Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

Chapter 765: Chapter 765: Set Free!

Liu Sisi stepped forward slowly and gently tugged at her sleeve.

“Don’t cry anymore. We should go now.”

Ms. Zhao still wailed, but there were no tears on her face.

“I said, it’s time to leave. You don’t want to stay here and miss the hour. If you want to accompany father, tomorrow I can have someone build a hut next to it so you can keep him company every day.” At this time, many filial children had the custom of building a hut to guard the tomb for three years.

The three years of mourning here are not the modern three years, but the 25 months of the lunar calendar, equivalent to two modern years.

As for Ms. Zhao, Liu Sisi really couldn’t express her feelings, whether to say that she deserved it or that her loved one was not human.

“No! I’m not going, I want to stay here with him, I’m not going!”

Ms. Zhao stubbornly held onto Elderly Mr. Di’s tombstone, refusing to let go.

Liu Sisi was helpless, so she just gave Ms. Gao a look, and the two of them carried Ms. Zhao, forcibly pulling her off the tombstone and taking her back home.

Perhaps Ms. Zhao’s matter had affected everyone’s mood, and no one spoke until they returned to the Di Family.

“Ye Lei, come here, I have something to ask you.”

Di Hongyuan directly called to Di Yelei, who was about to enter the door, and turned to walk to a nearby pavilion.

The weather now was gradually getting colder, with golden leaves covering the ground.

He turned to look Di Yelei up and down, and seeing him half a head taller than himself, he reached out to pat his shoulder but gave up halfway through.

“I didn’t have a chance to ask you at the Flying Horse Hostel before. How did you follow His Majesty to escort him to the Flying Horse Hostel?”

In front of his own big brother, Di Yelei didn’t hide anything, and he recounted the truth about Liu Sisi’s identity and the events surrounding Zhao Yuanlang’s arrival in Macheng County.

“At that time, I was surrounded by heavy soldiers and thought I couldn’t escape. But I met you by accident and saved me. By the way, how did you get to the Flying Horse Hostel? Why were you dressed in cloth clothing? His Majesty seemed to rely heavily on you. What’s going on?”

“It’s hard to say in a few words. I’ll tell you about my situation when I have a chance later.” Di Hongyuan didn’t explain in detail.

“Ye Lei, when do you plan to leave?”

Di Hongyuan suddenly looked back at Di Yelei with a direct gaze.

Di Yelei didn’t understand Di Hongyuan’s meaning: “Big brother, Dad just passed away, where can I go?”

“A good man should defend his family and country, sacrificing small concerns for the greater good. At present, the Northern Liao is frequently harassing the border, and Xixia is even more eyeing our Great Zhao. Moreover, there is a rebel like Zhao Dun who claims to be the emperor, the princes in the capital have already pressured the palace, and the imperial court is in danger.”

“With such chaos in the court, you have the courage of tens of thousands of men and are a natural military talent! If you continue to stay in a small place like Macheng County, not only will it wear down your will, but it will also breed complacency in your heart. If this goes on, you will become just like everyone else!”

This accusation made Di Yelei’s face turn pale immediately: “Big brother, I am surprised and flattered that you have such a high evaluation of your third brother. However, Dad just passed away, and it would be inappropriate for me, Di Yelei, to leave at this time.”

“Rules are made by people. You choose to stick to the rules, even to the point of disregarding the lives of the world. This is the great disrespect!”

Di Hongyuan’s words were filled with condemnation, making it difficult for Di Yelei to fight back.

“But I…”

“One should abandon the small family in order to protect the larger family. At present, internal and external troubles are abound, and several princes in the capital have been fighting for the throne and causing great bloodshed. His Majesty is trapped in Gongzhou City and unable to return to the capital. Even if he wants to return, many people might not want him to. The identity of Third Sister-in-law is extraordinary. Once His Majesty falls, our Di Family will face a disastrous calamity!”

A series of questions from Di Hongyuan left Di Yelei speechless. He instinctively turned his head to look at Liu Sisi, who was standing at the edge of the corridor, trying to ask her thoughts on the matter.

Liu Sisi had been standing quietly there, seemingly not hearing the conversation between the two and not speaking.

“This matter needs to be discussed with Sisi. For such a major decision, I cannot take it upon myself as the Third Brother.”

Even so, Di Yelei clenched his teeth and expressed his true thoughts.

“Hmph! A true man should be able to pick up and let go. Indulging in the pleasure and comfort of a woman’s beauty, what kind of ambition does he possess?”

Di Hongyuan’s face turned dark, and with a heavy flick of his sleeve.

Di Yelei’s face was also unpleasant: “Big brother, you are wrong! I was just an ordinary hunter from the beginning, and never thought of getting promoted and securing a high rank and title for my descendants!”

“You… ”

Di Hongyuan originally wanted to continue, but saw the determination in Di Yelei’s eyes, and the remaining words were spoken in a sigh.

“Prince Luo is an extraordinary prince of the Great Zhao, with outstanding war achievements. How could others sleep soundly beneath the same roof? No matter which prince takes the superior position, can he tolerate the existence of Prince Luo, an extraordinary prince?”

“Why don’t you think about it? At that time, when sister-in-law entrusted a few children to Prefecture Princess Luo, once they arrived in the capital, could Prince Luo, with his capability, protect Prefecture Princess Luo and the children living at the manor?”

Perhaps Di Hongyuan’s tone had become much softer, Di Yelei pondered deeply.

“Sisi had no choice back then. Zhao Jiong directly surrounded the Di Residence and threatened her with the lives of my father and everyone in the Di Family. She had no other option, trying to leave a few seeds for the Di Family and preserve my bloodline, so she let Prefecture Princess Luo take the children and leave through the tunnel, heading north… It’s also my fault that I was unable to protect even my own wife and children.”

The regret in Di Yelei’s words was evident.

Di Hongyuan wanted to say more, but after a moment of thought, he softened his tone: “How about this? You discuss with Third Sister-in-law. If you are really determined, it’s better to leave earlier rather than later. You two should think it over carefully!”

At this point, the truth couldn’t be hidden anymore, so Di Yelei told Liu Sisi everything Di Hongyuan had said. @@novelbin@@

Liu Sisi was silent for a moment, then turned to look at him.

“Ye Lei, if my father were still alive and I and the children were not a burden to you, would you be willing to fight with His Majesty to protect your home and country?”

“Of course I would be willing, but Sisi, you just mentioned that it is only hypothetical.”

Liu Sisi turned her head to look at the withered lotus in the waterside pavilion and spoke with a calm voice.

“Right now, the war is spreading everywhere. Although the Great Zhao has not yet fallen into complete chaos, in the Upper Village, nine out of ten households are gone. Everyone has fled their homes to seek refuge. Do you think that during this civil strife, if it lasts for three to five years, how many people could still insist on completing their three years of mourning without leaving home?”

“… ”

Perhaps not many people could insist on it! In the chaos, all everybody did was to survive.

Liu Sisi turned her head and looked at Di Yelei, her eyes filled with seriousness.

“A golden phoenix is not an ordinary fish in the pond; when it meets wind and rain, it turns into a dragon! An eagle soars high in the sky, while fish swim in shallow waters. If you have aspirations, go ahead and chase them. I will fulfill the three-year mourning period for you. As for the children, I will give them the best arrangements too. You can go on pursuing your dreams without any worry!”