"What?!" Before Xu Mingye could speak, Mrs. Xu screamed in shock and anger. She had originally thought that the worst case scenario was that her daughter would be divorced and sent home by the Marquis's Mansion. She never expected that her daughter would be thrown into the Tianshui City full of Tartars by the Marquis's Mansion, and she had to escape back with her life hanging by a thread.
Lixiang was sobbing and her words were unclear, which could easily be misunderstood.
Although Mingyu had many complaints about the Marquis's Mansion, and when she was in Tianshui, she was thinking about how to let her family know how the Marquis's Mansion bullied her, a weak girl, but now Mingyu thought of the Marquis, the eldest son, and the old lady who were no longer alive. For the sake of the dead, she did not want her family to be resentful of the Marquis's Mansion. Even if the Sima family was at fault, they paid the price of three lives.
Seeing Madam Xu's expression of shock and anger, Mingyu leaned in Madam Xu's arms, hugged her mother's arm, and said with a smile: "It's not entirely like that. When we left the city in a hurry, I left Lixiang in the mansion. I wanted to go back to find her, but the Tartars were about to break through the city gate. The whole family of the Marquis's mansion couldn't wait for us, so I left first. It's not their fault."
Lixiang looked at Mingyu in surprise, and when she saw the look Mingyu gave her, she wisely chose to shut her mouth.
"Where's Sima Hong?" Xu Mingye asked, suppressing his anger. He had no good impression of this brother-in-law who had come out of nowhere. He was a playboy who had no achievements. He had married and started a family, but he had no responsibility as a man. Mingyu was so young, but he left her alone in Tianshui City. Only a jerk could do such a thing.
Madam Xu glanced at her son. The last time Xu Mingye came back from Tianshui, he only said that Mingyu was doing well and said nothing else. He became more silent and more attentive in his studies. After returning home from the academy, he studied hard all day long, determined to get a good ranking in next year's palace examination. She saw all the changes in her son, and it was impossible for her not to have doubts in her heart.
Mingyu raised her head from Madam Xu's arms. She could guess what her brother was thinking. The impression that Master Bao left on Xu Mingye was not good. Mingyu shook her head and whispered, "I don't know. After the Marquis died, all the officials in Tianshui fled. Master Bao led the remaining soldiers to guard the city, leaving us here. Later, when we ran out, the Tartar entered the city. I don't know if he escaped..."
Xu Mingye was startled, thinking of the domineering and naive young man in the past. If something bad happened to him, he couldn't say anything. Xu Mingye sighed, "The men in Sima Houfu are all strong men. He didn't bring shame to the Sima family."
Madam Xu hugged Mingyu's thin body tightly, as if she was afraid that her daughter would fly away. She imagined the hardships Mingyu had gone through, and her tears could not stop falling. She just wanted her daughter to live in peace in front of her. As for the national justice, the national crisis, Sima Hou Mansion, etc., none of them were as important as her daughter. Madam Xu suppressed her emotions and said in a nagging manner: "It's good that you're back. There's chaos over there. You're so far away from home. I don't know how you are doing. I miss you every day..."
Mingyu felt warm in her heart, and she took out a handkerchief to gently wipe her mother's tears. After such a long time in ancient times, it was the first time that she felt such a strong mother's love. Perhaps it was God's compensation for her early mother's death that he gave her a mother who loved her deeply in this time and space. At the same time, Mingyu secretly made up her mind that she would cherish her mother in this life.
Mother Liu went to the kitchen and lit a charcoal brazier, then quietly brought it in. Seeing that the lady was still hugging Mingyu, reluctant to let go, chattering away, crying and laughing, Mother Liu secretly wiped away her tears, put the charcoal brazier at Mingyu's feet, and then left.
Xu Mingye was not in a hurry to review his lessons today. He moved a chair and sat aside, watching his mother hugging Mingyu and talking with a smile. The little girl seemed to have grown a little taller than the last time they met, and her face was much thinner. Her pair of black, bright and clear eyes seemed bigger, and her jawbone was pointed. Even though she was wearing men's clothes, it was difficult to conceal her girlish beauty. This was Mingyu, the baby of their family, and she was finally home again.
After talking for a while, Mingyu suddenly remembered something and took her mother's hand and asked, "Where's Madam Zou? Why don't I see her?"
Madam Xu smiled and said, "Not long after she returned to Lu'an, her son and grandson came to take her home, saying that she was old and wanted to go home to enjoy her life and not work anymore."
Mingyu nodded, finally feeling relieved.
Xu Mingye laughed. The little girl was probably still angry with her father. She had been home for so long but didn't ask where her father had gone. Thinking of this, Xu Mingye spoke with the intention of teasing his sister, "Mingyu, why don't you ask where Daddy has gone?"
Mingyu was shocked. She was only concerned with enjoying Madam Xu's motherly love and had completely forgotten her father. The charcoal fire was burning fiercely, and Mingyu's face was smoked red by the charcoal fire. She asked awkwardly, "Where's Dad?"
Mrs. Xu glared at her son, then immediately put on a gentle expression when facing her daughter, "Your father has gone to the countryside to check things out, and he should be back soon."
Mingyu nodded obediently, but she sighed deeply in her heart. She didn't know what Xu's father's attitude towards her was. If he insisted that a married girl belonged to her husband's family, he might even pack her up and send her to the capital. If something happened to Master Bao, Mingyu could almost imagine the three widows of the Sima family, she, Miao, and Luo Lingxiu, sitting face to face for decades, beating wooden fish and chanting scriptures to pray for the three men of the Sima family who died for their country.
As they were talking, they heard Mother Liu outside shouting, "The master is back!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the curtain was lifted, and a gust of cold wind blew in his face. A tall middle-aged man stood at the door, looking at Mingyu intently.
The middle-aged man was in his forties, with a short beard, furrowed brows, and a serious expression, revealing a gentle temperament. The moment he saw Mingyu, surprise and joy appeared on the man's serious face, and he strode up to Mingyu.
Xu Mingye quickly stood up and called out, "Father."
Mingyu also stared blankly at Xu Changqian who was walking towards her. She didn't know what to say for a moment. Xu Changqian's face seemed to merge with the father who loved her in her memory. Her eyes were filled with tears. In the blurred light and shadow, she couldn't see the appearance of Xu Changqian in front of her. Mingyu didn't know what to say.
Xu Changqian was a little excited. He stretched out his big hand and wanted to rub Mingyu's head, but he retracted it and put his hands together on the charcoal brazier to warm them. He stammered, "My hands are cold..."
Madam Xu laughed and gave Xu Changqian a reproachful look, very dissatisfied, "My daughter finally came back, and this is the first thing you say?"
Mingyu also laughed. This seemingly rigid and strict father was much cuter than he looked.
After Xu Changqian's hands were warmed by the fire, he reached out and gently covered Mingyu's little head, rubbed it, and then reached out to pinch Mingyu's ears, just like what he often did when Mingyu was not married yet and the little girl was leaning beside him and acting coquettishly.
"Why are you back? Where are the Sima family?" Xu Changqian asked.
Before Mingyu could answer, Xu Mingye said in a deep voice: "When Tianshui City was captured, the people of the Sima family fled without waiting for Mingyu. If it weren't for Mingyu's good luck, we would never see her again."
Xu Changqian frowned, clenched his fists, and after a while, he squeezed out a word from between his teeth, "Is there such a thing?"
Mingyu lowered her head in silence. No matter how she tried to embellish the matter, the fact was that when she was about to ride back to the city to bring Lixiang out, no one in the mansion, except for the unconscious Madam Miao, wanted to stay and wait for her to go with her.
In fact, just for this incident, Mingyu didn't have much resentment towards them. At a critical moment, the Tartars could attack at any time, and no one was obliged to risk running into the Tartars and wait for them. It was just that being abandoned was not pleasant, and not having resentment didn't mean that Mingyu didn't have any complaints in her heart. If Mingyu had still had some feelings for Wei Mama, Tan Mama, Sima Lian and others before, after experiencing these things, the only little feelings she had were completely worn out.
"I'm back safe and sound, don't skip a word. Mingyu smiled and said, "There are good people helping us along the way!"
Xu Changqian patted his daughter's thin shoulders distressedly and asked, "What are you going to do? After all, you are already the daughter-in-law of the Sima family. Now they don't know that you are still alive. If they knew, you..."
Mingyu smiled. She had expected her father's attitude, but now was the time. She still wanted to fight for herself. Looking at her three relatives, Mingyu shook her head and said, "I don't want to go back to the Sima family. I also want to ask my father, mother and brother what they think. Apart from abandoning me and running away, I just feel aggrieved in their family. They are a prominent marquis's mansion. Everyone looks down on my background and thinks I am not worthy of the second young master. No matter what I do, I can't get a good reputation from the wife. Their eldest mistress, Luo, has bad behavior and bullies me and Lixiang. Even if I return to the marquis's mansion in the future, Lixiang and I have been fleeing for so long in the chaotic world, it is inevitable that they will talk about me again... I have to bear the reputation of marrying up all my life. Since they don't like me and look down on me, why should I stay in their house? If my father, mother and brother are still willing to take me in, I want to stay at home. It's so far from the capital, so let the people in the marquis's mansion think that I died in Tianshui."
Xu Changqian sighed and was about to say something when Mingyu spoke again, her voice choking, "If my parents and brother are unwilling to take me in, I will take Lixiang and live somewhere else, begging for food or working as a maid, but I will never go back to the Marquis' Mansion to see what he thinks!"
"What nonsense!" Mrs. Xu cried out first, hugged Mingyu tightly, and tears fell down, "There is no good person in the Sima family, how can I let my daughter go back to suffer!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to subscribe to Qidian Mobile Network () and give rewards. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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