Chapter 111 Bitter Rain Arrives: "Take Care"

Yun Sheng entered the room and lit some calming incense. He gently advised Cheng Huaizhu, "It's getting late, you should go to sleep too."

Cheng Huaizhu shook her head: "I'll sit a little longer. You go to sleep. I'll stay here with her."

Yun Sheng wiped away his tears, thinking of Xi Tuan, Niannian, and Lan Yu who still needed care. At times like these, he should try to help as many as possible and not add to their worries.

"If you need anything, just call us while you're on night duty, Hatsumomo."

Cheng Huaizhu nodded and gave a soft "Mmm".

After Yun Sheng left, she leaned against the bed frame, closed her eyes, and exhaled.

Crystalline tears slid down again, but this time they were silent.

How could this be? How could it be the same as what her uncle told her when he left?

Before leaving Beijing, Xue Chenghuai made a special trip to see Cheng Huaizhu.

"Huaizhu, could I ask you for a favor?"

Seeing his serious expression and furrowed brows, Cheng Huaizhu asked, "What is it?"

Xue Chenghuai paused for a moment, then spoke: "It's Qiaoniang."

Xue Chan is already married, and she can't even see her often, so how can she entrust her with anything?

She was puzzled: "Shouldn't we have told Jiang Erlang about this? He's the one who's always by her side..."

Xue Chenghuai smiled and shook his head: "No, Huaizhu, only you can be entrusted with this matter."

Cheng Huaizhu was even more confused when he heard this. He said, "Qiao Niang has an unstoppable ambition. But she is obsessed with her own ideas and moves too fast and too hastily. One day she will suffer a big fall and may even fall into a state of illusion and confusion from which she cannot escape."

“But…why don’t you tell her these things yourself? You’re her father.” she asked.

However, Xue Chenghuai sighed deeply: "That's why... I am her father, but I cannot be by her side for her whole life, nor can I be there for her. I am even less able to help and accompany her when she is in dire straits."

Cheng Huaizhu said, "So, you want me to help her then?"

"No," Xue Chenghuai shook his head in rejection, saying, "No one can help her except herself. Qiaoniang is strong and resilient by nature, which is why she will collapse more completely and suffer more when she is in dire straits. But because of this, she will not give up on herself because of the pain. So, I don't need you to help her. I just need you to appear in front of her when the time comes, even if you do nothing, just sit with her for a while."

Although Cheng Huaizhu didn't understand, she still agreed.

She then asked him, "Since you foresaw that she would be in dire straits, why didn't you tell her?"

“There are too many things in the world that, no matter how many times you say them, can't compare to experiencing them yourself. That was a hurdle she had to overcome herself; no one could do it for her, and no one could help her.”

Cheng Huaizhu only remembered that he felt both reluctant and heartbroken, yet utterly helpless. He simply raised his face, closed his eyes, and sighed in the end.

"You children..."

She opened her eyes, gently wiped away her tears, moved closer to Xue Chan, and the two snuggled together to sleep.

Cheng Huaizhu stayed with Xue Chan for two or three days, and the two of them just spent their time tending to flowers and plants, playing with cats and birds.

It was ordinary and uneventful, just like every day they used to spend together.

Xue Chan picked up her brush and tried to draw several more times, but she still couldn't get it right.

Cheng Huaizhu was beside her, wanting to say something to comfort her. Xue Chan spoke up first, smiling faintly, "There's still a long way to go, there will always be a day when it's painted."

She knew that Xue Chan had her own thoughts, so she didn't say anything more.

On the third day, Xue Chan saw her off in the carriage back to the Cheng residence.

Cheng Huaizhu held her hand tightly, pursed her lips, and said, "You must remember, you must remember, I'm here for you. You're not without anything."

"Um"

Xue Chan nodded and smiled as she tidied her slightly disheveled hair.

After seeing Cheng Huaizhu off, Xue Chan sat on the swing set with Xi Tuan in her arms. To say she was swinging was an understatement; she was just swaying back and forth.

Xituan lay in her arms, snoring softly. She gently stroked its soft fur, her head drooping as she drifted off to sleep.

The courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open, and Madam Yu hurriedly entered.

Her eyes reddened, as if she couldn't bear it.

Xue Chan got off the swing and waited for her to speak.

Lady Yu held back her tears and forced herself to suppress her grief, saying, "The Empress has urgently summoned you to the palace. The carriages and horses are already prepared. Please hurry to the palace."

"Do you know... what is it?"

Lady Yu said, "Your father..."

Xue Chan felt as if she had been struck on the head, and she swayed as Xi Tuan fell from her arms.

She tried her best to stay calm, and tears welled up in her eyes as she grabbed Yu Niangzi's sleeve: "Do you know what happened?"

"I'm not entirely sure either, but the old lady wants you to hurry to the palace to see the Imperial Concubine. Go quickly!"

Xue Chan practically ran out of the mansion.

She was so dizzy that she could barely see the road. She stumbled onto the bus and leaned against the wall, counting the time.

As soon as the car stopped, she jumped out and ran wildly down the palace road.

Xue Chan tried her best to calm herself down so as not to waste time by acting rashly. She held back her tears and desperately suppressed the soreness in her throat.

She rushed to the Funing Palace.

The moment she saw Consort Xue, she collapsed to her knees, clutching her sleeves and looking up to ask a question.

Consort Xue handed her the letter, and Xue Chan sat on the ground and opened it.

That was an urgent letter sent from Yuchuan to the emperor.

"Seriously ill and incurable... no one knows when he will pass away... only one daughter will see him one last time..."

Snap!

Snap!

Tears fell heavily onto the letter paper, quickly spreading into a large patch of ink-wash pattern.

"My father! My father!"

She was so anxious that she couldn't speak a complete sentence; she just trembled as she clutched Consort Xue's sleeve.

"Qiao Niang!"

Consort Xue knelt down and embraced her, gripping her shoulders with a calm and resolute gaze.

"Qiao Niang, let's go home."

Xue Chan sat blankly on the ground, tears freezing on her face, looking at her with some confusion.

Consort Xue softened her tone and spoke more gently.

"Qiao Niang, go home. Leave this heartbreaking place, leave here, go anywhere."

The letter was crumpled into a ball in Xue Chan's hand, but she calmed down in an instant and gently responded as Yun Sheng helped her up.

"good"

Xue Chan bowed to her in farewell and slowly walked out of the palace gate, her body exhausted.

She had been running all the way, and now the sudden calm left her exhausted and unable to walk. She could only sit down and rest by the corridor.

She sat under the eaves and noticed the potted flower beside her in full bloom, only then realizing that it was already spring.

Spring has arrived, a season of vibrant life, with willows turning green and peaches blooming red.

She gazed at the sky and murmured, "Is this fate or destiny?"

Before long, she raised her hand again and examined it closely under the sun.

But no matter which one...

She doesn't acknowledge any of them.

Xue Chan left the palace before the gates were locked.

When she returned to the Marquis's residence, Lady Yu was still sitting in her courtyard waiting for her to come back.

Xue Chan rallied her spirits and said, "My father is seriously ill and may not survive. I need to... I need to return to Yuchuan..."

Madam Yu nodded: "Don't worry, the old lady has already arranged a carriage for you. Quickly pack your things and go home..."

“I’ve thought about it…” Xue Chan glanced around briefly. “This trip is rushed, and I can’t bring much. There are also too many things in this courtyard that need to be taken care of. I will leave some people to handle the chores and look after the courtyard.”

She swallowed, took a couple of breaths, and continued, "I will take Green Eyebrows with me. As for Xituan, Niannian, and Lanyu... I entrust them to your care."

Xue Chan was not the only one who lost Jiang Ce.

She left Xituan, Niannian, and Lanyu behind, hoping they could fill the void in her heart.

After Xue Chan managed to finish explaining the situation, she collapsed under the swing set.

Lady Yu sent someone to help her back to her room to sleep. She sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at the woman who was just over twenty years old.

It was her birthday just two days ago.

That was her age, just like she was back then.

She lost her husband, father, aunt, and mother in succession.

But unlike others, none of them were the last people she saw; all she saw were a few words written on the letter.

Many things have passed too long ago, so long that they have faded and been forgotten.

When she saw Xue Chan, she suddenly remembered the past.

She thought of those regretful, painful memories. Those were things she had forcibly tried to forget, but now they all surged up like a tidal wave, making it hard for her to breathe.

What did she do at that time?

Lady Yu thought for a moment. At that time, she couldn't bear the successive blows and even thought about ending it all. However, Yue Lang, who was only six years old, knocked on her door and left a bunch of plum blossoms.

She felt ashamed and guilty, but chose to escape even more decisively, retreating to an ancient temple deep in the mountains.

When Yu Niangzi came to her senses again, she was already lying in bed.

The past is gone, like a dream, leaving only a cold pillow.

That's all...

That's all...

The moon sets, and the sun rises.

A new day has begun.

The courtyard was bustling with activity as Chu Tao and the others packed their belongings for leaving the capital. They were in a rush and couldn't take much, only the essentials.

Xue Chan walked down the stone steps and stood under the banana tree.

This was the first time she had seen every corner of the courtyard since the New Year.

It was late spring; the steps were damp with moss, and the eaves were shrouded in shadow. The banana trees under the wall had grown taller than last year, sprouting new green shoots and shedding their old ones.

Yun Sheng was feeding Lan Yu under the eaves. She gently stroked its head and said, "I don't know when I'll be back this time. Don't bully Xi Tuan."

Lan Yu jumped up and down on the shelf, as if she was angry.

Yun Sheng also sighed.

It ate half of the food in the spoon and then stopped eating.

Yun Sheng was puzzled, but then he saw it flutter away.

Blue Feather flew from the perch to the banana leaf, hopped and skipped around twice, then flapped its wings a couple of times before landing. It hadn't spoken for a long time since Jiang Ce left.

Xue Chan smiled slightly and asked, "Are you reluctant to part with me?"

Lan Yu tilted her head, seemingly thinking for a moment, before speaking.

Don't cry.

Xue Chan said, "I didn't cry."

Lan Yu continued speaking.

"It will be uncomfortable"

She fell silent.

It opened its mouth again.

Take good care of yourself.

Xue Chan lowered her eyes and did not respond further.

Blue Feather began repeating the same thing over and over, its voice filling the courtyard.

Take good care of yourself.

Take good care of yourself.

Take good care of yourself.

The wind enters the courtyard, sweeping away the last petals of red on the steps.

The banana leaves rustled and turned incessantly. Two sharp sounds were heard on the roof tiles, and ripples of varying sizes spread across the surface of the stone vat.

The rain fell intermittently, sometimes heavy, sometimes light.

The tender, soft curled leaves unfurled in the drizzling rain.

The large banana leaves, washed clean, shone with a vibrant green, reflecting off the green walls and corridors, and the half-full vat of clear water gradually filled up.

"good"