Chapter 32

At this moment, on the mountainside of Xu Family Village, Xu Huai’an was anxiously waiting with his two children.

“Dad, do you think Grandma will like us?” Bei Bei snuggled into her Dad’s arms, her little face filled with nervousness.

Ever since they found out that their Mom had gone to pick up their Grandma, the siblings had become anxious, fearful, and worried that their Grandma might see them as a burden and not like them.

Though Da Bao didn’t ask, the expression on his face betrayed his concern.

Xu Huai’an didn’t know how to comfort his two children because he was just as nervous as they were.

He could only pat the children’s heads and say: “She will definitely like you.”

“Dad, I want to wear the new sweater that Mom bought.” Bei Bei suddenly stood up and said.

Xu Huai’an saw through Bei Bei’s thoughts.

“Bei Bei, whether Grandma will like you or not has nothing to do with whether you’re wearing new clothes or old ones. If she likes you, even if you’re wearing old clothes, she’ll still like you.”

Though the world often respects people based on their appearance first, that didn’t apply here.

Gu Qinghuan’s mother wouldn’t like them just because they were dressed nicely. Some things couldn’t be changed by a piece of clothing.

Bei Bei helplessly leaned back into her Dad’s arms, really afraid of losing her Mom and the life they had now.

Xu Huai’an sighed and said: “If you think wearing the new sweater will give you courage, then go ahead and change into it.”

He just wanted to tell the children that seeking attention through flattery and lowering oneself to gain favor would not last.

What was most important was to focus on being true to oneself.

Da Bao understood his Dad’s meaning and comforted his little sister seriously.

“Bei Bei, as long as we are obedient, try our best to do what we can, and not cause trouble for Mom, Grandma will eventually like us.”

Bei Bei struggled for a while, but in the end, she gave up on changing into the new clothes and focused on smoothing out the wrinkles in her old clothes.

——

Gu Qinghuan, with Zhong Zijun, quietly entered the village and finally returned home safely without any mishaps.

Hearing the knock on the door, the two children quickly rushed out. “Mom.”

The door opened, and in addition to their Mom, there was another person—this must be their Grandma.

Da Bao and Bei Bei huddled by the door and quietly called: “Grandma.”

Using the flashlight’s light, Zhong Zijun looked at the two small figures by the door. They were thin and small.

The nervousness on their faces was clearly visible.

With her well-mannered upbringing, she naturally walked over.

“Ah, hello, you two. Come in, it’s cold outside.”

Gu Qinghuan breathed a sigh of relief. No matter how angry Zhong Zijun was, she wouldn’t make things difficult for the two children.

The two children saw that their Grandma was kind and spoke gently, and they immediately relaxed.

“Grandma, come in and sit down. Dad is waiting for you.” The two little ones led Zhong Zijun to the east room.

Zhong Zijun was eager to see her new son-in-law and, not caring about avoiding any awkwardness, followed the children.

Gu Qinghuan took Zhong Zijun’s luggage and went to the west room to put it away.

Meanwhile, Zhong Zijun followed the two children to the east room, where she would meet Xu Huai’an for the first time.

Before coming, she had imagined countless scenarios.

She had thought he might be a rough man, with a face full of beard.

Maybe he would be foolish, lying in bed drooling.

Or perhaps he would be delicate and vicious, quick to yell barbarically.

…

But what she didn’t expect was that he would be a young man with a handsome face like jade, eyes as bright as stars, fresh and refined in appearance, although terribly thin, with a slightly sickly look.

He calmly and gracefully half-sat on the kang. When he saw her enter, he immediately spoke: “Mom, you’ve had a long journey. If you don’t mind, please sit on the kang.”  

It was quite normal in northern households to invite guests to sit on the kang when they arrived.  

Zhong Zijun relaxed a little inside; this was much better than the situation she had imagined.  

Then, she was startled. Wasn’t it said that he was usually bedridden and unable to move? Had he developed some sort of neurological condition?  

But he didn’t seem to have any issues, and his speech was so normal.  

It just so happened that Xu Huai’an had become a little clearer-headed at that moment.  

Zhong Zijun’s anger, which had been building up in her heart, suddenly dissipated. She greeted him politely.  

“You must be Huai’an. I’m Huan Huan’s mother. I’ll be bothering you for a while.”  

After saying that, she casually sat on the edge of the kang.  

Xu Huai’an had originally prepared himself for harsh scolding and accusations, but he never expected that their conversation would be so calm. The fists he had tightly clenched under the blankets finally relaxed; he wasn’t as calm as he appeared.  

The two children obediently nestled beside him, giving him quite a bit of strength.  

“Mom, you’re too polite. We’re family now.”  

Zhong Zijun’s probing gaze didn’t escape Xu Huai’an. He took the initiative to lift the blanket, revealing his lower body that was tightly bound, offering an explanation tinged with a bit of awkwardness and helplessness.  

“Mom, I think you’re asking about my condition? When I’m not clear-headed, they tie me up to prevent me from moving. Right now, I’m a bit more aware, so they’ve loosened it so I can move around a little.”  

“Don’t worry, in the past few days, I’ve been feeling much more stable emotionally. I won’t hurt anyone.”  

Nothing could be more shocking than seeing it with her own eyes. Zhong Zijun saw the bound legs beneath the blanket, and in that instant, her feelings weren’t fear or disgust, but a deep sense of sadness and heaviness in her heart.  

This child was quite polite and handsome, making it hard to dislike him.

He had once been a soldier, and a first-class merit was not something just anyone could achieve. Now, seeing him like this, he must be the most tormented, right?

No wonder her daughter had been so adamant in speaking well of him. Even she herself couldn’t bear to be harsh after seeing him in person.

“Child, it must be painful to have your legs tied up like this and unable to move, right?” Zhong Zijun gently held his little leg and realized that beneath the pant leg, it was nothing but skin and bone, with hardly a trace of flesh.

She had only heard from Huan Huan that his parents hadn’t treated him well, that he had been so thin it was like his skin was wrapped around his bones, but she hadn’t expected him to be so skeletal.

Even the hardest days in the cattle shed hadn’t reduced them to such a state. One could only imagine the kind of hell he must have endured.

As a mother, how could she bear to see this scene? Zhong Zijun turned her back, quietly wiping away the tears from the corner of her eyes.

At this moment, she wasn’t so opposed to the idea of the two of them living together.

Xu Huai’an hadn’t expected Zhong Zijun to be so distressed about his legs. He was momentarily at a loss for words, feeling a mix of bitterness inside. He quickly nudged the two children.

Da Bao and Bei Bei understood and climbed over to comfort Zhong Zijun. “Grandma, don’t cry.”

Xu Huai’an also reassured her: “Mom, I’m not in pain.”

But how could he not be in pain?

They were all pitiful in their own ways. Zhong Zijun didn’t want to say anything more difficult, so she began asking about the children’s everyday lives.

Da Bao and Bei Bei sat in her lap, taking turns to talk about their past, making Zhong Zijun’s heart ache again as she repeatedly wiped away her tears.

Before long, Da Bao and Bei Bei had her laughing joyfully.

When Gu Qinghuan came over, she saw this warm and happy scene and for a moment wondered if she had gone about things the wrong way.

Hadn’t her mother come over earlier, full of anger? 

How had they become so close in such a short time?

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