The moment Ding Youwei, her hair in a high Han Palace bun and her figure clad in a plain gauze skirt, set foot on the ground at Chen Family Cove, tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. She hurriedly wiped them away, then stood gracefully beside the carriage, smiling at Zongzhi and Run'er.
Zongzhi and Run'er stared wide-eyed at their mother, Ding Youwei, unable to take it in for a moment. Ding Youwei had left Chen Family Cove four years ago. The little brother and sister had grown used to seeing their mother at Ding Clan Villa and had almost forgotten that she had once lived at Chen Family Cove for six years-
A Xiu and Rain Swallow alighted from the carriage behind hers. A Xiu said, "Oh, young mistress Run'er, young master Zongzhi, don't you recognize your mother?"
Only then did Zongzhi and Run'er cry out together, "Mother!" They ran over and nestled into Ding Youwei's arms.
Ding Youwei crouched and wrapped her arms around both children, then looked up and asked Chen Caozhi, "Little brother, is Mother well?"
"Mother is all right," Chen Caozhi said. "Imperial Physician Yang has examined and treated her, and for now there is nothing seriously wrong. She's reciting the Five Thousand Words of Dao De Jing in Crane-Crying Hall and doesn't know you've come yet, Sister-in-law. I must tell her first, or the sudden sight of you might make her so happy that her body couldn't bear it."
Liu Shangzhi and Yang Quan had stayed overnight at Ding Clan Villa. It was only that morning that Ding Youwei had learned from Ding Chunqiu that Mother Chen Lady Li was unwell. By then, Liu Shangzhi and Yang Quan had already left Ding Clan Villa for Chen Family Cove. Ding Youwei did not know the precise