Chapter 61 Old Man Sang Comes Knocking

Ji Zeguo seemed to hear the laughter and joy of the past.

"Dad, you eat a piece, I'll eat a piece, let's all eat, there's still some left in the pot!"

"Okay, Daddy eats, and daughter eats too!"

"Dad... En Ning will earn more money in the future and try her best to buy you more and more meat!"

The scene in my mind gradually overlapped with the words of the cub in front of me.

Ji Zeguo's eyes instantly stung with tears. He raised his hand to cover his face and took a deep breath to barely maintain his composure.

"Grandpa, what's wrong?"

Zhizhi noticed something was wrong. She jumped off the stool, took out a tissue from her pocket, and said, "Grandpa, wipe it, wipe it, don't cry."

"Grandpa didn't cry... Grandpa just thought of his daughter."

Ji Zeguo took the tissue, rubbed his eyes, and forced a smile.

His large, warm hand landed on the cub's head. "Grandpa had a daughter who was abducted when she was very young. We couldn't find her after that. If she were still alive... perhaps Grandpa's granddaughter would be the same age as you now."

Jiang Zhizhi froze, and the smile on her face faded.

So Grandpa's daughter is lost?

No wonder, no wonder Grandpa wanted me to have dinner with him so much.

She forced a big smile and gently patted her grandfather's arm.

"Grandpa, then eat more. Treat Zhizhi as your granddaughter. Zhizhi is willing to eat with Grandpa and eat lots and lots of food."

Ji Zeguo sighed, "It's been so many years, Grandpa can't even remember what she looks like anymore."

This was his deepest concern. In his youth, he braved wind and rain, and he was never afraid when he brushed shoulders with death many times.

But the loss of his daughter was a pain he could never mention for the rest of his life.

Xiao Zhizhi felt sad when she heard her grandfather say that.

“Zhizhi lost her mother when she was young. At least her grandfather saw what his relatives looked like, but Zhizhi… can’t even remember what her mother looks like.”

The old man and the young man both had their heads down, looking very dejected.

The meal, which was originally delicious, suddenly became tasteless halfway through.

Ji Zeguo asked her in a low voice, "Zhizhi, what about your current father...?"

“He’s her stepfather. When her stepmother wanted a divorce, Zhizhi personally chose this father.”

Mentioning Jiang Anchao, the little cub forced a smile again, "Daddy treats Zhizhi very well, just like a biological father, even better than Zhizhi's biological father. No, Zhizhi's father is a bad father, and Zhizhi never wants to see a bad father again in her life."

"If you ever encounter any difficulties in the future, you can come to Grandpa, and Grandpa will take care of you." Ji Zeguo looked at the little cub with a complicated expression.

When he heard Zhizhi say that she didn't have a mother either, his heart pounded wildly almost instantly.

He was eager to find out more.

For example, who was her father before?

For example, is she in Sangjiapo?

He knew that there were so many children in the world without mothers, how could it be such a coincidence that God would arrange for his own granddaughter to meet him?

But he just wanted to gamble on that one in a million chance.

But... ...

But he heard Zhizhi say that she was very happy now.

She gained a loving new father and a caring stepmother.

Just by looking at her current outfit, she is more refined and beautiful than some children in the city. Even her little hair is styled in a cute and playful way today.

Ji Zeguo knew that loving someone is like growing a flower, and that Zhizhi's popularity must be due to the effort and love her parents had put in behind the scenes.

Should he continue to test the waters?

What if Zhizhi really is his biological granddaughter? Would he be unable to control his emotions and insist on taking her away from that happy family?

He loved the child so much that he couldn't bear to ruin the happiness she had at that moment.

Ji Zeguo took a deep breath and solemnly said, "If possible, Zhizhi, please treat me as your maternal grandfather, okay?"

She sniffed hard, composed herself, and then reached out her hand to the old man.

"Okay, if Grandpa doesn't mind, Zhizhi will be your granddaughter from now on. Zhizhi will eat with you. Let's pinky swear!"

Ji Zeguo was warmed by the child's innocent words, and the throbbing pain in his heart was relieved at that moment.

He slowly reached out his hand, his aged and vigorous fingers hooking around her soft little hand, the two of them sitting in the most childlike ceremony.

"Pinky promise, a hundred years from now, whoever sides with me is a bastard!"

Zhizhi cheered, "Stamped! Once it's stamped, neither of us can go back on our word!"

"—Zhizhi!"

Not far away, Jiang Anchao's voice broke the intimacy between the grandfather and grandson.

Zhizhi looked in the direction of the sound, her eyes suddenly lighting up, "Daddy!"

The little cub skipped and hopped away into the distance, then leaped into the embrace of the riverbank.

Ji Zeguo quickly composed himself, watching the father and daughter getting along well and coming toward him.

"Commander, Zhizhi has caused you trouble."

Jiang Anchao's eyes were filled with gratitude, and he couldn't stop thanking her.

Ji Zeguo smiled and said, "No, it's nothing. I was just thanking her for having dinner with me. Have you eaten yet? How about we eat together?"

"Did you hear that, Daddy!" Zhizhi puffed out her cheeks and made a face at her father. "Zhizhi didn't cause any trouble!"

Jiang An winked mischievously at her, then raised his hand and flicked her nose.

"You little rascal!"

"Dad!" Zhizhi raised her hand and suggested, "Grandpa has no one at home, it's so pitiful. Zhizhi has already promised to be Grandpa's granddaughter from now on. Dad, can you leave Grandpa your address so he can come over to our house to play sometime?"

Ji Zeguo was about to refuse, but then thought it would be too much trouble.

But Jiang Anchao immediately showed his spoiled child attitude and nodded, "Okay, Commander, don't be shy with me. Come to my house for dinner more often. Zhizhi loves having guests."

At this moment, Ji Zeguo finally understood why Zhizhi looked so proud when she talked about how good her father was to her.

Jiang Anchao wasn't the type to do things for appearances, nor was he one to flatter his position.

You can tell from his interaction with the child.

He genuinely liked Zhizhi from the bottom of his heart.

Ji Zeguo finally felt relieved. He leaned back in his chair and nodded after a while. "...If there's a chance, we'll meet at your house."

Zhizhi waved her hand sensibly, "Grandpa, I'm off to the nest now~"

Goodbye, Grandpa!

The father and daughter laughed and joked as they walked outside.

Looking at the sumptuous meal on the table, Ji Zeguo suddenly began to look forward to the day they would meet again.

Suddenly, life held a glimmer of hope...

... ...

alleyway at the entrance of military dependents' compound

"Dad, let's hurry home and tell me how you dealt with Uncle Wang Qingshan today!"

Why are kids so gossipy?

Jiang Anchao, being out in public, still had to put on a show of being a strict father.

He hadn't even finished giving a few words of instruction when he immediately lost his composure.

Jiang An lowered his voice, "Let's talk about it when we get home, behind closed doors. It'll be quite a show!"

Zhizhi immediately became excited upon hearing this.

Just as they were about to enter through the gate, Zhizhi suddenly grabbed her father's collar.

Jiang Anchao, puzzled, asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhizhi's gaze fell on the man standing against the wall not far away, and her face instantly turned deathly pale.

There was a hunchbacked man huddled against the wall, wearing a tattered dark blue cotton-padded jacket, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and occasionally blowing his nose and wiping it on the tree.

Jiang Anchao also noticed this person, and his expression turned serious.

"Him? How did he get here...?"