Chapter 14: Sending Him Off

◎I'll go see my granddaughter-in-law myself.◎

Yu Lian had initially feigned fainting but unexpectedly fell into a deep sleep. When she woke up, her grandmother was by her side. Upon seeing her awaken, the elder turned away to wipe her tears.

Her voice was slightly hoarse as she spoke, "Grandmother... where's my husband?"

The elderly woman held her down to prevent her from moving. "The physician just left. I've instructed a maid to prepare the medicine. He said you have pent-up emotions and were deeply affected by a sudden shock, impairing your consciousness. You need more rest."

"Child, you've suffered so much for Hua'er. I didn't want you to know the truth to spare you pain, but it seems fate still brought you two together."

Yu Lian sat up in bed, her hand held by her grandmother. After a moment of silence, she lowered her gaze and spoke, "Grandmother, I want to see my husband one last time."

"To talk to him... and send him off on his final journey."

The old lady was momentarily at a loss for words. After gazing at her for a long while, she finally sighed and nodded.

"First, drink your medicine. Then, I'll take you there later."

The elderly matriarch had been weak, but after her granddaughter-in-law fainted, she rallied and even seemed more alert. Now, after accompanying Yu Lian in taking her medicine and sharing a couple of pastries, she finally left.

Outside the Azure Bamboo Courtyard, white banners hung mournfully. Before entering, one could faintly hear sobs.

Standing at the entrance, the matriarch frowned, showing signs of displeasure. Yu Lian supported her arm as they stepped inside.

Three women were weeping inside.

Two of them were likely concubines, kneeling further away, while the third should be her mother-in-law, Hua Ji's birth mother.

Upon entering, the matriarch cleared her throat. "Why are you all crying? I've repeatedly told you to maintain composure. If people hear your wailing, they'll think our Hua family is unsatisfied with the judgment. Should any unexpected incident occur, how would it honor Hua'er's self-sacrifice?"

The three women sobbed and stilled, the concubines somewhat composed, mourning the decline of their household, their master's illness, and the loss of the heir.

The woman lying on the coffin was weeping uncontrollably, hiccupping in between.

Seeing this, Yu Lian approached, knelt beside her, and gently patted her back. After a while, the woman regained her senses, looking at Yu Lian through teary eyes and asking, "Who are you?"

Hearing this question, the matriarch's spirits sank. Her good-for-nothing daughter-in-law, consumed by her own emotions, neglected the entire household, not even recognizing her own granddaughter-in-law. Was this how a mother behaved?

She limped over and pulled Yu Lian up, smoothing out the wrinkles on her dress as she said, "Lian'er, go light a incense for your husband."

The woman was taken aback. "When did Hua'er get married?"

From somewhere, the matron produced a low stool, and the elderly lady sat down. Her eyes reddened as she gazed at the spirit coffin before her. She had intended to scold her daughter-in-law, but now she lacked the heart to do so.

In a calm voice, she said, "If you, as a mother, are truly concerned, you can inquire about the details. I won't waste my breath. Just remember one thing: Lian'er is Hua'er's wife, and thus your own daughter-in-law. In the future, if she respects and honors you, you must love and protect her in return. Don't always think only of yourself."

The woman was somewhat afraid of the elderly lady and dared not ask more questions, even in her confusion. She merely murmured an obedient "Yes."

After Yu Lian lit the incense, she stood there motionless for a long time.

After a while, she heard someone calling her name, bringing her back to reality. She quickly wiped away her tears. "Grandmother?"

She was incredibly beautiful, with a smile-like expression even when not crying. When tears welled up in her eyes, she looked all the more pitiable. Lost in thought, staring at her husband's spirit coffin, silent and weeping, this sight tugged at the old lady's heartstrings.

Waving at her, she said, "Lian'er, come here. Grandmother isn't feeling well, and my legs are unsteady. Help me back to rest."

Yu Lian glanced at the coffin, hesitating for a moment. Recalling how filial her husband had been to his grandmother, she finally went over and supported the elderly lady as they slowly exited the memorial hall. As they stepped out of the courtyard, she turned back for a last look, a tear rolling down her cheek. Swiftly, she wiped it away.

The matriarch said, "Lian'er, when we get to Grandmother's quarters, could you give me a head massage? My head is aching terribly, and I'm exhausted. Yi Po is clumsy and never does it right. It's pitiful that our household has fallen on hard times; all the clever maids have run away, and apart from Yi Po, there isn't a single trustworthy person to assist Grandmother."

Understanding that the matriarch was trying to prevent her from being too affected by the scene at the mourning hall, Yu Lian replied, "If Grandmother is unwell, Lian'er will naturally be at your service."

The matriarch smiled with relief.

If Hua'er's spirit were watching from above, he wouldn't bear to see his wife grieve.

The next morning, as the matriarch awoke, Yi Po said helplessly by her side, "Yesterday, you asked the Lady of the Firstborn Son to stay here for the night, hoping to keep an eye on her so she wouldn't go to the smaller mourning hall and upset herself. But Lady of the Firstborn Son's love for the Firstborn Son is deep and unwavering—how could we stop her? After you fell asleep, she got up in the middle of the night and spent the entire evening guarding the smaller mourning hall. She's still there now, burning paper money for the Firstborn Son without leaving his side for even a moment."

"I was worried something might happen, so I sent my husband and Erya over to keep watch. We'll wait until you're awake to persuade her."

The matriarch knew this was exactly what had happened.

She couldn't hold back this foolish child after all.

Well, after today, she wouldn't be able to see Hua'er again anyway. She couldn't deny her this small comfort.

As Yi Po helped the matriarch dress, the latter urged her to hurry, "I need to check on my granddaughter-in-law."

Arriving there, the invited Daoist priest had already performed the ritual. The matriarch saw her granddaughter-in-law, Yu Lian, kneeling alone by the spirit coffin, methodically burning joss paper, oblivious to the world around her as if lost in deep thought, unable to see anyone else.

Calling out to her several times and patting her shoulder, it was only then that Yu Lian regained her senses.

Wiping away her tears, she hurriedly tried to hide her emotions, but the matriarch noticed her reddened and swollen eyes. She sighed and said, "Have something to eat first. Later, we'll send Hua'er off, and then you should get a good night's sleep."

Following the matriarch's gentle urging, Yu Lian struggled to her feet. Her legs were numb and weak, causing her to nearly stumble. Fortunately, Erya was nearby and quickly offered assistance.

After the Daoist's ceremony, the family stood in turn to offer incense, pay their respects, and burn memorial texts. With these rituals completed, the ceremony came to an end.

Lady Yu Lian's mother-in-law, after finishing her prayers, exclaimed that her son had fainted again from weeping.

The elderly lady helplessly called for servants to escort Yu Lian back to her courtyard.

Taking up her brush, Yu Lian composed a line as an elegy, which she then burned in the brazier. A sudden gust of wind came, blowing away half-burned paper.

She stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly at the direction where the paper drifted, then bowed her head and smiled bitterly before rewriting another one.

Observing all this, the old lady felt even more compassion for her granddaughter-in-law.

After bidding Hua Ji farewell, the Hua residence returned to its quiet serenity.

Grandmama's endurance reached its limit in the afternoon, and she fell ill that very day.

As a result, all three elders of the Hua family were now incapacitated. The head of the family couldn't even attend his eldest son's funeral... Yu Lian had no choice but to keep going.

"Lián-er..." Grandmama caught her breath and asked her granddaughter-in-law to help her sit up. Leaning against the headboard, she held tightly onto her granddaughter-in-law's hand and sighed deeply. In just a few days, it felt as if she had exhausted all her sighs for this lifetime. Now, with her grandson gone and her granddaughter-in-law left behind, it was both a blessing and a curse.

With a compassionate gaze, she looked at her granddaughter-in-law. "I'm sorry you have to suffer. With me being ill and already advanced in age, my body is growing weaker by the day. I don't know how much longer I can hold on. While I'm still lucid, let me tell you about the affairs of our household."

Yu Lian: "Grandmother, please don't say such things..." She took the medicinal soup from Yi Po, gently swirled it to cool it down, and then, spoon by spoon, fed it to the elder lady's lips.

The old lady took a sip. It was bitter, yet warmly soothing, warming both her body and soul. Moreover, her thoughtful granddaughter-in-law was by her side, attending to her with great care.

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