Farmer's wife: My husband came back and the house was in chaos

Chapter 332: Past Events, Linglong's Mother Haitang

“When I entered the Shangshu Mansion, I brought Yuzhu and Haitang with me. Haitang is Linglong’s mother.

Haitang was originally the daughter of an official family. Because her uncle's family committed a crime and their property was confiscated, all nine clans were implicated, and Haitang's family was also implicated. From then on, the family fell into poverty. All the men in the family were exiled, the women became prostitutes, and all the children under the age of seven were sold into slavery.

Haitang was just under seven years old, and by chance, I met her when I was young. I saw that she could read and write at a young age and was very smart, so I begged my father to buy her, bring her with me, and learn music, chess, calligraphy and painting with me.

Haitang was smart and always learned things faster than me. The teacher always praised her at that time. I was still young at that time, so I distanced myself from her for several days.

In order not to make me sad, she deliberately fell behind in her studies, which caused the teacher to reprimand her. Since then, the two of us have been like sisters, and we have never quarreled over this matter again. She also patiently taught me, just like a sister, taking care of me and giving in to me.

Seeing how sensible she was, my father and mother did not treat her as a maid. They would always think of her when they had any good things. However, she always clearly distinguished between master and servant and never overstepped the line. In this way, we grew up together.

After Shen Wenting and I got married, Haitang, like Yuzhu, came as a dowry. At that time, Shen Wenting was just a small civil servant. Although his position was not high, we lived very comfortably in the mansion.

Haitang also got to know Linglong's father because of this. Linglong's father was the manager of my shop and he would often come to report to me about things in the shop. Haitang would assist him. After a few interactions, the two became familiar with each other and gradually fell in love.

He was an orphan with no one to rely on. He worked hard in reading, writing and arithmetic, and became a manager at a young age.

After I knew about this, I was very supportive of their relationship. Linglong's father was a calm and responsible man with a good temper. So with my help, the two got married.

After getting married, the two of them respected each other and loved each other. Yuzhu and the others even said that Haitang had good taste in marrying such a good man. Because Linglong's father was an orphan and was busy in the shop on weekdays, and there was no mother-in-law or relatives at home, so Haitang still stayed by my side to serve me. When I just gave birth to Jinghong, it was she and the maids who served and took care of me wholeheartedly.

Originally Haitang lived a simple and happy life, and Shen Wenting was promoted to the position of Shangshu.

But suddenly one day, I received news that Linglong's father had embezzled the money in the shop and had already fled. Shen Wenting and his men reported the incident to the customs but failed to catch him.

Your mother didn't believe that he would do such a thing. She cried all day long and begged me to help her find her husband. But Linglong's father seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth, and no one could find any trace of him.

One day your mother fainted, and we quickly called a doctor to examine her, and he told her that she was pregnant.

I advised her to be more open-minded for the sake of the child. There might be some misunderstanding and everything could only be concluded after finding the person. After listening to us, Haitang cheered up and never gave up looking for Linglong's father.

After she gave birth to Linglong, there was still no news of her husband. In order to survive, she gradually gave up the search and returned to me, taking care of the child and me at the same time. Less than two years later, I became pregnant with Nianran.

Just two days before I gave birth to Nianran, Haitang accidentally broke the old lady's favorite white jade Guanyin, which was very valuable, and was therefore blamed.

It was just a white jade Guanyin, nothing compared to the Begonia, so I found the old lady and promised to compensate her with a better one.

But the old lady said that hers was unique, the only one in the world, and after I tried my best to compensate her, the old lady did not pursue the matter.

Two days later, I gave birth to Nianran. When she was born, the sky over the backyard was full of crows and dark clouds, as if a storm was about to come at any time.

Master Kongchen, who was passing by Xiangguo Temple, came into the mansion and only took a glance at Nianran. He then asked Shen Wenting and the old lady to send the child away quickly. Otherwise, not only would there be bloodshed and no peace in the mansion, but his future official career would also be unsuccessful. He would have to wait until he was at least eighteen years old before he could be brought back to the mansion.

When Shen Wenting heard this, he was frightened and knelt down to beg me to send Nianran away. But after all, she is my own flesh and blood, how could I bear to send her away?

But Shen Wenting and the old lady tried their best to persuade me, and brought up Jinghong as an example, saying that if the person was not sent away, there would be no peace in the mansion. Am I going to have to watch something bad happen in the mansion?

I had no choice but to agree. Besides, the abbot said that the secret cannot be revealed. Before Nianran turns 18, no one in the mansion can visit her. Only after she has gone through hardships and practiced, can she get back on track and return to a normal life.

After hearing about this, Haitang came to me and said that she had made a mistake and was willing to go with Miss Nianran and take care of her.

Therefore, Nianran was sent to the countryside some distance from the capital, and Haitang's young daughter, Linglong, left with her.

I didn’t expect that this would be the last time I saw Haitang.” After Chen Shuhua finished speaking, her eyes became red.

She often heard her mother talk about her father, her face full of happiness yet mixed with sadness. She was young and didn't understand, and was always wondering why her mother showed such emotions. Where was her father?

The villagers didn't know that they were from the Shangshu Mansion, and they often bullied her and the young lady, calling them wild children without a father.

Linglong and Xiaojie have lived in the village since they were old enough to understand. Whenever Linglong asked where her father was, her mother would always smile and say, "You'll understand when you grow up."

"My mother never told us these things. No matter how hard or tired she was, she never complained or said anything bad about my father. She was always like this, keeping everything in her heart and bearing it silently. From childhood to adulthood, she has always been strict with me and the young lady, and we have never neglected poetry, books and etiquette. She told me that the young lady does not belong to this place, and sooner or later she will return to her home, so she has never slacked off for a day.

My young lady and I didn't have enough food to eat or warm clothes to wear in the countryside. In order to prevent us from going hungry, she washed clothes for others and chopped firewood to sell. She endured other people's cold eyes and contempt in exchange for a little money, but she was never willing to spend a penny on herself, and she was not even willing to eat a bowl of hot porridge.

She worked hard for many years and finally became ill from overwork. She finally couldn't hold on and died of a serious illness. Before she died, she kept saying, "Let me take good care of the young lady..."

When Linglong said this, she was already sobbing and tears were streaming down her face.