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The following day, Chen Shi hosted a banquet at Prosperous Grand Restaurant, inviting Wang Cheng’s family and Chen Ming’s couple.
During the meal, Chen Shi once again earnestly apologized to Mrs. Wang and Wang Cheng on behalf of his mother. He also hesitantly hinted that his mother had spoken thoughtlessly and urged them not to mention the incident to Feng.
In a private conversation, Chen Ming also advised Mrs. Wang not to tell Feng about the situation, to prevent adding to Feng’s worries and affecting the relationship between Feng, the old lady, and the eldest son’s family.
Later, Mrs. Zhang couldn’t resist but share the conversation between the old lady and Chen Shi with Mrs. Wang, much to the latter’s dismay. She exclaimed, “Even Third brother-in-law knows what’s going on in our family, yet they still say those things with a clear conscience. When I gave birth to A’Feng, I had no one to help during my postpartum period. I used the few coins I had saved to hire someone to wash my clothes, diapers, and cook a meal. That month, Sister-in-law Hu didn’t even visit, but mother-in-law came frequently. It seemed like she didn’t see me and A’Feng, only cooking a couple of eggs or a bowl of soup for my husband. She was afraid my husband would save food for me, making sure he finished eating before leaving. I was concerned that my husband would worry about us, so I lied to him, saying Mother-in-law had also prepared a meal for me. I had little milk, so A’Feng could only have rice soup. But when I gave birth to A’Lu, the mother-in-law sent chickens and eggs, fearing I wouldn’t have enough milk for A’Lu to grow well…” Thinking back on those difficult days, Mrs. Wang’s tears welled up again, saying, “I dare not tell A’Feng these things, afraid she’ll be upset. They helped A’Feng a few times, but that’s because they knew my husband would stand up for A’Feng, they were helping my husband.”
It turned out that Mrs. Wang hadn’t mentioned the conflicts between the old lady and the eldest son to Chen Feng, but she was truly upset this time. Upon returning home, she couldn’t hold back and told Chen Feng about the current situation, though she refrained from mentioning previous issues. She feared Chen Feng’s anger and the potential rift it might cause between Chen Feng and the main branch, making things difficult for Chen Ming.
Chen Feng was speechless, she didn’t have much of a bond with the eldest uncle. Her continued kindness was mainly due to her respect for Chen Ming, and by extension, his mother and brother.
Additionally, three incidents had left a positive impression of the old lady and Chen Ye in her mind. Firstly, when she got into a fight with villagers, they had supported her despite being outnumbered, helping not only Chen Ming but also benefiting her. Secondly, when Chen Shiying’s malicious mother paid them to deceive her into selling her, they hadn’t taken advantage of the situation for profit. She felt they had a moral backbone, unlike Chen Shiying’s mother. They were not bad people but enjoyed taking small advantages.
However, despite all she had done for them, they were still dissatisfied. Unable to confront them directly, she vented her frustration on Mrs. Wang, upsetting her. Realizing this, she decided to limit her gifts in the future, sticking to the norms of reciprocity and avoiding spoiling their appetite.
Seeing Chen Feng upset, Mrs. Wang regretted her hasty words and quickly advised, “Let it go. For your father’s sake, let’s not stoop to their level.”
Once again, Chen Feng stayed at Luyuan for a meal and Mrs. Wang suggested inviting Chu Lingxuan and his grandfather over.
Thinking about the matter, Chen Feng shook her head and replied, “No, they have other matters to attend to.”
In the evening, Chen Feng dined with the two children. It was mentioned that Chu Lingxuan had gone out for some business, and the grandfather was also occupied and didn’t join them for dinner.
After the meal, once the children were sent off, she closed the door and entered the space. She had to discuss the matter of going north to find the tricolor ball with the little ones.
Inside the space, she found the golden swallow cradling the golden amber, its eyes still swollen. Seeing Chen Feng enter, it started crying again.
Feeling sorry for the little creature, Chen Feng couldn’t bear to see it in distress.
Witnessing its tear-stained face, Chen Feng found it hard to speak. Unable to sit on the ground due to her pregnancy, she struggled to lift them up and place them on the bed, using a cloth to wipe away their tears.
After a while, the golden swallow, with swollen eyelids, asked, “Mommy, why haven’t you mentioned going north to find the tricolor ball? Didn’t you discuss it with Daddy Chu?”
Chen Feng truthfully responded, her voice choked with emotion, “Mommy feels ashamed to tell the baby. Seeing the baby so upset, Mommy feels heartbroken. Mommy can’t bear to see the baby suffer too much…”
The golden swallow replied, “For Mommy, it’s okay if I endure a bit of hardship. It’s just… I can’t bear to part with those green swallow nests…” It burst into tears again, its small pink tongue quivering, tugging at one’s heartstrings.
After crying for a while, the little creature still couldn’t bear to part with the green swallow nests. The thought of parting with so many nests made it ache all over. It said, “Mommy, I won’t let anything happen to you. If something happens to the Chu family, you can hide in the space, and I’ll take you to a place where no one knows you, and you can start a new life.”
Chen Feng sighed, “But what about Dabao, Hanyan, Daddy Chu, Grandfather Chu, and the twins in Mommy’s belly? Should we just leave them to their fate?”
“I can’t bear to part with them either!” The little creature said before bursting into tears once more.
These words touched Chen Feng deeply, evoking both gratitude and sorrow. The little one had likely agreed to give up the green swallow nests but found it too heartbreaking, hence the continuous tears and insincere words. Chen Feng couldn’t help but shed tears as well.
Seeing her cry, the golden swallow asked, “Mommy, why are you crying?”
Chen Feng softly replied, “In Mommy’s eyes, you are Mommy’s own son. Seeing you upset breaks Mommy’s heart.”
Moved by her words, the little one’s eyes behind the watery curtain brimmed with affection. It sniffled and said, “It’s strange; the four former owners were like sisters and friends to me, so I called them sisters. But you, Mommy, truly feel like a mother to me, so I’m willing to call you Mommy.” It glanced at the golden amber in its hands and continued, “In this life, I’m very fortunate to have a mother’s love and Jinbei.”
Standing up, it wiped away its tears with a wing, placed the golden amber in a golden house, then hung onto Chen Feng’s large belly, saying, “I’ll go on a trip up north to see if I can find the tricolor ball. I must go now, if I delay any longer, even if I want to find it, it might be too late.”
With that said, it circled the space once and vanished.
Chen Feng was taken aback by the creature’s proactive decision to search for the tricolor ball. She was deeply moved but unable to fully rejoice. With uncertainties about where the little one was heading and concerns about potential dangers, she felt a mix of worry and heartache. After a moment of hesitation, she exited the space.
Lying in bed, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep, staring at the blurry ceiling. Reflecting on her current life and blessings, she pondered the presence of the space—though not owned by her, it often brought benefits. Having the adorable and kind-hearted golden swallow, being blessed according to Master Wuzhi, with so many loved ones—Chu Lingxuan, Dabao, Chu Hanyan, Mrs. Wang, Chen Ming, Lu, and the twins in her belly…
As the night progressed, Chu Lingxuan returned.