Chapter 186 - 187: Time Bomb
From some forgotten nook or cranny, He Family dug out a wooden box.
She placed the box in front of Hua Manman and said,
"While you were away from home, I had someone gather all the little trinkets you used to use. Take a look and see if there’s anything you can still use. If so, take it back with you."
Hua Manman opened the box and saw that everything inside was familiar.
There was a cloth tiger she had played with as a child, a beaded flower she had once loved to wear, a small, unfinished pouch, and the strange portraits she had drawn of her brothers...
Nearly every item represented a piece of her memories.
Looking at these trinkets, it was as if she were reliving the original owner’s childhood all over again.
Finally, Hua Manman’s gaze landed on a single, pitch-black bead.
The bead was only the size of a fingertip and looked as if it were polished from Zitan wood. A line of Sanskrit was engraved on it.
Hua Manman didn’t understand Sanskrit, so she didn’t know what it said.
There was a hole through the center of the bead, with a red string threaded through it.
Hua Manman held it against her wrist and found it was too long for a bracelet but too short for a necklace.
She asked curiously, "Where did this come from? Why don’t I remember it at all?"
The moment He Family saw the rosewood bead, she immediately remembered.
"Oh, this? You brought it back from outside."
Seeing Manman’s blank expression, she knew Manman had completely forgotten and recounted the story from the beginning.
It turned out that when Hua Manman was four years old, she had gotten lost once.
It was during the Lantern Festival. Elder Zhong’an had taken his wife and children out to see the lanterns, and in the process, Hua Manman was snatched by child traffickers.
Fortunately, she was discovered missing in time. The traffickers were caught by the city guards before they could even get Hua Manman out of the city.
Hua Manman was successfully rescued, but due to the extreme fright and catching a chill, she developed a high fever that wouldn’t break after she returned home.
Recalling the incident, He Family still felt a lingering fear.
"The doctor said that if your fever didn’t break by the next day, your life would be in danger.
I was so scared I didn’t dare close my eyes all night. I stayed by your bedside without leaving for a moment.
Luckily, you were blessed with great fortune. Your fever started to break in the middle of the night.
You woke up the next day, but unfortunately, you had forgotten everything that happened after you got lost."
Hua Manman had a moment of realization.
’No wonder I have no memory of ever being lost.’
’So it was selective amnesia!’
He Family said gently, "It’s better that you forgot something like that, which is why we never brought up the fact that you were lost again."
Hua Manman nodded, indicating she understood.
He Family pointed to the round rosewood bead in her hand and said,
"When you were found, you were holding this bead in your hand.
We didn’t know where you got it from, and you couldn’t remember either, so I put it away for you."
Hua Manman turned the round rosewood bead in her hand.
A faint, uneasy premonition grew in her heart.
’According to the usual novel tropes, the appearance of a mysterious object, combined with amnesia, can easily kick off a hundred thousand words of pure melodrama.’
’But all she wanted was to lie low and survive until the grand finale.’
’She didn’t want anything to do with melodrama!’
He Family suddenly remembered something else.
"Right, when you were found, you were also missing a pouch."
The bad feeling in Hua Manman’s heart intensified.
She asked cautiously,
"What kind of pouch was it?"
He Family said while recalling,
"I made that pouch by hand. Since it was the Lantern Festival, I specially embroidered a few plump, white sweet rice balls on it."
Hua Manman quickly asked, "Did you embroider a name on it?"
He Family shook her head no.
Hua Manman breathed a sigh of relief.
’It’s good there was no name.’
’Even if some melodrama comes knocking in the future, I can just deny everything.’
Seeing this, He Family thought she was sad about the lost pouch and said with a smile,
"If you liked that pouch, I can make you an identical one later."
Hua Manman waved her hands frantically, refusing.
’Are you kidding me?’
’That pouch is a ticking time bomb! I wish it was lost for good. Why would I want another one to carry around?’
’Am I trying to die faster or something?’
He Family: "Then this bead, do you want to take it with you?"
Hua Manman: "No, it’s useless to me. You can do what you want with it."
He Family nodded, indicating she understood.
Hua Manman picked out a few items from the box that held special sentimental value, planning to take them back and store them carefully.
He Family closed the wooden box, lowered her voice, and asked mysteriously,
"The prescription I gave you last time, have you been taking it on schedule since you went back?"
Hua Manman’s scalp tightened.
’Here we go again! He Family and her great baby-making curse!’
Hua Manman dodged the question. "Things have been so busy lately. First Prince Zhao was injured, and then Grandmother passed away. I haven’t had any time to think about that."
He Family only knew that Prince Zhao had been ordered by the Emperor to reflect in seclusion; she didn’t know he had also been injured.
She asked hurriedly, "Is Prince Zhao badly injured?"
Hua Manman: "Quite seriously. He’ll need a long time to recover."
He Family was worried. "Prince Zhao is still so young. What if he’s left with lasting complications?"
Hua Manman reassured her.
"Don’t be too nervous. The household doctor said the Prince has a very strong constitution. As long as he rests well, he should be able to make a full recovery."
He Family relaxed a little. "That’s good."
Then she frowned and chided,
"You knew Prince Zhao was injured and needed someone to look after him, so why are you still staying the night at the Uncle’s Mansion? You’re being so thoughtless."
Hua Manman: "It’s fine. There are so many people in the Prince Mansion, there’s no way the Prince will lack for someone to take care of him."
Despite her words, He Family was still uneasy.
"Go back first thing tomorrow morning. We don’t need your help here. You just need to focus on taking good care of Prince Zhao."
Hua Manman was very reluctant.
’If I go back first thing tomorrow morning, Prince Zhao will definitely check my homework.’
’What will I do when I can’t answer?’
’With Prince Zhao’s foul temper, he’ll definitely use it as an excuse to torment me again.’
’It’s better if I go back later.’
’I’ll delay as long as I can.’
Hua Manman sidled up, hugged He Family’s arm, and started to wheedle and coax, insisting on going back later.
He Family couldn’t stand up to her persistent clinging and finally had to compromise, agreeing to let her go back tomorrow evening.
The next day, people began to arrive at the Zhong’an Bo Mansion one after another to offer their condolences.
With guests in the house, Hua Manman felt it was inappropriate to sleep in, so she got up bright and early.
She changed into a plain white blouse and skirt, tucked a small white silk flower by her temple, and wore no makeup.
He Family was dressed similarly, except she also wore an outer mourning garment made of sackcloth.
She and Hua Dingzong knelt beside the memorial tablet, with Hua Bowen and Hua Borong kneeling behind them.
Everyone’s eyes were red-rimmed.
As a married granddaughter, Hua Manman only needed to kowtow and offer three sticks of incense.
But she still obediently knelt beside her two younger brothers.