Chapter 342 The Orphanage's Lies: The Handsome Flower Boy 42
Shen Ci suddenly remembered something: when the original owner wanted to leave home to find the child, it was the family that raised the money.
Her second brother gave her all the money he had saved for his wedding, and her eldest brother and sister-in-law also gave her the money they had prepared for their own children.
They were all good to the original owner.
Even if things have changed now, we should still repay the kindness and favors we received in the past.
Shen Ci spoke calmly, but her family members automatically imagined the difficult scene of her, a weak woman, struggling to survive in a foreign land, and their hearts ached.
Being in an unfamiliar place, uneducated, weak, and a young girl, every step must have been incredibly difficult! How tough it must have been! And she even went abroad!
She endured countless hardships and sufferings along the way, but she never spoke of them and bore them all alone.
As family members and parents, they felt sorry for the path Shen Ci had walked alone.
The tears that Chen's mother had just stopped welled up again as she hugged her daughter and called her her darling.
"My poor Ni..."
Shen's father and two older brothers also turned their backs, secretly wiping their eyes. The youngest and most favored daughter in the family had unexpectedly suffered so much outside.
Who can say for sure about fate?
The family comforted Shen Ci while praising Lu Jinnian repeatedly, saying that he looked handsome and promising.
Shen Ci also asked about the family's situation over the years, and everyone only mentioned the good things.
Life is better than before. There is no problem with having enough to eat, and the children are all obedient and sensible, never mentioning the past hardships or the debts that Shen's mother incurred due to illness.
No matter how difficult their lives are, can they be as hard as Shen Ci struggling to make a living alone?
That's how family is; they always report good news and never bad.
As they spoke, Mother Shen and her two sisters-in-law busied themselves bringing the food to the table; it was an incredibly lavish spread.
During the meal, Shen Ci asked her elder brother, Shen Guodong.
"Brother, could you find a way to borrow a car later? We need to go back to the guesthouse in town tonight."
Moreover, the gifts I bought are still at the guesthouse; the Shen family is very kind.
As soon as he said this, the whole family disagreed.
"No way! We've finally come back, how can we stay outside!"
"There's room at home! I'll stay here!"
Shen's mother was sitting next to Shen Ci, and upon hearing this, she quickly grabbed one of her hands.
"No! You can't go anywhere! You'll stay at home! Your room is always kept for you by Mom, and it's cleaned every day, so it's spotless!"
He then pulled Shen Ci to see it, to prove it to her.
Shen Ci's boudoir was a small south-facing room. It wasn't big, but it was bright and clean. The reed mat on the earthen bed was polished to a shine, and the quilt was folded neatly. Although the fabric was old, it was washed very clean.
There was a small table by the window, on which sat the wooden comb and mirror she used in her youth. They were all spotless, showing that someone cleaned them regularly.
For over a decade, a mother waited day after day, hoping her daughter would return, but all she could do was look at familiar objects and think of her.
Shen Ci was moved. The environment wasn't so bad that it was completely uninhabitable; on the contrary, it was very clean, just a bit simple.
"Then let me ask Xiaonian what he thinks."
Lu Jinnian had no objections. He felt quite comfortable with the atmosphere here; his maternal grandparents, uncle, cousins, and other relatives were all very welcoming to him.
He nodded. "Mom, I'll listen to you. It's fine living here."
Mother Shen was determined not to let her leave, but Shen Ci, seeing that she was still ill, agreed. She quietly spoke a few words to Lu Jinnian and gave him some money.
There was nothing she could do; even if she went back to town, her mother wouldn't allow it and didn't want her to leave.
She asked her second brother, Shen Guoliang, to find a way to borrow a car from the village so that she and Lu Jinnian could go to the town's guesthouse to retrieve their luggage.
The second brother quickly borrowed a hand tractor, which sputtered and chugbed as it took Lu Jinnian to town.
These days, tractors are the most practical means of transportation in the village. They run fast, can carry a lot, and are loud, but the villagers think they are very impressive.
After they left, the eldest brother, Shen Guodong, hesitated for a moment, struggled with the question, and finally asked what was on his mind.
"Little sister, there's something I need to ask you. Why is Xiao Nian's surname Lu?"
Isn't his father's surname Zhou?
Did you later get married again?
He worried that now that his sister was married again, would her new family be able to accept such a grown child? Would his younger sister's life be difficult too?
Shen Ci shook his head and explained.
"Brother, no."
Xiao Nian grew up in an orphanage. The person who saved him and raised him was surnamed Lu.
Without Dean Lu, there would be no Xiaonian.
This kindness cannot be forgotten, so there's no rush to change the surname. As for whether to change it later, that depends on Xiao Nian's own decision.
Upon hearing this, the family members suddenly realized that there were so many things going on in the middle. They said there was plenty of time to explain later.
The tractor was much faster than the bicycle, and Shenjia Village wasn't too far from the town. A few hours later, the tractor came chugging back.
Lu Jinnian and his second uncle, Shen Guoliang, got off the car together, carrying several heavy leather suitcases and net bags.
Amidst the curious and expectant gazes of her family, Shen Ci opened her suitcase and net bag and began distributing gifts, introducing them as she took them.
The first things brought out were two pieces of dark blue pure wool fabric, and two thermos flasks.
"Dad, Mom, this is for you. It's getting cold, so make some thick clothes for us and buy a water bottle so we can drink water at night."
The clothes felt smooth and thick, and the thermos was brand new. The two elderly people had mixed feelings, both gratified and saddened.
The little girl has grown up to the age where she can buy things for them and show them filial piety; they are getting old.
"Big brother, second brother, this is for you. It's a Shanghai brand all-steel watch. You can use it to tell the time, and it'll look presentable when you wear it out."
The thermos was already considered very good by everyone, as it was practical and not cheap, but the two watches left them speechless.
The price of a watch is worlds apart from that of a thermos! Back then, if someone wore a watch on their wrist, it was a sign of status!
"Eldest sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, this is for you."
Shen Ci took out two pieces of brightly colored Dacron fabric and several boxes of face cream, and distributed them to everyone regardless of whether they accepted them or not.
"Make a new dress to wear, apply some oil in winter, and your face won't get chapped."
The two sisters-in-law were overjoyed. The fabric was smooth and felt very comfortable to the touch. They smelled the fragrance of the face cream and their faces lit up with smiles. These were rare items, and they had never bought them in all the years they had been married.
"And these are for the children: pens and pencil cases. Take them and study hard."
Shen Ci took out the eight kinds of pastries, candied fruit, and candy from Beijing and distributed them to her nephews and nieces. She also took out a few new fountain pens and pencil cases.
For anything that wasn't prepared, she asked Lu Jinnian to see if he could get some more in town, and add more as needed.
Everyone was happy to receive a gift, especially since the gifts were things they wouldn't normally buy for years.
After receiving permission from the adults, the children accepted the gifts and opened the candies.
Sweet, so sweet! Auntie is back! Everyone in the family is happy. Only when the adults are happy can the children feel free to be happy.
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