Chapter 219 Recognition Ceremony
Candles were lit in the room, and the bedding had already been washed by Chen and aired out in the sun, making it soft and fluffy.
Lin Yuesha sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), really not wanting to move.
The clean clothes were left in the washroom, and Chen came to collect them.
Suddenly, Mrs. Chen looked down and saw the dark red stain on her daughter's pants. She was so shocked that she blurted out.
"Little girl, I have a question for you."
The stains on the pants were clearly blood. It wasn't that Chen was filthy; it was because a man and a woman were alone together. Xiao Qi was already an adult, and her daughter knew a thing or two. If they didn't avoid suspicion and something happened, the girl would suffer without her knowing.
At this moment, Madam Chen actually regretted it a little. She thought it would have been better to be more patient and wait until her daughter got married before looking for someone else.
"Mother, what's wrong?"
Lin Yuesha noticed that her mother, Chen Shi, was pale and trembling uncontrollably, and asked in confusion.
During the few days she ran away from the Lantern Festival, she was clearly with Pockmarked Face. She didn't know what Pockmarked Face had said to her stepbrother, and that she had replaced him with Xiao Qi. She figured that the kind old man had also gone into hiding. This way, Chen Shi would feel more at ease.
"Tell your mother honestly, is it just you and your older brother on the mountain, and there's no one else?"
Chen kept her eyes fixed on Lin Yuesha's eyes. If she looked away for even the slightest moment, Chen would rush over and take off her clothes to check her.
This is a very pointed question. Shouldn't there be others?
Lin Yuesha thought for a moment and replied, "There is a village at the foot of the mountain, and there are people in the village, but the wooden house on the mountain was found by my eldest brother."
The cabin was a place where hunters occasionally rested. The two of them were safe and didn't encounter any wild animals in the mountains. However, heavy snow blocked the mountain, making it difficult to go down.
"You're a grown woman now."
Ms. Chen sighed, thinking she was overthinking things, but the bloodstains were right on her buttocks, so she couldn't help but overthink it.
"Little girl, do you understand matters between men and women?"
Chen was also embarrassed and asked the question in a subtle way.
Lin Yuesha felt a little embarrassed. Of course she understood, but she couldn't say it.
"Mother, what is the matter between men and women? Isn't it that a girl gets married at the age of fifteen when she reaches the coming-of-age ceremony?"
Lin Yuesha held Chen's hand and said coquettishly, "I forgot to mention that at the Lantern Festival, Baozhu, Qing'er, and I met an old man with a white beard who was incredibly accurate at fortune telling. The old man said that I can only get married when I'm eighteen."
"Even if you never get married, your mother will never despise you."
Women are destined for hardship; if they marry the wrong person, they will suffer endless misery in the future.
Chen himself is a case in point. He endured more than a decade of hardship, and only he could truly understand the bitterness and sweetness of it all.
So she came to terms with it. If fate brought her to this marriage, she would marry her daughter off to a suitable man. If things didn't go well, her family's door would always be open.
"Mom, you are so good to me."
Chen's words were sincere and always made Lin Yuesha feel incredibly comforted. If she were to marry a nobleman like Lan Yanzhu, she would rather stay at home obediently.
In this day and age, finding someone who shares your values is practically a pipe dream, and Lin Yuesha no longer believed she had such good luck.
Having veered off-topic, Chen brought the conversation back to the main point.
"Little girl, did anything unusual happen to you and your stepbrother on the mountain?"
Ms. Chen stated frankly that she has decided to trust her daughter.
However, Lin Yuesha couldn't understand it and didn't comprehend what Chen meant at all.
"What Mother meant was that she saw blood on your pants that hadn't been washed off, so..."
Chen was also conflicted, and when she delved deeper, she talked about matters between men and women. Chen only learned about these things after she came of age.
She vaguely felt that it might not be a good thing for a girl to be sensible too early.
"Mom, it's my fault for not washing it properly."
Lin Yuesha's face was hot. There were no soapberries on the mountain, so she only used some rice water. Who knew it wouldn't clean properly, and since it was hidden under her skirt, Lin Yuesha didn't pay much attention to it.
Unexpectedly, when she went home to change and wash, Chen saw her.
Mother wouldn't think she and her stepbrother are having an affair, would she? This needs to be explained immediately.
"Mother, I got my period a few days ago."
After Lin Yuesha finished speaking, Chen was taken aback and said, "So early?"
"It's getting late. Sister Qing'er is also here at thirteen."
Knowing that Chen would find out sooner or later, Lin Yuesha didn't try to hide it. She planned to wait for Xiao Qi to return so that the two of them could give a consistent story and avoid giving anything away.
"I see."
After hearing this, Ms. Chen felt slightly relieved. She twitched the corners of her mouth, realizing that she had misunderstood.
Not to mention that her daughter is still immature, even her stepson is of the best character and treats the little girl no worse than a biological sister.
Mentioning Zhang Qing'er, Madam Chen patted her head; her memory was terrible, she had almost forgotten the crucial matter.
"I was separated from Sister Qing'er by the crowd. Did she get back safely?"
Just as Lin Yuesha finished asking her question, Chen Shi hurriedly went out, waited a while, and then came back in carrying a large box.
"She came. She returned to the county government office and is safe. She sends people to inquire about you every day."
Chen only knew that Lin Yuesha was on the mountain, but the heavy snow had blocked the mountain and it was difficult to go out. As for her exact location, she did not know.
Zhang Qing'er sent her maid Qianlu several times. The day before yesterday, the family left the county and headed straight south. Before leaving, Lord Zhang brought Lin Shi and Zhang Qing'er to deliver some gifts in person.
"Lord Zhang said that although something unexpected happened and you didn't get to call them godfather and godmother, the proper etiquette cannot be abandoned, and they acknowledge them."
Ms. Chen was completely bewildered, having no idea that such a thing existed.
In short, she was in a daze when the two families became relatives.
"Mom, so my godfather, godmother, and Sister Baozhu have left?"
Lin Yuesha grabbed Chen's hand and said urgently.
She was very upset. She had promised Zhang Qing'er to make food, but she couldn't come back and was trapped in Sishui City, almost losing her life.
"Lord Zhang is in a hurry to take office, and there is really no time to delay. Besides, the new magistrate has also arrived, and we have to make room for him."
Mrs. Chen had never known that her daughter was so likable. After all, in Chenjia Village, the mother and daughter had always endured gossip and rumors.
"He really left."
Lin Yuesha looked dejected, and the thought of seeing Zhang Qing'er again, without knowing when or how long it would take, made her feel a little sad.
At the very least, the two sisters should say goodbye.
"Alright, although Lord Zhang and his family have left, we can still communicate with them later."
Mrs. Chen pushed the box to her daughter and told her to open it herself.
"It was left for you by Madam Zhang. I wanted to refuse, but she clearly stated that it was a gift for recognizing relatives, and the gift should not be refused."
Chen tried to find many reasons to refuse, but ultimately could not, so she had to accept it.
Lin Yuesha opened the box with the key and was immediately dazzled by the gleaming silver.
Ten taels of silver ingots filled half a box, which also contained hairpins, hair ornaments, bracelets and other jewelry, each piece exquisite.
Chen felt the box was heavy, and when she saw so many valuable items, she gasped in surprise.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
