Chapter 265

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"Going back, how could we let you do the work."

Seeing that Maternal Grandmother had made up her mind, Lin Xiyu no longer stopped her: "How about this, I'll have Huang Dajie go over at noon to cook for you all, make extra, and for the evening meal, when Uncle comes back, just heat it up in the microwave."

"Deal."

Maternal Grandmother understood she was old, willing but unable, and did not refuse her kindness.

"Let me see what all needs to be taken back......"

Seeing Maternal Grandmother agreed, Lin Xiyu set her mind at ease, and personally packed things for the old lady.

Maternal Grandmother had lived in the Old House for two months or so; when she first came she hadn't brought many clothes.

Whatever Lin Xiyu saw the old lady needed, every few days she would have Guben go out and buy some back.

Now that she was leaving, this packing — good grief, big bundles and small bags, a huge pile; it even gave herself a genuine shock.

"The electric heating pad doesn't need to be taken, the house has central heating now, not needed."

Maternal Grandmother watched her like a hoarding hamster, stuffing everything she saw into the bags; moved yet also finding it doubly amusing.

"What if there's a special situation, and the heating stops."

Lin Xiyu's hands didn't stop, stuffing and stuffing, wishing she could send every usable household item back with Maternal Grandmother.

"Central heating's advantage is just this, no need to fire your own stove, heating is guaranteed......"

Maternal Grandmother rubbed her old cold legs, with feeling: "It's just the first floor is a bit damp-cold, the temperature won't go up, maintaining around 17 degrees is already not bad."

"That's what I'm saying."

Lin Xiyu smoothly chimed in: "Taking the electric heating pad back is right, it's still warmer using it, and you mustn't begrudge those few electricity dollars, I'll pay for you, a thousand-some a year, that's enough."

"Your Aunt's this illness, who knows how much more money it'll cost?"

Hearing money, Maternal Grandmother's brows and eyes darkened again: "She didn't buy medical insurance, it's all out-of-pocket, what little family savings there were, will be emptied out again."

Lin Xiyu was greatly shocked: "Aunt didn't buy medical insurance?"

"No."

Maternal Grandmother shook her head gloomily: "Your Uncle didn't buy either; back when they were just laid off, they didn't have that awareness, didn't know the importance of medical insurance, always felt they were still young, bodies healthy, wouldn't need medical insurance, now regret is too late."

"No medical insurance, buying some insurance would work too."

Lin Xiyu listened with a sigh: "If really some illness strikes again, at least there'd be a bit of a guarantee."

"Xiyu ah......"

Maternal Grandmother looked at her, earnestly: "Maternal Grandmother bringing this up is also to give you a reminder, your job, if you can keep it best to keep working, your Uncle and Aunt are examples, without a formal establishment, a lifetime of suffering, old age medical care also troublesome, not to mention the money, but also being disliked by your children."

"I know....."

Lin Xiyu didn't want Maternal Grandmother to worry, obediently nodded, but inside her heart surged no small waves.

The reasoning Maternal Grandmother spoke she all understood, but alas fish and bear's paw cannot both be had.

The prerequisite for applying for Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor, must stay local to develop, wanting to pursue her own dream, helplessly could only make trade-offs.

"You're a sensible child, Maternal Grandmother doesn't worry......"

Maternal Grandmother saw she had taken her words to heart, very relieved: "Alright, packing's about done, you also don't busy yourself, help me next door, see the babies, once I go back, when I'll see them again is uncertain."

"Maternal Grandmother you saying this......"

Lin Xiyu supported Maternal Grandmother, feigning displeasure: "You want to come anytime you can come, wait till the babies are a bit bigger, weather not so cold, I can also often bring them to see you."

"Good good good, Maternal Grandmother misspoke."

Maternal Grandmother listened very happily, corners of her eyes creased with smiles.

——

Guben returned very quickly; Maternal Grandmother holding candy teasing grandchildren, playing happily with the little babies for just a short while, he brought Uncle and Nana in the door.

"Grandma!"

Nana seeing Grandma, the panic, fear, unease and confusion accumulated for a long time, finally in this moment, all vented out.

She threw herself into Grandma's arms, crying until breathless.

"Nana be good, don't cry ah."

Maternal Grandmother embraced her, thinking she already knew her own origins, both heart-aching and heart-souring.

Grandmother and granddaughter returned to the next-door room to speak alone; Lin Xiyu took the chance to call Uncle aside, told him Maternal Grandmother's meaning in advance, let him have a psychological preparation first.

Uncle hearing Maternal Grandmother intended to let Nana meet her birth parents, eye sockets turned sore, forcefully blinked his eyes, only then didn't cry in front of his niece.

Maternal Grandmother and Nana chatted for just a short while, the room door creaked open from inside.

The people waiting in the yard simultaneously turned their heads to look over.

"Xiyu, you come."

Maternal Grandmother leaning on the door frame, beckoned to Lin Xiyu.

"Coming."

Lin Xiyu didn't dare delay, nimbly ran over.

"This matter still hand over to you and Guben."

Maternal Grandmother didn't say explicitly, the meaning in her words already very obvious: "Take Nana for a trip to the countryside, meet her birth mother."

"Go right now?"

Lin Xiyu lifted her eyelid, sympathetically glanced at Uncle.

Uncle sniffed, turning his head away as if he didn't care.

Lin Xiyu sighed dejectedly, feeling awful inside.

"Better early than late."

Maternal Grandmother deliberately spoke for Nana to hear, her words very tactful: "Her birth mother's home isn't far, driving there takes less than an hour. You go over, say you're bringing the child back to acknowledge the family, test the waters first. If they're willing to acknowledge her, we won't stop it. If they don't want to acknowledge her, bring her back. From now on Nana is still our family's child, same as before, there won't be any difference."

"Okay."

Lin Xiyu glanced at Nana, seeing her eyes visibly brighten when she heard Maternal Grandmother say she'd take her to see her birth mother, she felt a bit sorry for Uncle and Maternal Aunt.

Nana was brought back from the postpartum period by the couple, raised single-handedly by them. Even if Maternal Aunt was a bit stingy, unwilling to spend money to let her attend training classes, it couldn't deny the fact they raised her with their own hands.

The grace of upbringing is greater than heaven.

Compared to that birth mother of hers with cold family affection, the adoptive parents who raised her with their own hands are the ones she should be most grateful to.

——

"The hour is not early......"

Maternal Grandmother was a bit tired, not wanting to say more: "Don't all stand around here, hurry up and go."

"Maternal Grandmother, are you going home?"

Guben, considerate and filial: "I'll drive you and Uncle back first, then come back to pick up the two sisters."

"Good."

Maternal Grandmother smiled with relief, walking out of the yard supported by Lin Xiyu.

Guben and Uncle helped carry things, walking back and forth several trips before all the packed luggage was loaded into the car.

Lin Xiyu watched Maternal Grandmother sit steady, helped her close the car door.

"It's cold outside, you hurry back."

Maternal Grandmother saw she was dressed thinly, urgently urged her to go home quickly.

"Okay okay okay, I'm going back now."

Lin Xiyu didn't want Maternal Grandmother to worry, followed her wish and waved her hand.

Maternal Grandmother kept watching her, until she turned into the alley and completely disappeared from sight, only then reluctantly withdrawing her gaze.

——

Guben went and returned quickly, when he came back there was one more person in the car cabin.

Female Cousin heard they were taking Nana to the countryside, voluntarily offered to handle it, and went with Guben.

Guben thought his beloved wife needed to stay home to watch the children, didn't refuse, and brought her back along too.

"Sister, you're going too?"

Lin Xiyu saw Female Cousin, truly a bit surprised.

"Going, must go."

Female Cousin rolled up a sleeve, imposing manner fully displayed: "I've long wanted to personally see just what kind of parents could do such a vicious thing, abandon their own biological daughter."

"Shh, lower your voice......"

Lin Xiyu squeezed her eyes toward the living room: "Don't let Nana hear."

"I'm deliberately saying it for her to hear......"

Elder Sister didn't mind, instead raised her volume: "Let her have some sense in her heart, don't be foolish. What's worth clinging to about that kind of person? She can sell you once, she can sell you a second time."

"Sigh."

Lin Xiyu sighed: "It's not impossible either....."

"Where's Nana?"

Female Cousin stretched her neck to peek into the living room, slightly dissatisfied: "How come I don't see her come out? Isn't she going to see her birth mother? She should've left already, what's she dawdling for?"

"She's in the room watching the treasures play."

Lin Xiyu had already packed neatly, ready to go out: "Don't rush, I'll go call her now."

"You just don't go."

Female Cousin hurriedly stopped her: "You two husband and wife both not home, no one to watch the children won't do."

"No matter, round trip won't take two hours."

Lin Xiyu knew in her heart: "The treasures have already been fed milk, just feed once more before bed in the evening."

"You listen to me, don't go."

Female Cousin said again: "Going to her house, who knows what the situation is. If you really come back late, delay the treasures' sleep."

"Then...... alright."

Lin Xiyu couldn't refuse Female Cousin's good intentions, called little female cousin out of the bedroom, personally saw them out the door.

——

Nana's biological parents live in the Southern Mountain Area, Liu Bu Town XX Village.

Mother surnamed Zhang, called Zhang Hongmei.

Father same surname as her, also surnamed Zhang, called Zhang Ershan. Because he didn't do proper work, lazy and gluttonous, villagers gave him the nickname Erlaizi.

Zhang Ershan is the youngest in the family, lives with his parents. The couple both didn't go out to work, only relying on the old couple growing some seasonal vegetables to sell at the market, earning meager income to support the family.

Before giving birth to Nana, the couple already had a daughter, two years older than her, already thirteen this year.

After giving Nana away, they gave birth to a son.

The little son is eight years old this year, raised very sturdy, forming a sharp contrast with his eldest sister's sallow and emaciated, thin appearance.

——

Liu Bu is a mountain area, roads narrow, rugged and uneven. Still one li from the village, the car couldn't go in, had to proceed on foot.

The three people got out of the car, followed the address to find that family. By then the sky had already turned pitch black.

Zhang Hongmei lit the lamp and was busy cooking in the kitchen when she heard someone knocking at the door; she shouted impatiently, "Who is it? Coming to visit at this hour."

"Heh, she's got quite a temper......"

Female Cousin heard it from outside and sneered disdainfully, then kicked the big iron door hard with her foot.

"Is she sick or something, this person?"

Zhang Hongmei was displeased; holding a cooking spatula, she walked out of the kitchen cursing, "Coming to my house to pick a fight in the middle of the night? Daring to kick my door, tired of living?"

"She still dares to curse at people?"

Female Cousin was furious, rolled up her sleeves and wanted to fight.

"Lei Jie, calm down, calm down....."

Guben hurriedly stopped her: "We're not here to fight, we're here to probe, no need to flare up so much right at the start."

"Judging by this woman's tone......"

Female Cousin still couldn't swallow her anger: "Just knew her character wasn't much good, she's no good person."

"Who are you saying is no good person?"

Zhang Hongmei happened to reach the doorway, opened the door and swung the spatula over.

Guben grabbed the spatula with one hand, blocking in front of Female Cousin.

"Who are you people?"

Zhang Hongmei yanked the spatula a few times but couldn't budge it; she looked up and saw a strange man with cold, stern brows and eyes, and instantly wilted, shrinking her neck back in some fear.

"You're Zhang Hongmei, right?"

Guben didn't answer but asked back.

"What kind of question is that......"

Zhang Hongmei stiffened her neck and retorted: "You come to my house and knock, don't you know who I am?"

"You really talk a lot of nonsense!"

Female Cousin disliked her look, pulled Nana over, pointed at her nose for Nana to see: "Look clearly, she is your birth mother."

"Why did you bring her here?"

Zhang Hongmei saw Nana's face change drastically, her unconcealed dislike making the only bit of light in Nana's eyes completely go out.

"She is your daughter......"

Female Cousin's voice and expression were both stern: "We brought her to see you, isn't that perfectly normal?"

"Don't talk nonsense, I only have two children."

Zhang Hongmei refused to admit it: "I don't know you people, and I don't know her, don't think you can frame me."

"You just said, how you brought her here......"

Guben, true to his lawyer background, seized the key point with one sentence: "This sentence alone is enough to prove you know this child, and are clear about her relationship with yourself."

"I don't know her."

Zhang Hongmei's eyes reddened with anxiety, she shoved and pushed to drive them away: "You lot hurry up and leave, don't spout nonsense here, if people hear and the Family Planning Committee gets involved, we can't afford the fine."

"Hear that?"

Female Cousin lowered her head and said to Nana: "It's because of this that she doesn't want to acknowledge you, doesn't want to pay the over-quota fine, so she gave you away."

"What's going on? Making such a racket at the main gate?"

"A smell of burning, this spendthrift woman, the food in the kitchen isn't even done cooking yet and she ran out."

"Who are they talking to, why not come inside, insisting on talking at the main gate?"

The commotion at the courtyard gate drew the attention of the people in the main hall; Zhang Hongmei's father-in-law and mother-in-law, as well as Zhang Ershan, all walked out from inside carrying dissatisfied resentment.

"We're here to acknowledge kinship......"

Female Cousin used a bit of brute force to push Zhang Hongmei aside and entered the courtyard first.

"Acknowledge kinship? Acknowledge what kinship?"

Zhang Ershan looked Female Cousin up and down, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Do you still remember.....?"

Female Cousin didn't care in the least, pointed at Nana still standing frozen at the main gate without moving, and coldly questioned: "Eleven years ago, the child you heartlessly abandoned right after birth?"

"What child?"

"Don't talk nonsense, our family only has one granddaughter and one grandson, we don't know her."

Zhang Hongmei's in-laws almost spoke at the same time to deny it.

Zhang Ershan, on the other hand, wore a gloomy face, his gaze flickering uncertainly, who knows what he was thinking.

Female Cousin sneered: "Whether you acknowledge it or not you have to acknowledge it, this is the fact."