Return of the Swallow

Chapter 28: Unparalleled Glory

“Grandmother, this granddaughter greets you.” Qin Yining didn’t dare overstep herself and paused to kneel on the ground in the grand ceremony of greeting. The rest of her group shifted to the sides to avoid blocking her gesture.

The duchess looked at her with even more tender eyes and helped Qin Yining up with both hands. She patted her granddaughter’s hand with pity. “Good girl, there’s no need to stand on such ceremony. Let me take a good look at you.”

The duchess’ hand had the dry warmth that was unique to elderly folk. Tears welled up in Qin Yining’s eyes when she felt the heat, which in turn made the duchess melt. There were some people who shared enough destiny to know that they liked the other on first sight. This was precisely how the duchess felt about Qin Yining at their first meeting. The calluses and scars on the girl’s hand pained the older woman.

She gathered Qin Yining in her arms and patted her on the back, saying in a choked up voice, “Poor girl, you’ve had a rough life all these years.”

Those words tugged at Qin Yining’s heart, so much so that her tears couldn’t help but plop soundlessly downwards. This warm hug and the faint smell of incense from the duchess were touching her in the deepest part of her heart. She strove mightily to keep her emotions in check, desperately fighting the urge to burst into sobs at this joyous occasion. “Don’t be sad grandmother. No matter how things were before, it’s all over now. We should look ahead to the future, not behind.”

These words were the perfect response. The duchess nodded several times. “Yes, indeed, it’s over, all over now.”

The senior and second madame had long been dabbing at their eyes from emotion. They nodded continuously, and even née Sun, having experienced extreme highs and lows since finding her daughter, burst in tears. The scene of them holding each other and bawling in the cold wind was too tragic to bear.

The senior madame sniffled. “Look at mother being so happy, you even ran out of the house in your slippers, in this kind of weather! The ground’s quite cold.”

Bao-mama was dabbing at her eyes with a sleeve and spoke up, “The elder madame was in such a hurry to see her granddaughter that she wouldn’t even let me help her into shoes.”

“Me? You’re talking about me? And who was it that barely keep their seat?” The duchess poked fun at her two daughters-in-law. The heavy atmosphere was washed away with the banter, leaving behind only happiness as the group laughed and chatted with each other.

The crowd slowly filed into the house. Even the serving girl holding up the door curtains was wreathed with smiles, as if it was New Year’s.

Qin Yining kept smiling through her tears as she listened to her grandmother and aunts trade words of comfort for her. She wasn’t able to get a word in edgewise. She’d fantasized about this scene many times on the way back to the capital from Liang, but to think that she’d find it at her grandmother’s instead of her own home!

The potential situations that could arise and various strategies that had kept her up late last night all seemed to be extraneous effort. It would seem that she’d simply been a worrywart and thought too little of her family.  

The duchess was helped into the main seat by her two daughters-in-law, who then took the side seats along with née Sun. Bao-mama brought over a rush cushion for Qin Yining to kneel down on and properly perform the grand ceremony of greeting. “This granddaughter greets grandmother and her two aunts, and hopes they are well.”

“Oh hurry and rise.” The duchess leaned forward to help Qin Yining up and pulled the girl to sit beside her. “Have you gotten used to things since coming back? Do you lack anything? Your mother has a quick temper and is too forgetful. If she dares mistreat you, just tell grandmother. I’ll hit her for you!”

The duchess spoke very quickly, too quickly for Qin Yining to get a word in. She could only shake her head to indicate that she hadn’t been maltreated.

“Mother, you’re playing favorites! Daughter Yi’s completely outshone me now that she’s here.” Née Sun blushed furiously at those words. She couldn’t help but recall that she had indeed hit the girl and criticized her quite harshly. Despite all this, the child had still graciously thought of retaining her mother’s dignity. Some guilt washed over Née Sun.