So, Father Was Lying All Along
Little Lu Cijian only felt the words in his ears gradually fading away, and in his mind there was only the fact that his father had taken a second wife, and that his son was as old as he was.
It turned out that his father had been lying.
He thought that after his father’s anger subsided, he would take him back.
His mother had passed away, and he was very sad.
Although in his memory his mother had always been bedridden, rarely conscious, but every time she saw him, she would gently touch his face.
Occasionally she would chat with him, asking him what he had learned today.
Every time, he was very happy, silently praying in his heart that his mother would get better soon, that she could hug him.
He hoped that one day he could also be like Steward Zhu’s child, snuggling in his mother’s arms and acting spoiled.
But, before that day came, his mother suddenly stopped breathing, and no matter how much he cried and shouted, his mother did not wake up.
He cried until he was out of breath, begging his mother to wake up and look at him one more time, as long as his mother could stay with him, he didn’t need hugs, he didn’t need to act spoiled.
He only wanted his mother.
But, his mother couldn’t hear his pleas.
His father, seeing his mother dead, only instructed people to simply handle his mother’s funeral.
Actually, he didn’t see his father’s sadness, but everyone in the mansion said that his father was very sad, because seeing him would remind him of his mother, so he decided not to see him anymore.
At that time, he thought it was true, it was just that his father didn’t want to cry in public.
So he thought that he would appear less in front of his father, so that his father wouldn’t be so sad, and occasionally when he missed his father, he would only take a look from afar.
It went on like that for almost half a year, when a very fierce old woman suddenly came to his secluded small courtyard and dragged him into a carriage.
She said she was going to send him to the estate, he cried and refused to leave, begging to see his father one last time, but the old woman ignored him, just stuffed a rag into his mouth and took him away.
He thought that his father was still sad, so he sent him away, just thinking that when his father was not so sad, he would be able to take him back.
He waited and waited, until the green leaves turned yellow, until the estate was completely covered in white snow, and he still didn’t wait for his father to come for him.
He thought his father was still sad, but now he knew that his father had clearly forgotten him.
No, that wasn’t his father, he didn’t have a father anymore, that man already had a new wife, a new son, he was forgotten.
His mother too.
That’s what he was thinking as he passed out.
When he woke up again, he only felt warm all over, as if he was in a warm bed, making him reluctant to leave.
He knew that he had been sleeping on dry grass, without a blanket.
He just thought he was dreaming, when he opened his eyes and saw the middle-aged man in front of him, he was startled.
He stammered, “You, you are that gardener.”
He had seen him in the estate, tending the brightly blooming flowers in the flower house every day.
The gardener just smiled and nodded, “I am the gardener, Young Master, are you hungry? Eat something.”
Saying this, he handed over the bowl of steaming noodles on the table.
The child only widened his eyes, not daring to take it.
But the gardener smiled and put the bowl directly into his hands, “If you don’t eat it now, it will get cold.”
He unconsciously swallowed his saliva, staring at the bowl of noodles in his hand, and finally couldn’t help himself, he eagerly ate it up.
He was too hungry, after finishing those hard dry pancakes the day before yesterday, he completely ran out of food, and hadn’t eaten anything for two days.
He had been starving for a long time, even if he saw a pile of rotten leaves, he could eat them, let alone a bowl of hot noodles.
He ate voraciously, and a bowl of white flour noodles was quickly eaten clean.
For the first time, he felt that a bowl of white flour noodles was so delicious, even more delicious than the things he had eaten in the Marquis Residence hundreds of times over.
After this interaction, the child gradually became familiar with the gardener.
He spent the whole winter in the flower house watching the gardener grow flowers, and gradually, he also learned some things and could help the gardener cultivate.
Occasionally, the gardener would get some delicious food in the kitchen, and he would leave some for him to eat.
It was much better than before, when he silently ate dry pancakes every day.
Before, the people in the estate would not care about him at all, and would occasionally beat and scold him, but since he had been with the gardener, those people rarely laid a hand on him, but they still didn’t care much about him.
But he felt joyful in his heart, planting flowers with the gardener every day, he was very happy, the gardener would occasionally talk about his family affairs, saying that the noodles his wife made were extremely delicious.
Saying that he would let him try it sometime.
He also gradually had expectations, wanting to try the noodles made by the gardener’s wife.
That period of time, before he met Mianmian, was the best time of his life.
When mentioning that past event, Lu Cijian’s usually cold eyes also showed a bit of warmth.
Jiang Yimian was infected by his words, and her face also showed a smile, she curiously asked, “What happened next?”
She hoped that young Lu Cijian would be protected by the gardener and grow up well.
“Later, I…”
Before he could finish, the old woman had already come out of the kitchen, carrying two bowls of steaming suanza noodles.
The suanza was cooked extremely well, with color, aroma, and taste, and sprinkled with a little green onion for garnish, it increased one’s appetite.
The old woman just smiled and said, “Little Lu rarely brings people to me, try this suanza noodles and see if it suits your taste.”
Jiang Yimian quickly picked up the chopsticks Lu Cijian handed her, picked up a chopstick of suanza noodles and fed it into her mouth, the spicy minced meat mixed with chopped mushrooms was extremely fragrant.
She just smiled and nodded, “Well, it tastes good, Mother-in-law’s cooking is really good.”
Lu Cijian also replied, “Yes, it tastes good.”
The old woman was instantly overjoyed, her wrinkled face finally relaxed, and she happily said, “You like it, that’s good. There’s more in the pot, eat as much as you like.”
After saying that, she quickly went back into the kitchen.
The two bowls of steaming suanza noodles disrupted their conversation, and until they finished eating the suanza noodles, they didn’t continue their previous conversation.
Seeing that they were about to leave, the old woman was full of reluctance, and pulled Jiang Yimian, smiling, “I know Little Lu is busy every day and doesn’t have time to see this old woman, if Yimian has time, you can come to see this old woman.
I like you children the most.”
Jiang Yimian smiled and replied, “I’ll come to see Mother-in-law when I have time.”
Only then was the old woman satisfied, she watched the two leave at the doorway, until the two figures walking side-by-side disappeared at the street corner, then she returned to the courtyard.
Jiang Yimian and Lu Cijian left the small courtyard and walked around in the small alley.
Along the way, the two of them didn’t speak, only holding hands and watching the vendors coming and going on the road.
Unlike the oppression when they came, now their steps were particularly light, and there was no trace of sullenness on their faces, they just walked slowly, looking at the surrounding scenery.
On North Street, there were mostly commoners, without those luxurious restaurants and teahouses, and small vendors were everywhere on the streets, unlike Bao Xiang Shop, it was like two different worlds.
Although they were both in the capital, it was as if two incompatible worlds were forcefully pieced together.
However, Jiang Yimian preferred this side, because it had a strong sense of everyday life, like the ordinary, commonplace life in Qinghe Town.