Xia Lian slept the whole way. For some reason, she was carsick all day, perhaps because she had been sitting for too long. She could only lie in Wen Mo's arms and sleep to pass the time, without eating a single bite of food.
Actually, I woke up around the time I got to the village entrance, but I was still a little nervous. It was my first time visiting Wenmo's hometown, which would also be my hometown in the future.
By the time we arrived, it was already as dark as ink.
As the Lunar New Year approaches, every household in the village has its lights on, and there are cars parked in their yards that are clearly from the city.
When they arrived at the courtyard of a rather large house, the car stopped. Xia Lian knew immediately that this was Wen Mo's hometown.
Two elderly people were sitting under the lamp in front of the door. Wen Mo got up and stretched, first patting Xia Lian's head, then whispering, "You sit in the car first, and I'll open the car door for you in a bit before you get out."
Xia Lian nodded, indicating that she understood, her heart pounding in her chest.
After about a minute, the people outside exchanged pleasantries and then all turned their gazes toward the car. At this moment, Wen Mo, being very perceptive, helped open the car door and helped her out.
"Don't be nervous, Grandpa and Grandma are very kind."
After saying that, Wen Mo grinned, and behind him were two smiling old men.
As if she already knew about Xia Lian's situation, a faint trace of heartache and sorrow lingered in the depths of Grandma's eyes.
Xia Lian saw it, and as soon as her foot touched the ground, she bowed slightly, showing no lack of politeness, and then said in a clear voice, "Hello, Grandpa and Grandma."
"Sigh! Okay, okay!"
Grandma was so excited she couldn't speak. She uttered three "good"s in a row, held the girl's hand, looked her over, and smiled from ear to ear.
What Xia Lian didn't know was that it was actually this grandmother who told her uncle about her mother's situation, which is why he traveled all the way to an unfamiliar place to attend the funeral of a cousin he didn't know.
Zhou Yu, who was terminally ill, was most afraid of who would take care of the child after she died. However, Wen Yiquan secretly took Xia Lian back to his home without telling anyone.
Once Xia Lian had arrived in Linchuan, Wen Yiquan slowly told his parents and wife about his intention to adopt her.
It was a bit unexpected, but the whole family was in favor, and no one had any objections, except for Wenmo, who was still completely confused that day.
"Girl, you must be starving on the way, right? I heard you got carsick, didn't you? It's all your uncle's fault for driving so fast! I'm going to yell at him later."
Grandma led her to the dining table, smiling as she showed her the prepared food. "Why don't you sit here and sit with Grandma?"
Xia Lian was a little nervous and nodded stiffly in agreement. Before long, Wen Mo served her rice and handed her chopsticks, giving her a wink.
"Just answer whatever you want. We don't have many reservations in our family. Whatever Grandma says goes. Don't be so nervous, just relax."
After speaking quietly, Wen Mo put down his chopsticks, sat down opposite her, and looked at her with a smile.
"How are Mom and Dad doing?" Wen Yiquan picked up his chopsticks and ate two mouthfuls of rice at a time.
"She's doing great, in excellent health and with a great appetite," Grandpa answered quickly. But before long, he glanced at the new girl and suddenly exclaimed with a smile, "This girl is really pretty!"
"Of course, those eyes and nose, she's a top-tier beauty." Wen Mo readily agreed, extending his chopsticks to help pick up some food.
Sure enough, no matter who it is, the first thing they say when they see someone good-looking is to compliment their appearance.
This is also the most useful first impression. Even Wenmer was praised from childhood to adulthood. When he first came to the countryside, he was a delicate little boy with fair skin. But after a while, he got tanned like an African chicken, and no one praised him anymore.
The atmosphere at the table was harmonious. Although Xia Lian was introverted, she would accompany the elders in their questions and answers. Her grandmother would sometimes frown and sometimes smile, without mentioning anything about Xia Lian. She only knew to treat this new girl well, and after this meal at home, they would be family.
Seemingly a little embarrassed by the praise, Xia Lian lowered her head, her slender white fingers twisting the chopsticks back and forth.
"This girl is shy."
Grandma didn't eat much; she was too busy talking to Xia Lian. She talked more than she ate, asking all sorts of questions before picking up her chopsticks and eating a little, but her attention remained on Xia Lian.
Grandpa wanted to have a couple of drinks with Dad, but Grandma strictly forbade it, saying that at least they could wait until the New Year's Eve dinner.
"You told us to take care of our health, but you're the one who should be taking even more care. I heard from Juanzi that you have a problem with your liver. Drink less alcohol in the future, you hear me!"
Grandma seemed like a completely different person, criticizing him with righteous indignation. Her manner suggested that if everyone hadn't been there, she would have probably given Dad a couple of whacks on the head.
The father could only obediently agree, being scolded like a son, which amused Wen Mo, who was watching from the side.
"Xiao Mo, don't be like your father and drink so much. You'll ruin your health and then it will be too late to cry," Grandma said slowly.
Wenmer nodded, indicating that he would not drink alcohol from now on.
The meal lasted for almost half an hour. Perhaps because they were a little tired from the car ride, no one ate much, which made Grandma very distressed.
After finishing their meal, Wen Yiquan and Su Juan went upstairs to take a nap.
"You go to sleep first, I'll go help wash the dishes."
Su Juan patted his back, her eyes full of concern. Driving all day must have really exhausted him, so they took a short break at a service area along the way.
Wen Yiquan nodded, went into the room, and fell asleep as soon as he touched the bed.
Downstairs, Wen Mo and his grandfather were still chatting while he helped his grandmother tidy up the table, while Xia Lian was pulled aside for questioning. She looked so timid that you'd think she was being bullied.
After clearing the table, Grandma suddenly pulled Wenmo and Xia Lian aside and whispered something to them.
“I know everything about this girl, Xiao Mo. Now that she’s in our family, she’s family. You should treat her like your own sister.”
Grandma seemed unable to speak. One moment she was holding Wenmo's hand, the next she was holding Xia Lian's hand, and then she hugged both of them in her arms. Before leaving, she even stuffed several hundred yuan into their hands.
"Grandma, no need. We have our own money."
Wen Mo shook his head to refuse, but he couldn't resist his grandmother's insistence and was pushed back upstairs.
The two stood on the second floor, lost in thought. Wen Mo looked at the money in his hand, first sighed deeply, then smiled bitterly and said, "Grandma wants me to treat you like my own sister. What do you say?"
Xia Lian was completely confused and kept shaking her head and nodding while clinging to his arm.
"I have no idea."
"Sigh, I don't know either. Let's keep this a secret for now. We can't tell Grandpa and Grandma; they're too old to accept it."
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