Feng Yu Heng did not even get a chance to eat breakfast before bringing Huang Quan out of the Yu Palace. Climbing into the imperial carriage, she rushed toward her own manor.
Huang Quan told her: “After coming to report the news, Wang Chuan went back first. Hah, this servant also cannot understand. Why did madam suddenly return to the manor? Didn’t the old master say for her to not leave her small residence?”
Feng Yu Heng also felt helpless. She did not know why Yao shi would suddenly leave her residence and go to the imperial daughter’s manor, and it just so happened that she ended up seeing Fu Ya.
When she woke up this morning, Huang Quan told her about this piece of not-too-great news. Feng Yu Heng felt her head swell! In regards to Fu Ya, she had planned to bring her along to visit Yao shi, but precisely when she would visit and in what manner and identity, she still needed to think it through. Ever since Yao shi had been poisoned, her senses had been rather sensitive, especially when it came to her, there was a strong feeling of rejection. It was such that after returning to the capital, she did not dare to visit. She feared that she would upset Yao shi’s senses that had finally shown some improvement.
However, who knew that Fu Ya would be found by Yao shi first. She really did not know what sort of situation would unfold in the imperial daughter’s manor.
Having been urged a few times, the imperial carriage finally arrived in front of the entrance of the imperial daughter’s manor. When Feng Yu Heng got out of the carriage, she thought that a guard would immediately come and report about the situation regarding Yao shi, but after standing outside of the carriage for a while, the imperial guards only waved to her kindly and did not say anything else. This caused Feng Yu Heng to feel very surprised.
Once she entered the courtyard, Qing YU stepped forward and said to Feng Yu Heng with a smile: “Young miss, this servant just came from craftsman Bai’s side and brought two of the fixed accessories.” While saying this, she dragged Feng Yu Heng into the courtyard. At the same time, she quietly said: “Madam came back and thought miss Fu Ya was you. She dragged her into her former courtyard and began chatting happily. As us servants saw it, it seems that she completely views her as her own daughter, and she is even forcing her to call her mother.”
Feng Yu Heng could not quite describe what she felt. She felt a little uncomfortable. After all, Yao shi had a face that so closely resembled the appearance of her mother from her previous life. But at the same time, she let out a sigh of relief. If Yao shi could view Fu Ya as someone to provide peace for her heart, that would not be a bad thing. She just did not know how she would be treated when she also stood before the two. After all, this confusion could not last forever. She felt that some things would be better when clarified.
The three walked over to Yao shi’s former courtyard. Upon entering, they saw Wang Chuan standing in the middle of the yard while looking calmly at the two people seated in the small pavilion in the yard. Seeing that Feng Yu Heng had also arrived, she quickly stepped forward and quietly said: “Young miss, you’ve finally returned.”
Huang Quan could see that Wang Chuan’s expression was a little off. She just had a calm look, but it looked to be a bit sorrowful now, thus she asked: “What happened to you?”
Wang Chuan sighed and said: “There’s nothing wrong with me, but I am just making up for the young miss.” She spoke while pointing at the small pavilion: “Madam completely believes miss Fu Ya to be her own daughter. It was not for this servant stopping her, they would have gone to young miss’ room to speak.”
Feng Yu Heng furrowed her brow slightly while looking toward the small pavilion. She just saw Yao shi holding Fu Ya’s hand, while a natural face appeared on her face. It was not that she had never seen this expression from Yao shi; however, they were all in the memories of the body’s original owner. Ever since she came to this world, Yao shi had been concerned about her, but it was always lacking a bit of intimacy. It was never the same unrestrained love that she showed Zi Rui.
At first, she just thought that Yao shi was like that. She thought that she was more intimate with Zi Rui because Zi Rui was younger. He was also at an age when he was most easily doted on. But it was only later on that she understood that in Yao shi’s heart, she was already not her daughter. It had changed long ago. It had become completely different from before. It was to the point that the one called mother could no longer continue pretending and chose to break it up.
But her feelings as a mother still remained, but she had no place to vent these pent up feelings related to her daughter.
Today, Fu Ya’s appearance was the equivalent of reinvigorating Yao shi’s motherly cells. It was such that her motherly love was truly difficult to stop.
She stopped the three maidservants and told them that there was no need to continue following. She then began to slowly walk toward the small pavilion. When she got a little closer, she could hear Yao shi say to Fu Ya: “Mother remembers that you did not like eating mushrooms at first, but after being sent into the mountains, there were no other foods available. At that time, I didn’t know how to do anything. Some nice people in the village give me clothes to wash in exchange for food; however, I ended up ruining their clothes while washing them. Later on, another person sent me some needlework, and I ended up stabbing my own hands bloody. In the end, I failed to sew even one item. Gradually, no one else came to help us. You were left with no other choice. It’s no loss that you learned quite a bit from your grandfather in the past. You said that you recognized mushrooms and wild vegetables, thus you went out into the mountains on your own. You would wake up early every morning and set out, only returning when the sky was dark. When you returned, you would always bring back a basket filled with mushrooms. It would be at least enough for the three of us to eat for half a month.”
Fu Ya also looked at Yao shi with a smile. Every time Yao shi finished speaking, she would nod and say: “Those days were too bitter.”
Yao shi continued: “Speaking of life in the mountains, at that time, we didn’t even know how to start a fire. It was our neighbors that taught us how to start our fires. Even the pots belonged to them. It’s really fortunate that your concubine mother An stuffed a bundle of shattered silver into Zi Rui’s collar right before we left. In any case, it bought us some blankets and allowed us to fix up that shoddy little house such that it did not leak. Later on, you used half a basket of mushrooms to trade for a few bowls and spoons. This allowed us to live slightly more normal lives.”
The more Yao shi said, the more emotional she became. She did not hide her reminiscing look. Normally speaking, that period of time spent living in the mountains was the most difficult time; however, looking back on it now caused her to smile.
Feng Yu Heng heard her say: “Later on, the people in the village saw us enjoying the mushrooms and also wanted to go into the mountains to pick some, but how could they know that much. After eating the mushrooms that they picked, they were poisoned, and it was A-Heng that used the medicinal herbs found in the mountains to treat them. Then, you taught them which types of mushrooms could be eaten. But once one is bitten by a snake, one will be wary of even normal rope, thus nobody wanted to eat those things ever again. That was why the three of us ate plenty of mushrooms over those years.” As she spoke, she repeated something once more: “But you don’t like eating mushrooms, so it was Zi Rui and I that ate the most. You would only boil some wild vegetables and eat them. After those years, you were frighteningly thin.”
From time to time, Fu Ya would not know how to reply and could only smile while faintly saying: “That’s right!”
Yao shi did not blame her. Instead, she looked at Fu Ya, again and again, her eyes filled with satisfaction, “This is my daughter. Mother just knew that my daughter only went out to play, and there would come a day when she came back. Unfortunately, Zi Rui is not here. Otherwise, he would definitely be happy to see you. After coming back to the capital for so long, he hasn’t even come to see his elder sister.”
While Yao shi spoke, Fu Ya had already seen Feng Yu Heng stop outside the small pavilion. There was a look of confusion on her face, as she cast a puzzled look toward Feng Yu Heng.
Yao shi was keeping a close eye on Fu Ya. This small movement was immediately noticed by her. She was then startled and suddenly turned around, following Fu Ya’s line of sight. There, she saw Feng Yu Heng.
At the moment when their eyes met, Feng Yu Heng could clearly see the horror in Yao shi’s eyes. Her heart began to feel uncomfortable. Her mother was actually afraid of her. What sort of situation was this?
Fortunately, Yao shi’s horror disappeared very quickly; however, it was replaced by a peaceful and very noticeable unfamiliarity.
Yao shi stood up and brought Fu Ya toward Feng Yu Heng. While walking, she smiled and said: “A-Heng, you still haven’t met imperial daughter, right? Come, salute her. This is imperial daughter Ji An. She is the future princess of the ninth prince.”
Fu Ya didn’t know what she should do; however, she heard Feng Yu Heng say: “Madam told you to salute, so just salute.”
Fu Ya felt helpless and could only salute toward Feng Yu Heng, saying: “This humble girl greets imperial daughter.” When she stood up, the confusion in her eyes became even more pronounced. She really wanted for Feng Yu Heng to explain what exactly was happening. In Fu Ya’s eyes, the current Yao shi was a bit like Wu Li Sheng. She was clear on everything else, but she was confused about those closest to her.
Feng Yu Heng looked at Yao shi and faintly asked: “How did madam have time to come today? Ever since coming back from the North, I have not had a chance to visit madam. I hope that madam would forgive me.”
Yao shi did not think that Feng Yu Heng would speak like this to her, but she was very satisfied with this attitude, thus she said with a smile: “It’s no trouble. You are a busy person. Just being able to think of me is pretty good.”
Feng Yu Heng nodded and asked: “Is madam living well over there?”
Yao shi said: “Good, all is well.” As she spoke, she grabbed a hold of Fu Ya and said: “Although the residence that A-Heng’s grandfather bought is not large, it is quite exquisite. There are quite a few servants there. They will often accompany me and help relieve my boredom. It’s just…” She paused for a moment then said: “It’s just that I really missed A-Heng and Zi Rui. That is why I thought to come over and take a look. Who knew that A-Heng would really come back.” She looked at Fu Ya with a look of joy.
Feng Yu Heng could not describe the feeling in her heart. Yao shi had rejected her like this. It was no loss that she was not the soul of the body’s original owner. Otherwise, she would not know how much pain she would feel.
“That…” Yao shi carefully asked her: “Do you know when Zi Rui can come back?”
Feng Yu Heng told her: “It should be soon, in another day or two. When he has returned, I will have him go and pay respects to madam.”
Yao shi happily asked: “Then can Zi Rui live with me? That residence has a place, and it’s enough for two more people to live there.”
Feng Yu Heng, however, shook her head very clearly on this matter and said to her: “This is definitely not possible. Zi Rui still needs to attend school. After coming back and visiting family and the Emperor, he will be heading back to Xiao Zhou. Madam should know that boys need to focus on their studies. I hope that madam will understand.”
Yao shi was terrified of Feng Yu Heng. Hearing her speak so strictly, she quickly expressed her thoughts: “Understand, of course, I understand. Zi Rui studying properly is most important. It’s fine to have him go, but…” She thought for a bit then resolutely said: “But there is one thing that you must promise me!”