Chapter 301: Three Kneelings and Nine Kowtows
"It's here!" Jiaojiao's soft voice reverberated in the tranquil air, and the little girl began squirming within Bai Rouyun's embrace. As the girl landed on the ground, she suddenly laid down on the grass in a familiar way, and her eyes slowly closed as she seemed to fall into a trance.
"This place is very comfortable."
Bai Rouyun could understand why the young girl liked this place. The feeling she had after arriving here was different to what she had felt in other places within this Sleeping Meadow, and it filled her heart with peace.
Seeing that this place was a special location for Jiaojiao, Bai Rouyun bowed down to the beautiful landscape in respect. Although she did not know if this place was truly the resting place of this 'immortal fairy', she knew that the meadow was magical, and deserved her respect and gratitude.
"Jiaojiao, you have to thank the spirits within this location for their care during the time you lived here. We, as living creatures, are not meant to bow to anyone when being intimidated, but we have to accept that certain situations require us to display our true gratitude.
"This is one of these times. If you truly feel that this place has given you a second chance of life, then you have to show your sincerity before we leave. It is important that we have our own integrity intact."
Since Bai Rouyun had accepted this little girl as her own adopted daughter, she wanted to raise her into a considerate person.
To her, it did not matter if Jiaojiao was a good person, but she had to be reasonable. When someone was threatening or intimidating her, she had to have the courage and strength to stand against these oppressors and fight for her own future; however, at the same time, she also had to be able to show gratitude and repay kindness.
Bai Rouyun had experienced many things during her two lifetimes, and she understood that at times, one had to kill others if they wished to survive, but she also loathed those who murdered the innocent.
To her, there was a fine balance between what was accepted and what was not. Jiaojiao had also suffered through hard times, and Bai Rouyun feared that if this little dragon girl was left to her own devices, then she might actually end up with a shifted world view, where she would either become ignorant of kindness, or be easily bullied. Neither of these things were acceptable for Bai Rouyun's daughter!
Jiaojiao had awoken from her trance while Bai Rouyun was bowing towards the meadow, and her eyes had been filled with shining stars as she heard the words that her new adopted mother had told her.
She could remember how her biological family kept bullying her, and how she had often tried to avoid or simply swallow her grievances, but instead of being left alone, the hardships had just increased as she had become the punching bag for everyone.
Jiaojiao was still young, and although she had matured beyond her years, there were still many concepts she had a hard time understanding. Due to her young age, Bai Rouyun would be able to guide her towards the right direction, so that she would find the subtle balance and become true to herself.
"Mother, is it true that when showing the most sincere gratitude, one should perform the three kneelings and nine kowtows?" Jiaojiao looked at her new mother with a bit of expectation and hesitation in her eyes. She was feeling her heart pounding in her heart as she used the word mother, but she also felt expectant to hear the answer.
Bai Rouyun could naturally see the many emotions in the young girl's expression, and her eyes softened as she smiled gently.
"My Jiaojiao is so amazing! You even know what the three kneelings and nine kowtows are!"
Her praise made Jiaojiao's eyes moisten slightly as she felt happiness fill out her empty heart, and it was as if she had finally found her home. Even the place where her biological parents resided could never have been her home, but now she had a place to belong.
"I am not sure what they represent exactly. It's just that my biological mother told me that when I met the most revered person in the Wushi Continent, I had to perform the three kneelings and nine kowtows. I never found out who this person was, but I think that woman wanted to sell me to someone of high standing at first, since she spent a lot of time teaching me this ritual.
"Later, I think that the person might have withdrawn his interest, or he was just not as eager as before, as that woman stopped focusing on my etiquette lessons. So, in the end, I became a subject of beating and bullying instead, until the date when they tried to take me away and kill me."
Bai Rouyun's heart ached when she noticed how simple this little girl could talk about her biological mother as 'that woman', but at the same time, she was also grateful.
Only when letting go, would Jiaojiao be able to move on. Not every parent would love their children, and those who birthed a child only to abandon them were the people that Bai Rouyun hated the most.
She did not want her little daughter to be bound by unresolved emotions concerning her biological parents. Now that she could mention her as if mentioning a stranger, it meant she had let go and could move forward.
Such determination made Bai Rouyun even more certain that she would ensure that this little darling would experience the feeling of family affection from her and her other children as well as from her husband.