pappabearbooks Chapter 239 Jade Pendant, a token of blood ties!
Chapter 239 Jade Pendant, a token of blood ties!
The scene was about ten feet square, with light and shadow shifting, like a dream.
The scene depicts a garden.
The garden was not large, and its furnishings were not particularly luxurious.
Several osmanthus trees are in full bloom, with golden flowers clustered on the branches, and a faint sweet fragrance seems to be smelled in the air.
There was a stone table and several stone benches under the tree.
A pot of tea and several plates of snacks were placed on the stone table.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the grass.
A beautiful woman is sitting on a stone bench.
She wore a moon-white long dress, her long hair loosely tied up and secured with only a white jade hairpin.
Her face was gentle and beautiful, with a graceful temperament unique to women from Jiangnan.
She was holding an infant in her arms.
The baby was tiny, wrapped in a soft brocade swaddle, with only a delicate, exquisitely beautiful face showing.
The woman's gaze remained fixed on the baby in her arms.
His gaze was full of tenderness.
It is as gentle as the spring sunshine, as warm as a winter fire.
Her lips parted slightly, as if she were saying something.
No sound.
Only visuals.
But Jiang Zhaoyue could tell from the lip movements and the expression—
She is saying:
"Baby...grow up quickly..."
"Mother...I'll wait for you..."
Her fingers gently stroked the baby's cheek.
The movement was very light and gentle, as if caressing the most precious treasure in the world.
The baby babbled and waved its little hands in her arms, its eyes sparkling as if responding to her tenderness.
Just then—
A figure slowly emerges from the depths of the scene.
That was a man.
He was tall and upright, dressed in a black robe with a jade belt around his waist.
His face was resolute and handsome, with sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, a high nose bridge, and a well-defined jawline.
A gentle smile played at the corners of his lips.
That smile, in stark contrast to his resolute face, was yet so harmonious.
He walked up behind the woman and stopped.
He reached out and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.
The woman looked up at him.
Their eyes met in mid-air.
In those eyes, there was deep affection, tacit understanding, and a kind of unspoken understanding that only those who love each other deeply can have.
The woman smiled.
That smile was faint, yet it was brighter than the sunshine.
She turned slightly to the side so that the man could see the baby in her arms.
The man lowered his head, his gaze falling on that small face.
His eyes instantly welled up with endless tenderness.
He reached out and gently touched the baby's cheek with his long, slender fingers.
The baby grabbed his finger and forcefully stuffed it into his mouth.
The man smiled.
That smile contained doting affection, pride, and a kind of helpless joy of becoming a father for the first time.
He bent down and gently kissed the woman's forehead.
Then, the two of them lowered their heads and teased the baby in their arms.
You say one thing, I say another.
Although I couldn't hear the sound, the image, the expression, the smile—
Everything about this little family speaks volumes about how happy and warm their home is.
The image freezes at this moment.
Sunshine, osmanthus flowers, stone table, stone bench.
A gentle mother, a resolute father, and an infant in swaddling clothes.
The family of three was enjoying a happy time together.
Jiang Zhaoyue stood still, motionless.
Her eyes were fixed on the picture, on the beautiful woman, on the resolute man, and on the baby in swaddling clothes.
Tears, like beads from a broken string, gushed out uncontrollably.
Drop after drop slid down her pale cheeks.
It fell onto the pebbles at our feet, spreading out in patches of dark marks.
But she was completely unaware.
He just stared intently at that image.
That woman—
Those gentle eyes, that graceful face, that faint smile at the corner of her mouth.
That was her mother.
That man—
That resolute face, that upright posture, and the endless tenderness in his eyes when looking at the baby.
That was her father.
She had never actually seen them.
She hadn't seen them since she was three months old.
She didn't know what they looked like, what their voices sounded like, or what their laughter looked like.
For the past twenty-one years, she has imagined what they look like in her dreams countless times.
But each time, all that remained upon waking was a deeper sense of loss.
And at this moment—
They stood right in front of her.
So clear, so real.
Although it was just a flash of light, and only a brief twelve-second image.
But that's who they are.
She is her mother.
He is her father.
Jiang Zhaoyue's legs went weak again.
She knelt down, holding the jade pendant in her hands, staring intently at the scene.
Those twelve seconds seemed to be stretched out infinitely in her eyes.
She watched her mother's gentle smile as she bent down to play with the baby.
Watching my father's steady steps as he walked out from the depths of the picture...
Seeing the unspoken affection in their eyes as they met,
Watching them lower their heads together and play with the baby in their arms, their tacit understanding and joy were palpable.
Every frame, every second, is etched into her heart like a brand.
That garden, though small and simply furnished, was filled with warmth.
Although the osmanthus blossoms were only visible in the light and shadow, she could almost smell their faint, sweet fragrance.
Even though it was her own baby, seeing her mother holding her broke her heart.
How she wished—
I wish I could go back to that moment.
I long to be held like my mother does, and to be looked at tenderly like my father does.
I long to hear their voices, even just a simple "baby".
I so wish I could tell them—
Your daughter has grown up.
Your daughter is alive.
Your daughter—
I miss you all.
The image slowly faded away after twelve seconds.
The light and shadow receded like the tide, returning to the jade pendant.
The jade pendant lay quietly in Jiang Zhaoyue's palm, still warm and smooth, but its luster had faded.
It was as if everything that had just happened was just a dream.
But Jiang Zhaoyue knew that it wasn't a dream.
That's true.
It was the last gift her mother left her.
Jiang Zhaoyue held the jade pendant, motionless.
Her tears were still flowing.
But she didn't make a sound.
He simply knelt there quietly, holding the jade pendant, looking at it again and again.
It's as if you can see that scene again through the warm, smooth jade.
I saw that garden, those osmanthus flowers, that gentle couple, and that happy baby.
Cao Wei stood aside, watching this scene unfold.
His aged face was streaked with tears.
Looking at Jiang Zhaoyue's tear-streaked face and her swollen yet unusually clear eyes, he felt a surge of complex emotions that were hard to describe.
He kept that jade pendant for twenty-one years.
Twenty-one years in total.
Countless times, in the dead of night, he would take out the jade pendant alone, look at the gentle smiles of the couple in the picture, and look at the lovely baby in the swaddling clothes.
Each time, he would burst into tears.
Each time, he would silently pray in his heart that one day he could personally hand the jade pendant to that child.
Tell her how much your parents love you.
Now, that day has finally arrived.
Cao Wei opened his mouth, as if to say something.
I wanted to comfort her, to tell her not to cry, I wanted to—
But he couldn't say anything.
Because he knew that at this moment, any words would be inadequate.
This child waited 21 years to finally see what his parents looked like.
This child endured 21 years before finally learning about his origins.
This child cried for twenty-one years before finally being able to cry freely in front of his parents' images.
Just then—
A hand gently rested on his shoulder.
Cao Wei turned his head and looked at the owner of that hand.
Qin Mu stood beside him, his gaze fixed on Jiang Zhaoyue kneeling on the ground.
He gently shook his head at Cao Wei.
Cao Wei was taken aback.
Qin Mu looked at him, his voice soft, yet each word clear:
Let her cry.
He paused, then his gaze returned to Jiang Zhaoyue:
"It makes me feel better when I cry it out."
After hearing this, Cao Wei remained silent for a moment.
Then, he slowly nodded.
Yes.
I feel better after crying it out.
This child has been holding it in for too long.
I've been holding it in for 21 years.
Now, I can finally have a good cry.
He withdrew his hand that was about to step forward and stood quietly in place.
He stayed with Jiang Zhaoyue and watched her cry.
Watching her hold that jade pendant, looking at it again and again.
Watching the sadness, longing, and relief in her eyes, gradually intertwining, merging, and settling.
The courtyard was completely silent.
Only Jiang Zhaoyue's suppressed sobs could be heard, one after another.
Sunlight filtered through the branches of the old plum tree, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
A gentle breeze swept by, carrying a few withered leaves that swirled and drifted down to Jiang Zhaoyue's side.
She remained kneeling there, motionless.
I don't know how much time passed.
It might be a quarter of an hour, or it might be an hour.
Jiang Zhaoyue's crying finally stopped.
She knelt on the spot, holding the jade pendant, and remained motionless for a long time.
Then, she slowly raised her head.
Those once clear and aloof eyes were now severely swollen and red, with tear stains still clinging to their faces.
But the light in those eyes was brighter than ever before.
She looked at Cao Wei and spoke.
The voice was hoarse, yet exceptionally clear:
"Uncle Cao."
"This scene—"
She paused, then took a deep breath:
"Can I watch it again?"
Cao Wei looked at her, at the expectation and longing in her eyes.
A deep sense of sorrow welled up in my heart.
He nodded.
"Yes," he said, his voice hoarse.
"This jade pendant was originally a photographic stone."
"As long as you use your true energy to activate it, you can watch it repeatedly."
"Watch it whenever you want."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhaoyue's eyes instantly shone with an even brighter light.
She lowered her head and looked at the jade pendant in her hand again.
Long, slender fingers gently caressed the warm, smooth jade.
It's as if you're caressing the most precious treasure in the world.
Then, she took a deep breath.
True energy slowly flowed into the jade pendant.
That soft light shone once more.
That image resurfaced.
Sunshine, osmanthus flowers, stone table, stone bench.
A gentle mother, a resolute father, and an infant in swaddling clothes.
The family of three was enjoying a happy time together.
Jiang Zhaoyue stared intently at the scene, scrutinizing every detail within it.
The tenderness of a mother when she bows her head.
The composure of my father as he walked in.
The deep affection between the two when their eyes met.
The unspoken understanding and joy they shared as they bent down together to play with the baby.
She looked at every frame, every second with exceptional care.
It was as if they wanted to etch all of this into their minds forever.
Forever and ever.
Twelve seconds.
Twelve seconds have passed again.
The image disappeared again.
Jiang Zhaoyue took a deep breath and activated the jade pendant again.
The image reappeared.
She stared intently again.
Once.
One more time.
One more time.
I don't know how many times I've watched it.
I don't know how many times I urged it.
She just knelt there, watching the twelve-second clip over and over again.
It's as if I can never get enough of looking at it.
It was as if they wanted to etch those two figures into their hearts forever.
Cao Wei stood aside, quietly watching this scene.
Tears flowed silently.
He did not speak again.
I just stood there, keeping her company.
I watched that twelve-second scene with her again and again.
Accompanying her, in this way, we had a dialogue spanning twenty-one years with her parents whom she had never met.
In the courtyard, the sunlight slowly slants westward.
The light and shadow moved slowly across the ground, from the east wall to the west wall, from the old plum tree to the stone path.
But Jiang Zhaoyue remained kneeling there.
He held the jade pendant, looking at it again and again.
Until the sun set and dusk settled.
Until the last ray of sunlight disappeared beyond the courtyard wall.
Until the moonlight rose and shone on her, outlining her slender figure with exceptional clarity.
She finally stopped.
Jiang Zhaoyue held the jade pendant and knelt on the cold cobblestones.
Moonlight filtered through the branches of the old plum tree, bathing her in a cool, silvery glow.
She has watched it countless times.
Those twelve seconds of footage—the gently smiling couple, the adorable, snow-white baby in swaddling clothes—
Every frame, every second, is deeply imprinted in her mind.
But she still couldn't get enough of looking at him.
It's as if I can never get enough of looking at it.
It was as if they wanted to etch those two figures into their hearts forever, into their bones, and into the deepest part of their souls.
Until the moonlight gradually brightened, until the night breeze grew cooler.
She finally stopped.
He slowly raised his head.
Those once clear and aloof eyes were now severely swollen and red, with tear stains still clinging to their faces.
But the light in those eyes was brighter than ever before.
In that light, there was sorrow, longing, and relief.
There was also an unprecedented firmness.
She took a deep breath and carefully put the jade pendant into her bosom.
Place it on your chest, in the position closest to your heart.
Then, she slowly stood up.
My knees were a little weak from kneeling for so long, and my body swayed slightly.
But she held firm.
She turned around.
His gaze fell on the moon-white figure not far away.
Qin Mu stood with his hands behind his back under the old plum tree.
The moonlight shone on him, making his tall and straight figure stand out clearly.
He was looking at her.
A complex light flickered in those deep eyes.
When Jiang Zhaoyue met that gaze, an indescribable warmth welled up in her heart.
The warmth rose from the bottom of her heart and spread to her limbs and bones, making her feel warm all over.
Without him, she might never have known about her origins.
She may always believe that she is an orphan adopted by the Xu family.
She may never know that her parents were such strong-willed and unyielding people.
They may never know that her real name is Jiang Zhaoyue.
Instead of Jiang Qingxue.
That name was given to her by Xu Longxiang.
That name, from the very beginning, carried the shadow of another woman.
That name doesn't belong to her.
Her real name is Jiang Zhaoyue.
It was her father and her mother who named her that when she was born.
That's the name she truly deserves.
Jiang Zhaoyue placed her hand on the jade pendant on her chest.
Feel the warm, smooth texture of the jade, feel the temperature close to your heart.
Her eyes welled up with tears again.
She took a step and walked towards Qin Mu.