Yi Qing disliked and was least adept at dealing with pathos. So, seeing the old woman who kept crying, she felt at a loss and could only look at Zisu, who had brought this trouble to her.
Zisu gave an expression of helplessness.
The old woman continued to cry, "My poor son. We haven't even recognized each other as mother and son, and you're gone..."
Her hair was gray, and her face was full of bitterness. She raised her rough hand to wipe her tears, but they kept flowing. Soon, her eyes were rubbed red.
Although she was crying all the time, her back was straight. When she cried, tears streamed down, but she didn't wail. She was quite self - restrained, looking like someone who had once received good upbringing.
Haven't recognized each other as mother and son?
Yi Qing suddenly woke up. Could it be that this woman had the same idea as her and wanted to be an easy - made mother?
Anyway, Xiao Jinghan was dead, and there was no way to verify.
But no, she was here. She had already occupied the position. How could she let others take it?
Moreover, this woman didn't want to be Xiao Jinghan's concubine. She wanted to be his mother and would be above her!
Absolutely not!
But facing the old woman who was crying so sadly, she couldn't show her might. She could only glare fiercely at Zisu, the culprit who had brought back this "trouble".
She had always missed Zisu! What a fake friendship!
She said to Zisu, "Come with me first."
Zisu looked at the old woman who was crying sadly. "Wait. Aunt Fan, stop crying. You still have a grandson!"
Yi Qing: "..."
She wanted to kill Zisu.
The old woman adapted to this role very well. Immediately, her eyes showed endless excitement and eagerness. "Yes, yes. Where's the child? Bring the child here for me to see."
Yi Qing stood still.
The old woman seemed to realize her rudeness. After wiping her tears, she said in a hoarse voice, "Sorry. Did I scare you? You're Yi Qing?"
Yi Qing nodded.
"I was too rude," the old woman said. "My story with Jinghan is hard to explain in a few words. Good child, thank you. Thank you for leaving a descendant for him and a thought for me..."
Seeing that she didn't seem to be able to explain clearly, and Yi Qing was always soft - hearted towards the elderly, she said, "Please sit down first. Let Zisu talk to me."
She asked the maidservant to serve tea and snacks and told the maidservant to take good care of the old woman. Then she pulled Zisu out.
"What's going on? Are you tired of me being too idle and found a mother for me?" Yi Qing said angrily.
"No, she's the real one," Zisu said. "Do you think I'm a good - for - nothing do - gooder?"
Well, Zisu was actually colder than Yi Qing. She was rarely touched and even less likely to meddle in other people's business.
From her, Yi Qing learned that the old woman's maiden surname was Fan. To be exact, it was inappropriate to call her an old woman because she was only forty years old this year. But having experienced so many hardships, she looked so old.
Mrs. Fan came from a well - known family. Back then, she married Lord Yi'an, Xiao Jinghan's father. It was a well - matched marriage.
It was a blind marriage. Naturally, she hadn't seen her husband - to - be before the wedding. But getting married was like a second chance at life. Mrs. Fan also married into the lord's mansion with excitement and uneasiness.
But she never expected that what awaited her would be hardships.
Lord Yi'an had a childhood sweetheart cousin. After her family declined, she lived in the lord's mansion. They were in love, but Lord Yi'an's mother didn't agree to her son marrying a woman who would be of no help to his future. She arranged for him to marry Mrs. Fan.
Lord Yi'an was very angry about this decision, but he was powerless to oppose. He vented all his anger on the innocent Mrs. Fan and spoke rudely to her.
All of Mrs. Fan's hopes for marriage were shattered, but that wasn't enough.
Lord Yi'an's cousin became his concubine and regarded Mrs. Fan as a thorn in her side. She framed Mrs. Fan many times and even framed her at the cost of the fetus in her belly.
Although Mrs. Fan had received good upbringing, the Fan family was a noble family that paid attention to rules. Where had she seen such villains and clumsy tricks?
So she kept losing ground. After giving birth to Xiao Jinghan, she was even tied up by that scheming cousin and sent to the far north. But it was announced to the outside world that she had eloped with someone, and her reputation was completely ruined.
Yi Qing finally understood why Xiao Tian had never mentioned Xiao Jinghan's background.
Because his background was a great shame to him.
Having a mother who eloped was a sin he could never get rid of.
"Why didn't she come back?" Yi Qing frowned and asked.
With her fiery temper, she would never take such a loss silently.
If it were her, even if it meant destroying everything, she would kill the adulterous couple.
"What could she do if she came back? Could she change the fact that she had been sent away and wandered outside?" Zisu said expressionlessly.
Oh, right. Even if she came back, people would still question her innocence.
Maybe it was better for Xiao Jinghan to think his mother was dead. Mrs. Fan thought so.
Yi Qing sighed. "No matter how difficult it was, she should have come back. A step - mother means a step - father. Behind Xiao Jinghan's early success, there must have been many hardships he had to endure."
"Mrs. Fan remarried. The man treated her well, but life was hard."
Yi Qing could understand this very well.
She was a delicate girl who couldn't carry anything and had been served in eating and dressing since childhood. If she didn't rely on a man, she might have died long ago.
"She later gave birth to a daughter, but she always missed Xiao Jinghan. A year ago, she finally summoned up the courage to go to Li City to find Xiao Jinghan. She really went, but came back empty - handed. Then she heard that he was dead and came to the capital after many twists and turns."
This "many twists and turns" must have taken a long time. It was obvious that many things must have happened in between.
"How do you know what she said is true?" Yi Qing asked.
Zisu said expressionlessly, "Not everyone is as bold as you and randomly claims relatives."
Yi Qing stared wide - eyed. "If you say that, I'll get angry! Who randomly claimed relatives! I have real evidence!"
"Just based on the birthmark on Baozi's butt?"
They were both old foxes. There was no need to play such tricks.
"So what!" Yi Qing said aggressively. "We are the real ones!"
Zisu didn't argue with her and said, "Anyway, she's quite pitiful. So I brought her here. She doesn't mean anything else and won't live in the mansion. She doesn't want to 'come back to life' and make Xiao Jinghan restless even after death. She just wants to come and cry and see Baozi."
Yi Qing didn't say a word.
Zisu thought she didn't want to agree and said, "Just do a good deed. She's had a hard life and is really not a greedy person."
Yi Qing rolled her eyes. "I didn't say I wouldn't agree. I'm thinking about how to tell Baozi!"
It was okay to make up a father for him, but now she had to make up a grandmother for him too.
Poor Baozi.
"Besides, you never meddle in other people's business. What's going on?" Yi Qing asked again.
"I just think that maybe my mother was also forced to leave like this," Zisu said lightly, and a flash of loneliness quickly passed through her eyes.
Yi Qing was stunned for a moment and then patted her on the shoulder.