Chapter 872: The Only Person I Owe
Mrs. He couldn’t help but laugh, “Don’t worry, that’s not what I meant. I just want to say, if she truly regrets it and treats you well in the future, then you should forgive her.”
Ye Jiu was even more surprised because these words weren’t something the old lady of their family would typically say.
Nobody understood better than Ye Jiu how much Mrs. He valued herself, and Ye Jiu had witnessed her pettiness from a young age.
But now, the old lady suddenly became generous, especially in matters concerning her, which made Ye Jiu feel a bit unaccustomed for a moment.
“Mother, I’m not a child anymore. I know how to handle this matter,” Ye Jiu said.
As for the Princess Consort, Ye Jiu no longer thought about forgiveness or not, because for Ye Jiu, apart from being her biological mother, she had never been a part of her life, let alone any emotional connection.
They were just strangers with a blood tie.
Maybe because of her age, Mrs. He wasn’t as sharp as before, or perhaps, as a woman, Mrs. He had some understanding of the Princess Consort’s past actions.
It’s often said that even a vicious tiger doesn’t eat its cubs, but when pushed to a certain point, people can easily do things they regret for a lifetime.
Just like back then, if she hadn’t been pushed to a certain extent, she wouldn’t have personally handed her third child to Ye’s grandmother, able to ruthlessly not look at him.
Back then, the third child cried throughout the night because he was hungry, and every time Mrs. He heard it, her heart twisted, but she forced herself not to look, not to think.
So she could be unfeeling towards the eldest and the second, could callously order around the fourth whom she raised herself, but she never demanded anything from the third.
Because she knew in her heart, she didn’t have that right!
And the Princess Consort’s situation then, although different from hers, was essentially no different.
The difference was, she gave her child to her mother-in-law, while the Princess Consort gave her child to someone untrustworthy, so she and Xiaojiu ended up with a mother-child relationship.
At this moment, Mrs. He spoke up for the Princess Consort instead, “Xiaojiu, no matter what decision you make, mother will support you, but Xiaojiu, you must also know, in this world, it’s hard enough for women to live. Your mother, she didn’t completely abandon you back then, she just trusted the wrong person!”
Ye Jiu felt very strange, “Mother, what’s wrong with you today, why are you always speaking for others?”
Ye Jiu’s question caused Mrs. He’s expression to become complicated instantly, “Last night, mother had a dream and dreamt of your third brother.”
“Mother, you must be missing third brother. Should I send word and have him come see you?” Ye Jiu said.
Mrs. He shook her head, “It’s not that I miss your third brother, it’s just thinking about past events, feeling sorry for your third brother. The only person mother owes in this lifetime is him, and it’ll never be repaid.”
“Mother, what’s really going on?” Ye Jiu asked, since she’d only heard others mention her mother’s hardships in her youth, but the specifics were vague and unclear to her.
At this point, Mrs. He seemed to fall into reminiscing, “Back then, I thought by demoting Mrs. Li to a concubine, I could get revenge for the broken engagement, but after marrying, what faced me was the old lady’s continuous torment, with filial piety imposed on me like a weight. I was like mud in the garden, trampled underfoot and pressed hard, yet unable to resist!”