Chapter 439 - 438: Ying Hui

Chapter 439: Chapter 438: Ying Hui

The secret letter was put away, and Mu Lianxiao took the family letter written by Madam Wu and Mrs. Xu’s letter to Mu Liankang’s home.

The two families were very close, so Du Yunluo also carried Brother Yan and followed along.

The courtyard where Zhuang Ke lived was similar to Du Yunluo’s, with the main house visible as soon as one entered, without any obstructions.

She was used to taking care of two children on her own and did not find it particularly inconvenient.

After discussing with Du Yunluo, she had Hong Jinbao’s family come over to lend a hand to make things smoother.

The girl was diligently learning Han language, and being at an age where learning to speak was best, under the tutelage of Zhuang Ke and Hong Jinbao’s family, she had learned many words and phrases over the past month.

When she couldn’t express herself clearly, she would get anxious, as she was still young and neither Han nor the foreign language was enough for her to fully express herself.

The boy was younger and had just learned a few words, which greatly enthused him. Every day, he and his sister would chatter away for quite some time.

Du Yunluo had overheard their conversations and figured that neither probably understood what the other was saying, making the adults chuckle when they listened.

When Mu Lianxiao and Du Yunluo entered, the siblings were sitting on the heated brick bed and talking.

Zhuang Ke nodded with a smile at Du Yunluo, "You’ve come early today."

Mu Lianxiao handed the letters to Mu Liankang, "They arrived just this morning. One is from Grandmother, and the other is from Third Aunt, who is also the mother of the eldest brother."

Mu Liankang’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the two letters. After a long moment, he looked up to see Mu Lianxiao nodding, then extended his hand to take them.

His fingertips trembled slightly, and his eyes were moist.

In these couple of months, he had transformed from someone who didn’t know his past, name, or where his family was to someone who found everything he had been longing for.

He was found—his childhood friends, his blood-related brother; they told him everything he wanted and needed to know.

From his name to his background to his relatives...

But other than the brother and sister-in-law’s family standing before him, the rest of his relatives were just names, simply titles. Even his mother, Mrs. Xu, he could not remember her face.

Now, receiving the letters they sent, Mu Liankang felt the tangible presence of his family.

Opening the letter sealed with fire lacquer, Mu Liankang read Madam Wu’s family letter.

The letter from Madam Wu was long, filled with her thoughts and concerns for them, with every line expressing heartfelt wishes for them to return to the capital soon and for the family to reunite soon.

The letter mentioned Mu Liankang’s two children, for whom Madam Wu bestowed names.

The girl’s name was "Ying", and the boy’s name was "Hui".

Mu Liankang read them quietly, feeling a weight in his heart.

The words "Ying Hui," signifying the flow of water circling back, mirrored his journey of going along with the current only to return to where he belonged.

The Old Madam used these two words to express her hope for him to bring his wife and children home, back to the family.

Mu Liankang suppressed the tumultuous emotions in his heart and told Zhuang Ke the children’s names.

Mu Lingying, Mu Linghui.

Zhuang Ke’s eyes instantly twinkled with tears. She hadn’t read many books growing up, but her father had taught her a lot.

She understood the meaning of these two words immediately.

Zhuang Ke’s parents died early, and her husband had no close relatives. Now that she had found her roots and had a family anticipating their return, Zhuang Ke was happy for Mu Liankang.

After finishing Madam Wu’s letter, Mu Liankang opened Mrs. Xu’s letter.

Mrs. Xu’s letter was thin and light, and Mu Liankang could tell just by holding it.

He took out the letter paper, opened it, and saw the four characters at the top.

Mrs. Xu’s handwriting was delicate, but these four characters were clearly written with trembling hands, and the strokes were not clean.

"My child, hoping for your return."

These simple four words weighed like a thousand-pound stone on Mu Liankang, causing him to catch his breath, his fingers almost crumpling the corner of the letter.

He couldn’t remember Mrs. Xu’s visage, but Mrs. Xu was always thinking of him.

Thinking of how in these past eight years, Mrs. Xu missed him, not knowing whether he was alive, and yet not daring to give up hope, enduring her torment through the cycles of hope and despair, tears welled up in Mu Liankang’s eyes.

How unfilial he was!

Yet he couldn’t recall why he lost his memory or why he was separated from his loved ones for so many years.

Mu Liankang took a deep breath, holding back his tears.

These days, he had been continually thinking about the appearance of his family in the capital.

Although he longed for them immensely in his heart, there was a sense of nervousness.

Even before he reached his hometown, he already felt a sense of apprehension that often accompanies those returning after years.

He didn’t know what he would say to his grandmother and mother upon returning home, as the memories were blank, and interacting with elders was not the same as with brothers; he was unsure how to navigate it.

But these two letters today made Mu Liankang suddenly understand—he had been overthinking it all along.

Blood ties and family bonds are etched in one’s bones. Even if he forgot everything, he was still an important part of their family.

If he couldn’t find the words, he could listen with his heart, listen to his grandmother’s and mother’s thoughts and concerns, hear their cries, their laughter.

And the things he could give back to his family were actually quite simple.

He could be a good guide, take down Ancient Meili, and return to the capital with military success alongside Mu Lianxiao, letting the glory of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion continue with their generation, not letting these more than eight years of separation go in vain.

Seeing those four words, Zhuang Ke couldn’t help but burst into tears, retreating into the inner chamber.

Du Yunlo went in to comfort her.

Zhuang Ke, holding Du Yunlo’s hand, said, "Father used to say that one’s handwriting reflects one’s character. Mother-in-law must be a genuinely kind person, someone who is easy to get along with."

Du Yunlo smiled, holding Zhuang Ke’s wrist, saying, "Third Aunt once gave me a bracelet, saying it was originally meant for her daughter-in-law, but fearing she would never have one in her lifetime, she gave it to me. There was also a golden lock, left by Third Aunt’s mother for her maternal grandson, which was later given to Brother Yan.

I still have those two items with me; I cannot pass them on to you. When we return to the capital, I will hand them back to Third Aunt, so she can personally give them to you and put it on Brother Hui."

The name "Brother Hui" caught Zhuang Ke by surprise for a moment. When she understood, she smiled with tears in her eyes, "When we return to the capital, everyone is waiting for us to come back."

After crying, Zhuang Ke washed her face with some water.

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, the small town, unlike a large city, had no convenient access to daily necessities, let alone mooncakes.

Du Yunluo asked Hong Jinbao to prepare the ingredients to make them at home, using them for offerings when the full moon rose, and sharing them among everyone.

Once the Mid-Autumn Festival passed, the weather at Shanyu Pass became cooler by the day, even chilling at night.

Du Yunluo was marking the days.

In the capital around this time, Du Yundi should be having his wedding.

She remembered how lively his wedding was in her past life, and even though the Du Family wasn’t as grand as it was now, Du Gongfu had been a Crown Prince’s Tutor, Du Huaili was employed in the Ministry of Rites, Du Yundi was a newly appointed scholar, and the Tang family was also officialdom, so naturally, the union between the two families was not taken lightly.

In this life, even if the Du Family is not at the peak it was during Du Gongfu’s time, it is still not to be underestimated.

This marriage is likely to be even more bustling than before.

Missing Du Yundi’s wedding made Du Yunluo a bit regretful, but at least the gifts had been sent back, representing her heartfelt wishes.