Yu Wan hesitated if she should say to them, “Yan Ruyu isn’t your mother. I am.”
What expressions would they show? Would it be a look of surprise or shock? If it were any other adult, they might feel lucky. However, in the eyes of such young children, no matter how fierce their mother was, she was still their mother. They could be afraid of her, but they could not hate her.
Moreover, they might not understand why their mother was suddenly not their mother. Even if they really understood, they would not feel relieved about their past experiences because of this. Because they were not biological children, they were abused. Such a causal relationship was a logic that only adults had. How could children understand?
However, Yu Wan was not too worried about this. After all, they were still young. When they grew up, they would not remember what happened when they’re two years old. Perhaps they would not even have to wait until they grew up. By this time next year, they would already not remember who Yan Ruyu was.
“I will accompany you until that day.” Yu Wan kissed the foreheads of the three little fellows.
The three of them were unfamiliar with Yu Wan calling herself their mother. They widened their eyes and looked at Yu Wan with confusion.
Yu Wan did not explain. She smiled gently and said, “Have you taken your medicine?”
The three of them quickly drooped their heads.
Yu Wan laughed. “Could it be that you hid here because you didn’t want to drink the medicine?”
The three of them lowered their heads even more.
Yu Wan originally wanted to feel sorry for them. Why did they also catch a cold? However, their guilty looks made her want to tease them. Actually, not to mention that they didn’t want to drink medicine, she didn’t want to either. Who asked the taste of Chinese medicine to be too bitter? However, she was old. It didn’t matter if she drank it or not. They were so young, so they couldn’t be careless at all.
The nanny was already waiting outside the door with the medicine. Without Yan Jiuchao’s instructions, they did not dare to enter.
“Give it to me.” Yan Jiuchao walked to the door and took the medicine from them.
Yan Jiuchao placed the medicine bowl on the table.
Yu Wan held the children’s hands and came to the table. The three of them lowered their heads in resistance. However, when Yu Wan carried them to a stool and fed them spoonful by spoonful, they obediently opened their mouths.
After finishing three bowls of medicine, the little fellows staggered.
Yu Wan hurriedly fed them some candied plums. The three little fellows crawled into Yu Wan’s arms with snot bubbles hanging from their noses, looking aggrieved.
Yu Wan’s lips gently touched their temples. It was good to be able to hug them like this.
Yan Jiuchao sat at the side and looked at the four of them who were snuggling together. Then, he looked at the servants who were busy in the courtyard. The manor was still the same, and the courtyard was still the same. However, with one more person, it was as if everything was different.
Since Yu Wan was already awake, she did not need Bai Tang to “take care” of her. Bai Tang returned to the Bai Manor.
In the end, Yu Wan did not make things difficult for her body. She stayed in the Young Master Manor to recuperate for two days. Only when the fever completely subsided and her voice recovered did she pack her things and prepare to return to the village.
However, she did not only pack her things. She also packed the three children.
When Yan Jiuchao’s gaze landed on the four bags on the table, his face darkened. “Where’s mine?”
Yu Wan looked at him strangely. “Who said I wanted to bring you back to the village?”
Yan Jiuchao, who was splashed with cold water: “…”
The three little munchkins slipped in and looked at their father adorably. With Yu Wan’s careful care these two days, they no longer had snot bubbles.
Yan Jiuchao pinched the little fellows’ cheeks and chuckled at Yu Wan. “Aren’t you going to ask them if they want to go with you?”
Before he could finish his sentence, the three little lads stood on their tiptoes, grabbed the bags on the table, and slipped out!
Yan Jiuchao gritted his teeth. Little heartless lads!
Forget it, he didn’t really want to follow her back to the village. However, whether he went or not was his business. Whether she invited him back was another matter. Young Master Yan’s expression was a little complicated.
“Young Master, Miss Yu has left,” Shadow Six reminded.
Yan Jiuchao stood under the porch and looked in the direction of the courtyard door. “I know.”
“She took the little masters away too,” Shadow Six continued to remind him.
“Your Young Master isn’t blind.”
“Oh, then should we chase after them?”
Chase after what? Was she still a child?
Yan Jiuchao could not use the same methods he used on Yan Ruyu back then. If it were Yan Ruyu who took the children away without a word, he would have long dealt with her, but the other party was her—
Yan Jiuchao took a deep breath. “Let her be. They’ve been separated for so long. It wasn’t easy for them to reunite.”
“You really dote on Miss Yu,” Shadow Six said.
Yan Jiuchao glanced at him. “If I don’t dote on her, should I dote on you?”
Shadow Six staggered!
Yan Jiuchao stood under the porch for a while. Seeing that Shadow Six was still standing there, he asked indifferently, “Aren’t you leaving? What’s the matter?”
Shadow Six pinched the money pouch that was getting thinner by the day and looked at the cold Yan Jiuchao. In the end, he did not dare to anger him at this critical juncture. “Nothing. I’ll leave first.”
… .
Yu Wan was sitting in the carriage prepared by Uncle Wan. It was spacious and comfortable. The three little fellows sat obediently beside her with their little hands on their laps. Their big eyes rolled around. It was obvious that they were pretending to be serious, but their hearts were already flying.
Yu Wan subconsciously smiled.
The crops on the others’ fields were good, but the children from her own are the best. Yu Wan agreed deeply. The more she looked at them, the more she liked them. She could not believe her sons to be so cute. Other than not knowing how to speak—
Why aren’t they saying anything?
Yu Wan pinched their little faces. The three of them looked at Yu Wan in unison. Their eyes widened as if they were asking Yu Wan what was wrong.
Yu Wan thought to herself, Nothing, I just want to hear you call me Mom.
Yu Wan smiled and rubbed their stomachs. “We’ve been traveling for a long time. Are you hungry?”
The three of them nodded.
Yu Wan lifted the curtain and looked at the rows of shops. They were very close to the southern city gate. There was nothing good to eat nearby, and there was only a noodle shop nearby. However, that noodle shop was closed today, and there was a new bun shop beside it.
Yu Wan was hesitating if she should buy three buns to fill the little fellows’ stomachs when she heard the coachman gasp and the carriage stopped.
There were children in the carriage, so they did not drive quickly. However, the sudden stop still made the three little fellows pounce out.
Yu Wan quickly pulled the three of them back into her arms and asked the coachman, “What happened?”
The coachman said, “Miss Yu, a woman stopped our carriage.”
Yu Wan put the three little fellows down and lifted the curtain in front of her. She looked out and saw a woman in plain clothes who was about forty years old. The materials of her clothes were luxurious and she had a noble temperament. She did not look like a poor commoner. Yu Wan did not think that she knew her, but the way she looked at her was obvious that she knew her identity.
Yu Wan said to her sons, “Wait for me in the carriage. I’ll go buy a few buns.”
The three of them nodded obediently.
Yu Wan alighted from the carriage and instructed the coachman to take good care of the children. The woman eagerly welcomed her. When she got closer, Yu Wan realized that she was even more haggard and old than she looked.
“Is… is it Miss Yu?” The woman asked carefully.
Yu Wan sized her up and said, “It’s me. You are…”
The woman patted her chest and said, “I’m Yan Ruyu’s mother, Madam Min!”
Mrs. Yan? A trace of surprise flashed across Yu Wan’s eyes. The other party’s clothes were not like that of ordinary people, but it was not a match for the wife of the marquis. Yu Wan noticed that not only was she dressed plainly, but there was also a white flower at her temples. Did a relative of hers pass away?
“Miss Yu…”
Mrs. Yan spoke again, but Yu Wan interrupted her. “This is not a place to talk. Let’s go to the bun shop over there.”
Since she was Yan Ruyu’s mother, the little munchkins must recognize her. Yu Wan did not want them to see anyone related to Yan Ruyu again.
Yu Wan brought Mrs. Yan to the bun shop across the street and found a seat by the window. From her angle, she could see the carriage, but Mrs. Yan could not. However, she did not care. She was here to look for Yu Wan, and no one else had anything to do with her.
“Mrs. Yan, did you come to look for me because of Yan Ruyu?” Yu Wan went straight to the point. This was not difficult to guess. The Yan Manor had committed a total of two crimes. One was that Yan Ruyu had pretended to be the young master’s mother, and the other was that Yan Congming had snatched her father’s military achievements. She could not interfere with the imperial court’s matters, so only Yan Ruyu was left.
Mrs. Yan lowered her head and said, “That’s right. I’m here for Yu’er. I know that my daughter has committed an unforgivable mistake. I’m not asking you to pardon her, but I hope you can punish her leniently.”
To be honest, Yu Wan had been accompanying her three sons for the past few days and had not asked what had happened to Yan Ruyu. It did not seem to be optimistic when she looked at Mrs. Yan, but what did this have to do with her? Yan Ruyu was neither her sister nor her friend. On the contrary, she was the one who had snatched her sons away. Even if this matter was not her own idea, it was not Xu Shao who had instigated her to abuse her sons. Just based on this, Yu Wan felt that there was really nothing worth forgiving about this woman.
Yu Wan said, “Since Mrs. Yan can find me, you must already know the truth. Then you should understand that other than Young Master Yan, I’m the person who hates your daughter the most in the world. I won’t forgive Yan Ruyu no matter what!”
Mrs. Yan begged, “I… I didn’t beg you to forgive her… I only beg you to let her live… She’s already returned the children to you…”
Yu Wan’s eyes turned cold. “Is it fine now that she has returned them to me? Are we going to let go of the sins she once committed? Do you really not know how she harmed my sons in the past two years, or are you pretending to be muddle-headed!”
How could Mrs. Yan not know? When Yan Ruyu went crazy, she almost strangled her to death. The three children must have suffered countless hardships by her side… But she was her daughter. She could not watch her be tortured to death.
“Miss Yu, it’s all my fault. As her mother, I didn’t teach my daughter well. If you want to punish someone, you can punish me. Please let my daughter live. I… I’ll kneel down for you!” As Mrs. Yan spoke, she really knelt down while holding onto the table.
The customers in the bun shop looked over. This scene was really strange. A noble lady in silk was actually kneeling before a little girl in cloth clothes.
Yu Wan’s expression did not change at all.
Mrs. Yan did not expect that she would not be moved at all even after she knelt down. “Miss Yu, are you so hard-hearted? You’re also a mother…”
Yu Wan said coldly, “Why don’t you tell your daughter this? She’s also a mother. Ask her if her heart is softer than mine.”
Mrs. Yan was speechless.
Yu Wan continued, “It was Xu Shao’s idea to snatch my sons away. Even if the ‘mother’ is not Yan Ruyu, it will be someone else. I don’t blame her for this, but the rest is her own fault!”
If Yan Ruyu had any sincerity towards the three little munchkins, she wouldn’t have fallen to such a state. On the account that she had raised the children well for two years, Yan Jiuchao and she wouldn’t make things difficult for her, a chess piece. She always had a choice, but in the end, she just chose a path that was destined for death.
Yu Wan stood up and looked indifferently at Mrs. Yan, who was kneeling on the ground. “We’re both mothers. You dote on your daughter, but I also dote on my sons.”
Mrs. Yan understood. Yu Wan was clearly telling her—how much you don’t want your daughter to die is how much I want her to die.
Yu Wan ignored Mrs. Yan. Under everyone’s surprised gazes, she bought two baskets of buns and took them away. One basket was for her and the children, and the other was for the coachman.
The coachman’s surname was Xu. He had been in the Young Master Manor for five years and was highly regarded by Uncle Wan.
Yu Wan pondered for a moment and asked him about Yan Ruyu’s situation.
Driver Xu told her everything he had heard from Uncle Wan. It turned out that Mrs. Yan had a reason for looking for Yu Wan. Yan Ruyu had committed such a big crime that she could no longer stay in the Yan family anymore. Mrs. Yan gave her money to escape, but before she could even leave the city gate, she was robbed by a little thief. Her children’s ashes were also destroyed by the little thief. She broke down and cried crazily on the streets for the entire night. After that, she was captured by the officials.
After Yan Ruyu was captured, she was not locked up in the prison of the Magistrate Prefecture. Instead, she was sent to a special cell in the eastern suburbs of the Capital. The people imprisoned there were all crazy prisoners.
The prisoners were already very terrifying. Crazy prisoners…
Mrs. Yan went to visit once. It was said that she fainted on the spot.
“The wicked will be punished by the wicked.” Yu Wan dusted her wide sleeves and got into the car.
She thought that she could return to the village without any obstructions this time, but just as she left the city gate, someone blocked her way. What was wrong with people today? All of them seemed to be blocking her path. When did she become so popular?
“Miss Yu, do you want to get out of the carriage? Or should I go and send them away?” Driver Xu asked.
Yu Wan lifted the curtain and took a look. She said to him, “You can’t get rid of him.”
It was Xu Shao!
Xu Shao’s carriage seemed to have been here for a long time. The grass on the ground had been eaten by the horses.
The little fellows had just eaten and drunk their fill. They were a little sleepy and were dozing off in Yu Wan’s arms.
Yu Wan handed the children to Driver Xu and walked towards Xu Shao’s carriage.
Xu Shao’s coachman was not around, nor were there any attendants or guards. He was the only one standing openly outside the carriage. Seeing Yu Wan walk towards him, he did not show any abnormalities on his face, as if he had long expected this little girl to be so bold.
Yu Wan and Xu Shao had seen each other at the Tianxiang Restaurant’s competition, but they had never spoken. At that time, Xu Shao respectfully welcomed Yan Ruyu upstairs, pretending that the two of them had met by chance. Who knew that the two of them had already secretly known each other?
“Boss Xu.” Yu Wan stopped at a spot not far from him and greeted him calmly.
“Miss Yu.” Xu Shao nodded politely.
Yu Wan said, “Did you wait for me outside the city gate because you predicted that I would return to the village today?”
Xu Shao smiled faintly. “To be honest, I’ve been waiting for you for a few days.”
“Are you here for Yan Ruyu too?” Yu Wan asked.
Xu Shao was slightly stunned. He did not expect Yu Wan to be so straightforward. He quickly came back to his senses and laughed self-deprecatingly. “Looks like you know too.”
He said “too”. It was obvious that he knew that someone else knew, and this person was most likely Yan Jiuchao.
“I’m not doing this for her,” Xu Shao said.
This answer was beyond Yu Wan’s expectations, but on second thought, after Yan Jiuchao dealt with Yan Ruyu, it was time to deal with him. He could not even protect himself, so he really did not have the time to save Yan Ruyu.
As if guessing Yu Wan’s thoughts, Xu Shao smiled faintly and said, “It’s not what you think… Yan Ruyu and I are not in the kind of relationship you guessed. Her man is not me.”
But? Yu Wan thought to herself that there must be a turning point here.
As expected, Xu Shao smiled faintly and said, “However, I was indeed the one who redeemed her from the brothel. I used her to please someone. I was only responsible for taking care of her and had never touched her.”
Yu Wan did not ask who that person was. Instead, she said, “Don’t you want to? Or do you not dare?”
Few men would not be tempted by a beauty like Yan Ruyu.
Xu Shao said, “Miss Yu, I find it interesting to talk to you.”
“So you don’t dare,” Yu Wan said with raised eyebrows.
Xu Shao smiled helplessly. “Yes, I don’t dare. That’s a troublesome man. However, he has already given up on Yan Ruyu, so it doesn’t matter what you do with her.”
Yu Wan smiled. “From your words, it seems that as long as that man is willing to look at Yan Ruyu again, we have to let her go.”
Xu Shao nodded. “That’s right. No one can touch the person he wants to protect, not even Yan Jiuchao. But I’ve already said that he won’t touch Yan Ruyu again. Yan Ruyu is yours.”
At this moment, Yu Wan really sympathized with Yan Ruyu. “Why are you telling me this?”
Xu Shao said, “You might not know this, but after I brought you out of Prefecture Xu’s brothel back then, you escaped. It was only when you were about to give birth that I met you again in Gong City. Aren’t you curious where you went during those months? Who did you see?”
Yu Wan looked at him fixedly. “What are you trying to say?”
Xu Shao’s smile disappeared and he said seriously, “If you ask Yan Jiuchao to give up on pursuing this matter, I’ll tell you who you were with back then.”
