Shim Chinen's ancestral home is Beicheng.
She came from a highly educated family and even got into university.
Her mother died early, and her father remarried quickly. Her stepmother had another child, so she was not valued at home.
Even after she was admitted to university, her father, instigated by her stepmother, was unwilling to let her go.
Shim Chinen ran away on her own.
He never contacted his father again.
At first, it was because I didn't want to contact her, and later it was because she joined the project team and it became inconvenient to contact her anymore.
She hasn't been home for twenty years now, and Lin Shengli insists that she go back to see her biological father.
Shen Zhinian knew that she also missed him, but she just couldn't let go of the favoritism she showed back then.
"This alley is where I grew up." After many years, Shen Zhinian thought she had long forgotten it, but unexpectedly, as soon as she walked to this place, memories flooded back.
She spent the first half of her life here, and now returning here gives her a sense of belonging, like fallen leaves returning to their roots.
The Shen family lived in the fourth house in No. 8 Hutong.
This courtyard was passed down from Shim Chinen's grandfather, and it is also where she was born.
When they arrived at the fourth house, the door was wide open. Shen Zhinian and Lin Shengli exchanged a glance before walking over.
As Chen Zhinian walked, she recalled the scene in the courtyard from back then, wondering if it was still the same now.
The stepmother had a son and a daughter, and I guess she has grandchildren now?
Before Shen Zhinian even stepped through the gate, a child bumped into her leg.
"Hey, be careful." She helped the person up and carefully examined the child's face.
It looks quite unfamiliar.
A woman called out from behind, "Little Bean, watch yourself! I told you not to keep running and jumping around like that."
The woman looked at Shen Zhinian and his wife warily again: "Who are you?"
Strangers rarely come here, especially since Shen Zhinian had been watching her son the whole time; women are always afraid that the two of them might be bad people.
Shen Zhinian noticed and quickly said, "Hello, my husband and I are here to visit relatives."
"Visiting relatives? Which family?" The woman's guarded expression relaxed somewhat.
When Shen Zhinian heard the question "which family?", she felt strange. Wasn't this the Shen family's house?
"I'm looking for Shen He."
Upon hearing the name, the woman's face immediately fell. "What do you want with Grandpa Shen?"
Shen Zhinian didn't know why she reacted this way, so she said, "I am his daughter."
The woman glanced at her and shook her head: "I've seen his daughter, she doesn't look like you."
Grandpa Shen's daughter was quite ordinary-looking, not this pretty. The one in front of him was beautiful and left a deep impression. She definitely wouldn't be mistaken.
Shen Zhinian had no choice but to continue explaining, "I am his eldest daughter."
The woman hadn't heard that Shen He had an eldest daughter. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Shen He enter.
Shen Zhinian followed her gaze and saw an old man with gray hair and a hunched back, whose clothes were faded and patched.
The face she longed for day and night was her father's, Shen He.
"dad!"
The old man's pupils contracted, and his body trembled: "You, you, Anian?"
When Shen Zhinian saw him like this, her heart suddenly ached, her nose tingled, and tears fell down her cheeks.
"dad!"
The father and daughter embraced and wept bitterly. The woman next to them immediately recognized that this woman was indeed Grandpa Shen's daughter.
I've never heard of it before.
At this moment, the others in the courtyard were also drawn to them.
They stood in a circle watching them.
Someone who knew the inside story asked, "Uncle Shen, wasn't it said that your eldest daughter died?"
Shen He wiped away his tears and looked at his daughter, who hadn't changed much: "Yes, Anian, isn't it said that you..."
"It's a long story, Dad, let's go home and talk about it," Lin Shengli said at the right moment.
When Shen He heard him call him "Dad," he had a guess in his mind: "Who are you?"
Lin Shengli introduced himself generously: "I am Chinen's husband, and my name is Lin Shengli."
Shen Zhinian is now middle-aged, and it's normal for her to get married and have children. However, Shen He's impression of her is still that of a stubborn little figure.
Therefore, he still felt somewhat dissatisfied with Lin Shengli.
But he's right, it's not easy to speak up in the compound.
So Shen He said a few words to the neighbors and then took his daughter and son-in-law back to his home.
He is now living in what used to be his own room, the main house, plus a side room that serves as both a living room and kitchen.
Chen Zhinian looked around and saw that all the other houses were now inhabited.
Without her asking, Shen He explained, "This house is now shared. I only kept these two rooms; the rest are occupied by other people."
Although Shen Zhinian had always lived in the countryside, she had heard about these things in the city.
After hearing this, I understood.
Looking at the simply furnished two rooms, and thinking about her father's aged appearance, Shen Zhinian had some guesses in her mind.
But I still asked, "Where's your aunt? And your younger siblings?"
Shen He's expression darkened: "They're all gone, they left a long time ago..."
A few years ago, there was a political movement in the city, and families like the Shen family were naturally targeted for struggle sessions.
Although Shen He knew some people who could protect him from being paraded through the streets.
However, all required checks and corrections were still performed.
During that period, the atmosphere at home was very tense, and Shen He was frequently called to make self-criticisms.
The child is being discriminated against at school.
Later on, they didn't even need to go to school anymore because there were no teachers.
Husbands and wives are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly away separately.
Unable to endure such a life, Shen Zhinian's stepmother, Huang Yun, left Shen He with her two children.
"I've been living alone for the past few years."
Fortunately, Shen He is a determined person and he pulled through. He is also quite capable of taking care of himself.
Therefore, the house was relatively clean and tidy, and the clothes were washed until they were almost white.
He lost his university teaching job and was now assigned to clean toilets, earning just enough to feed himself each month.
After hearing his story, Shen Zhinian thought that this was retribution, and she should be happy.
But I couldn't help feeling sorry for the old man in front of me.
He is over sixty years old this year, but looks as old as he is in his seventies or eighties.
The hardships of life, coupled with the blows to his spirit, made him extremely depressed.
She tried to think about the times when he treated her badly.
At that time, Shen Zhinian was admitted to university to study science and engineering, and the whole family relied on Shen He's salary to make a living.
Perhaps out of fear of spending money, the stepmother encouraged Shen He, saying that the family didn't have enough money and that Shen Zhinian should stay by her side and work in the factory.
The conflict between Shen Zhinian and Shen He was not about tuition fees, but about his desire for his child to study literature and languages, while Shen Zhinian insisted on studying science and engineering.
The two were arguing and the stepmother was fanning the flames.
Shen Zhinian felt that since her father had a stepmother and younger siblings, she was an outsider.
So he resolutely packed his bags and left home.
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