"Fourth Sister, Fourth Sister~"
Where did you all go?
Just as his mother covered his mouth in terror and crouched in the crevice of the rocks, his father's voice came from outside.
"Yes, is he the father of my child?"
"Honey, honey, we're here!"
The mother's emotions fluctuated wildly, and she began to choke up.
"Oh dear, what happened?"
Hearing her father's exclamation, the mother quickly pulled him outside.
Instead, they were met with a slap from their father.
The father, his face full of anger, yelled at the mother, picked up the young master from the ground, and went back to the cave.
Wang Jingtao didn't quite understand the emotions between adults at the time, but he knew from his father and mother's conversation that the young master was not doing well.
He was terrified at that time because when the young master was being chosen to play with him, the head steward had warned them to take good care of him and to protect him. He said that if anything happened to the young master, they would have to die with him!
The sun came out, and in the distance, many people on horseback were still coming and going from the fishing village.
The father carried the young master on his back, and the mother held her in her arms. They hurriedly made their way to the city via a side mountain road, avoiding the fishing village.
Fortunately, they had enough money, and after a day and a night of treatment, the young master's life was saved.
Unfortunately, he didn't recognize anyone anymore, and he didn't remember anything from the past.
The father's expression gradually changed from worry and tension to confusion and hesitation.
That night, he woke up in the middle of the night and heard his father scolding him and his mother crying.
"Do you know who Madam is...? It's all over the place now..."
"If it weren't for you, would Young Master have gotten into this mess? Maybe we could have all gone back to Kyoto with him!"
“Think about it, the young master has no relatives left. Our family is his closest relatives, and he is the only bloodline of the hero Wang Sujun.”
"If this hadn't happened, why would we be hiding like this?"
"You're blaming me now. After such a big incident, and with the child being frightened, it's only natural for him to have a fever. I was carrying him on my back, intending to go to the sea to cool him down, when I heard the noise. How could I not be afraid?"
"I am also a mother. I have my own children. I protect my own children. What did I do wrong?"
"Waaaaah..."
"Alright, alright, stop crying! Let me have some peace and quiet!"
"Honey, what do we do now?"
“My husband and I have been in the General’s Mansion for so many years, and many families have seen us. If they want to look for us, they will find us sooner or later.”
“Husband, once we go back, there’s no chance we’ll ever come back. Our children will end up like those country bumpkins.”
"Working from dawn till dusk their whole lives, facing the loess soil with their backs to the sky, they can only barely make ends meet..."
"Tell me, why are people born so unequal? We all come into this world naked, and yet..."
"You know, our Yaozu is good-looking, clever, and even learned to read from the young master, so why was he born into our family? None of them have a good background..."
Wang Jingtao fell asleep amidst his father's sighs and his mother's complaints.
When he woke up the next day, both his father and mother looked haggard, clearly having not slept all night. His mother's eyes were swollen like peaches, and she held him tightly in her arms, crying like a wild animal about to lose its cub.
"Yaozu, my son, sob sob sob, don't blame us, we did all this for you."
“If you come back with us, it’s hard to say whether you’ll ever be able to leave those mountains again in your lifetime. You are your father and mother’s precious child. We are willing to do anything for you!”
Wang Jingtao vaguely remembers being held by his parents and having them say a lot of things to him.
“Child, forget everything. Just pretend you were frightened. Don’t remember anything except that your mother’s name is Wang Sujun.”
“You are Wang Sujun’s son. She told you before that your grandfather is a very powerful hero who will definitely come to save you.”
"Do you understand? Remember that?"
"You don't know anything else, you've forgotten everything. All you know is that your mother's name is Wang Sujun, and she's very beautiful. She told you that you have a very powerful maternal grandfather who will come to save you!"
He was forced to repeat that sentence over and over again.
"I don't know anything, I don't know anything. My mother is Wang Sujun, and I have a very powerful and heroic grandfather. He will definitely come to save us!"
That day, his father kept making him cry, coaxing him, tempting him, hitting him, and asking him questions.
"Who are you? What's your name? How old are you?"
"My name is Song Yaozu, and I'm..."
Before he could finish speaking, his hand was slapped.
"Come on, don't be afraid. Tell me, what's your name? How old are you? What are your father's and mother's names?"
"My name is Song..."
*Smack!*
"Waaaaah..."
"Child, remember what your father and mother said: no matter how others coax you or ask you questions, you must not tell them."
...
He cried for a day and a night, and was even pulled up in the middle of the night to be asked what his name was.
He was nearly driven mad, repeatedly muttering, "I don't know, I don't know, I only remember my mother's name is Wang Sujun, and I have a very powerful hero grandfather who will come to save us, waah..."
The next day, his parents sent him back to the small fishing village, where a man in military uniform with an imposing presence ran out and hugged him.
He screamed in terror, “I don’t know, I don’t know anything. I only know that my mother’s name is Wang Sujun, and I have a very powerful and heroic grandfather. My grandfather will come to save us. I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid.”
The upright and indomitable man looked at him, and his eyes immediately welled up with tears.
His father and mother left without looking back.
For a long time afterward, no matter who approached him, no matter who spoke to him, and no matter what others said, he remained unmoved.
He kept repeating with a look of fear, "I don't know, I don't know, I only know that my mother's name is Wang Sujun, and I have a very powerful and heroic grandfather. My grandfather will come to save us~"
He was later taken to Kyoto, where he saw a doctor, and after that, no one ever mentioned the past to him again.
He has a new name, Wang Jingtao. He no longer has a father and mother, but he has maternal grandparents, many uncles, and brothers and sisters.
At first, he didn't understand, and for a long time, he would dream in the middle of the night that his father and mother didn't want him anymore, and he would wake up crying from the dream.
But as he grew older, he came to understand his parents' sacrifices and helplessness.
For so many years, he has been separated from his parents.
For so many years, he has been loyal and filial to his maternal grandparents, not so that he could return the name Wang Jingtao to someone else years later.
The entire Song family paid such a heavy price.
Thinking back to today, Song Jingzhou's file shows the name Song Yaozu in the former name column.
Wang Jingtao's eyes darkened; perhaps he should also make a trip to southern Hunan.
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