Chapter 226 Zhuang Wan Disappeared
Zhuang Wan and Zhuang Hun went to the main courtyard, where Madam Zhuang was already waiting. Seeing the brother and sister approaching in harmony, Madam Zhuang's eyes were filled with relief.
"Mother." After entering the room, Zhuang Wan bowed.
"There's no need to be so polite when we're family," Mrs. Zhuang said. "Please sit down and have your meal."
Zhuang Wan nodded: "Okay."
She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she felt that since returning to the Zhuang family, her interactions with Mrs. Zhuang had become increasingly awkward. Mrs. Zhuang's eyes seemed to see through something, making her feel uncomfortable.
Just the words "no need to be so polite" made her doubt herself a little. She wondered if she was being too polite.
But at the moment, Zhuang Wan had no time to explore the matter. After sitting down, Madam Zhuang mentioned the marriage proposal from the General's Mansion today.
"The Pei family's grand ceremony is beyond my expectation," Madam Zhuang said to Zhuang Wan. "I feel a little ashamed that he thinks so highly of Wan'er."
Zhuang Hun was puzzled: "What is mother ashamed of?"
Madam Zhuang scolded him, "You've seen your sister's character now. Although she's smart and capable, she doesn't look like someone who can be a mistress of a household."
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Wan felt a headache. As expected, Madam Zhuang continued, "No, some things can't be left alone. Apart from other things, she still needs to learn how to manage household chores. A noble family always has banquets and weddings, and we can't let her marry into the family blindly and cause trouble for no reason."
Zhuang Hun was helpless: "Mother, my little sister hasn't even gotten married yet, and you're already thinking about getting her into trouble?"
Madam Zhuang laughed and said, "I'm just taking precautions."
She turned to Zhuang Wan and asked, "What do you think?"
Zhuang Wan nodded obediently: "A daughter listens to her mother."
"Okay." Mrs. Zhuang said, "I should have taught you this before, but then your father..."
Not wanting to talk about the sad things of the past, Mrs. Zhuang changed her tone and said, "Well, we have to start from the beginning."
"Mother, my little sister has worked hard enough, and you're still forcing her to learn these things." Zhuang Hun is a sister-con, and everything revolves around her. "In my opinion, my little sister has done very well. She can do accounting and run a business. Oh, right..."
Zhuang Hun asked, "When did you learn this? Why didn't I know you knew so much before?"
Zhuang Wan paused and said with a smile, "People can always unleash their potential in desperate situations. What's the big deal? Brother has changed a lot since he came back from the border town."
That made sense, Zhuang Hun nodded. He then said, "Brother has been busy these days, so how about I take you to the lake when I'm free tomorrow?"
Zhuang Wan didn't dare go boating with him alone, so she politely declined immediately. "There's no need for a boat trip. Mother was right. Lord Pei values me so much, I can't be lazy. I must learn from you how to manage the household."
Zhuang Hui felt a little regretful: "Well, my little sister has really grown up."
Mrs. Zhuang noticed Zhuang Hun's enthusiasm and Zhuang Wan's unfamiliarity and submissiveness. She smiled silently, then picked up a piece of dried tofu with her chopsticks and placed it in Zhuang Wan's bowl.
"Come, eat more." She said, "This is your favorite food when you were a child."
"Thank you, mother." Zhuang Wan picked up the dried tofu and put it in her mouth.
However, after only two bites, she saw Zhuang Hun looking at her in surprise.
Zhuang Wan was puzzled: "What's wrong?"
Zhuang Hun said, "Little sister, didn't you hate eating dried tofu? You've always thought it smelled smoky, and you'd vomit if you ate it."
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Wan was shocked and her whole body froze.
At this time, Madam Zhuang laughed and said, "Look at me, I actually remembered it wrong."
Although Mrs. Zhuang tried to cover it up with one word, Zhuang Wan was still feeling uneasy.
She thought she had hidden it well, but it was full of holes. She tried to fit into this hard-earned new family that made her dependent and happy, but she was always an imposter. In many things, the harder she tried, the more counterproductive it was.
She felt frustrated and even worried.
I worry about how long this kind of life can last. Perhaps they will soon find out that she is not their relative, and will doubt her origins. Who knows, they may even regard her as a monster.
What would Pei Xingju think of her then?
At this moment, the dried tofu in my mouth suddenly became difficult to swallow. It was stuck in my throat and turned into a source of worry.
"Little sister, what's wrong?" Zhuang Hun asked after noticing her situation.
"No," Zhuang Wan forced a smile, not daring to look Madam Zhuang in the eye. "I just feel like the taste seems different from when I was a child. Maybe my mood has changed?"
"I see." Zhuang Hun nodded.
By the time lunch was finished, it was already past two quarters past noon.
Mrs. Zhuang asked Zhuang Wan to stay alone, saying that she wanted to discuss the dowry. Zhuang Hun did not suspect anything and left immediately.
Zhuang Wan stood by the door, intending to go back, but she didn't want to be left alone. Although they were discussing the dowry, she felt uneasy considering the situation today, and she had a feeling that Madam Zhuang had something to say.
She sat down with a heavy heart.
"Wan'er..." Madam Zhuang asked, "I noticed you were silent during dinner today. Did you encounter any difficulties?"
After a long silence, Zhuang Wan raised her head.
“Mother, I…”
For a moment, she wanted to reveal her identity and not lie to them anymore.
The original Zhuang Wan was dead, and the person in front of them was not their daughter or younger sister, but just an outsider who had borrowed a shell.
But she opened her mouth, still giving in to her own selfishness and cowardice. She was greedy for the warmth and beauty of the present, but she was even more afraid of death, afraid that they would treat her as a demon and beat her to death.
Finally, she moved her throat and chose to remain silent out of guilt.
Madam Zhuang had been secretly observing her. Seeing this, she asked, "Are you trying to say that you are not my daughter?"
After he finished speaking, Zhuang Wan suddenly raised his eyes, his face full of surprise.
Besides being surprised, emotions such as embarrassment, panic, and helplessness were all written on his face.
Seeing her like this, Mrs. Zhuang sighed distressedly: "Child, you don't have to be afraid. In fact, I already knew it."
"You knew it a long time ago?"
Zhuang Wan's expression changed again, from panic and embarrassment to confusion and disbelief.
"It seems I really frightened you." Madam Zhuang laughed, "I am a mother. Wan'er is my flesh and blood. They say mother and child are connected by heart. How could I not know the changes in you?"
"I've noticed it since day one," she said. "Your personality has changed so much, it's hard for others to notice, but it's clear to me."
"I...I didn't mean to lie to you. I just..." Zhuang Wan was at a loss for words. Finally, she lowered her head in embarrassment and said, "I'm sorry I kept it a secret from you for so long."
"Not only do I know you're not my daughter, I also know..." Madam Zhuang continued, her eyes slightly red, "My Wan'er has long since passed away."
"But then you came. Although I don't know who you are, I thank you. When I was most desperate, you supported me to live. You faced danger fearlessly and turned danger into safety, allowing my family to escape disaster, and then you were so promising to help my family see the light of day again."
"I once thought that perhaps you were the child that God gave me as compensation. My Wan'er was timid and cowardly, so God gave me a smart and brave child as compensation."
"Since you're here, it means we're destined to be mother and daughter. Child, you are Zhuang Wan, you are my daughter. You don't have to be afraid, don't panic. Since you call me mother, I will be your mother for the rest of my life."
After he finished speaking, Zhuang Wan felt a sore nose and tears streamed down her face.
"Mother......"
She choked with sobs and threw herself into Madam Zhuang's arms.
.
It rained in early June. The sky after the rain was crystal clear, as dazzling as a mirror. The air was filled with a fresh scent, which made people feel relaxed and happy.
It seems as if all the worries can be washed away, without the gloom and depression of the rain, only tranquility and beauty remain.
Zhuang Wan removed the gauze from her fingers and stayed in her boudoir to embroider her dowry and learn housekeeping. She did not go out until the second day of June.
Qiu Tan and Guard Lu's wedding was scheduled for the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, leaving only four days left. Madam Zhuang had Qiu Tan brought back to the mansion to prepare for her wedding, and even hosted a family dinner to acknowledge her as her goddaughter.
Qiu Tan burst into tears, repeatedly thanking her godmother and saying, "I never thought I would have relatives in this life. Now I am finally not an orphan anymore."
Zhuang Wan comforted her and asked someone to vacate the small courtyard next door for her company. She understood Qiu Tan's feelings; only those who have experienced loss can understand the preciousness of family affection. She thought she would be lonely all her life, but she encountered warmth midway. How fortunate!
After that, Zhuang Wan was busy preparing Qiu Tan's dowry, which Mrs. Zhuang said was just a practice.
Fortunately, Qiu Tan's dowry was simple. In addition to what she had prepared herself, Zhuang Wan had also taken some of her own dowry. However, some of the fabrics in the original dowry had become damp and had become messy, so they had to be re-prepared.
That day, she went out to Furong Cloth Shop to pick out some new cloth.
At 2:15 PM, the carriage arrived at Furong Cloth Shop. Before anyone entered, Su Zhiyan came to greet them.
"Oh, what a rare guest! What a rare guest! The future mistress of the General's Mansion has actually come to our shop!"
Zhuang Wan rolled her eyes at her and asked in a pretentiously arrogant tone, "Boss, do you have any new cloth? I want something fashionable and nice. Don't hide it!"
After saying this, Su Zhiyan was overjoyed: "Look, she's already acting so arrogantly before she even gets married. Come, I'll serve you myself."
"No, I can't afford the service of the head of Furong Cloth Shop." Zhuang Wan smiled.
After joking for a while, the two of them went upstairs arm in arm.
"You've come at the perfect time," Su Zhiyan said. "There's a shipment of goods coming through the dock tomorrow. If you have time, why not come with me to take a look?"
"Go to the dock?"
"We need to go to the docks and see. That batch of goods isn't entering the capital, just passing through. They were originally destined to be sent south to the Tang family in Suzhou, Jiangnan. Thanks to my connection with Madam Tang, I asked her to give me some." Su Zhiyan continued, "I've seen that fabric before. The patterns are Jiangnan-style, and you can't find them in the capital. The embroidery is also excellent, and it's custom-made snow satin. I guarantee you'll love it when you see it."
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Wan asked, "When will it be tomorrow?"
"We have to get up early tomorrow. Are you free at dawn?"
After pondering for a moment, Zhuang Wan nodded: "Okay, then we'll meet at the dock at dawn tomorrow."
.
Twenty miles away from the capital is Zhenquan Mountain.
Despite its name, the place was deserted and overgrown with thorns. A few servants, wielding sickles, diligently cleared a path through the man-high grass.
Pei Xingju wore a bamboo hat and followed silently behind him.
The rain was drizzling, and the raindrops fell on his brow with the wind and condensed into water droplets. He was unmoved, and his eyes were heavy and desolate, looking for something.
"Sir, perhaps they are not in this area." Guard Lu said, "I heard from Mr. Gu that more than ten years ago, the general and his wife's graves were under a pine tree on the west hill."
Pei Xingju's eyes immediately fell on a group of pine trees not far away, and finally locked onto the thickest one halfway up the mountain.
He snatched the sickle from the servant's hand and personally cut the weeds bit by bit, looking for the graves of his parents and brothers.
Soon, a dilapidated and desolate cemetery came into view.
There were mounds of earth, large and small, without even a tombstone, only a wooden sign stuck on top. The sign had been eroded by years of wind and rain, and it was already dilapidated, and the words on it were almost impossible to make out who was who.
But they were arranged in order, twenty-three in total, solemn and tragic.
Pei Xingju squatted down in one of the two seats in the center, slowly raised his hand to touch the wooden sign above it, his long eyelashes pressed down, and his emotions could not be seen clearly.
All I could hear was him saying with forbearance: "Dad, Mom, I am an unfilial son. I have come to see you."
A mountain breeze blew, and a drizzle of rain fell on the weeds, quickly sinking into the soil. The sky was gloomy, oppressive and unreasonably heavy.
Pei Xingju knelt down on the ground with his hands supporting him. The rain soaked his pants and the broken thorns pricked his palms, leaving scratches on them.
This was the first time in sixteen years that he had come to pay homage to his parents and relatives.
After an unknown amount of time, the rain began to intensify. Guard Lu stepped forward and said, "Sir, why don't you go back today and come back when the weather clears up."
He remembered something and said, "Your Excellency has to go to the palace again at noon."
After a long while, Pei Xingju stood up.
"Let's go." He stood up and told the housekeeper who followed him, "Go get a craftsman tomorrow to build the tombstone and engrave the words... I'll write the epitaph."
"Yes." The butler responded quickly.
After packing up, Pei Xingju went down the mountain. When he reached the foot of the mountain, he saw Lixia Lin riding a horse towards him, wet in the rain.
When she got closer, she stumbled off her horse and knelt on the ground: "Master, I deserve to die! I lost the girl!"
When Pei Xingju heard this, his expression suddenly changed.
"What's going on?"
"Master," Lixia began to cry, "I followed the young lady to the dock early this morning to select cloth. I was waiting at the door when I suddenly fainted. When I woke up, the young lady was... gone."
"I searched for a long time, but the boat I was on was gone. I woke up in the teahouse."
"Why was it lost at the dock? Explain it quickly." Guard Lu asked anxiously.
Lixia quickly wiped away her tears and told the whole story in detail.
Zhuang Wan and Su Zhiyan had agreed to go to the dock this morning to select fabric. After boarding the boat, they were selecting fabric in the cabin, while Lixia watched from the doorway. Suddenly, a strange aroma wafted through the air, and by the time Lixia realized something was amiss, she had already lost consciousness. When she regained consciousness, she found herself lying in a chair in the teahouse, and the boat she had been waiting for was nowhere to be seen.
She searched for a while at the dock, then quickly ran back to Furong Cloth Shop. But the shop's doors were closed, and no one was there. Only then did she realize that something had happened to Zhuang Wan.
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