My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 16 Part 1

Chapter 16  

"Chang Sui!"  

The door burst open as a woman in her twenties rushed in, her cheeks flushed from running.  

Both sides visibly froze upon seeing each other.  

"Third Sister Wu."  

Ji Taoyu stood up and called softly, afraid Wu Lianhe might not recognize him. He was about to introduce himself when Wu Lianhe forced a smile and addressed him, "Tao, Tao ger."  

"Third Sister Wu still remembers me?"  

"How could I not? You look just as lovely as you did when you were little."  

Though they were fellow villagers reuniting after a long separation and should have exchanged more pleasantries, Wu Lianhe's mind was entirely fixated on Zhao Changsui at that moment. She hastily held up a hairpin: "This...where did this come from?"  

As she spoke, she didn’t even notice her own voice trembling.  

Seeing this, Ji Taoyu stepped forward to close the door first.  

He introduced Huo Shu to Wu Lianhe: "This is Brother Changsui's comrade-in-arms. He specially brought this hairpin back from the north."  

Wu Lianhe had noticed Huo Shu the moment she entered the room. At first, she thought it was Zhao Changsui returning, but a closer look confirmed it wasn’t him.  

A faint unease crept into her heart, and when she heard Ji Taoyu’s introduction, her heart instantly plunged into an icy abyss. Tears welled visibly in her eyes.  

Finally meeting the person Zhao Changsui had longed for, Huo Shu also stood up. He glanced at Wu Lianhe before fixing his gaze on the hairpin: "This was something he carried with him on every battlefield. Before he died, he asked me to bring it back. Now that it’s returned to its rightful owner, I’ve fulfilled my duty."  

Wu Lianhe stared fixedly at Huo Shu upon hearing this, then suddenly raised her head to look at the sky, trying to hold back the flood of tears threatening to spill. Her fingers clenched tightly around the hairpin, as if she might snap it in half.  

After a long silence, she abruptly laughed, and the tears she could no longer control streamed straight down her face.  

"All these years, I thought he had long forgotten me."  

Huo Shu frowned slightly: "No. For eight years in the northern frontier, he never forgot you for a single day, not until the moment he closed his eyes."  

Wu Lianhe looked at Huo Shu’s stern face, listening to his flat, unemotional tone, as if he were stating something trivial.  

But the more indifferent he sounded, the more reassured she felt, because she couldn’t help but believe every word he said was true.  

"As long as he never forgot me, that’s enough. That’s enough."  

Wu Lianhe smiled: "Then all these years of waiting have been worth it, and not just a joke."  

Though Ji Taoyu had never experienced such emotions himself, he was deeply moved by Wu Lianhe’s plight.  

He stepped forward to steady the swaying woman: "Third Sister Wu, sit for a while."  

Wu Lianhe complied and sat down.  

"Third Sister Wu, back when you had that falling-out with your family, was it because of Brother Changsui?"  

Ji Taoyu poured a cup of tea and handed it gently to Wu Lianhe, voicing the question on his mind.  

"Exactly. Back then, when Changsui was conscripted, I wanted to save up money to pay his exemption fee so he wouldn’t have to go so far away for conscript labor. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough, and when I asked my family for help, they not only refused but also found out about our relationship."  

The Wu family disapproved of the two being together. The Zhao family was poor, but as long as the man was hardworking, life could still improve.  

But there was also a paralyzed elderly father who required constant care and medical expenses. Given the Wu family’s status, they could easily find Wu Lianhe a decent match and didn’t want their daughter to suffer.  

When they learned Zhao Changsui was being conscripted, the Wu family saw it as the perfect opportunity to sever the relationship. Why would they lend money to their daughter to subsidize the Zhao family?  

Later, after Zhao Changsui left for the northern frontier, the Wu family immediately began arranging marriages for Wu Lianhe.  

But the two had already pledged themselves to each other. Wu Lianhe refused to marry anyone but Zhao Changsui, vowing to wait for his return. She clashed with her family repeatedly.  

The Wu family scolded her, beat her, and even tried starving her into submission. But Wu Lianhe’s temper was unyielding, she’d rather starve to death than comply.  

In the end, she was their own flesh and blood. Their actions were only meant to secure her a better life, not to drive her to death. So they had no choice but to relent.  

"If that’s the case, why did Third Sister Wu leave the village and even claim to have gone to the mountains? If you had openly declared your engagement to the Zhao family and your intention to wait for Brother Changsui's return, the villagers wouldn’t have gossiped. Instead, they’d have admired your loyalty."  

Wu Lianhe looked at Ji Taoyu and stated bluntly: "Because I was pregnant with Changsui’s child."  

Ji Taoyu’s eyes widened in shock. Even Huo Shu who was usually composed, tensed slightly.  

Huo Shu wanted to ask directly where the child was now, but his sleeve was tugged lightly.  

Ji Taoyu feared the child might no longer be alive. Knowing Huo Shu’s bluntness, he worried a single question might reopen old wounds and signaled him not to ask.  

Fortunately, Wu Lianhe soon addressed their unspoken concern: "I was unmarried and pregnant. Staying at home would only bring shame to my family. My parents and brothers, out of pity, sent me to the city to live in secret."  

Hearing this, Huo Shu glanced at Ji Taoyu. Seeing no further objection, he asked: "Where is the child now?"  

Wu Lianhe respected Huo Shu and didn’t hide the truth: "He lives with me now. When he grew older, I sent him to a private school. I work at the workshop during the day, and by the time I finish, he’s usually done with classes."  

Ji Taoyu was astonished and couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Wu Lianhe: "Third Sister Wu, raising a child alone all these years must have been so hard."  

"It’s all in the past. Thankfully, I have some skills, and the workshop manager values me. These last two years haven’t been too difficult. The early years when I wasn’t working were much harder, my family supported me then."  

She sighed: "I’ve burdened my family all these years. I feel guilty about it."  

Meeting a fellow villager after so long, Wu Lianhe couldn’t help but ask: "How is Aunt Yuan? I heard earlier that Uncle Zhao passed away. I really should have taken the child back to pay respects, but given our… unofficial status, it would’ve only caused trouble for the old man."  

Ji Taoyu looked at Huo Shu: "Aunt Yuan has already adopted Huo Shu as her foster son. From now on, Elder Brother Huo will take care of her. Third Sister Wu, you don’t need to worry."