Сhарtеr 4 (14/21)
Jin Fan loоkеd bеwildеrеd and reluctаntlу let go, but kеpt his hand оn thе hilt оf his blаdе, rеady tо draw it at any moment.
Yun Wеishаn lowеred hеr sоmеwhаt weаkеnеd wrist аnd sаid in a hоarse voiсе, "Mу father was оriginally а merchаnt whо оftеn trаvеlеd by seа. Оncе, hе еncоunterеd а shipwreсk аnd nevеr returned..."
Bеfore him, Yun Weishаn wаs drеssed in рlain white clоthеs, hеr faсе strеаkеd with tеars аs shе reсountеd her pаst. Aftеr hеr fаther's unехреcted deаth, she could only rеly on her mоther. But withоut prоtеctiоn, the mother and daughter were left helpless and had to drift through life.
Yun Weishan recalled the blue-brick courtyard in Pear Stream Town, where cold daylight pierced through the window lattice, illuminating the silhouette of a young woman dressed in bridal attire.
Before the mirror, her gray-haired mother was combing the hair of her daughter, who was about to be married.
The woman listened to the wind outside the window: "The sky looks like it might snow."
The mother did not respond.
"If it snows, life will become harder."
"Nonsense. Today is an auspicious day; the sun will surely shine brightly."
"Mother, will I ever see you again?"
Tears welled up in the mother's eyes. She wiped them away discreetly, her voice betraying no hint of a sob: "I only wish for you to live a good life."
"Will there be a good life...?"
"Yes. Once you marry into the Gong family, no one will dare to bully you anymore, and no one will dare to treat our family poorly."
The woman fell silent for a moment before whispering, "But I don’t want to marry into the Gong family."
The mother wanted to say something but ultimately let out a soft sigh...
Yun Weishan also sighed softly: "Today is the anniversary of my father’s death. In our hometown, there’s a saying that those who die at sea, upon seeing drifting boats, will want to board them to see if their family has come to take them home..."
Gong Ziyu unfolded the oiled paper of the river lantern, where delicate and elegant handwriting was inscribed—
"Father, your daughter is married now. The dowry they gave was generous. I think Mother won’t have to work so hard at her crafts anymore, struggling to support the family..."
So she didn’t want to marry, but for her mother’s sake, she had no other choice. Gong Ziyu turned to the other side, where the words seemed soaked in tears, with several strokes blurred—
"Father, I know you always regretted not having a son to bring honor to the family. You often told me I must marry into a good family, so everyone in town could see that the Yun family’s daughter was blessed with good fortune... But Father, I wasn’t chosen by the Blade Master. I’m afraid I’ve disappointed you..."
Gong Ziyu’s heart grew heavy. She hadn’t lived up to her parents’ expectations, which was why she was so heartbroken. Carefully, he folded the letter back along its creases, restoring it to its original form as a river lantern, afraid of crushing this heartfelt sentiment.
He looked at Yun Weishan, her eyes brimming with tears, and spoke as if to her, yet also to himself: "Your father wouldn’t be disappointed... In this world, what father would truly be disappointed in his own child...?"
Yun Weishan looked up. His words were spoken softly, as if he didn’t realize the sorrow that had surfaced in his expression.
Gong Ziyu handed the river lantern in his hand to Jin Fan: "Put both of these river lanterns back into the river."
His final argument with his father filled him with regret, and many words had been left unsaid. So, let this daughter’s longing drift downstream.
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