The whole family is insanely eavesdropping on my thoughts Chapter 610
Chapter 610: The Fire Seed
Lu Chao Chao’s eyes showed a trace of sorrow.
She glanced at her own round belly and suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of guilt. Unconsciously, she tried to suck in her stomach.
Yu Zhu’s eyes welled up with warmth. She saw no mockery or scorn in the princess’s gaze; rather, the princess seemed to be trying to shield her from any potential discomfort, even going as far as subtly pulling in her belly.
A soft chuckle escaped Yu Zhu’s lips, and she boldly took hold of the princess’s small hand.
“Princess, Yu Zhu is not sad. Meeting the princess has been the greatest blessing of my life.” She was truly grateful to have met the princess.
Lu Chao Chao gently squeezed her hand and nodded firmly.
After breakfast, a report came from outside the door: “Magistrate Zhou requests an audience.”
Yu Zhu whispered, “Last night, Magistrate Zhou conducted a thorough investigation. Those whose hands were stained with blood have been detained.”
“In Infant Ditch, there were two hundred and thirty-six skeletal remains.”
“And those were just the complete skeletons. Many more were fragmented beyond recognition…” The mountain was teeming with wolves, and newborn bones were soft. In many cases, only a finger-sized piece remained.
Coming to the mortal world felt like enduring a tribulation.
“The village had over six hundred people in total.”
Half of them had blood on their hands. For most, it was more than one life.
Magistrate Zhou was so enraged that his head nearly exploded.
“Sentence them according to the laws of Northern Zhao.” Northern Zhao’s laws were comprehensive and even had provisions for the protection of infants. However, since many had never reported these incidents, they had escaped notice—until now.
This would serve as a perfect example.
Magistrate Zhou nodded. “Yes.”
“The village girls may take my carriage to register for the academy. The results will be out soon. No one will be allowed to seize their spots…”
Once Lu Chao Chao approved, Yu Zhu rose and followed the magistrate out the door.
“Zhu Mo, invite some high monks for a blessing,” Lu Chao Chao instructed. At her words, Xie Yu Zhou hesitated slightly…
“How about… I do it?” He sounded a little awkward but was filled with compassion for the innocent souls.
“The old monks always say I am the reincarnation of a Buddha’s child. My prayers will be more effective than anyone else’s.”
Lu Chao Chao covered her mouth and giggled. “Chao Chao thanks Brother Yu Zhou on their behalf…” Xie Yu Zhou immediately straightened his back, puffing out his chest, and marched out the door with his wooden fish in hand.
By the time everything was packed up, the sky had fully brightened.
The magistrate’s carriage creaked as it returned to the village.
The village was filled with wails. Countless elderly women collapsed to the ground, slapping their thighs and crying out in despair.
“We birthed them, we gave them life—why can’t we take it away? We only wanted a son—what’s wrong with that?”
“Mercy, Magistrate! We were wrong!”
“From now on, those little girls… they can do whatever they want. We will worship them, raise them like noble ladies, never mistreat them again. Just spare our sons…”
The old women wailed in agony. With their sons arrested, how would their families survive?
Even many of the older women who had personally committed these crimes were now imprisoned.
The entire village was drowned in sorrowful cries.
Before the carriage had even fully stopped, Yu Zhen leaped off in excitement.
“Mother! Mother! I was selected!” The little girl was ecstatic as she dashed toward her mother.
“Mother, the academy is still hiring staff. You should come with me!” Yu Zhu was uneasy about leaving her mother alone.
She had already inquired—the Women’s Academy needed helpers, and she could assist after her lessons. Only with her mother nearby could she feel at ease.
Tears welled up in the woman’s eyes, and she nodded fervently. “Alright, I will go with you.”
She had been kidnapped and sold into the mountains. She had tried to escape countless times, but she had long given up hope.
But now…
Her tears fell in large droplets.
“Mother, we can contact Grandfather now. You can finally go home, finally leave this place.” Yu Zhu’s heart ached for her mother.
She knew her mother was different from the other women.
Only her mother would occasionally recite poetry, though she remained silent most of the time… She harbored deep rejection and hatred toward the entire village.
Only her mother had attempted to flee, only to be beaten to the brink of death and chained in the pigsty upon being caught.
Her wrists bore deep scars. Even in the peak of summer, she kept them covered.
Her mother did not belong here.
Yu Zhu had overheard whispers—when her mother first arrived, she had been a refined young lady.
Graceful, delicate, untouched by menial tasks, her skin as fair as snow, even her hair carried a fragrant scent.
She had also been an accomplished calligrapher.
But the moment she tried to send a letter for help, her drunken husband had broken her fingers.
Her right hand could no longer write, and she was left to perform rough labor.
At this moment, hearing Yu Zhu’s words, the woman forced a weak smile, though it did not reach her eyes.
“No, I won’t look for them. I will stay with you. Having Yu Zhu is enough.”
Her home would not accept her anymore.
She had long since resigned herself.
Over the years, as one child after another perished, she had numbed herself, trying to accept her role as a woman of the Wang family. She thought that if she could blend in, maybe the pain would lessen.
“Mother, why?” Yu Zhu knew what was written on the wall.
It was her mother’s real name—Yao Jing Yi.
A name filled with scholarly grace.
Yu Zhu had once begged for a beautiful name, but her mother had refused without hesitation. Later, she learned that her mother had fought to name her elder sister and even taught her to read. But before the girl could reach adulthood, an old widower took a liking to her, and she perished young.
Everything her mother possessed—her knowledge, her grace—had become a weapon against her.
She no longer dared to teach any child.
Yet, she still could not save them.
“My family was one of scholars, bound by rigid traditions. Your grandfather is the most stubborn of all. There is no going back…”
Yu Zhu hesitated. “None of this was Mother’s fault. Why must the victim bear the burden?”
Yao Jing Yi looked at her and shook her head without answering.
But when she thought of her daughter entering the academy, she could not help but hope for her child’s future.
She resolved to secretly write a letter—just for the sake of her daughter.
As Lu Chao Chao prepared to board the carriage, she raised an eyebrow. “The Yao family?”
Yu Shu murmured, “A scholarly family, very strict in traditions… Likely the Yao family of West River.”
“The Yao family prides itself on being disciples of the sages and holds a high regard among scholars.” Over a thousand years had passed since the sage’s era, and many claimed to be his disciples, though few could truly prove it.
“If it is the Yao family, they will likely reject her. They won’t acknowledge her.”
Lu Chao Chao shook her head and smiled at Yu Zhu.
“Being turned away might be a good thing.”
“Her future will be far more secure than relying on the Yao family. Who knows, perhaps one day, the Yao family will come running to her instead…”
As Yu Zhu stepped down from the carriage, a faint golden light shimmered around her.
Perhaps, she would be the first spark.
Suddenly…
A golden radiance flowed from her body into Lu Chao Chao’s forehead, with a portion splitting off to envelop Shan Shan.
Lu Chao Chao tilted her head skyward.
Countless sparks ascended in all directions, transforming into tiny fire seeds.
The heavens filled with merit…
And it all flowed into Lu Chao Chao and Shan Shan.
Some even drifted toward the capital, settling upon those whose graves had been unearthed, safeguarding their lineage for a thousand years.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation