Blooming Dreams

Chapter 3: A Mother's Love

The smoke from the kitchen fires had dissipated, and nightfall settled over the manor once again.

“Ah-Nuan, time for your medicine. One more bowl, and you’ll be fully recovered by morning,” Madam Xiao cooed softly, carrying the bowl of herbal medicine to her daughter’s bedside. She sat down gently, her voice filled with warmth as she coaxed her child. At the foot of the bed, Lu Rong remained seated, his unseeing eyes turned toward his daughter.

Lu Mingyu glanced at her parents—her young father and gentle mother. Lowering her gaze, she accepted the bowl with small hands. She drank the bitter liquid slowly, her delicate eyebrows furrowing with each sip, but she didn’t complain or hesitate.

Madam Xiao noticed her daughter’s uncharacteristic obedience. Though her husband couldn’t see, she could, and her heart filled with quiet unease.

The Lu family was a harmonious one, devoid of the petty schemes that plagued other noble households. The four brothers, born of different mothers, maintained a close bond. While Lu Rong, as the third son, held no official position, he and his family were treated with respect, and Mingyu was doted upon just as much as her cousins.

Mingyu, with her spoiled temperament, had always hated drinking medicine. In the past, it would take endless coaxing, and even then, she’d only sip after being bribed with candied fruit. Yet, over the past two days, she had been oddly cooperative. She seemed subdued, her eyes lacking the sparkle of a typical seven-year-old.

Madam Xiao couldn’t understand the change and could only attribute it to the lingering effects of her daughter’s recent illness.

“Mother, I’m done.” Lu Mingyu handed back the empty bowl, pressing her lips together as if to banish the lingering bitterness of the medicine. For two days now, the acrid taste of these herbal brews had served as a constant reminder: this wasn’t a dream. She had truly returned to her childhood. Her mother was alive, vibrant, and still here. And her father... well, he still stood by his beloved maid, indifferent to his wife’s quiet pain.

Her gaze flicked to her father’s pale blue robe. Her thoughts churned in a chaotic storm.

She wanted to hate him, but the emotion wouldn’t come fully. Forgiveness seemed equally impossible. Faced with this younger version of her father, she no longer felt the unconditional admiration and respect she had once held for him at seven years old. Back then, she had longed for him to reconcile with her mother, to dismiss the maidservant, Mo Zhu, who had driven a wedge between them.

Now, however, Mingyu saw things differently. A child of seven couldn’t grasp the complexities of relationships. At the time, she had blamed Mo Zhu entirely, believing her the root of all evil. But as she grew older, after her mother’s death, she had come to understand the nuances of marriage. Mo Zhu, for all her faults, was just a servant—a servant emboldened by her father’s favoritism. The real betrayal lay with him.

A Daughter’s Plea

“Mother, can you sleep with me tonight?” Mingyu suddenly asked, her voice soft and pleading.

The request startled Madam Xiao. Her daughter’s watery eyes were filled with longing and reliance, glimmering with unshed tears. The previous day, Mingyu had been too dazed by her return to process the miracle. But tonight, fully aware of her second chance, she yearned for nothing more than to pour her heart out to the one person she trusted most.

Madam Xiao smiled indulgently. “Of course, my dear.” She reached for a small jar of candied fruits, offering one to Mingyu.

Mingyu accepted the treat and gazed at her mother with near reverence, as if trying to memorize every detail of her face. This was the woman she had lost, the mother whose death had left her adrift in a sea of loneliness.

The scene didn’t escape Lu Rong’s notice. Though blind, he could sense his daughter’s growing distance. Since she had regained consciousness, she hadn’t once called him “Father.” The realization stung, but he couldn’t pinpoint what he might have done to upset her.

“Well, you two rest early. I’ll take my leave.” Lu Rong’s voice was calm as he rose to retrieve his bamboo staff. He moved quickly, hiding the subtle disappointment on his face.

Madam Xiao noticed his dejection and gently squeezed Mingyu’s small hand. She motioned for her daughter to speak.

“Your father loves you very much,” she said quietly. “When you were unconscious, he stayed by your side for two nights without sleeping. You shouldn’t let my disagreements with him affect your relationship. Be a good girl and call him back.”

Mingyu’s head lowered, her lips pressing into a stubborn line. The better her mother spoke of her father, the more bitterness Mingyu felt.

A Child’s Grief

“Mother,” Mingyu whispered, her voice trembling. “Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me...”

Without warning, the floodgates opened. Mingyu flung herself into her mother’s arms and began to cry, her small body shaking with sobs. The memories of her mother’s death and the years of suffering that followed overwhelmed her. The loneliness, the envy of other children with loving families—it all came crashing down.

She cried until she was gasping for air, her tiny fists clutching at her mother’s robe.

Madam Xiao’s heart ached as she held her daughter close, dismissing the maids to give them privacy. “Ah-Nuan, what’s wrong? Tell Mother who hurt you, and I’ll make it right.”

Nestled in her mother’s embrace, Mingyu gradually calmed. She looked up at the kind, concerned face above her and hesitated. Would her mother believe her story?

The Secret Revealed

“Mother,” she began hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I need to tell you something. Something important.”

Madam Xiao frowned slightly, confused by her daughter’s serious tone.

“Mother,” Mingyu continued, her words faltering, “you... you’re going to die. You’ll leave me. And Father—he’ll regret it, but it’ll be too late.”

Madam Xiao froze, her hand stilling on her daughter’s hair.

Mingyu saw the disbelief in her mother’s eyes and quickly added, “It’s true! I... I’ve already lived to be sixteen. I married, Mother. I married Chu Sui. And then I...” Her voice cracked as she recounted the traumatic details of her past life.

Though skeptical, Madam Xiao listened, her heart clenching as her daughter described her future suffering. Yet when Mingyu mentioned Chu Sui, a name tied to the noble Chu family, a flicker of unease crossed her face. Could there be some truth to her daughter’s claims?

Mingyu, seeing her hesitation, grasped her mother’s hand. “Mother, we can change everything. You don’t have to die. And I don’t have to suffer—”

Madam Xiao tightened her hold on her daughter. Her gaze grew firm, and she spoke with quiet determination: “Ah-Nuan, leave the big decisions to me and your father. For now, I want you to focus on being the happy, carefree child you deserve to be. Can you do that?”

Though Mingyu’s mind raced with doubts, she nodded slowly. For now, she would trust her mother’s guidance.