Chapter 11

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Mom!” I ran towards my mother as soon as I saw her.

Mom was sitting on a chaise longue, covered by a thin blanket. Her cheeks were yellow, her lips were pale, and her hair was thinning and losing its luster. She was a little different from the ruddy-faced mother I remembered with long dark hair. But her eyes were the same. She kept smiling when she looked at me.

My little hand took Mom’s. Mom’s hand was very cold. Even though I felt that the temperature in the room was a little high, her hand was still shockingly cold. I tried to warm Mom’s hand with my hand.

“Rou Rou, happy birthday.” Mom smiled warmly and tried her best to talk to me. However, just as she finished speaking, Mom started coughing violently.

Startled, I ran to my mother’s back and patted her back gently, just like she used to do. Every time I was sick, my mother would always hug me, gently pat me, and hum a nice song for me. This way, I forgot about my illness.

Perhaps because she did not want to show any more ugliness in front of me, Mom stopped coughing. She smiled and stroked my hair. My hair was the same flaxen color as Mom’s. “Rou Rou has grown up and can take care of herself. Remember to help Mom take care of Dad.” I nodded, not knowing that she was leaving.

When I woke up again, Mom was gone. All that was left was the black-and-white photo in the middle of the lobby. In the photo, Mom was smiling warmly. Although the last time I saw Mom, she was sallow, in my eyes, however sallow Mom was, she was the most beautiful person in the world. She was gentle and loving.

Ever since Mom left, I did not see Dad often. But every time I woke up in the middle of the night, I could always hear Grandpa scolding Dad downstairs. Dad was drunk and missed Mom.

A while later, my father brought back an auntie. He asked me to call her “Auntie Yu.” Auntie Yu was younger than my mother and dressed more exquisitely than my mother, but I still felt that my mother was the most beautiful person in the world.

Soon, Auntie Yu moved into our house. The red roses that my mother liked had been replaced by the lilies that Auntie Yu liked. All of my mother’s decorations had also been removed. The house no longer had my mother’s aura. Even the servants no longer mentioned my mother. Only the doll that my mother gave me kept me company.

Aunt Yu gave birth to a little baby called Qing Qing. They told me that this was my little sister. However, my father no longer hugged me. He only smiled and hugged my little sister, asking her to call him Dad. After my mother left, I seemed to have lost my father.

One night, a little boy came to my courtyard. He looked depressed and sad. His name was Wei Cong. I remembered that my mother brought me to Wei Cong’s house. That night, Wei Cong told me that he also lost his father and mother. Wei Cong and I both lost our parents, so I told Wei Cong that I wanted to be his good friend for the rest of my life.

After Wei Cong and I became friends, my father’s attitude towards me improved a little. From time to time, he would ask about my life. As for Auntie, she was the same as before, always two-faced. I hated her. I specially got someone to plant Mom’s favorite red roses in the garden and bought a cabinet full of red princess dresses. Only then could I remind my father of Mom and me from time to time.

Today is the anniversary of Mom’s death. A few days ago, I heard from the servants at home that as long as you put down the paper boat in a place with water, your deceased relatives will know that you miss them.

Early in the morning, I prepared a few small paper boats to put in the man-made lake. The lake was very slippery, so I slid towards the lake and fell into it. The lake water kept pouring into my mouth and ears. I kept struggling, wanting to shout for help. However, when I opened my mouth, the lake water rushed into my mouth.

Soon, I did not have the strength to struggle anymore and slowly sank down. But when I looked at the shore for the last time, I saw Auntie’s hand tightly covering Wen Qing’s mouth. Wen Qing seemed to have seen me. She wanted to help me call someone over, but Auntie didn’t allow her to do so. Wen Qing’s strength couldn’t compare to Auntie’s. I saw her hands desperately trying to pry Auntie’s hand away. She even scratched Auntie’s hand, but Auntie still didn’t let go.

In Wen Qing’s eyes, I saw tears, pain, and pity; and in the eyes of Auntie, the initial hatred turned to joy. I saw the small fish swimming past me in the lake, and the water plants in the lake wrapped around my feet, and I sank slowly, slowly.

————

Feng Nian felt the same way. When she woke up again, she realized that she really felt the despair of Wen Rou sinking to the bottom of the lake and her hatred for Yu Yanhui. The bracelet on her hand heated up and deepened in color. Wen Rou made her see her past. The bracelet had a new function that allowed her to see her soul’s past.

Although she had fallen into the lake, Yu Yanhui could have saved her with a shout. However, not only did Yu Yanhui not do that, she even stopped Wen Qing. When Wen Qing saw this scene, she was completely speechless.

Leaving her in the lurch was also considered harming her. She had harmed Wen Rou and her own daughter. She thought that as long as Wen Rou died, the title of the eldest daughter of the Wen Family would fall on Wen Qing. She hated Wen Rou and how she had always carried the reputation of the eldest daughter of the Wen Family. No matter what she did, everyone only remembered Wen Rou and the original mother of Wen Rou. She would always be the second wife, and her daughter would always be the second daughter of the Wen Family. She could only live behind Wen Rou.

But did she know how much burden Wen Qing had to carry from now on? She had to carry the burden of not saving Wen Rou’s life.

Feng Nian walked to Wen Qing’s side and picked up a few pieces of paper money. She threw them into the flame and watched the fire slowly swallow the paper money. She said softly to Wen Qing, “She doesn’t blame you. You did your best.”

Her words made Wen Qing, who had not spoken for a long time, widen her eyes. She looked at Wen Rou’s coffin and suddenly cried. Wen Qing hated herself. Why couldn’t she save her sister, let alone tell others what her mother had done? Because of this, she was speechless.

————

At midnight, Feng Nian chose the time of the journey for Wen Rou. This was the time when Yin Energy gathered tonight, and it was also the time when Wen Rou died. In order to let Wen Rou embark on the path of reincarnation again, she began to perform a ritual.

There was a black table filled with three animals. The three animals were the cow, goat, and pig. She had asked the Wen family to prepare these animals as tributes so that the people guarding the reincarnation path could make things easier for her.

To send Wen Rou on her way, her family had to be present and bow to her. Then, she asked Wen Rou’s father to sincerely kowtow.

In front of the table, Feng Nian began to loudly read out Wen Rou’s birth date, death date, and important timings. She let the people on the reincarnation path understand that Wen Rou delayed the time of reincarnation. After she shouted “Wen Rou” three times, Wen Rou’s soul appeared in front of the table. In front of the originally empty space, a white fog suddenly appeared. In the fog, a small path could be vaguely seen.

“Go on.” She pointed to the path, indicating for Wen Rou to step on it. As long as she stepped on the reincarnation path, Wen Rou could be reincarnated again.