Chapter 277

Chapter 277: Strength The maids and nannies quietly withdrew, leaving only the two mistresses behind. Only Yuan Mingzhu's sobbing remained in the room. Cui Lingrong silently kept her company. Until the sound of weeping gradually grew softer, Yuan Mingzhu pounded the bed in fury. "That bastard Jiang Ergou! He promised to stay with me for life, said he'd come back alive, and now he's gone—he didn't keep his word!" "Wuwu, Lingrong, what am I supposed to do now?" "That mother-in-law of mine doesn't even like me—she likes daughters-in-law like you. Now that her son is dead, won't she blame me for being a widow who brings bad luck?" "And there are three children. His daughter is still so young—how could he bear to leave?" Yuan Mingzhu wept with tears streaming down her face, her voice growing hoarse. Cui Lingrong gently patted Yuan Mingzhu. "Mm, it's his fault. He didn't keep the promise he made to you." "Mm, it's his fault. How could he abandon me!" Yuan Mingzhu was nearly collapsing. She had never imagined this day would come. Her mother had said she was fortunate, unlike her sister, who had married a sickly husband. Though her sister had remarried, she was still criticized for it. Now she too had become a widow—where was the good fortune in that? "Lingrong, stay with me, okay? I'm so scared." Yuan Mingzhu, usually such a carefree and boisterous person, was now as helpless as a child. Cui Lingrong sent Nanny Qiu back to the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion to inform them, and she stayed for the night. The next day, she accompanied Yuan Mingzhu for another night. In the morning, after Yuan Mingzhu finally managed to fall asleep, she went to see Old Madame Jiang. Old Madame Jiang looked equally unwell. She lay in bed, her lips pale. "No need for such formalities." "Greetings, Old Madame." Cui Lingrong still performed the bow but did not sit down. "Please forgive me, Old Madame. Mingzhu's condition is truly dire, which is why I've been imposing on you these past days." "You're still so particular about propriety." Old Madame Jiang coughed twice. "Sit. I have no intention of blaming you—I wanted to thank you." With that, Old Madame Jiang couldn't help but sigh. Ever since she had married into the Jiang family, she had seen many Jiang clan members die on the battlefield. Now it was her son. She had always feared this day would come, but no matter how much she feared it, reality had still arrived. This was also why she had pushed her grandchildren to study so hard. Cui Lingrong was somewhat surprised. She had expected Old Madame Jiang to rebuke her or weep in lament. "Mingzhu and I are as close as sisters. Everything I did was only what I ought to do." "Little Yuan-shi has never been shrewd. Her first half of life went smoothly—too comfortably—so now she can't hold things together." As Old Madame Jiang spoke, a nanny beside her brought over ginseng tea. She took a sip and continued, "I'm old now, and I've had to bury my own child. I don't have many years left. But Little Yuan-shi needs to hold herself together—she still has three children to raise." Cui Lingrong said, "Old Madame, please take care of your health." "No matter how well I take care of myself, it won't matter. I know my own condition." Old Madame Jiang said, "The reason I called you here today is that I trust in your abilities, and in your feelings for Little Yuan-shi. Once the mourning period ends, I will divide the family estate. But Little Yuan-shi truly isn't someone who can manage a household on her own. So I must entreat you—for the sake of your bond—to help her stand on her own feet, at least until her son grows a little older." Seeing Cui Lingrong nod and about to speak, Old Madame Jiang raised her hand to indicate she wasn't finished. "Go and persuade Little Yuan-shi. Her husband's death is a fact, but she still has three children. If she can't hold on, no one will protect her children. No matter how much grief she feels, she's cried enough. It's time to wipe away her tears and hold up the Second Branch." Cui Lingrong understood Old Madame Jiang's intent. It was she who had been narrow-minded, underestimating Old Madame Jiang's character. She rose and bowed deeply to Old Madame Jiang. "This junior thanks Old Madame on behalf of Mingzhu. With Old Madame planning for her, I believe Mingzhu will be able to hold up the Second Branch well." Old Madame Jiang wanted to divide the family estate because she feared she might pass away suddenly one day. If that happened, Yuan Mingzhu and her orphaned children would be no match for the other branches. Yuan Mingzhu could always return to the Yuan family, but her three grandchildren would suffer, or be forced to live under someone else's roof. Old Madame Jiang had lived most of her life and had already seen things with great clarity. "Thank you." Old Madame Jiang had grown tired after speaking a few sentences. She closed her eyes. "In the days to come, Little Yuan-shi and her four children will rely on you." Cui Lingrong returned to Yuan Mingzhu's room. Seeing that Yuan Mingzhu still hadn't woken, she sat in the outer chamber, sorting through the events of the past few days on Yuan Mingzhu's behalf. "These are Second Master Jiang's colleagues—they must be treated with particular care. In the future, your Second Mistress and the young masters will have to rely on them. These others are relatives of the Yuan family. If they ask to see your Second Mistress, make sure to brief them beforehand—don't let them come in sobbing and wailing, or it will only make your Second Mistress grieve again." "And as for the other branches of the Jiang family—even though Old Madame Jiang wants to divide the estate, they'll still fare better with the Jiang family's protection. After all, when the young masters and misses need to study and marry, they'll still have to depend on the clan." ... Cui Lingrong went through each matter one by one, while Yuan Mingzhu slept deeply. After a while, someone came to announce that General Xie had arrived to pay a visit. But Yuan Mingzhu hadn't woken, so Cui Lingrong went to the main hall to receive him on her behalf. It had been a long time since they'd seen each other. Xie Yunting had grown darker, though he looked more robust than before. When Cui Lingrong saw him, a flood of emotions washed over her. "Xie—" "Sister Cui." Xie Yunting spoke first. "I've come to pay my respects to Second Madam Jiang." "She hasn't slept much for the past two nights, so she's still resting." The moment Cui Lingrong spoke, countless questions surged to her lips. "Why—" But as soon as she opened her mouth, her nose tingled with bitterness, and the words wouldn't come. "I know what you want to ask." Xie Yunting drew a deep breath. "When Second Brother Jiang raided the enemy camp, he walked into an ambush. By the time our men arrived, his entire unit had been wiped out." Because there had been a traitor among the ranks, Xie Yunting's forces had suffered a devastating blow that time. Cui Lingrong nodded. "Mm, mm." "Sister Cui, as a soldier, dying on the battlefield is an honor. The moment we chose to enlist, we all imagined our own deaths." Xie Yunting said. "Perhaps these words are heavy and hard to hear, but there's no helping it." War always claims lives—if not someone's elder brother, then someone's husband. Xie Yunting looked at Cui Lingrong. It had been a long while since they last met, and she seemed unchanged. He said he would take his own rewards and distribute them among the families of the fallen soldiers. As for everything else, he would do his best to help as well. Though others called him the ever-victorious general, Xie Yunting knew that victory on the battlefield was never his alone—it was bought with the lives of countless brothers fighting tooth and nail. "I understand." Cui Lingrong couldn't help but think of Jin-ge. Once Jin-ge joined the army, would she, like so many mothers, lie awake all night consumed by worry? A cough came from inside the room—Yuan Mingzhu. Cui Lingrong hurried in. When Yuan Mingzhu learned that Xie Yunting had come, she didn't want to see him. "Mingzhu, do you know your Old Madame came to find me this morning?" Cui Lingrong sat on the edge of the bed. "Is she blaming you for staying too long at the Jiang residence?" Yuan Mingzhu guessed instinctively. Cui Lingrong shook her head. "Old Madame Jiang asked me to persuade you. Our men dying on the battlefield—that is their fate. But those who live on must live well. For yourself, and for your three children, you should wipe away your tears and hold up the Second Branch of the Jiang family. Old Madame Jiang is more forgiving than we imagined, and she thinks further ahead than we do. You've lost your husband, the children have lost their father, and she has lost her son." The pain in Old Madame Jiang's heart was no less than Yuan Mingzhu's. Yuan Mingzhu was stunned into silence. She hadn't expected her mother-in-law to offer no reproach, but instead to plan a path forward for her. The room fell quiet for a long moment. Cui Lingrong patted Yuan Mingzhu's hand. "It's alright. If you can't manage it right away, that's fine too. I'll stay with you through this time." She was about to rise and return to give Xie Yunting her answer when Yuan Mingzhu grabbed her hand. "I'll get up!" After washing her face, Cui Lingrong personally combed Yuan Mingzhu's hair. Together, they went to see Xie Yunting. Yuan Mingzhu's first question was, "General Xie, my husband—he died bravely, didn't he?" "Yes." Xie Yunting nodded. "Good. Then when I tell the children about him later, I can... praise him properly." The moment she finished speaking, tears fell from Yuan Mingzhu's eyes. She raised her hand and quickly wiped them away, refusing to let herself cry. Yuan Mingzhu took a deep breath and thanked Xie Yunting. "Thank you for coming to visit. I... I will remember this kindness."