Chapter 131: Mother and Daughter Meet, Eyes Filled with Tears

As soon as they disembarked, they had already arrived at the riverbank not far from Du Yun’s grandmother’s house. After expressing their thanks to Uncle Tang Er, Du Yun’s family of four made their way toward the grandmother’s home. Along the way, they encountered several villagers. Du Yun’s mother greeted them all with smiles, addressing each as “big brother” or “big sister-in-law,” clearly indicating familiarity and kinship.

“Mother, do you know all these people?” Du Yin watched her mother’s cheerful greetings with wide, surprised eyes. Once out of earshot of others, she couldn’t help but tug at her mother’s sleeve and ask.

“Yes, I grew up in Hexi Village. Don’t you know the people there too?” Du Yun’s mother replied with a gentle smile, brushing off her daughter’s astonishment.

Whether it was just Du Yun’s impression or not, on the journey back to Hexi Village, her mother seemed like a different person—her face radiant with smiles, her speech filled with newfound confidence, and even her posture appeared straighter.

Her mother was truly a woman with a story, Du Yun thought silently, filled with admiration. Before long, they arrived at the doorstep of her grandmother’s house.

An elderly woman, small and frail, stood on the steps beneath the eaves, leaning on a firewood stick as she peered out. At the sight of the joyful group approaching, her wrinkled face instantly blossomed into a broad smile.

“Grandma! Grandma!” Du Bo and Du Yin, like lively little birds, laughed and shouted as they ran ahead along the narrow path beside the courtyard wall, rushing straight to Du Yun’s grandmother.

“Oh, you’re back!” The grandmother wiped tears from the corners of her eyes, her smile growing wider as she looked at the two children calling her so happily. Then she raised her head to look at Du Yun’s mother walking behind them. “Come inside quickly, come inside.”

“Mother!” Du Yun’s mother, whose given name was Xia Ying, also had tears in her eyes when she saw her own mother. After entering the house together, she piled the baskets of vegetables and other items they had brought into the downstairs room.

Du Yun had memories of her grandmother’s home but had never been there in person. Seeing the spacious, modest three-room house with two courtyards and the smooth, large kang bed, a feeling of envy stirred quietly in her heart.

“When I earn a lot of money, I’ll build a house like this for my family. Grandpa and grandma can have one, my parents another, and when my eldest brother gets married, yet another,” Du Yun thought to herself, knowing it might be a childish plan, but she cherished it all the same.

“Here, have some candy!” Du Yun’s grandmother had a large wooden cabinet at the end of the big kang bed. She reached inside and retrieved a tin box filled halfway with colorful candies, pushing it in front of the children.

“Ah, candy!” Though Du Bo and Du Yin were well-behaved, they were still children, and their joy upon seeing the sweets was unmistakable.

“Go on, take the candy and play outside, but don’t leave the yard!” The grandmother clearly had something to discuss with Du Yun’s mother. To prevent the children from overhearing, Du Yun’s mother thought it best to send them out.

“I’ll watch over them,” Du Yun said, understanding her mother’s intention. Since the place wasn’t far and she could sense the conversation through her mental focus, she readily agreed, setting her bundle on the kang and taking the two children outside.

“Yingzi, how have you been these days?” Once the children were out of earshot, the grandmother’s smile gradually faded, replaced by deep worry.

“I’m fine,” Du Yun’s mother replied, surprised that her mother asked about her first. A hint of panic flickered across her face before she forced a smile.

“You silly girl, I’m your mother. What good is it to hide things from me? Your eldest daughter is about to marry—marriages cost money. Didn’t that old widow from the Du family give you a hard time?” The grandmother was no fool; seeing the tension on her daughter’s face, she guessed the truth, lightly scolding her and then gently asking for details.

“It’s nothing, really. Song’er brought back quite a bit of money from the county—half went to my mother-in-law, half to me. I’ve already used it to prepare a dowry for Zhi’er,” Du Yun’s mother said, half to comfort and half to reassure her mother.

“Good, your eldest son is really responsible, taking care of his sister,” the grandmother observed carefully. Seeing her daughter genuinely relaxed, she finally felt at ease.

“Your mother-in-law didn’t make things difficult for you, so why did you come back in such a hurry?” The grandmother’s thoughts shifted; something didn’t feel right.

Every time Du Yun’s mother returned home, she usually planned carefully, leaving early in the morning, taking the long bridge over the river, and only arriving by midday. Coming back at dusk, especially so soon after sending off the wedding gifts with her eldest son, was unusual.

“Mother, I’m fine.” Du Yun’s mother felt warmth in her heart at her mother’s concern but then hesitated before adding, “Well, it’s not exactly nothing—there is something, but it’s not bad!”

“Oh, can you stop gasping for breath like that when you talk?” The grandmother reached out and gave her daughter’s back a hard pat, exasperated.

“Mother!” Du Yun’s mother cried out in pain, “I wasn’t finished, and you already hit me!”

“Speak up! You’re making me angry just looking at you like this. I’ve raised you for twenty years, and yet that old witch from the Du family has left you in this state.” The grandmother rubbed her daughter’s back and demanded to know what was going on.

“Mother, you know I’m about to marry off my daughter, but I still don’t know much about the Tang family. I thought I’d come see you and take the chance to learn more about them,” Du Yun’s mother said, excitedly explaining the purpose of her visit.

“Hmph, just for that?” The grandmother was not impressed, shaking her head and sighing. “If you wait until you remember, the chance will be gone!”

“Mother!” Du Yun’s mother felt a little offended. She had come all this way out of concern for her daughter, only to be teased by her own mother.

“Tang Jun of the Tang family is someone I’ve known since childhood. His character and looks are impeccable. The Tang family has a good reputation—decent, honest folk. It’s a fine match!” The grandmother rambled on, but then paused, thinking of her daughter. When she married her off years ago, she had carefully chosen the family too, yet her daughter still suffered so much. Her voice faltered and her eyes grew moist.

“If you want to see for yourself, just go and see. Then you’ll be at ease,” the grandmother said softly.