Volume 1: Gathering Winds of Splendor Chapter 5: Past Events Like Smoke

  After dinner, An Xin helped her mother clean up the bowls and chopsticks and put them in the kitchen.

  "Mother, I'll help you wash the dishes today." An Xin said, she knew her mother was very tired and busy every day, weaving cloth to exchange for that little bit of pitiful silver money to supplement her nutrition, and also taking care of her daily life. Every time she wanted to help her mother with things, her mother would refuse.

  "You little kid, what are you doing here? Go read a book and go to sleep." An SuSu firmly refused, while pushing An Xin away from the kitchen. She was at an age where she needed to grow taller, so besides eating well, she also couldn't be too tired, or it would affect her development.

  She couldn't give An Xin a life of luxury and comfort, and she already felt guilty about it. How could she let An Xin bear the heavy burden of life at such a young age? However, what made her feel relieved was that An Xin had never complained, even when wearing rough clothes and eating coarse grains, she was still very content and had never shown any dissatisfaction.

  Watching her mother wash dishes, An Xin felt a mix of emotions. Her mother had always hoped that she would become a knowledgeable and elegant young lady, despite their difficult life. Even so, her mother still bought some classical books and placed them in the house for An Xin.

  She heaved a slight sigh of relief, washed her face and changed into her nightclothes before crawling into bed to sleep. In ancient times, there was no nightlife to speak of, especially in this impoverished and remote mountain village where villagers usually went home to sleep as soon as the sky darkened.

  Ansu returned from washing dishes and saw that Anxin was already fast asleep. She always felt a sense of guilt towards this daughter, after all, if it weren't for her insistence on doing things this way, Anxin would definitely be living a life as luxurious as the princess in that place. Now she had to live such a simple and hard life with her. So she was always lenient with her. Anyway, since they had already decided to live a good life here, why bother restricting her with strict rules and frameworks?

  An Su thought of An Xin's nickname "Little Witch in the Village", and smiled to herself, fortunately, An Xin had lost her memory when she fell into the water at the age of 5. After losing her memory, her personality had gradually become more lively and cheerful over the years, completely different from her previous quiet and reserved self. For her, without those memories, she could thoroughly get rid of her past and live a good life from now on, content with what she has. Isn't this An Xin exactly what she hoped for? She shouldn't be greedy and wish for more.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, Ansu's gentle gaze fell upon Ahxin, who was sleeping soundly. She covered her with the quilt that had been kicked off and gazed at her delicate face, which was as lovely as a carved jade. For a moment, Ansu lost herself in thought. Ahxin really did resemble him - they shared the same thick eyebrows, the same upturned nose, and even their bright, sparkling eyes seemed to be cast from the same mold.

  Her eyes were filled with painful memories, six years had passed in the blink of an eye. Thinking back to the year she left, she couldn't even remember how she got through it. She was going through the motions, feeling hopeless and listless, her heart heavy and silent, every day staring blankly in the same direction.

  Fortunately, the villagers were very kind and would occasionally come to help her when she was struggling. They consoled her and encouraged her to cheer up, and over time, she gradually accepted her fate. After that incident of falling into the water, An Xin also became more sensible and obedient, although she still often got into trouble, but sometimes her thoughtful actions moved her mother's heart deeply.

  Although she has nothing now, she has peace of mind, which is enough. Peace of mind is everything to her.

  Her eyes were gentle and soft, as if they could overflow with water. She stroked the calm, white, and delicate face, paused for a moment, then slowly withdrew her hand and turned to leave the bedroom.

  The moment An Su stepped out, An Xin quietly opened her eyes. The vigilance in her bones could not be erased no matter how many years passed. So when her mother just walked into the bedroom, she was already awake. Although she couldn't see her mother's expression, she could feel the sorrow and relief surrounding her.

  Mother is a person with a story, and she has always known that. However, she doesn't know what reason made Mother put down her former prosperity and come here to live a simple life. Five years ago, I came here involuntarily, but I had no memory of it, so I knew nothing about Mother's past and could only pretend to have lost my memory from falling into the water.

  Mother must have left in desperation, otherwise she wouldn't have been filled with so much sorrow when recalling the past.

  Hearing mother's footsteps, I calmed down and closed my eyes, continuing to pretend to sleep.

  Ansu had finished washing up, walked into the bedroom, changed into cotton pajamas, blew out the oil lamp, climbed onto the bed, and carefully pulled the quilt to avoid disturbing Anxin who was dreaming.

  Having fallen into a deep sleep, An Xin felt as if someone was getting into bed beside her, so she turned over and tightly hugged An Su Su.

  In the dark, An's mouth slightly curved upwards, delighted by his daughter's dependence on him. He covered himself and An Xin with the quilt and lay down on his back.

  "So soft, so comfortable." An Xin murmured to herself, nuzzling her head against Ling Susu's chest.

  An Su's hands stiffened as she wanted to hold An Xin's hand, but it was neither a push nor an embrace, so she could only gently pat her back.

  Buried in mother's arms, feeling at ease, mouth corners expanding, silently laughing loudly.