After finishing his sentence, Fang Hongda stood up, sighed, and said to Han Xuehua:
"Xiaohua, I don't need to know what happened back then, but you're suffering too much now! Come to Rongcheng! I may not have other abilities, but I can definitely take care of you and your son!"
Fang Hongda was indeed a man of great loyalty and righteousness. If Han Xuehua really went to Rongcheng, the Han family might misinterpret his actions, causing resentment at best, and potentially leading to new conflicts between the two families. However, Fang Hongda didn't consider these possibilities.
Han Xuehua lowered her head and said softly:
"Third brother, I appreciate your kindness. I'm doing quite well now, and my son has grown up and is successful. We can take care of ourselves."
Fang Hongda's silence didn't mean Han Xuehua was unaware. Having grown up in a large family herself, she was naturally well aware of the delicate relationships involved. She was a discarded daughter of her family; she couldn't let her third brother suffer any more. Furthermore, Han Xuehua had secretly decided to instruct Chen Yang to reduce his contact with the Fang family, lest he negatively impact them.
"Third Brother, I still have pigs to feed, and you're very busy with work, so I won't keep you any longer." Han Xuehua stood up, walked over, and laboriously hoisted the basket of pig feed onto her shoulder, trudging towards the pigpen.
Fang Hongda glanced at the dilapidated courtyard, sighed inwardly, shook his head slightly, and stood up to walk towards the door. Before leaving, Fang Hongda paused and looked back, saying:
"Xiaohua, a week ago, Han Wenhai was transferred from Beijing to Nanpu County to serve as the deputy secretary of the county party committee. He has already taken office."
Han Xuehua paused, but quickly nodded slightly, then continued carrying the basket towards the pigpen, never looking back. Fang Hongda shook his head slightly and left Han Xuehua's courtyard. As soon as they stepped outside, Guan Weiping and his bodyguards immediately came to greet them. Without asking any questions, they escorted Fang Hongda towards the car.
Han Xuehua gazed at the fat pigs feasting in the sty, her mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.
They finally found me… but why did my elder brother send Wenhai to Nanpu to take up his post?
Han Xuehua was completely baffled. Her brow furrowed, lost in deep thought. The pigs had already finished their feed, but Han Xuehua remained oblivious. The fat pig grunted a few times in dissatisfaction, and Han Xuehua was suddenly jolted awake, quickly adding a few more handfuls of feed.
At that moment, a sudden flash of inspiration struck Han Xuehua, and a series of thoughts suddenly clicked. A hint of excitement flickered across her face as she murmured to herself,
"So my elder brother has always cared about me... But why now to send Wenhai down? Could it be because of Dad's health..."
Han Xuehua had already guessed seven or eight tenths of her elder brother Han Lingfei's intentions in making this arrangement. A sudden surge of inexplicable sadness welled up in her heart. Having been away from home for over twenty years, her longing for her parents had only grown stronger. Han Xuehua dreamed every day of being by her parents' side, accompanying her grandfather and grandmother in their twilight years. But Han Xuehua knew her grandfather's temperament best; she might never see him again in this lifetime.
The Han family's frequent actions now suggested only one possibility: her grandfather's health was failing, and he needed to make some arrangements in advance. Since retiring from his official post, her grandfather had rarely appeared in the public eye. Han Xuehua followed the news daily, and in the past, she could occasionally catch a glimpse of her grandfather on television, but recently, he hadn't appeared at all…
Overwhelmed with grief, Han Xuehua hastily fed the pigs and then returned to the house alone.
The single-story house had a main room in the middle, with a small room on each side. The main room was sparsely furnished: a worn-out square table, a few wooden chairs, and the New Year's pictures on the walls were curled and yellowed, clearly many years old. Against the wall was an altar, its red paint chipped away, leaving mottled marks. Above the altar hung a black-and-white portrait of a young man with a faint smile, as if looking at Han Xuehua. The person in the portrait bore a striking resemblance to Chen Yang.
Han Xuehua took three incense sticks from under the altar, lit them, and carefully placed them in the incense burner. Then, she took out a clean white silk handkerchief from her pocket and gently wiped the already spotless portrait, murmuring:
"Brother Zhiyuan, the third brother from the Fang family in Beijing came to see me today. He said Yangyang's performance was outstanding; he even won a gold medal in the calligraphy and painting competition and was accepted as a disciple by Master Baiyan. With such an excellent son, you can rest in peace in the afterlife!"
Han Xuehua paused, then continued:
"Also, it seems our Han family already knows I'm in Nanpu. Wenhai has been transferred here to be the deputy secretary of the county party committee… When I left home, Wenhai was only three years old, calling me 'Auntie, Auntie' every day! In the blink of an eye, he's already the deputy secretary of the county party committee. How can we not grow old?"
At this point, a sorrowful expression appeared on Han Xuehua's face, and she said in a low voice:
"Brother Zhiyuan," "My father's health might not hold up anymore. He's eighty-nine this year. Don't you think I'm being unfilial? He said something hurtful, and I ran away from home. I haven't gone back to see him for twenty-five years… But Zhiyuan, I don't regret running away with you at all, really! We came to this unfamiliar place, Nanpu, together, struggling and fighting for a living, and then we had Yangyang…"
Han Xuehua's eyes welled up with tears as she spoke, but a happy smile appeared on her face. She continued,
"Although you cruelly left us, mother and son, so early, I'm still grateful to you. Being with you, I learned what true happiness is! Maybe this happiness was short-lived, but it's enough for me to cherish for a lifetime… Zhiyuan, I miss my parents and family so much now, but I can never go back to Beijing…"
Han Xuehua began to sob softly.
…
Chen Yang left the hotel and hailed a three-wheeled motorcycle taxi at the entrance. This is also one of the characteristics of Nanpu; the county town is very small, and besides the three bus routes, the most convenient mode of transportation is this kind of three-wheeled motorcycle. Chen Yang's family lives in the suburbs, and the bus routes don't reach them, so this is the only option to get home.
The three-wheeled motorcycle skillfully weaves through the heavy traffic, making Chen Yang worry. The driver seems used to this kind of traffic situation, appearing to be in peril but maintaining a calm expression. Chen Yang watches the pedestrians coming and going on the street outside, and also feels a strong curiosity about the mother he is about to meet in this life.
In the memories left to him by his predecessor, his father had died early, so his impression of him was very faint, while his mother's impressions of his predecessor were mostly of her working hard. However, Chen Yang still discovered some unique aspects of his mother in his predecessor's memories. For example, no matter how dirty or tiring the work was, her mother always made sure she was impeccably groomed when she came home, her hair meticulously combed, even if it was late and she didn't need to go out. Also, Chen Yang remembered that Han Xuehua often secretly wept while alone, looking at a small black box—something her ex-boyfriend had seen by chance.
Chen Yang was filled with anticipation. The three-wheeled motorcycle gradually drove out of the city, the road becoming increasingly bumpy. The closer they got to home, the more excited Chen Yang became.
He could already see his low, bungalow in the distance. Chen Yang vaguely saw a car parked nearby, and several people getting into it.
"Who are these people?" Chen Yang wondered to himself.
His area was relatively remote, mostly inhabited by vegetable farmers. Further in from Chen Yang's house, there were only two other households, both of whom had mostly gone out to work. Why would a car be coming at this hour? Chen Yang was puzzled.
As he pondered, the car approached the three-wheeled motorcycle taxi. Chen Yang saw it was a black, ordinary Santana with a Rongcheng license plate. Its exterior was unremarkable, and the dark tinted windows obscured the view of who was inside.
The two vehicles passed each other, kicking up a cloud of dust. The motorcycle taxi driver, while covering his mouth and nose with one hand, muttered a few curses. Chen Yang smiled at this, not giving it much thought.
Soon they arrived at the house. Chen Yang paid the fare and got off, calling out loudly at the door:
"Mom! I'm home!"
Remembering Han Xuehua's kindness to her ex-boyfriend, Chen Yang felt a surge of warmth in his heart. After all, in this life, she was his mother.
Han Xuehua was wiping her portrait when she heard Chen Yang's call. She quickly put the portrait back, wiped away her tears, and rushed out of the house. Although surprised by Chen Yang's sudden return, the joy of seeing her son after six months was overwhelming.
"Yangyang!" Han Xuehua saw Chen Yang standing at the door, grinning. Remembering the stories Fang Hongda had told her about Chen Yang, she felt a surge of joy, and tears suddenly streamed down her face.
Chen Yang quickly went over and put his arm around Han Xuehua's shoulder, saying,
"Mom! Why are you crying? Aren't you happy I'm back?"
Han Xuehua quickly wiped away her tears, her eyes still glistening, and said with a smile,
"Happy! Happy! Mom is just so happy... Yangyang, have you eaten? Mom will cook you some bird's nest!"
She then turned to go back inside to get Chen Yang something to eat, but Chen Yang, both amused and exasperated, stopped her, saying,
"Mom... don't you know what time it is? Of course I've eaten! Don't bother!"
Han Xuehua smiled sheepishly and said,
"Look, Mom's so happy I'm almost confused! Yangyang, you must be tired! Come inside and rest for a while!"
Looking at Han Xuehua's happy expression, Chen Yang felt a surge of emotion. He secretly envied his ex. In his past life, although Chen Yang came from a wealthy family, there were many rules and regulations within the large family. Chen Yang had received a strict upbringing, and the expression of affection between relatives was never so open.
"Actually, being an ordinary person is quite nice!" Chen Yang suddenly thought.
After sitting down in the main room, Han Xuehua busied herself pouring Chen Yang a glass of water, looking her son up and down, and said:
"Yangyang, you've lost a lot of weight. Are you not eating well at school? Are you short of money?"
Han Xuehua really wanted to ask Chen Yang about what had happened recently, but she couldn't bring herself to ask. She didn't want Chen Yang to know about the Han family's affairs, and naturally, she couldn't let him know about Fang Hongda's visit.
"No! I'm doing very well in Rongcheng, and I've even made quite a bit of money!" Chen Yang took a sip of water and said, "Mom, I came back this time to pick you up and bring you to live with us in Rongcheng!"