Chapter 501 Reunion 2
Nan Zhiyi nodded and followed Gu Xiao step by step toward the table.
The closer she got, the more unsteady her steps became, but the strength from Gu Xiao's arm steadied her.
They walked to the table.
Mr. Su Chongshan, sensing something, turned his head to look over.
The moment their eyes met, the old man's pupils contracted slightly, and his lips trembled slightly.
"You...you are Jing Si's daughter? Zhi Yi?"
His gaze searched her face for a resemblance to the past, "...She looks just like her...especially her eyes and eyebrows..."
Nan Zhiyi's throat tightened, and she choked out, "...Yes, Uncle, it's me...I'm Zhiyi." She forced a smile, "My mother...she used to talk to me about you often."
Mr. Su Chongshan's eyes also filled with tears, "Hmm... The last time I saw your mother, she was only ten years old... In the blink of an eye, you've grown up so much..."
He took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently.
After decades of separation and death, the image of his hometown and relatives could only be depicted in his dreams. Now, his niece, who looked just like his cousin, stood before him. This shock made the old man, who had experienced the ups and downs of the business world, unable to control himself.
"Dad, Dad, don't get too excited, speak slowly, speak slowly." The middle-aged man sitting next to him quickly stood up and supported his father's arm.
He looked at Nan Zhiyi and Gu Xiao and nodded in acknowledgment.
Mr. Su coughed lightly to calm himself down, his voice still trembling slightly: "This is your aunt, Cheng Huixin, and this is your cousin, Chengye. Chengye, this is Aunt Jingsi's daughter, Zhiyi."
Gu Xiao had mentioned to Nan Zhiyi that, according to the information, Su Chongshan married Cheng Huixin, the daughter of a Chinese expatriate surnamed Cheng, in Singapore. The couple had three sons and one daughter.
Su Chengye is the eldest son of his maternal uncle and aunt.
He was a few years older than Nan Zhiyi, with a refined appearance and gentle eyes.
Su Chengye extended his hand to Nan Zhiyi and shook her hand firmly: "Cousin Zhiyi, hello. Father has been talking about returning to China to see his relatives for many years, and today we finally meet."
On the other side, the gentle old woman Cheng Huixin said softly, "Good child, come, let's sit down and talk slowly."
Nan Zhiyi raised her hand and quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
“Cousin, Aunt, Cousin, this is my husband, Gu Xiao. This is our son, Gu Zhao.”
Gu Xiao stepped forward: "Uncle, hello. I often hear Zhiyi mention you."
Gu Zhao was pushed out by her mother. She was a little shy, but she remembered her mother's instructions and called out in a clear voice, "Hello, Grandpa! Hello, Grandma! Hello, Uncle! Welcome back!" Her words were innocent and sincere.
Mr. Su's gaze shifted from Nan Zhiyi's face to Gu Xiao, carrying the sharpness of an elder, but it was quickly softened by Gu Xiao's dignified demeanor. He then looked at Gu Zhao, whose features resembled Gu Xiao's, and a sense of relief welled up in his heart.
He nodded repeatedly, his voice hoarse: "Good, good... even your child is so big now... quickly, quickly sit down, sit down."
Su Chengye also shook hands with Gu Xiao, saying, "Comrade Gu Xiao, hello."
Cheng Huixin had already stood up and took Nan Zhiyi's hand: "Don't stand there, sit down and talk."
The group sat down as instructed, moving several chairs closer together to form a more intimate little circle.
Mr. Su could hardly take his eyes off Nan Zhiyi as he inquired about her recent situation in detail.
Nan Zhiyi answered each question one by one. When she mentioned that she was currently pursuing a master's degree at Peking University and working as a writer, the old man nodded repeatedly.
When Nan Zhiyi introduced Gu Xiao's specific position, a deeper sense of satisfaction flashed across Mr. Su's eyes, and he nodded slightly.
Upon learning that their family was warm, their child was intelligent and sensible, and their life was stable and fulfilling, Mr. Su was very pleased and repeatedly said, "Good, good... If your mother knew, she would be so happy."
The topic inevitably turned to the deceased.
“This time when I came back, I went back to my hometown of Jian’an… and also visited your parents’ graves.”
He pressed his fingertips hard against his reddened eyes, and when he spoke again, his voice was full of remorse, "I...I'm sorry to Jingsi, I'm sorry to your grandparents...Back then, if I had been more resolute, even if it had taken more effort, I should have taken Jingsi with me...Who could have imagined that later in China...a family like the Li family would suffer such a huge blow...How did she manage to get through it all alone...the Li family..."
He couldn't continue, tears streaming down his face.
Auntie silently handed over a handkerchief, and Su Chengye also quietly comforted his father.
Nan Zhiyi's tears fell immediately.
She sniffed. “Uncle, please don’t say that… Mom told me later that back then, nobody knew what the future held. She said… Grandma and my little uncle got separated on the road and were never found… Later, she was all alone when she met my dad.”
Hearing this, Mr. Su broke down in tears, repeatedly murmuring, "Aunt... and Cousin Baozhang... are separated... separated... I should have taken them with me... at least..."
The atmosphere at the table became heavy and somber for a moment.
Su Chengye whispered words of comfort to his father, while his aunt's eyes also reddened.
Gu Xiao reached out and placed his hand on Nan Zhiyi's shoulder.
Gu Zhao sensed her mother's sadness and quietly leaned against her, patting her mother's hand with her little hand in a very convincing way.
Gu Xiao said in a deep voice, "Uncle, the past is the past. We should cherish the life we have now. Please take good care of yourself."
Su Chengye also gently persuaded his father, gradually steer the conversation toward their current life.
After finally calming down, Mr. Su put his glasses back on, looked at Nan Zhiyi, then at Gu Xiao and Gu Zhao, and said, "Yes...yes...seeing you all, I finally feel at ease again."
His emotions calmed down a bit, and he patiently asked Nan Zhiyi about her childhood and about the details of his cousin Jing Si's married life.
Nan Zhiyi, understanding the feelings of the elderly, deliberately avoided those heavy past events, only picking out funny stories of her parents' love and harmony, and her own innocent and adorable childhood moments to talk about.
Mr. Su listened intently, sometimes smiling, sometimes sighing.
It wasn't until the staff at the venue began to subtly remind everyone that the welcome party was about to end.
The host walked to the front of the stage and announced: "Fellow overseas Chinese and relatives, welcome to the end of this exchange meeting. Next, we will prepare a light meal for you. Please move to the restaurant next door for your meal, guided by our staff."
In the afternoon, the delegation has a city tour planned. We hope everyone will use the lunch break to continue catching up and sharing family moments.
This arrangement is quite thoughtful.
Mr. Su was startled by the passage of time. He looked at Nan Zhiyi with some reluctance, and then at Gu Xiao.
"This light meal... Zhiyi, Gu Xiao, if it's convenient for you and the child, would you like to have some more? We can eat and chat?"
He was also a little uncertain, and worried about disrupting their plans for the afternoon.
Nan Zhiyi looked at Gu Xiao, who replied, "Uncle, it's convenient for us. It's our honor to have a meal with you, Aunt, and Cousin."
"Good, good!" Mr. Su laughed with satisfaction.
A staff member came over and guided their group to the restaurant next door.
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