Two days ago, Qiao Sheng took Jiao's mother and Mr. and Mrs. Wu from Guxian Town to Yuzhou.
Upon arriving in Yuzhou, in order to see Jiangshan as soon as possible, Jiao's mother asked Qiao Sheng to take Master Wu and his wife to Jiang's Private Kitchen No. 1, while she and her maids and servants went to No. 2, thinking that no matter which one was in the restaurant, as long as Jiangshan was there, she would be able to see her.
Hearing from Manager Li that Jiangshan had gone out on business, they decided not to rush to the store and instead went to see Sanlang first.
The carriage entered Cat Alley, turned a corner, and then stopped.
Xiao Ba pointed to the bamboo hut in front and said, "Madam, there is a rule in the bamboo hut: the brothers do not allow carriages from outside to enter, as it would disturb the gentleman's peace and quiet. Please forgive us."
Jiao's mother understood perfectly. Huan'er and Fangniang helped her off the carriage, one on each side, and they walked towards the bamboo hut.
Upon entering the bamboo hut, one could hear the sounds of a group of children playing in the distance. Although one could not see the children, the sounds suggested that the area behind the hut was quite lively.
Xiao Ba didn't see anyone in the front yard, so he invited Jiao's mother to sit down in the temporary pavilion where guests were being received.
"Madam, please sit down and have a cup of tea. I'll go find Sixth Brother."
A chessboard sits on a stone table in the pavilion, and the tea on the table is still steaming, indicating that someone has just been playing chess there.
After sitting for a while, Jiao's mother got up and strolled around the bamboo hut.
The environment here is beautiful; she fell in love with it at first sight.
After walking a few steps, she saw a bamboo house with the words "Plum Blossom Cottage" written in cursive script on the door.
Her eyes were fixed on the words above the door, and a hint of moisture gradually appeared in them.
The next moment, she uncontrollably pushed open the door of the bamboo house and slowly walked inside.
This was a study, and every piece of furniture in it gave her an indescribable feeling, causing her heart to beat faster involuntarily.
Her gaze moved inch by inch, and suddenly, a painting on the wall caught her full attention.
It was a painting of plum blossoms in winter. The colors and ink on the painting seemed to come alive, spreading inch by inch before her eyes and transforming into familiar scenes.
Father, I'm hiding behind the plum tree, you definitely won't find me!
Dad, I picked the first plum blossom of the year for you. Do you like it?
Father, the plum blossoms are about to bloom, but I will not be able to pick the last plum blossom for you!
“Father…!” Jiao’s mother trembled as she reached out and gently touched the signature on the painting, tears streaming down her face.
Huan'er and Fangniang watched this scene in surprise, but they didn't dare to step forward and say anything. Instead, they quietly retreated.
"Father...Father...!" Jiao's mother cried out repeatedly, her sobs growing louder and louder, until they were about to spiral out of control.
Just as Mr. Xunmei finished airing Sanlang's shoes and socks, he heard intermittent crying coming from the study.
He slowly walked to the window, looked at the woman inside who was crying her heart out, and asked in confusion, "Whose maid are you? Have you come to the wrong place?"
Jiao's mother looked back and, through her blurry, tear-filled eyes, saw the old man outside the window.
The old man was dressed in a faded blue robe, his temples were streaked with white, and his eyes were filled with the marks of time and hardship. He was looking at her with concern.
It was her beloved father whom she had been thinking about day and night.
"Father...!" Jiao's mother cried out in a mixture of grief, pain, surprise, and joy, rushing to the window like a fledgling returning to its nest, and tightly embracing Mr. Xunmei.
Mr. Xunmei was struck dumb, and he was so shocked that he couldn't react for a long time.
"Mei'er? You...you're Mei'er? You're really Mei'er?"
Mr. Xunmei could hardly believe it. His voice contained a hint of caution, a trace of hidden expectation, and an undisguised excitement.
He was terrified that this was a dream, one that would end at the slightest touch.
Overwhelmed with mixed emotions of sorrow and joy, Jiao's mother held Mr. Xunmei's aged face in her hands, crying and laughing at the same time, "Father, it's me, it's Cheng Mei, it's your Mei'er!"
Two streams of tears rolled down Mr. Xunmei's face. Trembling, he reached out and hugged Mrs. Jiao, choking back sobs as he said, "Is this my Mei'er? Father has found you, Father has finally found you!"
Jiao's mother cried so hard she could barely breathe, yet she still clung to Mr. Xunmei and wailed like a child, oblivious to everything else.
Outside the door, Huan'er and Fangniang were whispering in shock.
"Fangniang, is that old gentleman really our old lady's father?"
"I don't know either. This happened so suddenly. Look at the old lady, it's like a father and daughter reunited after a long separation."
"Let's go somewhere else and not bother them."
"That's right, let's go wait over there!"
Sanlang carried Jiang Huai, who looked like a mud monkey, back to change his clothes. From afar, he shouted towards the study, "Teacher, Huai'er ran into the pond again, covered in mud!"
Mr. Xunmei was still immersed in the joy of reuniting with his daughter and hadn't reacted yet.
Jiao's mother couldn't recognize Sanlang's voice, but she did hear Jiang Huai's name.
"Father, it's Huai'er, he's my...Sanlang?"
When Sanlang saw Jiao's mother, he exclaimed in surprise, "Mother, what brings you here!"
Mother? Mr. Xunmei's legs went weak, and he almost lost his balance.
"Teacher, please come in! Let me introduce you. This is my mother! Mother, this is my teacher, Mr. Xunmei!"
Mr. Xunmei, Xunmei… Jiao’s mother burst into tears once again.
Saburo then realized something was wrong; why were his mother and teacher both crying their eyes out?
Mr. Xunmei strode in from outside. The father and daughter sat down in chairs, holding hands tightly, their eyes fixed intently on Sanlang and Mud Monkey Jianghuai.
"Grandpa, time for a bath!" Jiang Huai called out softly, obediently letting Sanlang hold his little hand, but his bright, grape-like eyes were fixed on Jiao's mother.
Mr. Xunmei, however, couldn't care less about Jiang Huai at this moment. He pointed at Sanlang and asked Jiao's mother, "Mei'er, explain yourself clearly, is Sanlang really your child? Your biological son?"
Jiao's mother already knew that Sanlang's reclusive scholar was actually her biological father!
It turns out that everything was predetermined.
Jiao's mother nodded. "Father, Shan'er and Sanlang are both my children. I'll tell you more about Shan'er later."
Sanlang was stunned for a moment, then asked blankly, "Mother, why do you call the teacher 'father'?"
Jiao's mother wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and smiled, "Silly child, your teacher is my own father! My maiden name is Mei, and the daughter your teacher has been searching for is your mother!"
Sanlang opened his mouth, took a few quick breaths, and said, "But Mother, didn't you say your surname is Mei?"
A hint of apology flashed in Jiao's mother's eyes, "Sanlang, I'm sorry, I hid my true identity from you, and you've suffered because of me!"
Sanlang's eyes reddened, and he looked up at Mr. Xunmei. "Teacher, you are my maternal grandfather, right? You are not an old man living alone. You have a daughter, a grandson, a granddaughter, and a great-grandson. You have so many relatives!"
With his eyes closed and tears streaming down his face, Mr. Xunmei nodded fiercely, “Mei’er, it is your father who has wronged you. I will seek justice for you and the children for the injustices you have suffered!”
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