Mrs. Cheng

[Dop cinnabar between eyebrows with slender hands

Love flowers planted in the palm of Yue Lao

Falling for you

Good times and youth are for you to marry.

Fang Jingsheng, who fainted from crying, was forcibly carried back by Qin Zhi to rest. Several doctors hired by Fang Shouren earlier also followed him and gave him medicine and acupuncture before he stabilized.

Cai Xin helped Butler Mu to deal with the etiquette matters before she walked back to the mourning hall, rubbing her forehead, intending to take over the vigil for Aruo in the second half of the night.

Inside the mourning hall, candles burned brightly. To dissipate the scent of incense and spices, the doors on both sides of the room were open, creating a bright and airy atmosphere. Perhaps Xiaoman was simply a righteous woman, so there wasn't a chilly feeling here. The girl in a white dress sat huddled on a mat, her knees hugged. Her back looked frail and pitiful.

Cai Xin walked over and squatted, reaching out from behind to hug her tightly, resting her chin on the top of her head, "Aruo, don't be sad. Xiao Man always adhered to her own ideas and beliefs until her death. She must have no regrets."

Women understand women better. They all know that Xiao Man didn't become a constable just to gain the approval of the Fang family. A Xiao Man like that, dying to save others, would surely die calmly.

Aruo's blank eyes stared fixedly at the white cloth hanging above the coffin like a flag, and his thoughts were difficult to discern.

"Cai Xin, do you still remember Sister Xian? Back then, Master Wang said it was him who would rather die... Do you think, if it could be switched, would Sister Xian be the one to do it?"

Cai Xin was slightly startled by the inexplicable words. She stared blankly at Xiao Man's coffin with her lifeless eyes after crying for a long time. She was silent for a while before she said softly, "I don't think Sister Xian would agree to it. To exchange her lover's life for her own life..."

"Then... isn't it okay if we're not lovers?"

A low, hoarse voice rang out softly, the evening breeze blew gently, the candlelight flickered, and Cai Xin's heart skipped a beat for no reason. The person in her arms was quiet and well-behaved. Her palm covered the back of his slightly cool hand. Cai Xin smiled and rubbed his hair.

"I don't know about others, but... Xiao Man won't do that. Because Xiao Man is a girl who will die for others. She won't use anyone else to exchange her life."

Aruo's back trembled, and tears began to well up in her red and swollen eyes. She lowered her head and leaned on Caixin's hand for a long time before she said in a hoarse voice, "Yes, she is such a silly girl."

She actually hated those who were all about truth, goodness, and beauty, because they made Aruo think that those who repeatedly lowered their standards to survive were ugly. Obviously, those who worked hard to survive were not wrong, but Xiaoman was different. She understood the world and understood the difficulties of others. She knew that there were many injustices in the world and sympathized with their situations. But even so, she was still willing to work hard to make Sizhou a safe place where people could live without locking their doors at night, and she was willing to fight for the people and neighbors who loved and understood her.

Xiaoman is such a good person...but she can't do anything.

"Cai Xin... I hate it so much..."

Just after midnight, the night sky, which had been dull all day, was suddenly torn apart by long silver-white lightning. Thunder roared and heavy rain came.

The once quiet street became noisy. A food stall on the corner had put up a curtain to block the rain, and a flickering oil lamp in the corner barely illuminated the small corner. Beneath the curtain, Aruo sat quietly at a square table, before her a bowl of tender white tofu pudding, nothing added.

The stall owner, a gray-haired old man, saw her dazed look and wanted to go over to replace her cold tofu pudding, but his wife gently pulled at the corner of her clothes. The old woman shook her head, regret in her eyes. She recognized the girl; she had rushed back a few days ago to send Constable Li off.

The old man silently closed the wooden barrel containing the tofu pudding and sighed. Suddenly, he felt something warm at his feet. He jumped back two steps before daring to look down. It was a snow-white cat, damp from the rain, looking pitiful.

The cat seemed to know that it had scared someone, and it tilted its head and meowed softly. Its well-behaved appearance softened the old woman's heart, and she took the warm cloth from the stove, wrapped it up, and held it in her arms.

At the other end of the square table, a figure appeared without anyone noticing.

The rain was getting heavier. Aruo stared blankly from under the curtain, watching the raindrops pound the ground, as if venting their anger. The air stuck in her throat, unable to be swallowed or exhaled, made her unable to breathe freely. After guarding Ling for half the night, her eyes were red, swollen, and dry. The discomfort in her chest, which had lingered since she entered the city, hadn't subsided in the slightest.

Fang Jingsheng's painful face and Xiaoman's pale and calm remains kept flashing in her mind. Their regrets and pain tortured every nerve in her body, and some absurd thoughts lingered in her mind.

There was a rustling sound beside him, and Aruo came back to his senses from the chaos. He turned his head and looked sideways. He was so scared that he leaned back and almost fell over.

A pair of warm hands pulled her in time, and Aruo managed to steady herself. Just as she was about to lift her legs and turn away, the woman beside her smiled and said, "Little girl, I'm so sorry for scaring you last time."

"Mrs. Cheng..." You apologized, but you should let go of her sleeve.

"It's okay, I almost took your cat away without knowing it." Aruo looked warily at the middle-aged woman in front of him who had a brave look and looked normal, and his eyes turned left and right subconsciously.

"Don't look! My good-for-nothing son has sneaked over the wall to visit the one he thinks is his sister." Madam Cheng said with a leisurely smile, patted her sleeve, and asked with a smile, "Little girl, what's your name?"

"Aruo..." Cai Xin was keeping vigil in the second half of the night. Aruo was speechless about Cheng Sheng. Why didn't he go through the main gate?

"Who gave you this name? No, you shouldn't be called this..." Madam Cheng muttered, her expression becoming agitated, but she shook her head as if she was afraid of scaring others, holding her forehead. "I'm sorry, I, I don't have a good memory, I always recognize the wrong people."

Aruo listened to Caixin's story about the Cheng family. Cheng Sheng's father, a general in the northwest, died in an accident. His mother was so grief-stricken that she couldn't care for him and his sister, so she entrusted them to relatives from her mother's family who had come to attend the funeral. However, those relatives accidentally lost his sister while taking her to the market. This double blow caused Mrs. Cheng to suffer mental problems, her condition fluctuating.

After all, she was a pitiful person. Aruo hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly reached out and patted her shoulder, "It's okay, take your time."

Madam Cheng quickly grasped her hand, the thick, warm touch making her heart tremble slightly. Perhaps because she was born into a military family, Madam Cheng's hands were stronger than those of ordinary women. That touch, that feeling of security, was exactly the same as Xiao Man's!

Her nose suddenly felt sore, and Aruo quickly lowered her head to blink away the tears that suddenly filled her eyelashes. Mrs. Cheng looked at her with very gentle eyes, holding her hand tightly, "Child, don't cry... Although it's a pity that she passed away, I think she has no regrets."

A layer of mist filled his dark eyes, and Aruo slowly calmed down under the soothing gaze. He stared blankly at the untouched bowl of tofu pudding, and suddenly asked doubtfully, "No resentment? Why does everyone say that... Xiaoman is not a saint. She also has selfish desires and people she can't let go of. She can blame that merchant, that crazy horse, or why she was so unlucky to go there for inspection that day... She has the right to blame."

Mrs. Cheng did not refute when she heard this, but just took her hand in her own, covering the hand that was as cold as the night rain with both hands.

"Madam, what do you think is the purpose of life? When I was in school, they all said that we should strive to realize our own value, and that this is a successful life. So, Xiaoman has succeeded, right? So many people cry for her, so many people feel sorry for her, and so many people are moved by her. Obviously, such a good person like her should continue to live."

After a moment of silence, Madam Cheng sighed and said softly, "Silly child, how can there be any right or wrong in life?"

Aruo, immersed in his own logic, didn't hear her words. He just vented her thoughts and said, "I am like this. I can't offer advice to build the country, and I can't change the situation and become a winner in life. Compared with my ancestors, it is a shame."

As someone with an extra lifetime of memories, even one who mastered some highly efficient methods and advanced technology, she struggled daily to survive after arriving in this world, lacking any systematic guidance, unwilling to submit to a predetermined fate. Over the years, she hasn't become a great figure who could influence the nation and history, nor has she achieved fame through technological innovation and creation that transcends her time. This is a complete waste of all her settings.

"Maybe Xiaoman's life is more meaningful than mine." Aruo lowered her head, and tears fell on her sleeves. They were quickly absorbed by the fabric, leaving only a faint mark.

If Xiaoman were alive, she would become an outstanding female official, help more people and be respected. Only when such people live can the world have meaning.

With a snap, Aruo felt a pain on the back of her hand. She blinked and raised her eyes in a daze, her gaze moving from the red back of her hand to the pair of heroic yet angry eyes.

"Nonsense! If you think so, it is an insult to the child. She has never felt that she is superior to others, nor has she felt that other people's lives are inferior to her own, so she made such a choice. Everyone is born with something they can do, and life has its own meaning." Mrs. Cheng looked at her gently and firmly, her voice neither light nor heavy but with majesty.

Aruo looked at her, a hint of stubbornness between his brows, and refuted in a hoarse voice, "Is the significance of saving lives worth the grief of our loved ones? If she could live, everyone would be happy. If I could get her back, the person I would rather die is..."

"Who is it?" Madam Cheng's face darkened, and she exuded a terrifying aura. "You?"

Biting his lip and lowering his eyes, Aruo said nothing.

"Ridiculous! You're absolutely ridiculous! Everyone would be happy if the child were alive. But what about you? Have you ever thought about those who care about you?" Madam Cheng's eyes flashed with pain, and she spoke in a heavy tone, "My husband was a fierce general under General Luo, practically invincible... Such a strong man, yet he fell to his death while patrolling the city trying to save a mischievous child who climbed up the city wall."

Aruo paused, his fingers unconsciously bent and he grasped the warm, thick palm.

There was a trace of nostalgia and sorrow in Madam Cheng's eyes, but a helpless smile appeared on her lips. "My world has fallen. I hate it so much. Looking at that child, I wonder how wonderful it would be if he could be exchanged for my husband. But, that child is also his parents' treasure, a treasure that my husband risked his life to get back... When I was confining him, he was smiling... The child was fine, and he was satisfied."

Xiaoman's calm face appeared in his mind. Aruo raised his head with sobs and looked at the kind person in front of him.

Madam Cheng stroked her cold cheek. "My husband chose to protect others. As his dearest and most beloved, I respect him, understand him, and am proud of him. However, I cannot go with him. I have already lost my daughter due to carelessness, and I cannot lose more. I must live well, connect with him, work hard to find my daughter, and wait for our family to be reunited."

It is so easy to say the words, but how many nights of crying and how much heart-wrenching pain must one endure before being able to accept them so calmly?

Aruo's shoulders twitched, and she couldn't stop crying, "But, Xiaoman is obviously going to be happy..."

What she found most difficult to accept was that Xiaoman had finally opened her arms, let go of everyone's opinions, and was about to embrace her own happiness. That girl with a high sense of self-esteem, having overcome the world's prejudice against female detectives, could finally be with her lover openly. However, her time was forever frozen on the eve of her wedding.

Sighing, Madam Cheng held the pale, fragile girl in her arms and gently patted her back. "Silly girl, you're someone's treasure too... There are always people who care about you and are happy that you're alive. She made her choice and bore the consequences of her actions. She has no regrets, so how can others impose their own opinions on her? Grief... will eventually heal."

Aruo hugged her and cried bitterly. Will Fang Jingsheng's pain ever be relieved?

I don’t know how long it took before the rain stopped. Aruo finally stopped crying and looked timidly at Mrs. Cheng, who had a serious expression.

She ignored the girl who was looking at her eagerly and asked the boss for some hot ginger sugar water, pouring it over the bowl of cold tofu pudding. "Eat something. You must have things you need to do."

Aruo stared blankly at the steaming tofu pudding, pursed her lips in grievance, and said, "Can't you give me another bowl?"

She was so sad, wasn't she worth a fresh tofu pudding heated up overnight? Even Su Zirui was not as stingy as her.

"Don't waste it!" Mrs. Cheng said as a matter of course.

With a sigh, Aruo took the spoon and took a big sip. The spicy taste rushed straight to his head, and he felt refreshed instantly. Then, a sweet taste quickly took over his taste buds, soothing his heart that had been aching for a long time.

"Thank you, Mrs. Cheng..."

Before she could finish her words, Mrs. Cheng suddenly jumped up, her expression as if struck by lightning, surprised and excited. The next moment, she opened her arms and rushed towards the oncoming person, "My son~ my Rourou, my daughter..."

The man was so frightened by her that he jumped up and before he could react, his face was grabbed. Perhaps Mrs. Cheng was too strong, and he screamed but couldn't get her to let go.

"Hey, ma'am, that's the night watchman..." Seeing this, the boss hurried over to help.

"Mom! You've got the wrong person again!" Cheng Sheng, who had just jumped down from the outer wall of the Fang family with a red and blue forehead, saw his own mother at a glance and hurried over to rescue the poor night watchman.

"No, I'm not mistaken. Look at that beard, it's the same as yours! It must be your sister!"

"I'm a man!"

Aruo turned a deaf ear to the hustle and bustle in front of her. She lowered her head and carefully ate the tofu pudding. The sky outside was gradually getting brighter, and smoke from some stalls was slowly rising.

No matter who is missing from this world, the sun will still rise, and the living will still do what they should do. For example, getting up to work, carrying loads to the market, eating breakfast on the way home after moving the goods, and... preventing some things that should not happen from happening again.