The moon and stars submerged. The light of the day was at the horizon.
The carriages of Gu household slowly stopped next to a tea shop. The driver knocked on the door and let the old couple that sold tea to go boil water. Everyone washed their faces and rinsed their mouths. After they sipped tea, Meijing brought a pastry box and a food box to let everyone eats some to ease the hunger.
Gu Xiran looked at mother Du and concubine Yun who had swollen eyes because of crying. He smiled slightly and said, “Congratulations on your reunion of mother and daughter.”
Mother Du opened her mouth. Her tears couldn’t be stopped from falling, but it wasn’t from sadness, but from too much happiness. As she wiped her tears, she looked at concubine Yun lovingly and sighed, “I didn’t think that such a day would come…”
“Mother,” Concubine Yun was calmer than her, grabbed a walnut cake and handed it to her (D). She said, “Eat something first.”
How would mother Du had the mind to eat now? The piled up sufferings of so many years and happiness of being reunited again made her had the desire to share her happiness. Only when she talked non-stop could she suppress her restless excitement. Hence, the search of so many years, the hope and the disappointments had become a tale and came out of her mouth.
At the end, she handed a handkerchief while trembling to Shu Huan, “It’s this handkerchief. She was playing with it on the day she was kidnapped. After I finished with the task at hand, I couldn’t find her anymore when I went out to look for her. Aunt Liu of next door said that she saw her counting the plum blossoms on the handkerchief just a moment ago. She (L) just lost her out of sight for a moment and she had disappeared without a trace…
Shu Huan took it over and saw that it was a white satin handkerchief. It seemed that mother Du’s former family was not doing badly.
There was a red plum embroidered at the corner of the handkerchief. The skills were very delicate. It was just that after so many years, the color of the red plum had long receded. The handkerchief was worn out and there were many stains that couldn’t be washed away and revealed the unique yellow color of the years.
Mother Du sighed again, “Even if this handkerchief was burnt to ashes, I will still be able to recognize it! It had been hard on this child. She still kept it for so many years…you have to know that at that year, she was only three…”
Everyone was silent listened at a side.
They could understand this kind of experience but didn’t feel the keenly pain. They only felt that any words used to describe the matter was somewhat light and pale in comparison. It was mother Du who suddenly remembered something. She sat up and bowed at Shu Huan and Gu Xiran and mourned, “I only have this one daughter. I beg second young master and mistress to treat her well in the future for the sake of the bitterness that she had suffered!”
This had the meaning of entrusting concubine Yun to them. This put Gu Xiran and Shu Huan in a very difficult position. Both of them had time-traveled and landed half-way in the lives of the original owners. It was already very difficult to live with the identity of the original owner. It was better to die than to take lots of heavy burdens from the original owners. Moreover, even if concubine Yun had a pitiful life, but there was no reason that others should treat her well just because her life was pitiful.
Shu Huan stepped forward and helped mother Du get up. Gu Xiran said, “What you mean, master Du had already passed on. I only have one thing to say. If she wants to stay at Gu household, she wouldn’t get neglected on food and clothes. But I can’t please her on other areas. She could live silently like this for her whole life. If she wants to find another person to marry, I will give her back her slave contract and give her a dowry.”
Every word went clear in the ears.
Even if the drivers and maids weren’t near, concubine Yun still felt that she didn’t have more face to face people anymore after hearing that. She bit her lips and lowered her head.
In fact, she had long lost hope a long time ago, but one knew how hard it was to forget a love. She still got sad.
Mother Du opened her mouth slightly. She didn’t expect that he would be so straightforward and leave no room for a leeway. She couldn’t help but look at Shu Huan and begged, “Second young mistress…I know that you are very much deeply in love. I don’t ask for anything else. Just let her have a child. In the future, she could also have someone to keep her company and burn incense for her…”
Shu Huan heard her talk so miserably, she also didn’t know what to say. But she had a bottom line. She absolutely couldn’t agree on this!
Gu Xiran was afraid that she was put in a difficult situation and said first, “Sorry, I don’t want to…”
He still wanted to say more but had been stopped by Shu Huan.
Shu Huan looked at mother Du and shook her head firmly, “Mama Du, there are thousands of roads in this world. If one couldn’t get through this road, then change for another one. Yan is still a virgin. It’s better to take advantage that she is still young to search for another person. Why do you want her to waste time and be lonely for her whole life?”
Mother Du’s eyes widened. She was very shocked, “You say that she is still…still a virgin?”
Shu Huan hasn’t answered yet when concubine Yun was already so embarrassed that she couldn’t lift her head up. She dragged mother Du away, “Mother, it’s late. We still need to hurry on the road. We can talk about this when we are idle!”
Looking at how mother Du took one step and looked three times back while being dragged away by concubine Yun, Du Qiu casted Gu Xiran two sidelong glances, “Is it true?”
Gu Xiran looked back at him with calm eyes, “What do you think?”
Du Qiu nodded, “Very well. I will go persuade again.”
Gu Xiran smiled bitterly. It turned out that not wanting to be a sturdy horse after time-travelling was also not an easy task.
Ji Danqing smiled gently at a side and called, “Second young master.”
“What?”
“In the future, if you want any medication, just say it.”
Gu Xiran went blank for a moment. When he furiously wanted to refute, Ji Danqing had already returned to the carriage.
Seeing him go afar, Shu Huan couldn’t hold in anymore and laughed loudly. In return, she got Gu Xiran’s helpless glance, “Wife!”
“Ah?” Shu Huan sensed danger and quickly held in her laughter.
Gu Xiran looked at her with a smile that was not yet a smile and said, “Let’s become one tonight.”
Shu Huan didn’t react for a while and went blank, but then she recalled the three following sentences of this poem from a renowned game. It was famous for being explicit!
She felt her face burning, lowered her head, made a “pei” sound and escaped into the carriage.
—
The sky had become bright. The speed became faster. Near noon, they had entered Jingtian City. Gu Xiran let the driver stop the carriages first at Ji Danqing’s. Mother Du was reluctant to part wit concubine Yun and cried for a while holding her. She earnestly instructed her (Y) for a while. Until when Shu Huan promised to bring her into the residence to visit concubine Yun after the funeral did she stood against the door and reluctantly watched them leave.
The carriages finally approached the main entrance of Gu residence. Shu Huan raised the curtain and took a glimpse. In a distance, she saw that the gate was opened and there were white lanterns on the door. It was newly changed for the funeral. Four or five servants stood in front of the gate, dressed in plain clothes with a mourning belt around their waist and revealed a desolate and somber look.
She turned back and looked at Gu Xiran. Seeing him nod, she took out that bottle of hot pepper water that they often used. She first smeared some on his eyelids and then on those of herself. Then, she took out a handkerchief to cover her face. When the carriage stopped, she followed Gu Xiran off it.
“Second young master, you are finally back!”
“Second young mistress!”
“Quickly, let one who can run fast go report to old madam!”
“…”
All the servants gathered around them. They didn’t talk clearly and surrounded them as they entered the residence.
At this time, a sob could be heard.
Shu Huan raised her eyes and saw that next to them, concubine Yun’s tears rolled down like loose pearls. Because her eyes were red and swollen from crying all night long, she looked deeply grieved. Shu Huan didn’t know whether she was truly grieved in her heart or that her emotions changed so quickly.
