Chapter 140 - The Lullaby (3)

Especially the old grandma, who looked much older than the doctor. She went down on both her knees and kowtow over and over. 

Even Xiong Jingfei's heart dropped upon hearing that the doctor couldn't save the mistress. She felt terrible for the crying grandma and all those women begging the doctor who couldn't do anything. 

"Aren't you a doctor? How come you cannot save our mistress!" The old grandma cried, and wouldn't get up from the ground even after the doctor tried to pull her up. 

"Please! We are also begging you!" 

Both the woman in the blue dress went down on their knees. They followed the same actions of the old grandma in the purple dress. Even Xu Song went down on her knees with the baby still in her arms. 

"Even if you begged me and gave me a chest full of gold. She cannot be saved!" The doctor said, going down on his knees too and bowed his head towards the mistress. "Please forgive me… There is nothing I can do. Your mistress always had a weak body. I already told her that this would happen if she went through this pregnancy."

"Nanny, what should we do?" One of the women in the blue dress said, looking around for someone to help them. "The master is not home yet." 

"I-I don't know too…" The old grandma replied as despair set in. 

Out of all of them, it was her who didn't want her mistress to die! How can she watch the baby she raised to become a daughter, wife, and now a mother to meet her end. Why won't the heaven take her instead? Why won't they give her precious lady the chance to be a mother? 

"She doesn't have much time left," The doctor said, not wanting to relay the bad news, but he had to. 

"My… My baby. I want to hold my baby." The mistress on the bed begged them as she reached out her weak arms. 

Xu Song handed the baby over and wiped her tears and snots with her sleeves. 

The mistress snuggled her face next to her baby, in a tired voice, she said, "I want to be alone with my baby." 

As she wished, everyone left the room in tears. Xu Song was the last to leave and closed the door. 

The woman gently touched her baby's eyebrows, nose, and chubby cheeks. She smiled and kissed the baby's tiny fingers then her tiny toes. Kissing as it would be her last time. 

She already accepted her fate a long time ago after finding out she was pregnant. She went through with it even with knowing what she will put her body through by giving birth. Only now did she realized how much harder it was for her to part from her baby. Not after holding her baby's warm body and see her baby's face. 

"M-mother, apologize for leaving you so soon." 

The woman choked on the blood that was making its way back up. She swallowed it back down because she didn't want to get it on her baby. She cried as she kept kissing the baby's fingers, "I wanted to see you crawl, take your first steps, and hear your first laugh." 

Holding onto the baby tighter in her embrace caused it to cry out loud in annoyance. The woman laughed, "Don't cry. Be a good girl, it's all mother's fault for bothering you."

Xiong Jingfei watched as the woman lightly patted her baby's back to soothe it back to sleep. 

The woman began humming a song with a smile on her face. She didn't want her baby to hear her last breath, but the last time she can show her love. 

Xiong Jingfei stepped out from behind the screen, this lullaby… I-it's the same one that the old granny was humming. It's the same one! 

"Come in, Nanny and Songsong." The mistress breathlessly called out for them. 

It took Xiong Jingfei by surprise for the sudden call, so she couldn't hide in time. She was already quite far from the silked screened door. 

Xu Song instantly opened those doors as if she has been waiting for her mistress's call. Both of them walked in and went right past Xiong Jingfei. They didn't look at her like "where did she come from?" 

It was like they didn't even see her! 

They don't see me? Xiong Jingfei decided to test it out and waved her hands in front of the little Xu Song. She didn't have a reaction or acknowledge her presence. 

"Mistress, you will be alright. The master is almost home, please hold on until he gets back." The old grandma tried putting on a happy smile. 

Xu Song's little tears dropped as she nodded her head, "Mistress, please don't leave me too." 

The mistress shook her head, knowing her body better than anyone else. She wasn't going to get better, and her body wasn't going to hold out until her husband gets back. 

"Nanny, you are like my second mother. Please take care of my child in my place with Songsong." The mistress wasn't asking but was begging the old grandma. She turned her head over to Xu Song, "Songsong, remember your promise to me. Please protect my baby."

Xu Song shook her head, unwilling to take on such a big task. It wasn't the task itself, but not wanting to hear the final parting words of her mistress. Then she slowly nodded her head, even as a child, she was a bright one and understood it. She will go through her promise to watch over and protect her new mistress. No one is allowed to harm her. 

"Nanny, please tell my daughter every day how much I love her." The mistress kissed the baby's forehead. "Mother doesn't want to leave you." 

As if understanding her mother, the baby cried, and so did the two who were the last to hear her parting words. 

Xiong Jingfei was standing in the distance and couldn't see the mistress's face. However, she could feel the mistress's pain of not wanting to part with the baby, and the enormous love she had for her daughter. 

Slowly and quietly, Xiong Jingefi approached them. She wanted to see the face of the mistress they were all crying for. When she got close enough and stood next to Xu Song, she moved the thin curtain blocking her view. 

"M-mom?" Xiong Jingfei stuttered, not realizing she was able to talk. 

The only picture she has of her mother was in that frame her father destroyed. She wasn't able to recognize the woman's voice since she never ever heard her mother's voice. But how can she not recognized her right now when she saw the woman's face. 

It was her mother! 

It was as if the woman on the bed heard Xiong Jingfei, she turned her gaze up and became speechless. 

"My daughter…" Yin Yingtai's eyes opened wide, couldn't believe who she saw in the room with them. 

She smiled, and tears welled up again. No one needed to confirm it was her daughter, she just knew it was her daughter… Maybe, just maybe, the gods pitied her and gave her the mercy of showing her daughter all grown up. 

"Mistress?" The old grandma looked up too, but she couldn't see what her mistress was seeing. "Mistress, your daughter is right here." 

Yin Yingtai shook her head, "No… My daughter is right here with us. She is… So lovely." 

"M-mom…" Xiong Jingfei bawled, going weak in the knees and kneeled on the side of the bed. She tried grabbing her mother's hand, but her hand was going through hers. "Please don't leave me, mom. Please! Don't leave me alone again."

I always wanted to hear your voice and searched for it, but I could never find it. I wanted your hug when Li Roulan and Xiong Changchang hit me, but you were nowhere to be found. I wanted your comforting word when I cried, but… You left me alone in that dark lonely house.

"Don't leave me, mom." Xiong Jingfei cried, unable to stop her tears from falling. She finally got to hear how beautiful her mother's voice was. It was truly beautiful... "Please take me with you. I don't want to be alone anymore." 

Yin Yingtai can hear the pain and suffering in her daughter's voice, "I can't… I'm so sorry for leaving you again. Please remember to stay strong and always remember that I love you."

Xiong Jingfei shook her head, "I only want to be with you. Please take me with you..." 

Yin Yingtai sadly smiled. She also didn't want to leave her daughter too. In this lifetime, she wasn't fated to become her mother. If fate shall have it, they would meet one day again and become mother and daughter. 

"I love you," Yin Yingtai's eyes closed, and the hand reaching out for Xiong Jingfei dropped. 

At the same time, the baby cried, and Xiong Jingfei screamed, "Mom!"