Chapter 5

Revival

After hearing the sound of the gong marking the end of the Shen hour (15:00-16:59) and the transition into the You hour (17:00-18:59), the conversation between Lijin and Ning-ning, her maidservant, came to an end.

"Go and keep a good lookout. Observe the surroundings to see if anyone is spying on this decrepit infirmary. Once you’re certain the coast is clear, bring my children inside."

"Madam... Do you intend to speak with the young miss and young master?"

"Yes. I have been listening to them for many weeks now. The children all understand the dire state of their situation well. I want them to be of the same mind as me. At the very least, the five of us should share the same goal. You can more or less guess what that is, can’t you?"

"I..." Ning-ning lowered her head, fully understanding what her mistress desired for the future. "I understand, madam." Her voice trembled slightly, and tears welled up, forcing her to wipe them away as deep emotions swelled within her heart.

Even though she claimed not to remember anything, her mistress’s kindness and deep concern for her family remained unchanged. Ning-ning felt as if she were the luckiest person alive. Even though she was merely a lowly servant, her mistress regarded her as a member of the family.

Seeing that Lijin had lain down with her eyes closed once again, the loyal maid resolved to become stronger. As she gazed around the dilapidated infirmary, she let out a small sigh. Lately, she had been preoccupied with conflicts in the kitchen, but from now on, such problems would no longer arise.

Though relieved that the situation had momentarily improved due to the orders of Second Furen Meiying, she felt not the slightest gratitude toward that venomous serpent. Upon leaving the manor, Ning-ning followed her orders, scanning the area and standing attentively to receive the three young children.

Not long after, the children arrived, looking even more disheveled than usual. Their clothing was tattered and faded, utterly unlike the fine garments of Second Furen’s children, and wholly unbefitting of the offspring of the First Furen.

Yet their faces still radiated bright smiles, continually warming the heart of their faithful servant.

"Sister Ning-ning, why are you standing here in the wind?" asked the eldest, Liming, curiously. With her mother still unwell, as the eldest daughter, she bore the responsibility of looking after her two younger siblings and the household servants.

"I came to receive Young Miss and Young Master, miss. The wind isn’t cold at all. I can bear it with ease," the maid straightened her posture with a proud expression to bring another delighted smile to the young miss's face. Summer was nearing its end, and the air had gradually cooled. Though the temperature had dropped, it was still pleasantly mild—far gentler than the harsh autumn that would follow in the next three months.

Three months... Master Wei Yongjian would likely return before winter, as he always did. Who knew whether he would bring yet another concubine home to wound the hearts of the mistresses once more?

"How was your lesson today?" Ning-ning knelt down to examine the young master's condition up close. His clothes bore numerous stains of dirt and dust—evidence, perhaps, that he had been bullied by his older peers again.

"Today wasn't hard at all," Little Jiusi replied confidently. "I learned to write two more characters. The old teacher even praised me."

"You've only learned two characters and you're already boasting? Oh, Xiao-di, Xiao-di, you really are adorable," the second eldest sister looked at him, trying to hold back her laughter. The moment she stepped through the door, she shed the stern demeanor of a proper young miss completely.

"I'm still not as good as Jìn-jie yet, but then, Jìn-jie isn’t as good as Ming-dajie either, hehe." The siblings playfully teased one another, causing a small commotion. Liming and Ning-ning could only look on in satisfaction.

At the very least, these siblings cherished and supported one another. They were not like the children of other families, who quarreled at every turn.

Ning-ning’s eyes did not focus solely on the three young masters and miss. She also surveyed the lonely path leading outward. After carefully scanning the bamboo grove along the road and the walls surrounding the small infirmary, the tall maid guided her young master and misses into the courtyard. With that, the old wooden door—worn but still sturdy—was firmly bolted shut.

Liming was the first child to sense something amiss. The 12-year-old girl’s eyes fixed on the maidservant, but because of her trust, she chose not to say anything.

"How is Mother?" As the eldest, she felt she should ask.

"Much better… truly much better, Young Miss," the maid replied with an unreserved smile. A chill ran down Liming’s spine, prompting her to hastily push open the door to her mother’s room. The small feet of the three children, who followed in a line, caused the wooden floor to creak loudly. Sali, in Lijin’s body, did not understand her own feelings—why she felt such joy that the corners of her lips lifted into a hidden smile.

She had never dreamed of having children before. In her previous life, she had never even considered having a husband or a lover, let alone seen it as necessary. It was unbelievable that in this life, which remained a mystery, she had skipped past the stages of romance and marriage—straight to having three children.

Would these little ones be like the soft dolls she loved hugging every night? She truly wanted to test it out and experience it firsthand.

"Mother!!!" The eldest daughter’s voice was filled with urgency. She had faced so much misfortune that she had stopped seeing the world optimistically for a while, leading her to misinterpret Ning-ning’s words.

"Dajia, what’s wrong?"

"I don’t know! Mother is unconscious—how could she possibly answer questions?"

The children could not wait any longer. Seeing their eldest sister climbing onto the bed, they quickly followed. Liming scrambled up without much difficulty despite being smaller than most children her age. Lijìn and Jiusi were no different.

Their rather stunted bodies were likely a result of prolonged food deprivation—a cruel form of torment during their growing years. Who knew what went through the minds of those furens?

Once Ning-ning had helped the young master onto the bed, the children hurriedly examined their mother’s frail and emaciated body. They checked her breathing, but the young girl’s soul now residing within their mother suddenly felt the urge to play a prank. Lijin held her breath for a moment.

"No! Mother isn’t breathing. Sister Ning… what’s happening?" Liming asked, her panic rising. Before long, her two younger siblings were overcome with fear as well.

"Call the physician. Quickly, call the physician!" The devoted maid was just as startled. Forgetting all about the conversation she had earlier with her mistress, she bolted out of the room.

"Mother, hic…" Hearing the youngest child sob sent a jolt through Sali’s heart. Her body moved on its own, unable to resist the instinct.

The thin, feeble arms that had been powerless for years suddenly found strength she never thought possible. Just as the eldest daughter was about to rise from the bed, a hand that had lain motionless for three years reached out and caught her in time.

The three children were stunned. The emotional upheaval was too overwhelming—grief turned to boundless joy in an instant, surging within them. Their eyes widened, their tiny mouths struggled to form words. How could they have forgotten? The body before them still held the warmth they had longed for all this time.

Their embrace tightened. The once-frail figure now had more strength than it had three weeks ago. The long-lost sense of comfort was filling them so completely that the soul within Lijin felt as if it were floating on clouds, basking in the golden sunlight of spring.

It felt… just like the large dolls she had once loved to hold.

Yet… it filled her heart far more than she had ever imagined. So comforting that she unknowingly let a smile slip.

She…This body, it really was their mother. Sali, now in Lijin’s body, finally accepted her fate—she was now the mother of three.

Ning-ning, on the other hand, came to a halt upon noticing that the young masters' and miss’s cries had suddenly stopped. Looking up at the scene unfolding on the large bed, she, too, smiled.

She would have to remind her mistress later—perhaps she should not tease the young master and young misses too much. Just holding her breath had already sent everyone into such a fright. Even she herself had been shaken for a moment​.

Liming and Lijìn remained motionless, lying still. Tears began to flow when their mother tightened her embrace. The two young girls sobbed, never imagining that their prayers would finally come true.

As for Jiusi, who barely remembered anything from three years ago, the warmth of his mother’s embrace once more made him react like a fish rejoicing in fresh water. He nearly shouted for joy, but his mother’s chest completely covered his face. The youngest of the group wriggled and squirmed, trying to free himself.

Why was this part of Mother’s body… not as thin as the rest? Jiusi did not understand either.

After basking in happiness for a while, the eldest daughter let out a small protest to make their mother aware.

"Mother… Mother, please."

"Hmm…?" Lijin opened her eyes and gazed absentmindedly at the beautiful, adorable face before her. Her doll could talk…ah, she had forgotten that what she was holding in her arms were her children. But it wouldn’t be wrong for her to be momentarily confused.

After all, she… the soul within this body had never had children before. How could she fully accept everything as reality in just a few fleeting moments?

"Si’er can’t breathe, Mother. Please loosen your embrace a little." She jolted slightly upon hearing that. Perhaps she had forgotten herself a little too much and had ended up making the little one suffer.

"Gasp! Huff, huff… Mo… Mother, I almost suffocated," the little boy’s face made her heart tremble even more. Could someone really show the makings of the most distinguished gentleman in the land from such a young age?

Her children’s faces were truly adorable. She quickly identified the eldest girl as Liming. The other girl, who looked quite similar but had a smaller frame, must be Lijìn. And the little one resting his tiny chin on his mother’s chest at this moment could only be Jiusi, her only son.

Lijin blinked rapidly. She felt immense pride that her children were already so well-formed. So, she comforted herself by thinking that their mother’s genes must have been especially strong. She must have been a breathtaking beauty in her youth.

She wondered if their father was handsome or not… Thinking of that stranger irritated her. But it wouldn’t be long before she saw him with her own eyes. Only three months remained.

Three months… that wasn’t much time at all, in Lijin’s mind. It wasn’t nearly enough.

"Ming’er, Jìn’er, Si’er… Mother is back." Referring to herself as ‘Mother’ made her heart feel ticklish.

"From now on, let’s do our best together."

Lijin’s gaze extended to Ning-ning as well…

The pillar of this small family within the great Wei household had returned.

In the next three months, they would have to do everything possible to make this pillar stronger than ever​.