His Peasant Wife: Yao Ling

A few months had passed…

Yao Ying had fully recovered, well... except his memories. He started to accept his new life, but he rarely smiled, laughed, or talked. Yao Ling was a bit concerned about this. She wanted Yao Ying to smile and be happy, but she understood that everything needed process.

Because it was inappropriate for them to live together, they built a small room beside their house – just enough for one person. Jiu Lan and Yao Ling weren't rich villagers nor poor, because Jiu Lan's medical knowledge helped their financial a lot. That's why they could afford to buy the materials for the small room.

A doctor was deeply respected, that's why no villagers dare to offend them. Jiu Lan and Yao Ling also rarely blended themselves with the villagers. They only appeared when someone needed medical help. When Yao Ying suddenly appeared out of nowhere, it created a lot of gossips in the village, but no one dared to say anything in front of them. Although they didn't believe the distant cousin story, they said nothing. But, the bad rumor about their living condition was spreading behind them. Only the three of them were oblivious about it and even if they knew, they wouldn't care about that baseless rumor.

"Mother, how can I make Yao Ying happy?" Yao Ling asked her mother, sighing in sadness. Yao Ying rarely showed any emotions and it pained her.

"He only shows his emotions in front of you. I think you are the only one who can make him open up. How to do it? I'm not sure. It depends on Yao Ying himself," Jiu Lan explained. It was easier to heal the body rather than the pain inside his heart. Jiu Lan tried to lift up the atmosphere by joking, "Anyway, having him here isn't a bad thing. He can help us with doing a man's jobs and make you less tired."

"What are you talking about, Mother? I never feel tired of helping you. But yes… he indeed really helps a lot!" Yao Ling laughed softly. They never wanted to take advantage of Yao Ying, but he insisted to repay their kindness by doing jobs that required a man's help. When he already made his mind about something, he was really stubborn.

"Mother, let me find Yao Ying. It's time for dinner!" Without waiting for Jiu Lan's answer, she hopped and ran away. She found him easily and asked him to go back and eat dinner together.

After finished eating and washing the dishes, Yao Ling pulled Yao Ying out of the house. They sat together, watching beautiful stars in the night sky.

"How are you feeling these days?" Yao Ling asked him bluntly.

"Fine."

Yao Ling had been long gotten used to the way he answered in a mere few words, so she didn't pay him any mind or take it wrongly as rudeness. She just looked up and talked softly, "I will tell you a story. One day, a lady was walking down the river. She planned to wash her clothes, but suddenly…"

Before she finished her story, she accidentally saw Yao Ying's bewildered expression. She was pretty sure that Yao Ying thought she was making up some random crazy stories. She laughed at him, "Just listen to me first!"

After knowing that Yao Ying agreed to listen to the whole story, Yao Ling continued her story, "Suddenly, that woman heard a loud crying sound. A baby's crying voice. She found a baby there. The baby was almost beyond rescue, but she was able to save her and took her as her own daughter. At that time, she was an unmarried 18 years old young woman and yet she raised the baby against all odds. She never married after that, and showered the baby with all the loves that she had."

Yao Ying looked at her in surprise, "Do you mean that baby is…"

"Yes, it's me. You see… I know nothing about myself too, in a way, we are the same." She gave him a beautiful gold hairpin shaped with a bird. Yao Ying received the hairpin, and with one look, one would know that it wasn't just an ordinary hairpin.

"Have you ever tried to find your family?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

Yao Ling shook her head. "No. I love my mother. I would never leave her all alone. Maybe one day, I can go and find who I am. However now, I have another responsibility. My mother is my life. She sacrifices her life for me, and for her, I will do the same. Besides, I'm only a girl. How can I go traveling alone by myself? Just think positively. If one day you regain your memories, you can do what you want. You can leave us if you want, but for now, just stay here and try to live your life the fullest. Being depressed won't help you at all, besides it will only make me sad."

After saying that, both of them were lost in their own thoughts. Yao Ling hoped he would understand what she meant. Yao Ying was smart, and he understood her perfectly. Since then, Yao Ying shifted from his depression mind and decided to protect both mother-daughter pairs.

However, a few months later, their happiness was shattered. Jiu Lan was sick, very sick. She admitted herself that there was no cure. She could only live until Yao Ling was 15 years old – right on the day of her hairpin ceremony.

Jiu Lan admitted that she actually had been sick for a long time. "Yao Ling, Mother is very weak. That day when I found you, I actually wasn't going to wash my clothes. I tried to kill myself by jumping into the river. If I didn't hear your crying voice and find you, I probably wouldn't have this happiness. I love you, my beautiful daughter."

Yao Ling cried softly and shook her head, "No, Mother. I'm the lucky one. Without you, there will be no me. Don't leave me all alone, please. Without you, what can I do?"

Jiu Lan smiled softly. "You will be okay. You are a strong girl. Mother isn't going to die now. I must put your hairpin on in a few days. Your hairpin ceremony is important to me. My little daughter has finally grown up." Jiu Lan wiped the tears from Yao Ling's face, feeling sad with the fact that she had to leave her daughter all alone in this world.

After their talk, Yao Ling went out and ran out of her house. She hid behind a tree and cried without making any sound. That's where Yao Ying found her. He hugged her and let her cry until she was asleep. He couldn't bear to see their pain. Without realizing it, a few drops of tears flew down from his eyes. Yao Ying felt an emotion that he never knew before -- pain.

A few days had passed in a blink of time, it was her hairpin ceremony day. For a commoner, people rarely did it. However, Jiu Lan knew her daughter wasn't from a simple background. Her hairpin was enough evidence and it would be her job as a mother to put it on her.

There was no grand ceremony, only a simple ceremony that was held by the three of them. Slowly… slowly… Jiu Lan combed Yao Ling's hair. She looked at her daughter's silky black hair and smiled softly. "Look at how beautiful your hair is! Your future husband would certainly be happy touching it," she teased.

There was no mirror in their house, so Yao Ling couldn't see her mother's expression. She could only hear the smile on her mother's voice, and it made her smile too. However, Jiu Lan was actually crying without a sound. She felt sad… she couldn't watch her daughter grow up anymore. She tried with all her might to hold on until this important day; Jiu Lan actually had no energy left to live.

"Ling-er, Mother has a few last wishes. Can you hear me out and fulfill my wishes?"

"What wishes, Mother? Of course, I will help you to fulfill them!"

"Without mother, you are all alone. I can only leave in peace if you get married to Yao Ying. He can protect you and you can find your own real family with him." Jiu Lan's tears were flowing down like a river, she couldn't even contain her sob anymore.

Yao Ling wanted to turn around and hugged her mother, but she was held by Jiu Lan – preventing her from looking at her. "Don't… let me finish what I want to say first."

Yao Ling could only nod. "After Mother dies, just burn my body and throw my ashes to the ocean. I know you are filial, but I don't want you to hold yourself back and continue to stay near my grave. Wherever both of you go, I can watch you both from the ocean and up in the sky. After throwing my ashes to the ocean, please get married! No need to mourn for me."

"But Mother…"

"No, but! If you don't fulfill my last wishes, that's called unfilial. I don't want to hear any excuses from you. Can you promise me to fulfill those last wishes?"

Slightly choked with her tears, Yao Ling stuttered, "I… I … promise."

"After the ceremony, Mother will also personally talk to Yao Ying." Yao Ying was kicked out of the room because they wanted to share mother-daughter time. Besides, most hairpin ceremony participators were women.

After combing, Jiu Lan gathered Yao Ling's hair and tied them into a knot. Jiu Lan gasped in pain, her body was trembling, and she knew that her time was almost up. She tried to bear the pain and sweated a lot because of it. 'Please… please… my body… please bear with me. I only have to do one last thing for my daughter, just one last thing…' Jiu Lan chanted to herself.

'Just let me put on the hairpin. Please… God, give me strength!'

---Edited by: L0v3lamb---