After the meal, Ye Qingcheng handed Jing Xiu some silver: "This is the silver I promised to that little girl. Since I can't go out, please help me deliver it, and this, her name."
Jing Xiu took the money bag and the note. On it, it read: Chu Ran
To regrow and bloom.
Jing Xiu put away these items and delivered them to the little girl.
The little girl couldn't read, so Jing Xiu gently taught her: "Chu... Ran..."
The little girl repeated word by word: "Chu... Ran... Does this have any meaning?"
Jing Xiu explained: "It means to start growing and blooming again."
Chu Ran smiled: "What a beautiful name." As she smiled, she cried.
An epidemic had taken away her younger siblings, but not her father. She still had family in this world; she couldn't be discouraged. She had to live well and bloom again.
"Please thank the Princess Consort for me."
She said this to Jing Xiu.
For the next few days, the prince's mansion refused all invitations and politely turned away any guests who came to visit, primarily because Ye Qingcheng wanted to rest.
However, there was one invitation she couldn't refuse: that of her father.
During dinner that evening, Xiao Wangye returned home to eat. Ye Qingcheng, for some unknown reason, started reading the invitation her father had sent her at the dinner table.
"Separated for two paths, parting for a long time. A family banquet is set for soon. I hope you will return for a good reunion. Signed, Father."
After reading it, she casually tossed it onto the table: "Hmph."
Xiao Wangye picked up the invitation: "Are you going back?"
Ye Qingcheng mumbled with food in her mouth, unwilling to stop eating: "Are you going back with me?"
Xiao Wangye put down the invitation and picked up some food with serving chopsticks. Hearing her question, he shook his head: "I'm afraid I can't. The plague has just passed, and the court memorials are piled as high as a mountain."
"Oh!" Ye Qingcheng instantly lost interest. "Then I'll have to go back alone."
Xiao Wangye looked at her: "If you don't want to go back, you don't have to."
Ye Qingcheng chuckled: "If I don't go back, who knows what they'll say about you!"
"About me?" Xiao Wangye looked confused. "You don't want to go back; why would they say anything about me?"
Ye Qingcheng explained to him: "Think about it! Who are we? We are husband and wife, one flesh. If I make a mistake, won't they think that you spoiled me to the point of being unbearable?"
Xiao Wangye was stunned. He looked up at her and happened to see her radiant smile. Then, they looked at each other and smiled.
Ye Qingcheng took a sip of soup and suddenly remembered something: "By the way, how do you plan to commend those who volunteered these past few days?"
How to commend them? Xiao Wangye hadn't really thought about it. "Give them some gold and silver treasures?"
Ye Qingcheng shook her head disapprovingly: "If you do that, won't you change the meaning of virtue?"
Hearing this, Xiao Wangye knew she had a good idea.
"Tell me your thoughts."
Ye Qingcheng burst into laughter: "Why not give them something spiritual?"
Something spiritual?
It was surprising that people of this era hadn't thought of this.
"For example, some plaques or markers, indicating that so-and-so extended a helping hand at such and such a time and place. Let them hang it on their doors, and passersby can see it. This way, people will also feel honored, what do you think?"
Xiao Wangye thought it was excellent, but implementation was key.
Ye Qingcheng giggled: "This way, if there are any natural disasters or calamities in the future, others won't stand idly by."
"Yes, your consideration is very accurate."
The next day, Ye Qingcheng took a carriage back to her maiden home.
As soon as she entered the main gate, she heard the housekeeper shouting: "She's back, she's back! Master, the young lady is back, the young lady is back!"
Ye Qingcheng looked at the boisterous housekeeper, unable to stop him.
However, she didn't really want to deal with this. As soon as she entered, she was engulfed in a bear hug from her mother: "My child! You've suffered. Come, let Mother have a good look. Why did you go to such a place? Oh dear, you've lost weight."
Ye Qingcheng was a little surprised. She seemed to have missed something. Her mother could now call her "child." Although she had been a legitimate concubine, she had never fought for favor within the household, which was why she, like the original owner, had remained obscure in this family. But now, in these gorgeous clothes, why... why did she look so much like the lady of the manor?
"Mother, why?"
Mother Ye smiled through her tears: "It was the Regent. When you were in the lockdown area, he made an unprecedented decree, ordering your father to elevate me to the position of secondary wife."
A secondary wife was on equal footing with the lady of the manor.
"Is that so? That's wonderful."
Her father's voice came from behind: "Look at you, lacking in etiquette, making a spectacle for the entire family." But his expression when looking at Ye Qingcheng also changed, becoming moist.
"Qingcheng, well done. Just don't come back anymore. Your mother couldn't sleep without hearing news of you."
Ye Qingcheng smiled kindly: "It's alright, Mother, Father, I'm fine. Don't worry."
Mother Ye couldn't stop her tears. Hearing this, she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief: "How can I not worry? You, why did you have to go and be a volunteer? Do you know how many sleepless nights I've had because of you? If something were to happen to you, would you have me, an elder, mourn for a younger generation?"
Volunteer? Ye Qingcheng was taken aback at first, then remembered why Xiao Wangye had said when she left that day: "Don't worry about your parents; I haven't told them the essentials." It turned out that the essentials were not telling them that she had medical skills!
What was there to hide? Ye Qingcheng smiled helplessly, but it also saved her a lot of trouble.
"Mother, I'm fine now."
Father Ye also nodded: "Yes! Don't mention the past again. Don't let the child stand here; come inside quickly."
Mother Ye nodded and pulled her inside.
After passing the screen wall, she was greeted by a group of family members. Ye Qingcheng's eyes curved into a smile.
As soon as she sat down, a group of people came to check if she was injured or felt unwell anywhere.
"I heard that many people died in this plague!"
"More than that! They couldn't even be buried, only burned. Alas~ what a sin!"
"The smoke from the burning was black. It's truly a blessing from the Bodhisattva that our Qingcheng is alright!"
"Exactly! I say, second family, you should definitely go to the temple and burn incense."
Mother Ye suddenly realized: "Yes, yes, I'll go to the temple to burn incense and pray soon."
Ye Qingcheng listened from the side, feeling a sense of warmth. They all cared about her.
She recalled that before she transmigrated, in the post-apocalyptic world, she had to be cautious everywhere. Human hearts were unpredictable, and one could be killed or betrayed at any moment.
Such a scene now seemed incredibly heartwarming.
A嬷嬷 said: "Madam, the banquet is ready."
Mother Ye quickly called out: "Come, come, the banquet is ready. Let's take our seats!"
"Let's go, let's go."
In ancient times, there were rules for seating. For banquets, men and women naturally could not sit at the same table, but family banquets didn't have as many strict rules.
Father Ye had other concubines, and concubines were not allowed to sit in the main seats.
Ye Qingcheng's mother had been elevated to the position of secondary wife, her status thus rising several ranks. Naturally, she was the legitimate secondary daughter and should have sat with her parents. However, her seat had been taken by a concubine.
Mother Ye saw this and was very displeased, putting on airs as the secondary wife: "Who told you to sit here? This is not a place you should be sitting."
The lady of the manor beside them disdained the concubine's behavior, but now she was tired of managing the vast household and decided to let them quarrel.
The concubine was about the same age as Ye Qingcheng and liked to sway her hips, which made Ye Qingcheng's eyes ache.
"The master agreed to let me sit here."
Mother Ye was so angry her whole body trembled: "You... you... Someone, go and fetch the master for me."