Chapter 20 — My sister changed her concubine, I was reborn to reclaim my fate

Every year on the Queen Mother's birthday, she sends someone to bring me a reward. Last month it was a painting of a famous family from the previous dynasty. Grandfather is still healthy and strong, and two years ago he personally came to the capital to stay for two months. After meeting Tham Hoai Du, he just nodded slightly and said: "Okay." Being able to hear the words "okay" from my grandfather's mouth is even more difficult than hearing someone say "very good". Mama Trieu is old and her steps are slower, but every day she still combs my hair herself.

"Madam, your life now is truly countless times better than when you were a child."

"Mom, don't call me madame anymore, just call me Niem Khanh."

"That's not right, the rules cannot be messed up."

I just smiled. Say nothing more. Occasionally there is news from the Co family. After Co Chinh Vien was dismissed, he stayed at the Co palace for another two years, then moved to a manor house outside the city. It was said that he drank every day, his temper became increasingly hot-tempered, and people in the clan gradually stopped hanging out. Last winter, Cong Tam Thuc asked someone to bring him a sentence.

"Your father has become a lot thinner recently."

I told Mama Trieu to prepare a cart of winter clothes to bring over. Clothes have been delivered. But it was returned. On the returned luggage, there were four words written crookedly in ink.

"I don't need you."

Trieu ma ma looked at those four words and sighed softly.

"Master, you can't change this character even if you die."

"Just leave yourself alone."

As for Lieu Uyen Nhu. Two years ago someone met her in a small town in Jiangnan. It is said that she married a small businessman, life is not too good but not too bad either. She has aged a lot and has gray hair on her head. When she met someone from the capital, she only asked one question.

"How is Co Niem Khanh living in the capital now?"

That person replied.

"The Marquis of the Dinh Vien Marquis Palace, lives very well."

Lieu Uyen Nhu smiled slightly. Then don't say anything more. Trieu ma ma asked me how I felt after hearing it.

"I don't feel anything."

"Really?"

Those people, those old stories... They are as far away as a dream from a past life. This spring, Tham Hoai Du and I went to Giang Nam for a trip. In name, it was to visit his grandfather, but in reality it was to visit his mother's grave. Her mother was buried next to the Luc family's ancestral grave, which was just a small stele, with the words engraved on the stele: "The tomb of Luc Thi Minh Chau." Do not write the husband's last name. That was my grandfather's intention.

"Minh Chau is the daughter of the Luc family. When I was alive I couldn't protect her. When she died, I had to at least let her return home."

I sat in front of the grave for a long time. Tham Hoai Du stood next to me, not urging me at all.

"Mother, my daughter came to visit you."

"Not a single thing is missing from the things you left me. The jade tick is still kept in my jewelry box, the marriage certificate is still enshrined in the altar."

"The things that people feared that year, none of them happened."

"Because you have already thought of everything."

A wind blew, the incense ashes in front of the grave swayed slightly. As if someone was nodding. I stood up, brushed the dust off my dress. Tham Hoai Du reached out and gently brushed the fallen flower petals from my shoulder. On the road Going down the mountain, when passing by the old house of the Luc family, my grandfather was sitting in front of the door basking in the sun. The person is over ninety years old, his ears are a bit deaf, but his spirit is still very good.

"Nien Khanh, you're here."

"Grandfather."

"Sit, sit, eat a piece of cake."

The person called Tham Hoai Du to sit aside, then gave him a plate of cinnamon flower cake.

"Grandson-in-law, are you treating our Niem Khanh well?"

"Just saying it's good is not enough, you have to let me see it."

Tham Hoai Du looked at me.

"Look, she smiled three times today, is that enough?"

Grandfather was so happy that he burst out laughing, laughing so much that he could barely open his eyes.

"Okay, that's enough, that's enough."

On the way back to the capital, the carriage swayed gently. Mother Trieu fell asleep on the opposite side, Tham Hoai Du sat next to her reading a book. I leaned against the side of the car, watching the Jiangnan river landscape outside the window recede little by little. In my previous life, I died under a bowl of poisoned wine. In this life, I sit on the carriage of Dinh Vien Marquis, in my arms holding the pair of jade bracelets awarded by the Queen Mother, behind me are thousands of acres of good fields of the Luc family, next to me is a man who doesn't talk much but has never let me suffer. Those who wanted to step on me to climb higher, one by one, have been left behind. It's not because I'm more cruel than them. It's because I'm more alert than them. We know clearly what is ours and what is not ours. It's yours, even if it's just a thread, you won't give it up. If it's not yours, don't take even a single silver coin. Outside the car door, a white stork spread its wings and flew out of the water, its wings gliding across the sky. I withdrew my gaze and closed my eyes. It's still very long. It's only just begun. (END OF FULL TEXT)