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As they approached Lin Family Village, Aozheng urged Yun Ting to return home to see his mother. A sense of trepidation washed over him as he neared his hometown. The sandy beach was marked with a trail of uneven footprints. In the distance, the sounds of roosters crowing and boats just setting out to sea could be heard, like ink spots on the horizon. The village loomed closer and larger before him. He noticed that a courtyard had been built around his home, though he couldn't recall when it had happened. The door stood open, and Mother Lin sat in the yard, her head bowed as she sifted through small dried fish. On the wall hung four pickled pig tails, two large fish, and a sizable piece of cured meat. The winter sun filled the small courtyard, making the preserved goods glisten in the light.
Lin Qingmo leaned against the doorframe, his voice trembling as he called out, "Mother—" Mother Lin looked up, squinting against the sunlight. Her delicate face appeared pale, with a faint blush on her cheeks and fine cracks resembling ice creeping across her skin, making her seem a decade older. Upon recognizing Lin Qingmo, she accidentally knocked over the sieve in her hands. "Qingmo—my child..." Tears choked her voice as she took two shaky steps forward and embraced him tightly.
Lin Qingmo nestled into his mother's embrace, holding her waist firmly. Mother Lin stroked his head and smiled, "You're all grown up yet still cling to your mother." "Mother," Lin Qingmo tightened his grip again, "I missed you! I missed you so much!" Tears streamed down Mother Lin's face as Lin Qingmo rested his head against her chin, soaking his hair with her tears while his own eyes overflowed. In that moment, both were enveloped in their shared sorrow.
Suddenly, Mother Lin's heart tightened. She pushed Lin Qingmo away and asked anxiously, "Did anyone see you come back?" Lin Qingmo shook his head, sniffing back tears that lingered on his cheeks. "No, I came back secretly. I know everyone in the village thinks I'm dead." Mother Lin felt a pang in her heart; she cupped Lin Qingmo's face in her hands and smiled through her tears. "My child has gained weight; you haven't suffered out there."
"Mother," Lin Qingmo grasped her hands again and said earnestly, "You knew I wasn't dead? I am unfilial for not returning sooner to see you."
Mother Lin regained her composure, letting out a sigh of relief. "I suspected something was amiss after what happened with Lin San and Lin Liu. They went mad for no reason; Lin Xiao was severely injured, yet you were unharmed. When Mother Lin Xiao came to scold me for raising a disaster child who would bring misfortune to those around him, I thought of that time when a dog bit you—it must have been that Fat Doll helping you from behind the scenes. But who does good without reason? Only those who give without wanting anything in return? I was scared then and wanted to move you to town; that's why I agreed to your marriage proposal to become a son-in-law of the Ge Family. But that doll had great power and took you away anyway. When you went missing that time, I thought it was him coming for you; your corpse was also fake."
"Mother." Lin Qingmo felt a tinge of shyness thinking about Ao Yan and buried himself back into her embrace, pressing his face against her chest. "He treats me well. His family treats me well too." After a pause, he gritted his teeth and confessed, "Mother, I... I've married him."
Mother Lin pulled him up from her embrace and gently caressed his face with deep concern in her eyes. "I've seen through it all; whether it's a man or a woman who treats you well is what matters most. Your father and I were a man and a woman; it was proper according to ethics. Yet your father left without a word for many years without caring for us at all. I've suffered hardships; all I want is for you to live well. Whether it's a man or woman doesn't matter."
"Yes," Lin Qingmo nodded but tears still spilled from his eyes. He added softly, "Mother, if I come back to live with you in the future, will you still want me?"
Mother Lin's expression darkened slightly as she gently poked his forehead. "You are a piece of flesh from my body; how could I not want you? But have you quarreled with that boy? You're older than him; you should give way..."
"Mother," Lin Qingmo interrupted her gently, "His name is Ao Yan; he is actually the eighth prince of Dragon Palace." Mother Lin's expression changed dramatically as joy surged within her heart like waves crashing against the shore; she felt an overwhelming urge to laugh out loud at this revelation. It wasn't just wealth that made her heart flutter; as a mother wishing for her child's happiness, knowing that her son would be well cared for by such an influential family filled her with hope.
Her face seemed to bloom like flowers in spring after enduring winter's chill; she said brightly, "There’s no obstacle we can’t overcome together. Though you're older than him at heart you're still children after all. And given their wealth, he must have been spoiled rotten—children like that tend to be temperamental and domineering. You mustn't throw childish tantrums; be accommodating towards him... If it truly becomes unbearable, just come home; we can move away from Lin Family Village together! Do you hear me? Never allow yourself to be wronged."
Lin Qingmo nodded vigorously but felt an ache in his heart he couldn't quite place—a bittersweet sensation washing over him like waves retreating from shore.
After chatting with his mother for some time and indulging in affectionate banter, Lin Qingmo pulled out a small silk pouch from his pocket and poured out a large pearl onto his palm. "Mother," he said earnestly, "I didn’t bring much back this time; sell this pearl—it’s worth quite a bit of money. The New Year is approaching but I might not be able to return in time. You must take good care of yourself."
Mother Lin stood up and took hold of her son's hand as they walked toward the inner room while saying cheerfully, "While you've been away, Lin Xiao has become like another son to me—he often comes by to visit me. He even hired someone to build this courtyard for me and said he would soon tear down this house to rebuild it bigger! Everyone in the village thinks you're dead; even Xiaohua has been given a bad name for being 'cursed.' It was kind of him to marry Xiaohua."
Thinking of Lin Xiao brought an inexplicable pang of pain to Lin Qingmo's heart—a subtle sadness that whispered he could never return to how things once were. He recalled that night at sea when Lin Xiao drifted further away from him until he became an indistinct shadow—he seemed to understand something then about letting go of what once was tightly held.
As Mother Lin opened the door to the inner room, they were greeted by piles of boxes made from fine wood stacked high inside—each adorned with red ribbons tied into festive bows. Mother Lin explained excitedly: "On the morning of the third day after you went missing, I opened the door only to find those Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals standing outside with these boxes! They insisted I accept them or they'd get into trouble themselves if they returned empty-handed! I had no choice but to take them—I didn’t want them facing difficulties on my account."
"I only opened one or two boxes—they're filled with gold and silver treasures along with rare items I've never seen before! Just looking at these things made me realize how wealthy Fat Doll's family must be—I never imagined they were royalty from Dragon Palace! My dear child," she continued warmly, “Look at how well I'm doing now! I'm not worried about food or clothing anymore—our lives are much better than before! Just focus on taking care of yourself; don’t worry about me!"
Stepping out of their home filled him with joy as he made his way back through familiar paths toward the village despite not having seen either Lin Xiao or Xiaohua during this hurried visit—what mattered most was reuniting with his mother again.
Lin Qingmo expertly flipped pieces of pork belly in the pan using a spatula while imagining each piece as Ao Yan—gritting his teeth as he muttered under his breath: “Die! Die! Die! You spoiled brat!” Then suddenly feeling playful again—a smirk crept onto his lips as he added some teasing flair while singing one of Xi'er’s suggestive songs: “Hey there little lady walking slow—wait up so we can share some flower wine…” But after just two lines he faltered mid-verse while wiping sweaty palms on his robe’s hemline—his face flushed bright red.
During lunch, Aozheng told him that after the meal, she would take him to the Heavenly Palace. Today, she was on duty to bring rain and needed his help to use the wind bag.
At noon, Ao Yan was eating at the table with Xi'er. Xi'er lowered her head and took a sip of soup from a small bowl, glancing at Ao Yan. Suddenly, she exclaimed, "Your Highness, your mouth is down here, not up by your nose!" Ao Yan, who was absent-mindedly trying to shove a piece of cabbage into his nose, snapped back to reality. Startled, he dropped the cabbage onto himself and jumped up to shake it off, leaving a yellow grease stain on his white robe. Yet, he still tightly held onto the cotton doll, Qingmo.
The Clam Spirit maid hurriedly grabbed a cloth to wipe him down, but Ao Yan stopped her. "No need." Suddenly, he slammed his palm on the table with a loud bang that startled everyone present. He pointed at Xi'er with a stern face and cold voice. "I asked you to go see my mother and find out when Qingmo will be back. You didn’t go. Once he returns, won't everything be fine?"
Xi'er resorted to her usual tactics, putting on a pitiful and sorrowful expression as she slowly extended her featherless white wings. "Your Highness, look at me! You’ve plucked all my feathers! How can I fly now?" The more she thought about it, the sadder she became; tears glistened on her long eyelashes as she continued, "I don’t expect you to treat me like a human because I’m not one. I’m a bird. But even little birds need love; I don’t like being scolded."
Ao Yan was so furious he couldn’t find words. He paced back and forth anxiously before suddenly shouting again, "What are you looking at? If you keep staring, I’ll skin you alive!" Xi'er blinked and withdrew her head, tightening the floral scarf wrapped around it. She muttered softly to herself, "I wasn’t looking at you; I was looking at that plate of white-cut chicken." Suddenly, there was a loud crash as Ao Yan flipped the table over. The delicious spread was left upside down on the floor in chaos. "I’m not eating anymore!" Ao Yan huffed angrily while clutching Qingmo and stormed out of the hall toward the Bivalve Shell room.
Xi'er and the Clam Spirit maids were left in stunned silence, too afraid to move. Ever since Lin Qingmo had left, Ao Yan had become unpredictable. The air in the Dragon Palace felt charged with gunpowder; Ao Yan was like a moving flame, and no one knew when he would ignite the powder keg and send everyone reeling.
Because she had been plucked bare of feathers, Xi'er didn’t dare go outside and could only sulk at home. Tearfully touching her scarred skin, she couldn’t help but think how much she resembled a plucked chicken awaiting slaughter. "When will this miserable time come to an end? Qingmo, Qingmo, please come back soon!" Xi'er repeated in her heart over and over again.
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