Farm Girl's Manor

Lizhong and his granddaughter settled down in the Mo Family. During the day, Liyan took meticulous care of her grandfather, keeping him company and chatting to alleviate his boredom. At night, she shared a bed with Mo Yan and her sister, but Lizhong’s illness kept relapsing and showed no sign of improvement, casting a pall over the household atmosphere.

The misfortune that befell his daughter weighed heavily on Lizhong, who couldn’t let go of his guilt. He felt that if he hadn’t misjudged people back then and allied himself with the heartless and unscrupulous Zhang Family, his daughter wouldn’t have been cruelly abandoned. What tormented him most was that her whereabouts were unknown, leaving him to wonder whether she was dead or alive. Every time these thoughts crossed his mind, he could barely restrain himself from wanting to take his own life.

Lizhong’s illness was essentially psychosomatic; how could his body possibly recover under such depression? Every time Grandfather’s condition worsened, Liyan was beside herself with worry, wishing she could suffer in his stead. She was still young and clueless about how to comfort him, so at night, all she could do was hide under the covers and secretly weep.

After several days of this, Mo Yan could no longer stand by. Although their families were quite close, they were still outsiders, and there were some things she and her father really couldn’t say. But if things continued this way, she feared Lizhong would truly work himself to death.

"Grandfather Li, since you know you did wrong by Aunt Li, why not hasten your recovery and find a way to locate her and properly make amends? If you continue like this, your body will only break down. Yanzi is still so young; can you bear to leave her all alone in this world? You’ve already failed Aunt Li; do you have to fail Yanzi too and prevent her parents’ spirits from resting in peace?"

Mo Yan’s words struck Lizhong’s heart like a knife, and his face instantly turned deathly pale, his hands trembling uncontrollably as he neared collapse.

Liyan looked at her grandfather in unbearable pain, her heart filled with compassion. She knew right from wrong, understanding that Sister Yan’s words, though harsh, were for her grandfather’s benefit.

Seeing the old man in such agony, Mo Yan couldn’t bear it either, but she tried to persuade him to let go and explained that Lixiu’s situation wasn’t his fault—it was the Zhang Family’s doing... Such words might work on those who were weak and liked to shirk responsibility, but for Lizhong, who was deeply fixated on his love for his daughter, they were utterly useless. A shock was necessary to bring him to full realization.

"It’s all my fault, all my fault... If I hadn’t insisted on renouncing our slave status that year, if my family hadn’t returned to our ancestral home, we wouldn’t have encountered the chaos of war, wouldn’t have run into bandits during our escape, and my son and daughter-in-law would not have died. My daughter would not have married that beastly man. It’s all my fault, all my fault—"

Buried face in hands, Lizhong wailed, releasing a heart full of regret and sorrow.

Mo Yan stopped Liyan from moving forward and shook her head. She didn’t fully understand Grandfather Li’s words, but she knew that his pain was deeper than she had imagined, and letting it out now was not a bad thing.

The cries of Lizhong alarmed Xin Er and Zhenzhen in the yard, who burst into the room, unsure of what to do. They looked back and forth between Grandfather Li and their sister before silently taking a stand to one side.

After pouring out his emotions, Lizhong’s body couldn’t take it anymore and he gradually fell asleep. Mo Yan, along with the three children, quietly left the room and closed the door behind them.

Liyan also had a good cry, and by now her eyes were as red as a rabbit’s.

Mo Yan patted her shoulder, consoling, "Don’t be sad. Now that your grandfather has vented his sorrow, his illness will soon improve!"

"Hmm, I know. If it weren’t for Sister Yan, I would still be unaware that Grandfather has always blamed himself for the death of my parents."

Liyan wiped her tears, feeling extremely guilty. She had been by Grandfather’s side all this time and yet failed to notice the troubles on his mind. She truly had been unfilial!

Mo Yan shook her head. Only after hearing her did she realize that Lizhong once was a domestic-born servant of a major household in the capital. Although he was a mid-level Manager in the household and had a much better life than most servants, he already had sons and daughters by then, with his daughter being of age to discuss marriage and his grandson soon to be born. He did not want his grandson to end up as a servant as well.

By chance, Lizhong rescued the head family’s only grandchild, and they were very grateful. Seizing the opportunity, Lizhong requested his release from servitude, which the master’s family considered and eventually agreed to, granting freedom to him and his family. ƒreewebɳovel.com

Once free, Lizhong intended to take his family back to their ancestral home to settle down. At that time, someone who was on good terms with Lizhong proposed a match for his daughter Lixiu—the prospective groom was Zhang Ming.

After some consideration, Lizhong thought Zhang Ming was honest, and since his family owned a rice shop, there would be no worries about food and drink. Although he found Zhang Ming’s mother difficult to get along with, he believed his gentle, capable, and filial daughter would be liked by her husband’s family. Plus, with the old friend acting as a matchmaker, Lizhong accepted the marriage proposal.

However, Lixiu married into misfortune, ending up in such a tragic state; the family headed north to escape calamities, only for her son and daughter-in-law to be killed. It was no wonder Lizhong became so fixated, blaming himself for his son and daughter-in-law’s deaths and his daughter’s misfortunes, probably thinking that if only he hadn’t insisted on their release from servitude then, despite being servants, they could have lived a safe and peaceful life instead of being separated by life and death, their whereabouts unknown.

Mo Yan sighed deeply; perhaps this was what people meant when they said what seems like a misfortune can be a blessing, and what seems like a blessing can conceal misfortune.

Gently caressing the Ancient Jade Mark in the palm of her hand, Mo Yan had a clearer goal in mind for what she had to do in the future.

Lizhong slept deeply for a long while, not waking until evening. Although he was still weak and needed support to get out of bed and eat, there was a different light in his eyes.

The words Mo Yan had spoken ignited all of Lizhong’s will. From that moment on, he had a new goal in life: to take good care of his granddaughter and to find his missing daughter.

Mo Yan and Mo Qingze could sense the evident change in Lizhong and were both silently happy for the grandfather and grandson, hoping that their future days would be smooth, without any further suffering.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. Lizhong’s illness had mostly improved, needing only a bit more time for recuperation to fully recover; Lin Yong’s situation was also smooth sailing with no one daring to cause further trouble, and the grains produced in the Space were sufficient to meet demands; Xin Er’s needlework had become more exquisite, and the sachets and handkerchiefs she embroidered could now be sold for money; Zhenzhen was also studying hard, reciting poetry and storytelling with ease, and now she had begun practicing her writing as well...

All was developing in a positive direction. One day, Mo Yan took her siblings and Liyan out for a stroll in the streets, which seemed busier than usual. The excitement and exuberance on people’s faces were undisguised. When they passed by a teahouse where storytellers were performing, they learned that the South had won a military victory, that the rebelling refugees had been completely suppressed, and many enemy spies had been captured, enhancing the nation’s prestige, with the triumphant army expected to return soon...