First Meeting with Parents (Part 2)
The woman had barely steadied herself when her gaze swept over the sparse crowd and landed on me. Her previously weary eyes instantly brightened, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out. She hurried to the fence, reaching out to touch me, but the cold wood blocked her way. She could only peer at me through the gap, her voice trembling uncontrollably: "Zhaozhao, my Zhaozhao, are you doing well in the palace? You look so thin!"
The middle-aged man beside me put down his food box, moved closer to the fence, and looked at me with a mixture of scrutiny and concern. He was silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Zhaozhao, did you suffer any injustice in the palace? You seem rather timid, not as composed as you are at home."
My heart tightened; I knew I was in trouble. It seemed they had noticed my unease. I quickly lowered my head, feigning a slightly aggrieved expression, and said softly, "There are many rules in the palace, and I'm not used to them. It's alright, Father and Mother, don't worry." At the same time, I was rapidly searching for a solution in my mind. Fortunately, I had learned some things from Granny Zhang beforehand, so I wouldn't be completely exposed.
Hearing my words, the woman's eyes immediately reddened. She wiped away her tears, her voice filled with heartache: "It's never as good as home in the palace. It's all my fault for not stopping you back then. You grew up with Qin Lan, that girl from the Qin family. When she wanted to enter the palace, you insisted on coming with her, no matter how much the family tried to persuade you. Now look what's happened, you're suffering in the cold palace, and Qin Lan is also..." She paused here, her tone becoming somewhat heavy.
My heart skipped a beat. Qin Lan? This was the first time I'd heard this name. It seemed to be someone "Tian Zhao" knew well. I feigned confusion and asked, "Mother, what happened to Qin Lan? I haven't seen her since I entered the palace."
The woman sighed and lowered her voice: "You don't know yet, do you? After Qin Lan entered the palace, she was assigned to work under Consort Li. A while ago, Consort Li had an incident and was banished to the Cold Palace. She was also implicated and sent to the laundry department. The work in the laundry department is the hardest. I heard that she has to wash a huge pile of clothes every day, and her hands are all soaked and rotten. I don't know if she can handle it."
I silently noted this information down. It seemed Qin Lan's situation wasn't good either; perhaps I could learn more about the palace from her later. At this moment, the middle-aged man gently patted the woman's shoulder, signaling her not to say such worrying things. Then he looked at me, his tone full of expectation: "Zhaozhao, just be well in the palace. Don't worry about things at home. These past few years, your father has done quite well, passing the imperial examinations and becoming a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. Although it's only a minor official of the eighth rank, it's still better than before. If I were still a bondservant like before, I wouldn't even be able to find anyone to pull strings and arrange for you to stay in the cold palace to avoid trouble."
He paused, then took a cloth bag from the food box and carefully handed it through a gap in the fence: "Inside are some pastries your mother made for you, and a few new clothes. Take care of yourself in the palace, don't be too frugal. Your family only wishes for your safety; nothing else matters. Your brother is also preparing for the imperial examinations; he's working very hard and said that once he's successful, he'll bring you out of the palace." He then pretended to straighten his clothes, and in the brief moment the guard turned his head, he secretly slipped a bag of silver into the hand of the guard at the gate, whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Please take good care of me."
I took the cloth bag; it felt heavy in my hand, carrying with it a deep sense of love and concern. It still carried a faint scent of sunshine, having been recently dried in the sun. I suddenly remembered yesterday when Granny Zhang brought my meals; she had stared intently at the silver bracelet my mother had left me on my wrist, her tone slightly inquisitive: "This bracelet has a unique style; it must be quite old?" Clutching the bag tightly now, a warm feeling welled up inside me. Although I wasn't the real "Tian Zhao," I truly felt the love of my parents. I looked up at their weathered faces, my eyes welling up, and my voice trembled slightly: "Thank you, Father and Mother. I will take good care of myself and wait for my brother to succeed in the imperial examinations. Please take care of yourselves at home and don't overwork yourselves." I wondered if Granny Zhang's interaction with my mother was related to this silver bracelet?
Seeing my expression, the middle-aged man smiled with relief and nodded, "Good, good, it's good that you think that way. It's getting late, we should go back now. Take care of yourself in the palace, and if anything happens, remember to send a message home." The woman also looked at me with reluctance, repeatedly reminding me to keep warm and eat on time.
I watched their retreating figures as they turned and left. The man, supporting the woman, walked step by step towards the old wooden cart. The skinny horse seemed to sense the atmosphere of parting, letting out a soft neigh. The wheels creaked again, gradually disappearing into the distant morning light. I stood there, clutching the cloth bag tightly in my hands, my heart filled with mixed emotions.
Although I possess "Tian Zhao's" body, the love these parents have for me is real. From now on, I must not only survive in this deep palace, but also take good care of them for "Tian Zhao" and prevent them from worrying. At the same time, the affairs of Qin Lan and Consort Li have made me realize that this palace is far more complex and dangerous than I imagined, and I must be more cautious to survive in this turbulent environment.
I glanced down at the cloth bag in my hand, then at the gradually dispersing crowd around me. I took a deep breath, turned, and headed towards the Cold Palace. New challenges awaited me; I couldn't afford to be complacent.
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