Chapter 230 She Knows Who She Is
"What!?" There was a slight commotion on Fengsui's end; he seemed to be repeatedly confirming that he had indeed taken the wrong phone...
After a while, the communication line was forced to disconnect.
A new message popped up on Wen Ni's WeChat; it was a private message from Feng Sui: Captain Lu called me...
These few words conveyed a profound sense of despair!
Wen Ni smiled and typed two words: Congratulations.
Then, humming a little tune, she turned and went to the storage room. "Grandma, you rest, I'll help him tidy up."
"Oh! Thank you for your help, young lady!"
"It's no trouble at all."
The weather was excellent for the next few days.
Besides taking care of the old lady's daily life, Wen Ni would take time every day to visit the valerian herb garden on the back mountain.
But she searched carefully again and again, but still couldn't find a single intact, mature valerian plant!
"Valeriana is quite cold-resistant, so even when it gets cool, it shouldn't wither so quickly!"
"Miss Wen Ni, could it be that the villagers nearby collected them and sold them to herbalists for medicinal use?" Qin Yuan followed behind, a straw in his mouth.
"It's not impossible."
Wen Ni frowned. "Old Master Lu's birthday is coming soon. Am I really going to go home empty-handed?"
"Why don't we ask Granny Li? Does she have any valerian?" Qin Yuan suggested.
Wen Ni didn't say anything, but turned and headed straight for the old lady's house.
Pushing open the gate, I saw the old lady tidying up the soil in the small garden in the front yard.
"You mean the valerian on the back hill?" The old woman put down her shovel. "Every year in September and October, people come to collect it, so everyone picks the ripe valerian to exchange for money. You're basically not going to be able to find it in the herb garden."
"Just as Qin Yuan said," Wen Ni murmured, somewhat disappointed.
"However, I still have some valerian seeds here!" The old lady took out a black cloth bag from the storeroom, and when she opened it, the seeds inside were plump and full.
"It's probably impossible for them to germinate, mature, and bloom within a few days," Wen Ni said, shaking her head as she held a seed in her palm.
“Mature valerian?” The old lady couldn’t bear to disappoint Wen Ni. She thought for a moment, then took Wen Ni’s hand and said, “Girl, come with me.”
"What's wrong, Grandma?"
I followed the old lady into the main house.
Watching the old lady open the drawer on the table, she found a rather old notebook!
The old lady carefully opened it.
Wen Ni looked closely and saw that there were two completely dried valerian flowers and leaves sandwiched between the two pages of paper!
"So beautiful..."
Although it has lost its moisture and is no longer fresh, it has retained three-tenths of its brilliance when it bloomed!
“My sister and I picked these from the herb garden on the hill behind our house when we were little. She said these two beautiful valerian flower heads were like her and me, nestled together, never to be separated. I’ve kept them all this time, for over 70 years now…”
The old lady smiled gently and reached out to stroke it lightly, as if she had fallen into childhood memories!
As she watched and listened, Wen Ni's heart was suddenly struck by something, becoming even softer.
"It's been with me for so many years, and it's fate that it's met you, young lady. How about I give it to you, and you can give it to someone who needs it?" The old woman's hand trembled as she extended it forward.
Wen Ni didn't take it, but pushed it back!
"I can't accept it."
"Don't you want to give it to your grandfather?" the old woman asked in a hoarse voice. "For him, it might also hold an unforgettable memory..."
“I do want to help Grandpa find his memories of his loved one, but this can never be about taking away your memories to make up for his missing ones! That would be unfair to you.”
Wen Ni helped the old lady close the notebook and put it back in the drawer!
"child……"
"Grandma, how about this, could you give me some of your valerian seeds?"
"Of course, of course! You can have as much as you want!" The old lady's smile grew even brighter.
The afternoon sun was neither intense nor scorching; it shone through the window onto them, yet it warmed their hearts!
With Mr. Lu's birthday approaching and Mrs. Lu's health improving, Wen Ni and Qin Yuan packed their things early the next morning and prepared to return home.
Before leaving, the old lady handed Wen Ni a delicate and simple wooden box.
"Young lady, could you please give this gift to your grandfather? He is eighty-three years old, and this is just a small token of my appreciation."
"good."
Wen Ni not only did not refuse, but instead extended both hands and bowed respectfully to accept it. "I will definitely pass it on to Grandpa Lu. Also, Wen Ni... thank you for taking care of me these past few days, Auntie!"
"...You...know?" The old woman's expression froze.
“Yes, I know. You are the elder sister of Mr. Lu’s wife, Grandma Li Zhongfang, Lu Jinye’s great-aunt, and the senior Li Songyun who devoted her life to saving lives in impoverished rural areas!” Wen Ni said with certainty.
The old lady looked at Wen Ni in surprise, then at Qin Yuan behind Wen Ni!
Qin Yuan quickly waved his hands and shook his head, "It wasn't me who said that! I didn't reveal your identity to her at all!"
"..." Li Songyun slowly turned his eyes back. "So, you really are a clever child! Since you already knew, why didn't you say so?"
"I lied to you back then and said I was Mr. Lu's granddaughter, but you didn't expose me, did you?" Wen Ni said with a slight smile.
Li Songyun shook his head with a sigh, "Clever, calm, and quick-witted. No wonder Lu Jinye likes you!"
"Grandma, you're joking." Wen Ni didn't respond, but instead asked, "At your age, it's inconvenient for you to live here alone. Don't you plan to come back to the city with me?"
“Old Lu and Jin Ye also told me to go back to live here. But I’m already eighty years old, and I’ve lived on this land for eighty years. This is where I grew up, and in the very end, I just want to stay here and return to my roots…”
"I see."
Wen Ni lowered her eyes and stopped trying to persuade her.
She bent down and bowed deeply to Li Songyun at a ninety-degree angle. "I will come to see you again!"
"Okay." Li Songyun nodded repeatedly. "I hope that next time you come, you'll bring good news!"
Wen Ni just smiled and didn't respond.
As she walked along the path toward the highway, she slowly stopped and looked back at the old woman sitting in front of the low house.
A wisp of dust rose, and the elderly man, along with his past, seemed to be sealed away in his memory, forgotten by the passage of time...
The birthday of the elderly Mr. Lu from the Beijing area is coming soon.
Lu Jianxun did not plan to hold a grand celebration for his birthday, so he kept it very low-key and simply had a meal with his family at home!
But there are always many people who come uninvited, with the intention of currying favor!
"Old sir."
The sunlight was just right in the living room.
Director Jin nodded slightly to Lu Jianxun, who was sitting on the sofa. As he straightened up, he glanced at his daughter beside him.
Jin Shangyue immediately understood, put on a flattering smile, and affectionately took Lu Jianxun's arm and sat down.
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