Chapter 9

In this world, many people believe that calculating and guarding against others is the way to obtain what they desire. However, they fail to realize that sincerity can only be exchanged for sincerity. People may occasionally act foolishly, but most of the time, while words can deceive, a person's gaze and expression can clearly reveal true intentions versus false pretenses. Mrs. Xu, having calmed down, had once again fallen into despair, holding onto the mere thought of seeing her son's face. Yet, Xu Yang's behavior at that moment truly touched her maternal heart.

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He cried enough, supporting Mrs. Xu as he sat down beside his bed. His first words were: "You look very much like my mother... I can never see her again." Mrs. Xu looked at him for a while, seemingly understanding his meaning. After a moment of pause, she slowly said: "You also resemble my son... I too can never see him again." As she finished speaking, tears began to fall.

The girl named Juzi struggled for half a day, but she simply could not manage to insert the hairpin into that thin, pitiful topknot. She could only stifle her laughter, let down the topknot, dampen it with water, and meticulously comb her hair flat against her scalp.

Xu Yang looked at Mrs. Xu, whose face, still glistening with unshed tears, was identical to that of his mother, and finally called out softly, "Mom"

In fact, it was fortunate that Aunt Meng came to seek help from Xu Yang; otherwise, Xu Yang might not have been in such good spirits. Xu Yang's illness this time was partly due to the fact that he had indeed been through too much, and on the other hand, he had somewhat lost his will to live. The experience of crossing over is truly not a pleasant one; for infants, it is manageable as there is always an adaptation period. However, for someone like Xu Yang, who had no preparation at all and was thrown directly into the ancient times, it is truly tragic. ... What modern people possess in terms of unique temperament and extensive knowledge ...! For someone like Xu Yang, who had no preparation at all and was thrown directly into the ancient times, it is truly tragic. ... What modern people possess in terms of unique temperament and extensive knowledge ...! ... Nonsense! Just one thing: in ancient times, there was no promotion of Mandarin. You don't even need to be thrown into the deep mountains and forests; just try being thrown into a place with a strong accent! Moreover, without household registration and identity, in ancient times, one needed a travel permit just to go out. If you happen to be caught by the authorities, they might treat you as a vagrant, and you would never have a chance to turn your life around.

Ah, I have finally resolved the identity and background of young Xu Yang, which was no easy task. After all, in an ancient setting, certain details must be clearly articulated; the body transition is truly a hassle. Moreover, having concluded the heavier aspects, the Lin residence is about to welcome a lively and bustling period, not chaotic, but rather a festive and animated time.

She grasped Xu Yang's hand, which was wiping her tears, looked at him, and said through her tears: "I do not care who your parents were in the past, but now you are without a father and mother. You want a mother, and I want a son. If you are willing to call me 'Mom', from today onward, you will be my own son. I will arrange for you to study, to marry, and to have children, and you will take care of me in my old age... I have already repaid my husband's family's property to them; relying solely on my dowry, I can still ensure you live comfortably. I no longer owe the Xu family anything. Even if I acknowledge you as my own son, it is merely to include you in the family register, which does not affect anyone else. Good child, I have made these arrangements; are you willing?"

Little did Xu Yang know that he had no intention of deceiving her, nor did he even have the slightest intention of being ambiguous to deliberately mislead her; he directly stated that she resembled his mother. Seeing him cry so sorrowfully, his face filled with the grief of never being able to see his parents again, that little face was clearly the image of the son she had imagined growing up in her dreams countless times... Mrs. Xu had always been law-abiding and had never engaged in any outrageous behavior, but this time, she was willing to take the risk, regardless of the troubles it might bring; this was clearly a gift from heaven for my son!

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Xu Yang could hardly bear to see the face that resembled his mother's shedding tears before him. Clumsily, he took a handkerchief to wipe Mrs. Xu's tears, feeling increasingly at a loss for words. He dared not cry along, fearing that Mrs. Xu might be further distressed. The more he looked at her face, which was so similar to his mother's, the more his heart ached. Finally, he could not help but choke out: "I no longer have a mother. You look like my mother. I want to take care of you just like I took care of my mother. Just seeing you makes me very happy. Please don't cry..." Throughout his life, Xu Yang had always been comforted by others. Occasionally, when he tried to comfort his father, mother, or aunt, he merely acted like a child, indulging in a bit of childishness. He had never experienced the effort of trying to console someone who was crying bitterly. Adding to this was the difference in language habits and accents. Although he had thought it through beforehand, he resolutely decided to impersonate Mrs. Xu's son, helping both her and himself. Yet, when faced with Mrs. Xu, he still had to clarify the truth. After saying it, he looked at Mrs. Xu's sorrowful expression, wanting to comfort her and make her happy, but he stumbled over his words, unable to express himself clearly.

Recently, Xu Yang has been plagued by illness, either his own or that of those around him. He has faced repeated setbacks in the outside world and lives in constant fear due to his status as an undocumented individual. Ultimately, his only support, Grandpa Zhang, has passed away. He has been driven to the brink of despair by this unfamiliar world. Even though he has now been taken back by Lin Ruhai, he feels an underlying sense of unease, and it can even be said that he has lost a significant portion of his courage to live.

Today, when Mrs. Xu woke up, she realized that her concern had truly led to confusion. For a moment, she was so bewildered that she foolishly imagined her son was still alive. She insisted on meeting Xu Yang, primarily hoping to project onto this face what her son would look like if he were alive.

In recent days, Xu Yang has cried quite a bit, mostly shedding tears in secret when he thinks of his parents. But at this moment, all his grievances, fears, and endless longing erupted. He looked at the face before him, which was almost identical to his mother's, yet he increasingly understood that in this lifetime, it was likely he would never see his family again. Countless nights, just thinking about this forced him to push himself to sleep, afraid to dwell on it any longer. But now he knew he could no longer escape. There was Mrs. Xu here, but she was not his mother; there was no little aunt here, only a cheap uncle surnamed Lin from the book who wanted to make him his nephew; ... he looked at the face before him, which was almost identical to his mother's, yet he increasingly understood that in this lifetime, it was likely he would never see his family again. Countless nights, just thinking about this forced him to push himself to sleep, afraid to dwell on it any longer. But now he knew he could no longer escape. There was Mrs. Xu here, but she was not his mother; there was no little aunt here, only a cheap uncle surnamed Lin from the book who wanted to make him his nephew; ... there were none of his cheerful brothers and sisters-in-law or his lovely cousins, only a cousin named Lin, who he had yet to meet and was said to be very prone to tears.

Although Xu Yang was determined to appease Mrs. Xu, he was not someone skilled in lying. Even though he was facing a face strikingly similar to that of his mother, the more he encountered this, the less he was willing to deceive Mrs. Xu

Xu Yang was taken aback, raising his head just in time to meet the gaze of Mrs. Xu, who had just entered the door. Mrs. Xu, supported by someone, paused at the entrance to let the servants leave, then walked in alone. Xu Yang quickly stood up to greet her, but when he reached Mrs. Xu, he stammered, unsure of how to begin. Mrs. Xu stared blankly at his brows and eyes, suddenly reaching out to touch his face, tears streaming down her cheeks: "Yang'er, my unfortunate Yang'er, it is my fault, I should not have let them take you out..." Before she could finish, she was already sobbing uncontrollably. Mrs. Xu stared blankly at his brows and eyes, suddenly reaching out to touch his face, tears streaming down her cheeks: "Yang'er, my unfortunate Yang'er, it is my fault, I should not have let them take you out..." Before she could finish, she was already sobbing uncontrollably.

Just as I managed to make my hair look somewhat presentable instead of resembling a bird's nest, I heard Shaji outside the door announcing: "Madam Gu has arrived"

Xu Yang was stunned for a moment, vaguely understanding Mrs. Xu's meaning. His mind was in a turmoil, unsure of where to begin. He had thought that by clarifying that he was not Mrs. Xu's son, she would no longer pay him any attention. He did not expect that Mrs. Xu already knew her son was no longer in this world; it was just that upon seeing him, her emotions surged, causing her to momentarily forget the secret buried deep within her heart. If he truly wanted to deceive Mrs. Xu, he would have ended up making things worse. Instead, by being so candid, he allowed Mrs. Xu to lower her guard, leaving only a motherly affection in her heart. He did not anticipate that Mrs. Xu had already known her son was no longer in this world; it was just that upon seeing him, her emotions surged, causing her to momentarily forget the secret buried deep within her heart. If he truly wanted to deceive Mrs. Xu, he would have ended up making things worse. Instead, by being so candid, he allowed Mrs. Xu to lower her guard, leaving only a motherly affection in her heart, which further ignited her inherent stubbornness: I will recognize this son! Who can do anything about it! After suffering for a lifetime, all I want now is a son to support me in my old age, and it doesn't harm anyone. My brother's heartfelt intentions, and I am not made of stone; if I recognize him, then so be it! Why bother with so much!

Xu Yang felt a chaotic turmoil in his heart as the maids dressed him in layers of clothing and ceremonial attire, making him feel like a living display rack for garments. The sheer number of layers was truly excessive for a single person. Even more tragically, his hair, although it had grown quite a bit, still looked pitifully short. The two maids attempted to style his hair, but it was clearly impossible to create an updo; instead, they inadvertently tied it into a high ponytail, which only made Aunt Meng laugh uncontrollably. Xu Yang was extremely frustrated but found himself unable to be angry. He at least understood the importance of adapting to local customs, which is why he had been growing his hair for the past few months.

Yet now, Aunt Meng has given him an opportunity that makes him feel somewhat valuable. Indeed, he realizes that he is useful; at the very least, he can comfort a mother who has lost her child. Perhaps he is a stranger to this ancient Mrs. Xu, but the same surname and similar appearance have allowed Xu Yang, having only met Mrs. Xu once, to transfer his longing for his mother onto her. He has found something to do, and the feeling of illness that had weighed on him has surprisingly diminished by more than half.

In that moment, Xu Yang felt as if someone had directly grasped his heart. The voice, the face—this was the person he had dreamed of for the past three months, standing before him as if it were his mother herself. Initially, he had only felt pity for Mrs. Xu and wanted to assist Lord Lin, but now, gazing at Mrs. Xu's appearance and hearing her voice, his mind went completely blank. He lowered his head, allowing Mrs. Xu to touch his face, only to realize that his cheeks were wet with tears. His legs weakened, and he knelt on the ground, clutching Mrs. Xu's legs and weeping uncontrollably. He had wanted to help Lord Lin, but now, looking at Mrs. Xu's face and hearing her voice, his mind was utterly paralyzed. He lowered his head, letting Mrs. Xu touch his face, feeling the tears streaming down. His legs gave way, and he knelt on the ground, embracing Mrs. Xu's legs and crying out loud.

There is no turning back.

Xu Yang wanted to see Mrs. Xu, but when he thought about the fact that he was not truly her son, and that Mrs. Xu merely resembled his mother but was not actually his mother, he felt a deep inner conflict. While he was lost in thought, the door opened, and the maid who had gone to fetch his clothes returned. Aunt Meng then looked over and said: "This outfit was commissioned by Madam two years ago for the master. She said this color makes one look younger, so two sets were made. One has been worn, and this one has never been worn. The master's clothes, when all is said and done, are just these few pieces; this color is what you can wear." She sighed again, saying: "The master is too thin now; these few pieces of clothing can no longer fit him, which is why they have not been worn... You are about the same height as the master, so you can manage to wear them. Fortunately, you have been ill these past few days and do not need to go out. I have already instructed someone to quickly make you new clothes."

Madam Xu has already learned that Concubine Meng sent away the servants to meet Xu Yang. After all, in her dazed state, she mistook Xu Yang for her son and specifically left her maid here. Lin Ruhai's behavior clearly indicates that he sees a connection between her and this child, and he intends to let this child impersonate his own son. Concubine Meng's visit is likely to discuss this matter. I do not intend to make things difficult for my younger brother; even if this child deceives me, given the various coincidences, it must be fate. Accepting a godson could also soothe my longing for my beloved son.

Although Mrs. Xu was saddened, after meeting Xu Yang and spending several hours reflecting, she began to see many things clearly. Although Xu Yang resembled her young son in many ways, the initial excitement of seeing Xu Yang had caused her to bury her thoughts deep within, unwilling to confront them. However, some facts, despite her reluctance to face them, were indeed known to her. Even though her husband, Xu Gang, had concealed the news of their son's accidental death from her, how could Mrs. Xu fail to notice her husband's various behaviors? They had been lifelong partners, having known each other since childhood and been married for nearly twenty years; what thoughts could truly be hidden from one another? Mrs. Xu had long suspected that her son was no longer alive, rather than having simply gone missing as her husband claimed. Yet, her husband, unwilling to let her suffer excessive grief, made her hesitant to reopen this wound. The burial of Xu Gang and the sight of a child's coffin in the small grave nearby only confirmed her suspicions. Although she knew her son was long gone, she refrained from questioning her husband, partly out of compassion and partly to preserve a semblance of hope for herself.

Xu Yang was heartbroken to the point of tears

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