Chapter 2 Returning Home
The mountains stretch endlessly, the valleys are serene and quiet, and a deep pool glistens in the sunlight, its depths unfathomable.
As if the surface of the jade-like water suddenly rippled, a person emerged, startling the deer that were drinking water by the pool into scattering and fleeing.
Ah Heng wiped her face, looked around, and when she saw the familiar scene, she was shocked and covered her face to weep.
She's back! Her husband wasn't lying to her; she really is back!
Without thinking too much, Ah Heng's first instinct was to go home. She had just stepped ashore when she heard a loud bang, and a bolt of lightning struck the water. Then came rolling thunder, and torrential rain poured down, accompanied by streaks of lightning that ripped through the sky.
Ah Heng took off running towards home, with lightning and thunder chasing closely behind her. A strange thought suddenly occurred to her: it seemed as if the lightning was specifically designed to strike her.
Why should she? This is her home, the place she belongs!
A surge of anger rose within her, slightly suppressing her excitement at returning home, and Ah Heng quickened her pace.
Amidst the rain and thunder, the girl moved as swiftly as the wind, sweeping across the mountain path; any bystander who saw her would surely suspect she was a ghost.
Finally, the outline of houses appeared ahead, and Aheng slowed down.
Her house is closest to the mountain pass; it's right in front of her.
Perhaps because of the sudden rain, there was no one in the village, which made Ah Heng, who was soaked to the bone, feel more at ease until she arrived at her doorstep.
Why... is there a white banner hanging at the door?
Ah Heng stared intently at the home she longed to return to, feeling as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
A deafening thunderclap shook the heavens and earth, and lightning bolts charged in like ferocious dragons.
Aheng was pulled back to her senses, and with trembling hands, she pushed open the door. An urgent voice reached her ears: "Wife, wife—"
It was Fangzhou's voice, and the one Fangzhou would call "wife" was her mother!
Ah Heng stumbled and fell into the house.
The girl who was crying while clutching the woman's arm looked towards the door upon hearing the noise. She froze for a moment, then rushed over with a look of immense joy in her eyes: "Girl, you're back!"
Ah Heng seemed not to hear the girl's cries, rushed straight to the bedside, and grasped the woman's hand: "Mother—"
The woman, whose eyes were tightly closed, trembled and struggled to open them. When she saw the person in front of her, her lifeless eyes lit up: "Heng'er, Heng'er, you're back!"
Ah Heng nodded repeatedly, her voice trembling with tears, "Mother, I'm back. What's wrong?"
The sallow-faced woman managed a weak smile: "Mother is alright, Mother was just worried about you..."
Ah Heng felt as if her heart was being torn apart.
My mother is not alright at all; she is clearly on her last legs...
"Fangzhou, didn't you call a doctor for Mother?!"
Before Ah Heng could finish speaking, the woman began to cough violently, coughing so hard that she could barely breathe, like a candle flame about to be extinguished in the wind.
"Mother—" Ah Heng cried out in alarm, while gently patting the woman's back.
The woman gripped her hand tightly, panting as she asked, "Heng'er, where have you been? Are you hurt? Why did it take you so long to come home?"
"How long has it been since I've been home?" Ah Heng asked, her heart pounding.
"The girl has been missing for ten days!" Fangzhou interjected.
"Ten days?" Ah Heng muttered to herself, her face pale.
She was pushed into a deep pool by her friend and spent ten years in the Great Xia Dynasty, which was shattered thirty years later.
Her year was actually just one day for her mother and the others... But why did her mother fall seriously ill in just ten days? And why was the white banner hanging at the door?
A chill seeped into her bones, and a guess almost crossed her mind, but Ah Heng dared not ask, afraid of upsetting her critically ill mother: "Mother, you should rest first, I'll go and fetch a doctor for you—"
"Don't call a doctor! Don't call a doctor!" In her agitation, the woman suddenly sat up, her expression one of utter horror.
"Alright, alright, no need to call a doctor," Ah Heng gently comforted the woman, her mind filled with doubts.
Why did Mother react so strongly to calling a doctor?
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Boom boom boom—the thunder had stopped sometime earlier, and the knocking on the door was clearly audible.
Aheng glanced at Fangzhou.
Fangzhou ran out and opened the door, then froze, asking, "Who are you?"
Two people, a man and a woman, stood outside the door holding umbrellas. They were dressed in silk clothes. The woman asked with a smile, "Excuse me, is this the home of Mr. Chen from Chenqiao?"
Chenqiao is the name of Aheng's father.
Fangzhou became alert: "Who are you people?"
"We are from the capital, and we have something to ask you, Mr. Chen."
"My master has passed away. You may go back now."
Just as Fangzhou was about to close the door, a sound came from behind him—the crisp sound of a rough porcelain bowl falling to the ground.
Ah Heng strode out, ignoring Fang Zhou's worried gaze, and stared at the woman, asking, "You came from the capital?"
The woman's pupils dilated the moment she saw Ah Heng: "So alike, so incredibly alike!"
The man who looked like the manager was much calmer than the woman. He scrutinized the girl with a critical eye and couldn't help but nod.
She does resemble that deceased third wife, but why isn't she changing her clothes even though she's soaking wet?
"Ahem." The man coughed, reminding the agitated woman, "Let's ask first."
The woman snapped out of her reverie and fixed her gaze on Ah Heng: "Does the young lady remember anything from her childhood—"
Ah Heng frowned: "You two should just state your purpose directly. My family has suffered a disaster, and I really have no time for guessing."
The woman, having regained her composure, opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
You can't just tell a young girl that you suspect she's our long-lost child, so you've come looking for her.
We still need to talk to the adults in the family.
As the woman was pondering, Chen's mother's voice came from inside the house: "Heng'er, Heng'er—"
Ah Heng quickly turned around and went inside.
Chen's mother leaned against the folded quilts, looking somewhat more energetic: "Heng'er, who's outside?"
"A man and a woman claiming to be from the capital. Mother, don't worry about these things, just take good care of yourself."
Chen's mother's face suddenly changed: "Why would someone from the capital come to our house? Your father... are they here for your father? Heng'er, you must leave, leave quickly!"
Seeing her mother was quite frightened, Aheng quickly said, "Don't be afraid, they probably didn't come for Father. That auntie saw my daughter and said she looked like him, asking if I remembered anything from when I was little..."
Chen's mother listened blankly, then suddenly snapped to attention and called out towards the door, "Fangzhou, invite the guests in!"
Having received Chen's mother's instructions, Fangzhou led the two inside.
The woman was taken aback when she saw the emaciated Mrs. Chen. She bowed and explained her purpose: "You must be Mrs. Chen? We are from the Qiu family in the capital. Ten years ago, my sixth daughter went missing while visiting the lantern festival with her master... Last month, a relative passed by to visit his nephew who was recuperating at the Taoist temple. He met your daughter and found that she looked very much like my third wife. After returning to the capital, he sent word to our family. The master of the house sent the steward and servants to confirm..."
Ah Heng was stunned.
Although ten years have passed for her, perhaps because the Great Xia Dynasty, soaked in blood, was too bitter, the beautiful memories of the past are all the more deeply ingrained in her.
Last month, when she went to see Brother Bai, she did encounter a woman with an extraordinary air who kept staring at her.
"Cough, cough, cough." Chen's mother coughed incessantly, but her eyes shone with an astonishing light. "You mean, my Heng'er is your family's lost daughter, but... do you remember what your daughter was wearing when she went missing?"
“My daughter was only five years old when she went missing. She was wearing a red jacket and red skirt, with colorful butterflies embroidered on the cuffs and hem… Oh, and there was also a sachet with the character ‘Heng’ embroidered on one corner, which is my daughter’s name…” The woman said, looking at Ah Heng.
Not only do they look alike, but they are also called Heng'er. It's impossible for such a coincidence to exist.
With red eyes, Chen's mother instructed Fangzhou, "Go to the west room and bring the box that's at the very bottom of the cupboard."
A short while later, Fangzhou came over carrying a wooden box, which he opened at Chen's mother's prompting.
The padded jackets and purses folded inside, though dirty and worn, were exactly as the woman had described.
"Young lady, it really is you, young lady!" The woman cried, clutching Ah Heng's hand. "Do you remember me, young lady? I was your wet nurse..."
Ah Heng remained silent. Chen's mother softly recounted the past: "Ten years ago, Heng'er's father and I encountered her on a mountain path in Dingzhou. At the time, she was silent, neither crying nor making a fuss, as if she was terrified. Not far away, there was a man's corpse with a bloodied head, who must have been unfortunately hit by a falling rock..."
The woman and the steward exchanged a glance.
Dingzhou is adjacent to the capital, so it seems that the kidnapper and the sixth girl had just left the capital when something happened.
“We brought Heng’er home. Because there was a character ‘Heng’ on her sachet, we guessed it was her name, so we named her that.”
"On behalf of my master, I thank you for your kindness, Madam Chen. We have come to take the Sixth Miss back with us. Please feel free to make any requests you may have, Madam Chen."
Mother Chen smiled unconsciously: "I'm content as long as Heng'er is loved by someone."
"mother--"
Chen's mother held Heng's hand, but her eyes were on the woman: "I want to have a few intimate words with Heng'er."
The woman and the steward retreated to the main room.
Mother Chen looked intently at Aheng: "Aheng'er, go and change your wet clothes. I have something to tell you."
Ah Heng silently changed her clothes, wrapped her wet hair in a floral cloth, and returned to Chen's mother's side.
"Heng'er." Mother Chen raised her hand to touch her daughter's cold cheek, her eyes full of love. "Your father had an accident a few days ago and passed away. Mother... Mother is also failing. Fortunately, my Heng'er is blessed, and still has relatives... Wait—wait, you can go with them to the capital and live a good life... the life my Heng'er was meant to live..."
Ah Heng wept uncontrollably, shaking her head repeatedly, "I won't leave you..."
“Silly child, your mother is going to find your father… Listen to your mother, you have an older sister, your parents’ biological daughter, who was about your age when she was lost… Originally, your mother wanted to keep this secret to the afterlife, but I never expected that Heng’er’s relatives would find her… I greedily think that perhaps your sister is still alive, perhaps Heng’er will be able to meet your sister…”
"Mother, I will find my sister."
"Mother doesn't want you to make such a promise, but I'm afraid that you sisters might meet again one day and not recognize each other. Heng'er, promise me you won't deliberately try to find your sister, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack—" Mother Chen squeezed Heng's hand tightly, "Promise me!"
Seeing her mother's face flushed and her breathing rapid, Aheng quickly said, "I promise you!"
Mother Chen smiled, her daughter's face already somewhat obscured, but then she suddenly remembered something and gripped Aheng's hand tighter: "Heng'er... your father had an accident on his way to the city to fetch a doctor for me... no... not because he was looking for you..."
The voice, filled with love and reluctance, gradually lowered: "Heng'er, don't blame yourself..."
He suddenly let go of his daughter's hand.
(End of this chapter)
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