Chapter 73: Father’s Decision
Xing, Rijun and their father paid respect to her mother’s grave and after dinner, Xing helped Xu mama in washing the dishes even though she protested to let her young miss do such lowly tasks.
"I always did the dishes as mother’s hands were delicate. Her hands easily got dry", Xing smiled making AoTian wonder the different ways she acted. In the Heavenly Flowers Palace, she acted like she’s above everyone and in the village she acted like one of them and in here she did all the chores herself?
Xing brought her father to her mother’s room afterwards and dragged a wooden trunk box under her bed and dusted it clean. She hadn’t been in the mood to check it previously before she left her home.
"Mother never let me touch this before", Xing gently caressed the box with a reminiscing smile on her face. It is not locked anymore, Xing thought, it’s like she’d known she’d die already... May be.. Xing shook her head and not let her thoughts wander off. There is no way mother would have chosen death, right? Her brother also joined them and was standing beside Xing.
Xing opened the box to see many bundles.
There was one bundle with magpie embroidered on it and Xing opened it to see many embroidered handkerchiefs with her father’s initials. Xing could see her father’s eyes redden and she gave it to him and saw him holding it close to his heart.
On another bundle, there was her brother’s name embroidered on it surprising Xing. She didn’t even know that her mother was keeping tabs of her father till this day and even knew her brother’s name. She didn’t open the bundle and gave it to her brother who was equally surprised.
Another bundle with the number ’three’ was there and she knew it was for Shengli and Xing opened it without hesitation and there was a beautifully embroidered pale green robe in there.
Below that there was another bundle with the number ’nine’ embroidered on it. So this is for the Emperor? Xing wondered.
"Brother, mother have something for the Emperor too, surprisingly! Guess, Shengli did speak a lot about his ninth brother to mother", she gave it to Rijun. He can decide if he gives it to the Emperor or not.
Xing realised that there was only a neatly folded white silk cloth remaining there and felt her heart squeeze. ’Mother! You left something for everyone, even for that Emperor and nothing for me?’, her hands inside the box, froze.
"I think there is something inside", Rijun’s voice made Xing gain her thoughts and she opened the white cloth to see..... A beautiful red bridal veil with the most intricate embroidery in gold and a Phoenix headdress inside a box.