However, ever since 1978, when the fat man announced in front of everyone in the compound that the "era without grandpas" had begun, no one takes him seriously anymore.

But this toad crawling on my foot, it doesn't bite, but it's still annoying!

Sure enough, the mother and child had just stepped into the yard when he pounced on them like a vicious dog: "Stop! Who are you looking for?"

The woman stopped in her tracks, looking at him with a helpless expression, and said, "Teacher Yan, don't you recognize me?"

Only after the woman led the child into the central court did Yan Bugui shout, as if possessed, "Ran... Ran Qiuye!"

Ran Qiuye led the child along as they walked, saying, "This is a typical courtyard house, a three-section house. That means it has three courtyards, each with a main house, side rooms, and servants. Some even have covered walkways connecting them, but this courtyard doesn't."

As the two were talking, they arrived at Sha Zhu's door.

Ran Qiuye looked at the tightly closed door, feeling an indescribable tension in her heart.

Did his abrupt departure back then make him a laughingstock in the entire hospital? So many years have passed, how is he doing? Has he gotten married?

Just as Ran Qiuye was lost in thought, Yan Bugui chased in like a mad dog: "Ran Qiuye, stop right there!"

The atmosphere of "feeling apprehensive as one approaches home" has been completely ruined. This person is so annoying!

Ran Qiuye's son also looked at Yan Bugui with displeasure and said, "What do you want to do?"

When he caught up with him, Yan Bugui was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.

Almost 20 years have passed in the blink of an eye. The two of them were just casual acquaintances, at most colleagues who got along a little, nothing more.

But deep down he wanted to get involved, to watch the show, and to inform Qin Huairu. He probably couldn't even explain his own mindset.

I guess the gist of it is that if Yan Bugui isn't doing well, then no one else in your compound should expect to do well either!

Just as things were getting awkward, they heard the clattering of little leather shoes outside, along with Xiao Dang's voice: "Silly Dad, did you learn how to make that cake that Uncle Fatty made today? Can you make one for me later?"

Then came Sha Zhu's voice: "I've learned it, but there are some ingredients that the cafeteria doesn't have. It's okay, I'll go look for them later. If all else fails, I'll ask Fatty for them."

"..."

Upon hearing the sound, Ran Qiuye turned around abruptly, and her gaze met that of a middle-aged man dressed plainly, who still walked with the same nonchalant gait.

In that instant, Ran Qiuye couldn't quite describe her feelings; she had expected to cry, to be excited, to be angry, but when the man in front of her appeared, all of those emotions vanished.

Ran Qiuye smiled and said to Sha Zhu, "He Yuzhu, we finally meet again."

Sha Zhu stood there frozen, as if struck by lightning, his whole body trembling!

Xiao Dang carefully examined the woman in front of him, and exclaimed with a look of utter disbelief, "You're... Teacher Ran?!"

After saying that, she turned her gaze with difficulty to the little boy beside her and said incredulously, "Then who is he?"

Ran Qiuye finally couldn't hold back her tears. She gently patted the boy's head and pointed to Sha Zhu: "This is your father. His name is He Yuzhu."

What the hell! Father?!

Not only was Xiao Dang stunned into opening his mouth wide, but Yan Bugui's mouth was so wide open it could bite a hippopotamus to death!

Ran Qiuye actually gave birth to a son for Sha Zhu? Impossible, absolutely impossible!

As if struck by lightning, Sha Zhu suddenly snapped back to reality upon hearing the word "father."

Stunned and terrified, she asked Ran Qiuye for confirmation: "Ran Qiuye, you mean, you mean this is mine..."

Ran Qiuye nodded heavily: "He is your son!"

Sha Zhu roared with all his might. His voice was loud and deafening, like a flash flood, which terrified his son.

But the child quickly calmed down; he could sense that his father had unleashed all the regrets and grievances he had harbored over the years…

Sha Zhu's shout attracted everyone in the courtyard.

Qin Huairu was the first to come out. When Ran Qiuye heard the commotion, she turned around and saw the face she hated the most!

Before anything could be said, Xu Damao arrived with Xu Xiyue...

Suddenly, Sha Zhu seemed to come to his senses, stepped forward, grabbed the little boy, and quickly walked up to Xu Damao.

Just then, the fat man's voice was heard: "What trivial matter has happened again? Why are there so many people?"

Sha Zhu turned around, his excitement overflowing: "Fat thief! Look who this is!"

The fat man isn't blind; surely he can see the extra mother and child.

Many years had passed, and Ran Qiuye had changed a lot, but the resemblance to her younger self remained in her features. The fat man recognized her immediately: "You're Teacher Ran!"

The name "Teacher Ran" resounded like a thunderclap in the courtyard.

Qin Huairu swayed three times upon hearing this; Liu Haizhong's chin began to tremble again; Yi Zhonghai went numb upon hearing those three words…

Just then, Sha Zhu excitedly pulled the little boy up to the fat man: "See this? This is my son!"

What was bound to happen, did indeed happen.

Fatty glanced at Xu Damao, whose face was growing increasingly grim, and retorted to Shazhu, "What are you getting so excited about? Do you even know what his name is? You're just making things up."

Sha Zhu slapped his forehead, realizing he'd forgotten about it; he squatted down, his eyes full of expectation, and asked, "Child, what's your name?"

The little boy turned to look at Ran Qiuye, and after seeing her nod, he said softly, "My name is He Sui, and I was born on the banks of the Sui River."

He Sui, He Sui... So after Ran Qiuye quietly left all those years ago, she actually went to Anhui?

In the crowd, Yan Bugui suddenly jumped out again to make his presence known: "No mistake, no mistake! This child looks exactly like Sha Zhu when he was a child!"

Upon hearing this, everyone, including the third aunt, the second aunt, Liu Haizhong, and Yi Zhonghai, began to scrutinize He Sui more closely.

The more you look at it, the more it resembles him; he's practically a carbon copy of "Little Silly Zhu"!

The moment Sha Zhu saw the child, he knew he was his son; it was a mysterious feeling, hard to explain but undeniably real.

Now that they heard that even the old folks in the courtyard had confirmed it, they couldn't wait any longer and dragged He Sui along to go and annoy Xu Damao.

The fat man suddenly called out to him, "Alright, stop standing around in the yard, come inside my house."

Seeing that Sha Zhu was still standing there in a daze, the fat man said again, "Now that you have a son, you don't want to be a pawn anymore, huh?"

Sha Zhu suddenly realized what was happening and belatedly looked at Xiao Dang.