Chapter 400: Chapter 400: Shu Jiao (1)_1 Chapter 400: Chapter 400: Shu Jiao (1)_1 It was past six in the evening.
The sun had set, and the Ruanlin family matriarch was busy cooking dinner in the kitchen. Several boys, Ruan Jiaojiao, and Xiu Xi were all playing upstairs. The older brothers were quite worried about Ruan Jiaojiao and tried their best to amuse her.
However, Ruan Jiaojiao’s mood was really low, sitting in a chair hugging Sanmao, lost in thought.
When a cry of surprise ca from downstairs, Ruan Jie was trying his best to entertain Ruan Jiaojiao. Ruan Chi was leaning by the window, watching, and the noise from outside distracted him. He glanced out and his eyes suddenly widened in shock.
Still gazing outside, he started frantically waving his hand at Ruan Jie, “Jiezi, Jiezi, look outside, quick, look! Isn’t that Auntie?”
At these words, Ruan Jie turned his head abruptly.
For the mont, he forgot about Ruan Jiaojiao. He rushed to the window, leaned over the sill to take a look outside, but could only see a silhouette. However, that silhouette was enough to excite him trendously.
It really was his mother!
It truly was!
Ruan Jie was beside himself with excitent. He turned his head and yelled to Ruan Jiaojiao, “Sis, Mom’s back!” Then he dashed out the door.
The other boys looked at each other in astonishnt, not expecting their aunt to return at this mont. They too followed Ruan Jie out to see what the excitent was about.
Only Ruan Jiaojiao stayed in her place, holding Sanmao, apparently unaffected. Yet, her trembling hands betrayed her emotions at that mont.
Xiu Xi stood right beside her.
Quietly keeping her company.
Ruan Jiaojiao asked, “Xi brother, if one day I suddenly disappeared, would you still rember ?”
“I won’t,” Xiu Xi answered; he wouldn’t let her disappear.
But Ruan Jiaojiao thought he ant that he wouldn’t forget her. She pursed her lips and moved down from the chair. She knew she couldn’t hide, so she decided to face it squarely.
Just what did this Shu Jie know, and who was the amulet really protecting? These weren’t things she could avoid just by not seeing.
Ruan Jiaojiao put Sanmao down and walked towards the stairs, her back ramrod straight, like a valiant soldier going to her doom.
Xiu Xi followed behind her, his gaze never leaving her from beginning to end.
Downstairs, however, there was another lively scene. Ruan Jie had run down to see the beautiful woman being surrounded by a crowd as she ca in. He imdiately burst into tears and flung himself at her, “Mom!”
The woman was dealing with the enthusiastic villagers, and when she heard the sound, she looked over and saw Ruan Jie flying towards her. Her eyes also reddened.
Shu Jiao left for the countryside when she was seventeen. She got together with Ruan Jianguo at eighteen, and by nineteen, she had given birth to Ruan Hao. Now Ruan Hao was already fifteen, and she herself was a woman in her thirties. However, ti had treated her kindly. After so many years, she still looked as young and beautiful. Of course, her greatest charm was not her beauty but the intellectual charm other won of the era lacked.
Such a temperant could not be cultivated unless one ca from a family steeped in scholarly tradition for centuries.
Seeing her son flying down towards her, Shu Jiao’s eyes reddened, and she half-knelt down, embracing his oncoming figure.
“Xiaojie.” Her voice was as gentle as the sound of flowing water, comforting to hear.
“Mom, why did you only co back now? I’ve been waiting so long, I thought you would never co back,” Ruan Jie said, crying. The half-grown boy, usually tough enough to bleed and sweat without a tear, had secretly shed many tears over Shu Jie.
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