Chapter 226 Going to Grandma's House 2
Lin Gengsheng watched as Guo Cuihua and her younger sister Cuifen walked side by side, carrying heavy loads, and spoke in hushed tones.
As the leader of the children, Lin Baozhu naturally took the lead in the playful fights.
As soon as the group entered the entrance of Guojia'ao village, they ran into an acquaintance.
"Oh my! Cui Cui is back? Oh, and this is... Rong Rong?! It's been so many years! I didn't expect the child to have grown so much."
"Is this the man you insisted on marrying? He certainly looks presentable!"
Lin's mother didn't want to say much to this woman, but she immediately started to criticize her sister. How could she tolerate that?
"Auntie, it's been a while since I've seen you. You look even more manly now. I heard my uncle has another family in town. How can you tolerate that?"
Look at my brother-in-law, good-looking, family-oriented, and now a salesman in our Da Ge Ba village, earning several tens of yuan a month. Everyone who sees him praises him. Our Guo family has impeccable taste in daughters; they never pick the wrong one.
"Rongrong, brother-in-law, let's go quickly, our parents must be getting impatient."
As he passed the woman, he bumped into her hard with his shoulder.
The news spread like wildfire into the Guo family's courtyard.
As the group stepped into the familiar mud-brick courtyard of the Guo family...
Several aunts were chatting and laughing as they busied themselves in the yard, while several uncles brought dishes into the house. Grandma Guo was sitting on a small stool picking green beans when she saw her eldest daughter's family carrying large bags and small packages. Her face instantly lit up with a smile. But when her gaze swept over her youngest daughter's family following behind, her smile froze on her face, and she subconsciously turned her head to look at the entrance to the main room.
At the entrance to the main room, Grandpa Guo stood there with his hands behind his back, his back ramrod straight.
His face was etched with deep wrinkles, and his eyes were sharp as an eagle's. He first swept his gaze over Lin Baozhu and the children. When his gaze finally landed on Guo Cuicui and Li Xiaoxian behind her, his weathered face instantly darkened, like a storm cloud before a tempest, and the air seemed to freeze.
Guo Cuifen and Wang Shugen were at a loss, and the two children were so frightened that they hid behind Lin Baozhu.
"Father..." Guo Cuifen called out timidly, her voice so soft it was like a mosquito's hum.
Li Xiaoxian quickly lowered his head and called out, "Dad..."
Old Guo didn't answer, but just snorted heavily through his nostrils, a sound that struck everyone's hearts like muffled thunder. He turned abruptly, about to go back into the house.
"Grandpa!"
Lin Baozhu's clear voice broke the silence. Ignoring her grandfather's cold face, she pulled the timid twins forward, squatted down, and pointed at Old Man Guo, saying to them, "Da Ni and Er Ni, quickly greet him! This is Grandpa! Your own Grandpa!"
Encouraged by Lin Baozhu's gaze, and then looking at the elderly woman before them—who, though stern-faced, bore a resemblance to her mother—the two children finally mustered their courage and timidly called out in their childish voices:
"Grandpa..."
"Hello, Grandpa..."
Those two soft, sweet "Grandpa" sounds were like pebbles thrown into an icy lake, instantly creating ripples in Old Guo's hardened heart.
He paused as he was about to step into the house, his tall figure seeming to stiffen for a moment.
Lin Baozhu stood up and walked to her grandfather's side. Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone's ears: "Grandpa, I know you're angry, angry that Auntie didn't listen to you back then. But look at Auntie's husband..."
She pointed to the uneasy Li Xiaoxian: "Although my uncle has been a scoundrel over the years, he has learned his lesson and now he helps our village with sales. He earns several tens of yuan a month, and his life is getting better and better."
Uncle Guo hurriedly said, "Dad, so many years have passed, your anger should have subsided by now, right? Today is Mom's birthday, please don't let her feel upset."
"Yes, Father, my younger sister didn't dare to come before because life was hard and she was afraid it would upset you and Mother. But now things are better. My brother-in-law is successful. Now, no matter which supply and marketing cooperative she goes to, people there will look up to her."
Lin Baozhu chimed in, "I heard from my mother that you used to dote on my aunt the most. Can you really bear to watch your own daughter and grandson never be able to enter your parents' home for the rest of their lives?"
Lin Baozhu's words hit the nail on the head. Old Guo still didn't turn around, but the knuckles of his hands, clenched behind his back, turned white.
Grandma Guo was already in tears. She put down the green beans, walked over shakily, took her youngest daughter's hand, and lovingly stroked her grandson's head. She choked out to her husband, "Old man...it's been over ten years! Rongrong almost got sold because she didn't have our family to support her, and she was almost beaten to death. Li Xiaoxian used to be a scoundrel, but now that he's willing to make money, he treats our daughter very well...look at these two children, how lovable they are...you just..."
Just then, Li Xiaoxian, who had been silent all along, suddenly stepped forward and knelt down behind Old Man Guo with a thud. The taciturn man's voice was choked with sobs and filled with utmost sincerity: "Dad! It's all my fault! I'm incompetent, and Rongrong and the child have suffered because of me! I don't ask for your forgiveness, I only ask that... Cuifen and the child come back to see Mother and you more often! If you want to hit or scold me, come at me! I, Li Xiaoxian, admit it!"
This kneeling was like the last straw.
Old Guo turned around abruptly, his eyes red-rimmed! He looked at his son-in-law kneeling on the ground, at his wife and youngest daughter with tears streaming down their faces, and then at his two grandsons who were staring at him timidly with wide eyes... He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something harsh, but in the end it turned into a long sigh filled with endless complex emotions.
He walked up to Wang Shugen, but instead of immediately helping him up, he asked in a deep voice, "You really are a bastard, making my daughter and granddaughter suffer for so many years because of you! If only you had come a few more times back then, I wouldn't be in this situation..."
“Dad! No! Xiao Xian... he treats me and the children very well!” Guo Cuifen cried out first.
"Get up!" Old Guo's voice was still harsh, but he stretched out his rough hand and pulled Li Xiaoxian up. He didn't look at Li Xiaoxian, his gaze sweeping over his two grandsons, his tone stiff but unquestionable: "What are you standing there for? Come inside! You've come all this way, are you just going to stand in the yard and catch a cold?"
After saying that, he turned around and went into the main room first, but his back straightened up a bit.
"Hey! Hey! Come in! Come in quickly!" Grandma Guo cried tears of joy, hurriedly calling out, pulling Guo Rongrong with one hand and Er Ya with the other...
Guo Cuihua and Lin Baozhu exchanged a glance, both seeing a relieved smile in each other's eyes. The ice that had weighed on the Guo family's hearts for over a decade finally began to melt with that awkward "Come in." Sunlight streamed into the courtyard, warm and bright.
Upon entering the house, Li Xiaoxian obsequiously placed the bulging basket on the ground and began taking things out one by one.
"Dad, I heard from my brother-in-law that you like to drink, so I bought you two bottles. Try them and if you like them, I'll buy you more."
Old Guo glanced at the wine bottle on the table, his eyes flashing.
"You're very thoughtful."
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