Rebirth, who still indulges their scumbag father?

In the seventeenth year of Emperor Shenzong's reign, Sheng Minglan lay on a large, carved bed, her breath weak.

"Mother, Mother! Father and the Master will be here soon! They left the front lines for Beijing half a month ago and are almost here!" Her eldest daughter-in-law knelt by the bed, rubbing her hands, dry as a log.

On that wrist hung a simple silver bracelet, the only thing left by her mother, Wei.

In her other hand, she clutched a string of jade Buddhist beads, a lasting memory from her grandmother, Xu, the only daughter of the then Marquis of Yongyi.

Minglan's voice, like a broken bellows, strained, "Tell Brother Tuan to slow down..." She had forgotten that she hadn't called her eldest son "Brother Tuan" for a long time. It was his nickname, inappropriate for his current status, and disrespectful in front of younger generations. But she suddenly remembered something else and asked hurriedly, "Have you written reports to the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War regarding their return?"

"We've reported it, we've reported it! Don't worry, Second Sister-in-law." Gu Tingwei, standing a little further away, nodded repeatedly, tears dripping from his eyes.

Since marrying into the Marquis's mansion, Second Sister-in-law has devoted herself to this family, and even now, her worries have never let up. If she could worry less, maybe, maybe...

The Gu family members, kneeling in a row behind her, were also choking with sobs. Madam Sheng, from the second branch of the Gu family, was kind and tolerant. She hadn't held them accountable for her past neglect of Duke Gu and had helped them for so many years. Now that she was about to pass away, they felt desolate and heartbroken. If the Duke married another wife in the future, she might not be as virtuous as this one, and life would be difficult for their family then...

Minglan sighed softly. In her life, she had endured hardship and suffering, weathering both adversity and happiness. Not only had she received an imperial decree at a young age, she had also followed her troublesome husband from a marquisate to a duke's mansion.

It was a pity that she hadn't lived long enough, and at the age of 35, she was eager to leave.

She knew that this illness had been lingering from her confinement after giving birth to Tuan Ge.

To redress Gu Tingye's injustice, she had devised a scheme to catch the traitor and knelt at the palace gate for two days and one night. Only when the late empress dowager revealed the truth did she finally feel at ease. But her fainting in the bustling city was no act; she was truly exhausted.

No matter how hard she tried to heal herself, she couldn't recover. She later became pregnant but couldn't keep the baby. From that moment on, her body became increasingly weak.

In terms of wealth and glory, Heaven had been truly generous to her; she had enjoyed every treasure in the world.

But when it came to kinship, Heaven had been truly cruel. At the age of eight, she watched her own mother and unborn brother vanish together.

Her vain father, obsessed with his own comfort, never cleared her name, nor offered her a single ray of warmth during her upbringing.

Later, her beloved grandmother was poisoned by that madwoman, the Kang family. Although she was eventually rescued from the brink of death, she was no longer as robust as she had once been. She lost much of her life and died while on assignment in exile alongside her brother, Changbai. She wasn't even able to see her off!

Thinking of this, she squeezed the Buddhist beads in her hand with a pained heart...

Her greatest comfort in life was marrying a man as upright as Gu Tingye, giving birth to a son as brave and capable as Tuan Ge, and even marrying off his daughter-in-law and having a legitimate grandson. But alas... she didn't have much time to spend with them...

Ah, if only I could do it all over again!

If I could do it all over again, I would listen to my mother and go to my grandmother's side, protecting her and my mother.

If I could do it all over again, I would tell Gu Tingye about the Gu family's conspiracy sooner rather than later, and at all costs, I would stop him, sparing him so much suffering and minimizing his injuries.

If I could do it all over again, I would face life's ups and downs more calmly.

If I could do it all over again...

Thinking of this, Minglan gradually fell into a trance. Cries of surprise seemed to echo from afar...

"Mother!"

"Sister-in-law!"

"Minglan!!!"

...

...

When she woke up again, Sheng Minglan felt a chill running through her body.

"Is this the underworld? Why is it so cold?" she muttered, still half-conscious. A warm hand touched her cheek, whispering, "Child, I'm a burden to you."

The voice was so familiar; the moment it reached her ears, it penetrated deep into Minglan's heart, stirring her heart, making her blood boil and her mind run wild.

Almost as she opened her eyes, she cried out, "Mother!"

Wei Shuyi's face, slightly startled, appeared before Minglan.

Minglan threw herself upon her mother, sobbing uncontrollably, "Mother! Mother! I finally see you again, Mother! I've missed you so much! I'll always listen to you... I'll always listen to you! Mother! Don't leave me again! Mother!"

She sobbed bitterly, her heartbroken longing for twenty-six years replaced by the repeated cries of "Mother."

Like a drowning person, she clung to her mother with all her might, fearing that if she let go even a little, she would turn and walk out the door, never to return.

It was just like what she had dreamed of for countless nights. Minglan gripped so hard her nails nearly dug into Wei Shuyi's flesh, but Wei Shuyi didn't stop his daughter. He endured the pain and lifted her up in her position, patting her back gently. "Don't be afraid, Minglan. Mother is here. It's just a nightmare. Don't be afraid, Mother is here!"

The embrace felt warm and reassuring, not like a dream, but as real as childhood.

Minglan dabbed the tears from her face with her sleeve, staring at her mother with her big, round eyes—her brows slightly furrowed, her almond-shaped eyes gleaming, her face pale, her clothes plain, her belly slightly protruding.

She swallowed and asked, "Mother, I'm not dreaming, am I?"

Wei Shuyi met her gaze. "Silly child, you were just having a nightmare. Nothing you dream about is real. Be good, Mother is here!" He pulled her small hand against his own. The soft touch made Minglan's heart skip a beat. She traced A'niang's cheek to her nose, feeling the warmth of her breath... then her eyes, her hair, her ears. Then she lowered her head and grasped A'niang's wrist, gazing at the slightly tarnished silver bracelet... then A'niang's hand, delicate and slightly rough, yet warm and strong. Minglan rushed forward and hugged Wei Shuyi again. She was surprised and delighted, crying and laughing wildly, then frowning while laughing, repeating over and over again, "Thank God! Thank God! Thank God for reuniting my mother and me!"

Wei Shuyi laughed, "What do you mean by reuniting? We've always been together. What nonsense, child?"

Minglan: "Yes, my mother has always been by my side, never left! From now on, we will be together forever! Whether this is the Shura Realm or the real world, since I've been given the chance to be reborn, I will give it my all. I will not let God's mercy go to waste! I will not let my mother suffer again!"

Wei Shuyi sensed something was wrong and stopped smiling. He touched Minglan's forehead and whispered, "Did you catch a cold? We need to see a doctor." She turned and called out, "Xiaodie, Xiaodie."

No one answered.

She called out again, "Xiaotao?"

A girl with twin buns, about five or six years old, her nose red, walked into the room.