diskusbooks Chapter 350 Flowers and Butterflies
Chapter 350 Flowers and Butterflies
It turns out that my mother had such a past, which she kept buried deep in her heart and never told anyone.
Guan Xin remembered a small earthen grave next to her grandparents' graves in the vegetable garden behind the hill, without a tombstone. Her mother often went to the vegetable garden, sat in front of the small grave, and stared blankly at the horizon for a long time: it turned out that the daughter of her beloved was there.
Guan Xin asked naturally, "Didn't Lord Luo send anyone to look for her?"
Nan Hua said, "We sent people to look for her. He even went to Guanjia Village himself. The villagers said that she went back at night and left at dawn one time. She didn't talk to anyone when she came back, and she didn't say goodbye to anyone when she left."
Later, Lord Luo sent people to Guanjia Village to look for her every year. Until one year, Guan Lingyue returned to settle down with a man who had married into her family, and she was pregnant.
She refused the gold and jewels that Lord Luo sent to her. She told the messenger that she was living well and asked Lord Luo not to disturb her.
With this, the matter between Luo Qing and Guan Lingyue came to a complete end! As the parties involved either left or died, this topic, which had once been the talk of the town, gradually faded into the past.
No one could have imagined that many years later, Guan Lingyue's daughter would meet Luo Qing's son again, all thanks to the matchmaking of the first wife. Such is the unpredictable nature of fate.
Why is it that the grudges and feuds of the Luo family are always told by outsiders? How come Luo An has no recollection of this past event? Even if he was young at the time, he must have heard some gossip and rumors as he grew older, right?
As Nan Hua was leaving, he said to Guan Xin, "Since you were bought as a concubine by Madam Luo, you should also keep in mind the affairs of the previous generation of the Luo family."
These things were so shocking to Guan Xin that she forgot to ask Nan Hua why the Crown Prince knew she was Guan Lingyue's daughter, and when the Crown Prince found out.
In Guanjia Village, her mother always dressed as a woman and always used the name Guan Lingyue in public, never mentioning the name Guan Lingyue to her daughter.
It is likely that with the burial of her daughter, Guan Lingyue also buried her past, including her name.
The village chief of Guanjia Village, Old Master Guan, was highly respected. Seeing that Luo An was dressed in an extraordinary manner, he politely and warmly led him to the front of the dilapidated house: "This is the Guan Lingyue family. They are an orphan and a widow who make a living by selling eggs and also have to send their daughter to school. Their lives are very difficult."
A small padlock hung loosely on the door, serving neither as a deterrent to thieves nor a deterrent to honest men. Luo An thanked the official, removed the padlock, and pushed the door open to go inside.
All the doors to the house were open, allowing a clear view through. To the left was a small kitchen room, to the right a small bathroom room, and at the back were two bedrooms. The rooms were sparsely furnished, with no extra furniture. The living room contained only a table and two chairs, and the kitchen was scattered with pots and pans.
Luo An walked to the bedroom. The left bedroom had pink sheets and blankets, clearly belonging to Guan Xin. The right bedroom was empty except for a wooden bed; there were no bedding or anything else.
Luo An slowly walked in and stared blankly at the old bed for a while. Just as he turned to leave, he saw a painting hanging on the wall opposite the bed.
A large pond contains four lotus flowers, each with four buds ranging from large to small, and a dragonfly perched atop each bud. A poem is inscribed beside it: "A tiny lotus bud just begins to show its pointed tip, and a dragonfly has already alighted on it."
The brushwork is childish, the picture is monotonous, and it lacks any artistic conception or beauty, but it is framed very well and hung in a very symmetrical position, so that it can be seen perfectly when lying in bed.
Luo An stared blankly at the painting, seeing countless memories rushing out of it and flooding his mind. He felt as if he were sealed away, unable to move or resist.
It wasn't a childish drawing, but a door to memories sealed for far too long. Inside, everything was there: cries, laughter, voices—all echoing in the air.
Luo An was brought back to the Luo family mansion from the palace by his father. Guan Lingyue greeted them at the gate with her younger sister in her arms, her smiling face revealing a mother's tenderness.
Luo Qing told Luo An to call her "Mother," but Luo An lowered her head and remained silent.
Luo An remained silent. The late emperor had the imperial physicians examine him in turn, and all of them said there was no problem. However, he still wouldn't speak, so some people said, openly or secretly, that Luo Qing had a mute son.
Luo Qing never took these rumors seriously and always treated Luo An like an ordinary child. Guan Lingyue thought Luo Qing was deliberately making things difficult for Luo An, so she raised her hand to touch his face to comfort him, but he turned his head away.
Guan Lingyue remained smiling and not angry at all. She said to Luo Qing, "My lord, he reacted so quickly and was so clever. He truly deserves to be your son."
When Luo Qing served as an official in the court, he wielded immense power and influence, becoming a favorite of the late emperor and even surpassing the crown prince in status. Guan Lingyue, bearing the title of Lady Luo, took care of the two siblings, indulging in food, drink, and entertainment, and the family lived a very happy life.
Luo Anxin was cheerful and talkative, while Luo An always had a cold face and didn't speak. Guan Lingyue once joked with Luo Qing, "Everyone says that sons resemble their mothers and daughters resemble their fathers, but these two are the opposite?"
The less Luo An smiled, the more Guan Lingyue enjoyed teasing him. Guan Lingyue, a former acrobat, would occasionally show off her skills to the two of them, then proudly raise her chin slightly: "Now you know how amazing your mother is, right?"
As the days went by, Luo An's expression became more relaxed and gentle. Guan Lingyue often pinched his cheeks, her tone firm: "One day, Mother will hear you laugh heartily."
One day, Guan Lingyue came over with a pile of plates: "Let me tell you, I'm the best at spinning flower butterflies in the world. Others can spin them six or eight times, but I can spin them ten or twelve times."
As the saying goes, "Practice makes perfect." Guan Lingyue used to make a living by performing acrobatics, which required her to use all her skills. Now, living a life of luxury in the Luo family with her children, she can at least show off a few tricks to amuse the little ones. As for being the best in the world?
The two children stared at her without blinking. Guan Lingyue, bursting with pride, held six bamboo poles in each hand and balanced six plates on them: "Kids, watch closely and don't blink. I'm going to show you something really difficult: a butterfly somersault in place."
Guan Lingyue jumped up on the spot, but before she could flip over, the plate crashed to the ground and shattered completely, leaving both children stunned.
Luo Anxin thought: So this is the Flower-Turning Butterfly!
Luo An had a big question mark in his eyes: Was this a butterfly spinning or a plate breaking performance?
Under the child's innocent and clear gaze, Guan Lingyue imitated the mannerisms of a theatrical performer, flicking her sleeves and pacing around the scattered shards of metal, singing as she went: "Shattered~shattered~peace~ah~ah~ah~ah~ah~the~number~in~the~world~ah~ah~ah~ah~"
After Guan Lingyue finished singing, she squatted down in front of the two children: "Isn't Mom amazing? Number one in the world! Quickly clap for Mom."
Luo Anxin was very obedient and clapped her little hands frantically: "Mom... awesome... clap your hands... brother... clap your hands..."
Looking at Guan Lingyue's serious expression and then at Luo Anxin's silly look, Luo An couldn't help but laugh and tug at Luo Anxin's little hair bun: "Mommy was just kidding!"
Guan Lingyue was stunned. When she came to her senses, she called out repeatedly, "My lord, my lord, my lord..."
Luo An laughed! Luo An spoke! Luo An called her "Mother"!