Chapter 75 The Dealer's Jade Token (Part 2)
Inside the carriage, Qu He stroked the jade pendant in her hand.
Recalling Zhuang Yi's earlier remark about "a son following his father," she couldn't help but turn to ask, "Dad, did you also ask for a jade pendant back then?"
Zhuang Bieyan paused on the steering wheel, then nodded: "Mom, it was Dad who insisted on it."
“He obtained the jade pendant before my mother even entered the family. At that time, everyone in the family said he was crazy, refusing a suitable marriage partner and insisting on marrying a painter with no background. My great-grandfather was so angry that he almost broke his legs.”
"Then how did he manage to succeed?" Qu He pressed.
"I knelt in the ancestral hall for seven days and seven nights." Zhuang Bieyan's voice deepened as he looked at the flowing headlights ahead, his thoughts drifting back to the past.
“In June, when the sun was at its fiercest, he knelt at the entrance of the ancestral hall, refusing to eat or drink. Several ancestors took turns trying to persuade him, but he only said one thing: ‘I will not marry anyone but Feng Ruqiao.’ In the end, my great-grandfather softened and sighed as he let him into the ancestral hall.”
Qu He imagined the scene and her heart tightened: "That must be so difficult."
"The difficult part is what comes next." Zhuang Bieyan turned a corner and stopped by the roadside, the streetlights flickering on his face through the gaps in the leaves.
Zhuang Bieyan turned around, grasped Qu He's hand, his palm warm: "Later, Mom gave birth to Zhuang Liuyue, and only then did she gain the approval of those ancestors. But not long after, the Zhuang family was in turmoil, and the uncles and elders were all eyeing the right of succession. The elders in the ancestral hall said that Mom must give birth to a son before the group could be handed over to Dad."
“But Mom was already sick when she gave birth to Zhuang Liuyue, and her body was very weak. Dad had already packed his bags, saying that if necessary, he would take Mom and Zhuang Liuyue with him and not take any of the family property. But when he was about to leave, he found out that Mom was already pregnant with me.”
These words were spoken softly, but Qu He's eyes stung with tears.
Looking into Zhuang Bieyan's eyes, she could almost see how the young and impetuous Zhuang Yi had fought against his entire family for the sake of his beloved.
Zhuang Bieyan's Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was low and hoarse. "My mother had a severe hemorrhage when she gave birth to me and stayed in the hospital for more than half a year. The most expensive medicines and the best doctors were used, but in the end, she still couldn't be saved."
Qu He's eyes instantly reddened, and she gripped his hand tightly, her fingertips trembling.
Zhuang Bieyan suddenly smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Ahe, aren't you curious? Why am I the only one in the entire Zhuang family who still remembers those 321 family rules?"
Qu He shook her head, then nodded.
"Because I grew up in the ancestral hall until I was seven years old."
He looked at the tall buildings in front of him, his gaze drifting into the distance. "The elders in the ancestral hall said that I am the root of the family and must be nurtured according to the rules... It wasn't until later, due to some special reasons, that I was released."
But by then, the house no longer held any trace of my mother.
The carriage quieted down, with only the gentle breeze from the air conditioner blowing softly.
Qu He touched the jade pendant in her hand, feeling it become both hot and warm.
Her heart was heavy, and she finally blurted out what she had been keeping to herself, "But Grandma Yan said that my current physical condition is not suitable for having children, and I may not be able to conceive in the future."
She felt somewhat uneasy when she said those words.
But the moment the words left my lips, I felt my hand tighten suddenly around hers.
“Ahe”.
Qu He looked up and met his gaze; the light from the streetlamp fell directly into his eyes, dazzlingly bright.
His gaze was firm, and his voice resonated deeply: "I will not let that happen. I will not allow any outdated customs or external pressures to hurt you, and I will not let the past repeat itself."
He reached out and pulled her into his arms, gently pressing her head against his shoulder.
Zhuang Bieyan didn't say the second half of the sentence.
Even if it meant going against the entire clan, he would never let her suffer the slightest injustice.
The car restarted and headed towards Baiyu Bay.
Qu He stroked her name on the jade pendant, then, remembering something, turned to him and asked, "You still haven't told me how you begged for this jade pendant? Dad knelt in the ancestral hall, and what about you? Did you... kneel too?"
Zhuang Bieyan looked straight ahead and gave a flat "hmm".
Perhaps to reassure Qu He, he added, "Don't worry, I only knelt for two days. Those old fogies were afraid something would happen to me, so they let me in quickly."
Two days!
Qu He's eyes welled up with tears. "When did this happen?"
After they got married, she never saw Zhuang Bieyan leave for an extended period of time. What was he asking for?
etc!
A thought occurred to Qu He, "Was it when you were on your last business trip?"
He was on a last-minute business trip and didn't return until a few days later than scheduled.
Zhuang Bieyan nodded after a few seconds.
The last time she went on a business trip... was the day he announced their relationship at the school anniversary ceremony and helped her out of an awkward situation.
At the time, he mistakenly thought she was angry and gave her the cold shoulder for several days.
Qu He recalled the day they reconciled, when she saw the red marks on his hand and asked him why, but he only said, "It was from an accidental engraving on the ring."
But now that I think about it, those red marks clearly show that they were left there for quite some time, and you can still vaguely see the marks of blood blisters.
Qu He's voice trembled slightly, "Besides kneeling in the ancestral hall, what else do we need to do to ask for a jade tablet?"
Zhuang Bieyan looked at her reddened eyes and sighed silently, "We also need to engrave the reason for seeking the jade pendant and the words of praise on the iron book."
"An iron book? Is it a book made of iron?"
"Yes, it's an old custom passed down from our ancestors. We use a specially made iron plate to engrave the name of the person we want to marry, their family background, and the reason why we are asking for the jade pendant, stroke by stroke."
Qu He choked up, "Is it very difficult to carve?"
When the car arrived at Baiyu Bay, Zhuang Bieyan stepped on the brakes and brought it to a stop. "The iron pages are hard, and the engraving knife is heavy. Every word requires skillful application of force; you can't rush it."
Qu He recalled the red marks on his hand, "How long did it take you to carve them?"
"It's not long, just a day or two."
Zhuang Bieyan spoke of it casually, but made no mention of those days when he barely slept and his fingertips were blistered from the carving knife.
Hearing his words, Qu He unbuckled her seatbelt, rushed forward, and hugged him tightly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Zhuang Bieyan patted her back and rubbed her head. "There's nothing to say."
He straightened her up and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Ahe, none of that matters. What matters is that I've begged for it. You are now the rightful Mrs. Zhuang, and no one can question that."
Qu He grasped his hand, sniffed, and tears still involuntarily fell, landing on their clasped hands and on the heavy jade pendant in her palm.
Zhuang Bieyan looked tenderly at the person in front of him.
Ah He, nothing else matters. What matters is that the jade pendant is in your hand now, and you are by my side.
That's enough.
On the way up the elevator, Qu He kept stroking the jade pendant, and scenes of her daily interactions with Zhuang Bieyan floated through her mind.
He took meticulous care of her and even obtained this jade pendant for her...
Perhaps Si Yue's words made sense; she couldn't be trapped in the past. But... how could she make Zhuang Bieyan fall in love with her?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
