Chapter 497 - Chapter 497: Chapter 484: As Close as Sisters (1/2)

Chapter 497: Chapter 484: As Close as Sisters

“Of course, how well do I know your thoughts?” Mrs. Li reached out and poked Cheng Ruize’s forehead, smiling with affection. “All right, you’ve been outside in the cold again after a long talk, it’s time to rest.”

“First, go to the small ancestral hall and visit Aunt An. We’ll have dinner together when it’s ready.”

Every time Mrs. Li came to visit Cheng Ruize, she would always make a point to visit the small ancestral hall, where she would stay for a long time.

Each time she left the ancestral hall, her eyes were swollen and red.

No wonder, prior to becoming Aunt An, she was Mrs. Li’s personal maid.

The two had grown up together, and it wouldn’t be an overstatement to describe their relationship as sisterly even off the record. Although Mrs. Li was married into the Cheng family, with many maids and servants at her side, only Aunt An attended to her closely.

Whenever Mrs. Li was upset or unable to figure things out on her own, she would only listen to Aunt An.

Generally, personal maids could leave the house to marry freely when they grew up, but Aunt An did not want to leave. She wanted to stay with Mrs. Li, who also wanted Aunt An to stay, and after discussing it, they decided to elevate Aunt An’s status.

Not long after, Aunt An fell pregnant and gave birth to Cheng Ruize the following year.

Aunt An naturally had a frail constitution. Despite Mrs. Li’s careful nurturing during the pregnancy, the fetus grew too large. As a result, during labor, complications arose due to the baby’s large head, causing a difficult and prolonged birth.

After enduring for more than a day and a night, Cheng Ruize was finally born, but this was followed by Aunt An’s massive postpartum bleeding, and she passed away that night.

Cheng Ruize, who had never tasted his mother’s milk, seen her face, or even heard her voice, became a child who only had a father but no mother.

Mrs. Li grieved deeply over Aunt An’s death and pitied Cheng Ruize’s predicament. From the moment Cheng Ruize was born, she had taken care of him personally, even at night, she would stay by his side rather than leaving him with a nursemaid.

All these were told by Cheng Ruize’s grandmother, Madam Cheng.

As far as Cheng Ruize could remember, he had always felt the love and care Mrs. Li showered upon him, to the point that for a while, his two elder brothers were even arguing about what made them less likable.

Therefore, Cheng Ruize had a profound respect for Mrs. Li.

Now that Mrs. Li proposed to visit the small ancestral hall, Cheng Ruize recalled what Madam Cheng told him about the close relationship between Aunt An and Mrs. Li, and his heart warmed even more. “Alright mother, you may go.”

“You should rest for a while.” Mrs. Li stood up as a maid draped her in a cloak.

Mrs. Li lifted the curtain and went out.

After she let the curtain fall and it swayed for a moment, she lifted it again.

Mrs. Li peeked out from behind the curtain, “Rest well, you are to stay here in the Nuan Pavilion and not go out.”

“Alright.” Cheng Ruize leaned into the soft couch and picked up a book from the side table, signaling to Mrs. Li that he had no intentions of going out.

“Reading is tiring, put the book down.” Mrs. Li instructed again.

“Then I…”

“Close your eyes and lie down properly.” said Mrs. Li.

Seeing that Cheng Ruize seemed to be unwilling to obey, she was ready to unbuckle her cloak and come to lay him down.

Cheng Ruize, “…”

He had about a hundred reasons for not wanting to comply, but the word of his mother was law.

So Cheng Ruize obediently lay down as Mrs. Li told him, and closed his eyes.