Wang Zhenhua was a little stunned, looking at the two elderly people in front of him. He couldn't figure out what was going on for a moment, so he simply gave up thinking about it and was pulled to the side of the yard by Aunt Yu.
"Zhenhua, I, I..."
Grandma Yu was a little unsure how to broach the subject, so the old village chief stepped in and asked.
"Zhenhua, have you heard from your family all these years?"
These words touched a raw nerve for Wang Zhenhua. During the famine, his family fled their home, desperate for food. They ate tree bark until they were completely devoured. They had eaten almost everything edible and were on the verge of starving to death.
Wang Zhenhua's father led his family in a desperate attempt to sneak to the county's train station and board the train without paying their fares.
The train was packed with people, and eventually everyone got separated. Wang Zhenhua was distraught and couldn't find her family, so she finally got off the train! She was only 16 years old at the time, a young girl in the prime of her life, and many people seemed to be staring at her.
She began to flee desperately, escaping the county town and heading north. Malnourished and starving, she collapsed on the road and was taken back to the village by Weiguo, who happened to be returning there.
Having lost her family and possessing nothing, Wang Zhenhua, under the arrangement of the old village chief, explained to all the villagers that she was a distant relative of the old village chief and had come to rely on him.
The old village chief also arranged for her to live in what is now the former educated youth compound, which was originally the place where landlords and wealthy people lived and had been abandoned there. The old village chief lent her food so that she could survive.
However, due to her weak physical condition and not wanting to continue to be a burden on the two elderly people, Wang Zhenhua chose to marry Wei Guo, who had saved her life.
If Wei Guo had saved his life, then the two elderly people in front of him had given him a second chance at life. Without them, he would not be here today. Therefore, Wang Zhenhua was grateful to the two people in front of him from beginning to end.
After reminiscing about the past, Wang Zhenhua gently wiped away his tears. Grandma Yu quickly stepped forward to comfort him, while also complaining about the old village chief.
"Oh dear, Zhenhua, don't cry. That's just how your grandpa is, he's got a big mouth."
Wang Zhenhua shook his head and wiped away his tears.
"No, no, it's all my fault. Uncle Yu, please just tell me what's wrong. I will remember your kindness to me for the rest of my life."
The old village chief and Grandma Yu exchanged a glance, and the old village chief nodded to Grandma Yu.
"Zhenhua, you know that we, the old couple, have no children now. We...we want to adopt you as our goddaughter!"
Grandma Yu steeled herself and spoke directly, then felt a surge of nervousness and looked expectantly at Wang Zhenhua.
"Recognize me as your daughter?"
Wang Zhenhua was clearly taken aback by the news.
The old village chief nodded to the side, looking expectantly at Wang Zhenhua after he finished making the purchase, and then slowly spoke.
"Yes, we want to adopt you as our daughter."
Wang Zhenhua was speechless for a moment.
"I, I, I..."
Seeing the expectant look in his eyes, Wang Zhenhua nodded.
"I do, godfather, godmother."
"Hey! I have a daughter, old man, we have a daughter."
Grandma Yu hugged Wang Zhenhua tightly in her arms, shaking him excitedly with both hands.
The old village chief was also very excited, but like an old father, he wasn't good at expressing himself.
Wang Zhenhua was also very happy. Since he was separated from his family, he had no elders to take care of him. Now he has two more elderly people who have been taking care of him.
Even Wang Zhenhua's current job of cutting pig feed was arranged by the old village chief. Otherwise, do you think others wouldn't want some easier work? Even if it's less work points, at least it won't be so hard.
Grandma Yu was so moved that tears streamed down her face, and Wang Zhenhua helped wipe them away.
"Godmother, don't cry. We should be happy. Come on, let's go inside and have a meal."
Grandma Yu had tears in her eyes, but she was smiling very happily.
In Northeast China, the practice of adopting godparents is highly valued. It involves wearing mourning clothes after the elder passes away and taking care of the elder in their old age until their death.
In this way, the elderly couple had someone to rely on in the future, and they also gained a well-behaved grandson and two lovely granddaughters.
The old village chief regretted that it was a last-minute decision; he hadn't brought any gifts and had just come to their door.
He thought about it and decided to wait until they became his neighbors before visiting them in person.
Wang Zhenhua took Grandma Yu's hand and led her into the house.
Qian Manman and the others were clearly taken aback when they saw the two being so intimate, feeling that Sister Wang seemed unusually enthusiastic today.
"Manman, Juan'er, Wang Ling, these are my godfather and godmother. Remember to call them Grandpa and Grandma from now on."
Before Qian Manman could react, Wei Mo inside the house heard it clearly and ran towards them, thinking that his mother was amazing, finding the strongest backer in the whole village so easily.
Wei Mo had no idea about the relationship between Wang Zhenhua and the two elderly people, since Wei Mo didn't exist at that time, and even Wei Xiaohui and Wei Xiaomin hadn't been born yet.
"Grandma Yu!"
When Grandma Yu saw Wei Mo running towards her, her heart melted. She even let go of the hand of her newly adopted daughter and reached out to hug Wei Mo.
"Slow down, slow down! You naughty child, what if you fall?"
Wei Mo was held in Grandma Yu's arms, staring at the old woman with his big, puzzled eyes.
"Grandma Yu, what should I call you from now on? My mom said that my mom's mom is called maternal grandma, so should I call you Grandma Yu, maternal grandma?"
Everyone laughed when they heard Wei Mo's words. For Wei Mo, pretending to be innocent and cute was definitely a skill he was good at.
Grandma Yu pinched Wei Mo's little face and laughed as she held him in her arms. Wei's mother also came over and touched her son's little head.
"From now on, you can just call her Grandma, okay?"
Upon hearing his mother's words, Wei Mo obediently nodded and sweetly greeted Grandma Yu and the old village chief.
"Grandma, Grandpa!"
The two twin sisters on the kang (a heated brick bed) also ran over. At Wei Ma's prompting, they called out to their maternal grandparents. The old village chief hugged the two doll-like sisters in his arms, beaming from ear to ear.
"It's all your godfather's fault for acting on a whim and not preparing a gift for the child!"
Grandma Yu looked at her old man with a hint of reproach. Now that the child had changed his address, he couldn't offer anything, which made her feel a little embarrassed. Even the old village chief felt the same way.
The normal procedure for recognizing godparents should be that Wang Zhenhua prepares gifts for the two elderly people, chooses an auspicious day, goes to the old village chief's house to formally recognize them, and then the two old village chiefs return the gifts. However, these days there aren't so many formalities; as long as they can fill their stomachs, that's enough.
"Godfather, godmother, let's not be so formal. If it weren't for your help, these three wouldn't have been born. As long as our family is happy in the future, that's all that matters."
After Wang Zhenhua finished speaking, Wei Mo nodded in agreement, adding fuel to the fire by shouting repeatedly.
"As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."
This made the two old people chuckle and nod along, echoing the little boy's words.
"Yes, as long as you're happy!"
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