Laofuren's yuan is located in the middle part of the whole house. It is quite big and divided into different parts. The most eye-catching room is the prayer room which is located at the backside of the house. The backside is quiet and peaceful thus giving a peaceful environment. This is the place where Laofuren spends most of the time praying.

Meiyue opened one of her eyes to peek inside the prayer room.

No one's looking.

Opening her eyes, she looked toward Laofuren. Laofuren is a quite pious person. More superstitious than pious. She once climbed the Fengxing temple barefoot because one fortune-teller told her it will lessen the bad energies around her.

"Why are you not paying attention?", the sudden voice of Laofuren scared Meiyue.

"No, Zumu. I was just wondering if the deities here will come with us to the capital. I heard that the capital is the source of all bad energy. Who would protect Zumu If the deities don't follow? "

"Nonsense. Of course, the deities will always help us. They are always with us in our hearts."

"Yes, Yes. It is Zumu who is wise."

"How is your packing going? Don't leave anything important but don't pack useless stuff. Beijing is very far and the journey is tiresome. Don't be a burden on your uncle."

"Yes, zumu."

Giving Meiyue a side-eye, she said, "Help me get up."

Standing up, meiyue hold her hand and helped her to the couch. Pouring some tea, she offered it to Laofuren.
Looking at her, Laofuren let out a loud sigh, "You are a good child. it's not that I hate you. You are the only child left behind by my sanlang.

It's just that your face...ah"

My face. How can I not know what zumu means.

"I will be true to you. In the capital, you will meet her. Encounter with her is inevitable but..."

Knowing what Laofuren wants to talk about, Meiyue knelt on the ground, "Pardon me for cutting your words  but it doesn't matter who I meet is the capital, zumu. For me and for the world, I am Su family's sanniang. I was raised under my uncle and aunt and it is who I am. I'm the orphan of Su Fengbai and this is my identity. about other stuff, I don't care about it and will follow zumu's instruction."
Hearing this, Laofuren can't help but feel pity for the girl in front of her. She still remembers that cold night in the winter when she was kneeling in the yard, crying her lungs out. She was only five years old. she knew nothing and only knew that there's no one left for her in this world. This is the first time she felt guilty for ignoring this child, sometimes hating her.

Getting up, Laofuren helped her to get up, "Get up child, get up. My Sanlang will hate this mother for not caring for you. If you know then I will not pursue this matter anymore. Go back. The sky's getting dark again. If not hurry, you might get wet."

"Let me send zumu back. Then I'll return."

"No need. I'll stay here."

"Then granddaughter will head back first."

Leaving the room, Meiyue stood still in the veranda.

"Guniang, the rain is very heavy. Why not wait in the room", Feiru came forward and helped meiyue.

"No need. We will head back.", saying this Meiyue didn't wait for Feiru to open the the umbrella and steped out of the verenda

"Wait guniang!!"

Zumu doesn't need to pity me. nor do you need to tell me what to do. Meiyue remembers everything. The winter, the cold, and the pain. Pain that still lingers in my bone.

"Guniang, careful! Don't get wet. The weather is already this cold, if you get wet, the knee pain will get worst."

Meiyue started to walk very fast and in no time reached her yuan.

"Feiyu, quick bring a dry cloth. Ayo guniang, you're soaking."

"Also bring a stool Feiyu", said Meiyue.

"Don't sit here now guniang. You will catch a cold. Let's go sit beside the charcoal bowl."

"Just sit down. We're leaving this place in few weeks. Who knows this is our last rain here."

Hearing this, Feiru looked at meiyue with strange eyes.

"Here is the dry cloth and the stool. I also moved the charcoal bowl closer. I'm going to the kitchen to make guniang some ginger soup."

"Okey, do that.", Feiru replied.

After Feiyu left, Feiru started to untie meiyue's hair. "What did Laofuren told guniang today?"

Meiyue didn't answer.

Feiru was going to ask again but Meiyue interrupted her, "Do you remember that night Aru? That winter night."

Feirue's hand froze in mid-air. This the first time Meiyue ever talked about that day.

"I remember. Every time guniang suffers from that knee pain, Aru remembers."

Meiyue smiles with a sigh. "You were  seven years old that year, right? I was five, Feiyu was still four. We were so young."Feiru put down the dry cloth and set it beside Meiyue.

"I remember how guniang was begging Laofuren to forgive you. You knelt in the snow for two shichens. Later second master begged for your sake and decided to adopt you. Still on cold days, your knee hurts so much that guniang can't sleep. It damaged your health so much."

Meiyue didn't reply, only listening to the sound of rain.

There used to be a woman. A very beautiful woman. Her beauty was known all across Jiangnan. Once she caught the sight of a young gongzi. It was like meeting a fairy for him. After seeing her, without delaying a moment, he asked for her hand. A match made in heaven, the matchmaker said. Truly .
That gongzi passed the imperial exam after the marriage. Everyone was so happy. She truly bought good luck, everyone said. After a year, a child was born. A girl child. The elders were unhappy but the gongzi's happiness was boundless. His daughter looked just like his wife.
His family was filled with happiness and laughter. But no happiness is bound to stay forever. During an official trip, that gongzi fell ill, eventually losing his life, leaving behind a widow and child.
Good luck became a curse. That woman became the thorn for everyone. One day, she caught the eye of another man. This time not a gongzi but a marquis. The marquis was captured by her beauty and wanted no one but her. He offered her to be his second wife but the woman rejected him. Life became tough for her in her in-laws. She had no backing and no future. Only a daughter. So she fled with the marquis , taking her child with her. The marquis was a widower but he was sincere to her. He gave her the wife title and made her his kids mother. But there was a price. The old lady of the marquis family didn't wanted a child from different father. If the woman wanted to enter her house, she must send the child away. The woman was in dilemma. She can't go back now nor she has anyone left behind. Reluctantly she decided to send her child back.
"Do you know what I hate most about myself, Aru?"
"My face that resembles her."
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I have decided to join footnotes for every Chinese terms I use by tomorrow. I realized it might be hard for some readers to understand 😅😅
Pls vote and comment 😁👋