Free Web NovelChapter 990: Chapter 985: Reluctant Farewell (1)
"I’ll go take a look." Xiqiu said softly to Zhou Bohan, "Don’t worry." She wiped her tears as she spoke.
Zhou Bohan did not get up, overwhelmed with grief, unable to speak, and merely nodded towards Xiqiu. Madam Ruan held Xiqiu’s hand and, choking on her words, said, "I’ll have to trouble you..."
Xiqiu said nothing, patted Madam Ruan’s hand, and her gaze fell briefly on the lifeless Zhou, lying on the bed. She lowered her eyes and quickly stepped out of the room, passing by the maids and servants kneeling and weeping, with Bihuai supporting her as she headed onto the corridor leading to Tong Xiyan’s room.
Snowflakes drifted in from outside, falling on the hem of Xiqiu’s dress. Furrowing her brow tightly, she turned back and said to Nanny Rong, "Everyone is in disarray right now. Go check on Madam Ruan to see if there’s anything you can help with."
"Yes." Nanny Rong stopped, turned around, and went back to Zhou’s room.
Led by a maid, Xiqiu walked through several corridors before entering Tong Xiyan’s courtyard. There she heard Tong Xiyan’s angry shout from within: "All of you, get out!"
The maid leading the way hesitated, and Xiqiu said to her, "You can go back now." The maid then withdrew, and Xiqiu approached the doorway where someone lifted the curtain for her. She entered the room, where Bihuai helped remove her outer cloak. Just then, Daiju came running out and said, "Sixth Lady, please go see, the Lady got out of bed barefoot, and I couldn’t hold her back."
Xiqiu frowned slightly, turned, and parted the curtain herself to enter, indeed finding Tong Xiyan squatting on the ground barefoot, covering her face and crying. The room still held the lingering scent of childbirth, causing Xiqiu’s heart to tighten as she quickly walked over, saying, "Fourth Sister." She crouched down in front of Tong Xiyan, "Why are you doing this? Get up and lie down on the bed."
Tong Xiyan lifted her head, her hair plastered to her forehead, face pale. Seeing Xiqiu, she grabbed her tightly, "Sixth Sister, please take me over, alright? I want to see Mother for the last time."
"Fourth Sister," Xiqiu said, using a handkerchief to wipe her face, "I know you felt like a daughter to Zhou. You’re hurting inside, but have you thought about it? Knowing how you are now, she would be unhappy and feel hurt." She tried to help her up, "You need to take care of your health. Falling ill during recovery can affect you for a lifetime. Your son is still young and needs you, as does your husband. He’s already very sad. If you continue like this, what will he do!"
"I know, I know." Tong Xiyan nodded, tears flowing uncontrollably, "I just want to see her one last time, to send her off. That’s all I ask, truly!"
Xiqiu guided her towards the bed, but Tong Xiyan stubbornly refused to move. Xiqiu then said, "...She’s already gone."
Tong Xiyan froze, staring blankly at Xiqiu, eyes wide in disbelief. Her eyes, previously tear-filled like rain, suddenly dried up, and she murmured to confirm, "Gone?"
"Yes." Xiqiu signaled to Daiju with her eyes, and Daiju, along with Bihuai, supported Tong Xiyan from both sides to help her onto the bed. They placed a hand warmer into Tong Xiyan’s hand to hold. Tong Xiyan, unresponsive, allowed herself to be directed, staring blankly ahead until finally, tears began to fall again.
"Fourth Sister!" Xiqiu sat down by the bed, "Zhou held on this long just to see your son born. She passed peacefully, wishing for you to live well, to raise your son... Fourth Sister, like all parents, she hoped for you and your husband to live healthily and peacefully together as a family. That’s her greatest wish. She would never want you to harm your health for her."
Tong Xiyan slowly turned her gaze, releasing the hand warmer to embrace Xiqiu and buried her head in her shoulder, crying bitterly...
Daiju anxiously hopped on the side, "Madam, you mustn’t cry anymore, be careful of your eyes!"
Xiqiu gently pushed her away, wiping her tears with a handkerchief, softly saying, "Try to think positively. As long as the three of you are well, Zhou’s spirit will be happy too." She paused before adding, "You’ve just given birth, your body is still weak, you must take care of yourself."
Tong Xiyan bowed her head, choking on her words, "...She was just like the Lady, always considerate of everything for me. Whatever she could do, she never let me worry. In my heart, I truly regarded her as a mother. I prayed every day she would recover, to live happily with my child and my husband... I wanted to be filial to her!"
Xiqiu’s eyes were already red with tears, nodding understandingly, "I understand how you feel. But as you said, she was always considerate of everything for you. She wouldn’t want to see you like this."
"Yes." Tong Xiyan quickly wiped her tears, "I mustn’t let her worry!" But no matter how she wiped, the tears wouldn’t stop.
Xiqiu sighed, holding her in her arms, gently patting her back, comforting her in a soft voice as she always did when Tong Xiyan cried: "You still have your son. He has just been born. The person who needs you the most right now is him!"
Tong Xiyan nodded, closing her eyes, leaning on her shoulder without speaking for a long time. After a while, she lifted her head, choking as she asked, "Is Madam Ruan in charge over there?"
"Yes, Madam Ruan is always capable. You don’t need to worry about future matters. Just focus on your recovery and take care of your baby," she said, turning to look, "I’ve been here so long, and I haven’t seen your son. Where is he?"
Tong Xiyan seemed to remember her son suddenly, hurriedly turning to look at Daiju. Seeing her emotion stabilize a bit, Daiju quickly replied, "He’s next door being cared for by the wet nurse and midwife. I’ll tell them to bring him over now."
"It’s cold outside, wrap him well, don’t let him catch a draft." Xiqiu instructed Daiju.
With the child present, Tong Xiyan was also able to control her emotions.
After a moment, Daiju, along with an unfamiliar woman, entered holding a swaddled infant. The woman said, "The young master just drank some water, took a few bites of milk and fell asleep." She approached to place him on Tong Xiyan’s bed. Tong Xiyan shifted inward, staring at her son.
"So adorable," Xiqiu said, parting the blanket a little to reveal the rosy little face inside, with long fluttering eyelashes, a high nose, and tender pink lips, like a carved jade figurine. "Fourth Sister, he looks a lot like you."
Seeing her son, Tong Xiyan’s heart softened like water. With red eyes, she wanted to touch him but withdrew her hand, "My hands are cold." She hastily held the hand warmer on the quilt. freewebnovel.cσ๓
Xiqiu smiled, loosening the baby’s wrap a bit, then said to Daiju, "The room is still a bit cold. Bring in another heater."
Daiju agreed, hurrying out to get a heater.
Tong Xiyan, holding her son in her arms with the hand warmer, Xiqiu sought to divert her attention, saying, "You should give the baby a pet name, rather than just calling him ’son’."
Bowing her head, Tong Xiyan lightly touched her son’s face, speaking with a voice tinged with sorrow, "In the future, his birthday is also Grandmother’s death anniversary. I hope he never forgets his Grandmother because without her, he wouldn’t exist!" She paused, then said, "Let’s call him Nianzu!"
