Chapter 24: Everything Has Passed

Su Jinyan, feeling heavy-hearted, brought Zhao Yuan and the two children to her maternal grandparents’ home.

The elderly couple was a bit stunned upon seeing two adults and two children, but they were genuinely happy to see Su Jinyan.

Granny Xin hurriedly got off the bed, shuffled in her cotton slippers, and took Su Jinyan’s hand, asking, “Baoer, why did you come back? When did you return?” Then she glanced at the man holding the child and the little one on the floor, and with curiosity, she asked, “Baoer, are you married? When did this happen?”

Su Jinyan smiled and said, squeezing Granny Xin’s hand happily, “Granny, I got into Peking University, so I came back.”

“I’ve been married for four years; this is my husband, Zhao Yuan. He got into the Capital Medical University, and we are both here for school.”

“The eldest, Zhao Qi, is three years old, and the little one is eight months old.”

Granny Xin and Grandpa Xin were clearly taken aback; they hadn’t expected their granddaughter to be married and have children of this age.

Grandpa Xin frowned in confusion, “When did you get married? Why didn’t I know?”

Su Jinyan smiled shyly, “I’m sorry, Grandpa. I’ve been married for four years; I was worried about making my parents and you both anxious, so I didn’t tell anyone.”

“What nonsense!”

Grandpa Xin scolded, startling the two children. Zhao Qi clutched onto Zhao Yuan’s pants and hid behind him, while Zhao Hua nestled in his neck, afraid to make a sound. Zhao Yuan felt a tremor in his heart but remained calm and stood beside Su Jinyan.

Su Jinyan forced a smile to placate the situation; Grandpa Xin and Granny Xin were sizing up Zhao Yuan.

Zhao Yuan nodded towards Grandpa Xin, “Grandpa.” He then looked at Granny Xin and said, “Granny.”

He was tall and handsome, but his demeanor was aloof; could he really treat their granddaughter well?

However, seeing that their granddaughter was still fair and tender, her skin not rough, her cheeks rosy and without signs of sun or wind damage, and that she seemed cheerful and had mellowed in personality, they began to feel reassured.

This man should treat their granddaughter well.

Otherwise, how could a rural educated youth maintain such good care?

“All right, come and sit on the bed.”

Su Jinyan nodded with a smile and lifted Zhao Qi onto the bed, pulling her up. She then took off her shoes and sat down, while Zhao Yuan sat beside her at the edge of the bed.

Granny Xin poured two cups of water for them and repeatedly expressed her regret that they didn’t have food prepared for the two.

After years of not seeing them, both looked considerably older than in her memories.

“Granny, come sit on the bed quickly; we’re not eating, just chatting for a while.”

After chatting a bit, Grandpa Xin and Zhao Yuan discussed various topics, and Grandpa Xin felt relatively satisfied with his granddaughter’s husband.

Su Jinyan glanced at the time, saying, “Yuan Yi, I want to chat with Grandma and Grandpa for a bit. Can you keep an eye at the door? If someone comes uninvited, just let me know.”

Zhao Yuan nodded with pursed lips, said hello to Grandma and Grandpa Xin, and placed Zhao Hua on the bed before exiting the room.

Once Zhao Yuan left, the elderly couple sighed, “What kind of life is this leading to?”

The revolution had just ended, but there were still a few people wearing armbands who didn’t recognize the situation and were bouncing around happily, making it necessary to stay vigilant. Moreover, with the earlier actions of Xin Huimin, Su Jinyan’s heart remained uneasy.

Something that could change Xin Huimin’s expression must not be minor.

She picked up the bundle she had brought and took out three pork and scallion buns and two boiled eggs, saying, “Granny, Grandpa, quickly eat these.”

These were decided upon just before entering, and seeing the frail bodies of the elderly made her feel heartbroken.

Granny Xin and Grandpa Xin were from well-matched families; Grandpa Xin was raised in a wealthy merchant family, and Granny Xin was from a scholarly lineage with relatives in the government. She was truly a young lady of considerable standing.

Now, living like this was a significant psychological blow.

However, the two were wise enough to know how to take it lightly; they had worn patched clothes for years and eaten the coarsest meals. Thanks to the connection with Xin Huimin, they could at least stay safely in the capital.

Looking at the plump buns, Grandpa Xin furrowed his brows, “Yan’er, you don’t need to—”

“Grandpa, you and Granny should eat quickly. I didn’t bring much.”

The two elders paused, not exchanging pleasantries any longer. They took the food and began to eat. Granny Xin even broke a bun for Zhao Qi, but when Zhao Qi didn’t eat, she started eating herself.

“You two don’t worry; everything has passed, and it won’t return. Those jumping around in the streets these days are just like grasshoppers after autumn; they won’t last long. Also, I’ve received news that it won’t be too long, maybe half a year, maybe a year, before some of your properties will be returned.”

As she spoke, she took out thirty yuan and provided twenty jin of grain tickets and three jin of meat tickets to Granny Xin, “Granny, hide these. If it’s inconvenient to store at home, you two can sneak out to the restaurant to eat. You can’t neglect your health!”

Hearing this, the elderly couple was nearly choked with excitement. Granny Xin hurriedly swallowed her bun, anxiously asking, “Yan Yan, really? Is the news accurate?”

Su Jinyan nodded, “Yes, the news is accurate, so you must take care of your health. We will definitely reunite with Uncle in the future.”

In the original book, there was little mention of the original character’s family, and it didn’t say when her uncles would return. However, it later mentioned that Su Chengguo started a business and received a significant investment from her two uncles, allowing him to become a business mogul in a short time.

After hearing this, Granny Xin couldn’t hold back the tears anymore.

All these years, the longing for her son could only be expressed through secret midnight tears, never daring to mention even a word in front of others. The pain of swallowing the hurt was unbearable, and Granny Xin finally couldn’t hold it back any longer and began to cry softly.

Within two minutes, she quickly composed herself, wiping her tears and fearing any signs of weakness would be noticed.

Sighing, Granny Xin tucked away the money, slightly shifting to place it in the pocket sewn into her underwear, then continued eating the buns.

Indeed, there was no money at home.

Her niece was right; they must take care of themselves.

Watching them eat hurriedly, Su Jinyan got up to pour some hot water into their white porcelain jar and mixed in some cool water from another tank.
Only a pound of little cakes and a pound of brown sugar were left in her bag, which Su Jinyan placed on the bed.

“Just keep this for yourselves. When I came by, several neighbors nearby saw me with things, so don’t be afraid.”

Grandpa Xin paused, then nodded, understanding the reasoning behind her words.

“Granny, I will come back to see you three days later around ten in the evening and bring you some food and drink. Now I have to go.”

“My mother is really worried about you two these days, but you know her identity. Coming here is really troublesome for her.”

As for the earlier incident, she hadn’t mentioned it to them. There was no point; it would only create unnecessary trouble for the two elders.

Now, Xin Huimin was an important research personnel and a key talent protected by the state. Wherever she went, she was accompanied by formidable security personnel.

After half an hour, Su Jinyan rushed out of the Xin household with the children and took the bus back home with Zhao Yuan.

She had no idea what Xin Huimin meant by not wanting to take even a minute more; all she could do was comply.

After getting off the bus, Su Jinyan went to the newsstand to call Su Chengguo, but unexpectedly, Su Chengguo wasn’t there. A man answered the phone, and for some reason, Su Jinyan’s heart skipped a beat.

She asked the man to relay to Su Chengguo that Xin Huimin wouldn’t be coming home tonight, nor would she, and then hung up.
It was almost noon by the time she got home, and neither she nor Zhao Yuan had mentioned today’s events to Zhao Father and Zhao Mother.

Sun took over caring for Zhao Hua, preparing formula for her, while Su Jinyan took on the task of cooking.

Over the past few days, Sun had hardly eaten any of the meat that Xin Huimin had bought.

Having saved for most of her life, this was the first time she had seen so much meat and just wanted to savor every bite slowly.

Su Jinyan made braised pork, beef slices with cabbage and vermicelli, and served rice with steamed egg custard for the children.

After dinner, Zhao Yuan said he wanted to go out for a stroll, so he rode his bicycle. Su Jinyan entrusted the children to Sun and also went out.

Although she had the memories of the original character, the city of Beijing in this era still felt quite fresh to her.