The Prime Minister’s Darling-Chapter 342 - : 184 Call for Mother (Second Update) _2

Chapter 342: 184 Call for Mother (Second Update) _2

They were not mother and daughter, yet they were closer than a mother and daughter.

When the Yao Family came to dissolve the engagement, Lady Zhen was more heartbroken than her son.

This became her unfulfilled wish, which she hid during her regular days, but it surfaced uncontrollably after her dementia set in. She incessantly nagged, “Yaoyao, when are you going to marry her?”

“You mustn’t call her an elderly lady anymore, you should start calling her mother!” Lady Zhen said like a child, her face serious.

The Yao family choked up with emotion and nodded: “Yes, mother.”

Zhen Ping turned around, wiped away his tears with his sleeve.

...

“Ah!” Lady Zhen laughed happily.

Yao family placed her thin, frail hand into the blanket: “Be careful not to get cold.”

“I’m not cold.” Lady Zhen replied with a smile, thought about something, and with great difficulty raised her right hand to flip her left pillow.

“What do you need? Let me help.” Yao family stood up and said.

“The box, there… is a box under there,” Lady Zhen said laboriously.

It was a simple task, but it nearly drained all her strength.

Yao family leaned over, and took out a small, flat box from under the left end of the pillow.

The box was old, with a pattern carved more than a decade ago on the lid. The lacquer was fading, it was evident that Lady Zhen often took it out to look at it.

Lady Zhen took the box.

Her hands were trembling severely, yet still, she insisted on opening it herself.

Inside were a pair of gold bangles.

They were of excellent quality.

But the design was very old.

Lady Zhen picked up the bangles shakily, took Yao’s hand, and attempted to slide it on. She was trembling so much that she couldn’t do it for a while.

Yao family saw beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

“Mother, let me do it,” she said.

“Finally,” Lady Zhen managed to put the bangles on Yao family’s wrist, “these were meant for you on your wedding day, we couldn’t give you more due to our circumstances, please forgive us.”

Zhen Ping failed the imperial examination, and was disheartened for years. He failed to pass the examination multiple times and eventually gave up on that path.

These accessories were prepared by Lady Zhen more than a decade ago. She melted her own wedding jewelry to make a pair of gold bangles, on which Yao’s maiden name was engraved – Yaoyao.

These bangles had been lying by Lady Zhen’s pillow for over a decade. Whenever she was free, she would take them out and touch them.

Zhen Ping had always known that his mother had a precious box, but he never knew it contained a wedding gift for the Yao family.

Of course, when Yuexiu married, Lady Zhen did not neglect her either. She borrowed money to buy a set of gold accessories for Yuexiu.

But the meanings of the two gifts were different.

Yao family had been holding back since she entered the room. But she couldn’t hold back anymore, she hugged Lady Zhen’s hand, her tears poured out!

Lady Zhen was startled: “Why are you crying, Yaoyao? Don’t you like the bangles? Mother… mother will buy you a new one!”

Yao family shook her head through her tears: “No… I like it… I really like it…thank you, mother… I’m just too happy…”

Lady Zhen waved her hand: “Sigh, there’s nothing to be happy about a pair of bangles. Wait until Ping becomes an imperial official, and you become the wife of an imperial officer. I will give you many more pieces of jewelry!”

Then Yao family continued chatting with Lady Zhen for a while.

Lady Zhen was tired and fell asleep while holding Yao family’s hand.

Yao family sat there in the room, until Lady Zhen began snoring. Only then did she gently free her hand, and carefully covered Lady Zhen with a blanket.

Throughout this entire process, Zhen Ping was completely neglected by his mother.

“Let’s take our conversation outside.” Yao family wiped away her tears and said to Zhen Ping.

Zhen Ping held the curtain open for Yao family to exit first, and then he followed her.

They came to the living room.

There was hot tea in the room, but no one was present.

It was probably Yuexiu who had made the tea and left.

Zhen Ping took a deep breath and said to Yao family, “Sit down.”

Yao family shook her head: “I need to go, let me give this back to you.”

She said, and took off the bangle from her wrist.

Zhen Ping quickly caught her hand. He initially wanted to stop her, but conscious of his inappropriate action, he quickly let go: “I’m sorry… I…”

“It’s alright.” Yao family shook her head slightly.

She was well aware of his personality; he was not a frivolous man.

Zhen Ping said, “The bracelet is a gift for you, you should accept it. My mother would rests easier if you do. Otherwise, you can return it to me and let her discover it at home, but it might upset her again.”

Yao Family took a moment to ponder, then stopped resisting.

“I’ll walk you out,” Zhen Ping offered, observing her intentions to depart.

“No need,” Yao Family replied.

Zhen Ping smiled, “Not that, the door latch is broken, Yuexiu could not open it, probably neither can you with your strength.”

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Yao Family did not refuse again.

The two of them walked together along the corridor, heading to the front yard.

The mansion was very quiet.

Zhen Ping suddenly spoke, “Actually, I didn’t expect that my mother has always been longing for me to take the imperial examination. She once told me that if I didn’t want to study, I shouldn’t force myself, and that we could still get by without an education. I thought she was sincere…”

Only today, when he heard his mother’s words, did he realize that besides her wish of not being able to see him marry Yao Family as his wife, she also had a wish of seeing her son’s name on the golden list.

He felt guilty.

Yao Family asked, “What have you been doing after you stopped studying?”

Zhen Ping laughed lightly, “I’ve done all kinds of work — taught at a private school, kept accounts at an inn, and even carried loads at the pier… Now, I am running a small tea business.”

He scratched his head, “Actually, life has not been as tough as you think. Business has been good for the past two years. I’ve even bought a house on East Street and will be moving there next month.”

“That’s great,” Yao Family said.

Then, silence fell between them once again.

Yao Family started to speak, “Back when my eldest brother…”

Zhen Ping interrupted her with a wave of hand and a smile, “It’s all in the past.”

Yao Family said guiltily, “I am sorry.”

The Zhen family only had one son, Zhen Ping. One can only imagine how painful it was for her when Zhen Ping’s marriage proposal was rejected by the Yao Family, and when Yao Yuan had people break his legs.

But after she developed dementia, she forgot all these.

She has forgiven them.

A lump formed in Yao Family’s throat once again.

“We are here,” Zhen Ping said. He glanced at Yao Family, his eyes were also red. He quickly lowered his head. “I’ll open the door.”

They left unsaid the things which should not to be said.

This might be their last meeting in this lifetime.

Some things, once missed, are missed forever.

There’s no chance to start over again.

Just as Zhen Ping was about to open the door, the sound of a carriage was heard from outside.

“Here?”

“Yes! Exactly here! I heard that man say it himself!”

It was Count Gu and Gu Chenglin!

The color drained from Yao Family’s face!

Zhen Ping didn’t recognize the voices of the two men, but he had an ominous feeling about their arrival. He paused as he was about to unlatch the door and turned to look at Yao Family.

Yao Family didn’t expect her conversation with Zhen Ping at the restaurant would be overheard by Gu Chenglin.

Moreover, Gu Chenglin even brought Count Gu to catch her “cheating.”

Yao Family suddenly realized that it might not be that simple.

She asked Zhen Ping in a low voice, “Why did you go to that restaurant today?”

Zhen Ping thought for a while and said, “A client invited me to negotiate about a business there, but it was strange that I went there and waited, but he never showed up.”

Yao Family asked, “Is the client someone you met recently?”

Zhen Ping replied, “Yes, is there a problem with that client?”

At this point, if Yao Family could not guess that it was the doings of Madam Ling, it would be a joke.

“There’s no time to explain now, is there a back door?” she asked.

She couldn’t let Count Gu catch her here, Count Gu would kill Zhen Ping!

Zhen Ping said distressfully, “Yes, but it’s blocked by firewood. I have to clear the firewood to open the door…”

“Hey! Open the door! Those inside, open the door quickly!” Gu Chenglin started pounding on the door, “Huang Zhong, kick the door down!”

Yao Family’s face changed instantly. Just as she was about to find a room to hide in, the door was kicked open with a loud crash!