The two of them left without hesitation, crossed the busy street, and walked into the park. There were green trees and the fragrance of flowers. People were doing morning exercises, some running, some practicing Tai Chi, and the scene was full of vitality.

They rented a small boat and rowed gently into the lake. The boat moved slowly forward on the lake, the breeze caressed their faces, the water shimmered, and it seemed as if the whole world had quieted down.

"How is it? Are you adapting after transferring to another school?" Xu Mengyao asked.

"It was a little bit difficult to adapt at the beginning, after all, it was a completely new environment."

Chen Chen gently paddled the boat, his tone tinged with emotion:

"My great-grandfather was a returned overseas Chinese, so he arranged for me to attend a foreign school. Communicating with others was difficult at first, but now it's much better. My new classmates are very friendly, the teachers are very caring, and my family has hired a foreign language teacher to tutor me."

"That's good." Xu Mengyao breathed a sigh of relief. "Your great-grandfather is actually a returned overseas Chinese? So how did they treat you? Do you get along well with your father?"

Chen Chen's expression changed subtly, and his tone became a little heavy: "My dad has a new family, I don't live with him, now I live with my grandfather in the old house, they treat me very well.

In truth, my grandfather's life was a difficult one. He was born to a concubine, and when the old man saw the turbulent times, he took his wife and went abroad to seek stability. But my grandfather and his family were ruthlessly abandoned in China, facing endless war and hardship.

Xu Mengyao's eyes widened in surprise when she heard this: "It must have been very difficult for your grandfather to survive back then. What happened next?"

Chen Chen nodded slightly and continued:

"My grandfather's life abroad was not a happy one. Two of his wife's relatives died at sea due to seasickness and acclimatization. In the United States, they also experienced robberies, shootings, and explosions. In the end, only my grandfather and I, my infertile aunt, were left.

Seeing that he was getting old, the old man was worried that he would die abroad without even a descendant, so he remembered his several illegitimate sons in China. Coincidentally, he caught up with the wave of returning home after the reform and opening up, and decided to return to China to recognize his relatives.

But by then, the country had changed dramatically. Most of the illegitimate sons he abandoned faced hardship, some died of illness, and others disappeared. In the end, he only found two sons and a daughter, one of whom was my grandfather.

On the quiet lake, the boat gently cuts through the blue waves, as if the conversation between the two people is also stirring up ripples in the calm.

"Your family history could make a dramatic television series."

Xu Mengyao listened to Chen Chen revealing the family's past. Those dusty stories were like reflections on the lake, both distant and clear.

Chen Chen looked into the distance, as if he could travel through time and space to see the struggles and persistence of generations of people.

He whispered, "Yes, the old man's choices, whether right or wrong, have profoundly impacted our generation. Although Grandpa and his family were abandoned, they persevered and survived. Precisely because he had experienced so many life and death separations, the old man placed great importance on having children. In his view, only sons could inherit more of the family fortune."

At this point, Chen Chen's eyes revealed hatred. "This is also why my father abandoned his wife and children without hesitation. He only received a series of telegrams from Grandpa, summoning him to return immediately. My mother was left with nothing but waiting and pain."

Xu Mengyao fell silent. She deeply felt that behind this family history, there was too much helplessness and bitterness hidden in the general environment.

Chen Chen spoke slowly, his voice tinged with the bitterness and resentment of the past:

"Perhaps, when he first left, he had no intention of abandoning us, mother and child. I remember the day he left, the sun was shining brightly. He held my hand and my mother's tightly and promised us a good life after he finished his work. My mother's eyes were full of anticipation, but also of uneasiness. She repeatedly urged him to return before the baby in her belly was born."

However, life is unpredictable. When Chen Chen's father arrived in the bustling city of Hai City, everything quietly changed. Family pressure and the lure of power, like an invisible web, bound him tightly. Forced to compromise, he married the woman chosen by the old man. It was a loveless marriage, solely to continue the family line. Thousands of miles away, Chen Chen and his mother became pawns sacrificed in this power game.

"Wenjuan, do you know? I heard from relatives that his current wife was arranged by the old man. Regardless of whether he was willing at the time, the moment he decided to compromise, he had already decided to give up the three of us, mother and son.

My mother foolishly waited for him to come back until the last moment of her life. But he was in Hai City, living a good life, marrying a new wife and having a daughter, a child who was only a few months younger than my brother who didn't survive..."

At this point, Chen Chen's voice trembled slightly, tears welled up in his eyes, and he smiled self-deprecatingly:

"Don't you think this world is quite ironic? He was in a car accident last year, and the doctor said he would be unable to have children, which would affect his inheritance. Only then did he remember me, his long-forgotten son. He thought I was his lifeline, that I could continue his bloodline. It's really ridiculous."

Xu Mengyao looked at Chen Chen distressedly. She patted Chen Chen's back gently and comforted him gently:

"Chen Chen, we don't get to choose our own birth. Whether it was your grandfather's choice or your father's choice, whether right or wrong, it's all in the past. What's important is that you now have the opportunity to rewrite the chapter of your life. What kind of person do you want to be?"

Chen Chen was silent for a moment, then looked into the distance with a determined look in his eyes:

"I want to be someone who won't let others down, someone who can protect my family and give them warmth and support. I want to prove that my mother and I are not useless pawns, and that even without the inheritance, I have the ability to make a name for myself and make life better for my grandfather and his family."

"That's right." Xu Mengyao encouraged, her eyes full of approval.

"Each of us is the helmsman of our own destiny. Your father's mistakes should not be your shackles, but the soil for your growth. Remember, you live for yourself, not to make up for anyone else's mistakes."

"Well! I feel much more relaxed after talking to you. To express my gratitude, I will treat you to lunch at noon."

The two smiled at each other and walked back. At lunchtime, Chen Chen treated everyone to a meal at the Huanfu Hotel's restaurant. The table was filled with a variety of delicious dishes. Everyone was chatting and laughing, and the atmosphere was relaxed and happy.

Xu Mengyao raises her glass:

"Cheers to a new life and self-transcendence!"

"Cheers, cheers!"

"cheers!"

Chen Chen responded, the gloom in his eyes replaced by warmth.

In the afternoon, the two returned to the mining area together. The scenery along the way quickly receded outside the car window, just as the heavy past in Chen Chen's heart was gradually fading away.