C9 Backlighting

Mom, look at how energetic you are right now. You have so much strength to even grab my hand, you must be fine, your illness will definitely recover, and look, my sister and I bought some medicine for you, after you drink it you will be fine. Mom, don't chase me away with your sister, what can we do without our mother.

How could Shan Xingniang not understand? But what could she do?

Mountain forest, what you said Mom understands, but even if I know that they want to take advantage of you guys, Mom has no other choice. Mom only wants you guys to live, and if you guys still have any value, then they can let you live.

Looking at his son and daughter who were exhausted for him, he felt the most heartache. The condition at home was so bad that they almost ran out of rice grains, yet the two children still insisted on buying medicine for him. How could he bear to make them suffer so much because they were only a few years old children after all?

Shan Xing, you have to listen to your brother. In the future, when you return to the manor, the only thing you can rely on is your brother. Since there are no boys in the manor, your brother won't be able to take any hardships.

As Shan Xingniang said this, she knew that it was only to comfort her. How could the people from the mansion let their daughter have her way? Who knows, maybe she would just be pushed into a corner after returning to the mansion.

"I know, Mother. Don't worry, I will follow brother closely."

Shan Xing nodded her head furiously. No matter what, she should first let her mother feel at ease. Otherwise, she wouldn't feel at ease after her mother left. Shan Xing had noticed her mother's departure …

Her condition today was a little too good, especially after being so agitated. She had just fainted, but how could she be so energetic? Suddenly, a word appeared in Shan Xing's mind, causing her to break out in a cold sweat.

"Sigh, Shan Xing is such a good child, she's so obedient."

Shan Xingniang took Shan Xing into her arms and tearfully cried. She was really unwilling to just hand over the child just like that. She hated how unfair the heavens were, hated how rough the road was in the human world, hated how she couldn't accompany the children to the end.

"Apricot! Call me mother again! In the mountains, call me mother again!"

Seeing her mother trying so hard to keep her eyes open, Shan Xing felt even more uneasy. She quickly shouted, "Mother!"

Then, she saw her mother's eyes gush with tears.

"Brother, hurry up and call your mother. Hurry up."

Shan Xing anxiously pulled her brother over. She was really afraid that her mother would leave with regrets.

He was angry that his mother handed him over to someone else. However, when he saw his mother's teary appearance, he couldn't bear it any longer. After struggling for a while, he finally opened his mouth and shouted,

"Mother!"

Her voice was not loud, and it carried a sense of grievance. However, Shan Xing had observed it carefully. When her mother heard the call, she finally let out a sigh of relief and slowly closed her eyes.

"Mother! Mother!"

Shan Xing hugged her mother and shouted loudly. Only then did the forest notice, and hurriedly rushed forward, only to discover that her mother was no longer breathing. He hugged his mother, pulled his sister into his embrace, and wailed in tears.

"Mother! Mother!"

Mother, can you walk slower? Let your son send you on your journey. The mountain forest screamed so hard that it was like one's heart was breaking one's lungs, but it could never be exchanged again. Mother, if I can make you open your eyes and look at your son again, your son is willing to give everything in exchange.

"Consort Peng, Consort Peng …"

Hearing the cries in the room, Jasmine walked in quickly, and the girls, servants, and other servants followed behind her. The room was immediately full again.

After calling out twice and seeing that no one responded, Jasmine called her servant over.

"Go and see Consort Peng."

Although she didn't say it out loud, everyone could tell that Consort Peng had gone there. However, the servant had just taken a step when he was stopped by the mountain forest.

"You don't need to come over, I can see for myself."

The mountain forest wiped away her tears and pointed her index finger at her mother's nose. That place no longer had its usual warmth. Her mother finally left, and tears once again fell from the mountain forest, drop by drop.

"Eldest Young Master, since Consort Peng has already gone, let's go home. Consort Peng has entrusted you to me before she left. I will take good care of you and Second Miss, and also let Consort Peng feel more at ease."

Jasmine walked over and wanted to carry Shan Xing and Wu Shan down, but the two of them clung onto her mother and refused to come down.

"I want my mother, so I won't go with you."

The mountainous forest struggled with all its might, trapping her little sister between herself and her mother. Her two little hands were tugging at her mother's clothes with all their might, unwilling to let go.

"Eldest Young Master, be good, she needs to be at ease once she leaves. Otherwise, when she goes to the Underworld, she will be worried and unable to reincarnate soon. Do you have the heart to let your mother be a wandering soul in the Underworld?"

At this time, the person he trusted the most was the Divine Buddha. With just a few words from Jasmine, he was able to move the mountain forest. Even if he wanted to keep his mother, he was afraid that she would be wronged in the underworld.

"I want to bury my mother properly."

He knew that his mother wouldn't be able to bring him back, but he wasn't willing to let his mother's corpse be exposed in the wilderness either.

"Of course, no matter how poor our Shan family is, we shouldn't let our concubine leave, there's nowhere to go."

This was the first time Shan Xing realized that her surname was Shan and that her mother wasn't trying to coax her.

With Jasmine around, there was no need for the two siblings to worry about anything else. They had prepared everything well, gave Consort Peng a tomb in the mountain, and even specifically asked for the two siblings' opinions.

Jasmine had probably realized that if she did not take care of this matter properly, this eldest young master would not let this matter go. Even if she forced him to return, if eldest young master returned to the mansion, it would be easy for him to find trouble with her.

When the time came, he would not be allowed to do whatever he wanted. Even if he was favored by First Madam, he might not be able to stand up for her. After all, compared to the eldest young master, he was still a servant.

Originally, he would have to pay a huge debt to be able to bring the young master back, but if he offended the young master, then there would be endless troubles in the future. Seeing how the young master valued Consort Peng so highly, if he didn't take care of this matter well, he would definitely fall out with him.

"Eldest Young Master, do you see anything else that's inappropriate?"

After arranging the graves, coffins, and tombstones properly, he told the eldest young master that he would have to go to the funeral tomorrow and ask the Daoist to practice his method. The monk recited scriptures and contacted Li Zheng in the village, giving him some silver to arrange for Consort Peng to burn paper tombs during the first seven, thirty-seven, fifty-seven, seven, and ninety-seven days. As for the rest of the money, he would use it as a donation to the village.

He simply did not know what to do, and only felt that doing this was enough, at least it was better than what he had imagined. He thought that he would only be looking for a grave and buy a coffin to bury him, but who would have thought that Jasmine would prepare so much?

So he was already very grateful and felt that returning home was nothing compared to not having any money. Besides, since his mother had already gone, even his sister could take her away, there was nothing left to worry about in this village.

"I still have one last thing I want to ask Jasmine to do."

The forest remembered something, so he raised his head to ask Jasmine.

"Eldest Young Master, please tell me. This servant will do his best to help you. There is absolutely no need to use the word 'please'."

"Come with me to these houses and thank them for their help. If possible, give them less silver as a form of thanks."

This was not a big deal. Jasmine promised to go with them and sure enough, each family gave two taels of silver to the farmers they were going to visit. The others were all touched, but they said that they were from the same village and would not accept the money.

This surprised Jasmine, as she could tell that these farmers were extremely poor and didn't have much to pay for. Their clothes were all patched up, but the silver that was sent in front of them, was not something any of them were willing to accept.

In the end, under the request of the eldest young master, they used up all of their good words to let them know that their family was truly rich, and that they didn't need these few taels of silver to live their lives. Moreover, this was the brother and sister's wish, and also the last wish of their mother before she passed away.

Jasmine suddenly felt that she had stayed in the mountain mansion for too long, and that there were even some accidents that had become indifferent. Actually, in this world, there were not only rich and poor, there were also human relationships, and sometimes, the amount of money people spent on interacting with others did not belong to them.

"Little sister, from now on, you have to follow me closely, do you understand?"

When everything was settled, Jasmine brought along the little girl, her wife, and the steward as she led the two siblings Shan Xing and Shan Xing onto the road. They sat on the carriage and repeatedly warned their sister while Shan Xing obediently coordinated with her brother.

"I understand, I will follow your orders, follow closely behind big brother."

However, she clearly knew in her heart that her brother's thoughts were a dream and there was no possibility of achieving it. Not to mention the difference between a man and a woman of seven years old, just their status in the mansion made them destined not to live together.

"Hmm, as long as you listen to me, I will also pull you closer. No one will separate us."

The mountain forest was still talking to his sister about his decision. He had always remembered his mother's last instructions in his heart. He wanted to protect his sister well so that she could eat until she was full and dress warmly just like himself, not be bullied.

His mother had told him countless times already. Being able to escape from that family was truly a blessing from the heavens, saving him from becoming a popinjay. It seemed that he had to work even harder, otherwise, his little sister's life would not be safe.