She searched the vicinity for familiar memories, finally finding a drawing on the door that she and a little boy had etched with stones in their childhood. Though many years had passed and it had become somewhat faint, and the two large plane trees by the entrance were gone, she was certain this was her former home.
She went around to the main gate and, seeing the words "Wu Mansion" hanging high on the door, quickly sought someone to inquire about the situation.
She arrived at a small eatery not far from the Wu Mansion, ordered a few dishes, and ate slowly. It wasn't a busy time, so there weren't many people in the restaurant. The proprietress was a middle-aged woman, very friendly.
Wu Caiwei smiled at her, "Judging by the proprietress's skill in running the business, you must have been in Lizhou City for many years."
At the mention of this, the proprietress said with some pride, "Indeed. Not to brag, but I've certainly been in this city longer than you have been alive, young lady."
"I believe that. Actually, I don't mind telling you, proprietress, I was born here as a child. But then I left due to uncontrollable circumstances, and only recently returned. After returning, I found that things have changed, and my childhood memories are different from what I see now." Wu Caiwei sighed, her heart filled with a sense of loss.
Seeing that she was someone with a story, the proprietress quickly comforted her, "One must always look forward. The past may have been good, but it cannot be brought back."
"I remember playing under the two plane trees by the side gate of the Wu Mansion when I was little. I haven't been back for so many years; I don't know when those two trees disappeared."
"Oh, you mean those two plane trees? About five or six years ago, the adjacent mansion was expanding. To avoid obstructing pedestrian traffic, they discussed it with the Wu Mansion and had the two trees cut down," the proprietress said casually. Everyone knew about it, and there was nothing to hide.
"Oh, I see. Has the Wu family's residence changed owners? I used to play with a little girl when I was young, and she seemed to be a mistress of the house. But I haven't heard of her since." Wu Caiwei looked at her with feigned curiosity.
"You've asked the right person today. Someone else might not know, but I actually know about this. The reason is, before my husband and I opened this little restaurant, we helped out in the Wu family's kitchen. This is the old Wu family residence, and the male master has never changed. But not changing the male master doesn't mean the female master hasn't changed either," the proprietress said meaningfully, then refused to say anything further.
Seeing this, Wu Caiwei directly placed two silver ingots in front of her. The proprietress was startled and couldn't help but look around. She noticed that at some point, only the few servants, the master and mistress, and themselves were left in the shop. She hadn't paid attention before, but looking closely at Wu Caiwei's face now, she had guessed most of it.
"If it were anyone else, I wouldn't say a word, no matter how much silver they offered. We are just ordinary people. Although the Wu family isn't exactly a powerful clan, if they wanted to punish us common folk, it would be as easy as crushing an ant. Originally, I thought you were just an ordinary customer and didn't observe carefully, so I didn't notice your identity. Now that I look at you, you bear seven or eight parts of resemblance to the former Madam Wu. If I'm not mistaken, you must be the Wu family's lost young lady."
The proprietress looked at her with sharp eyes, and involuntarily recalled twenty years ago, when, due to her mother-in-law's favoritism, they were kicked out with nothing. Without land or a house in the countryside, they couldn't survive and were forced to come to the city.
The city was harder to live in than they had imagined. They had no money to rent a place, and most of the jobs they found paid only after a month. Unless it was manual labor, but due to their mother-in-law's exploitation in the countryside, her husband's health was very poor. She didn't want him to do heavy work, which resulted in them having to sleep on the streets.
One day, they unknowingly arrived in this area and hid under the two plane trees, mainly because they feared the night rain. The plane tree leaves were dense and could provide some shelter.
She remembered that on the fifth night they were living under the plane trees, a woman dressed in simple clothes took a little boy out. As she opened the door, she said to the boy, "It's so late, what are children doing outside? Let's go home quickly."
"No, no, I want to play with the child!" the little boy whined.
When the woman opened the door and saw the two people standing under the banyan tree, she was startled. After a moment, she recovered and asked somewhat flustered, "Who are you? Why are you at our doorstep?"
At that moment, the proprietress's heart sank, thinking that they would surely be driven away. She felt a wave of despair, not knowing where they would go after leaving here.
Trembling slightly, she stepped forward and pleaded, "Madam, we are from the countryside and have nowhere else to go, which is why we slept under the tree. Please, Madam, do not chase us away."
"How can people sleep under a tree? Look at this stuffy weather; it might rain soon. If possible, you should find a place that can shield you from the wind and rain," Madam Wu said with a sigh. Everyone had their own difficulties.
When the door was first opened, the little boy was also startled by the two people. When his mother told him to go back, he stopped whining and obediently did as he was told.
Heaven was not on their side. That night, it rained heavily, with thunder and lightning. Although the plane tree leaves were very dense, the rain still dripped through the gaps. The couple huddled together tightly, unsure if the drops on their faces were tears or rain.
Just as they were lamenting their fate, the door behind them opened. The madam, upon seeing their figures, anxiously said, "Quick, come inside! You'll get sick in this heavy rain. Stay at our house for now."
Thus, the couple moved into a small room not far from the side gate. To repay her kindness for sheltering them, after a busy day, they often helped out in the kitchen.
Madam Wu, seeing that the couple was honest and hardworking, took pity on them and suggested they quit their outdoor jobs and help in the kitchen. The head cook in the kitchen was a kind woman who, upon learning of their situation, took them on as her disciples.
They settled down in the Wu Mansion. Over time, they also learned about the basic situation of the Wu family. Although Madam Wu was the mistress of the Wu family, in reality, she was only nominally in charge. The true management of everything was handled by the master's cousin.
Madam Wu's frequent trips to the side gate with her son were because their living quarters were in a secluded area.
A few years later, Madam Wu gave birth to a daughter, Wu Yutong. She was a clever and beautiful little girl, very beloved by Master Wu. The little girl often played with her brother under the plane trees.
Originally, they thought life would continue peacefully. Suddenly, one day, the young lady disappeared.