Chapter 004: Mother

She asked Bichu to bring her clothes, dried herself off and changed, then walked step by step to the bed.

Bichu followed her, hesitating as if she was not used to her silence. After enduring for a while, she couldn't help but call out, "Miss, are you going to rest now?"

Taiwei turned her head to look at her and ordered indifferently, "You don't need to stay up tonight, go and rest."

She had been living alone for many years, and suddenly having someone else in the room, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to sleep. Not to mention, the extra person was Bichu.

Taiwei stared at Bichu without turning her eyes away for a moment, then smiled and said, "You can go now."

Bichu seemed surprised that she smiled at her, and was a little stunned for a moment before hurriedly responding, "Yes," and then turned and left.

Taiwei took off her shoes and got into bed, lying down and not moving.

The soft pillow of the fragrance of the flowers was familiar and comfortable against her cheek.

She closed her eyes heavily, trying to sort out the mess in her mind, but no matter how she tried, the mess remained a mess... She was drowsy and began to think of her mother.

In the fourth year of Jianyang, her mother passed away.

However, long before her mother's death, she had already "lost" her mother.

Everyone in the family, and even the entire capital, knew that when she was still a child, her mother fell ill.

It was madness.

It was terrifying.

She spoke nonsense, was extremely manic, and caused chaos in the Qi family that autumn.

People sought medical treatment and brewed medicine without stopping for a moment.

But with a slight negligence, she almost gouged out Taiwei's eyes.

After that, everyone thought things couldn't get any worse, but after the Mid-Autumn Festival, King Xia led his troops over the Lize Pass, broke through the boundaries of Xiangguo, and then advanced inland. The people of Xiangguo, who had been used to peace and prosperity, were suddenly powerless.

If it weren't for several generals who fought to the death while defending the city, the war might not have lasted more than a few days.

But they held on with their lives, and before long, Xiangguo fell, lasting less than five years.

In the fifth year, King Xia marched into the capital, and with no room for maneuver, the situation was hopeless.

So the emperor surrendered, and the country fell.

King Xia sat on the dragon throne in his blood-stained armor, and with a wave of his hand, he changed the name of the country to Jiandongyang. From then on, there was no longer Xiangguo in the world.

King Xia had achieved his ambition.

He had been a vassal of Xiangguo, offering tribute year after year, living in fear for many years. Once he took over Xiangguo and declared himself king and emperor, he indulged in wine and women, and ruled with tyranny, embodying the words "debauchery and tyranny."

The old ministers in the court who did not submit to him all lost their heads.

Many noble families were wiped out overnight.

Only the Qi family not only survived but also prospered.

Year after year, day after day, they remained prosperous and wealthy.

Her mother's madness never recurred.

But who could be sure about madness? It seemed fine now, but who knew when it might strike again. Her grandmother was unhappy and wanted to divorce her mother, but her father refused, and her grandmother had no choice but to give up.

But her mother was no longer in control, and her children were not well-behaved. After moving to the back courtyard, she rarely appeared in public.

So now, the one in charge of the household's affairs was the birth mother of the fourth Miss Qi, Lady Cui.

As for her mother, although she still held the title of Madam, the family had probably forgotten about her.

Taiwei only saw her once before she passed away.

At first, the elders in the family did not allow her to see her mother, and later her mother herself did not allow her to go see her.

Over time, Taiwei could not even remember her mother's appearance clearly.

All she could remember was a vague image of a young woman, with a round face and big eyes, but she had forgotten what her nose and mouth looked like.

She only remembered clearly that her mother passed away in the winter of the fourth year of Jianyang.

Now, the air was filled with a faint floral scent, it was the time between spring and summer, and winter was still a long way off.

Thinking this, Taiwei suddenly couldn't lie still.

She sat up from the bed, breathing heavily, and lifted the light blue curtain, calling out, "Bichu!"

Bichu dragged her feet and walked in after a while, "Miss, why haven't you rested yet?"

Her voice was full of reluctance, and her face couldn't hide her impatience.

Taiwei looked at her and couldn't help but smile.

She remembered that when she was young, she was always treated as inferior because she was not favored and had no one to protect her. But had Bichu always been like this to her? She couldn't remember. Looking at Bichu's impatient and reluctant expression, she suddenly asked, "Bichu, how old are you this year?"

Bichu was caught off guard, and hesitantly replied, "I'm eighteen."

Taiwei smiled, "It seems I've been remiss, and I didn't realize you had grown to this age."

Bichu blushed, feeling strange and embarrassed to have such a conversation with an unmarried girl. Her impatience on her face was suddenly replaced by a hot blush.

"The matter of a lifetime is indeed very important," Taiwei spoke softly and deliberately, "I remember that Ding Mama's nephew from her maternal family is quite outstanding. Not only is he unique in appearance, but at a young age, he has already outlived three wives, indicating that he is destined for a long life with boundless prospects..."

Ding Mama is the stewardess in the Taiwei household, and although Bichu has never seen her nephew, she has heard about him.

As soon as Taiwei mentioned this, Bichu's face turned pale.

The shy blush from earlier disappeared completely.

At this point, Bichu finally understood, even if she was foolish.

Fifth Miss was not trying to find a match for herself, but was actually criticizing her.

Even if she lost favor and lost face in front of the old lady, she was still a young lady of the Jingning Marquis's mansion, a mistress.

As long as she had the intention to control her, it would be as easy as controlling an ant.

Bichu's complexion became even more unsightly.

At this moment, Taiwei changed the subject with a smile, "I've thought about it carefully just now. I probably need someone by my side to pour tea and water at night. Isn't that right?"

Bichu was restless, but managed to force a smile from her stiff face, "You're right, I didn't think it through. With your injury, how could there be no one by your side at night?"

Taiwei nodded repeatedly with a relieved expression, then ordered her to extinguish the lights.

After the room dimmed, Taiwei lay on the bed and asked in a low voice, "Do you know who saw me push Fourth Miss into the water?"