Lin Shengli was a shrewd man; he could tell what a woman was thinking just by looking at her expression, so he quickly said:
"Director Jiang, we're here to see you. My wife's surname is Chen, as you should know."
Director Jiang and Shen He have been friends for many years. He looked closely at Shen Zhinian's face.
She exclaimed in surprise, "Are you Nian Nian?"
Shen Zhinian often went to school with her father when she was a child, so Director Jiang still remembers what the child looks like.
She smiled and said, "Yes, it's me, Uncle Jiang. It's been a long time."
Director Jiang was somewhat incredulous: "Didn't you already...?"
Madam Jiang also pulled her over to look: "Are you Niannian?"
She didn't recognize her at all!
"Yes, it's me, Aunt Jiang."
Knowing they must be wondering, Shen Zhinian took the initiative to explain, "I couldn't come back before for some reasons, so..."
Director Jiang and his wife knew this was a sensitive matter, so they didn't ask any further questions.
The couple were overjoyed to see their child, whom they hadn't seen for many years and whom they thought had long since passed away.
Mrs. Jiang said repeatedly, "That's wonderful, that's wonderful! Please stay for dinner. I'll go buy groceries now."
Shen Zhinian quickly stopped her: "No need, Auntie, my dad is still at home."
Director Jiang thought of Shen He and said, "Then forget it. Next time, your whole family can come together."
Shen Zhinian nodded in agreement.
Madam Jiang then noticed the things they had brought: "Oh dear, why did you bring all this? They're not strangers."
Shen Zhinian smiled and said, "All these years, I'm so grateful to you all for taking care of my father."
When Shen He was mentioned, the couple exchanged a glance and sighed.
Director Jiang pulled the two of them down to sit, as if they wanted to have a long talk:
"There's nothing else your uncle can do to help with your father's situation, so I can only try to keep an eye on him."
Shen Zhinian smiled and said, "I know, Uncle has done his best. Thank you, I will remember your kindness."
Director Jiang waved his hand and said, "Don't be so formal about gratitude."
He and Shen He were friends for many years and had helped each other many times, but this time Shen He was in bigger trouble.
Shen Zhinian knew that he and the old man had a good relationship, so he didn't say anything more.
Madam Jiang looked at what they had brought and said, "Oh dear, you bought vermicelli."
Shen Zhinian nodded and said, "Yes, you know too?"
Mrs. Jiang said, "Of course, this stuff sells very well at the department store right now; you can't buy it if you go too late."
People in the rural areas here also make vermicelli, but they make it thick, sometimes in chunks.
It wasn't dried either.
People still prefer to buy dried, thin vermicelli made by food factories because it's convenient, can be stored, and tastes quite good.
Seeing that they all liked it, Shen Zhinian told them that it was made by the food factory in their village.
Madam Jiang then realized that Shen Zhinian had married a countryman.
But looking at her husband, with his fair skin and delicate features, he doesn't seem like one of those country men at all.
Lin Shengli finally got a chance to speak and told them, "Zhinian and I were classmates in college. Later, for some reasons, we went back to my hometown together."
Hearing that he was a college classmate, meaning he was educated, the couple's impression of Lin Shengli improved considerably.
Then they asked about their families.
When Director Jiang and his wife learned that they had a son and a daughter, and that the food factory that made the vermicelli was owned by their daughter, they were quite surprised.
"Your daughter is so capable! How old is she this year?"
Shim Chinen said, "She's 19."
Madam Jiang's impression of Shen Zhinian was still that of a little child; she never imagined that the child had grown up so much.
"Time flies. I still remember what you looked like when you were a few years old."
At that time, her mother and Madam Jiang had a good relationship and often visited each other.
Later, Madam Jiang couldn't get along with Huang Yun, and she saw Shen Zhinian less often.
Thinking that their child had been away from home for so many years and must not know many things, Director Jiang and his wife told her about the things that had happened over the years.
She disappeared without a trace after leaving. Since only Shim Chinen knew about her university admission, she asked the neighborhood committee aunt not to tell her father about her school before she left.
Therefore, Shen He could not find the child.
He clearly regretted it, and Huang Yun kept stirring things up in his ear, until the two finally had a falling out.
They argued several times.
Even after learning about Shen Zhinian's accident and the compensation he received, Huang Yun tried to take the money several times, but Shen He refused.
The couple became like enemies from then on.
But at that time, Shen He was still the breadwinner of the family, so she never left.
Later, Shen He was investigated for some historical reasons and kept making self-criticisms.
The two children also faced discrimination outside.
Huang Yun then divorced him directly and published a statement in the newspaper on behalf of her two children severing ties.
He left the Shen family after that.
"I heard she remarried, but I don't know if she's doing well or not."
How many good second marriages are there?
Although they could understand Huang Yun's desire to protect herself, they felt she was rather heartless and ungrateful.
Before leaving, he gave Shen He a thorough dressing-down.
She also taught her two children to look down on their father.
Shen Zhinian didn't care whether she was doing well or not, since they rarely had a chance to meet anyway.
As for her younger siblings, she was never close to them and didn't care whether they were doing well or not.
Madam Jiang knew about Shen Zhinian's inner conflict, but seeing that the child was still willing to visit them for her father's sake, she knew that she was still a filial child.
“Your father did make a lot of mistakes back then, and now you're all he has left. My child, you've had a tough time.”
Shen Zhinian's eyes welled up with tears. Aunt Jiang felt like a mother to her. Others only praised her for being filial, but no one thought about the sadness and grievances in her heart.
Director Jiang sighed: "I won't explain anything for your father. He was wrong, and that's that. But he's been thinking about you all these years. He's getting old, so if you can, please take care of him a little more."
He knew, of course, that his old friend had favored his second wife and children back then, which had wronged his eldest daughter.
But now Shen He only has his eldest daughter by his side.
As a close friend, I really can't bear to see him lonely in his later years.
Shen Zhinian said, "Although I can't say I don't blame him, I will do my best to be filial, so don't worry."
No matter what, she wouldn't ignore the old man.
After leaving Director Jiang's house, Shen Zhinian was still feeling a bit down, so they decided to go home first and visit the others the next day.
......
Once everything that needed to be done was completed, the New Year celebrations began in the northern part of the city.
This year's New Year was the happiest Shen He had in recent years.
In previous years, while other people's families came and went, he was all alone.
This year, he has a daughter and a son-in-law.
Shen Zhinian bought a lot of snacks and candies, and the children in the compound were like mice sniffing out the scent.
People kept coming to their house to offer New Year's greetings.
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