Chapter 308 The Orphanage's Lies: The Handsome Flower Boy 8

Dean Lu's voice was gentle and so familiar that Lu Jinnian's chaotic mind was able to take in a little of what he was saying.

He kept his head down, pursed his lips and didn't speak, but his chest was still heaving violently, and his back was so stubborn.

"These persimmon seeds came from the old persimmon tree in our backyard."

The persimmons were ripe, sweet and soft. I washed each one clean, placed them on a millstone, soaked them in water, and slowly rounded and smoothed them, making sure they didn't hurt your little wrists.

After it was worn out, I would wipe it repeatedly with an old cloth. Back then, we didn't have anything good; I just thought, "If my son wears it, he'll be safe and sound."

Shen Ci spoke, calmly recounting what happened back then.

Lu Jinnian's shoulders trembled slightly.

These words seemed to awaken some of the long-faded fragments of childhood memories: a warm embrace, the taste of persimmons, and a blurry figure.

Do I hate it? Of course I hate it.

I hate my father's heartlessness, and I also hate my mother for arriving so late.

But the dean's mother was right; this woman didn't seem fake.

The tears and pain in her eyes didn't seem faked. And if she really didn't want herself, why would she come looking for me now? Just like the dean said, what is she after?

Dean Lu patted him on the back, offering him comfort and support.

Finally, Lu Jinnian slowly raised his head, his eyes red, and looked at Shen Ci.

Will you abandon me again?

Shen Ci did not hesitate, his gaze firm.

"No! Never! Mom swears that from now on, I will protect you and watch you grow up. No one can ever separate us again!"

Besides, your mother never abandoned you; you were taken away from her by bad people.

Lu Jinnian stared intently into her eyes for a few seconds, as if trying to discern the truth in her words.

Then he slowly nodded.

If his mother never abandoned him, then the director was right; his mother was not wrong, and she had been trying to find him all along.

His memory could gather some fragmented pieces; his mother was very good to him, and his father, needless to say, was excellent.

"……mom."

This call, more than a decade overdue, was as light as a feather falling to the ground, yet it struck Shen Ci's heart with tremendous force.

She could no longer hold back, took a step forward, and hugged the boy tightly in her arms, tears streaming down her face.

Lu Jinnian's body was stiff, and it took a long time before he slowly relaxed a little in the warm embrace.

He didn't hug her back, but he didn't break free either.

Dean Lu watched from the side, wiping away tears of relief. It's good that they're reunited, that they've found their family, and that they'll never be abandoned again.

She watched the child grow up, from four to fifteen years old. It was no different from having given birth to him herself. How could she not be happy for him?

Dean Lu was overjoyed. The child would finally be free from suffering. How bad could a mother who had been searching for her child for over a decade and had even suffered a mental breakdown be?

At least she couldn't possibly be bad to her own children.

"Ding-dong! Mission complete!"

Mother and son were reunited. The successful reunion gave Lu Jinnian a new family and bond in this world, and he gained a mother.

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The first task is complete. A child who had no mother now has one. With a mother, there is a home. With a mother, one can still find a place in life.

"Good child, thank you, thank you for growing up so well."

"Dean Lu, thank you so much, thank you for taking such good care of Jin Nian."

Shen Ci said gratefully, "Dean Lu has wiped his eyes several times, and tears are streaming down his face like they don't need to be."

"No need to thank me, he's such a good child. He was only four years old when he first came to the orphanage, and he already remembered his own name."

I asked him why he was squatting at the door, but he didn't answer. It snowed so heavily that night that the footprints in the snow were quickly buried, leaving only a shallow line.

But you can tell he's an adult. This kid... sigh, I'll have to treat him better from now on.

If you want to come back for a visit before the Lunar New Year, the welfare home always welcomes you; it's your home too.

From now on, you'll be living with your mother; be more sensible.

Dean Lu gave her instructions with reluctance. Mother and son reunited, which should have been a happy occasion, but she just couldn't bear to part with them.

She raised every child in the orphanage, and she couldn't bear to part with any of them.

But she hopes even more that her children will have a bright future.

"Dean Lu, to express my gratitude for your care of Xiao Nian, I have decided to donate a batch of supplies to the welfare home. Is there anything you need?"

Please don't be so polite with me; this is what I should do. If it weren't for you and the orphanage, my child might not be alive today.

After getting emotional, Shen Ci decided to spend some gold coins. Spending money earns you rebates, and nothing is faster than donating.

Even donations should be made to meaningful places that can truly help people. Some associations, under the guise of relief, take the money from donors and line their own pockets.

In places like this, Shen Ci was unwilling to pay a single cent.

"Donation?"

Well, I see you're in good shape, so I won't stand on ceremony. Our orphanage is indeed lacking in many things.

But the biggest shortage is food. As long as the children can eat their fill and not go hungry, nothing else matters.

Ms. Shen, you've only just found Xiaonian, please don't rush into these things. It's not too late to do them after everything is settled.

These days, there are people who donate supplies to welfare homes, but not that many. Director Lu knows the welfare home's situation best. It would be better if there were supplies, but he certainly didn't come with any expectation of repayment.

"Okay, I will arrange for a batch of grain to be sent over as soon as possible."

I'll need Dean Lu's assistance with the remaining procedures.

Shen Ci said that since they have already recognized each other as family, they should rightfully put the child under their own name. No one knows the necessary procedures better than the hospital director.

Recognizing the child as a relative is only the first step. To make the child truly feel secure and at ease, verbal promises alone are not enough; the child also needs to be shown her abilities.

At least the son should feel that he will not go hungry in the future and that following this mother was the right thing to do.

Deep down, Lu Jinnian was actually very insecure. A child who had been abandoned needed to fill that void with even more security.

"Xiao Nian, pack your things here first, and say goodbye to the headmistress and your friends."

Dean Lu, could you please help me organize the necessary procedures? I want to find Xiao Nian as soon as possible; I've lost him for far too long.

I'll go find a way to get food supplies and send them over as soon as possible.

This welfare home is quite poor, and Director Lu is a very good person. We should help as much as we can, as a way of repaying him.

If good people don't get good rewards, who will want to be a good person in the future?