tallest building

Chapter 47 Showing Filial Piety

"Thank you, madam." Wen Mingqian stood up gracefully.

"Come here." Old Madam Gong gestured for her to come closer.

Wen Mingqian stepped forward as instructed, and Old Madam Gong directly raised her hand and lifted up her left sleeve.

Above three inches of the wrist, there were dense, varied scars of different lengths, old and new, a shocking sight.

Everyone who saw it gasped in shock, but Wen Mingqian remained calm and composed, his head bowed.

“These wounds…” Seeing the scars on Wen Mingqian’s arms, Old Madam Gong no longer doubted, “These eighty volumes of scriptures are equivalent to draining the blood of two living people!”

“Grandmother, Mother was very devout in copying scriptures. Not only did she fast all year round, but she would also burn incense and kowtow before copying scriptures.

"With each character copied, a Buddhist chant is uttered, praying only for the blessings of Buddhism to protect my grandmother's peace and well-being." Gong Chang'an explained on behalf of his mother, "My mother intended to copy scriptures for my grandmother from the very beginning; it wasn't just a passing fancy."

The reason we returned without saying goodbye this time was not only because the plague was truly frightening, but also because the scriptures were completed, but we could not find a reliable person to escort us back to the capital.

Grandmother, your grandson knows that you are the most loving person in the world. If the cats and dogs are injured or hungry outside, they will naturally run home for shelter.

My mother and I were in the same boat; when things really got too tough, the only people we could turn to were my grandmother and father.

“Oh dear, old lady, listen to how pitiful this child is,” said Madam Wei, wiping away her tears. “It seems that my sister-in-law only truly understood the hardships of being a parent after becoming a mother herself.”

She understood that the old lady genuinely cared for her; as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. This box of scriptures was enough to demonstrate her sister-in-law's sincerity.

"Thank you for your understanding, sister-in-law. Although I have written these eighty volumes of scriptures, I still feel indebted." Wen Mingqian shook his head slightly with a wry smile. "I only hope that the old lady will have pity on my mother and me and allow us to be by her side to fulfill our filial duties."

Then came a moment of silence, as if even the wind outside the window had stopped.

"As the saying goes, even if you don't care about the monk, you should care about the Buddha," said Madam Gong. "Putting aside these scriptures, I can't bear to part with this grandson. Fine, since you are sincere and filial, why would I make things difficult for you?"

Madam Gong was initially unhappy about Wen Mingqian's sudden return.

But she also knew that now that the person had returned, she couldn't just kick them out again without a reason.

Just as Wen Mingqian said, Gong Chang'an is, after all, a member of the Gong family, how can he be allowed to wander outside for long?
She had proposed bringing the child back a few years ago, but Gong Xu had been reluctant to agree, so much so that Gong Chang'an was already seven years old.

She hadn't thought much of Gong Chang'an before. But now that she saw how sensible and lovable the child was, she couldn't help but regret her past actions.

Moreover, Wen Mingqian had given him a way out. He used to dislike her for her unruly temperament, but now it seemed that the past seven years had shaped her into a much more sensible person.

Furthermore, it's really inappropriate for the second wife to let a concubine fill the position of the head wife all year round.

Wen Mingqian is, after all, the legal wife, and her return will prevent others from gossiping.

"Thank you, Madam!" Wen Mingqian curtsied. "Your daughter-in-law will certainly fulfill her filial duties and serve her mother-in-law."

"Chang'an thanks Grandmother. Grandmother accepted Mother's gift, please accept your grandson's gift as well," said Gong Chang'an. "Oh, you little rascal, what good thing do you have to give me?" Old Madam Gong asked with a smile.

Gong Chang'an took out a carved sandalwood figurine from his bosom, held it carefully in his hands and said, "Grandmother, this is a small portrait of you that I carved myself."

"Let me see." Old Madam Gong took it and examined it carefully.

Mrs. Wei also leaned closer to take a look and laughed, "You know what, it really does look like it."

Others who saw it also thought it looked quite similar.

At this moment, Madam Song was furious. She never expected that Wen Mingqian would win over the old lady who originally disliked her so much in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

How did she come up with the idea of ​​writing a blood sutra? How come she didn't bleed out completely?
And then there's this Gong Chang'an, so young yet so eloquent and charming, who has completely fooled the old woman, making her forget everything that happened seven years ago!
Now that everyone was praising Gong Chang'an for his skillful hands and the lifelike portrait he had carved, she could no longer contain herself and said, "I never imagined that the Fourth Young Master would have such talent at such a young age. But he has never met the Old Madam, so how did he manage to carve it?"

“From as far back as I can remember, my mother drew portraits of my grandmother and father for me to look at often. She said that although I couldn’t be by my grandmother and father’s side to fulfill my filial duties because of her religious practice, I still needed to know what they looked like so that I wouldn’t feel unfamiliar when I saw them again, but would only feel close to them.” Gong Chang’an could easily understand what Song Shi meant and knew that she was questioning him in public, so he said, “If Aunt doesn’t believe me, I can carve another one in public.”

As he spoke, he took out a carving knife and a small piece of wood from his pocket and carved out a human face in a few strokes.

The wood he carved for Madam Gong was sandalwood, while the piece in his hand was more common peach wood, which was softer and easier to carve.

Everyone couldn't help but laugh when they saw the human face he had carved.

With a chubby head, round face, dead fish eyes, and toad mouth, who else could it be but Zhang Ma?

"Look at this child, he's just like Yu'an when he was little, just as mischievous, just as good at coaxing people." Madam Wei pinched Gong Chang'an's little face and said, "But your brother Yu'an is all grown up now, he's either studying or traveling every day, he can't be by the old lady's side often. Now that you're back, the old lady has a little ray of joy again."

Song returned home fuming, so she walked exceptionally fast, disregarding even the demeanor she usually maintained.

Madam Gong said she was tired and asked everyone to leave.

However, she kept Gong Chang'an by her side and told him to live with her.

When did she ever keep Gong Bao'an by her side?
She has always been most fond of her two sons from her first wife. Although she doesn't dislike her own sons, she doesn't value them as much.

That's fine, after all, we've gotten used to it over the years, but why is Gong Chang'an, whom we've only just met, so favored?
He doesn't have four eyes and six ears, so how is he better than Gong Baoan?

"Young Madam, Young Madam, slow down! You're pregnant!" Granny Yang said anxiously, following closely behind Madam Song.

"What's so great about it? They don't care anyway, didn't you see? You told her I was pregnant, and that old woman just grunted and told me to come back and take care of myself," Song said angrily. "They have plenty of grandchildren, they don't care!"

"Young mistress, please keep your voice down, lest someone hear," Granny Yang whispered. "What are we going to do about the master's situation? The old lady and the others don't even know about it yet!"

"Hmph!" Madam Song stopped, glanced venomously at the east, and said, "None of them will have an easy time! Find a way to get the message out there, so they'll get anxious and worried!"

(End of this chapter)