountain.
The monk led the way and told her about the child's origins.
The child was an orphan. He was abandoned in the pagoda forest in the back mountain shortly after he was born. He had the horoscope of his birth date on his body, indicating that he was doomed to be alone. His parents who brought him to this world were afraid that he would bring bad luck and disaster to them, so they abandoned him. His crying attracted the elders, who later raised him in their presence.
The monk said that the child was almost three years old and still couldn't speak. The elder loved him very much and for some reason, he valued him very much. He made an exception and called him a disciple. In terms of status, he was the same as the abbot, but he never ordained him as a formal disciple. He thought that the child had other worldly ties. Not long after he adopted him, he told him this.
The scene of the child looking back at her yesterday evening reappeared in front of Mu Fulan's eyes, and her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably.
"We are here. This is Tallin. The elder is inside. The female donor can just follow the path and go in."
The monk stopped, pointed to a stone path ahead, clasped his hands together and bowed to Mu Fulan, then turned and left.
Mu Fulan walked along the stone path, passing the silent and solemn stupas beside her, and slowly went towards the depths of the pagoda forest. Finally, when she reached a pagoda, she slowly stopped, looked ahead, and held her breath.
Not far ahead, between the pagodas, an old monk with white hair and beard was leading a young child. Each of them was holding a broom and sweeping the fallen leaves on the ground around the pagodas.
The child had a high bun on his head and wore an old monk's robe that had been cut down to a smaller size. He held a small broom in his hand and was sweeping the floor, imitating the old monk.
His expression was childish, but his movements were methodical and serious. The ground behind him was swept clean without even a fallen leaf.
Mu Fulan stared at the child in front of her without blinking, and a familiar feeling of closeness that only she knew came towards her.
From the moment she opened her eyes and discovered that she had returned, her heart, which felt like a piece of it had been taken away, was completely filled with an unbelievable sense of ecstasy and peace of mind at this moment.
He was her Xier, she knew.
He was reincarnated and came back to accompany her just as he had told her before.
Her eyes were red, her throat was blocked, and she wanted to run over immediately, hold his little body in her arms, and never let him go, telling him that she was his mother, and from now on, they would never be separated. She would do her best to protect him until he grew up and started his own new life.
But she was also afraid that she would scare him.
"Xi'er!"
She took a step forward, tentatively, and called out his name in a trembling voice.
The child stopped, held the small broom in his hand, raised his head and looked at the young and beautiful woman who suddenly appeared in front of him.
After a moment, he hesitated, opened his bright and innocent eyes, and asked slowly: "Xi'er, is it me? Are you my mother, the one who came to pick me up?"
Perhaps because it was his first time speaking, his pronunciation was a little labored, but each word was clear and distinct.
When she heard him ask this in his childish voice, Mu Fulan could no longer hold back her tears.
"Yes, you are Xier! I am your mother, the one who came to pick you up!"
She answered with a choked voice, nodding vigorously.
How could she have been so blessed that God could treat her so well? Even though she had so much regret and pain in her previous life, she and Xi'er could meet in this way and become mother and son again in this life.
She ran towards the small figure, immediately pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly.
Kisses fell on his little face like raindrops.
Xier was held in her arms. At first he didn't move, and let her kiss him obediently. Slowly, his eyes were filled with joy.
"I dreamed that my mother came to pick me up. You look exactly like the mother in my dream. Xier saw you yesterday, but she didn't dare to call you."
"So you are really my mother..."
He put his little mouth close to Mu Fulan's ear, and whispered to her softly with joy and a little shyness.
Mu Fulan's tears flowed even more violently, and she hugged him even tighter.
"Mom, don't cry..."
Xier stretched out a little hand and wiped her tears.
"Okay, don't cry, mother!"
Mu Fulan hurriedly held back her tears and smiled at Xier.
"Master! I have a name!" Xier's eyes lit up and she looked up excitedly.
"She is my mother! My mother is here to pick me up!"
Mu Fulan finally came to her senses, wiped away her tears hastily, gently let go of Xier, and turned to the old monk who had been watching quietly by the side.
With great respect and gratitude in her heart, she bowed respectfully to the monk holding a broom in front of her.
"Elder, Xi'er is my child, can I take him away?"
After expressing her thanks, Mu Fulan asked.
The old monk's eyes were calm and deep. He stared at Mu Fulan for a moment and said, "This boy was not originally a Buddhist monk. He lived here by chance. Now the female donor has come to find him. We are reunited. It is the will of heaven and the righteousness of mankind. How dare I not let him go?"
Mu Fulan thanked him deeply, slowly calmed down, thought for a while, and quickly made a decision. She said to Xi'er, "My mother's home is in a place called Changsha, which is very far from here. My mother has something to do now, so she can't go back with you right away. I'll ask someone to send you home first, and you can wait for me at home, okay?"
Xi'er was startled, with a look of sorrow in her eyes. She hugged Mu Fulan's neck tightly with her two little arms. After hesitating for a moment, she whispered, "Mother, will you not come back and not want me anymore?"
Mu Fulan felt both sour and hot in her heart. She hugged her son into her arms again and kissed him heavily on the forehead.
"Don't worry, Xi'er. You are the person that mother loves most in this world. In the past, mother couldn't find you, but now she has finally found you. How can mother not want you? Xi'er, be obedient. When things here are over, mother will go home immediately. From now on, we will never separate again, okay?"
Xier breathed a sigh of relief and a happy smile appeared on her face again.
"Okay. Xi'er, listen to your mother and wait for her to come back home."
Mu Fulan hugged her son tightly for a moment, and finally let him go. She returned to Elder Huiji and said, "Elder, I will arrange for someone to go up the mountain today and send Xi'er away as soon as possible."
The elder said nothing, but just waved at Xier.
Xier ran towards him.
The elder smiled, patted his head lovingly, pointed to the forest of pagodas in front and said, "It all started here, and it has a beginning and an end. Xi'er, are you willing to go with Master to finish sweeping the ground here before leaving?"
"Xi'er is willing."
He nodded immediately, ran to grab the small broom he had put down just now, turned to Mu Fulan and said with a smile: "Mother, Xier has to help Master finish sweeping the floor before we can leave."
Mu Fulan smiled with tears in her eyes and nodded in agreement.
She stood aside, looking at Xier's small back as she worked hard to sweep the floor, wiped the remaining tears from her face, turned back to the front, and began to arrange things.
When she went to the capital this time, Mu Xuanqing had arranged for two capable Mu family warriors to accompany her as attendants.
Once the envoy had completed his tribute, he could not stay and had to go back within three days, but the two assassins had been secretly left behind for her to command.
Mu Fulan knew that her future was uncertain, and could even be disastrous.
It is precisely because of this that she wants to send Xier back to Changsha as soon as possible.
Only when Xier returns to Changsha safely can she feel at ease and deal with the people in front of her.
She had to get out of this as soon as possible, at any cost and by any means.