书斋小说网

第 4 章（第1页）

Suyuancarefullycarriedthewoodenlunchboxintothemainhall。Theroomwaswarmerthanthecourtyard，thoughonlyslightly。Asmallcharcoalbrazierburnedquietlyintheer，itsweakflamesbarelyenoughtodriveawaytheeveningchill。Sheplacedthelunchboxoableandslowlyope。Acurlofsteamroseintotheair，thefragranceofgingerandfreshlycookedfishfilledtheroom。”Mother”PrincessShuranwassittingbesidethewindow，Suyuan’sfootstepsslowed。Shehadseenhermothereverydayfor18yearsyetsomehoweverytimeshelookedatheritfeltasthoughanotherpieceofherheartwasbreaking。

ThewomansittingbeforeherisnolohegracefulprincessinNannyZhang’sstories。Herfacehadbeefrighteninglypale，hercheekhadlostitsfullnessahinwristswerealmosthiddehthesleevesofherclothing。YearsofillnesshadslowlytakenawaythevitalitythatoncemadehermothershiheflowerinNannyZhang’sstorieswaswitheringbeforehereyes。Suyuanloweredherhead，tearsfellsilentlyontothebackofherhand。Shurannoticedandshereachedoutgentlyandtookherdaughtershand，‘whyareyYuanyuan?”Suyuanslowlyshookherhead“Imn”buthertearsbetrayedher。Shuranlookedatherforamoment，shedidn’texposethelieinstead，herthumbgentlywipedawaytearsfromSuyuan’seyes。

“ThenwhydoesmyYuanyuanlooksosad?”Suyuanbittheinsideofhercheek，shehadheldthesequestionsforyears。Buttonight，seeinghermotherthisweakshecouldnolongerkeepthemthere。Withatremblingvoicesheask“whymother?Whydidyouhavetolivelikethis?”。Shuranhandspause。“Whydidyouhavetomarrysomeoneyoudidn’tlove?”aearrolleddownSuyuan’scheek…Theroomfellsilent。Foralongwhile，Shurandidn’taheoutasoftsigh“perhaps…”shesaidquietly，"Ivesimplylefteverythingtofate”。

Shesmiled。

Itwasafaint，peacefulsmile。HerfiightenedgentlyaroundSuyuan’shand。“Afteralltheseyears，Ihaveyou…You’remygreatesttreasureYuanyuanandthat’senoughforme”。Suyuan’stearsfellfaster“Whatkindoftreasureamimother?ifihadneverbeenborn，youwouldn’thavesufferedthismuch”hervoicecracked。Shelookedathermotherdesperately。”Yuanyuanthisismydecision，Iamtheonewhochosethispath“Shuran’svoiceremainedgentle，shetookabreathbutitsoonturnedintoacough。Herbreathingbecameincreasinglyunsteady。“Icouldn’tgiveyouthelifethatirlshave…icouldonlymakeyouworryaboutyouinpetentmother”anotherharshcoughescapedherthroat。Suyuan’sheartlurched，Shuransuddenlycoveredhermouthasaviolentcoughshookherthinbody。Suyuanimmediatelykbesideher，”motherdon’ttalkanymore”。ShepouredwaterintoacupwithatremblinghandandheldittoShuran’slips。

ShurantookasmallsipwhileSuyualypattedherback，panicfillingherchest。Sheshouldn’thaveasked，sheshouldn’tmakehermotheremotional。Afterawhile，Shuran’sbreathingfinallysteadied。herofthemspoke，onlythefaintcragofthecharcoalfilledtheroom。Shuran’sgazefelluponthewoodenlunchbox，“Yhtthefood?”Suyuannodded“Imadesomefishbroth”。Suyuansmiledandpickedupthespoonbutbeforeshecouldfeedhermother，Shuranreachedoutandtookitfromher。“Letmotherfeedyoufirst，Iknowyouhaveeherhaveyou?”Suyuanstaredathermother，foramomentshefeltlikealittlegirlagain。Thesamelittlegirlwhohadobesidehermother’sbed，waitingforhertowakeup。

AfaintsmilefinallyappearedonSuyuan’face，sheobedientlyopenedhermouth。Shuranblewonitcarefullytocoolitbeforebringingittoherdaughterslips。“Isitgood”Shuranasked，“it’sdelicious，mothermadeittastebetter”Shuranlaughedsoftly。ItwasaweaklaughbuttoSuyuanitrecious。Shegentlytookthespoonfromhermother’shand，“nowit’smyturn”。Shurandidn’tresist，Suyuancarefullyscoopedupsomebroth，blewonitbeforebringingittowardhermother’slip。Shurantookasmallsip，andtheytioeatlikethat。Onespoonforhermotherandoneforherself。MostofthefishbrothendedupinSuyuan’sbelly，hermothercouldnolongereatmuch，especiallythemeatofthefish。SuyuaendednottonoticesowheneverShuranpushedthefishtowardsher，shesimplyatewithoutplaint。

Outside，thewindbrushedagainsttheoldwindows。Winterwasing，butihesmallroomthemotheranddaughtersatclosetoeachotheroverthesimplebowloffishbroth。Forthisbriefmoment，there’snoKhan，nowar，nopalatrigueandnopoliticalstruggle。Therewasonlyamotherandherdaughter，andSuyuansilentlyprayedthatthismomentwouldlastforever。