Chapter 195 Family Reunion
Grandma's hands trembled slightly, and her weathered eyes were filled with turbulent emotions.
She felt a secret joy that her granddaughter might find someone to rely on, but she couldn't help worrying that her family's "class background" would be a heavy shackle, dragging her granddaughter down for life. She was also afraid that the seemingly respectable young man in front of her might have an unclear background and cause her granddaughter to be hurt again.
However, beneath that deep worry, a faint glimmer of hope stubbornly flickered in the deepest recesses of my heart.
Perhaps, just perhaps, this really is a glimmer of hope after all the suffering?
She tightened her grip on Xu Zhili's hand, lowered her voice to an even lower whisper, and every word was filled with caution and deep worry.
“Pear, tell Grandma the truth: where is he from? What does he do? What's his family situation like? Most importantly… does he know about our current… situation?”
She spoke the last few words with extraordinary difficulty, as if mentioning them was itself a source of pain.
Xu Zhili felt the slight tremor and coldness from her grandmother's hands, and looked at the complex emotions intertwined in her eyes.
Worry, fear, shame, and that tiny bit of hope that I dared not let go of—my heart was filled with a mix of emotions, bittersweet and warm.
She grasped her grandmother's hand in return, speaking in a clear yet gentle voice, trying to make sure everyone in the shed could hear her.
"Grandma, don't worry. You should know Xie, the production team leader in our village, right? Uncle Xie Jianguo."
"Xie Yunce is his son. He comes from a poor peasant family with impeccable political integrity. He himself is in the army and is currently a company commander. He has been commended for his service."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over her focused grandfather and mother before finally settling on her grandmother's face, her tone even more certain, "He knows everything about our family situation; I've never hidden it from him from the beginning."
“We are in a serious relationship. He made the decision after careful consideration. Grandma, don’t worry. Xie Yunze is a really good person. He is upright, reliable, and cares a lot about me and An’an.”
These words were like a reassuring pill.
Grandma listened attentively, and the tension and worry on her face gradually dissipated at a visible speed, and the deep wrinkles at the corners of her eyes seemed to smooth out a bit.
She let out a long, soft sigh, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally finding a foothold and slowly settling back into place.
She nodded repeatedly, her voice choked with emotion, but it was out of relief: "Oh, good, good, that's good... He's Captain Xie's son, and he's a company commander in the army... Good, we can rest assured now, we can really rest assured..."
She raised her sleeve and quietly wiped the corner of her eye.
At this moment, Xu Nuoyan and Xu's father had already quietly prepared the simple meal that Xu Zhili had brought.
The porcelain bowls were placed on the old wooden board that served as a makeshift dining table, and they made a soft, crisp sound as they clattered together.
Although it was just a simple stir-fried vegetable dish, steamed corn bread, and a small dish of pickled vegetables, perhaps with some cured pork that Xu Zhili had brought before.
But the aroma of hot food instantly filled the simple cowshed, dispelling some of the chill and bringing a long-lost warmth that belonged to "home".
Grandpa was still clutching the bottle of bulk liquor his granddaughter had brought, his face beaming with joy, as if he had received some precious treasure. He stroked the rough bottle over and over again, almost reluctant to put it down.
Grandma saw this and, as was her habit, reached out and gently patted his arm. Her tone was filled with the concern and nagging of decades of mutual support: "You old man, don't you know your own body? What did the doctor tell you? Drink less, or you'll cough and feel unwell again tonight."
Grandpa was interrupted from his appreciation, but he wasn't annoyed. Instead, he happily agreed, like a child: "I know, I know, I'll just have a small cup, just a small cup."
"I'm so happy to see this today. My child brought their partner, it's a joyous occasion."
He smacked his lips, as if he had already tasted the aroma of the wine, then remembered something, sighed, and said with regret, "It's a pity that my little grandson An'an isn't here, otherwise our family would be even more complete."
"yes."
Grandma was also stirred up with longing. She looked at Xu Zhili with hopeful eyes and said, "Why didn't you bring An'an with you? It's been a while since I've seen her. I really miss that child."
Grandma had actually secretly checked on An'an several times. When she first saw her, the child was as thin as a bean sprout, with a sallow face, which was heartbreaking to look at; but when she saw her again recently, she had grown up to be fair and chubby, with round, rosy cheeks, and finally looked like a child again.
Xu Zhili felt a pang of sadness and explained softly, her tone filled with tenderness for her younger brother: "Grandma, An'an being asleep is one thing, but the main problem is this child... In the two years he's been in the Lin family, he's become increasingly withdrawn, doesn't like to talk, is thin-skinned, and has a strong sense of self-esteem."
“I’m afraid that if he sees you, his emotions will fluctuate too much, and he will feel even worse… I want to wait until things are more stable and he can handle it better before I bring him to visit you and my grandfather and my mother more often. By then, he will be more familiar with you and things will be fine.”
These words stirred up a deep sadness in the adults' hearts.
Looking at her daughter's face, which was noticeably more mature than her peers, Xu Nuoyan thought about how she and her brother had depended on each other for so many years. Her voice was filled with deep guilt and sorrow, and her eyes reddened slightly.
“Xiao Li, and An An…you two siblings must have suffered a lot over the years…it’s all my fault…”
Grandma's tears flowed uncontrollably as she wiped them away with her rough sleeves, sobbing as she said, "My poor, dear grandchildren... it's all because of us two old, useless people who have dragged you down... if it weren't for us, you wouldn't have to suffer like this... not having enough to eat or wear, and having to be at the mercy of others... it's all because Grandma is useless and couldn't protect you..."
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, dripping onto her rough, patched clothes and leaving dark stains.
Seeing this, Xu Zhili hurriedly stepped forward to support her grandmother's arm, her voice hoarse: "Grandma, please don't say that, please don't say that."
"Being able to stay by your side makes An'an and me feel at ease, and we don't feel any hardship."
She turned her head to look at her mother, who was silently weeping, and forced a bright smile, trying to dispel the sad atmosphere.
"Mother, look, things are slowly getting better now, aren't they? I've even found someone I can rely on, haven't I? Things will only get better from now on."
Xie Yunze, who had been standing quietly to the side and watching everything, stepped forward, straightened his back like a pine tree, and bowed deeply and solemnly to the three elders.
His voice was steady and powerful, echoing clearly in the cramped cowshed: "Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt, I am Xie Yunze."
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