Chapter 431 - 430: You All
Nanny Zhu, seeing the situation, couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
She quickly went over to console Lady Lian, saying, "Madam, please rest for a moment. I’ll send someone to relay a message at the door, asking them to invite the master back if they see him."
Lady Lian knitted her brows, her chest aching waves after waves, and waved her hand, saying, "Go call Hui’er."
Upon hearing this, Nanny Zhu’s face turned gloomy. She wanted to advise but didn’t know how, so she just gritted her teeth and responded, then turned to find Nanny Dong.
"Old Dong, what’s wrong with Madam? She’s so sullen she can barely breathe, and yet she wants to call Lady over. With Lady’s sharp tongue, isn’t that adding fuel to the fire!" Nanny Zhu whispered.
Nanny Dong shook her head with a pale face, "You mustn’t let the masters hear such words. Well, you should just go as you’re asked.
Let me tell you, it’s the Princely Heir who sent a letter home, saying that Mr. Kang has been found, and he’s still alive!
It’s been over eight years, and there’s both crying and laughing in Baijie Hall. Our madam is just..."
Nanny Zhu’s knees nearly gave out, and she had to lean on Nanny Dong to steady herself, tremblingly saying, "Is it true? He’s really still alive? Impossible, right?"
"If it were false, would our madam be like that?" Nanny Dong lifted her chin towards the main room’s direction, "In my opinion, it’s fate! Mr. Kang’s life wasn’t meant to end, and so our master and madam just have to..."
"Oh my!" Nanny Zhu jumped up and covered Nanny Dong’s mouth, exclaiming, "Old Dong, you people, saying my words can’t be heard by the masters, but you think yours can? Well, it’s all the masters’ matter, let us just do as we’re told and not say too much. I’m off to find Lady."
In the East Cross Courtyard, Mu Lianhui, desiring comfort from the heat, didn’t use the ice bowl directly. Instead, she held it in her hand to cool off, sipping the melted ice water in small sips.
Nanny Zhu lifted the curtain and entered. The cool air from the ice pan in the room was even more refreshing than at Lady Lian’s place.
"Lady, Madam requests your presence," Nanny Zhu respectfully said.
Mu Lianhui didn’t even lift her head, her eyes focused on the ice water in the bowl, gently shaking it from side to side, while saying, "I know, I’ll go after I finish drinking."
Nanny Zhu glanced at the ice bowl; it was still more than half full. It would take at least a moment or two to melt and finish drinking.
"Lady, Madam needs you for something urgent," Nanny Zhu urged.
"Urgent?" Mu Lianhui was startled, then knowingly nodded, "Indeed, no one visits the temple for no reason. If it wasn’t urgent, mother wouldn’t bother having me go over."
Nanny Zhu forced a dry smile.
The mother-daughter pair were close when they were young. Lady Lian now doesn’t let Mu Lianhui come over, all because of Mu Lianhui’s sharp tongue upsetting her.
Though she muttered in her heart, Nanny Zhu dared not say it out loud and just waited for Mu Lianhui to get up.
Unexpectedly, after saying that, Mu Lianhui didn’t move at all, not even budging an inch.
Nanny Zhu, seeing this, couldn’t help but feel pain in her heart. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Lady, today the Princely Heir sent a letter saying Mr. Kang has been found, and he’s still alive."
Mu Lianhui’s body stiffened.
Lin Ke, who was busy with her embroidery on the side, suddenly looked up, "Mr. Kang? Who is Nanny referring to?"
"Who else could it be!" Nanny Zhu clapped her knee, "Our Mr. Kang, isn’t it Mr. Kang!"
Lin Ke’s hand trembled, nearly pricking her hand with the embroidery needle. She quickly set the embroidery frame down and looked at Nanny Zhu in astonishment.
Mu Lianhui, who hadn’t been looking directly at anyone, slowly raised her head. The ice bowl was silently placed on the table as she stood up, leisurely brushing past Nanny Zhu.
The only thing left to Nanny Zhu was the crisp sound of the bead curtain.
Nanny Zhu regained her senses and hurriedly followed after her.
Mu Lianhui went straight into the adjacent room, where Lady Lian lay slumped on the couch, her face ashen.
"You’re here?" Lady Lian gasped, "Lian Kang has been found."
"What did Ah Shao say in the letter?" Mu Lianhui asked.
"I haven’t seen the letter myself. The old ancestor said, Lian Kang has a wife and children, but he doesn’t remember the past." Lady Lian replied.
"Doesn’t remember?" Mu Lianhui raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and then nodded, "Makes sense, if he remembered, how could there have been no news for over eight years?"
Mu Lianhui’s tone was calm and unwavering, which Lady Lian found displeasing and raised herself up slightly, saying, "How can you act like nothing’s happening?"
"What does it mean to act like something’s happening? What does it mean to act like nothing’s happening?" Mu Lianhui retorted.
Lady Lian was at a loss for words, held her breath, and after a severe bout of coughing, she felt a little better, "What if he remembers?"
Mu Lianhui bent down to pick up a fan from the ground and casually fanned herself, "Isn’t it that he hasn’t remembered yet!"
"Would it be too late by then?" Lady Lian, provoked by Mu Lianhui’s attitude, felt her anger rise uncontrollably. She got off the couch, not even bothering to put on her slippers, and rushed over to snatch the fan from Mu Lianhui’s hand, slapping it onto the table, "If he remembers, none of us will be alright!"
"Mm, none of you will be alright," Mu Lianhui said lightly.
Lady Lian’s eyes widened. What did she hear? Mu Lianhui said "none of you", does this mean she’s excluding herself?
"Hui’er?" Lady Lian gasped, tightly gripping Mu Lianhui’s shoulders, "Are you trying to distance yourself from your parents? You don’t consider yourself our daughter anymore? Hui’er, how can you say such things, do you want to break your mother’s heart?"
Mu Lianhui did not respond; she merely looked at Lady Lian quietly, without a word.
Lady Lian tightened her grip, pulling Mu Lianhui into her arms, and hit her on the back, saying, "Hui’er, if your parents aren’t well, would you be okay? We’re a family, all in the same boat. Your parents did so much, wasn’t it also for you children?"
Lady Lian’s voice trembled terribly. The news of Mu Liankang had already disrupted her emotions, and Mu Lianhui’s words were a further blow to the head.
This is her very own daughter, her own flesh and blood, who came from her womb!
How could Mu Lianhui say such things?
Lady Lian hugged Mu Lianhui tightly, almost sobbing as she cried, pressing Mu Lianhui’s head against hers, and thus did not see Mu Lianhui’s expression.
Mu Lianhui’s face was frighteningly indifferent, with not a hint of emotion in her eyes, Lady Lian’s tears did not reach her heart.
She lifted her head, her lips curving into a mocking smile.
She did not push Lady Lian away, nor did she return her embrace. Mu Lianhui simply stood there, letting Lady Lian cry.
When Mu Yuanmou came in, he saw such a scene. His wife stood barefoot, stepping on the ground, holding their daughter and crying bitterly. His brows furrowed.
Mu Lianhui heard the footsteps and, without turning around, said, "Mother will cry for a while longer. Father, why not go change your clothes?"
Lady Lian’s body jumped up at once, releasing Mu Lianhui, her tearful eyes looking at Mu Yuanmou.
Mu Yuanmou’s brows furrowed almost into a character for ’川’, "What kind of propriety is this? Old Zhu, why haven’t you brought water for Madam to wash her face?"
Nanny Zhu, standing in the outer room, shivered upon hearing this. Zhu Shan came in with a basin of water, which Nanny Zhu dared not take, as it was meant for Mu Yuanmou. She couldn’t intercept it halfway.
Gesturing towards Zhu Shan with her mouth, indicating to her not to further offend the masters, Nanny Zhu went to fetch another basin of water, bringing it in to help Lady Lian freshen up.