Chapter 44: How About Recognizing Him as Our Godson?

Yang Qingyan caught a glimpse of Li Ming, who was standing not far away, looking frantic. Her heart sank. After returning to the ward, she went straight to Mu Nanhe, detailing everything that had happened that day.

Upon hearing the news, Mu Nanhe’s expression immediately darkened, veins standing out on his forehead. He clenched his fists tightly and pounded them on the edge of the bed, gritting his teeth and exclaiming, “This bastard!”

After a brief pause, he looked at Yang Qingyan, a mix of concern and guilt in his eyes. His tone softened as he said, “Wife, don’t go out until my leg is healed. If you really need to buy something, I will go with you—I will never let you fall into danger again.”

Seeing how much Mu Nanhe cared for her made Yang Qingyan feel deeply touched. She nodded slightly and replied softly, “Alright, I promise you.”

Meanwhile, Xia’s father and Xia’s mother returned home, still feeling puzzled. Xia’s father sat on the sofa, frowning, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest as he pondered aloud, “Do you think Nanhe could really be our child?”

Xia’s mother, seated nearby with an unfinished sweater in hand, paused her work at his comment. She looked up, her expression reflecting concern and contemplation, and replied, “I feel unsettled too. I need to go check in An County to be at ease.”

Sighing, Xia’s father nodded in agreement. “Yes, but I can’t leave anytime soon; there are ongoing matters in the military district that require my attention. I can’t trust this to anyone else. Once things calm down, I’ll go personally.”

Xia’s mother nodded lightly, setting her knitting aside. “No matter whether Nanhe is our child or not, given that Qingyan saved Tianyou, we should take good care of him. Besides, I genuinely like that boy.”

A smile of appreciation spread across Xia’s father’s face as he leaned back against the sofa, relaxing a bit. He continued, “Once he’s better, we can ask if he’d be willing to come to Beijing. I should be able to arrange his transfer. I heard from his unit leader that they plan to promote him to team leader when he returns. That boy has potential.”

Xia’s mother suddenly suggested, “Why don’t we recognize him as our godson? Even if he’s not our biological child, a godson is still good.”

Xia’s father’s eyes brightened at this idea. He straightened up excitedly. “I was just thinking the same thing! Nanhe is a good kid, and he really connects with our Tianyou. It would be great for him to be our godson; we can look out for each other in the future.”

He contemplated for a moment before adding, “However, we need to ask Nanhe and Qingyan what they think about this. We should respect their wishes.”

Xia’s mother continuously nodded. “Of course! We’ll find a suitable opportunity to discuss it with them.”

She stood up and walked to the window, gazing out at the night sky. In a soft voice, she said, “I’ve been busy these past couple of days. I’ll make some soup and bring it over in a few days. I hope he gets better soon.”

A couple of days later, Xia’s mother prepared a nourishing black fish soup and happily brought it to the hospital. As soon as she entered the ward, she greeted everyone warmly, placing the soup on a nearby table. Grabbing Yang Qingyan’s hand, she said, “Child, this black fish soup is very nourishing and will greatly benefit Nanhe’s recovery. You should all drink it while it’s hot.”

She chatted joyfully with everyone in the ward, talking about everything from trivial family matters to updates about Mu Nanhe. Laughter and cheerful sounds frequently filled the room.

Outside the ward, however, a simple-looking and haggard woman stood there with a look of anxiety and confusion in her eyes. She was Mu Nanhe’s mother. Ever since Mu Nanhe was injured, the five yuan she used to send monthly had also stopped. Full of worry, she and her husband discussed finding their son in the military, but the military informed them that he was injured and in a hospital in Beijing. She hurriedly traveled to the city.

After some inquiry, she finally located this ward. However, before she could see Mu Nanhe, she spied Xia’s mother. In that moment, it felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her, and she gasped in shock, her eyes wide. Memories from years ago flooded her mind: wasn’t this the woman who shared a ward with her back when she bled profusely? At that time, she had just given birth but was told her baby was stillborn—a girl. The woman beside her had fainted from blood loss, and in a twist of fate, they had ended up switching their sons.

Now, the secrets of the past surged within her like a roaring tide. Watching the warm and harmonious scene in the ward, her hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

After Xia’s mother left, she finally stepped out of the shadows and pushed open the ward door. Once inside, she started to cry, “Nanhe, how are you? Why didn’t you tell us you were injured?”

Upon seeing her, Mu Nanhe’s expression instantly turned cold. He furrowed his brow, filled with disgust, and coldly replied, “What do you want?”

Mu’s mother said, “I’m your mother; can’t I come to see you?”

Mu Nanhe snorted coldly and retorted, “Is that so? Well, now that you’ve seen, please leave.”

Hearing this, Mu’s mother’s eyes turned red with anger as she pointed at him and cursed, “You ungrateful brat! After all I’ve done to raise you, this is how you repay me?”

With his eyes blazing, Mu Nanhe shouted, “You think you raised me? I did everything myself! I barely ate; if it weren’t for my uncle giving me food from time to time, I would have been dead long ago!”

Seeing Mu Nanhe’s attitude, Mu’s mother panicked and turned to Yang Qingyan, saying, “Qingyan, since you’re here in the military now, why don’t you persuade Nanhe?”

Yang Qingyan’s gaze turned icy, and she replied harshly, “Am I just supposed to starve to death if I weren’t in the military? Just say what you want—what brings you here?”

Seeing their attitude, Mu’s mother steeled her resolve and gritted her teeth, saying, “You haven’t sent money back in months. How are we supposed to get by? You’re not even supporting us in our old age. I’ll ask your commanding officer if you should be treated this way.”

Mu Nanhe’s face flushed with anger as the veins on his forehead bulged. He shouted, “So you came here for money? Don’t I have a younger brother? Supporting the family isn’t my sole responsibility, is it?”

Mu’s mother wouldn’t back down and raised her voice, “Your brother is your brother, but you are you! Your share of support shouldn’t be reduced. It should be at least twenty yuan, like before!”

Taking a deep breath to steady his emotions, Mu Nanhe said coldly, “Five yuan a month is all you’ll get. Once I’m better, I’ll send some money back. If you keep causing trouble, then I won’t send a cent!”

Hearing this, Mu’s mother became exasperated and shouted, “I’ll go to the military to ask about this! Is this how a soldier treats their parents? Let’s see if the military cares!”

Mu Nanhe replied defiantly, “Go ahead and do that.”