Chapter 51: Reunion

Zhang Zhilin’s hand paused for a moment; it seemed like he had heard his mother’s voice.

Before Zhang Zhilin could react, Xiao Bao had already looked up and said, “Big brother, your mother is back.”

Zhang Zhilin quickly looked in that direction and, abandoning his toys, ran over, exclaiming, “Mother.”

Gu Jing reached out and lifted Zhang Zhilin into her arms, looking at her son’s chubby face, feeling very grateful to Wang Jinhe for taking care of him so well.

“I only see Mother; I haven’t seen Father and Grandparents?” Zhang Qin intentionally wore a disappointed expression.

Only then did Zhang Zhilin notice that his grandparents had also arrived.

“Grandfather, Grandmother.”

Mr. Gu looked at the once small child who had now grown fleshier and felt extremely pleased.

“Come, let Grandfather hold you. Grandfather hasn’t seen his little great-grandson in two years,” Mr. Gu said, holding Zhang Zhilin with emotion in his voice.

Zhang Zhilin hugged then whispered something to Grandfather Gu, while Xiao Bao had already gone to the back of the house to find Wang Jinhe.

“Mother, Big Brother’s mother is back.”

“Let’s go and have a look,” Wang Jinhe said as he carried Xiao Bao outside. Seeing the smiles on Gu Jing and the others’ faces, Xiao Zhi no longer needed to envy Xiao Bao.

Gu Jing looked at Wang Jinhe earnestly and said, “Jinhe, thank you so much.”

“Sister Jing, why are you being so polite with me? It’s just a small favor.”

But Gu Jing shook her head gently. They knew very well how their son was when they left, and how he is now.

She could see that her son was fine now, not only fine but also much happier, and they knew it was thanks to them.

“Jinhe, for your great kindness, I won’t say thank you. If you ever need my help in the future, just tell me. I’ll do my best to assist you,” Gu Jing said earnestly as she looked at Wang Jinhe.

“Sister Jing, you’re being too modest. It’s really not necessary,” Wang Jinhe replied.

Mr. Gu looked at Wang Jinhe, his eyes filled with curiosity. It seemed like he had seen this child somewhere before, but he couldn’t quite remember. However, the child in her arms… why did he resemble that young man from the Su family so much?

“Jinhe, I’ve brought back the seeds you asked me to get for you. I brought back quite a few pounds of them,” Gu Jing said, instructing Zhang Qin to bring down the items.

Wang Jinhe felt a sense of joy. To her, these seeds weren’t too many, but rather a bit less than she expected.

“Some of these seeds were purchased from people outside the area, and I’m not sure what they are. I thought I’d buy them and show them to you. Maybe you’ll recognize them.”

“Thank you, Sister Jing.”

Wang Jinhe put Xiao Bao down and began to examine the seeds one by one.

“Strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, dragon fruit…” Wang Jinhe became increasingly delighted as she continued to identify the seeds. Eventually, her eyes couldn’t hide the joy anymore.

There were over a dozen different types of seeds, including fruits and vegetables. These were all valuable items that could fetch a good price once grown.

Gu Jing watched Wang Jinhe’s excitement as she held the seeds and felt happy as well.

“Jinhe, we’ll take Xiao Zhi back home for now. We’ll come and visit another day. After all these days on the road, everyone must be tired, and it’s impolite to visit someone else’s home in this condition.”

“How about having a meal first and then going back?” Wang Jinhe suggested.

“Next time then.”

“Alright.”

Xiao Zhi frowned, looking somewhat unhappy. “Except for the little dinosaur and candies, everything else should be left here. I want to come and stay here in the future.” He liked staying with Xiao Bao and didn’t want to go home.

“Okay,” Gu Jing replied, feeling a bit choked up.

She had a feeling that her son would frequently visit Jinhe’s house in the future.

Gu Jing had always thought “candies” referred to the sweet treats you eat. When Zhang Zhilin brought a small, half-grown puppy into the car, Gu Jing was taken aback. “Zhi, is this the candy?”

“Yes, Auntie gave it to me.”

“Auntie? Didn’t you used to call her Aunt Jinhe?” Gu Jing asked, puzzled.

Zhang Zhilin tilted his head, looking at himself thoughtfully. “Because Xiao Bao’s dad came back, Auntie asked me to call him Uncle, so I changed it.”

Xiao Bao’s father?

Zhang Qin and Gu Jing exchanged a surprised look. ” Xiao Bao’s father is back? How come we didn’t see him just now?”

“He returned to the capital city yesterday; it seemed like he had some business to attend to. He said he’d come over after he’s done with it,” Zhang Zhilin explained.

Zhang Qin, curious about Xiao Bao’s father, asked, “Zhao Zhi, do you know what Xiao Bao’s dad’s name is?”

“He’s called Su Yu,” Zhang Zhilin replied.

Mr. Gu looked surprised as he glanced at Xiao Bao. “It really is that young lad. Old Su will be thrilled.”

“Su Yu? That’s incredible,” Gu Jing exclaimed in shock.

“You both just need to be aware of this. Since Su Yu didn’t take anyone back with him yet, it means he hasn’t decided to bring anyone home for now. Act like you don’t know, and don’t create any trouble for him,” Mr. Gu advised his daughter and son-in-law.

The couple exchanged a glance and nodded.

“Dad, we understand.”

After Zhang Zhilin left, Xiao Bao sat alone on the steps, feeling a bit down. “Dad left, and Big Brother went home.”

Seeing their young master unhappy, the four little dogs quickly ran over and surrounded him, sitting down to keep him company.

When Wang Jinhe heard Xiao Bao’s words and turned to see one person and four dogs all sitting in the same posture, all looking up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, it was quite a comical sight.

“Xiao Zhi will come back in a few days to keep Xiao Bao company. Besides, his grandparents are here too, and he needs to spend time with them,” Wang Jinhe explained.

“Alright.”

Su Yu and Zhang Zhilin’s departure had left Xiao Bao feeling low for a few days. But after some time, his mood improved.

“Jinhe, today when we save the watermelon seeds, let’s save a bit more. I’ll give some seeds to our uncles so they can plant them next year and make some money. Yesterday, we harvested over a thousand catties, about six or seven taels of silver. Even though it’s selling to our son-in-law, it’s still the fruit of our labor.”

“Sure, that’s not a problem. Next year, I can plant some other fruits and save seeds for them when they’re ready. Although there might not be many strawberry seeds.”

“Strawberries? Those are quite valuable. Growing them can fetch even more money, right?” Wang Dagui said in surprise.

Wang Jinhe nodded with a smile. “Exactly, the seeds Sister Jing brought back for me this time are all rare fruits. We can definitely make good money from them.”

“That sounds great,” Wang Dagui replied happily.

Even though their son-in-law had money, he had never thought of relying on him for their livelihood. Their son still had to go to school, and they believed in finding ways to earn money on their own.

However…

Wang Dagui suddenly furrowed his brow, as if something was bothering him.

Seeing his father like this, Wang Jinhe asked, “Dad, what’s wrong? Is there something on your mind?”

“Jinhe, have you ever thought about the people in the village?” Wang Dagui asked, looking at Wang Jinhe.

Wang Jinhe was first puzzled, then she furrowed her brow. “Why would I think about them? I can bring people from our family and those who have good relations with us to plant fruits and make money together. But why should I bring those who once insulted our family?”