Cecilia Gu flashed a sly smile and said, "Why wait until we get back? We can just ask now, can't we?"
Cecilia pulled out her phone from her bag and said mischievously, "What do you think—if I call Dad, will he tell me?"
Charles Yin couldn't help but laugh.
It was the first time he'd seen this side of Cecilia.
Looks like his little mole still had plenty of secrets waiting to be discovered...
Cecilia dialed Mr. Yun's number directly: "Dad, I'm in Yuanshan Village now."
On the other end, Mr. Yun responded, as if he'd already guessed Cecilia would call.
Cecilia put the phone on speaker so Charles Yin could hear too.
Charles Yin held his breath, listening quietly.
"Dad, does the bracelet Mom gave me have some special meaning? I just heard something from the village chief—they say Yuanshan Village owes the Yun Family a promise." Cecilia spoke softly. "I'm standing in the ancestral hall now, and I just saw a portrait..."
Mr. Yun actually sighed on the other end of the phone.
"Cici... This bracelet was originally meant for Nora, but since she's already... Now you're my daughter too, so giving it to you is only natural. I know you've been troubled by Yuanshan Village these past few days, so I asked your mom to pass the bracelet to you. If it helps, use it. Objects are dead, but people are alive. Your mom and I, this is our life. The future of the Yun Family isn't in my hands anymore, do you understand what I mean?"
Mr. Yun's words made Cecilia pause. "Dad..."
"What do you want to ask?" Mr. Yun asked directly.
"Dad, I'm really curious about what happened over three hundred years ago. The portrait hanging on the wall... Who is she? Why does she look so much like me—no, like Nora Yun?" Cecilia couldn't help but ask.
A long sigh came from Mr. Yun on the other end of the line.
"This is something only I can answer for you." Mr. Yun sighed three times over the phone and gently said, "Her name is Zara Yun, a legendary general in Yun Family history. You know, our family has always prized scholarship, but she was different—she loved swords and martial arts instead of poetry and books. The Yun Family was already a century-old clan at the time, so having a daughter like her gave the elders quite a headache. But with so many children in the family, she was allowed to do as she pleased."
"During the late Ming Dynasty, wars were endless. Wu Sangui opened the gates for the Qing army, and chaos reigned. Even the Yun Family was affected and had to keep relocating. But despite all our efforts to stay hidden, we couldn't escape the Qing army's purge. Finally, Zara Yun stepped up and organized a military force to resist the Qing soldiers."
"This army was formed by rallying five local minority clans from Yuanshan Village. With her wisdom and tactics, Zara Yun held off a Qing Dynasty prince for a long time, slowing the imperial army and winning peace for the people here. She became the most respected figure in the region. As other uprisings were suppressed elsewhere, this area became a tough nut for the Qing to crack."
"During the fighting, that prince actually fell in love with Zara Yun and let her go several times. He wasn't the only one who admired her—so did many of her own generals. One day, the prince staged a surprise attack and openly kidnapped someone disguised as Zara Yun. Her generals, thinking she'd been captured, rushed after them and fell right into his trap. Only then did everyone realize the prince hadn't taken Zara Yun at all—he'd lured her away to another place."
After all that happened, Prince Qing threatened to kill the generals unless Zara Yun surrendered and married him. His demand sparked outrage. He said if she refused, he'd slaughter everyone. So Zara Yun gave in—she threw down her weapons in front of everyone, surrendered, and traded her freedom for the lives of her generals.
All the resistance fighters saw their goddess willingly give herself up to save them, and they were deeply moved, swearing they'd rescue Zara Yun. But she told them the fight was over—the Ming Dynasty had fallen, and there was no point in resisting anymore. To protect everyone, Zara Yun made three vows in front of thousands: she'd never touch weapons again, never return to the Yun Family, and willingly become a regular woman in the prince's household, as long as he spared the lives of her soldiers and never sought revenge.
For Zara Yun, the Yun Family petitioned the imperial court, offering to join the government and help bridge the gap between the Manchu and Han peoples. The Qing emperor was thrilled and agreed, releasing all the soldiers—but to prevent any future rebellion, they were ordered to live in Yuanshan County for life and never leave. If anyone dared leave, the army would invade and kill everyone. Grateful for Zara Yun's sacrifice, the freed soldiers invited Han refugees to live with them in Yuanshan Village, and only Han people could serve as village chiefs. Zara Yun's portrait was hung in the ancestral hall to honor and respect the Yun Family.
On the day Zara Yun married the prince, tens of thousands knelt along the ten-mile street. Dressed in red, she knelt three times toward the Yun Family, then mounted her horse, cracked her whip, and rode away, disappearing from everyone's sight. The Qing emperor kept his word—after confining everyone to Yuanshan Village, he didn't kill a single person. It must've been Zara Yun's desperate efforts that saved them.
(This chapter isn't finished yet~.~ Please click next page to continue reading!)
A few years after marrying the prince, Zara Yun died young, heartbroken. It's said that on the night she passed, Prince Qing cut off his hair with a sword and became a monk—he truly loved her. Some say Zara Yun didn't really die, but was reborn. Throughout her life, what she cared about most was the Yun Family. When Nora Yun was born that year..." Mr. Yun stopped, leaving the sentence unfinished.
Cecilia listened quietly the whole time. She didn't know why, but when she looked at the portrait on the wall, a wave of grief washed over her.
The pain was so intense.
Helplessness. Hopelessness.
Tears began to fall, silently and without warning.
In that moment, Cecilia suddenly felt she could understand exactly how Zara Yun must have felt back then.
Zara Yun was talented in both literature and martial arts, yet she was confined to such a small world. That must have been the greatest, most cruel torment for her.
Even though Prince Qing truly loved Zara Yun, he never understood what love really meant.
Confinement is not love.
Mr. Yun continued, "When Nora Yun was born, it's said that all six ancestral halls in Yuanshan Village experienced strange phenomena. The portraits of Zara Yun seemed to come alive, their eyes filled with a mesmerizing power."
Cecilia remembered almost being hypnotized by the eyes in that portrait herself, so she nodded quietly.
"As Nora Yun grew up, she looked more and more like Zara Yun. Every year during the Miao New Year, people from Yuanshan Village would bring gifts to the Yun Family—they must have seen Nora as Zara Yun reborn." Mr. Yun sighed. "But Nora's life was short. How could she really be Zara Yun?"
Cecilia felt a gentle touch on her cheek. Looking up, she saw Charles Yin softly wiping away her tears.
Cecilia and Charles finally understood why the people of Yuanshan Village were so warm toward her.
So that's how it was.
"Dad, what about this bracelet?" Cecilia asked.
"When Zara Yun left all those years ago, the villagers made this bracelet for her. They promised that as long as Yuanshan Village existed, the promise tied to this bracelet would always hold. Later, the bracelet was passed down through the Yun Family, generation after generation. It was supposed to go to Nora Yun, but now it's with you. Since you look so much like Nora and Zara Yun, you're the most suitable person to have it." Mr. Yun explained.
Cecilia stared, gently touching the bracelet on her wrist.
She hadn't expected the bracelet to be over three hundred years old.
No wonder Mom was so careful when she took it out.
The value of this bracelet isn't in its age—it's in the promise it represents!
Suddenly, Cecilia understood—this was the Yun Family's way of showing kindness to her.
The Yun Family knew she was struggling. They were scholars, not businesspeople, so they didn't know how to deal with merchants.
But they knew exactly how to love their children.
Even though Cecilia wasn't their biological daughter, they still treated her as if she were.
No matter how important the bracelet was, Cecilia herself mattered more.
Realizing this, Cecilia's eyes grew hot and her nose stung. She couldn't help but choke up and cry out, "Dad, thank you!"
For the first time, Cecilia called him 'Dad' willingly and from the heart.
You can't judge someone's kindness by what they say, but by what they do.
Mr. Yun never said things like 'I want to treat you well,' but in all the little things, he cared for Cecilia in quiet, thoughtful ways.
How could Cecilia not be moved?
For twenty-three years, she'd lived without real family—her heart had been barren for so long, and suddenly, all that love was given back to her.
How could she not be touched?
Hearing Cecilia's voice, Mr. Yun smiled with relief. "Good, good, good. As long as you understand how much we care, that's enough! Cici, you're a smart child—I don't need to say more. The Yun Family will always be your support."