Chapter 63 It turns out he also suffered a misfortune.
Nie Ronghua was depressed for several days after learning that Zhong Wanrou had run away.
My mood only improved after the disaster relief efforts in Meixian ended.
The day before the team was to set off for the next mission, he received a call from Nie Rongchang.
"Ronghua, did you know that Su Meng has been transferred away by Commander Tang?"
Nie Ronghua was stunned. "I don't know. How long ago was this?"
"Just yesterday afternoon. She was originally selected by the Shanghai Machinery Research Institute, but for some reason, Commander Tang made a phone call and demanded her, and even transferred her household registration."
"Is that so?"
"You need to take better care of your wife, and make sure no one bullies her."
Nie Ronghua was frustrated again: "...we might not even recognize each other if we meet."
If it weren't for his cousin Mo Xiaoli, he wouldn't have been sure that the person was his childhood sweetheart—Su Meng.
Hearing this, Nie Rongchang sighed and rubbed his forehead, "That's right! You've never met since you were little."
When you get back, take her home for a meal, let her get to know you better, and maybe even get married while you're at it.
After hanging up the phone, Nie Ronghua leaned silently against the table, his heart pounding as he recalled the timid yet strong little girl he had encountered with the pirates.
If his childhood sweetheart was Su Meng, he wouldn't be so averse to it.
What he didn't know was that Su Meng was also talking to her grandmother and Xie Mian about her childhood betrothal.
"Grandma is right! The connections between people are truly wondrous."
We are family. Even if we meet but don't recognize each other, we will eventually come together again.
However, if people who are not destined to be together are forcibly tied together, it will either be a tragic fate or a resentful relationship.
For example, arranged marriages and betrothals in childhood were outdated and harmful practices.
Xie Mian looked at her and smiled helplessly, "You silly girl, why do you have so many feelings?"
Are you engaged? Who arranged it for you?
After taking a nap, Grandma felt much better and had come to terms with things.
Hearing that his beloved granddaughter, who had just returned home, had an engagement, he immediately perked up.
She held Su Meng's hand tightly, lovingly rubbing the back of her hand with her index finger, and said in a hoarse voice, "Little Meng'er, you are still young, you should stay with Grandma for a few more years."
"Late marriage and childbearing are encouraged now, you're only eighteen, no rush!"
Su Meng nodded quickly, leaning her head affectionately on her grandmother's arm, "Yes, yes, yes! I'm not in a hurry! I want to spend more time with Grandma and Uncle."
I was afraid of being alone for the first ten years, and for the rest of my life, I want to be with my family forever.
Moreover, we now advocate freedom of marriage and oppose arranged marriages.
Grandma, I don't like arranged marriages like this, I don't want it, you have to help me decide!
Grandma turned her head in surprise to meet her gaze. "You really have a childhood betrothal? Who is it? Who arranged it for you?"
I remember the Su family is quite well-off; there shouldn't be any need to wrong you.
Su Meng raised an eyebrow without showing any emotion. So Grandma really did remember everything.
I learned from Xie Mian that the old man only knew that he came from a wealthy family in Shanghai, but he couldn't remember his surname or given name.
I don't remember when or why I came to this island.
But Xie Mian learned from her gossipy neighbors that her mother had been brought back by a fisherman surnamed Xie.
The fisherman lived alone and would often go out fishing for months at a time without returning home.
No one found it strange that he suddenly brought back a pregnant woman.
Finally, they were taken in by the fisherman and lived in his house ever since.
The fisherman went out fishing shortly after Xie Mian was born and never returned.
Xie Mian once believed he was the fisherman's son, but the old man, whose memory was fragmented, vehemently denied it.
If you ask any more questions, the old man will clutch his head in anguish and be unable to say anything.
Now that she can say the Su family is well-off, she must have remembered.
Su Meng followed up on her words, saying, "The Su family is the richest family in Shanghai, so they must be quite wealthy."
Unfortunately, my maternal grandfather, being kind-hearted, arranged a marriage for me when I was a child.
The funny thing is, after my grandfather passed away and my maternal grandfather's family went into hiding, the Nie family had no contact with us for over ten years.
These ten years were Su Meng's ten years of studying abroad alone, and also the most difficult and lonely ten years of her life.
Grandma naturally knew that Xie Jingming was the renowned doctor Ming. She remained silent for a long time before letting out a heavy sigh, "So he also suffered misfortune!"
Upon hearing this, Su Meng sat up straight in surprise, staring at the old woman: "Grandma?"
Xie Mian also keenly grasped the key words, his expression tense as he waited for the next words to follow.
However, the old man simply waved his hand calmly, unwilling to say anything, "It's all in the past!"
As for your arranged marriage with the Nie family, if you don't like it, I'll help you cancel it.
Back when those two old men made that verbal agreement, you weren't even born yet. Just take it as a joke!
Beneath Grandma's calm exterior lay barely suppressed anger.
Back when the Nie family begged the renowned physician Shangming to save their lives, they patted their chests and said that no matter what happened, the Nie family, the Xie family, and the Su family would always be a community of shared interests.
If the first grandchild of the Su family is a boy, he will be recognized as a godparent of the Nie family; if he is a girl, they will be married into the family.
But what happened to the Su family? What did the Nie family do?
Based on their neglect of the girl for the past ten years, she cannot entrust her to them.
This child has suffered so much!
Grandma reached out and hugged Su Meng, who obediently snuggled up to her, her lips dripping with honey, "Grandma is so good!"
After saying that, he didn't forget to show favoritism: "Uncle, you're very good too!"
Let me tell you something: my dad's courtesy name was Mianzhi, the same Mian you have.
I used to think you were my dad.
After all, her maternal grandfather's surname was Xie, and she thought her father had changed his name to Xie Mian because he had changed his surname.
Xie Mian forced a smile: "Thank you!"
Grandma smiled, and reached into her pocket, pulling out a small, worn-out purse with frayed edges.
“Look, the character ‘勉’ in his name comes from this seal. I had a sudden urge to name him Xie Mian.”
It was a seal slightly smaller than the seal of the Su family patriarch, with the traditional Chinese character "勉" engraved at the bottom.
Grandma pointed to the top of the seal and said regretfully, "There used to be a yellow bead here, but it fell off sometime ago."
It must have fallen onto some island.
Oh! I don't remember. That was a priceless treasure.
They were being hunted down and traveled to many places and islands.
Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore; it's just upsetting!
Grandma spoke casually, but Su Meng and Xie Mian imagined a long-planned and thrilling chase scene. Was it a revenge killing, a crime of passion, or a business blockade?
Grandma didn't want to talk about it, and neither Su Meng nor Xie Mian wanted to upset her again, so they both refrained from asking further.
Grandma stroked the seal, her gaze deep and nostalgic, and said to herself, "There are seven of these beads, each a different color: orange, yellow, red, cyan, purple, black, and green."
Among them is a pair of emerald green teardrop-shaped pendants, which together form a smooth, round bead, and this is the most precious one.
I remember your grandfather gave a pendant to old man Nie; we'll definitely remember to get it back.
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