Upon hearing this, Hong Gu nodded slightly, her gaze shifting between the two of them as if searching for something.
She didn't agree immediately, but turned and walked to a chair inside the room. She sat down gracefully, placing her hands on her knees, seemingly waiting for further explanation from the two men.
Upon seeing this, Li Xi's heart stirred.
So she stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said, "Senior Hong Gu, I am Li Xi, and this is my friend Qin Xiaolin."
At that moment, the village chief seemed to suddenly remember something, and hurriedly left under an excuse.
Now, only three people remain in the room.
Li Xi stopped beating around the bush, because she was now absolutely certain that the old woman in front of her was her maternal grandmother.
She looked closely at the portrait her maternal grandfather was holding; it depicted her maternal grandmother in her youth.
Although the years have left obvious marks on my maternal grandmother's face—her temples are already somewhat gray, and wrinkles have quietly crept onto her cheeks—her general outline and appearance are still almost identical to the maternal grandmother in my memory.
"You didn't come here to see me for a medical consultation, did you?" Hong Gu fiddled with the medicinal herbs in her hands.
Li Xi took a deep breath, nodded, and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Hong Gu, we actually came from Jing Yuan. I wonder if you still remember 'Wan Yue'?"
She asked tentatively, only to be met with a puzzled look from the old woman opposite her: "Wan Yue? I don't know him. I've been living here alone for over thirty years, and I can't remember anything from before."
"Do you still remember Wan Jin?" she continued to ask, but Hong Gu shook her head again.
She seemed a little down and began to fall silent.
Qin Xiaolin continued, "Hong Gu, you are actually a member of the ancient clan. Wan Yue is your husband, Wan Jin is your daughter, and this lady in front of you is your granddaughter."
He said solemnly, "Instead of asking her if she remembers what happened back then, it's better to just tell her who she really is!"
After listening to Qin Xiaolin's words, Hong Gu remained silent for a long time, and her mood seemed to become even more depressed.
She slowly raised her head, her gaze shifting between Qin Xiaolin and Li Xi, as if trying to recall everything from the past.
“Ancient people… Wan Yue… Wan Jin…” she murmured to herself, her brows furrowed, as if she was trying to search for the memories behind these names.
Suddenly, a look of shock flashed in her eyes, as if she had remembered something important.
She stood up abruptly, gripping Qin Xiaolin's arm tightly, her voice trembling slightly: "You said... Wan Jin is my daughter? This... how is this possible..."
Seeing this, Qin Xiaolin knew that she had touched upon some memories buried deep in her heart.
She said, "Hong Gu, please calm down. These are all facts, and we have no reason to lie to you. Wan Jin is indeed your daughter, and Li Xi is your granddaughter."
With trembling hands, Hong Gu slowly released Qin Xiaolin and sat down again.
Her eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment, as if she was trying to process this sudden news.
Seeing this, Li Xi stepped forward and said softly, "Grandmother, I know this is all too sudden for you. But please believe us, we really mean no harm. We just want you to know that Grandfather has been looking for you and misses you very much."
Hong Gu lowered her head and remained silent, seemingly pondering Li Xi and Qin Xiaolin's words.
After a long while, she finally raised her head.
A hint of tenderness flashed in her eyes: "I only remember in my dream, a little girl kept calling me 'Mother.' She said she was Wan Jin and told me to hurry home. But I don't know where home is. I've often dreamed of her over the years."
Suddenly, she grabbed Li Xi's hand and asked anxiously, "Where is Jin'er? Can you take me to see her?"
"My mother... she passed away ten years ago..." Li Xi couldn't bear to tell her the truth, but she couldn't bear to lie to her even more.
Upon hearing those words, a look of disappointment flashed across her eyes, which then became empty.
She fell silent again, seemingly processing the sudden news.
"She's gone..." she murmured, then slowly closed her eyes. It was as if she was recalling the little girl in her dream, the child she called "Jin'er".
“Grandmother, come back with me. We’re sure to find a way to help you regain your memories,” Li Xi urged.
Suddenly she remembered something, opened her backpack and searched for a while before taking out a jade hairpin.
“This is the hairpin you used to wear, do you remember it?” Li Xi handed the hairpin to Hong Gu.
Hong Gu took the jade hairpin and gently stroked its smooth surface. A hint of confusion, yet also a sense of familiarity, flashed in her eyes.
She seemed to be transported back to a distant memory by the jade hairpin, yet she still seemed unable to reach those deep memories.
“This hairpin…” she murmured softly, her fingers gliding lightly over the hairpin as if searching for a familiar touch.
However, that memory seemed to be shrouded in a thick fog, making it impossible for her to see clearly.
Looking at Hong Gu's bewildered and pained expression, Li Xi felt a pang of pain in her heart.
She has lived here alone for decades, utterly destitute and helpless. It's unimaginable how she has managed all these years.
“Okay, I’ll go back with you.” Hong Gu made up her mind; she was no longer willing to live in a daze.
Li Xi was overjoyed. "Then I'll help you pack your luggage. Let's get ready and set off."
“Alright, but there’s nothing I can take with me.” Hong Gu walked out of the room. “I’ll talk to the village chief and the villagers. They’ve been very good to me all these years.”
Seeing Li Xi's excited expression, Qin Xiaolin couldn't help but smile. He also helped organize the medicinal herbs.
Not long after, Hong Gu returned, followed by a group of villagers.
"Hong Gu, are you really leaving? We've been like family for so many years." An old woman said, full of reluctance.
“Yes, what will we do without you?” A middle-aged woman with red eyes held onto Hong Gu’s hand tightly.
“Yes, Hong Gu, you can’t leave!” the others chimed in.
Hong Gu smiled and gently patted her hand. "I know you're all good to me, but I also have my own things to do. Leave these medicinal herbs and the things in this yard to Er Niu. Er Niu is smart, and she's learned a lot from me."
The girl called Erniu was a young woman of seventeen or eighteen. Upon hearing the news that Hong Gu was leaving, tears were already welling up in her eyes.
She stepped forward and held Hong Gu's hand tightly. "Aunt Hong, can you take me with you? I can't bear to leave you."
Hong Gu has lived here for thirty years and has long been accustomed to every blade of grass, every tree, every person, and every object.
She stroked Erniu's head, her eyes full of love. "Erniu, I know you have feelings for me, and I'm very reluctant to part with you. But I still have unfinished business to attend to. You stay here, continue to take care of the villagers, and carry forward your medical skills. This is also a way of supporting me."
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