Chapter 1313: A Loving Family

Outside.

"Litian, run slower, wait for me..."

Zichen finally caught up, panting heavily.

He was able to catch up to Litian not because he ran faster than Litian, but because a river blocked their path ahead.

Litian sat down, his eyes staring blankly at the rushing river water.

Zichen sat down next to him: "Litian, do you remember? You were the one who fished me out of this river back then; otherwise, I might have drowned... If I had drowned back then, I would be a River God now!"

"You missed your chance to become a god, so you have to compensate me."

"How should I compensate you?" Litian asked in a muffled voice.

He was very sad right now, so sad he wanted to cry.

If Zichen hadn't followed him, he could have had a good cry all by himself, but since Zichen had followed him, he couldn't cry!

He cared about his pride.

His fragility and helplessness could not be shown in front of anyone, not even in front of his best brother, it wouldn't do!

Zichen naturally put his arm around his shoulder and said carelessly: "Of course, by compensating me with being my brother, taking care of me and protecting me for a lifetime. Who told you to save me back then? I've latched onto you for this life."

Litian's throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton; he was moved.

"Good brothers, for a lifetime!"

He reached back and hugged Zichen's shoulder; there was no need for many words, one sentence was enough.

A gentleman's promise.

The two brothers made a lifelong promise by the riverside.

Sheng Jiang's nonsense had caused all of Shi Youxuan's hard work over the past ten years to go down the drain.

Shi Youxuan truly treated Litian as a member of the Sheng Family, being careful in every way, fearing that Litian would feel uncomfortable or feel like he was living under someone else's roof.

But his father-in-law had to go and remind Litian, reminding him that he was an outsider and to be mindful of his status!

The affection Shi Youxuan had cultivated for years was almost destroyed by Sheng Jiang, but fortunately, there was Zichen, who pulled it back in time.

Naturally, the two brothers chatted by the river for a long time.

They didn't return until it was dark.

"You're back? Wash your hands and eat."

Shi Youxuan didn't ask where they had gone, nor did she explain.

She acted as if the day's events had never happened; this matter was considered turned over.

After dinner, the couple called the two children to the Study for the four of them to have a small meeting!

Shi Youxuan spoke first: "Grandma's health isn't very good right now, as you both know. She always likes to let her imagination run wild, feeling that she won't live much longer..."

These were the exact words she and her parents-in-law had spoken after the two children ran out in the afternoon.

"Grandma is talking nonsense; she will live to be a hundred." Zichen's eyes turned red.

Shi Youxuan stopped her son and continued: "Grandma doesn't want to miss any important days in your lives, so she told Grandpa that she wanted to accompany you to the middle school entrance exam."

"Grandpa is an honest man. He was anxious, so his expression was off. Litian was right to be angry."

Litian shook his head and waved his hands: "Mom, I wasn't angry at Grandpa. Grandpa was right."

The words that followed were very, very soft, so soft they were almost inaudible.

Shi Youxuan was astonished: "Why shouldn't you be angry? What Grandpa said this afternoon was so infuriating; being angry is the right thing to do, you should be angry."

Sheng Hanyu, who hadn't spoken until now, also expressed his stance.

He agreed with his wife's words: "Right, you should be angry."

"Litian, you have a mom and dad. Remember, you are not a wild child, and you are no worse than anyone else. Others have one set of parents, you have two."

"The parents in heaven bless you and watch over you, while the parents at home are responsible for loving you."

Shi Youxuan interjected: "You are a 'momma's boy', Mom's Baobao, so what? If anyone has an opinion, let them come and say it to my face."

Zichen said: "Mom, can I be a 'momma's boy' too?"

"Sure, you are both momma's boys."

"Momma's boy" before today.

In the minds of the two young men, it was a derogatory term; now, it was a neutral one.

"Momma's boy" doesn't just mean someone who relies on their mother for everything, is immature, and lacks self-care ability.

It can also be understood as having a mother's love, being the child the mother values most.

The couple told Litian: "A family should naturally be harmonious, but bumps and bruises, getting angry and arguing is also normal. Being angry is not scary; what's scary is hiding it in your heart, which will create a rift over time."

Litian nodded: "I will go talk to Grandpa. Regardless of whether he considers me his grandson, he is still my grandfather."

"Go ahead."

The meeting ended early, unexpectedly smooth.

Litian had made bold statements in the Study, but when he reached the door of his grandparents' room, he hesitated.

Grandpa didn't like him, he always had; he could feel it.

Mom and Dad treated him like their own biological child, and he could feel that too!

These two feelings were different; it wasn't about what was said, but what was done. So he had never been close enough to Grandpa, and now, was it really appropriate to go and say those things to him?

The door opened.

Sheng Jiang appeared at the doorway.

He was stunned when he saw Litian, but quickly grabbed his hand: "You've come at the right time. I was just about to look for you. Come in."

He dragged Litian into the room, closed the door, and took a jade pendant tied with a red string out of his pocket: "Lower your head, I'll put it on for you."

Litian was too tall; he was only fifteen, yet he was already a head taller than him. This child still had more growing to do.

"Grandpa... is this for me?" Litian's voice was trembling slightly.

The jade pendant was pure white and flawless, with exquisite craftsmanship; although valuable, it was not particularly rare.

Zichen had one.

Zirui had one.

Zihan had one.

Only Litian did not.

Sheng Jiang believed in Buddhism, and these were Hushunfu he had blessed before the Buddha to give to his grandsons.

Actually, he had also given one to Shi Ran, but she had never worn it, tossing it somewhere and forgetting where it was herself.

All the children had one, except for Litian.

Litian knew, but pretended not to.

Zichen, Zirui, and Zihan had never worn theirs either, for no other reason than to ensure all the brothers were the same.

"Litian, Grandpa was wrong. Grandpa promises that from now on, I will treat you the same as them. Can you forgive Grandpa?"

"Grandpa."

For the first time, Litian took the initiative to hug Sheng Jiang.

This old man was a head shorter than him, yet now, he seemed incomparably tall in his heart!

"Good, good."

Wang Yinghao watched with tear-filled eyes.

She had never been good with words, and since her illness, speaking had become even more difficult.

Unlike her husband, she did not look at Litian through colored glasses; she treated all the children equally.

The scene before her was what she had hoped to see, and she felt very gratified.

Litian said to his grandmother, "Grandma, I have a request I would like to ask you and Grandpa."

"Speak."

"Go ahead."

"My older brother and I have our high school entrance exams in seven days. We would like to invite you and Grandpa to accompany us to the exams and cheer us on. Is that okay?"

"Really?"

"Re-really?"

The old couple's faces showed surprise.

They had already given up on this idea, even though they still felt regret in their hearts.

They hadn't expected Litian to take the initiative to invite them; was this an unexpected surprise?

But people are just like that; the more strongly the other party opposes, the more it fuels one's determination to hold a firm stance.

Yet when the other party makes a concession, one suddenly begins to doubt whether one's own decision was truly correct!