Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

No matter the weather, Lu Ye would always come to visit Grandma Lu.

But today, it wasn't Lu Ye who came; it was Liu Wenying.

The old man has lived most of his life, what is there that he doesn't understand?

Her deliberate attempt to conceal her emotions was exposed, and Liu Wenying could no longer hold back the bitterness in her heart, which turned into tears that welled up in her eyes.

She couldn't bear to keep it from the elderly man any longer, but she was also afraid that if he found out, he would worry too much and harm his health.

Caught in a dilemma, Liu Wenying could only say, "Grandma, don't worry, Lu Ye... did something important for me and accidentally got injured."

"But don't worry, I will definitely take good care of him, I definitely will."

An old, withered hand stroked Liu Wenying's face. Grandma Lu said, "Master, don't blame yourself. Ye'er is a man. I'm happy that he has the opportunity to share your burdens."

"We are so grateful for your care these days. We have no way to repay you and hope to do something for you, but we are afraid that we are not capable enough."

Unexpectedly, the old man was so open-minded and insightful. Liu Wenying felt a mix of guilt and bitterness in her heart, making her even more distressed.

"Don't cry, don't cry. Tell Grandma what's bothering you..."

Grandma Lu hugged Liu Wenying tightly, and Liu Wenying also bent down, being comforted by the old woman in her arms.

Once she had calmed down, Liu Wenying finally couldn't help but ask, "Grandma, there's something I've always wanted to ask you."

She paused, then said, "Lu Ye has Northern Di blood in him, did you know that?"

Grandma Lu was not surprised at all after hearing this, and nodded in acknowledgment.

"But Tanxi Village is thousands of miles away from the Northern Di, how could this be...?"

Upon hearing this, Grandma Lu pulled her to sit down, her gaze distant.

"This happened quite a few years ago. I was young then, washing clothes by the river at the village entrance, when I found a person."

"The man was covered in wounds and lay unconscious on the riverbank. I carried him home and treated his injuries."

"After he woke up, he said that he was a member of the Northern Di caravan, which had been robbed by mountain bandits, and he had become separated from the main group."

As Grandma Lu spoke, a smile played on her lips, as if she were seeing memories of a long time ago.

"He looks... a bit different from the people of our Great Wei. He has a high nose bridge, deep-set eyes, and a strange accent. But he's a kind person. Once he recovered from his injuries, he helped me with chores, chopping wood and carrying water—he could do everything."

As the days went by, their affection deepened. Later, she married him.

"We had a child, who is Ye'er's father."

"When my child was five years old, he said he was going back to his hometown to do something, and that once he finished, he would come back to pick us up and give us a better life."

But she waited and waited, three years after three years, and that person never came back.

"It's good that he didn't come back. I can raise Ye'er's father by myself."

"Ye'er's father looks more like me, except he's taller than the average person."

Grandma Lu continued, "Later, the Northern Di, the Western Rong, and the Great Wei fought again. He was conscripted into the army and returned covered in wounds. Not long after, he married a girl from the village and had a son named Ye'er."

Liu Wenying also knew what happened later.

Lu Ye's parents died early, and he and his grandmother depended on each other for survival. They suffered all kinds of contempt in Tanxi Village and were bullied as if they were monsters.

"Why not tell the villagers the truth? If they knew that Lu Ye's grandfather was a merchant from the Northern Di, perhaps..."

Grandma Lu sighed, "Prejudice in people's hearts is a mountain; no matter what you say, they won't believe you."

"Besides, Ye'er was still young at that time, and I was an old man. We were the easiest to be bullied in the village."

Liu Wenying remained silent; she hadn't experienced it firsthand, so any further words she could offer would be meaningless.

Grandma Lu suddenly pulled a red string from around her neck.

The red string had faded, and a ring was tied to the end.

It is gold in color, with a simple and ancient style, and is engraved with intricate Northern Di script.

Grandma Lu placed the ring in her palm. "He gave it to me before he passed away, saying that I could use it to find him or his relatives in the future."

"It's a pity that I never left Tanxi Village in my entire life, nor did I live to see him return, and the ring was never put to use."

Liu Wenying took the ring; it was cold and heavy in her hand, as if it carried half a lifetime of waiting and regret.

She looked at Grandma Lu, "Why didn't you give it to Lu Ye before?"

Grandma Lu smiled knowingly, "No matter who his grandfather is, Ye'er is a child who grew up in Tanxi Village, eats Dawei rice, drinks Dawei water, and speaks Dawei language."

Grandma Lu held Liu Wenying's hand and placed the ring in her palm.

"He is a man of the Great Wei, and always will be."

……

As evening fell, Liu Wenying arrived at Lu Ye's room where he was recuperating.

Just then, Xue Bi came out carrying an empty bowl.

Upon seeing her, Xue Bi said, "Lu Ye just woke up, ate half a bowl of porridge and some medicine, but he was still feeling weak and went back to sleep."

Through the half-open window, one could see the pale profile of the person on the bed, their breathing so shallow that the rise and fall of their chest was barely perceptible.

Unable to bear disturbing him, Liu Wenying whispered to Xue Bi, "If he wakes up again, let me know."

Xue Bi nodded, and Liu Wenying turned and left, the ring on her palm pressed against her skin.

The story of that ring will have to wait until Lu Ye is in the strength to hear it.

When Liu Wenying returned to her residence, she had just stepped inside when she heard the loud crying of a baby coming from the inner room.

She was anxious and rushed inside, only to see Pei Zeyu pacing around the room with Jichuan in his arms.

He held the baby in one hand and patted the swaddling clothes gently with the other, so engrossed in his work that he didn't even notice her return.

Liu Wenying stood quietly by the door, watching silently.

He first probed under Jichuan's buttocks, then used the back of his hand to test the temperature of his forehead.

Her movements were skillful, not something she had learned temporarily, but rather a familiar ease ingrained in her body from caring for the child day after day for the past two months.

But despite trying many methods, they were unable to solve Jichuan's crying problem.

"The little guy must be hungry," Liu Wenying said as she stepped forward.

A hint of surprise flashed across Pei Zeyu's eyes, which quickly turned into helplessness: "It's only been less than two hours since I fed him."

"This applies to children under one year old."

Liu Wenying took over from Jichuan.

Once the child was in his mother's arms, his crying subsided slightly, and his little face scrunched up in grievance.

She turned her back and untied the ribbon, and the child, having found the source, immediately began to greedily sip.

The candlelight illuminated her shoulders and neck, making them appear as smooth and lustrous as jade, their lines flowing smoothly down from behind her ears and disappearing into the slightly disheveled fabric.

It resembles a fine piece of mutton fat jade, with a warm and soft luster.

Pei Zeyu's Adam's apple bobbed silently. He looked away, but the image was already etched into his mind, impossible to shake off.

After Jichuan finished eating, he opened his little mouth and smacked his lips contentedly.

Liu Wenying put him back on the bed and bent down to straighten her clothes.

Pei Zeyu stepped forward, skillfully picked up the child, and gently patted his back.

She sat by the couch, humming a soft tune, like a gentle spring rain.

Jichuan's eyelids grew heavy, and he fell asleep with his eyes closed to his father's rhythmic pats and his mother's gentle humming.

Pei Zeyu bent down, placed the child in the cradle, and covered him with a soft quilt.

When they straightened up, the two were only a few feet apart.

Liu Wenying looked up and met his downcast gaze.

The candle wick snapped softly, bursting open like a flower in the lamplight. In the flickering light, a warm, unfathomable light danced in his eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she tried to turn her face away, but he suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms.

"My darling, you've loved the child for so long, so love me too tonight."

…………