80: Chapter 80 Wufu Is Here 80: Chapter 80 Wufu Is Here Wufu gently inserted the jade hairpin she had meticulously carved these past days into Madam Zhou’s hair bun, which was devoid of any jewelry.
The sunlight was just right, and the rays fell on the hairpin, making it look even more emerald and translucent against the black strands of hair.
It shone as if it were emitting its own light, dazzling and eye-catching.
Wufu took a step back to look and smiled with satisfaction.
Although the entire design and carving process was initially hampered by her unpracticed hand movements, which were rough and clumsy, she became more spirited as she immersed herself more into the work.
It was as if the memories and techniques from her previous life had all come back, leading her to finally finish it.
After repeatedly grinding and adjusting, the jade hairpin was completed.
Now, seeing the hairpin in its rightful place, Wufu exhaled a breath of relief, content that she had not tarnished the reputation of her past life’s genius as the chief designer of Jade Ornaments.
The jade hairpin was not very heavy, but Madam Zhou still felt a weight atop her head and subconsciously took it down to examine closely in her hand.
The entirely emerald hairpin had two blooming plum blossoms carved at the head, with stamens standing bright and petals opening lusciously.
Beside the fully opened plum blossoms, there was a half-open bud and another small bud wrapped in leaves, about to bloom; each detail was so well-crafted that they all seemed lifelike.
If only the stamens had just a touch of red, would they not look like two real plum blossoms?
Madam Zhou thought to herself in a daze.
“I carved plum blossoms, as I took a ‘mei’ from your name for the Plum Girl Hairpin.
Mother, do you like it?” Wufu asked with a smile.
Indeed, Wufu had named her first creation in this world the Plum Girl Hairpin, after Madam Zhou’s name.
Madam Zhou looked up at her, then lowered her gaze back to the hairpin, her fingertip gently grazing the flowers.
Her eyes gradually welled up with a layer of tears, blurring her vision.
Her shoulders slowly began to tremble.
Wufu, startled, stood there with pursed lips, tentatively calling out, “Mother?”
No sooner had she spoken than Madam Zhou hugged her tightly, bursting into tears.
Wufu stood stiff, listening to the mournful cries of the woman who was even shorter than herself and remained silent.
After a while, she reached out to pat Madam Zhou’s shoulder in a soothing manner.
Madam Zhou cried even harder, her hands clenching tightly to the hairpin.
If Madam Zhou had only suspected before and avoided facing the truth of Wufu’s true identity, she could now almost be certain that this was not the Wufu she had known before.
Her Wufu, how could she carve such a beautiful and exquisite hairpin?
That child had hardly ever held a knife before.
But Madam Zhou could not speak, she dared not, even though she understood that Wufu knew, she still did not dare to speak out.
Some things, once said, could not be taken back.
All she could do was cry, cry for her pitiable Wufu, the child who hadn’t even had the chance to be fetched by her father.
Her cries, first loud, gradually became hoarse.
Madam Zhou wept for a long time, as if trying to let out all the grievances and unwillingness of the past decade.
Eventually, she stopped crying, let go of Wufu, and looked through her swollen red eyes at the girl before her, her hand trembling as she touched her face.
Wufu sighed, pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve, and gently wiped away her mother’s tears, saying, “Don’t cry anymore, your Wufu is here, and also here!”
She took her hand and placed it on her chest.
Madam Zhou’s tears flowed continuously.
Yes, Wufu was still here, her Wufu, forever present.