Fu Yunzhu looked toward the voice and saw a beautiful woman, around thirty, waving excitedly at her. She was wearing a red polka-dot blouse and white trousers, her hair casually draped over her shoulders. Fu Yunzhu hesitated for a moment her mother looked so young.
The woman recognized her and quickly made her way through the crowd. She reached her and lifted the items Fu Yunzhu was carrying. Her eyes were watery, her voice trembling with emotion. “It really is you! You’ve grown up I almost didn’t recognize you, my dear.”
It finally clicked this was really her mother. She hadn’t expected her to look so young and beautiful. Even with modern technology, maintaining such an appearance at forty would be difficult.
Fu Yunzhu immediately called out, “Mom.”
Although it was their first meeting, she didn’t feel the usual distance or strangeness. It made her marvel at the strange magic of fate.
Jiang Youqing looked her daughter over tall, fair-skinned, and unmistakably resembling her but seeing the way she was dressed made her heart ache. “Yunzhu, let’s go home to eat first. After you’ve rested, I’ll take you to buy some new clothes.”
“Thank you, Mom,” Fu Yunzhu said softly.
She could feel the woman’s wholehearted love and care for her.
Fu Yunzhu didn’t have many belongings. Jiang Youqing held one bag and took her by the hand, quickly leaving the train station. They hailed a taxi at the station platform.
Once inside, Jiang Youqing explained, “Yunzhu, it’s so sudden that I haven’t had time to find a suitable place yet. You can stay at the Xiao family’s house for a few days, and once I find a place, we’ll move, okay?”
Fu Yunzhu replied, “Okay.”
From the moment she called to say she was coming, plus the travel time, it had only been about three days so things were indeed rushed.
Jiang Youqing looked at her obedient daughter and, wanting to get closer, continued: “The Xiao family isn’t complicated just three people. I mainly handle the cooking and occasionally play chess with Mr. Xiao. The eldest son doesn’t bother the servants at all. The youngest son is the hardest to manage, but another aunt usually looks after him. Recently, she took leave to go back to the countryside, so I’ll temporarily take care of him.”
Fu Yunzhu had read these basic details in books but listened obediently. When her mother finished, she responded, “If you’re too busy, you can leave the youngest to me.”
Jiang Youqing smiled, “No need. You rest; I can handle it.”
The youngest son was unlike other children he required a lot of care.
Jiang Youqing mentioned some other things, and Fu Yunzhu listened attentively. It was clear that Jiang Youqing also wanted to know about her past, but revealing the original story would only bring her pain.
In fact, it was the same for herself.
The entire journey, Jiang Youqing talked while Fu Yunzhu listened. The car drove into the military families’ housing and stopped in front of a quiet, standalone villa.
She got out with her mother and saw a guard at the gate scrutinizing her.
Jiang Youqing, sensing she might be nervous, introduced her: “This is my daughter.”
After the introduction, she was about to offer some comforting words, but Fu Yunzhu smiled and nodded calmly, following her mother’s lead.
She held her daughter’s hand and went inside, expecting curiosity, but Fu Yunzhu asked nothing she simply followed quietly.
Fu Yunzhu had seen plenty of good things in her past life, so nothing here seemed unusual to her.
She had been raised by her father as a wealthy daughter-in-law, with a top-class arranged marriage partner in Jiang City, growing up with everything she desired.
Later, as Gu Yu’s wife, even though he used her and trampled her dignity, any luxury he deemed suitable was bought for her without hesitation.
In the end, everyone had used, abandoned, or deceived her.
“Yunzhu, rest first. I’ll cook you a bowl of noodles,” Jiang Youqing said, breaking her thoughts.
“Okay.”
She followed her mother to the room. “Mom, I’ll take a shower first.”
Jiang Youqing sized up her daughter taller by half a head and too big for her clothes then led her to the bathroom. She went to the kitchen to cook noodles.
After her shower, Fu Yunzhu returned to the room to find a steaming bowl of noodles with two fried eggs on top.
She took the chopsticks from Jiang Youqing, feeling a little emotional.
Seeing her eat attentively, Jiang Youqing quietly asked, “Is it good?”
Fu Yunzhu nodded, “Yes.”
She had eaten good food before, but this was the first time eating felt so blissful.
Jiang Youqing smiled, watching her daughter finish. She picked up the empty bowl and chopsticks. “Go rest. I’ll make dinner. Tomorrow, after breakfast, we’ll go buy clothes and shoes.”
“Okay,” Fu Yunzhu nodded.
Jiang Youqing returned to the kitchen to work. Another nanny came in with a child. “Aunt Jiang, the eldest son called today saying he’ll be back. I need to clean his room and change the bedding. Can I leave the youngest in the living room to watch TV?”
Xiao Jinghang was three years old. He couldn’t speak or understand speech and would throw tantrums easily. Only the TV could calm him.
Jiang Youqing stopped her work. “You can’t leave him alone. Wait a moment the food will be ready soon.”
The nanny, Liu, wasn’t happy. If Jiang Youqing hadn’t entrusted the child to her this afternoon, she would have finished her chores already. But she had to obey Jiang Youqing. Finally, she said, “Alright, I’ll wait.”
“Mm.”
Jiang Youqing quickly prepared the meal and walked into the living room. Liu held the child, watching TV. Jiang Youqing took him, thanked Liu, and whispered to Xiao Jinghang: “Hanghang, shall Auntie take you outside for a bit?”
Watching too much TV could damage his eyes, and the content was for adults he couldn’t understand it.
He ignored her and continued staring until the TV was turned off, then began crying loudly.
Jiang Youqing comforted him and carried him to the backyard, showing him flowers and trees, but he continued to fuss.
Hearing the crying, Fu Yunzhu woke up. Following the sound to the backyard, she saw her mother patiently soothing the little boy.
“Mom!” Fu Yunzhu walked over.
Jiang Youqing quickly turned. “Did the noise wake you?”
Fu Yunzhu was genuinely moved by her mother’s care and shook her head. “No, I slept on the train, so I’m not lacking sleep just a bit tired. But I’ve rested enough now. I’ll watch him while you take care of other things.”
“You just arrived; this child is hard to manage.”
Fu Yunzhu knew from the books: this child was the daughter of Huo Jingchuan’s aunt, who had died giving birth, like Huo Jingchuan’s mother.
Xiao’s father, busy with work, had never remarried. Huo Jingchuan was raised by his grandmother and uncles. After the aunt died, the uncle remarried and returned the child to the maternal grandparents.
The grandparents were old, grieving the death of their youngest daughter, and the uncles were busy with their own families, unable to care for the child as they had Huo Jingchuan. In the end, Huo Jingchuan took the child back as his younger brother.
The two men couldn’t care for a child, and due to work, a nanny was hired. The father and Huo Jingchuan ensured one adult was home daily, but no one noticed anything unusual until the child turned three. Because of the Xiao family’s status, no one dared comment publicly, only whispering behind his back that he was a fool.
Fu Yunzhu smiled. “Mom, don’t worry. I’ve helped my uncle take care of grandchildren in the countryside, so I have plenty of experience.”