“Your father and I felt like the sky had fallen. We were terrified that you would really leave us. You were our only child. We could only ask the doctors in the village to treat you, but your condition got worse day by day.”
"Later, when we were at our wits' end, we went to a temple to pray for blessings. We happened to meet a high monk who told us that our illness would improve in a few days and would not recur for a while. However, after we came of age, it would recur frequently and become more and more serious each time."
Meng Qingluan was bewildered. "So, why did you want Zhu Qing'an to stay by my side?"
A look of guilt flashed in Meng's mother's eyes, and her voice softened slightly.
“We asked the high monk if there was a solution, and he said there was... but the only solution is to raise someone who has the same disease as you, so that you can share your pain when you have an attack in the future.”
“This requires finding a man. He needs to take medicine for you until you come of age, and he also needs to take medicine to treat your illness.”
“Xiao An, we originally planned for him to marry into your family in the future, so that he could stay by your side day and night. We didn’t expect that you would already be married to someone else. However, he must stay by your side.”
"..."
It really was her medicine cabinet.
Mencius' mother earnestly advised, "Xiao An must stay by your side; his presence is the only cure."
Meng Qingluan frowned. "Does he intend to stay by my side for the rest of his life?"
Meng's mother shook her head, then nodded uncertainly, "Over the years, we have traveled far to the Western Regions, seeking medical treatment everywhere. A sorcerer once told us that the prescription was missing only one ingredient. Adding that ingredient would cure your illness."
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Meng Qingluan hurriedly asked, "What is it?"
"The snow lotus of the high peaks of the Western Regions only blooms in the coldest years and is extremely difficult to obtain."
"Is it really impossible to find it?" Meng Qingluan clung to her last glimmer of hope.
Mencius' mother looked somber. "Your father and I went to look for it ourselves, but it was a vast expanse of ice and snow, and we couldn't find any snow lotus at all."
"..."
Meng Qingluan lowered her lips in disappointment, looking rather downcast.
Mencius' mother reached out her hand, hesitated for a moment, and then touched the back of her hand to comfort her.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine as long as Xiao An is with you. Don't you love Mom's chestnut pastries the most? How about I make some for you?"
Meng Qingluan still wasn't interested and politely declined, saying, "Thank you, maybe next time."
Meng's mother's hand, which was gently stroking the back of her hand, froze, and tears welled up in her eyes again. She stood up and hugged Meng Qingluan tightly.
"..."
Meng Qingluan and her mother returned to the hall. Meng's father craned his neck, looking on anxiously. Zhu Qing'an remained seated in the same position as before they left.
Meng Qingluan suspected that he might have developed hemorrhoids from sitting too much.
Meng Qingluan rarely gave the two of them a kind look, and asked them politely.
"Have you two had dinner yet? How about we have dinner together?"
Upon hearing this, Meng's father's eyes lit up, and he stood up to agree.
“No need,” Meng’s mother refused unexpectedly. “You are already very tired today, how can you take care of the two of us? You should rest well tonight, and your father and I will come to see you again tomorrow and bring you chestnut pastries.”
"Um."
Meng Qingluan did not try to persuade them to stay. She was just being polite, and she didn't care whether the two of them agreed or not.
Two more people just mean two more pairs of chopsticks; she can eat much more comfortably without them.
Mencius' father was pulled away by his mother.
As soon as they boarded the carriage, Mencius' father put on a stern face, gave Mencius' mother an unhappy look, and was full of resentment.
"Why is Madam refusing Luanluan? Today, Luanluan finally agreed to sit down and have dinner with us. If you refuse her today and hurt her feelings, how will we ever see Luanluan again?"
Mencius' mother sat silently in the carriage, letting her tears flow.
When Mencius' father saw his mother crying, his mind went blank for a moment. He thought he had been too harsh and softened his tone to admit his mistake.
"Madam, please don't cry. It was my fault today. Please stop crying, okay?"
Mencius' father raised his hand to wipe away the tears on Mencius' mother's face.
"You know what? I told Luanluan today that I would make chestnut pastries for her, and she agreed."
Meng's father was completely bewildered. "The child wants to eat, what's there to cry about?"
Meng's mother suddenly became agitated and hysterically exclaimed, "Luanluan doesn't eat chestnuts! When she was little, she would break out in a rash all over her body after eating chestnuts, which almost killed her!"
After saying that, she knelt down in a disheveled state, clutching her chest tightly with both hands. The pent-up breakdown and guilt that had been building up finally erupted at this moment.
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