Chapter 1352 – Reunion of Mother and Child (Part 3)
After that day, Zhu Qing Ning indeed kept her promise and often brought her daughter to the mansion to visit Gu Zhen.
Naturally, Gu Zhen was overjoyed.
Nie Xun’s attitude remained unchanged; no matter how Gu Zhen tried to please him, he showed no signs of softening, leaving Zhu Qing Ning particularly puzzled.
“What’s wrong with Cheng Yun?” Zhu Qing Ning sighed, “Today, she talked to me about the past, and it turns out she has her own hardships.”
Nie Xun was in the courtyard reading, his expression as calm as ever. Zhu Qing Ning smiled and nestled closer, curling up in his embrace.
Interrupted by his wife’s childish action, Nie Xun could only awkwardly use one hand to hold her and the baby in his arms.
Zhu Qing Ning slowly recounted what she had heard in a gentle voice, lamenting in the end.
“Cheng Yun, there are no parents in this world who aren’t concerned for their children, and she truly has her reasons. Can’t you be a little soft-hearted?”
After all, she was his wife, and Zhu Qing Ning understood Nie Xun the best.
There was one thing she didn’t understand: clearly, he had shown some friendliness toward Gu Zhen on the first day, but after a few days, that had cooled considerably.
“Fifth Sister, the human heart in this world isn’t as simple as you imagine. With your naively trusting nature, how can I feel at ease?” Nie Xun wrapped her in his arm, resting his chin on her shoulder, his voice tinged with a hint of fatigue. “According to your account, she indeed had her hardships back then, but to speak the truth doesn’t mean there are no secrets being kept. It’d be good for you to take the child to see her, but please don’t try to connect us again.”
Due to his youthful experiences, Nie Xun’s temperament was different from others.
His adoptive parents had no children in their lives, treating him as their own, and he was deeply grateful, but that didn’t mean he had forgotten his childhood memories.
Those memories would likely never fade as he aged.
After being dug out of the dirt back then, he was passed around until he was sold from Dongqing to Zhong Zhao.
Some bought him hoping for a child; the mistress had a fiery temper, frequently yelling at and kicking him, feeling humiliated by his presence as it constantly reminded her of her inability to bear children. During the frigid winter, when she pressed his head down into the water, the more he struggled, the more she exerted her force. As a three or four-year-old, he simply held his breath and played dead; when she tossed him into the water and cursed, she left without a second thought.
Of course, that could not have been the end of his story. Soon after, he fell into the hands of a trafficker who specialized in selling beggars.
He had encountered all types of people; some paid for him based on his appearance and took him into a male-brothel. If that place hadn’t been burned to the ground, Nie Xun would likely not have escaped. Others had a twisted desire to humiliate children for their own pleasure; he had suffered broken hands and legs, with the little finger on his right hand still not functioning well. He bore the scars from his childhood experiences—some had healed, while others stubbornly remained.
Nie Xun was a strong-willed person; he refused to die, so naturally, he wouldn’t.
Born with parents, where were they?
Did they sell him due to poverty, or had they faced misfortune, leading to his abduction?
He wanted to understand.
This obsession sustained his will to live.
Perhaps, at that moment, Nie Xun never imagined that his parents came from such an esteemed background, one that felt untouchable.
If only he had known sooner, perhaps he wouldn’t have suffered so much; he might have thrown himself into death, seeking a better life in the next.
“Why?” Zhu Qing Ning turned her head and kissed his cheek, interrupting his memories, her tone still innocent and naive like that of a girl unacquainted with the world. “Cheng Yun, at least tell me the reason. If you keep silent, others will misunderstand you for being unfilial.”
Nie Xun smiled bitterly; it was precisely because he didn’t want his wife to know these things that he kept silent.
“Just pay attention to what’s happening with your sister-in-law.”
Zhu Qing Ning frowned in confusion, “What does that have to do with my sister-in-law?”
She truly didn’t understand; this was clearly a matter of Nie Xun and Gu Zhen’s emotional ties. How could it involve her sister-in-law?
Nie Xun looked down, while Zhu Qing Ning placed the baby into a nearby cradle, holding his right hand with both of hers and kissing his little finger.
“You always do this—”
Nie Xun felt as if his hair was about to fall out from worry; he was the most powerless against this habit of hers.
“If you don’t want it like this, then just explain. You know that if you don’t clarify, sometimes I don’t understand either.”
With no other choice, Nie Xun leaned over and whispered a few things in her ear.
Zhu Qing Ning’s smile froze instantly.
“This—”
Nie Xun said, “Fifth Sister, if it were possible… I would really like to take you back to see my parents, to tell them that Xun Er is married now.”
After a long moment, Zhu Qing Ning finally came back to her senses and said, “Have my actions these past few days put you in a difficult position?”
Nie Xun murmured, “As long as it’s you, it’s not a difficult situation.”
As the year drew to a close, Jiang Pengji sent some people back to Wanzhou, and Meng Heng was among them.
Upon arriving, he could hardly wait to see his wife and child, his smile bright as that of a child.
His wife wiped the sweat from his brow and scolded, “You’ve traveled far and wide; are you not worried about getting the child dirty? Go wash up first, then you can hug them.”
Meng Heng could only comply, enjoying a comfortable bath before changing into fresh clothes.
He inquired about the situation at home, and his wife recounted everything.
“Is Cheng Yun being taken care of?” Meng Heng asked.
Though the brothers had not formally recognized each other, Meng Heng still felt indebted to Nie Xun, as it had been a calculated event, and now it was time to make amends.
His wife hesitated, and Meng Heng pressed, “What’s wrong? Is someone making things difficult for Cheng Yun?”
“Well, not exactly; it’s just—”
“Just? Just what?”
While munching on pastries to satisfy his hunger, Meng Heng looked at her with concern.
His wife twisted the napkin in her hands, “Not long ago, mother-in-law went to the mansion to see the Second Brother and his wife, and it did not end well.”
Meng Heng was not surprised at all.
“That does align with Cheng Yun’s temperament.”
If they had come together as one big happy family right from the start, Meng Heng would have thought Nie Xun was possessed.
His wife went on to explain the circumstances of that day.
She and Zhu Qing Ning were not only close friends but also sisters-in-law, sharing some topics without hesitation.
Both sisters-in-law agreed that as mothers themselves, they felt Nie Xun was too cold.
Meng Heng clicked his tongue, “After all these years, she hasn’t changed a bit.”
His wife said, “The younger brother indeed suffered greatly in his early years, but every parent has their own burdens; how can he be so hard-hearted?”
Meng Heng countered, “If Mother continues like this, Cheng Yun’s heart will only grow colder and harder.”
His wife was taken aback.
“But Mother treats him so well—”
“Well, good treatment has its contexts. Mother stayed in Wanzhou for quite some time; did she ever send someone to the mansion, let alone inquire about you and the child?”
His wife paused, “Well, she really hasn’t.”
Not only had she never sent someone, but once when she brought the child to the mansion to pay respects, the maid said the other party had already gone to bed.
Later, when she went to the mansion with her sister-in-law Zhu Qing Ning, it was her first time meeting her mother-in-law, who was indeed beautiful, looking ageless.
Meng Heng sighed, “I only mentioned to Mother not long ago that Cheng Yun was still alive.”
His wife was still confused, and Meng Heng had no mind to explain. After all, speaking ill of his mother in front of his wife didn’t seem right.
Was Gu Zhen a good mother?
To Liu Xi, she was probably the best mother in the world; her goodness wasn’t just in words but also in actions.
For the brothers, her goodness was only ever expressed to others.
Before Meng Heng wrote to Gu Zhen, she didn’t even know that her youngest son was alive; officially, she only had Meng Heng as her son.
But how did she treat her eldest son?
He lived a life in the Meng family where he was akin to a side branch or a illegitimate child, constantly wary of his father’s concubines plotting against him.
To save himself, he willingly became a hostage, living long-term in the capital while the Meng family provided barely sufficient funds; he had to pawn several of his childhood belongings just to get by. While studying in a private academy, his expenses were significant, so he also secretly sold calligraphy and paintings to earn a bit of pocket money.
One time, he eagerly wrote to his mother, hoping she would show compassion and care for him.
Gu Zhen did send him some money—one hundred taels—but aside from the silver, there was no other word.
At that moment, Meng Heng had already developed a sense of pride. Holding his mother’s silver, he felt a burning shame on his face.
The book boy remarked, “Doesn’t Madam think the Young Master is begging her?”
But the eleven or twelve-year-old Meng Heng felt that his self-esteem and dignity had been completely shattered by his mother.
This money was like a beggar’s alms.
He brought forth his “begging” for maternal love from his biological mother and ended up receiving money instead.
By the age of twenty-three, he got married, but only because the elders of the Meng family, unable to bear it any longer, graciously matched him with a debased but legitimate daughter from an offshoot of the clan.
Did his mother ever inquire about this, even in a word?
Before Meng Zhan died, he could still say it was due to the Meng family’s power, and she didn’t dare interfere for her son’s good.
But now, even after Meng Zhan’s body had grown cold several times over, she still treated her eldest son with indifference, and was cold toward her daughter-in-law and grandson.
Such a mother could put her heart and soul into the second son who hadn’t been seen in over twenty years, exhibiting a mother’s love.
Nie Xun wasn’t stupid; the more Gu Zhen wanted to “make amends” with her second son while treating the eldest as if he were air, the colder his own heart would become.
The eldest son had maternal affection, yet it was still so cold.
Then what about the second son, who had not been seen for over twenty years? What qualifications did he have to be favored by her?
Did she genuinely want to regain her child and compensate for the missing maternal love, or was it simply about seeking forgiveness to ease her own guilt?
Meng Heng felt that Nie Xun understood this very clearly.
His wife had no clue about Meng Heng’s thoughts and sighed.
“Mother had a tough time back then; I’ve heard that she was often bedridden. Can’t the younger brother try to understand?”
Being a legitimate daughter of an esteemed family had not been easy for Gu Zhen.
“She didn’t take medicine nor accept treatment; could anyone force her?” Meng Heng replied, “Was it really tough? Perhaps, but…”
His wife showed signs of dissatisfaction.
“What’s with you saying this?”
“Though my mother was once a side daughter of the Gu family, she received treatment befitting that of a legitimate daughter. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to marry into the Meng family in such grandeur. I’ve asked some elders; they said my aunt treated her genuinely well, and all her dowries were well cared for…” Meng Heng said, “After that, she remarried Liu Zhi, and everyone in the Liu Residence respected her. Now, the Lord has even given her the title of ‘Honorable Grand Dowager.’ For us, as her sons, if we truly wanted what’s good for her, maintaining the current state of affairs is the best option.”
As a son, he dared not complain, though he still found it hard to connect.
