Chapter 38: Returning to the Village to Move the Grave

“No need. She didn’t even have a grave. I’ve forgotten where she was thrown,” Lin said coldly, turning his face away, acting indifferent.

Was he truly indifferent?

Xu Qingyi doubted it. A biological mother is always a biological mother. “If you can’t remember, go back and look. You must have a general idea of the location, right? If you didn’t have time to give her a proper burial then, do it properly this time, collect her bones.”

It wouldn’t be difficult to send someone to do it.

“It’s not necessary,” Lin said, not understanding why Xu Qingyi would do this.

“She’s your mother. How can it not be necessary?” Xu Qingyi disagreed. Yes, she admitted she was trying to win people over, but she also had genuine feelings. “I’m free anyway. If you don’t want to go, just tell me where it is, and I’ll go myself.”

Seeing how determined Xu Qingyi was, Lin moved his lips and said, “I really don’t care about her. She wasn’t good to me.”

He didn’t understand why he was telling Xu Qingyi this, but since he had already spoken, he frowned and continued, “If she were still alive, I probably wouldn’t care about her either.”

“But she’s dead, isn’t she? Why are you, a living person, still holding onto this?” Xu Qingyi asked.

She could understand Lin’s feelings to some extent. He had a trace of affection for his biological mother, but he had never received any positive response from her, so he mostly felt resentment.

This resentment couldn’t remain bottled up; he needed to let it go, otherwise he’d become fixated on it.

“Just try to be understanding. She’s gone, but we’re still alive, aren’t we?” Xu Qingyi advised. The word feeling is the most hurtful in the world, whether it’s familial or romantic love.

Lin’s biological mother was like a dull knife constantly stabbing him, festering within him. If he didn’t untie this knot, he’d forever live in the past, unable to let go of his mother or his hatred for Liu Gui.

“Fine.” Lin pondered for a moment and stopped resisting.

Since Xu Qingyi was willing to go to the trouble, he didn’t want to say anything more.

The next day, Lin didn’t go to school. Seeing him there, Xu Qingyi silently assumed he would be coming too, and she smiled slightly, pleased.

At the dinner table, she announced, “I’m going out with your eldest brother later, probably for the whole day, so I won’t be taking Heng.” Then, she patted Heng, who was quietly eating. “You stay home with the mama, alright?”

“Where are Mother and Big Brother going? Why can’t Heng go?” Heng immediately stopped eating and leaned into Xu Qingyi’s arms.

“To your eldest brother’s hometown. It’s too far, and it’s inconvenient to bring you.”  It wasn’t appropriate to bring a child to collect bones, Xu Qingyi explained.  “Besides, you need to study. You can’t always follow Mother around like before.”

“Okay.” Although Heng wanted to go, he obediently obeyed. “Then I won’t go.”

“Mother, what are you and Big Brother doing in Big Brother’s hometown?” Zhen continued eating, his mind on the meat, not noticing anything unusual about his brother.

Or perhaps his brother was always like this, and Zhen couldn’t tell the difference.

Xu Qingyi looked at Zhen. Why had he suddenly started calling her “Mother” today?

Zhen, under Xu Qingyi’s gaze, showed unexpected understanding. Grinning, he said, “Master said calling you ‘Mother’ is too formal; it sounds like a “shuzǐ” (a son born out of wedlock), so I will call mother a “dí mǔ” (a legitimate mother). You’re so kind, better than our real mother, so I should call you ‘Mother’.”

He added, “Also, you let me learn martial arts and found Master Pei for me. You’re like my real mother.”

Xu Qingyi beamed.  This was great; her second son was definitely filial, and her efforts weren’t wasted. “As long as you’re happy.”

Zhen said sweetly, “Of course I am!  Very happy!”

“I want to too,” Heng hugged Xu Qingyi’s arm, mimicking his brother. “I want to call you Mother too.”

Xu Qingyi smiled inwardly, “Winning over Xie Yunzhi’s adopted sons doesn’t seem so hard after all.”

Lin glanced at his second brother. Zhen was always smooth-talking and good at pleasing elders. Filial piety was good, but too much seemed insincere.

Since hearing Zhen’s advice last time, he had realised that Zhen wasn’t as simple-minded as he appeared.

Zhen also glanced at his older brother. He was curious about why Xu Qingyi was going to their brother’s hometown.  Wasn’t his older brother rather unpopular?

Was she sending him back to his original family?

He quickly dismissed this unlikely idea.

His older brother was the most outstanding of the three brothers; they would never send him away.

After dinner, Xu Qingyi sent Heng to Shen Zhijie’s place and then instructed someone to prepare the carriage, taking several people with her.

Before leaving, she informed the Old Madam.  Upon hearing that they were going to move Lin’s mother’s grave, the Old Madam sighed to her attendant, “Qingyi truly treats these children as her own.”

The attendant smiled. “Indeed. Young Master Lin is usually so aloof, yet he seems fond of the Young Madam.”

If she didn’t like him, why would he go out with her?

The Old Madam had warmed up to Xie Lin for five years, but she hadn’t managed to soften his heart.

Xie Yunzhi, having heard from inside the house that Xu Qingyi had taken Lin back to his hometown, felt both puzzled and worried, fearing that they might encounter Liu Gui.

Twenty li outside the capital lay Yangshu Village, Lin’s birthplace. He hadn’t returned in five years.  Seeing the village of his childhood memories again, his eyes held a chilling coldness.

The noble’s carriage entering the village quickly drew the villagers’ attention. Xu Qingyi thought that since they were here to move a grave, they should inform the village head.

“Mama, go and tell the village head that we’re here to move Lin’s mother’s grave.”

“Yes.”

The village head was stunned by the mama’s words. Did Liu Gui’s mad wife even have a grave?

They had never heard of it.

They only knew that Liu Gui’s son had been adopted by a wealthy family. The good-for-nothing was always bragging in the village, boasting that his son would return with riches to support him when he grew up.

No one in the village believed him.

Now, it seemed to be true; Liu Gui’s son had indeed been adopted by a wealthy family.

Following his memories, Lin led them up the mountain. After Liu Gui had beaten his mad wife to death, he had run away, leaving seven-year-old Lin to face the disfigured corpse alone.

He had gone out to ask for help, begging them to take the body up the mountain, but no one was willing.

So, Lin had used a cleaver to dismember the body, carrying it up the mountain in several trips to bury it in a shallow grave.

He remembered the grave wasn’t deep because he was thin and small and didn’t have the strength to dig a proper one.

He didn’t know if wild dogs had dug it up.

“Lin, you’re so handsome. Your mother must have been very beautiful, too,” Xu Qingyi said, trying to make conversation in the quiet setting. She was genuinely curious. After all, Liu Gui’s appearance was at best unremarkable, yet he had such a handsome son.

He’d truly won the genetic lottery.

Beautiful?

Lin recalled his mad mother’s dishevelled hair and rough skin. He answered honestly, “She was ugly.”

Xu Qingyi was momentarily stunned. “…”

Then she understood. Lin’s mother had been mentally unstable and couldn’t take care of herself properly.  She sighed softly and defended her, “She just didn’t dress up.  If she had, she would have been beautiful. You probably take after your mother more.”

But so what?

Lin said unhappily, “Don’t assume things. I don’t want to be like her.” Liu Gui was a stain on his life, and his mad mother was the same. He didn’t like either of them.

If he could, he’d never want to see them again. Coming here today was a complete waste of time.

“Yes, yes, you’re unique. You’re unlike anyone else,” Xu Qingyi said, understanding the rebellious nature of teenagers.  Just coax him, that’s all.

“I think Liu Gui was incredibly lucky. You shouldn’t have been his child,” Xu Qingyi fanned herself, sighing with genuine feeling. “If only you had been born to me.”

^[1]“Li” in Chinese measurement refers to a unit of distance. In Traditional Chinese Measurement, 1 li = 393 meters (approximately 0.393 kilometers). In Modern Metric System: 1 li = 500 … Continue reading