Watching the opponent slowly fall, she sighed. If he hadn't met Mu Fei, but a woman worthy of his devotion, perhaps his ending wouldn't have been like this, but there are no 'ifs' in life.
When the empress's people discovered Qiu Bai's body and brought him back, the empress, unable to vent her anger, spat out a mouthful of blood.
A month later, the Emperor closed his eyes under the gaze of everyone. The Crown Prince ascended the throne smoothly, and Wu Caiwei naturally became the Empress. Although the Empress Dowager was not very satisfied with Wu Caiwei, after the incident with Xu Minghui, she became somewhat disheartened and rarely left her courtyard, much to Wu Caiwei's relief.
Lord Mu, looking at his daughter who was now high and mighty, actively sought to mend their relationship. Unfortunately, Wu Caiwei didn't buy it at all. The two of them walked through the remaining years hand in hand. Everyone thought the Emperor was just saying those words, but unexpectedly, until the last moment of his life, he was inseparable from the Empress, which became a beautiful story.
For many years, the two of them diligently governed the country, and the people lived and worked in peace, with every household having surplus grain. Everyone praised them. The only regret was probably the lack of children, but the Emperor and Empress were not in a hurry. There were plenty of orphans in the world, and for the sake of the people, they planned to let the capable take charge.
Leaving this world, Wu Caiwei soon entered a new mission. As soon as she regained consciousness, she felt something happening to her legs and feet. Seeing light through the moonlight, she immediately realized that perhaps a flood was occurring.
The next moment, someone grabbed her and, while pulling her along, complained, "The water is rising higher and higher, why aren't you hurrying? I told you long ago he wasn't worth your sorrow. Don't you still have me, your son? Why don't you cherish yourself?"
Wu Caiwei had just arrived and couldn't grasp the situation, so she could only follow closely behind him. As they reached the doorstep, she saw a woman standing not far away with two children beside her. The original owner's son immediately hugged the two children. The woman tightly held Wu Caiwei's hand, stumbling through the shallows towards the north.
At this moment, Wu Caiwei lagged a step behind and noticed that the man was carrying a large basket on his back, which should have contained something like grain.
As they walked, she could feel the water getting deeper. The man unconsciously quickened his pace and urged them on from time to time. They were all practically running.
Wu Caiwei was not familiar with the terrain, but she could feel them climbing a mountain. After walking for an unknown amount of time, just as her legs felt like they were about to give out, her son stopped.
Only then did Wu Caiwei have the chance to observe her surroundings. She found herself surrounded by many people, clearly villagers from the vicinity. It was still raining heavily, and she hadn't noticed it in the rush to escape. Now, she realized how dire their situation was.
The original owner's son led her into a nearby cave. He took out a thin quilt from the basket and laid it on the ground. With a worried expression, he said, "Mother must be tired. Rest for a while. The current situation doesn't allow for much, but tomorrow, when the rain stops, I'll find some firewood to dry your clothes. You'll have to endure it tonight."
Wu Caiwei nodded silently and lay down to rest. After about fifteen minutes, she opened her eyes and understood the original owner's true situation. To be honest, the original owner was truly pitiful. In a society that valued men over women, her family had more boys than girls, so it was understandable that the girls were not valued.
From childhood, they had endless chores, and if her brothers were even slightly unhappy, the girls would be beaten. When it was time to marry, her parents would demand a hefty bride price to save up for their sons, completely disregarding their daughters' lives. The kind of family that could marry her could be imagined.
Her husband's name was Zhang Dashan. The reason he spent a large sum to marry her was that he had two sons and one daughter who needed care. His wife had just died in childbirth, and she would have to be a stepmother as soon as she entered the house. Good families wouldn't want her. As a man, it was inconvenient for him to care for several children, so he could only buy her for a high price. Her name was Xiao Cao, and hearing this name was enough to know how little she was valued. Although she disliked his age and that he had three children, her parents were determined to marry her off, so she had to comply.
Historically, being a stepmother was difficult, and any slight dissatisfaction would lead to gossip behind her back. She was no exception. Although she treated the three children with all her heart, the children had maternal families who would visit from time to time to check on them. Sometimes, they would even say bad things about the original owner at home, warning them to be wary and not to trust her too much or get too close to her.
Due to the limited family resources, they couldn't afford to raise so many children. She hadn't dared to have children of her own for a long time. It was only after the older children had grown up that she gave birth to her only son, who was now in front of her.
Before the child was even a month old, the first wife's family would visit every few days, fearing that she would abuse them now that she had her own son. Zhang Dashan had made many promises in this regard. On weekdays, anything good was prioritized for the three children. Xiao Cao and her son were not so fortunate; they not only ate and wore poorly but also bore all the household chores. The other three would face gossip if they did even a little bit of work.
Xiao Cao had no way to express her grievances, and her maternal relatives would also visit from time to time to take advantage of her, wanting her to contribute more. She knew that several of her sisters had been exchanged for betrothal gifts, and her maternal family's conditions had improved significantly. However, she couldn't refuse her parents' requests, fearing they would call her unfilial and ruin her children's reputation, so she could only grit her teeth and endure.
Her greatest wish was to raise her son, see him get married, and have a few grandchildren to live with them in her old age. Unfortunately, fate did not wish her well. Just as her wish was about to be fulfilled, a flood suddenly struck, leaving them with nothing. After the flood came epidemics, and not only the original owner but also her son's family couldn't escape.
If it were just that, Wu Caiwei wouldn't have come. She only cared about her son. If it weren't for them, her son wouldn't have met such an end. For their family, this was not a natural disaster but a man-made one.
The flood was the beginning of their family's tragedy. Today, as the flood arrived, the two sons took their wives, children, and Zhang Dashan, leaving her behind to fend for herself.
This was not the crucial point. The crucial point was that they took the family's silver and grain with them when they left. She desperately held onto Zhang Dashan's hand, begging him to take her with him, or at least leave them some food. But that man was completely unreliable. He forcefully pried her hand away and left without looking back.
The original owner was filled with despair and stood there silently weeping. Her son had long given up all hope for them. Seeing the flood arriving and his mother still not fleeing, he was angry. Little did he know that in just a moment, the soul inside her had changed.