It was while their family was staying at her father's house, watching her parents work tirelessly and being subtly insulted by her brother's wife, that he felt he had wronged his parents.
He Chunxiu, holding her youngest daughter, wore a wry smile. This was also her first time seeing such an imposing and refined-looking eldest niece.
The young lady was truly beautiful, the prettiest girl she had ever seen.
Yet, after just meeting, her parents-in-law and her own husband seemed to have forgotten her. No one thought to introduce her, and she felt heartbroken.
She didn't like that brother's wife either, but her family was from the mountains, and marrying a wife wasn't easy, so she could understand her parents.
But she couldn't tolerate that woman constantly causing trouble for her in-laws. Even though their family was staying at her parents' home.
They weren't staying for free. Her mother-in-law helped with laundry and cooking, and her father-in-law and husband went out every day to help with the farm work.
But her brother's wife acted as if their family was getting a great deal.
If she hadn't been heavily pregnant back then, her parents-in-law and husband might have suggested moving to Liaodong much earlier.
The family endured, and after she gave birth to their second child and they had celebrated the full moon, her husband couldn't wait any longer and arranged to travel to Liaodong to join his elder sister.
No one expected her brother's wife to want to tag along. She even managed to convince her parents and elder brother and his wife.
Alas, this was the first time she had encountered such a peculiar person.
Therefore, from their home to this journey, she had argued with her in-laws and brother's wife more than once.
The group continued to walk forward. Fu Xinci was still asking her maternal grandparents if they had encountered any bandits along the way.
"We didn't. We traveled with a merchant caravan. The people in the caravan joked that the bandits in North Zhili must have gone home to harvest their crops."
Fu Xinci chuckled at this, finding the person quite humorous.
The group walked on, chatting and laughing. As they could see the mountain pass in the distance, a carriage suddenly rushed out from it, with Yu'er following on his bay horse.
Ning'er, with her sharp eyes, pointed at the person driving the carriage and said to her sister with a smile, "Sister, look, it's Father driving the carriage, and Mother is sitting inside, lifting the curtain to look towards us."
"Yes, it's Mother and Father."
Father and Mother Fang, upon hearing their granddaughter say that their daughter and son-in-law had arrived, kept their eyes fixed on the approaching carriage.
They hadn't seen their daughter in five or six years. Now, seeing their son-in-law driving the carriage, their eyes immediately blurred with tears.
"Father, Mother." Seeing her daughter with her younger son riding horses alongside an ox cart, Madam Fang knew her parents were on that ox cart.
"Ah, Xiao Yun," Mother Fang called out her daughter's childhood nickname, tears streaming down her blurred eyes.
"Mother, Mother." Madam Fang wished she could jump off the horse and rush to her parents' side.
Fu Yu, afraid she would do something foolish, quickly comforted her, "My wife, sit tight. We'll be with your parents very soon."
"Mm." Hearing her husband's words, Madam Fang suppressed her excitement and did not foolishly jump off the horse.
The carriage finally stopped about twenty to thirty feet in front of the ox cart. Madam Fang, already impatient, leaped down from the carriage.
"Father, Mother, your daughter is unfilial."
Seeing Madam Fang kneel before the ox cart where her parents were seated, Fu Yu knelt beside her.
Fu Xinci and Yu'er dismounted and knelt behind their parents.
"Ah, ah, hurry and get up."
Father and Mother Fang, finally seeing their longed-for daughter, both hurried forward and helped their daughter and son-in-law to their feet.
As Madam Fang drew closer and saw the gaunt faces of her parents, tears welled up in her eyes, unstoppable.
"Father, Mother, you have suffered."
Hearing his sister's words, Fang Xiaotao choked up and confessed, "Sister, it's all my fault. I didn't take good care of Father and Mother."
"Ah, child, how can this be blamed on you?"
Watching the family of four weep bitterly, He Chunxiu also felt a pang of guilt as she alighted the ox cart with her two daughters.
She didn't dare to approach herself, so she let her eldest daughter go and comfort her grandparents.
The little girl was only three years old. Due to the recent upheaval in the family, her once plump body had become frighteningly thin.
Her eyes, so like Madam Fang's, looked timidly at her tearful grandparents and her father, who looked like a red-eyed rat.
The little girl was also scared, and before she could speak, tears welled up in her big eyes.
"Qingmei, hurry and go comfort your grandparents, tell them not to cry. Your health is important."
He Chunxiu placed all her hope on her eldest daughter.
"..." The little girl did not reply. Although she was young, the changes of the past few months had allowed her to see the unspoken hierarchies.
At her mother's urging, she took hesitant steps, slowly approaching Father and Mother Fang, and stammered, "Grandma, don't cry."
Hearing her eldest granddaughter's voice, Mother Fang remembered the three women behind her. She quickly wiped her tears and introduced her daughter.
"Xiao Yun, these are your eldest niece and Qingmei. Your second niece, Qingguo, is only two months old and is with her mother."
As Mother Fang spoke, she tenderly pulled her eldest granddaughter into her embrace.
"Our family has been okay these past few months, but Qingmei is still young and had to suffer with us."
Madam Fang's eyes were red from crying. She first used a handkerchief to wipe the tears from Mother Fang's face, then dabbed her own eyes.
When her eyes had adjusted to the swelling, she carefully examined her eldest niece.
Upon seeing the thin and frail little Qingmei, tears once again streamed down her face.
"Mother, the child..."
Madam Fang wanted to ask why the child had been neglected to such an extent, but as she took a closer look, her parents' complexions were only slightly better than those of the refugees from Qingzhou. Instantly, her eyes welled up with tears again, and she could not finish her sentence.
Fu Yu had been observing Madam Fang and her parents-in-law. Seeing Madam Fang about to cry again, he quickly spoke to divert the conversation.
"My wife, let's ask your parents to go home and rest quickly. We've also prepared a meal at home. We can talk at length once your parents have recovered their energy."
Hearing her husband's words, Madam Fang stood up with a hint of shyness. She and her husband each took an arm of Father and Mother Fang and helped them into the carriage.
Madam Fang looked back and saw He Chunxiu standing there helplessly. She quickly beckoned for them, mother and daughters, to join them in the carriage.
He Chunxiu, seeing her elder sister-in-law not giving her the cold shoulder and even inviting them into the carriage, smiled foolishly at Madam Fang with gratitude.
Fu Xinci could no longer bear to watch. She walked forward and intended to lift her cousin Qingmei onto the carriage.
The small figure stiffened and remained motionless in her arms.
This made Fu Xinci slow her pace, fearing that she would cry.
He Chunxiu finally reacted and ran towards them. Fu Xinci was so startled that she wanted to say, "Slow down, don't drop the child in your arms."