Proofread by Peter Gong
“What? Is he the son of my brother? Are you crazy? Don’t you think I don’t know him? He is the butler of Tian Family. He always attacked our family. It is impossible that he is the son of Ma Chaosheng.” Ma Chaorong jumped up when he heard that Guo Qi was the son of Ma Chaosheng.
“Yeah, you cannot say he is the son of my brother just because he looks like my brother. After all, there are so many people who look alike under the sun.” Ma Chaoyang added.
“Oh, it turns out that third uncle also thinks I look like my father.” Guo Qi answered. Ma Chaoyang realized he had said the wrong thing and his face turned white right away.
“I’ll explain all of that.” Ma Tian’en has already discussed with Guo Qi and made up a reasonable excuse which could hide the misdeed of her mother. She didn’t want anybody to know the misdeed of her mother.
“My father believed in a fortune teller who told him that he was destined not to have a son. Even if he had a son, he couldn’t make the son stay with him or the son would die certainly. So as my brother was born, he was sent away and raised somewhere else. Considering that it had to do with the secret that must be kept or it’ll result in the disaster, my father didn’t tell anybody. But the man who adopted my brother took the money which was used to bring up my brother and sold my brother to Guo Family. My brother didn’t know the truth, but he heard from the adopter that his mother was killed by my father. That’s why he hated Ma family. I investigated and made it clear recently. And my father enjoined me before he died to find my brother and make him come back to the family. Since my father has his own son, the inheritance of Ma Family is none of my two uncles’ business.” As Ma Tian’en said it, her two uncles jumped up with anger.
“It is impossible for you to pretend to be the inheritor of Ma Family. Your own words alone do not count! We need evidence.” After Ma Chaorong triggered off the opposition, Ma Chaoyang echoed his sentiment, forgetting that they were fighting just now.
“I have the evidence.” Suddenly, Madam Ma went out and said.
“Madam, you must think it twice. If you adopt my son or and the son of my third brother, they will support you carefully and respectfully. But Guo Qi is sinister, you shouldn’t let the fox into the hen house.” Ma Chaorong felt uneasy when he saw Madam Ma go out.
But Guo Qi and Ma Tian’en didn’t expect that Madam Ma would testify. Madam Ma who was always tough still stood straight but she was gaunt and pale with red and swollen eyes through crying.
“When he was born, I replaced him with a dead baby. Then I ordered my servant girl who named Su Xin to take him away. She thought it was her son, but in fact she gave birth to a dead baby. It was I who made my father take the midwife to another place because she knew the truth. And it was I who sent the servant of Concubine Zhao to the village of my father. They are still alive and you can find them to testify that at all times. I did all the things. I am unwilling to let a son of concubine be my son and take away the property of my own child. You can do whatever you want to do. You can punish me as you want.” She finished her words and then went back to curtains. She was fearless after her husband died.
Ma Chaorong and Ma Chaoyang were so stunned. They knew that they couldn’t change the fact that Guo Qi was the son of Ma Chaosheng even if they punished Madam Ma.
Guo Qi was different from Ma Tian’en because he lived a hard life and had been through so much, so he was more mature. He knelt down to the curtains right away and said, “I am ungrateful. Now I come back to the family and I promise to revitalize Ma Family. I won’t let my father down.” Then he kowtowed to the curtains solemnly.
Then he stood up and called the butler to discuss details of the funeral, ignoring the reaction of two uncles.
Because there was a son, so everything went smoothly and reasonably. Guo Qi arranged everything for his dead father—announced the information of his dead father, thanked the guests who came to console, decorated the shrine to Ma Chaosheng, and arranged the the memorial tablet—all in a smooth way. Then Guo Qi dressed Master Ma the mortuary clothes and sealed the coffin for his dead father as a grateful son. At the day of burying the dead, the hearse went first to the cemetery. All the people who lived in the area were amazed. On the one hand, Ma Family was one of the prestigious clans and had a big influence in the area. On the other hand, everyone wanted to see the son who was found just now. Recently, what happened in Ma Family had spread widely. At first, the son became a girl, and then a son appeared suddenly. Although Ma Tian’en had ordered all the people not to tell the words of Madam Ma to other people, it had spread widely. Madam Ma who was always kind now became a malicious woman. That she took the son of Ma Chaosheng and made her daughter pretend to be a boy was known to all, which made her hated by others and she was hit by rubbish and scolded when she went out. Ma Tian’en protected her mother and was hit a lot. But Madam Ma didn’t care about it, just walking on her way.
The hearse arrived at the cemetery. A tomb had been dug out and it was covered with lime and charcoal. They carried the coffin and began to honor the dead one. When they were going to put the coffin into the tomb, Madam Ma broke free of the hands of Ma Tian’en and jumped into it.
Guo Qi reacted promptly and he jumped down together. Madam Ma stabbed herself with a knife, desiring to die. But Guo Qi stopped her by his arm so the knife stabbed into his arm and it bled. At that time, Ma Tian’en jumped down and hugged her mother tightly.
“If you dare to die, I will make Ma Tian’en marry a servant. You haven’t atoned for the wrongs you have done yet. How can you die now? You have no right to die so easily.” Guo Qi put his hand to the wound and threatened her.
“How could you…” Madam Ma didn’t expect that Guo Qi would threaten her with her daughter. Guo Qi was right. Though her husband had died, her daughters were alive. They had four daughters, among them three had married. However, Ma Tian’en hadn’t been married. She grew up as a boy but now she had to live as a girl. If Madam Ma died, a girl without father and mother couldn’t marry well. And Guo Qi…
“Mom, I have lost my father. I can’t lose you. If you die, I will die with you. Our family could stay together in heaven.” Ma Tian’en said and tried to snatch the knife from her mother’s hand. Madam Ma didn’t give it to her and threw it on the ground.
Guo Qi and Ma Tian’en lifted Madam Ma out of the tomb. The people who threw rubbish to Madam Ma just now had nothing to say. After all, Madam Ma already made up her mind to die with her husband. It was sinful to drive her to death.
Finally, Ma Chaosheng was buried.
There was great mourning in the Ma House, with people weeping and wailing. Madam Ma was sick in bed and Ma Tian’en became thinner than before. Although Guo Qi had hosted the funeral ceremony, he hadn’t been listed into the family tree. Only when he was listed into the family tree under the name of Madam Ma, could he become the lineal eldest son of Ma Family and inherit the property of the family logically.
Ma Tian’en still wore like a boy and helped take care of Madam Ma. Looking at her daughter, Madam Ma felt guilty and sorry because she did not know what she could do for her.
“Tian’en, don’t wear boy’s clothes anymore. I have called the servant Li to ask the tailor to make some girl’s clothes for you. I am sure you will be pretty with fine new clothes.”
“I don’t want them. I feel the boy’s clothes are good for me. And I have got used to wearing them.” Ma Tian’en refused at once.
“Silly girl. You are a girl now. You shouldn’t keep running back and forth. You have grown up. Your sister has married at your age. While I am alive, I must find a good husband for you. Then if I die one day, I will not feel guilty for your father. ” The children were the biggest career of their parents in the world and children were always on their parents’ mind.
“Get married? No. I want to live with my mother forever.” Sitting on the bed, Ma Tian’en answered mischievously while hugging her mother.
“What about Mr. Wu?” Madam Ma asked suddenly.
“Oh, he’s good. Mom, do you want me to marry Mr. Wu? ” Ma Tian’en jumped up. It was too embarrassing.
“I intend to. Mr. Wu is a good man and he is a learned scholar. Now he has not attended the final imperial examination, you can be engaged first. If he comes out first on the imperial examination, there will be too many girls who want to marry him. All of my dowries are yours. And I select some profitable stores for you. Guo Qi wouldn’t mind it.” Madam Ma stopped for a little time and continued saying “The rest of property belongs to Guo Qi. After you get married, I’ll live in the hall for Buddha in order to pray for your father.”
“Mom, do not say that. Even if I get marry, I will live with you to care for you.” Ma Tian’en said while taking her mother’s hand.
Madam Ma put her daughter’s messy hairs behind her ear with one hand and said with a smile, “Have you seen any girl who still still lives with her mother when she gets married? As long as you live a good life, I will feel happy and ease.”
“Why not have him marry into our family?” Ma Tian’en thought about her joke with Wu Zhong. She had asked Wu Zhong to marry into her family and he agreed.
But Madam Ma laughed out, “You are a silly girl. Mr. Wu is the first-rate person. He will be Number One Scholar on the imperial examination. Did you ever see a Number One Scholar would marry into a girl’s family as a husband? So, you are willing to marry Mr. Wu? ”
“No….” Ma Tian’en felt hot on her face. Her heart was pounding so hard. She must be sick and she should go to see a doctor.