Chapter 180 She never had children in her life
As soon as Cheng Sangsang finished speaking, she realized something, immediately covered her mouth, and looked at Tu Yao.
He changed his tune hesitantly: "No...no, what I mean is, isn't this...isn't this Teacher Tu's mother...?"
Tu Chaoxi immediately got out of bed and took the photo.
It was a wrinkled, blurry photograph, except for the person on the far right, whose image was clearly visible. The rest of the images were just vaguely discernible as small figures.
It's a family photo...
Years later, this face almost represents the beginning of the hardships faced by the four siblings.
Just as these memories were about to fade from his mind, she suddenly reappeared.
Tu Chaoxi closed her eyes briefly. "Tu Xiaomao...where did you get this photo?"
Tu Yao's mind went completely blank for the first time.
Maid, four children, Jiang Fengchun, eighteen years ago...
She seemed to understand something, but she didn't have time to sort out the details.
He subconsciously replied, "...It belongs to the Grand Madam."
"I brought it out by accident; I was planning to return it to the Grand Madam..."
As soon as he finished speaking, all eyes turned to the doorway.
Madam Jiang seemed to stagger, and somehow managed to steady her thin body by leaning against the wall.
She took over the family business at the age of twenty and has always been decisive and sharp-tongued.
At that moment, it felt as if a pair of hands had suddenly and unexpectedly gripped his throat, preventing him from uttering even the slightest sound...
She slowly walked over, extended her withered, aged fingers, and trembled as she grasped the other corner of the photograph.
The elderly man, forcing a show of dignity and authority, his eyes slightly red, pointed to the only visible face in the photo and asked in a trembling voice, "...Tell me, who is she?"
Who are the people in this photo?
Tu Chaoxi's heart suddenly felt like it was being gripped tightly.
He looked at the photo again; although it was blurry, he could still make a judgment based on the body shape.
Tu Chaoxi pointed to each one: "This...this should be me."
“These are my younger brother and sister…”
Looking at the two figures in the middle, a hint of confusion flashed in his eyes, and he pointed directly to the young face on the far side.
Despite the overwhelming resistance in my heart, I still spoke frankly.
"She...is our mother."
He wanted to ask why their family portrait was in the hands of Madam Jiang...
"no."
Madam Jiang immediately interrupted!
Tu Chaoxi looked up.
The old lady's lips seemed to twitch slightly, and she stubbornly repeated, "No."
"...This photo...was taken eighteen years ago, a week before my little granddaughter's one-month celebration."
She pointed to the two blurry figures that Tu Chaoxi had jumped over, "This... is my daughter Fengchun, and this is my daughter's husband, Zhuxing."
"These four... are my little grandsons."
"And she..."
Madam Jiang's eyes were already red, and she whispered almost in a breath, "...Her name was Chu Man. She came to the Jiang family at the age of fifteen. Eighteen years ago, she, Feng Chun, Zhu Xing, and my... those four grandsons, boarded that cruise ship and drowned at sea, their remains never found..."
Her aged gaze was fixed on the young man before her, and she retorted, word by word.
"...She never had children in her life."
As soon as she finished speaking, Tu Chaoxi's pupils shrank sharply: "...No children?"
"...How could that be? Doesn't she have a child?!"
Hearing this, Cheng Sangsang couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "...And she remarried my father ten years ago, and only passed away from illness two years ago..."
"Her name isn't Chu Man... her name is..."
As she was talking, Cheng Sangsang suddenly froze. She vaguely remembered that her fourth stepmother was called...
Before she could speak, Tu Chaoxi clenched her fist and said in a deep voice, "Manchu..."
"Her name is Tu Manchu."
Cheng Sangsang continued, still bewildered, "How could that be..."
Hearing the commotion outside the ward, Nan Ke and Jiang Ye also entered the room.
Upon hearing this name, Madam Jiang seemed to instantly shed all the energy she had been putting on, and her usual decisive and ruthless demeanor vanished.
He murmured, "Yes... How is that possible? The dead suddenly came back to life and had four children."
She seemed to be both crying and laughing, her eyes overflowing with sorrow.
"Can...can you tell me the reason...?"
How could she have four children?
"And why do her four children look so much like my little grandchildren..."
...
In an instant, everyone had an answer that was about to be revealed in their hearts.
Despite its strangeness, and despite a host of unexplained questions.
But this answer just popped into everyone's mind.
Tu Chaoxi's hand, which was holding the corner of the photo, trembled slightly as she looked up at the old man in front of her.
He murmured, "What if she hadn't died..."
Madam Jiang choked up, "...Yes, what if she had been lucky enough to survive?"
"What if she survives?"
"So... since Chu Man is still alive, could it be that my four little grandsons... are also still alive... could it be..."
Before she could finish speaking, Madam Jiang could no longer hold on, staggered, and suddenly fell backward!
"Madam!"
Behind her, Nan Ke reacted quickly and immediately stepped forward to support her!
His voice was as gentle as ever, yet it revealed a hint of obvious nervousness: "...How are you?"
Ahead, Tu Chaoxi and Tu Yao immediately squatted down in a panic.
Even Lin Yue, who had injured his leg, limped over and looked at her helplessly.
Madam Jiang's vision was already blurry, and all her strength was slowly slipping away.
But I still looked at them one by one.
Eyes, nose, eyebrows, the curve of the lips when flustered...
...She could clearly find so many similarities between Feng Chun, Zhu Xing, and even herself in these young faces.
Four children, all the same age...
It's too easy to guess.
But unfortunately... the word "death" blocked all speculation and hope.
My gaze finally settled on the slender figure beside Tu Chaoxi.
As before, without realizing it, Tu Yao subconsciously grabbed her wrist.
Madam Jiang's vision grew increasingly blurry, yet she couldn't help but smile.
...This child, these hands, have supported her at countless moments.
During those few days of spending time together, I gave her countless bouquets of flowers.
He held her hand steadfastly at the charity auction.
Like Fengchun, she disliked the piano but preferred pastries.
Like Fengchun, he is intelligent and quick-witted, and he stepped forward when she was most vulnerable, bravely and fearlessly saying that he would protect her...
She could always sense the word "destiny" in this child, but she never thought that this was her destiny, her karma.
I should have thought of that... I should have thought of that...
Countless chaotic and mixed thoughts flashed through Madam Jiang's mind in an instant.
In the moments before he lost consciousness, it all turned into drop after drop of tears.
Falling down in a panic, with relief and sorrow...
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