Chapter 479: line with translation of chapter title

The mother and daughter wore thin clothes, and the fabric was no better than that of other servants; they sat alone by the water pool, scrubbing clothes more diligently than the other servants.

They bore none of the servile, vulgar air of other servants; instead they faced things calmly, revealing from within a quality that set them apart.

Heng Xian shifted his angle of view and saw, in the dusky glow, the mother appearing about thirty‑four or thirty‑five, with fine, delicate brows and eyes and a hint of grace; the daughter was fourteen or fifteen, with willow‑leaf brows and peach‑blossom eyes, already blossoming into a slender, graceful figure.

At that moment, as if sensing Heng Xian's gaze, the mother and daughter glanced up, then quickly lowered their heads and turned aside.

Then the female steward, as if taking offense at them, slammed a wooden tub into the pool, splashing water all over the mother and daughter, and shouted angrily: "Hurry up! What are you eating, good‑for‑nothing, to dare serve the master?"

Having finished her tirade, she turned back, saw Heng Xian, took in his splendid robes, and quickly put on a smile: "Yo! Young master, what brings you here? Don't get yourself dirty!"

Heng Xian couldn't be bothered to look at her, and said indifferently: "I'm a newcomer to the manor… young master, I want to take that mother and daughter away. Do you have any objection?"

The female steward gave a "heh" laugh: "You're the manor's young master; as long as you have permission, you may do whatever you wish with these lowly folk."

Heng Xian glanced at her.

The steward, still oblivious, chattered on: "That mother and daughter used to be the widows of our manor's second lord, but the senior lords pay them no heed; I've heard this woman lacks virtue, and the girl isn't even the second lord's own child… ah!"

Before she could finish, she was flung outward, headfirst into a nearby open‑air latrine.

A group of servants sprang up in panic and rushed to the filth pit to rescue her.

Heng Xian walked over to the mother and daughter, paused a moment, and said: "Let's go!"

The mother flinched slightly.

But the girl lifted her head and asked: "Why should we follow you?"

"You have no choice but to come with me!" Heng Xian said.

The girl said sternly: "I advise you to give up that idea; even if we die, we will not let you defile us!"

Heng Xian replied: "I don't know who you mean by 'you all,' but I am not them, and I will certainly not harm you!"

The girl hesitated, then looked toward her mother.

The mother glanced at Heng Xian and nodded: "All right!"

The mother and daughter rose and followed Heng Xian away.

They went out the door and entered the large courtyard of the Gu family, six or seven sections deep.

The girl curiously asked: "Hey, where are you taking us?"

Heng Xian stopped, turned, and said: "To your home."

The mother hesitated, then said: "Come with me!"

The three turned a corner and headed straight to the most secluded spot; after walking the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, they entered a small, dilapidated courtyard.

Though the courtyard was low and shabby, it was swept clean; the flowers and vegetable plots were neat, and they kept three chickens and a yellow‑earth dog.

Upon seeing people enter the courtyard, the yellow‑earth dog sprang up excitedly.

The girl hurried over, chuckling, and patted the dog's head: "Big Yellow, did you miss me? Today we have guests, so be good!"

The mother turned her gaze to Heng Xian, her fine face showing a hint of coldness and distance: "What is your purpose? Speak!"

Heng Xian pondered a moment, then bluntly said: "I am Gu Xiao Yi… your… son!"

"Pa‑da!"

Not far away, the girl who had just picked up the dog's bowl dropped it again onto the ground.

The mother was instantly stunned as well.

Heng Xian produced his identity jade tablet, handed it over, and said: "I was kidnapped at age two, and now I've been found again!"

The mother examined the jade pendant; before long, tears streamed down her cheeks, unstoppable.

The girl also rushed over, pouting with tearful eyes: "Brother!"

……

Night fell.

In the courtyard a kerosene lamp was lit, its wick emitting a sputtering "pipi" sound.

Heng Xian lay on the bed, eyes wide and dazed; in his arms lay the little girl who was snoring soundly, clutching his neck and refusing to let go.

The next room was quiet; presumably the mother had also fallen asleep.

The mother and daughter were pitiful souls; the mother was named Xie Lian, the daughter Gu Jing, widows of the Gu family's second young master.

While the second young master lived, mother and daughter wanted for nothing; after he died in service to the Gongsun family, they were initially treated all right, and the Gongsun clan even looked after them, but later, by a twist of fate, a Gongsun youth took a fancy to them and insisted they come to serve him at night.

The mother and daughter refused, whereupon the Gongsun family ordered them punished.

To the Gu family this was a major matter!

Thus the mother and daughter were assigned to the laundry ward, where they no longer received any treatment befitting the master's household.

Heng Xian suddenly regretted coming; by occupying Gu Xiao Yi's identity, what karmic debt was he accruing?

"Huu…"

The breath of the "sticky brother" little girl in his arms blew onto his face, and he involuntarily lowered his head to glance.

She hadn't yet developed, so he felt nothing.

He slipped Gu Jing's hand away, got out of bed, and went to Xie Lian's door; the door was unlatched, and Xie Lian lay against the wall in a thin garment, her figure exceedingly graceful.

No wonder the Gongsun youth had the mother and daughter attend him together—she really had some substance.

Heng Xian shook his head, cast aside the odd thought, turned and entered the adjoining side room, which was a dedicated bathing chamber; the water in the large tub was still warm.

After several days on the road without a bath, he simply stripped, picked up a wooden basin, and rinsed himself off.

He had just finished three basins when he heard the door creak open.

Heng Xian turned his head and saw Mother Xie Lian walk in, staring at him blankly.

In fact she had just risen from the bed in her room; Heng Xian had sensed it, but he hadn't expected her to enter his chamber.

For a moment…… they stood naked before each other.

Xie Lian's gaze flicked past his lower abdomen, her expression unchanged, then lifted to his armpit as she walked straight over and said: "Lift up!"

"Not good?" Heng Xian said solemnly.

Xie Lian said: "I am your mother, you are all born from me—what's not good?"

Heng Xian had no choice but to raise his arm.

Xie Lian glanced inside, her expression instantly changed, she was both ashamed and angry, and kept stepping back: "You, you are not my son, you liar, my son has a birthmark in his left armpit."

Heng Xian's expression remained normal: "These years I've been studying medicine with the old doctor; the old doctor said the birthmark in the armpit interferes with qi flow, and he removed it for me."

"Oh?" Xie Lian's expression returned to normal, a little embarrassed: "Yes, yes, mother overthought it, Xiao Yi, don't blame me!"

Heng Xian shook his head: "It's fine... go out!"

"It's fine!" Xie Lian came over again: "Even though you've grown up, you're still a piece of flesh that fell from mother's body; don't despise mother, mother will give you a scrub!"

Heng Xian immediately walked to the side: "No need, go out!"

"A grown son doesn't mind mother's ugliness!" Xie Lian walked to his side, picked up the soap, and while scrubbing him, she rinsed with water.

Heng Xian remained silent, could only endure the discomfort, letting her scrub.

Just the icy cold little hand randomly "touching" on his body was really unbearable.

Just as he was about to scold, Xie Lian suddenly unleashed a move, instantly dazing him.

Only saw Xie Lian bend from behind, grabbing something below him with one hand.

Heng Xian had ten thousand ways to dodge, but at that moment he froze, involuntarily widening his eyes, thinking, "A pitiful person must have something hateful about them"; this strange "mother" indeed had some hobbies unfathomable to ordinary people.

(End of chapter)