All Hail Cousin Brother

202 Pitiful and Admirable Parent

Nanny Yue cried and said in relief, “Young Miss, you’ve grown so capable that you can manage things yourself now…”

Yu Youyao reacted and quickly went forward to help Nanny Yue up. “Nanny Yue, get up quickly. You used to serve my mother. Don’t be so polite.”

Xia Tao cleverly brought a stool over, and Chun Xiao also served tea.

Yu Youyao quickly called for everyone to sit and talk.

When a master and servant met, they had to reminisce.

Nanny Yue told her a lot about Madam. “… I heard that Eldest Miss learned pharmacology from Nanny Xu and mixed incense. It turns out that Madam also likes this and often plays with it. Madam also likes to play chess, but she’s a lousy chess player. She’s also a chess fanatic. Her chess skills aren’t good, but she doesn’t care if she loses or wins. She just wants to start over…”

Yu Youyao listened carefully with a teacup in her hand.

She could almost imagine her mother making incense in the fragrance room, looking serious and focused, because she was usually like this.

She could also imagine her mother regretting her move, cheating, stealing, and throwing a tantrum when playing chess, because she was also like this when playing chess with her cousin.

Previously, she had also been puzzled. She was clearly a fast learner, but why was she not talented in chess? Now, she knew that she had taken after her mother.

She immediately felt a strange feeling in her heart. Even though they were separated by Yin and Yang, she still had an emotional resonance with her mother.

After talking for a while, Nanny Yue took out a yellowed letter with trembling hands and handed it to Young Miss. “This letter was handed to me for safekeeping before Madam passed away. She asked me to pass it to Young Miss when she’s a little older…”

Yu Youyao’s breathing tightened. She couldn’t wait to take the letter from Nanny Yue’s hand and open it on the spot. On the yellowed paper, there were rows of neatly written words.

She read it word for word—

My child, Yao Yao:

In October, golden chrysanthemums were everywhere. Suddenly, when I heard that I was pregnant, I cried tears of joy and took care of him. Being a mother, I have three regrets in my heart. Firstly, I felt that I couldn’t always accompany my child and ask about her well-being. Secondly, I felt that I couldn’t protect her and shelter her from the wind and rain. Thirdly, I felt that I couldn’t raise her well. I was afraid that my child would lose her upbringing and wouldn’t be able to establish herself, manage the world, and be a good person… There was nothing to be sorry about your mother’s death. I hoped that my child would remember that everyone in the Yu Residence was trustworthy. I hope that you can be faithful and amiable.. I also hoped that you can be filial and not so filial… Your father was narrow-minded, and I couldn’t be close to him. Madam Yang was fierce, and I had to be wary of her. I was close to your grandmother, but I couldn’t rely on her too much… The longevity locks will accompany you. Wear the locks as your companions. Cherish them and love them…

There were dozens of pages of thick letters, recording the bits and pieces of her mother’s pregnancy.

First fetal movement, first fetal dream, favorite food…

Gradually, she felt that her body was no longer strong enough. Her worry for her daughter, her guilt over not being able to personally raise her daughter, and her regret…

Arrangements for her daughter’s future…

And her final warning to his daughter!

Every word was heartfelt and sincere. It was all the love and care a mother would give her daughter before she died. Yu Youyao immediately burst into tears.

She asked in a choked voice, “What else did my mother say before she died?”

Nanny Yue wiped her tears and looked around. The maidservants in front of Young Miss were all very sensible. When they knew that Young Miss wanted to talk to her mother’s old servant, they all retreated far away.

Back then, before Madam died, she had held her hand and explained word by word. Each word held the weight of the world. “The Yu Residence isn’t a good place. From top to bottom, it’s full of schemes. Yu Zongzheng is shameless and heartless. After I die, he will definitely marry Madam Yang’s daughter as his concubine and definitely won’t treat my Yao Yao well. Old Madam is old and wise. She’s scheming for her son’s future. Even though she has some pity for her eldest granddaughter, there are also all kinds of schemes mixed in. But, poor Yao Yao. She’s still so young, but she already lost her biological mother…”

She knelt in front of Madam and watched as Madam’s lips trembled and she coughed out blood. At the same time, she held Eldest Miss in her arms and pulled open her lapel to feed her the last mouthful of milk.

Then, she was about to get someone to carry Eldest Miss out.

Perhaps it was because the mother and daughter were connected, but the young mistress opened her dark eyes and looked at her mother intently. Her soft little hands gripped the belt on her mother’s chest, refusing to let go.

The maidservant carefully pried away Eldest Miss’s hand. Eldest Miss was anxious and kept waving her hands in front of Madam’s eyes. She opened her mouth and cried. No matter how hard she tried, she could not be coaxed.

Madam leaned against the pillow with tears streaming down her face. She held her hand tightly. “I-I’ve drafted a letter. I’ll donate 30% of the profits from my dowry to the Yu Clan every year, and 20% of the profits will be given to the residence. Even if it’s just because of this large sum of money, the clan will still have to treat Yao Yao well. Old Madam, you have to protect her a little more, and the Xie Clan will take care of her. Take good care of her. My Yao Yao will probably grow up safely…”

She knelt on the ground and wiped her old tears. When she saw the doctor and vomited blood, her eyes widened. She couldn’t waste her last breath, so she explained word by word, “If, if the Yu Residence doesn’t have a place for Yao Yao, bring her back to the Xie Residence. I won’t let Yao Yao be bullied and humiliated.”

Nanny Yue could no longer cry.

In An Shou Hall, Old Madam Yu was kneeling in the temple hall, twirling the seven treasure prayer beads in her hand. She looked at the white jade Bodhisattva in the Buddhist shrine and suddenly understood.

Back then, when Madam Xie had married into the Yu Residence, she had sent a piece of excellent Kunlun Jade to the Precious Peace Temple and donated 50,000 taels of silver for the incense oil. That was why she had asked Master Hui Neng to personally sculpt this rare Kunlun Jade Bodhisattva.

Master Hui Neng saw that there was a spot on the Kunlun Jade where cinnabar grew naturally and blood lotuses were born. She muttered a Buddhist prayer and used this spot to carve a jade pendant of a child Buddha sitting on a lotus.

Madam Xie had given this Jade Bodhisattva to her.

She was delighted to see it and worshiped it in the temple hall. Every morning and night, she would burn three incense sticks.

Before Madam Xie died, she personally hung the jade pendant of the child Buddha on Yao Yao’s chest in front of her. She stared into her eyes and said word by word, “The man wears Guanyin, and the woman wears Buddha. Back then, I had just married into the Yu Residence not long ago.Master Hui Neng didn’t carve anything but the child Buddha. It’s obvious that our Yao Yao is a child with Buddhist affinity.”

Old Madam Yu sat at the table. Madam Xie kept looking at her with her dark and cold eyes.

She was deep in thought!

Madam Xie had a dream about Buddha when she was pregnant with Yao Yao. Yao Yao was also born in April, and it was during the Buddha Bathing Festival. She was indeed fated with Buddha.

Madam Xie hugged her daughter tightly. “This jade pendant has been blessed by Master Hui Neng. It’s a rare Buddhist treasure. After I die, get Yao Yao to wear it every day.” At this point, she stared straight at Old Madam Xie. Blood flowed out from the corner of her mouth and dripped onto her white clothes, causing blood puddles one after another. It was a shocking sight. “Don’t take it off.”