Chapter 29: Reburial
Xie Jingyu was dressed in his fifth-rank official robes, clearly having rushed to Sheng Residence straight after court without even changing his clothes.
A flicker of delight appeared in Ting Yu's eyes.
When they lived in the madam's courtyard, the master would sometimes come to discuss official matters with the madam, allowing her to catch a glimpse of him.
But since moving to the small courtyard, she hadn't seen the master for a long time. She truly feared he would forget about her, his Concubine.
She pushed Xie Shiyun forward: "Yun Ge'er, weren't you just talking about your father last night? Quickly greet your father."
Xie Shiyun immediately went over and called out: "Greetings, Father."
Xie Jingyu nodded indifferently, then walked straight into the Sheng Residence courtyard, ascended the steps, and entered the side hall of Yun Chu's quarters.
Ting Yu, completely ignored from start to finish, tightly clutched the handkerchief in her hand.
She couldn't understand - after being slapped by the madam, not only did the master not blame her, but he actually came seeking her out.
Was it just because the madam was the legitimate daughter of a great general that everyone had to pamper her?
"What are you still doing here?" Ting Feng approached her, sneering coldly. "You don't actually think that just because you bore the Xie family a young master, the master would treat you differently, do you? Hah, a treacherous maid like you is destined to be despised for life..."
Ting Yu pressed her lips together, took her child's hand, and turned to leave.
After Xie Jingyu had been sitting in the side hall for a while, Yun Chu finally emerged from the bedroom.
She was dressed in plain white garments, without any hairpins or ornaments in her hair, and wore no makeup on her face - her entire appearance was extremely simple and elegant.
It was precisely because she lacked the enhancement of makeup and fine clothing that her natural beauty became even more apparent. At first glance, she was refreshingly lovely; with another look, she seemed breathtakingly beautiful.
An uncontrollable emotion surged from his heart.
Yun Chu's face showed no expression as she said coldly: "Let's go."
Xie Jingyu suppressed that inappropriate emotion and walked outside with her.
At the mansion gate stood a carriage, with another cart behind it. When Yun Chu saw what was loaded on the cart, her face finally showed some emotion.
"This is a nanmu coffin I searched for overnight - it won't decay for a thousand years," Xie Jingyu said. "I failed our children. I will do everything in my power to make it up to them."
Yun Chu lowered her eyelids, lifted her skirt, and boarded the carriage.
The journey proceeded smoothly out of the city. After traveling for roughly over half an hour, they finally reached the village Xie Jingyu had mentioned.
Ting Shuang and Ting Feng supported Yun Chu as she descended from the carriage, one on each side.
Xie Jingyu looked toward a mountain ahead: "The children's remains are up the mountain. The path is difficult - please be careful, Madam."
He led the way in front, followed by Yun Chu and her two maids. Behind them came four strong men carrying two small nanmu coffins. The group slowly made their way up the mountain.
After many consecutive days of rain, the mountain path was terribly muddy. Yun Chu hadn't walked more than a few steps before her shoes were completely soaked, and her plain white skirt was stained with black mud.
But she didn't care in the slightest. She didn't need her maids' support, climbing step by step on her own.
After walking for nearly half an hour, they finally reached a relatively level area. Xie Jingyu stopped and said: "This is the place."Yun Chu surveyed her surroundings. There wasn't even a small raised mound here—only the lush vegetation of spring and blooming spring flowers. In one spot, wildflowers had bloomed early, displaying a riot of vibrant colors that was exceptionally beautiful.
Her heart suddenly trembled.
Xie Jingyu spoke: "Madam, please step aside."
Yun Chu shook her head: "Begin."
Four burly men approached with tools, carefully removing the wildflowers before slowly starting to dig.
As soon as they broke ground, groundwater began seeping out.
Yun Chu recalled that dream—the children in her dream saying they were cold. Was it because they had been soaking in water all these years?
Just thinking about her children finding no peace even in death made her eyes sting, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
Her expression, observed by Xie Jingyu, twisted his heart.
He walked over and reached to embrace Yun Chu's shoulders, but she avoided his touch.
Withdrawing his hand, he said: "Madam, my father owns an estate with excellent feng shui. We can bury the children's remains where birds sing and flowers bloom..."
"No need."
A cold, deep voice interrupted.
Xie Jingyu turned to see Yun Ze approaching up the hill with a group of followers.
At the sight of her elder brother, Yun Chu's unsettled heart immediately calmed, though her throat felt tight: "Elder Brother."
Yun Ze raised his hand, gently patting her shoulder before turning to Xie Jingyu: "As an outsider to your Xie family, I shouldn't interfere in your affairs. But Xie Jingyu, you've gone too far. Four years ago, if you couldn't be troubled to properly bury the children, you could have told me. Instead, you casually buried them on some random hill. For four years, these children have rested here—who knows how much suffering they've endured, whether their souls have found peace? If they cannot reincarnate, it will be entirely due to their own father!"
The usually mild-mannered Yun Ze's harsh reprimand made Xie Jingyu utterly ashamed.
Though twenty-eight this year—several years older than Yun Ze—he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.
"Of course, I can understand you too," Yun Ze's tone softened slightly. "Back then, you were getting promoted—how could you allow such trivial matters to waste your time? Moreover, you already had three living children, so indifference toward dead ones is only natural."
Though his tone had softened, his words struck directly at Xie Jingyu's conscience. Struggling to speak, Xie Jingyu managed: "Elder Brother, I..."
"Enough, no need to explain." Yun Ze unleashed his full authority. "These children your Xie family didn't value will be cherished by the Yun family. They will be buried in our ancestral grounds—no need for Magistrate Xie to trouble himself."
His dozen attendants stepped forward, pushing aside the four Xie family men.
Xie Jingyu's face darkened extremely, but no one present cared about his feelings.
The Yun family guards carefully excavated the soil, soon uncovering two infant skeletons—tiny, no larger than a palm.
Yun Chu's tears burst forth like a broken dam, completely beyond her control.
Her knees weakened, body slumping downward.
"Chu'er, as their mother, kneeling to them would shorten their next life's span." Yun Ze pulled her upright. "Ting Shuang, support your young mistress properly."
In his heart, Chu'er would always be the cherished young lady of their Yun family.
Why must his sister, who should have lived a happy and harmonious life, endure such suffering of parting and death...
Yun Ze felt as if a knife were twisting in his heart.Yun Chu was crying so hard she could barely breathe.
She held onto Ting Shuang's hand, slowly moving forward until she reached the small pit.
She knelt down, gently cradling the tiny bones in her hands, carefully placing the children into the new coffin...
Her hands trembled uncontrollably, tears streamed down her face, and her legs felt weak and unsteady...
After personally burying the children in the cemetery beside the Yun family ancestral grounds, Yun Chu lost consciousness, unaware of anything that followed.
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