Zhu Yuanzhang, who commanded the wind and rain, lived a long and arduous life.

"I never expected that my mother could write such beautiful characters."

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but take a few more glances.

He was only a teenager when he left home decades ago, and he was unaware of many things that adults do.

Now that I'm old and have seen it all, I can see a lot from this prescription for liniment.

For example, these characters are written very beautifully.

In this era, few men could write, let alone women. I'm afraid my mother was quite remarkable back then.

In my youth,

When she went out to play alone with her father, she would often hear him lamenting and complaining that his wife had suffered because of him and that he had let her down.

"Thinking about it carefully, we are also unfilial descendants, we don't even know our parents well."

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed.

If it could be made up for, that would be fine, but now that my parents are dead, there's no way to make up for it.

It can only remain a regret in my heart forever.

After looking around for a while, Zhu Yuanzhang took the prescription for the liniment and left.

If Dad were really alive, he wouldn't have a bad back either.

Logically speaking, the imperial physician's prescription was better, but this was his mother's instruction, and he only listened to his mother.

He didn't take good care of his mother when she was alive, and he still won't take good care of her after she's gone? Then he thinks he's truly unfilial.

"Thump..."

However, before he had walked a few steps, Zhu Yuanzhang bumped into a table next to him and knocked over a small black box on the table.

The small black box fell to the ground, scattering wood everywhere, and some books fell out.

"Hmm? This is..."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flickered.

He remembered that this little black box used to be his mother's secret treasure trove.

When he was a boy, he asked his mother out of curiosity what was inside, but she always gave vague answers.

Then, Dad said that this was Mom's secret treasure trove, and how could we, father and son, possibly see it? He made a series of sarcastic remarks, which made Mom so angry that she put away the little black box and chased Dad all over the house, wanting to beat him up.

It's called a hammer, but it's really just a few symbolic blows.

Mother felt sorry for Father, so she didn't dare to hit him hard.

At that time, the boy was full of curiosity. When his mother was not around, he picked up the small black box and tried to open it, but he couldn't open it at all.

The small black box was locked with a Luban lock.

That's my father's skill.

It couldn't be opened before, but now, decades later, time has made this pile of broken wood crumble at the slightest touch.

"I never thought that at my age, I would be able to see my mother's old little secrets."

Zhu Yuanzhang chuckled.

Then he picked up a few books from the ground and took one of them.

[Chang Le's Diary.]

journal?!

Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned.

Then, it was slowly opened.

[June, 1295, noon, clear weather.]

[Diary entries, my idiot husband said this is the format, ugh! My husband is so mean, before I married him he said we had no secrets, but after I found out he has a habit of writing a diary, and he won't even let me see it when I ask, what a liar!]

Opening Lightning Strike!

Zhu Yuanzhang widened his eyes, picked up the book, and began to read it intently.

He would never have imagined this.

These few dozen words directly overturned... the image of a gentle, loving mother that she had in her mind.

"No, is this our mother? Is it a fake?"

Zhu Yuanzhang found it hard to believe.

He couldn't believe his mother had such a delicate, girlish demeanor.

But looking at the time,

In 1295, my father was 14 years old and my mother was 13 years old.

It seems... I can accept some of it now.

Turn to the second page.

My husband kept a diary, and he revealed that he kept entries before he met me, but he just wouldn't let me see it. Well, I won't show it to him either. Let's see who can hold it in longer.

[Okay, if he lets me take a look, I'll show it to him too. Sigh... I really want to know what my husband says about me in his diary. Sometimes I'm unreasonable and quite different from the refined lady he thought I was when we first met. Will he think I'm being ridiculous?]

 …

[July 1295, 3:45 AM, overcast skies.]

It looks like it's going to rain heavily today. I hope it doesn't rain while my husband is on his way to the market, and that it starts raining when he gets home.

 …

[September, 1295, 3:45 PM, clear weather.]

[Our neighbor Zhu Ajiu's cow is missing. She says her husband stole it, but we didn't steal it. Her husband went to confront him, and if that doesn't work out, I'm going to grab a kitchen knife and go argue with him.]

[Supplement: At 5:15 PM, the ox was found. It turned out it had fallen asleep while being herded, and Zhu Ajiu hadn't noticed. He apologized after finding it, but was still very angry. If her husband hadn't stopped her, she would have shown him that the sky had another color today—red!]

 …

[March, 1296, 3:45 PM, sunny, but my mood is gloomy.]

My father came to see me today, and my husband almost saw him. He… sigh, he's a good man, but I… I'm unfilial. I hope he won't come again; I just want to be with my husband.

 …

[August, 1301, 5:15 PM, sunny.]

I'm two months pregnant, and my husband seems increasingly unpleasant to me. Hmm? It's Mid-Autumn Festival today, but the moon isn't full.

【I know, it must be my husband's fault!】

 …

[September, 1321.]

[The third son, Xingzu, is getting increasingly outrageous. He's read a few books and almost forgotten everything. It's one thing if the family lacks ability, but it's the family's fault.]

[But today I touched on his father's sore spot. His father, at his age, still brings up what would have happened if I hadn't argued with him back then. I scolded his father, and that finally shut him up.]

[But...won't his dad be upset? I think I scolded him a bit too harshly. Wait, should I make some osmanthus cake that his dad likes? Okay, I'll make that.]

 …

[August, 1328, sunny.]

My husband talked to a feng shui master today, and the baby in my belly will be named Chongba. Life seems to be getting better and better; we can afford to hire a feng shui master now.

But my husband seems... to be getting more and more tired...

 …

[August, 1334, cloudy.]

It rained today, and the little ones at home who love to jump around had nowhere to stay inside. Chongba and his dad found this box, and thankfully they saw it and snatched it away, otherwise... phew, thank goodness.

[However, when he was chasing after his dad to hit him, his dad seemed to have pulled a muscle in his back and was in pain for a long time. That silly boy who used to carry me up mountains and say he wasn't tired has gotten old.]

……

[1341, sunny, mood gloomy.]

[Zhongba is gone; with him, all the children are gone.]

They all seem to yearn for the outside world. Fine, let them go. Young birds always have to leave home. My husband and I are old and useless; we can't help the children much. So we'll protect this home for them, lest they fail in their adventures outside and can't even return home.

 …

[Spring of 1342.]

Today is Chinese New Year, and my husband and I prepared a feast early in the morning. We were all looking forward to it, but none of us ate. However, midnight passed, and none of the children came home.

Sigh...they all seem so busy. My husband and I didn't even get to eat; we had no appetite.

 …

【1344. 】

The situation is becoming increasingly volatile. The village elders are organizing the men to take up arms, wondering how the children are doing outside, whether they have enough to eat or wear.

Are they... still alive? My husband and I miss them so much; we haven't seen our children for years.

……