Chapter 174 Roses and Vegetables
It was rare to see the Yang family's courtyard filled with people.
Yang Guojun, Liu Guizhen, Xia Mingcai, Zhao Fei, Xia Wu, Ji Yunzhou, and Fu Shilin.
Ji Yunzhou personally made tea and prepared fruits. After he had everything ready, he sat next to Xia Wu and held her hand tightly.
"Uncle and aunt, this time it was a sudden idea of mine to invite you all here. I mainly wanted everyone to have an open and honest chat. If there are any misunderstandings, we can resolve them."
Zhao Fei didn't look happy. "What misunderstanding? If you ask me, both children are living well with our family!"
She felt somewhat disgusted with Yang Guojun and his wife, especially when she saw Xia Wu always siding with Liu Guizhen. She insisted on sitting next to Liu Guizhen instead of sitting in so many other places. She felt bad that she had worked so hard to raise Xia Wu over the years.
Ji Yunzhou sensed the sting in Zhao Fei's words, but he was neither anxious nor annoyed. He just smiled gently and held Xia Wu's hand tighter, conveying silent support.
"Aunt Zhao, I understand how you feel. You have loved Xiao Wu for so many years, and no one can replace your efforts and feelings." He first affirmed Zhao Fei's efforts with a sincere tone.
Zhao Fei, however, didn't buy it. She snorted coldly, and her sharp eyes swept over Yang Guojun and Liu Guizhen, and finally fell on the clasped hands of Xia Wu and Ji Yunzhou: "Yunzhou, you don't need to try to smooth things over here! Replacement? Who wants to replace whom? Xiao Wu is my daughter, Zhao Fei. From childhood to adulthood, I have carefully nurtured her, sent her to the best schools, studied piano and ballet, and made her what she is today! Now, some people appear and want to reap the benefits with that little blood relationship? There is no such cheap thing in the world!" Her words were like a knife, merciless, and Yang Guojun and Liu Guizhen's faces turned pale in an instant.
Liu Guizhen's lips trembled violently, and tears finally rolled down her cheeks. She wasn't aggrieved herself, but for her daughter: "Her mother Xia... We didn't mean to pick the fruit... Xiao Wu is doing well, and we are happy in our hearts... It's us who let the child down. Back then..."
"What do you mean by 'back then'?" Zhao Fei interrupted her excitedly, "Are you talking about 'back then' now? Since you made the choice back then, why bother disturbing the child's life now? Do you know how sad Xiao Wu was during that time? She couldn't adapt to this place, she missed home and missed us! Have you ever felt distressed?" She emphasized the words "missed home" and "missed us" very strongly, deliberately drawing a clear line between them.
Xia Wu's heart tightened. Zhao Fei's words brought back the confusion and pain of her past life. She subconsciously tried to pull back her hand from Ji Yunzhou's grasp, a natural reaction of guilt and unease. But Ji Yunzhou held her tightly, not letting her retreat.
"Mom!" Xia Wu's voice was confused. "Don't say that. I wanted to come back on my own."
"Don't blame them? Then who should you blame? Me?" Zhao Fei turned her fire on Xia Wu. "Xiao Wu, I raised you for twenty years, and that's not as good as their few months. Look at you, who are you sitting next to? Do you still have room for me, your mother, in your heart?"
Xia Ming, who had been silent all this time, held his wife's arm and frowned: "Wife, calm down. We are not here to quarrel today." Although he tried to dissuade her, his face was solemn, and it was obvious that he was not without resentment towards Xia Wu's "estrangement".
Yang Guojun, the silent country man, had his chest heaving violently at this moment. He suddenly raised his head, his eyes red, like a trapped animal that had been cornered. He spoke in a hoarse voice: "Xia family sister! You have to speak with conscience! Yes, you have the conditions, and we are grateful for raising the child well! But you say we are disturbing? Twenty years! A full twenty years! We also love Xiaowei from the bottom of our hearts and provide her with the best we can. We didn't want to take the wrong child! We are also victims! When it happened, you asked us not to have children. Thinking that the two children were grown up and we couldn't give them good conditions, we agreed to it. But people are made of flesh and blood. Who isn't a father and a mother? You want children, don't we?!"
He became more and more excited as he spoke. He suddenly stood up and pointed at the simple courtyard: "Look at this place! How can we compare with you? Apart from our lives and blood, what else can we give to our child? We are not trying to take her away now, we just want to hear her call us mom and dad. Is there anything wrong with that?!" For the first time, this honest man vented his pent-up pain and humiliation in front of outsiders.
Liu Guizhen was sobbing uncontrollably and tightly grasped Xia Wu's hand, as if she would lose him if she let go.
The situation was completely out of control, filled with tension. Ji Yunzhou knew he couldn't let his emotions run wild any longer. He raised his voice slightly, calmly but forcefully interjecting into the heated confrontation: "Uncle and aunt! Please calm down!"
He first looked at Zhao Fei, his eyes frank and firm: "Aunt Zhao, Xiao Wu is sitting next to Aunt Yang not because she doesn't love you, but precisely because she has you in her heart. With the confidence given by the Xia family, she dares to get close and make up for the other missing family affection. If she didn't have you in her heart, she would only escape, instead of trying to balance it painfully like she is now!"
Then, he turned to Yang Guojun, his tone gentle but with undeniable strength: "Uncle Yang, I understand how you feel. But please also understand Aunt Zhao. She's not arrogant, she's afraid. She's afraid of losing the child she's poured twenty years of her life into. This fear made her say hurtful words. We all love Xiao Wu, but love shouldn't be a weapon to hurt each other."
Finally, he looked at Xia Wu deeply and encouraged her to speak her true thoughts.
Xia Wu burst into tears. She broke free from Ji Yunzhou's hand, but not to escape. Instead, she stood up, faced her four parents, and bowed deeply. When she looked up again, her face was covered in tears, but her eyes were unusually clear and resolute.
"Dad, Mom, I'm sorry for making you sad. I can never repay you for your kindness in this lifetime. You will always be my mom and dad, and that will never change!" She said, then turned to Yang Guojun and Liu Guizhen and said with equal sincerity: "Dad, Mom, I'm sorry too. I didn't do well before and made you sad. The grace of life is greater than heaven, and I can't give up this blood relationship."
She took a deep breath, as if she had exhausted all her strength. Her voice was trembling but resounding. "I'm not an object. I don't belong to anyone. I'm a person. I have a heart and feelings! I love the parents who raised me, and I also feel sorry for the parents who gave birth to me! Why do I have to choose? Why can't it be... I have another pair of parents to love me, and you have another daughter?"
"Xiao Wei has the same idea as me."
She walked to the center of the yard, her eyes sweeping over every face: "Today, if you insist on forcing me to make a choice, then I tell you, I can't choose! If my happiness must be built on the pain of anyone, then I don't want this happiness! I would rather... not recognize anyone!" She almost shouted the last few words with despair and determination.
These words reverberated like thunder in the courtyard. Zhao Fei was stunned; she hadn't expected her daughter to be so stubborn. Xia Mingcai's face changed. Yang Guojun and Liu Guizhen stood up in panic, waving their hands repeatedly, "Child, don't, don't say that..."
Ji Yunzhou immediately stepped forward to support the nearly collapsed Xia Wu. He looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice, "Uncle and aunt, did you all hear that? This is Xiao Wu's truest thought, and also her most painful situation. As elders, are we here to solve the problem, or to force her into a desperate situation?"
Deathly silence fell. The sun was still bright, but it couldn't penetrate the thick, unbearable heaviness that filled the courtyard.
After a long time, Xia Ming let out a long sigh and broke the silence first: "Xiao Wu, Dad understands. It's... we were inconsiderate and put pressure on you." He looked at Zhao Fei with complicated eyes.
Zhao Fei looked at her daughter's pale, stubborn face, feeling a sharp jolt in her heart. She recalled Xia Wu's childhood, when she was sick, nestled in her arms, softly calling her "Mom." That exclusive motherly love seemed to have to give way at that moment. She slumped back in her chair, closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her sharpness had diminished considerably, leaving only fatigue and a subtle... looseness.
After Xia Wu's resounding declaration and Ji Yunzhou's calm guidance, the atmosphere in the courtyard changed from fierce conflict to a heavy and complex silence.
Zhao Fei closed her eyes, her chest rising and falling slightly, clearly wrestling with a fierce internal struggle. She was accustomed to control, accustomed to being the most important mother in Xia Wu's world. Now, she was being forced to share, perhaps even taking a backseat. This sense of disparity and loss nearly overwhelmed her. But her daughter's words, "If my happiness must be built on the suffering of either of us, then I don't want it!" were like a hammer, shattering her stubbornness in the name of love. She finally realized that the pressure she was exerting was pushing her beloved daughter into an abyss of pain.
She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze no longer filled with sharp accusation, but with deep fatigue and a subtle hint of compromise. She looked across at Yang Guojun and Liu Guizhen, who were equally uneasy. Liu Guizhen's hands, roughened by years of hard work and now twisted together in nervousness, stung Zhao Fei's eyes. These hands should have held Xia Wu's hand as she grew up.
"...Alas." Zhao Fei sighed deeply, as if venting all her anger and resentment. When she spoke again, her voice was hoarse, but no longer stinging. "Xiao Wu... Mommy... It's not that Mommy doesn't love you." She struggled to choose her words. "It's just... it's just that all of a sudden, I can't wrap my head around it. I'm afraid you'll... forget us."
Xia Wu's tears flowed even more fiercely when she heard her adoptive mother's tone soften. She quickly shook her head, "No, Mom, I will never forget. I remember every little bit of how good you and Dad have been to me!"
Seeing his wife's change of heart, Xia Mingcai also spoke up. After all, he was a businessman, and he knew how to weigh the pros and cons and act accordingly. He patted the back of Zhao Fei's hand, then turned to Yang Guojun and his wife, speaking with a much more sincere tone: "Brother, sister-in-law, Xiaofei was emotional just now and said some harsh words. Please don't take it personally. Ultimately, we just want Xiaowu to be well. For the past twenty years, we have truly cherished Xiaowu like the apple of our eye. I'm sure you can understand this."
Seeing Xia Mingcai lower his stance, Yang Guojun felt a bit overwhelmed and waved his hands quickly, "I understand, I understand! Xia brothers, how can we not understand? We are grateful!" He looked at Xia Wu, his eyes red again, "You guys took good care of Xiao Wu, but it was Xiao Wei who suffered in our family."
Liu Guizhen also mustered up the courage, wiped her tears with her sleeve, and turned towards Zhao Fei and Xia Mingcai, her voice choked but she tried to express herself: "Xiao Wu, her father and mother, I'm not good at speaking. We really didn't mean to steal the child away. Xiao Wu is blessed to have parents like you. What we owe Xiao Wei is something only you can give. We are so sorry for you."
Her words were humble and sincere, with the simplicity and resigned plea unique to rural people, and were more powerful than any fancy words.
Ji Yunzhou knew this was a crucial moment for reconciliation. He spoke gently, connecting the goodwill of both parties: "Uncle Yang, Aunt Yang, Uncle Xia and Aunt Zhao must have sensed your kindness. Aunt Zhao, Uncle Xia, you see, Uncle Yang and Aunt Yang's request is actually very simple. They just want some familial recognition, and it won't affect Xiao Wu's feelings for you. Xiao Wu is truly blessed to be loved by both sets of parents."
Xia Wu walked up to Zhao Fei, squatted down, looked up at her adoptive mother, tears welling in her eyes: "Mom, you will always be the most important mother to me. No one can replace your place in my heart."
Zhao Fei looked at her daughter's face, pleading, so close to her. Finally, she reached out and gently stroked Xia Wu's hair. This gesture, which she had done for twenty years, now took on a different meaning. She let out a long sigh, as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted. Although her eyes were still red, her tone had calmed down. "Alright, get up. You're already a grown woman, how can you behave like this? I understand. I was mistaken before."
She looked at Liu Guizhen again. Although she couldn't get intimate with her yet, her tone softened a lot: "In the future...whatever the child wants, it's up to her. As long as she's happy." This was almost the biggest concession she could make.
Xia Mingcai also nodded and said to Yang Guojun, "Brother, we will be relatives from now on. Xiao Wu is our daughter, and your daughter as well. You can ask Xiao Wu to take you to see her when you have time."
At this moment, although a hint of awkwardness still lingered in the air, the tense atmosphere finally dissipated. They had reached a consensus on their goal—for Xia Wu's own good.
Ji Yunzhou promptly poured hot tea for everyone: "Uncle and aunt, it's good to have spoken out. We have a long time to live together. Come, have a sip of tea to moisten your throat."
The warmth of the tea and Ji Yunzhou's well-timed handling eased the awkward atmosphere in the yard a lot, but the unfamiliar feeling of the initial reconciliation still existed, and a subtle silence floated in the air, not knowing how to continue.
Zhao Fei put down her teacup and looked at Xia Wu, as if trying to find something to say to break the deadlock. She noticed Xia Wu's slightly tanned skin and his hands, slightly rougher but stronger than when he was in the city. Something in her heart stirred, and she remembered the fragments she had heard before. She cleared her throat, trying to keep her tone calm, with a hint of deliberately created curiosity:
"Xiao Wu, I heard that after you came back, you contracted a piece of mountain? How is it going?" After all, she was still unable to completely conceal the possible hidden scrutiny of a wealthy lady towards rural affairs.
When Xia Wu heard this, his eyes lit up instantly.
"Come on, I'll take you up the mountain to have a look!"
Ten minutes later, the group arrived at Yantou Mountain.
This wasn't the barren, chaotic mountain they'd imagined. As far as the eye could see, terraced fields cascaded up the mountainside, their neatly trimmed fruit trees lush and verdant. Nearby, kiwi racks laden with unripe fruit, their vines entwined and vibrant. A little further away, peach trees, already beginning to turn red, dotted the verdant landscape like the blush on a shy girl's face. Higher still, neat rows of tea trees formed like waves of green.
The mountain breeze blew, bringing with it the unique fragrance of fruit trees and ruffling Xia Wu's hair. She turned around, a bright smile on her face, and pointed with her finger:
"Look! Over there, near the water source, I've planted some blueberries. This is the second year, and they've already produced quite a few fruits! On this sunny slope, I'm planting peaches. The variety is recommended by experts from the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and it's incredibly sweet! And there's that tea garden. I learned traditional tea-making techniques from the villagers. Although the production isn't large, the flavor is truly authentic!"
She spoke eloquently, reciting every detail like the back of her hand. She knew exactly when each variety would bloom and bear fruit, and what pests and diseases to watch out for. She even bent down, grabbed a handful of soil, and offered it to Zhao Fei. "Mom, look at this soil! We've improved it with lots of organic fertilizer, and it's incredibly fertile!"
Zhao Fei subconsciously took the handful of soil that was damp and fragrant. Looking at her daughter's hands, which were no longer delicate due to long-term labor but were full of strength, and listening to her professional and enthusiastic explanation, her heart was greatly shocked.
How could this be the same delicate girl she remembered, the one who never touched water, wore gloves when playing the piano, and rarely left the house for fear of getting a tan? The Xia Wu before her had healthy tanned skin, a tall and straight figure, and a bright, determined gaze. She was filled with a deep affection for this land and these crops, and a sense of ownership and responsibility.
Zhao Fei's mind flashed back to how Xia Wu used to be afraid of being pricked even when pruning rose branches in their own garden. Comparing this with her current daughter who walked freely in the mountains and fiddled with the soil expertly, a complex emotion welled up in her heart - sadness, strangeness, but more of it, an indescribable wonder and... pride.
She suddenly realized that her daughter had not fallen by leaving the Xia family's conservatory, but had found a wider world where she could take root and blossom. This transformation was painful, but the result was so full of vitality.
Liu Guizhen added, "Xiao Wu may have done it. She is willing to work hard and has a quick mind. This hill was very barren at the beginning, and she led people to open it up bit by bit." Her tone was full of heartache and pride.
Yang Guojun also smiled and nodded: "Xiao Wu is better than us."
Xia Mingcai looked at the mountain land that was beginning to take shape and was well managed. As a businessman, he also saw its potential and value. He couldn't help but nod slightly, and there was a bit more real recognition in his eyes when he looked at Xia Wu.
Ji Yunzhou walked over to Xia Wu, and together they looked at this hopeful green landscape, and whispered, "Look, this is your kingdom."
Xia Wu turned around and met Zhao Fei's complicated gaze. She seemed to understand something and walked over, holding Zhao Fei's arm. Her voice was soft but powerful: "Mom, you see, I'm doing fine here. Although it's a bit tiring, I feel fulfilled and happy. This is what I created with my own hands."
Zhao Fei took her daughter's hand in her own. This time, there was no criticism or scrutiny, only deep emotion and ultimately, a sense of relief and acceptance. She gazed at the lush greenery of the mountain and finally revealed a truly heartwarming smile, a smile tinged with tears. "Good, so good... Mom has seen it. My little Wu has truly grown up."
Fu Shilin followed behind everyone silently, watching all this silently. After all, it was not his place to interrupt.
Ji Yunzhou took two steps back and looked at Fu Shilin, sizing up this potential rival with curiosity.
"Mr. Fu, Xiao Wu has grown a lot."
There are some things that don't need to be said too clearly between men, as long as both of them know it in their hearts.
Fu Shilin chuckled, as if he was getting to know Xia Wu for the first time. "She grew up because of me."
An inexplicable tit-for-tat spread between the two people's eyes as they stared at each other. Xia Wu, as happy as a little deer, ran over and pulled Ji Yunzhou up, "Let's go catch some chickens for lunch!"
He didn't even look at Fu Shilin.
Fu Shilin: "..."
The smile on his face faded, and Ji Yunzhou showed a smug smile, so light that it almost flashed by.
Fu Shilin had never seen Xia Wu like this before. She was like a warm little sun. She had lost her previous pampered nature. She was like a delicate and temperamental vase, but suddenly she had grown a tough soul and branches, as if she was reborn.
It’s a pity that he missed the hardship of the new buds breaking through the soil and naturally could not taste the beauty and fragrance of the blooming roses.
Liu Guizhen cooked at noon. It was rare for Zhao Fei to go to the kitchen on her own initiative. Perhaps because she saw Xia Wu helping in the kitchen, she didn't do much after she went in. She just asked all sorts of questions, curious why someone had to cook and light a fire.
Xia Wu taught her to sit in front of the stove and add firewood. Poor Zhao Fei was forced to add one piece of firewood after another while shouting and yelling that she wanted to leave.
The noble lady who usually seemed so high and mighty actually had such an embarrassing day. Xia Wu even took a picture of her mother's embarrassed look and sent it to Yang Wei.
Maybe one day they can all get together.
Liu Guizhen cooked stewed chicken with mushrooms, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, scrambled eggs with wild onions, and bacon with dried bamboo shoots...
One after another delicious dishes were served on the table. Xia Wu happily took out his treasured fruit wine and was responsible for entertaining everyone.
Xia Mingcai is a master at drinking. He has drunk countless bottles of wine, but he still admires Xia Wu's homemade fruit wine.
Zhao Fei was used to eating delicacies from land and sea, and she thought that this meal would not surprise her. However, she knew that the egg she put in her mouth was so delicious that it made her eyebrows drop.
Seeing that Zhao Fei had softened, Liu Guizhen quickly said, "These are all vegetables grown by the chickens raised by Xiao Wu. Aren't they delicious?"
Zhao Fei never thought that she would be able to eat vegetables grown by her own daughter in this life. It felt so wonderful.
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