Chapter 116 Recognition
The old lady's eyes suddenly widened, a light of disbelief flashing in her cloudy pupils: "You...what did you say? Did you really find it?"
"Yeah." Chen Ran nodded, and thinking of Su Hong and his daughter, the lines at the corners of his mouth softened unconsciously.
"Not only did we find her, but we also found our daughter. Su Hong and I have a daughter named Nian Nian, who is 21 years old this year. She raised the child alone over the years and suffered a lot."
—— Look, your son didn’t become an orphan. He brought you a granddaughter. Not only that, he even has a great-grandson.
"Twenty-one?..." The old lady repeated in a low voice, tears welling up without warning, streaming down her wrinkled face and splashing onto the sheets, leaving small wet marks. "It was Mom's fault. It was Mom's confusion back then that ruined your happiness..."
She struggled to sit up, "Okay, okay..." Chen Ran hurried forward to support her.
The old lady reached under her pillow tremblingly and took out a neatly folded red cloth bag. Her fingertips trembled as she opened it layer by layer. A brass key lay quietly inside.
"This is the key to the safe at home. Inside is everything Mom has saved her entire life."
The old lady stuffed the cloth bag into Chen Ran's hands, the warmth of her palm radiating through the fabric. "Give it to Su Hong and Nian Nian, and tell them... tell them that I've let them down, and ask them not to hate me. If... if they're willing, I want to see my granddaughter, even just for a moment, and I'll be satisfied."
Chen Ran held the red cloth bag, which still carried his mother's body temperature, and his eyes felt a little hot.
He looked at his mother's guilty face and said, "Let's talk about it when you feel better."
As the old lady listened, her tears flowed even harder, but a smile slowly formed at the corner of her mouth, as if the huge stone that had been weighing on her heart for more than twenty years had been lifted off her shoulders.
"Okay, okay... Then Mom will wait, wait to see my lovely granddaughter." She leaned back on the pillow, and her grip on Chen Ran's hand gradually loosened. Her originally dim eyes gradually brightened up.
Perhaps it was because she knew she had a granddaughter, the old lady's condition stabilized a lot.
When Chen Ran returned to Jiangcheng from the south, he went to Su Hong's tailor shop immediately. He looked tired and exhausted, but after not seeing her for a week, his face was obviously much more haggard, and even the red bloodshot under his eyes could not be hidden.
Afen was quick-eyed and said, "Sister, you and your brother-in-law should go back. I'm here!" Look how thin this person is. He needs to go home quickly to replenish his energy.
Su Hong did not refuse, she also had a lot of questions in her mind.
The two walked home side by side. The autumn wind brought the bustling atmosphere of the city, making people feel warm in their hearts.
When they got home, Su Hong spoke first, "How is the old lady?"
Chen Ran raised his hand and rubbed his brow, his voice filled with weariness. "She's stable now. The doctor said she's feeling better now, and the inflammation has subsided a bit."
He paused, turned his head to look at Su Hong, and said tentatively, "I told her about you and your daughter, and her mood improved. You... won't blame me, right?"
"You've been at odds with her for over twenty years," Su Hong held his hand, the warmth of her fingertips warming his heart. "It's come to this. Letting her go is also letting ourselves go. We can't keep living with the same old accounts. It's so tiring."
Chen Ran suddenly hugged Su Hong into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, and his voice was full of relief at having found you: "It's great to find you."
He tightened his arms, his nose nuzzling the soapberry scent of her hair, his fatigue shrouded in anticipation: "Ah Hong, how about... calling Nian Nian, and we have dinner together? The child has been discharged from the hospital, right? Didn't he go to the company disobeying her?"
Su Hong leaned in his arms, patting his back lightly with her fingertips, and whispered, "No, I'm at home. She even asked about you on the day she was discharged from the hospital."
"Oh? How did the kid ask that?" Chen Ran perked up, instantly switching from "tired uncle" to "curious baby" mode.
Su Hong couldn't help laughing. "She asked why her father hadn't shown up, and she even joked that maybe he ran away because the compensation he paid was too much."
"This girl!" Chen Ran smiled, his eyes full of warmth. "This layer of window paper hasn't been broken yet, where can her father run away? Even if he wants to run, he has to take you with him!"
He envisioned the days ahead, "Once I hand over everything to her, we'll travel around the world, make up for the regrets of these years, and try to get back the time we lost as a couple!"
Su Hong blushed, hit him lightly, and called her daughter.
When Su Nian received the call, she was worrying about the design draft - she was busy with a traditional Chinese style design, but she always felt that the button pattern lacked some spirit.
When he heard his "knowledgeable" father was back, he immediately perked up: "Great, great! Where are you? I'll be there right now!"
"Don't move, just wait at home obediently," Su Hong hurriedly stopped him, "We'll come pick you up!"
After hanging up the phone, Su Nian greeted Si Yan again and said that she was going out to dinner with her mother and Uncle Chen in the evening. Chen Ran happened to have something to do and had to work overtime, so he said he would pick her up then.
The three of them sat by the window in the restaurant. The river breeze blew in through the gauze window, bringing with it a hint of moisture mixed with the aroma of food, which was particularly pleasant.
Chen Ran picked up a piece of sweet and sour fish for Su Nian. Seeing her eyes light up, his heart softened. "Niannian, I've been in the south these days and went to an old workshop to look at some buttonhole styles. There are some very unique ones. If you're interested, I'll show them to you later."
"Really?" Su Nian put down her chopsticks, her eyes full of surprise. "I've been worried about this recently. I always feel that the patterns of the buttons are not fresh enough. I want to find some old-fashioned references, but I haven't found anything suitable!"
Su Hong sat aside, watching the two of them chatting happily, and secretly gave Chen Ran a look: It's time, if you don't say it now, the dish will get cold!
Chen Ran received the signal, his Adam's apple moved, and he slowly put down his chopsticks. His tone became graver: "Niannian, actually... your mother and I have something to tell you."
Su Nian's heart skipped a beat. He vaguely felt that the atmosphere had reached this point. The next step might be to recognize the relatives.
Su Hong held her daughter's hand, and the warmth from her palm came through. Her voice was soft but firm: "Child, today, here, Mom will tell you clearly. Uncle Chen... He is your father, your biological father." Su Hong finished speaking in one breath.
"My child," Chen Ran's voice was choked with sobs, tears streaming down his face, "You and your mother have suffered so much over the years. Dad is sorry for you, really sorry..."
As he spoke, he took out a property deed and a bank card from his bag and handed them to Su Nian with both hands. "This is a large flat we just bought. I see you have to go up and down the stairs where you live now, and I'm worried it's inconvenient for you. It's up to you whether you want to move or not. If you're not satisfied, we can buy another one, and Dad will make it up to you later..."
"Dad," Su Nian interrupted him, finally calling him out, her voice exceptionally clear, "Dad, I have a dad too!"
Su Nian thought she would be able to call out "Dad" without any emotion, after all, she was mentally prepared.
In fact, it is not the case. The contempt and hardships I have suffered over the years due to the absence of my father flashed through my mind, and I was filled with emotion!
No matter what, from now on, my mother has a man she can rely on, and she herself has a protective umbrella!
Su Nian was in tears, but she was also extremely happy from the bottom of her heart.
"Hey!" Chen Ran responded with a long sigh, tears in his eyes, but smiling like a child - this "Dad" was the treasure he had been waiting for for twenty-one years, and it was the most beautiful name in the world.
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