Aunt Zhang walked into the living room with the black box in her arms.
Ling Han and Gu Sinian looked at each other and followed her in.
Ling Han had some impression of what the Old Madam had left for Ye Huanyan, but he didn't know what it was exactly.
The black box was placed on the table in the main hall. Aunt Zhang had polished it until it was shiny. There was a shiny yellow brass lock hanging on it. It looked like it had been there for a long time.
"This box is for me?" Ye Huanyan asked hesitantly.
"Yes." Aunt Zhang took out a handkerchief from her pocket as she spoke. Her expression was respectful. "The key has been with me for more than six years. I've always kept it close to me and didn't dare to lose it."
As she spoke, she unfolded the handkerchief, revealing a brass key that was half the length of a palm. She held the handkerchief in front of Ye Huanyan. "When the Old Madam was alive, she was most worried about you and the Young Master. There should be something important in here that she wanted me to pass to you. Originally, it should have been given to you the year after the Old Madam passed away, but that year … sigh … let's not talk about it anymore. It's good that you're back.
It's returned to you. "Ye Huanyan took the key. She only felt that it was heavy. It was as heavy as the trust she had felt when she rubbed against the dying Old Madam's sickbed many years ago.
She had been separated from her parents since she was young, but she had never lacked kinship. Whether it was Jiang Meilan or the two husbands Jiang Meilan had married later on, the kinship she had received far exceeded what she had given.
Therefore, there would always be flaws in life. With perfect familial love, it would cut a knife in your love or friendship, and let you experience bitterness and bitterness.
With a click, the brass lock opened in Ye Huanyan's hands.
Wen Yi also stood up and looked at the black box.
After opening the black box, Ye Huanyan was stunned.
"This is …"
Inside was a metal box that was slightly smaller than the black box. It looked like a mini safe. Facing the ceiling was a rotating lock with six digits. At the moment, it was stuck at the '000000' position. Naturally, it couldn't be opened.
"What's the password?" Ye Huanyan asked.
Aunt Zhang was slightly stunned. She hesitated and asked, "Is there a password? Old Madam only gave me this key, but I have never opened it. "
Ye Huanyan looked at Ling Han. Ling Han also had a puzzled look on his face.
"There's something inside." Ji Xiaoyue's voice suddenly sounded. Her gaze fell on the gap between the black box and the metal safety box. She could clearly see a kraft paper envelope.
"It's a letter." Ji Xiaoyue pulled out the envelope and handed it to Ye Huanyan. "The password may be inside the letter. It's probably something more private. We won't read it. You take a look."
Ye Huanyan was slightly stunned. She nodded and lowered her head to take the envelope. The dark brown envelope was sealed with red wax. It was stamped with Old Madam's personal seal. No one had opened it for so many years, so the seal was very neat.
Everyone around Ye Huanyan returned to their original seats and sat down. Aunt Zhang said that the kitchen was cooking supper and that she was going to deliver it to Chen Yin and Naonnao in the bedroom. She then left.
The light in the living room was dim, and the night was quiet outside. The sound of paper flipping was particularly clear in the dark night. It was as if the ancient past was being flipped open. It made people afraid to disturb that memory, so they couldn't help but hold their breaths and not dare to make a sound.
"Yan Yan girl, seeing a letter is like seeing it. When you see this letter, I will have been gone for more than a year. The child in your belly should already be able to speak. I don't have the luck to hold a great-grandchild, but I still want to thank you. Not only did you continue the Ling family's bloodline, but you also gave me some comfort. Before I leave, I will feel much more at ease."
Ye Huanyan gripped the edge of the letter tightly. Her eyebrows trembled slightly. It was as if she could see Old Madam's face when she was writing in front of the desk.
"In this life, I believe that I have lived a magnanimous life. I have given all my effort to the Ling family, and I have a clear conscience. If you want to talk about what I feel guilty about, it is probably my son Dongming's marriage. Even though I was forced by the situation and had no choice, when I saw that Ling Han had grown into such a cold child, I knew that I was short-sighted back then."
Ye Huanyan could almost guess what Old Madam was going to say. She couldn't bear to read it, and her eyes turned red. "When you rejected the blind dates arranged by your relatives and friends and came to me to tell me that you really like Ling Han, I suddenly remembered that you and Han 'er are not biological siblings. So I decided that you are the daughter-in-law of the Ling family, my only granddaughter-in-law. Han' er is indifferent and cold by nature. He hides everything in his heart. For so many years, I have never seen him care about any girl. Only you are in our eyes, but we have never said it out loud."
The mist in her eyes made Ling Han feel alarmed. He frowned and walked forward hesitantly. His gaze fell on the letter.
"I remember the failed marriage between Dong Ming and Qing Wan. It's not anyone else's fault but mine. I didn't take Dong Ming's feelings into consideration back then because of my own selfish interests. After so many years of marriage, Qing Wan was aloof and never took the initiative to ask for anything. Dong Ming also treated her with respect. All these years, instead of being husband and wife, they were more like friends. In the first year of marriage, the child was sent to the United States not long after they were born. There was no trace of life in the house at all. I went to their place twice to take a look, but then I stopped going.
"…"
"Then, Qing Wan passed away. Less than half a year later, you moved in with your mother. At first, I didn't like your mother. There were many things that I knew without others telling me. As I grew older, I understood. However, you were still a child, innocent and naive. You were much more considerate than Han 'er, who had just returned to China. You were even the kind of granddaughter that I had looked forward to back then. You often came to accompany me and made me happy. When one is old, they don't want much. It's nothing more than having someone to talk to. It's good that you don't dislike this old woman."
You don't want to see me like this. "When he read this, Ling Han's eyes were complicated and showed some sadness.
At first, he thought that his grandmother didn't know anything. She was only blinded by Jiang Meilan's attentiveness and took care of the mother and daughter. He didn't think that there was such a layer of reason.
"The letter is too short, and I'm afraid that if I write too much, you won't have the patience to read it, so I won't say those useless words. It's just that I regret that I wasn't able to see your wedding with Han 'er, and that I didn't see Han' er recognize his true feelings for you. I always thought that if I handed Han 'er to you, you would definitely love and protect him for the rest of your life. After I leave, you would also be at ease. But seeing Han' er bossing you around like that, I always feel a little sorry for you. That child Han 'er is a little too stubborn, like his mother, so please give me face and forgive her."
Forgive me. "Ye Huanyan's hot tears streamed down her cheeks and gradually turned cold.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
