“Run away!”
The first person Ji Jinyu saw upon waking was her eldest daughter-in-law, who looked nearly ten years younger.
She grabbed Yu Huilan in front of her and shouted in frustration, “Why didn’t you listen? Why didn’t you run!”
After brutally killing Marquis Kangle and his son to avenge her own children, Ji Jinyu had already resolved to die. Yet Yu Huilan, foolish as she was, took the money but didn’t flee. Instead, she turned back, crossed the sea of flames to find her, saying she wanted to die together. This enraged Ji Jinyu so much she wished she could slap her twice.
However, before Ji Jinyu’s furious slap could land on Yu Huilan, the roof beam collapsed first, and in the end, both perished in the fire.
Now, Yu Huilan trembled in fear at her mother-in-law’s sudden awakening, then stammered nervously, “Mother, I’ll listen. Please don’t be angry.”
Ji Jinyu finally began to realize something was amiss.
This place didn’t seem to be Marquis Kangle’s residence, nor the Dou family estate, nor anywhere else—it was the home she had lived in for decades.
The Yu Huilan before her was just over twenty years old, without a trace of the aged, sorrowful appearance she would later bear after her daughter’s death.
Ji Jinyu looked at Yu Huilan, sighed deeply, and pulled her into an embrace, just as she had shielded her in the midst of the flames.
Yu Huilan was startled by her mother-in-law’s sudden affection and worriedly asked, “Mother, have you burned your mind?”
Ji Jinyu: “…”
Speechless, she released her eldest daughter-in-law and asked, “What year is it now? What month and day?”
Yu Huilan looked at her mother-in-law with anxious suspicion and replied, “The twenty-third year of Wencheng, May eighteenth.”
“Mother, you really do seem confused. Let me take you to the doct—”
“Shut up!”
Hearing her mother-in-law’s harsh, vigorous voice, Yu Huilan finally closed her mouth in relief. This was the domineering, unreasonable mother-in-law she knew.
At this moment, Ji Jinyu had no time to pay attention to the slight relief on Yu Huilan’s face. Her mind was filled with the date: the twenty-third year of Wencheng, May eighteenth.
Fearing that everything might be nothing more than a hallucination before death, Ji Jinyu pinched herself hard. When a sharp pain shot through her arm, she burst into laughter.
Because if it truly was May eighteenth of the twenty-third year of Wencheng, then she had not yet turned thirty-five, her twin children were only fourteen, her parents and granddaughter were still alive, and she had not yet foolishly traveled north to seek refuge with relatives. Everything could still be changed!
Yu Huilan was frightened by her mother-in-law’s frenzied behavior, watching as she rose from the bed, ran barefoot to the bronze mirror, and examined herself intently from side to side.
Full head of dark hair, strong and healthy.
Ji Jinyu touched her own face, then turned to Yu Huilan and asked, “Where are A-Ming and A-Jun?”
“Your son is at the academy and hasn’t returned yet. Your daughter went out to buy osmanthus cake for you and should be home soon.”
Speak of the devil—as soon as Yu Huilan finished speaking, the sound of Ji Yingjun running in the courtyard and the complaints of the second son Ji Yingcai’s wife, Fang Yourong, could be heard.
Yes, before seeking refuge with Dou Shichang, both Dou Yingliang and Dou Yingcai had followed Ji Jinyu’s surname, Ji, because Dou Shichang had married into the Ji family—Ji Jinyu did not marry into the Dou family.
“Mother!”
When Ji Jinyu saw the young Ji Yingjun running in, what flashed before her eyes was the image of her nineteen-year-old self lying on the ground, belly hollowed out and covered in blood. Tears instantly welled up and spilled over.
Ji Yingjun was completely bewildered when her mother suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace and began sobbing uncontrollably.
Not only was Ji Yingjun bewildered, but even Yu Huilan, standing nearby, was at a loss. Her mother-in-law seemed to have truly lost her mind from the fever.
“Mother, what’s wrong?” Ji Yingjun asked with concern.
“Mother, are you feeling unwell somewhere?” Yu Huilan quietly placed her hand on her mother-in-law’s wrist.
“Mother, are you still upset about Father’s letter?”
“Mother, if you don’t want to go to the capital, the children and I will stay here with you.”
Amid their words, Ji Jinyu finally remembered that her recent high fever and bedridden state were entirely due to exhaustion and the anger she felt upon reading Dou Shichang’s letter, which had caused her to collapse and burn with fever.
Less than half a month after she regained consciousness, her once peaceful and harmonious hometown would be devastated by an earthquake, causing countless casualties. The collapse of the upstream dam on the Huangshi River, triggered by the earthquake, combined with incessant heavy rain, would lead to severe flooding downstream, even reaching the northern side of the Huangshi River where Ji Jinyu’s hometown was located.
But that wasn’t the most despairing part. What was truly devastating was the lack of sufficient food and clean water after the earthquake and floods, leaving only floating corpses everywhere and a plague spreading under the scorching heat.
In the desperate state of starvation, people were capable of anything.
Back then, Ji Jinyu had managed to lead her family to safety amidst such a living hell, doing whatever was necessary, whether right or wrong. Yet the price had been unbearably heavy—so heavy that even now, recalling it sent chills down to the very marrow of her bones.
“We’re not going.” Ji Jinyu clenched her fists, then said with a sharp and resolute gaze, “Bring me the medicine.”
“Yes, Mother.”
After downing the medicine Yu Huilan had prepared for her in one gulp, Ji Jinyu said, “Go and call everyone in the family back. I have something to say.”
Ji Yingjun and Yu Huilan exchanged a glance and quickly agreed.
After the two left, Ji Jinyu tidied herself up and sat in a chair in the main hall, waiting for the family to return.
It was around the hour of Shen, and those with proper work to do were not at home.
After Ji Jinyu fell ill, Ji Shan, now fifty-seven and long retired, had taken up his daughter’s butchering trade and was working at the pork shop on the street. Her mother, Wang Sijin, afraid that the children would disturb her resting daughter, had taken them out to play on the street.
Upon hearing from her granddaughter that her daughter had woken up, Wang Sijin hurriedly led the two children back to the main hall.
When Ji Jinyu saw her mother, her eyes reddened, and she rushed over to embrace her.
Hearing her daughter’s choked sobs, Wang Sijin’s nose tingled with emotion as she comforted her, “Don’t be afraid, Yu’er. No matter what happens, your father and I will stand by your side.”
Upon hearing these words, Ji Jinyu wept uncontrollably. “Mother, in this lifetime, I will protect all of you! I will…” never let you die far from home again.
When Ji Yingliang, who worked at an ink shop, and Ji Yingcai, the manager of a restaurant, leisurely returned home, they found the main hall already filled with their family members, leaving only the two of them as the last to arrive.
As the eldest son, Ji Yingliang looked at the scene in the main hall, which resembled a formal interrogation, his brows tightly furrowed. Ji Yingcai, on the other hand, had been glancing around furtively since entering the room. Especially when he saw his mother and grandmother’s reddened eyes, he immediately turned to his wife. After catching the meaningful look she gave him, he quickly put on an apologetic smile and moved closer to his mother.
“Mother, you’re still unwell. Why are you up…”
Ji Jinyu looked coldly at her second son’s grinning face and said sharply, “Stay where you are.”
Ji Yingcai had always been quick to read the mood. Seeing his mother’s stern gaze, he immediately straightened up and froze in place.
Ji Yingliang, however, complained, “Mother, what are you trying to stir up again…”
Bang!
Before Ji Yingliang could finish his angry, resentful words, a teacup along with hot water was hurled directly at his head.
“Kneel down.”
Hot water mixed with blood streamed down Ji Yingliang’s forehead.
When he looked up in disbelief at Ji Jinyu sitting in her chair, Ji Yingcai beside him had already knelt on the ground without any backbone. Seeing his mother’s dark, murderous gaze, Ji Yingliang’s legs gave way, and he too knelt on the floor.
Yu Huilan, seeing her husband kneeling with blood streaming down his head, instinctively tried to rise from her chair to kneel beside him, but a sharp glance from Ji Jinyu stopped her.
After ensuring Yu Huilan remained obedient, Ji Jinyu looked at Ji Yingliang and Ji Yingcai kneeling in the center of the main hall and said, “You’ve been wanting to go join your father, haven’t you?”
“Well, today we’ll divide the family.”