Chapter 655 Clues to the Descendants of the Jiang Clan (3)
Mu Ruoyi did not dare to delay. Her Soul Bond emerged from her body and immediately connected with the spectral image, and the walnut tree’s memories began to flood into her mind.
Generally, the memories Mu Ruoyi saw through spiritual communication were from back to front, as if played in reverse. However, the walnut tree’s recent memories were all about the Liu family, which were of no value. So, she “fast-forwarded” all the way to the back. When she reached the earliest memories, dating back about forty years, she began to examine them slowly.
Mu Ruoyi skimmed through the first two years of the walnut tree’s memories but found no useful clues. However, as Li Jin had said, the Chen family was indeed a descendant of loyal officials from a previous dynasty. After nearly a thousand years, they would occasionally discuss the past matters of the previous dynasty, albeit in secret.
About thirty-five years ago, Mu Ruoyi finally saw what she was looking for.
At noon that day, a disheveled beggar knocked on the Chen family’s door. He was poorly clothed, covered in dirt, yet he carried a clean basket that was tightly wrapped.
A servant of the Chen family opened the door. Upon seeing a beggar, he showed disgust and scolded, “What do you want?”
“Brother, I haven’t eaten for five days. Could you spare some food?” the beggar pleaded pitifully.
“Get lost! Who has surplus grain in this world? What would I eat if I gave you some?” the servant cursed impatiently. The beggar licked his dry lips, then opened the basket, revealing a baby about one year old. He pleaded again, “Then could you give this child a spoonful of congee, hehe?”
The servant looked down and saw that the baby’s face was rosy, and he was gnawing on his fingers, looking very cute. He exclaimed in surprise, “How strange! A beggar actually dares to bring a baby. How do you plan to raise him?”
“I can’t help it, elder brother!” the beggar sighed helplessly.
“Where did this child come from?” the servant asked curiously.
“Found him on the road,” the beggar replied.
“Is it a boy or a girl?” the servant asked with a trace of hope. If it were a girl, he would immediately take her to raise himself. A boy, however, was a lost cause, “money-losing goods.”
“Of course, it’s a boy. If it were a girl, who would abandon her in this world? Don’t you think so?” the beggar answered.
“Never you mind whether I abandon her or not, get lost,” the servant lost interest immediately.
“Ah Hua, what’s happening?” At that moment, the master and madam of the Chen family in the main hall noticed what was happening at the door.
“Master, it’s a beggar! I’ll chase him away immediately,” Ah Hua replied quickly.
“Master, I beg you, please save my child! He hasn’t eaten for two or three days,” the beggar shouted, seizing the opportunity.
“What are you shouting about? Get lost!” Ah Hua was furious and reached out to shove the beggar.
“Wait, let him in,” Master Chen commanded.
Ah Hua had no choice but to lead the beggar into the courtyard.
“Did you just mention a child?” Master Chen asked.
“Yes,” the beggar repeated what he had told Ah Hua before.
Master and Madam Chen stepped forward to check and found a baby about one year old. Although it was a “boy,” he was rosy and incredibly endearing.
“Poor child! He looks so lovely. Which parents could be so heartless as to abandon you?” Madam Chen couldn’t help but sigh.
“It’s no help, the pressure of raising a son is too great in this world. Poor people simply cannot afford it,” Master Chen lamented beside her.
“But you shouldn’t abandon him! This is flesh and blood from your own body,” Madam Chen retorted.
Master Chen shook his head helplessly, then had a servant fetch several steamed buns for the beggar and also fed the child some porridge. After drinking the porridge, the beggar did not leave immediately. He knelt before Master and Madam Chen and said, “Thank you, Master Chen and Madam Chen, for the meal.”
“Get up, it’s just a few steamed buns, no need to be so formal,” Master Chen quickly went to help him up.
The beggar did not stand up but continued to plead, “Master Chen, Madam Chen, please adopt this child! Otherwise, he will starve to death with me sooner or later.”
“What?” Master Chen was displeased and frowned, not expecting the other party to be so demanding.
“Please, just as Madam Chen said, this is a life, after all!” the beggar kowtowed desperately.
Master Chen hesitated upon hearing this. After the brief interaction, he did indeed feel some affection for the child.
“Master, why don’t we agree? This child is quite pitiful,” Madam Chen, with a soft heart, persuaded him.
“But our son is already in his twenties and thirties, and he’s still not married or established. If I adopt another infant boy, will he object?” Master Chen expressed his concerns.
“So, are you willing to watch this child starve to death before your eyes?” Madam Chen asked back.
Master Chen struggled intensely. He paced back and forth for a long time, then gritted his teeth and said, “Alright, let’s adopt him.”
“Master is wise,” Madam Chen rejoiced and quickly praised him.
“Thank you, Master Chen! Thank you, Madam Chen!” the beggar kowtowed repeatedly and then left the Chen family very readily.
“This beggar actually has some integrity. He came and left quickly without lingering,” Madam Chen couldn’t help but praise.
“Alas, in this world where the wicked thrive and evil ghosts run rampant, even such a person with integrity can only end up as a beggar,” Master Chen couldn’t help but sigh.
“Master, I’ll take the child to change his clothes,” Madam Chen said, and then, impatiently, she carried the child indoors.
Master Chen nodded, then looked at the lush walnut tree in the courtyard. “Walnut tree! Walnut tree! I hope you remain lush and leafy every year, so you can raise this child to be plump and fair.”
After going indoors, Madam Chen began to undress the child. If it were through human eyes, the scene inside would not be visible from the courtyard. However, through the walnut tree’s spiritual connection, Mu Ruoyi could see it completely. The reason for this was likely that a few walnut branches had extended to the window.
Madam Chen took off the baby’s small pants and then froze in place, because she discovered that it was not a boy at all, but a girl.
“How can this be possible?” Madam Chen’s face showed shock, which then turned into ecstatic joy. She stumbled to the entrance of the main hall and called out to Master Chen, “Master! Master! Come in quickly.”
“What happened?” Master Chen walked into the main hall in confusion.
“Mas… Master… it’s a gi… girl… not a boy.” Madam Chen’s voice trembled with excitement.
“What?” Master Chen exclaimed in disbelief, then ran into the room to examine the baby. He found that it was indeed a girl.
“This is truly unbelievable,” Master Chen stood there stunned.
“I didn’t expect it! I didn’t expect it to be a girl! We are truly rewarded for our good deeds!” Madam Chen beside him was overjoyed because she knew what having a daughter meant in this world.
“But this doesn’t make sense? Why would it be a girl?” Master Chen’s brows were still tightly furrowed, clearly feeling that the matter was too bizarre.
“What’s wrong, Master?” Madam Chen asked curiously.
“Madam, think carefully. In this world, girls are incredibly precious. Even if the beggar sold this infant girl, he could get several hundred taels of silver. How could he have sunk to the point of begging on the streets?” Master Chen voiced his doubts.
“Perhaps he has a kind heart and doesn’t want to do such wicked things,” Madam Chen replied after a brief thought.
“Even so, why did he lie to us earlier? If he had clearly said it was a girl, wouldn’t our chances of adopting the child have been greater? Why did he have to beg so hard?” Master Chen analyzed.
Madam Chen pondered for a moment, her brows furrowed slightly, clearly finding too many illogical points in the matter.
Master Chen stopped talking and began to search in the basket. Soon, he found a note in the interlayer of a torn cloth. Master Chen picked it up curiously and examined it. His eyes immediately widened, and veins of blood burst in the whites of his eyes due to fear.
“What’s wrong?” Madam Chen curiously leaned over to look, and her body began to tremble violently.
