Chapter 2, familial affection is essentially a process of mutual consolation

You fell asleep while I was speaking

Watching her mother sitting on a high-backed chair, Jin Buyao ceased to sway. The black-faced maid named Yingchun placed a cup of tea in her mother's hands, which seemed to be intended for warming her hands. Holding the tea bowl, her mother gazed at the large crowd of people standing in the shadows at the foot of the steps and spoke in a tone that Yun Zhao had never heard before

She spoke a great deal to her husband, including some very intimate matters. In the presence of their ancestors, Yun Niang did not feel that she was being disrespectful to them.

Mother

Yun Zhao believes this way; he feels that he has the resources and ability to be someone else's support. After all, within this body resides a great, noble, miraculous, and wise soul, filled with a myriad of chaotic knowledge and possessing lofty aspirations

From the perspective of human development, it is undoubtedly a correct matter. After all, if a son is cast from the same mold as his father, Yun Zhao believes that the people of this world would still be living a life akin to that of monkeys

After rising, noticing that the memorial tablet of Yun Siyuan seemed to be covered with a bit of dust, I took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the dust. Then, I pressed the tablet to my forehead and sighed, saying: "If only you were alive, it would be better than anything... I would even accept you marrying eighty concubines."

Paying homage to the ancestors of the Yun family was, for Yun Zhao, a profound interrogation of the soul

Alas, my dear son

Yun Niang was immersed in happiness, unable to extricate herself. No matter what Yun Zhao said at that moment, she believed him. Yun Zhao was also willing to give this woman, who would risk her life to save him, the greatest happiness.

After speaking, he pressed his hand on Yun Zhao's head and bowed to the ancestors, performing three consecutive bows before finally stopping

Yun Zhao felt a sense of shame, especially when he saw the memorial tablet of Yun Siyuan, which made him extremely uneasy. He was very worried that the soul of Yun Siyuan would emerge from the tablet and grasp his neck, demanding answers.

Many times, there are women who complain about their children, saying that it would have been better to have laid an egg than to have given birth to them

The primary role of a mother in China in giving birth to a son seems to be for the purpose of boasting, to bring her a sense of pride, much like a hen that, after laying an extraordinarily large egg, must crow loudly for a while.

Yun Niang, in a displeased manner, tapped her son's forehead and said: "Just like your father, he is not a good person. Clearly in poor health, yet when he went to Xi'an, he still indulged in numerous brothels. His soul was not taken by the cold, but rather it was lured away by those vixens."

Disrespect towards the young master, the same applies!

Now, after putting on a brightly colored dress and lightly applying some rouge, she secretly glanced at her son, took a bite of a snack, and then dragged Yun Zhao, who had changed into a new set of silk garments, to the front courtyard

Yun Zhao smiled happily, revealing a mouth missing a front tooth, and nodded repeatedly

Will!

Deceiver

There are some rascals gossiping behind the scenes, selling people to go to Yan'an to mine coal

Her manner of walking is clearly rehearsed, and due to her proud three-inch golden lotus feet, her gait becomes unsteady, with her hips swaying significantly. Perhaps this is the alluring grace that the great scholars have praised as 'the willows swaying in the wind'

A son who is unworthy of his father is, from the perspective of human relationships, a great evil

It was only when he came to his senses that he realized he had become both the greatest support and the heaviest burden for this woman

In the morning, when sitting together with the wild boar to watch the sunrise, he was already prepared to accept this world

Yunjiacun is essentially a dilapidated large village, and the mottled paint on the door lintels silently narrates the fact that this family has already fallen into decline

Yun Zhao knelt in front of the ancestral tablet with his mother, curiously gazing at the densely packed ancestral tablets of the Yun family on the offering table. It was difficult to find the tablet of Yun Siyuan among them; only Yun Niang could accurately convey her sorrow to her husband.

Call out once more

Her six-year-old son has finally learned to speak, and she feels that it should be a cause for universal celebration

In recent years, the disparity in his heart has been so great that it has caused him to remain immersed in his own world, with little regard for the outside.

You must talk to your mother, after all. You haven't spoken for all these years, and your mother thought you couldn't speak

The incense he lit trembled as it quietly burned, a faint wisp of smoke enveloping the memorial tablet, gradually infusing Yun Zhao's apology into it, while the ancestors of the Yun family seemed to accept this reluctant decision.

Yun Zhao had experienced such things many times, but only this time did Yun Niang have a smile on her face

Yun Niang is naturally the same.

I have spoken to you many times

From now on, listen to your mother and do not emulate your father

The clean black plaque with white characters is that of Yun Zhao's father, Yun Si Yuan, the husband of Yun Niang

I do not wish to speak

Yun Zhao no longer seemed to be the same; he felt that his mother's way of walking resembled that of a plump duck

Only the massive carved archway in front of the main gate continues to steadfastly uphold the glorious era once experienced by the Yun family

He could even feel thousands of gazes focusing on him like needles, which made him quite uneasy

"Keep calling! By the time this voice of longing from your mother has grown long, you little rascal, you have made me worry for so long!"

After paying respects to her ancestors, Yun Niang returned to the bedroom with her son and began to groom herself under the service of two dark-faced maidservants

Yun Niang's words, as cold as ice beads, had just fallen when an old man dressed in a sheepskin coat led a crowd of people in the courtyard to bow and say: "We shall obey the lady's command"

Her previous attire was unremarkable; a woman in her twenties donned a coarse blue dress, with a black headband tied around her forehead, showing no difference from an elderly woman

Fortunately, the spirit tablet remained very stable, without any unexpected disturbances. Aside from the ecstatic cheers and expressions of joy from Yun Niang, there were no other noises.

Yun Niang fondly patted her son’s chubby body, seemingly very satisfied. Pinching her son’s soft bottom, she said with contentment: "Your father had such poor health that he passed away at a young age. He couldn't even withstand a simple cold and left us mother and son behind. My son, you must eat more, sleep more, and grow strong. In the future, marry several good wives who can bear children, and give me a dozen or so grandsons. Let’s properly uphold the Yun family name, so that our branch, which is clearly the head of the family, is not bullied by unrelated people."

Although all of this has come a bit late, for Yun Niang, as long as happiness can arrive, it is never too late.

Yun Niang actually gave birth to an insensible egg, which is a tragedy; however, she is also fortunate, as a solitary soul is willing to reside within this egg and become her son... This is her great fortune amidst misfortune

Call out to your mother once more for me to hear

A proud soul should not become a burden to others, but rather serve as the greatest support for all those who love themselves

With the joyous occasion at home, Yun Niang's first choice to confide in was naturally Yun Zhao's father

Why not say something

Yun Niang forcefully turned her son's head around and said resentfully: "I wasn't afraid of him when he was alive, now that he's gone, can he still continue to argue with me?"

Yun Zhao was pushed by his mother to stand before the ancestral tablets. Gazing at the layers upon layers of tablets, Yun Zhao felt as if his soul was laid bare under the scrutiny of all.

Mother

Having witnessed the tender side of his mother, Yun Zhao finally confirmed that his body is ultimately a product of love, and once a child is truly a product of love, their fate is unlikely to be too unfavorable

Life is essentially like this; parents provide the body, but the likelihood of the soul and thoughts following the parents is quite low

May the ancestors of the Yun family bless us, the young master has gained wisdom. From now on, if anyone dares to treat my son as they would a fool, they shall receive a severe punishment of ten lashes

Yun Niang walked very quickly and steadily. Heaven knows how she managed to carry her tall body along with her six-year-old chubby son on her two three-inch golden lotuses while moving like the wind

Yun Zhao listened to his mother's illogical ramblings while his gaze fell upon his father's memorial tablet

Alright, from now on, when you want to speak, just wake me up, and we will talk together. In the future, if others ask, you should say that mother said you are not allowed to talk to fools

At the most unflattering moment of this woman, he discovered the most precious maternal instinct within her, and becoming this woman's son did not seem inappropriate to him

The golden hairpin on my mother's head is exceptionally dazzling; as she moves, the pearl tassels hanging from the hairpin sway back and forth, shining brilliantly.

Did you hear clearly

Son, can you speak

Alright ... ...