Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family-Chapter 1045 - 1044 Mother and Daughter Reunion

The approaching person had an exceptionally delicate and petite frame, and on the tips of her embroidered shoes were two pearls the size of pigeon eggs. She was dressed in a spring shirt woven with golden threads and jade details, her head adorned with a veil hat encircled with a row of pearls.

Such a splendidly dressed married woman suddenly appearing in front of Liu Sisi was no wonder Liu Sisi asked in such a way.

"Indeed! It is I the Empress who is speaking to you. You are Liu Sisi, aren’t you?"

Liu Sisi’s eyes suddenly narrowed, and then she restored her expression, smiling faintly at the married woman.

"Old people, how do you come to know me?"

Liu Sisi spoke casually, but her feet silently and slowly retreated backward.

It was only at this moment that she realized something was wrong. Although the married woman spoke nicely, her tone carried a foreign accent—a way of speaking unique to the people of Xixia Country.

In other words, the woman in front of her eyes was from Xixia Country.

And initially, the person who abducted Chou Chou, according to Chou Chou’s description, was an extravagantly dressed old married woman.

The married woman currently in front of her matched Chou Chou’s description in height, build, and attire, causing Liu Sisi’s back to break out in cold sweat, silently cursing her own negligence!

She had assumed it was Zuo Xingyu looking for her as soon as she saw the letter, without for a moment considering the possibility that the letter could have been sent by someone else.

"What does the Princess think?"

The old married woman suddenly laughed, a deep laughter emanating from beneath the veil that made Liu Sisi shudder, her legs instantly going weak.

Straining a smile, Liu Sisi gathered her spirits, "The junior does not know. However, I have been out for a while, and seeing that it is getting late, I shall take my leave first."

With that, Liu Sisi turned and left.

Unexpectedly, just a few steps into her departure, several figures quietly fell from the nearby big trees, instantly surrounding her.

The Fuling that followed by her side let out a piercing scream, only to be silenced by a pat from one of the attackers, collapsing directly onto the ground.

"Stop! You... what have you done to her?"

Liu Sisi was alarmed!

She regretted not having Ms. Gao accompany her today; only now it was far too late for regrets!

"Don’t worry. To avoid disturbing our conversation, I have merely asked your maid to be quiet for a while," the old married woman calmly stepped forward, standing beside Liu Sisi, and peering at her through the layers of veil, her gaze holding an extremely complicated meaning, "My carriage is over there. Princess Ruyu, would you please step over with me for a walk?"

Liu Sisi could only bitterly smile!

Did she have a choice not to go?

The sky was still the same, and the hills were still those hills; the land was still covered with that field of yellow flowers, but to Liu Sisi, it no longer appeared as beautiful.

Sitting side by side in the old married woman’s carriage, Liu Sisi’s mood was exceptionally complex.

From time to time, she would steal glances at the old married woman, vainly hoping to catch a glimpse of the face beneath the veil. Regrettably, the veil, though resplendent, did not reveal even a trace of the face behind it, leaving Liu Sisi utterly helpless.

The carriage kept moving smoothly forward, without any bumps, quickly threading through the flowers and willows until it came to a small courtyard deep in the mountain forest and finally came to a stop.

"We have arrived, Princess Ruyu, please alight from the carriage," said the old married woman, not bothering to be polite as she got down from the carriage.

Liu Sisi sat in the carriage, subconsciously clutching her fists tightly, took several deep breaths before she followed the lifted carriage curtain and stepped down.

She hadn’t expected that from the outside the place appeared to be a simple farmhouse, but upon stepping closer, she discovered that inside lay a whole different world.

Upon entering the courtyard, she immediately stepped into a winding corridor, and following it to the end, found a cave heavily guarded by soldiers. Accompanied by the elder woman, she once again sat in a soft sedan chair, letting it carry the two of them through the cave, twisting and turning, without knowing how long they’d moved forward. After passing through another door, the scene before her eyes suddenly opened up!

They had emerged into a great mansion.

"At last we’ve arrived, come! Come inside and sit, have some food to fill your stomach. Don’t starve yourself sick,"

the elder woman admonished warmly.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do!

Liu Sisi accordingly stepped through the door.

Looking around, the room’s luxury was evident in its elegance, with lavish yet unpretentious furnishings. The most eye-catching item was the hourglass on the desk, which was gently swaying back and forth.

The hourglass, crafted from delicately-tinted sky-blue colored glaze with copper ends intricately engraved, was breathtaking as the fine sand inside slowly slid down.

The other’s gaze had clearly settled on it, and after a while, she smiled, "What do you think? Beautiful, isn’t it? I was captivated by its beauty the first time I saw it, and after decades, my love for it is still unchanged."

"It really is very beautiful."

Liu Sisi nodded and expressed her genuine admiration.

"If you like it, you may take it with you when you leave and keep it as a memento,"

the old woman chuckled heartily, settling herself into a rocking chair and finally lifting the veil from her face.

When Liu Sisi looked up, she gazed into a pair of deep, sea-blue eyes.

Although the other’s face bore the traces of time, she had a face that closely resembled Liu Sisi’s own, but with beauty that was developed to its fullest potential. Even though she now displayed signs of aging, her beauty was still breathtaking, and one could only imagine how stunning she must have been in her youth; a woman capable of bringing down empires!

Liu Sisi stared blankly at the face, as countless scenes from her dreams repeatedly merged with the face before her, becoming one, squeezing her heart tightly as if she were running out of air.

She could only stand dumbfounded in place, staring at the familiar yet entirely foreign silhouette.

"Sit down and let’s talk! Between you and me, there should be no such estrangement,"

the elder woman’s originally deep voice suddenly changed, becoming exceptionally melodious and pleasant, like pearls falling on a jade dish, clear and delightful to the ear.

Indeed!

There should be no such estrangement.

Liu Sisi tried to calm her emotions, but to no avail. It was as if her former self had come back to life within her and taken over her consciousness, compelling her to move forward and gently sit across from the old woman.

"Sisi, could you call me ’mom’?"

The elder woman seemed even more agitated than her, her voice trembling violently.

Liu Sisi tried to speak but found her throat mute, unable to utter a single word. Her lips trembled for quite a while, the word still unspoken, and in frustration, she bit her lower lip and demurely hung her head.

"Si Er, are you resenting mom? Resenting that I haven’t been in touch with you all these years? That I haven’t looked after you?"

The elder woman’s lips also trembled violently: "How could I not want to be in touch with you, my child? I just wanted you to truly be happy, free, living your own little life!"

Unable to contain the anguish in her heart any longer, she covered her mouth and wept.