USWHC -Chapter 364 Exchanging Fate (Part 4)

Yes, when Ji Mei said those words, she deliberately lowered her voice to be soft and gentle—so much so that it even sounded a bit different from her usual tone. Even Old Madam Ji felt a little unaccustomed to it.

Ji Mei then explained in a quiet, refined voice, “Just as Your Excellency said yesterday, since I am entering the capital, I cannot speak as casually as I do at home. I must not let the nobles in the capital laugh at me.”

Hearing this, the county magistrate nodded repeatedly in agreement. “What a clever and perceptive child. Indeed, once in the capital, you can’t keep speaking in that rustic way all day. This is good—this sounds much more proper!”

Old Madam Ji, upon hearing such high praise for her daughter, immediately beamed and chimed in, “Yes, yes! This is good, very good!”

But then Ji Mei suddenly knelt down and gave Old Madam Ji a firm kowtow. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice choked with emotion.

Old Madam Ji was startled. Why was she apologizing all of a sudden? She quickly said, “Meizi! Why are you acting so strange today? What are you apologizing to me for?”

Ji Mei, still sobbing, replied, “There is an old saying: ‘While parents are alive, one should not travel far.’ I am unfilial, going alone to the capital. I fear I won’t be able to serve you by your side, so I wanted to apologize to you, Mother.”

Hearing this, Old Madam Ji’s eyes immediately grew moist. “Silly child, I’m still waiting to enjoy a good life with you!” she said as she hurriedly helped Ji Mei up. “Don’t kneel anymore—you’ll dirty your clothes. It won’t look nice!”

Ji Mei rose silently and slowly looked around the courtyard. Her gaze lingered among the crowd for a moment, as if trying to imprint everything into her memory—or perhaps she had countless feelings of reluctance she couldn’t express. Beneath the dark veil of her hat, she quietly took in everything before her.

With a soft sigh, Ji Mei said nothing more. She simply turned and resolutely boarded the carriage.

Seeing that she had gotten in, the magistrate finally let out a satisfied breath, as if afraid that if they delayed any longer, Ji Mei might change her mind—or that certain troublesome people might start crying and insisting on going along. He quickly led the group away.

As Ji Mei’s carriage grew more and more distant, Old Madam Ji could no longer hold back her tears. They silently streamed down her face and fell to the ground as she murmured in a choked voice, “Our Meizi has never left me before… Such a long journey—I don’t know how she’ll manage…”

Seeing this, Sister-in-law You was shocked. Even someone as tough as Old Madam Ji was actually crying? She quickly stepped forward to comfort her. “Mother, don’t be sad. Didn’t you say it yourself? Meizi is someone blessed with great fortune. She’s going to enjoy a good life! We should be happy for her. And who knows—maybe after a while, when she comes back, we might even share in her blessings!”

Old Madam Ji nodded immediately. “That’s right. Our Meizi is going to enjoy her fortune. No crying—we should be happy!”

The carriage sped away, and before long, it disappeared from sight. Old Madam Ji suddenly felt a deep sense of loss. With her head lowered, she slowly walked back toward the house. Still thinking about Ji Mei, she headed straight for Ji Mei’s room.

But just as she stepped inside, a sharp scream rang out.

What—what happened?

Everyone from the Ji family rushed in at once. When they opened the door, they saw Old Madam Ji standing there as if stunned senseless, pointing at the bed with a trembling hand.

What was on the bed?

All eyes turned toward it at once—and in the very next moment, a chorus of screams erupted like an alarm.

Then, the thing on the bed moved… and suddenly sat up.

Wait—it was a person!

The person rubbed their head and looked at everyone in confusion, muttering drowsily, “Why are you all here? What time is it?” Clearly, they had just been woken up by the screaming.

But who was this person?

Old Madam Ji suddenly let out a scream that seemed to pierce the heavens. “Ah! Meizi, why are you here?! No—wait—if you’re here, then who was the one who just left?!”

What? The one lying on the bed was actually Ji Mei?

Yes—she lazily supported her head and turned to look at them in surprise. Everyone was utterly stunned.

It really was Ji Mei!

Then… who was the one who just left?!