"Don't shed tears for something unworthy!" Zhao Min Xue consoled his wife. "A dog biting the hand that feeds it! Who knows, now that his mother is dead, he might be trying to use this as a way to get public sympathy and demand valuables from us! An unfilial child who wasn't even present at his mother's deathbed!"
After that, he led his 'traumatised' wife back inside, leaving behind the cultivators, disciples and even some townspeople present, to cast disapproving eyes on LanFen.
She had shed tears, but to no avail, as they all cast scornful eyes at her.
.
It was evening, and LanFen hesitated before lifting her foot to step into the shed.
This had been her home all her life, but now, the shadows of memories walked around the small room, leading her own steps...
"*A- Liu, Grandma Shu gave me some extra steam buns! Come and eat them before they're cold!"
"A- Liu, your *vertical strokes are weak and wavy! You have to be firm and strong when drawing your strokes! Write it five more times!"
*'Shubi', which becomes the name of LanFen's sword.
"A- Liu! You worked hard today... Did Zhao Mao give you any trouble?"
"Zhao LanFen! Where did you learn such a shameful word! Spit it out at once! Never let me hear it again!" 
"A- Liu! Aunty Qing snuck out this big wooden tub for a while! We can have a precious hot bath for only a few hours! Quick, let's boil the water!" 
"A- Liu! I told you to be as neat as possible!"
"A- Liu!"
"A- Liu..."
A- Liu...
A- Li... 
Everywhere LanFen looked in the tiny shed, there was a memory of her mother calling her name...
She sat beside the bed and opened the small package her mother had left her. Inside were two long white ribbons, made from the finest material and a small note with shaky writing, which read:
~
'A-Liu
I wanted to give this to you myself, but I won't be able to.
Congratulations on adding a new year!
Mother is sorry for only bringing you suffering all these years. We could have left Camellia City sooner, but the selfish desire to find out who killed your father, stopped me each time.
A thousand mistakes I have made, for such a selfish and pointless goal, but I will apologise properly to your father in the afterlife.
And I'm sorry to you as well, that this is all I can give you...
These ribbons are called 'Parent' ribbons, and the character for 'mother' and 'father', show where each belongs. One for the waist and one for the head.
The belt represents the 'mother's embrace', and the hair ribbon, represents the 'father's support and expectations...'
~
LanFen's eyes filled with tears, and she clutched the note to her heart, as she pictured her mother struggling to write it, despite being weak with poison.
"Mother, how can you say you are selfish, when you've done everything for me?
"How can you say you only brought me suffering, when you were my only source of joy?"
By the time LanFen stopped crying, it was late into the night, and she folded the rumpled note and kept it away.
Silence had fallen, as the Zhao Manor slept, and LanFen dug up the front of the shed's back wall. This was where she and her mother usually buried anything of value, but after her mother had fallen ill, LanFen had used the silver and bronze pieces to buy her medicine.