Zhuang Ruolan didn’t know why tears started to fall when she heard those words, she had harbored resentment towards Old Master Zhuang over the years, but she was actually sad herself, too. Now that she had become a mother, she could understand the difficulties of her parents.
Of course, it was also because Zhuang Ruolan had a child that her heart had softened a lot; otherwise, she would never have shown such emotions.
The look on Zhuang Ruolan’s face made Old Master Zhuang and Zhuang Changhe convinced that the Ma Family had not treated her well. Both father and son looked displeased.
Brave as she was, Cai Yi also feared that the misunderstanding would deepen, so she explained, "Old Master, Eldest Young Master, the nanny who relayed the message said the Old Master was ill. As soon as the young lady received the news, she hurried over, worried all the way." This clarified why Zhuang Ruolan’s eyes were red—it was out of concern for Old Master Zhuang’s illness.
Actually, it wasn’t Zhuang Ruolan’s fault to misunderstand; she knew her father was a very strong person and would not have sent someone to inform her unless it was a serious illness; plus, the nanny’s solemn expression when mentioning Old Master Zhuang’s illness naturally led her to think it was severe. On her way here, thinking over her dealings with Old Master Zhuang through the years, she felt deeply unfilial and became more and more upset until her tears flowed freely.
Upon hearing Cai Yun’s words, Zhuang Changhe reproached himself, "Really, can’t even relay a message properly." He had thought of using Old Master Zhuang’s illness as an opportunity for Zhuang Ruolan to visit since she hadn’t been home for a long time. Little did he know that the nanny’s unclear message would worry Zhuang Ruolan so much.
Old Master Zhuang felt relieved for some reason after hearing this. He had always known that his eldest daughter was influenced by the Yue Family and held grudges against him, which is why she had always been distant from him all these years. Seeing his daughter, who resembled his wife, he felt very guilty, so he had let things slide for years. This guilt made him particularly lenient towards Zhuang Ruolan, allowing her to decide her own marriage affairs, something he wouldn’t have agreed to with just a few words from Zhuang Changhe otherwise. At Zhuang Ruolan’s wedding, he had also prepared a generous dowry as compensation.
Old Master Zhuang said with a smile, "Look at you, already a mother yet still so flustered. Don’t worry, the doctor said it’s nothing serious; a couple of days of rest and I’ll be fine." It was rare to see his daughter , and Old Master Zhuang was happy inside. This proved that she still cared deeply for him and that it was not all resentment.
Realizing her emotional outburst, Zhuang Ruolan wiped her tears and calmed herself before saying, "Father, it was all my fault before, I made you worry." Now that she was married, she no longer focused on trivial grievances. She realized that without Old Master’s support, no matter how capable she was, she couldn’t have outwitted the cunning Madam Bao. It was just that her past experiences at Duke Mansion had overwhelmed her with resentment, blinding her to what her father had done for her and her siblings.
Old Master Zhuang chuckled, "Silly girl, a parent’s duty is to worry about their children all their lives. Now that you’re a mother, you must have a deep understanding of this. Next time, bring my two granddaughters along." Because of Zhuang Ruolan’s unresolved issues, she had never brought the children to visit, and he hadn’t even met his granddaughters yet.
Zhuang Ruolan also deeply understood the challenges of being a parent, especially when seeing her husband’s affection for their eldest daughter, recalling her own childhood when Old Master Zhuang loved her dearly. She quickly nodded and agreed, "Alright."
Because of this misunderstanding, Zhuang Ruolan dissolved more than a decade of resentment towards Old Master Zhuang, which turned out to be a good thing.
Old Master Zhuang said, "Since you’re here already, stay at home for a day. Go back tomorrow!" His daughter had finally softened her stance, which was a good opportunity to talk.
Zhuang Ruolan naturally agreed, staying to talk with Old Master Zhuang for a while, continuing until they had dinner.
That night, Zhuang Ruolan stayed in her maiden bedroom. Because of her previous grievances, her routine visits during festivals had been brief and she had never stayed overnight. Now, seeing her old room unchanged, her eyes grew tearful.
Zhuang Changhe said with a smile, "Father said you would definitely come back, so he kept this courtyard for you. Sister, ever since you married, father has frequently asked about you. I know he actually loves you a lot." He had never dared to say this before, fearing that Zhuang Ruolan would be upset.
Zhuang Ruolan nodded and said, "I know. It was me who thought wrongly."
Zhuang Changhe hesitated for a moment and said, "Sister, I know you have always resented father because of mother’s matter. Actually, father also..." Thinking this, Zhuang Changhe didn’t know what to say next.
But Zhuang Ruolan said, "There is no perfect parent under heaven. Regardless, we have no right to meddle in the affairs of the older generation. Rest assured, I won’t be anymore." This emotional knot had been in her heart for so many years; having let it go, she felt completely relieved.