Chapter 373 - 370: A New Year

Chapter 373: Chapter 370: A New Year

A lavish New Year’s Eve dinner, a lively, happy family... Grandma Li looked at the scene before her and gently bowed her head to wipe away tears of joy. She had three sons and a daughter, and over a dozen grandchildren. To be honest, she doted on every one of them, but this eldest grandson was always different. Unloved by his father and mother as a child, he had always been a man of few words. It wasn’t until the family property was divided right before his wedding that everyone realized just how much injustice he had suffered.

But what could be done? The ones who wronged him were his own parents. Never mind anyone else—even she, his own grandmother, could only get angry and lash out at his father, her second son. Beyond that, she was powerless.

It wasn’t until after he got married, when she saw him smiling at his wife like a child, that Grandma Li realized he had only been in his early twenties back then. Thankfully, his wife was exceptional. She was admitted to university, and their family of three moved to the Capital City. After that, she saw her eldest grandson much less often. But he was a man of great loyalty and integrity. He continued to support the first and third branches of the family to this day. Thanks to him, they now had three university students among them. He even took the eldest son of the third branch under his wing to personally mentor him, and as for the three younger ones, they were widely known as promising university candidates.

Five of the girls from the first and third branches had married, and every one of them had a good relationship with both her husband and mother-in-law. Everyone knew it was because her eldest grandson had personally vetted each of their husbands and given the couples advice on how to live prosperous lives. Grandma Li understood: her eldest grandson was repaying the first and third branches for the kindness and protection they had shown him back then.

’And it goes without saying how he treats me,’ she thought. ’He’s not completely obedient to my every whim, but he’s close. Thank goodness I didn’t act foolishly a while back. Otherwise, my poor grandson would have been so hurt!’

"Grandma, what’s wrong?" Zhou Lian asked, looking at Grandma Li with some alarm. ’We were having such a happy New Year’s Eve dinner, why did she suddenly start crying?’

Looking up to see everyone at the table staring at her in surprise, Grandma Li smiled. "It’s nothing. These are happy tears. Nuonuo’s father suffered so much in the past, and seeing him like this now makes me so happy!"

"Grandma, I didn’t really suffer. Times were tough for everyone back then, it was the same for all of us," Li Xiu said, looking at his grandmother, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. ’What is she even talking about? In this life, I really don’t feel like I’ve suffered at all.’

’If there was any suffering, it was in my past life. I knew that Zhou Lian had lost all hope in me back then. But even that wasn’t really suffering; it was hopelessness. In this life, with Zhou Lian by my side, I, Li Xiu, could eat the bitterest herbs and find them as sweet as honey.’

Seeing the surprised looks from Professor Xiao and Professor Fan, Grandma Li said softly, "Teacher Xiao, Mr. Fan, you may not know this, but it’s a good thing my eldest grandson has my granddaughter-in-law with him. Otherwise, I truly can’t imagine how he would have gotten by. He was unloved by his parents as a child, and the rest of us... well, there was a limit to how much we could help. He’s a man of great loyalty and integrity, as you’ve seen. All these younger brothers and sisters of his are his cousins, yet look at how he treats them!"

"In the days I’ve been here, I’ve seen it clearly. You truly dote on him as if he were your own child. As his grandmother, I thank you. You have given him a home filled with the parental love he has always dreamed of."

As she spoke, Grandma Li stood up and bowed deeply to Professor Xiao and Professor Fan. Startled, the two professors immediately shot up to help her back to her feet, repeatedly saying, "You mustn’t, you mustn’t!" How could they possibly accept a bow from a woman in her nineties!

Everyone else was stunned as well. No one had expected Grandma Li to do something like that.

After being helped back into her chair, Grandma Li now had Professor Xiao and Professor Fan seated on either side of her. She looked from left to right, smiled, and said, "What do the two of you think of Li Xiu?"

"He’s a good kid, loyal and righteous."

"He’s smart and has a clear perspective on life."

"You see? You both think highly of him. So, how about taking him as your son!"

Staring at the beaming Grandma Li, everyone was dumbfounded. ’What kind of move is this? Can someone just become a son on the spot?!’

Professor Fan, stunned for a moment, quickly recovered and asked softly, "Auntie Li, why bring this up so suddenly?"

"Honestly, you all already get along like a real family. This would just make it official," Grandma Li said earnestly. "My second son, Li Xiu’s father, is dumber than a rock. He’s spent his whole life mistaking a pearl for a fish eye. It was a waste for Li Xiu to be born into his family. If you let him acknowledge you as his adoptive father and mother, he can care for you in your old age and see to your final rites. You’ve given him the parental love he’s always craved—please, think of it as fulfilling his deepest wish!"

’To be honest,’ Grandma Li thought, ’I didn’t like Professor Xiao and Professor Fan at first. They were just my granddaughter-in-law’s teachers, living in our home, and my eldest grandson was so incredibly respectful to them. How could I feel comfortable seeing him treat outsiders like that? But after watching them these past few days, I finally understand. My grandson is seeking the parental love he never received from them. And it’s also clear that Professor Xiao and Professor Fan genuinely dote on him. Otherwise, I would never suggest he take them as his adoptive parents!’

Professor Xiao and Professor Fan exchanged a shocked glance. Professor Xiao looked carefully at Grandma Li and asked, "Auntie, what made you think of this?"

"Teacher Xiao, I watched Li Xiu grow up. He never received any love from his parents, not since he was little," Grandma Li said, sighing and patting Professor Xiao’s hand with a touch of sadness. "Watching these past few days, I’ve seen how he both respects and relies on you. To be honest, in his entire life, I’ve never seen him depend on anyone except his wife. He probably doesn’t even realize it himself, but he subconsciously sees you as his parents—parents who can love him and protect him!"

After hearing this, Professor Xiao looked directly up at Li Xiu and caught the flicker of longing in his eyes before he could hide it. ’No wonder,’ she thought. ’No wonder Li Xiu has become less and less formal with us over the past year. I just thought it was because we’d grown familiar from living together.’

"Jin Chen, what do you think?" Professor Xiao had always been a direct person, and seeing the look in his eyes, she asked him straight out.

Li Xiu glanced helplessly at Zhou Lian. Seeing the trust and encouragement in her eyes, he stood up in a fluster. He pressed his lips together and looked at Grandma Li, Professor Xiao, and Professor Fan seated together, then stammered, "I... I also... No, that’s not... I am..."

Seeing Li Xiu so flustered—a rare sight in two lifetimes—Zhou Lian’s heart ached for him. She turned to Professor Xiao and Mr. Fan and said, "Teacher, Mr. Fan, why are you putting him on the spot? Whether you acknowledge him or not, he’s still going to be the one to care for you in your old age and see to your final rites. If you make it official, you’ll have a filial son, and someone to pay respects to you after you’re gone. If you don’t, who knows what will happen once Nuonuo is grown. But if you are going to take him as your son, then he must be like your own flesh and blood. You have to dote on him, protect him, and spoil him! Otherwise, it’s better not to do it at all. Don’t give him hope only to disappoint him!"