Chapter 125 (Switching the Dragon for a Phoenix)
"Little Flower, this child was abandoned at the entrance of the orphanage in June of the sixteenth year of Qing'an. She was only four or five months old at the time, and she didn't have much with her except for this swaddling clothes that were worth some money."
The head of the Shangyang Village Orphanage was named Yang Laoliu. He wasn't called that because he was the sixth child in his family, but because he had six fingers on his left hand.
He was taken in by his adoptive father, and later the family took in many more children, gradually forming the initial prototype of the orphanage.
Over the course of a decade or so, among the children who left the orphanage, there were accountants, shop owners, carpenters, craftsmen, and even their own opera troupes and security escort companies. Some did well, and naturally, some did not.
However, even those who fared the worst mostly made a living by working in the fields or doing odd jobs like tending firewood.
Even the worst children have some health issues that likely disappeared during their formative years.
Yang Laoliu was a versatile man, skilled in many things, and a very capable manager. He was dressed very simply, carrying a blue swaddled baby in his hand, and explained the details to them.
"Xiao Hua was thrown here before dawn. No one saw who threw her. However, the night before, a young woman with a child stayed at the inn and left before dawn the next day. It must have been her."
Song Jin clutched her hair, her brow furrowed so deeply she could barely keep her head down, still unable to understand.
How did things get to this point?
She turned her head and looked at Yang Yanjun, who was clutching the swaddled baby tightly and shedding tears. Then she looked at the swaddled baby again and her head started to ache: "Is this it?"
Yang Yanjun clutched the swaddling clothes tightly, trying to say something, but her voice was choked with sobs, and she couldn't make out what she was saying.
But that already says it all.
This is it.
Cheng Siyi sat down beside her, gently patting her back and soothing her in soft voice, answering for her: "This fabric is Fuyun brocade. Jinxiufang only received two bolts in total. Junjun took one, and the other was taken by the Princess of Fu'an to make clothes."
Therefore, there is only one possibility.
Xiaohua is the child of Yang Yanjun who died of smallpox.
She didn't die; she was simply thrown out by Marquis Xuanping and placed in the orphanage where she was poorly fed and clothed, and subjected to daily beatings and torture, including having to break large stones on her chest.
Yang Yanjun threw herself into Cheng Siyi's arms and burst into tears. Her tearful face was so pitiful that it made everyone's heart ache.
But Song Jin interrupted her mixed feelings of joy and sorrow, saying, "But, there shouldn't have been smallpox when Xiao Hua came, right?"
Old Yang frowned and said, "Xiao Hua was very healthy when she came, otherwise I wouldn't have let her in directly."
If she had contracted the plague at that time, no matter how pitiful she was, Yang Laoliu would not have adopted her for the sake of the other children in the orphanage.
Yang Yanjun wiped away her tears: "She should be better now. She contracted the disease in May. Afraid of infecting others, she was kept at bay by that old hag. Suddenly she told me she was gone and even took her ashes. I just thought, I just thought..."
The person has been cremated.
She was only resentful that they had acted without her consent, preventing her from even seeing her child one last time. She stayed at her parents' home for two months and almost got a divorce. Chang Wenshan begged her on his knees, and in the end, she softened and let the matter pass.
Unexpected
The thought that they would actually attack someone while they were still alive to prevent infection reignited the resentment that had gradually faded due to the divorce, making Yang Yanjun want to tear them apart.
Thankfully, thankfully, her child is still alive.
Thinking about the time she spent with her, Yang Yanjun now longed to rush out and give the child a big hug.
but
Song Jin continued to play the villain: "So you're saying that your ex-husband and ex-mother-in-law deliberately lied to you that your child died because they were afraid of getting infected, sent the child outside for treatment, and after the child recovered, they didn't tell you, the biological mother, or bring the child home. Instead, they abandoned the child in this orphanage?"
That just doesn't make sense, does it?
Marquis Xuanping is indeed a scoundrel, but this is his own daughter. If she were sick and endangering them, that would be one thing, but she's really alright. Surely they wouldn't just abandon her? At the very least, they should have found her a proper place to live.
With only her child on her mind, Yang Yanjun said urgently, "It's her! She's made of the same material, and she even looks like my mother. Could it be any other coincidence?"
Cheng Siyi quickly patted her back to comfort her, "Okay, okay, don't get agitated, calm down."
Yang Yanjun, tears welling in her eyes, held her hand and said, "Yiyi, it's her, it's my An'an, she's still alive, it's her..."
Song Jin clicked her tongue, knowing from her appearance that there was no way to communicate with her. She then turned to Yang Guoan and asked, "Lord Yang, what do you think?"
Yang Guoan was initially excited and happy, thinking he had found his little granddaughter. But after Song Jin said that, he hesitated. "The child does look about 50% like Junjun's mother, and she was still in swaddling clothes. It wouldn't make sense to say that they are not related, would it?"
Yang Laoliu also frowned and offered a speculation: "Or perhaps it wasn't Marquis Xuanping who did it, but was stolen by the woman from that day?"
“That’s possible, but…” Song Jin scratched his chin, glanced at the group of people, and slowly handed over the package that had been placed to the side. He then opened it and took out a swaddle blanket made of the same material.
There is also a red rope
Yang Yanjun, who was crying, stopped abruptly, stared intently at the object, her lips moved, and an uncontrollable hiccup escaped her lips. She rushed over and snatched the object back; the two matching swaddle blankets were placed together.
The materials are the same, but there are significant differences in the details if you look closely.
The piece that Yang Laoliu took out looked like it was made of precious material, but upon closer inspection, one could see traces of stitching, as if it had been sewn together from scraps of material. However, these traces were hidden in the fine patterns, and because so many years had passed, they were easily overlooked.
However, the piece that Song Jin took out was clearly made from a single piece of fabric, with exquisite embroidery. Even after four years and various mistreatments due to her wanderings, its exquisite beauty was still undeniable.
The difference between the two swaddled babies is quite obvious when placed side by side.
Yang Yanjun's mind was a mess. She clutched the two swaddled babies, and finally looked at the red string, tears welling up in her eyes. She was somewhat dazed, and her voice was hoarse: "Where did this come from?"
Seeing her like this, Song Jin couldn't bring herself to say anything sarcastic. Unusually, she didn't beat around the bush; Song Jin was also completely confused. What she thought would be a simple family reunion had now become shrouded in mystery.
She rested her chin on her hand and said, "This is Ningning's. A few days ago, Brother Fu came to see me and asked me to help look into it. Ningning was someone he found and rescued in April of the sixteenth year of the Republic. She was suffering from a plague at the time and was being carried to the wilderness to be buried alive. He hid in the woods and secretly brought her back. The two of them are lucky to be alive and still are."
"This swaddling clothes and the red string belong to her. I even went to the Sanqing Temple to check. I originally called you and your father here to discuss this matter, but..."
This is the result.
This person is a bit hard to recognize now.
Yang Yanjun lowered her head, clutching the two swaddled babies tightly, her body trembling uncontrollably as she sat there.
Cheng Siyi was also full of questions, but she first half-huddled the person in her arms, patting their back to comfort them, and asked on their behalf, "How could this happen? There were only two of these materials originally. Even if it wasn't from Junjun's side, it couldn't have been from the Princess of Fu'an's side either."
These materials weren't cheap, and even the smallest scraps weren't given away casually; they were mostly given to the maids around her.
Her heart skipped a beat. She looked at Yang Laoliu and asked, "Do you remember what that woman who abandoned her child looked like?"
Yang Laoliu was also completely bewildered, his brows furrowed in disbelief. Fortunately, he did remember the person: "She was a girl of about seventeen or eighteen, with a single eye, a pointed chin, and a mole on her lip. She was slender, rather tall, and had a long neck. She was wearing light blue clothes. She came at dusk, and many people in the village saw her."
Therefore, there should be basically no problems with the description.
Song Jin looked at Cheng Siyi and saw her frowning thoughtfully: "Do you know her?"
Cheng Siyi's expression was not good. She said in a low voice, "She's a bit like Junjun's personal maid, but she's an ingrate. When Junjun was pregnant, she got involved with Marquis Xuanping and was later kicked out."
Song Jin glanced at Yang Yanjun and couldn't help but complain, "So love-struck, so love-struck!"
Although it's common for men to have concubines and mistresses these days, there are still quite a few who are truly devoted to their wives, especially since Yang Yanjun has status, money, and her father's support. If she were more clear-headed, she wouldn't have to suffer like this.
While it's true that many women marry into wealth, if marrying into wealth means suffering, then there's really no need for it. Finding someone of similar or even slightly less means a much more comfortable life as a lady of leisure.
Yang Yanjun couldn't refute it. Tears streaming down her face, she stared blankly at the swaddling clothes, looking almost dumbfounded.
Song Jin clicked his tongue and shook his head. How could he not be stupid? These dead children had come back to life, and there were two of them at that!
Based on the current clues, this is a story about a maid who switched a baby with a real one. Unexpectedly, her secret was exposed, she was dismissed, and the fake baby contracted an illness and "died." The maid, unwilling to accept this, threw away the real baby as well.
Ningning is fake, Xiaohua is real, but they both have scumbag fathers, so it's no wonder Song Jin always felt the two kids looked somewhat alike.
That's right.
Song Jin sighed softly, then stood up and said to Yang Yanjun, "I won't say anything about the child being innocent, but really, Ningning didn't gain anything either. She even took a beating for Xiaohua, so that's enough. The grievances have their source, and the debts have their debtors. If you have any questions, go find the Xuanping Marquis's residence. As for Ningning, as long as she doesn't return to the Xuanping Marquis's residence, just pretend she doesn't exist."
As for returning home
The Song family and the Xuanping Marquis's family were also enemies. Song Jin didn't believe she had the magnanimity to take care of an enemy's child, even if the little one was innocent and well-behaved. But a faction was a faction, something she couldn't shake off, and she didn't need to add to her troubles.
After Song Jin finished speaking, she looked at the silent person and didn't say anything more.
Although the evidence now strongly suggests the truth, ultimately, they themselves must verify it.
...
Song Jin doesn't like to use her brain.
She's been thinking a lot these past few days, and since coming home, she's been unusually well-behaved, not running around outside or causing any trouble at home.
Niu Tielan found it quite strange and came over several times, reaching out to touch her forehead: "You don't have a fever."
Song Jin didn't speak, just lay there, reaching out to take her hand and pressing it against her face from her forehead, then turned over and lay on her side in the rocking chair, facing her.
Niu Tielan found it somewhat amusing. She reached out her other hand to tidy up her stray hairs, bent down closer, her almond-shaped eyes gentle, and her voice soft: "What's wrong? Wasn't everything going smoothly? In any case, it's good that she's still alive. As for anything else, Junjun is open-minded, and with you here, she wouldn't target anyone."
Song Jin said lazily, "I'm not worried about them at all. I don't even know them."
Niu Tielan didn't expose her hypocrisy, but gently stroked her face and smiled, "So what are you thinking about?"
Song Jin rubbed her palm: "I was thinking about Mother."
Niu Tielan asked in surprise, "What are you thinking about me for?"
Song Jin: "When you gave birth to me, there was no one around. Were you very scared?"
In this day and age, childbirth is a matter of life and death. Even Yang Yanjun, the daughter of a high-ranking official, encountered such troubles. Her mother had just escaped from the jaws of death all by herself, and before she could even settle down, she faced the scheming and calculating Song family. She gave birth alone in danger.
Song Jin's eyebrows drooped.
Niu Tielan found it amusing, stroked her eyebrows and eyes, and laughed, "Of course, I've never given birth before, and my health wasn't good back then. I was afraid that if something really happened, what would happen to our Jinjin?"
Song Jin muttered, "You mothers can't be like this. You should think more about yourselves. Unborn children aren't children."
Niu Tielan pulled up a stool and sat down, saying softly, "When you become a mother, how can you think about these things? You just close your eyes, let out a whine, and the baby pops out. You were so fussy when you were pregnant, but the delivery was effortless; it only took fifteen minutes. It's just after the baby is born..."
Song Jin: "What about later?"
Niu Tielan quipped, "I always suspect that someone switched my child right in front of me. This one doesn't look like me, nor does it look like your father. It's like it's been set on firecrackers, always running around and making a lot of noise."
Song Jin pressed down on her hand, her eyes darting around: "No way, I'm very well-behaved."
Niu Tielan chuckled, stroking her long, dark hair again and again. Looking at her bright face, he couldn't help but think of her as a child. Back then, she had chubby cheeks, big, round eyes, and slightly upturned cheeks—both fierce and adorable. As long as she didn't cause trouble in front of him, she was simply irresistibly cute.
"Our Jinjin has grown up, and she thinks more about things than she did when she was little."
Song Jin raised her chin: "Absolutely, I'll be of marriageable age next year, I'll be a young lady then."
Niu Tielan stroked her hair and sighed softly, "Yes, she's about to come of age."
Once she reaches marriageable age, marriage is not far off.
Time really flies!
Qu Maoze leaned against a pillar, watching the mother and daughter interact. His usually cold and slow heart warmed, a gentle warmth spreading across his face. A genuine smile appeared on his face as he made a suggestion.
"If you have nothing else to do, why don't you go horseback riding at the racecourse? The ground is a bit slippery, but if you're careful, you'll be fine."
Song Jin tilted her head
Niu Tielan thought the suggestion was good, patted her head, and laughed, "Get up! If you're not going, we'll go ourselves."
"Of course we're going! Wait for me to get ready."
With her mother by her side, Song Jin didn't think too much about it. She jumped up and ran towards her room. With her long arms and legs, even a rabbit couldn't catch her when she ran.
Niu Tielan couldn't help but laugh.
Qu Maoze smiled and watched the door close. He walked to Niu Tielan's side, took her hand, and held it. His palm was cool, neither hot nor cold, but as he held it, it gradually warmed, like a stove.
Niu Tielan's heart couldn't be made of iron. She had already made things clear to him back in Andong County that they had already wasted more than ten years of their lives. They were both getting on in years, and there was no need to keep beating around the bush.
She accepted his grasp without hesitation, even squeezing it back with a hint of curiosity: "Can I do that later too?"
Qu Maoze laughed: "Of course, this is a Fire Jealousy Insect. These insects love to compete and have a bad temper. They often die of anger because their heat level is lower than that of other insects. After they die, they burn like charcoal, and one insect can burn for an hour."
Niu Tielan was even more curious: "Are there really so many bugs? I've never seen them before."
Qu Maoze held her hand and gently stroked it, his smile widening: "If they were really everywhere, there wouldn't have been only one Gu clan in Lingnan for a thousand years. Once you're better, I'll take you to see them one by one."
Niu Tielan gave a soft "hmm," then pulled his hand closer to examine it. It was covered in scars of varying depths; even with his strong recovery ability, the strain of these past few days had been immense, and his recovery was becoming increasingly slow.
She felt a pang of sadness: "I don't need to bleed every time. I'm not that weak; a little pain won't bother me."
Qu Maoze looked at her beautiful face. Compared to her sickly and pale appearance, he preferred her vibrant and energetic spirit. He gently pinched her cheek and smiled, "I know what I'm doing, don't worry."
Niu Tielan looked worried, pursing her lips as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Qu Maoze chuckled, released her hand, scratched his head, and changed the subject: "Alright, don't think so much. Go change into a pair of boots and put on a cape; the roads at the horse farm are slippery."
Niu Tielan stared at him with her bright almond-shaped eyes for a long while before slowly saying, "Listen to me, I'll make Jinjin call you 'Dad'."
Qu Maoze looked unusually surprised: "What?"
Niu Tielan pursed her lips and said, "If you won't bleed anymore unless absolutely necessary, and you agree, I will too."
Qu Maoze's chest heaved more violently, and his expression began to show signs of struggle.
Call me dad.
It's been so long, and his daughter has never called him "Dad" before; she's only been giving him the like in the last few days.
The temptation was undeniably great.
Seeing his hesitation, Niu Tielan breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, her eyebrows curved slightly, and she smiled, turning back to change her clothes, leaving him alone to continue agonizing over the matter.
Call me dad
Don't call
Call me dad
Don't call
...
Qu Maoze pinched a plum blossom and sighed to the sky.
This is too difficult to choose.
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