Chapter 399: Gratitude

Chapter 399 Appreciation

Outside Qingsong Bookstore, Sun Yan hid in a secluded spot, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on the entrance, his palms clammy with sweat from nervousness.

Time had never felt so slow to him; even the birdsong now seemed unbearably noisy.

After what felt like an agonizing wait, Xin You finally emerged from Qingsong Bookstore, followed a few steps behind by a woman in a blue cotton dress, her posture slightly hunched, like a servant respectful of their employer.

Sun Yan’s gaze locked onto the woman’s face and never left.

It was Cui Niang!

Though over a decade had passed since their separation, and the hardships of life had left deep lines on her face, erasing the youthful beauty he remembered, he recognized her at once.

Xin You walked slowly, with Cui Niang trailing two steps behind, unknowingly moving farther away from Sun Yan.

He watched eagerly until suddenly, Cui Niang glanced back. Startled, he jerked backward, his heart pounding wildly.

Xin You led Cui Niang onto a carriage and took her to the embroidery workshop.

The workshop was indeed trying out new designs. Though Cui Niang, having long worked on mending clothes, was not skilled in embroidery, she had some ideas about simple designs.

After this exchange, Cui Niang seemed happier on the way back to the bookstore.

“If you like the embroidery workshop, you could work there,” Xin You suggested.

Cui Niang froze for a moment before shaking her head. “Don’t tease me, Boss. My hands are too rough to handle such fine fabrics. Staying at the bookstore is more than enough—I can see Stone anytime, and that gives me peace of mind.”

“Stone must be fourteen now?”

“He turned fourteen this year.”

“How time flies. When I first met him, he still seemed like a child.”

Cui Niang’s expression showed both sorrow and joy as she murmured, “Yes, time passes so quickly.”

“Did I bring up painful memories for you?” Xin You asked apologetically.

“No. Boss, you know I brought Stone to the capital to find his father. After all these years, I’ve long given up hope. For us mother and son to have met kind people like you and Hu Boss, and to have the life we do now—we’re already more than grateful.”

Xin You opened her mouth, wanting to ask: What if Stone’s father appeared?

But she held back.

She didn’t even know whether Sun Yan’s reappearance, if he truly was Stone’s father, would be good or bad for them.

After walking Cui Niang back to the bookstore and giving Hu Boss some instructions, Xin You went to meet Sun Yan at their agreed-upon spot.

Sun Yan had already drunk several cups of tea, yet his voice remained choked up: “Cui Niang is my wife.”

Xin You remained silent as Sun Yan continued, “Back then, our family faced desperate poverty. Hoping to make a living, I left Cui Niang to try my luck in the capital. But I fell gravely ill and was abandoned in an unmarked grave to die. After surviving, I was broke—even beggars wouldn’t help me. In the end, I had no choice but to enter the palace as a eunuch.”

This painful past was something Sun Yan had never shared with anyone. But the shock of seeing his wife and son today overwhelmed him, and he couldn’t help but tell Xin You.

“Did Master Sun ever send someone to look for them in your hometown later?”

“I did. But the village had been hit by a disaster—the entire place was gone…”

After listening quietly, Xin You asked, “When does Master Sun plan to reveal yourself to Cui Niang and Stone?”

Sun Yan's expression changed abruptly: "I have no plans to come forward!"

Xin You raised an eyebrow.

Sun Yan lowered his head and took a gulp of tea, his hand trembling uncontrollably as he held the cup: "How could I possibly show myself?"

After his wife and child had finally settled into a stable life, how could he suddenly appear before them and let Cui Niang and Shitou know that the man they had been searching for all these years had become a eunuch?

The mere thought of such a scenario made Sun Yan feel suffocated.

No, no, no—this absolutely must not happen!

He immediately bowed to Xin You: "Lady Xin, I beg you to keep this a secret for me."

"But if you don’t, Sister-in-law Sun will always be pining for you," Xin You reminded.

This was a family matter, and since Sun Yan was unwilling to come forward due to his unique circumstances, she couldn’t presume to meddle in Sister-in-law Sun’s affairs.

Sun Yan smiled bitterly: "That’s fine. At least in Cui Niang’s heart, I’m still her husband. Whether she thinks I’m dead or that I abandoned her after finding success, it doesn’t matter. It’s far better than letting her know her husband has become an emasculated eunuch."

"I understand."

"Thank you, Lady Xin."

Sun Yan gazed at Xin You with fervent emotion, countless questions about Shitou and his mother racing through his mind, but in the end, he swallowed them all.

Judging by Cui Niang’s appearance, he could tell she was doing well now. If he wanted to know more, he could find out more in time.

But Xin You had a question for him: "Today, Respected Sir Sun went to Qingsong Bookstore—was it about Lord He?"

Sun Yan was taken aback. After hesitating for a long time, he nodded.

Had he not discovered the existence of Cui Niang and Shitou, he would have done his job by the book. But now, things were different.

He didn’t want Cui Niang to know about his current state, and he was deeply grateful to Xin You for her care of the mother and son. From every angle, he couldn’t afford to be inflexible.

When it came to loyalty to Emperor Xingyuan, Sun Yan certainly had it. But many matters could be handled with some leeway. For example, whether He Qingxiao had long known Xin You’s true identity—this answer would determine He Qingxiao’s life or death, but it was of little consequence to the Emperor.

If he had known, the Emperor would take out his anger by having executed He Qingxiao. If he hadn’t, He Qingxiao would escape punishment, Xin You would be at ease, and the Emperor would avoid working himself into a rage.

Sun Yan quickly convinced himself and made his choice: "Lord He has been fond of reading at Qingsong Bookstore for several years now, hasn’t he?"

"That’s right," Xin You caught his implication and gave a small smile. "Respected Sir Sun can speak with Hu Boss—he has all the details."

"Very well," Sun Yan agreed readily.

He had to report to the Emperor, so naturally, he had to question the relevant people.

Soon, Sun Yan met with Hu Boss.

Hu Boss had already learned of the eunuch’s identity from Xin You and, under Sun Yan’s questioning, began recounting He Qingxiao’s story: "Ah, Lord He? He’s loved coming to our bookstore to read for years—always browsing, never buying."

After hearing this, Sun Yan’s mouth twitched.

Was the Changle Marquis that poor, or just shameless?

If only Hu Boss knew what Sun Yan was thinking, he might have replied: Both.

Asking about He Qingxiao was merely for show, so Sun Yan didn’t dig deeper. He lowered his eyes and took a sip of tea to soothe his throat before asking about Shitou and his mother.

When it came to Shitou and his mother, Hu Boss had much to say. He spoke of their struggles when they first arrived in the capital and then mentioned Shitou’s mother falling ill: "We gave her an advance of half a year's pay, but illness eats up money like nothing else—it was never enough. That boy Shitou was lucky. He happened to meet the owner when she came by—the boss wasn't in charge back then. Seeing how pitiful Shitou was, she gave him two taels of silver on the spot and later arranged light work for his mother."

Hearing this, Sun Yan’s attitude toward Xin You changed again. If he'd been thankful before, now he felt deep gratitude.

She had saved Cui Niang’s life!

After finishing his story, Hu Boss asked curiously, "You know Shitou?"