Chapter 1041 If you want it, go for it
After watching Xia Ying and her grandson leave, Song Chunxue returned to the house.
Zhang stood up.
Song Chunxue pressed her palm down, "Please sit down, please sit down. Let's talk slowly about what's going on. Have some tea first. Your home must be quite far from here."
Judging from her clothes, she doesn't seem like someone who's having a hard time.
"Alright." Zhang held her teacup, her gaze unfocused, lost in thought.
Song Chunxue probably had a confused mind, so she didn't urge him.
Once she calmed down, Song Chunxue watched her drink cup after cup of tea and smiled as she reminded her, "If you're not in a good mood or your emotions are unstable, drinking less tea might make you feel better."
Tea can be invigorating, but it can also easily make people restless, sensitive, and suspicious.
Zhang put down her teacup and squeezed the small cloth bag in her arms.
“I can’t take it anymore. I don’t want to live with any of these children. I can’t rely on them now, and I’ll be even worse off when I’m old. I’ve brought all the money I’ve saved up for my funeral over the years. I beg Master Song to take me in, even if it’s just to live in a dilapidated temple or Taoist monastery and sweep the yard or guard the gate. I don’t want to go back.”
Zhang was very emotional, and she started to cry as she spoke, making a move to kneel down before Song Chunxue.
Song Chunxue quickly helped her up, "Don't worry, since you've made up your mind, I'll definitely take you in. But I need to find out about your situation. Also, the Taoist temple where I usually stay is in Jincheng. Would you like to go there?"
Although the Taoist temple on the east mountain is deserted, it's not safe for a woman to live there alone, especially. It could easily attract trouble and malicious people.
People of her age shouldn't just blindly help her; they should also observe her determination and attitude.
If it was just a whim of hers, it would still be troublesome for Song Chunxue.
Therefore, she would not personally escort her to Jincheng, but would arrange a carriage for her and let her find the place herself.
A doctor should not knock on doors, and the teachings should not be easily passed on. Even acts of kindness should be moderate. Food should not be chewed and fed to them. They are not infants who need to be cared for.
You must not let the person you help develop a blind dependence on you.
Kind people can be trusted, but they shouldn't be treated like a mother.
You still have to walk your own path. A guide is just a guide. Never take all the blame upon yourself. It's not just because you fear karma, but because the human heart is the most unpredictable thing.
Are pitiful people and kind people necessarily incapable of evil?
Good and evil can be separated in an instant. One moment he might call you a living bodhisattva and thank you for your great kindness, and the next he might blame you for not seeing the Buddha to the afterlife.
The idea of "being kind and leaving the outcome to fate" is self-deception.
Children can fight each other over a cricket, and the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled can forget all the kindness shown to them because of a slight dissatisfaction.
This is my personal experience over the past two years: when I occasionally went down the mountain, I was offered help but ended up being clung to, and when I tried to refuse, I was verbally abused.
"Jincheng?" Zhang stood up. "Jincheng is very far away. I've never been to Zhuanglang County, and I rarely even go to the market in the village. Can I get to Jincheng?"
“Then it depends on your determination. As long as you are willing to go, I will cover your travel expenses.” Song Chunxue said gently, “I can tell you how to get there, how big Qingshan Temple is, and that there will be someone to cook for you. When you go, you can help my in-laws, who is Xia Ying’s sister-in-law, to take care of the temple, clean up the dust, and plant some flowers and vegetables.”
Madam Zhang nodded emphatically, "Alright, go ahead, I'm listening. I've heard about Sister-in-law Xia Ying. Xia Mulan is your daughter-in-law, and you've treated her very well. You didn't even let Sanwa take a concubine. You're a good mother-in-law."
“You don’t know, my two sons want me to marry into a bachelor’s family, to exchange their old mother for a daughter-in-law…” At this point, Zhang’s tears fell again, and she gritted her teeth and said fiercely, “Even if it’s going to the ends of the earth, I will go. If my sons can’t be relied on, I will rely on myself. Even if I die out there and am eaten by wolves, I won’t feel so heartbroken.”
"Alright, then I'll tell you all about how to get to Jincheng." Seeing that she was determined, Song Chunxue sincerely offered advice, explaining the problems and possibilities along the way, as well as how to get there, giving her detailed instructions.
Half an hour later, Zhang got up again to kneel down.
"Thank you so much, Master Song. I will never forget your great kindness." She said hurriedly, "I'll leave now. If they find out I came to your house, they might not let me leave."
"Alright, let's go." Seeing her like this, Song Chunxue sincerely led her out. "Let's ask around the village and see who is willing to take you to the township or county. I'll cover the travel expenses."
"Daoist Master, I..."
Ms. Zhang also expressed her gratitude.
"Let's go, don't waste any more time."
The two of them had just stepped out when they ran into their eldest brother, who was on his way to the fields.
"Mother, what are you doing..."
Song Chunxue briefly explained the matter to her boss.
"You should have come to me about this. How much travel money is your mother willing to pay?"
"Six hundred cash, if you send it to the county." Seeing his expression, Song Chunxue knew he wanted to earn this money. "You should go back to the fields. The three children need care. If you go to the township, Da Hong will have to look after the children alone. You might not be back until midnight. It's not like I haven't given you money..."
"Mother, let me go. What can I earn in the fields in an afternoon?" The eldest son patted his chest. "Don't worry, I will definitely get the person to Zhuanglang County, or even Jincheng. It's a good opportunity to go see the eldest son."
"What about the mother and child?" Song Chunxue glanced at him. "You should send them to the county. The county is quite far away, and it will take a long time to go back and forth. It's too much trouble."
As she spoke, Song Chunxue slipped him a tael of silver, saying, "Go ahead, and come back soon."
“Alright, I’ll go get the horses.” Jiang Yeming’s eyes lit up. “The two horses I bought have been tied up at home all this time. They’re not even as good as donkeys for farming. Today they’ll finally come in handy.”
"Hey you..."
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Yeming had already vanished.
Zhang said sincerely, "Your son is so filial and has such a kind face, unlike my children, who all wish they could skin me alive and sell me by weight."
Song Chunxue smiled, "If I didn't have money, then it's hard to say."
She didn't want to think about the boss's actions in her past life, even though she bore half the responsibility, but...
It doesn't matter anymore; she'll rely on herself for the rest of her life.
She only realized after practicing Buddhism that the doctrine of the mean that she had been taught since childhood was nothing more than relying on her parents when she was young, her husband when she grew up, and her children when she got old.
She has almost never heard the saying in her life that you have to get what you want by yourself or fight for it yourself.
Oh, no, that's not right either. In my past life, when I was old but not yet bedridden, I visited a relative who couldn't take care of herself. She told Song Chunxue that in the end, people still have to rely on themselves.
But by then it was too late.
So now, every time she sees her children, especially her granddaughter, she tells them that they have to fight for what they want, and that they can't rely on others.
Especially the girls of the Third Child, she always asked Mulan to tell them this principle, otherwise they would never think that girls don't necessarily have to rely on others to get what they want.
P.S.: The new book is currently available on Tmall, and Yangshizi should be available soon as well.
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