Author's Note: Although I didn't write about the two meeting, this news is enough for Chu Zha Zha to process for a while. What you want to see is in the next chapter. See you tomorrow night at 8 PM!
I've been updating non-stop lately and haven't had time to memorize the questions, which has led to me being criticized by many teachers several times. But the series is almost over, and I know it would be unethical to stop updating or update every other day at this point. Rather than torturing you all, I'd rather let the teachers torture me. I might as well wait until the series is finished and let those teachers give me a good beating.
Thank you, Talay! These two girls, whose hearts are soaring in the clouds and throwing landmines, have been completely overwhelmed by this sudden happiness!
Chapter 61 I am
The alley was quiet in the evening. Occasionally, you could faintly hear the sounds of people cooking dinner inside the walls. Shu Yi'an carried her suitcase, making a very clear creaking sound on the stone pavement. Everything around her was the same as when she left, even the damp, cold smell in the air overlapped with her childhood memories.
When Qingshan saw Shu Yi'an, his somewhat weathered face first showed deep surprise, then immediately broke into a smile. He quickly opened the courtyard gate wider and took Shu Yi'an's suitcase.
"You silly girl... why didn't you say you were coming back? I was just talking to Old Master Shu about when you were going to call back, and here you are."
Looking at her familiar courtyard, the ancient alley with its blue bricks and white tiles truly gave Shu Yi'an a feeling of coming home. She smiled at Qingshan and slowly stepped inside. "Is my return too sudden? Is Grandpa resting?"
Qingshan took a few steps back before noticing Shu Yi'an's protruding belly, his joy barely concealed. "She just had some tea and is resting in the study. If she knew about this wonderful news, she'd be overjoyed. Did you come back alone? Wasn't your husband with you?"
Upon hearing the words "son-in-law," Shu Yi'an paused instinctively. Remembering that her family was still unaware of what had happened, she could only conceal her emotions and walk into the courtyard. Her tone was deliberately light, "Uncle Qingshan, why am I alone?" She smiled and pointed to her stomach, her voice carrying a touch of girlish coquettishness. "Shouldn't I be considered as two people?"
Qingshan laughed heartily, picked up his suitcase and walked towards the side room of the courtyard. "You must be tired after walking for so long. I'll have the kitchen make you a pot of soup and send it in later. You go and see Old Master Shu first."
Shu Xuehong was reclining on a chair by the window, listening to opera softly, while the stove in the middle of the study burned brightly. The eighty-something-year-old woman, having passed another year, was still quite energetic, rhythmically tapping the armrest with one hand, deeply engrossed in the performance. When Shu Yi'an quietly pushed open the door, the old woman was unaware.
"Qingshan, refill my teacup with hot water."
Shu Yi'an smiled secretly, picked up the small copper kettle sitting on the stove, and added some more hot water to the old man's teacup. The windows inside the room were covered in frost due to the temperature difference. Shu Xuehong sighed, slowly took a sip of water from her teacup, and then looked up.
The old man was stunned when he looked up.
Shu Yi'an, wearing a pale yellow coat, was standing in front of his desk, smiling gently.
"Grandpa, I'm back."
Shu Xuehong thought she was hallucinating, so she quickly put down her teacup, took off her reading glasses, and rubbed her eyes. "This is...this is my granddaughter back?"
It had been over a year since they last saw each other, and the old woman missed her terribly. She had fallen seriously ill before the New Year and had specifically instructed the housekeeper not to let the news reach Beijing, fearing it would affect her. Now, her beloved granddaughter was standing right in front of her, and Shu Xuehong was truly taken aback.
"Why did you come back at this time? Qingshan didn't tell me you were coming back for the New Year this year. And your..." Shu Xuehong looked at Shu Yi'an's bulging belly, utterly astonished. "When did you get pregnant? Did Chu Mu come with you?"
Shu Yi'an frowned, half-pouting and half-angry, leaning against the old man's large wooden chair. "With so many questions, which one am I supposed to answer? Isn't it better for me to come back and see you by myself?"
The old man was so happy that he kept saying "good" three or four times, and then he hurriedly leaned on his cane to arrange a place for her to stay inside and outside the house. Because such a happy occasion was rare in the Shu family's courtyard, the housekeeper and servants who had been taking care of the old man were extremely attentive. From the side room to the bedding, everything was of the finest quality.
The house was where she had lived since she was a teenager. Opening the window revealed willow trees and a pond in the yard. For good luck, the bedding had been specially replaced with bright red Suzhou embroidered magpies. Shu Yi'an moved back in, and looking at the furnishings, she felt incredibly heartbroken. This grandfather who had doted on her since childhood… even though she was about to become a mother herself, he still protected her as he had always.
Shu Xuehong sat upright in the study for a while before realizing something was wrong. She hurriedly went to Shu Yi'an's room with a serious expression.
“The Chu family called me last autumn, saying they wanted to know how I was doing. I answered the phone and made sure you listened carefully. They were stammering and said I was busy. Yi’an, you have to tell me the truth. Did you suffer some injustice over there that made you come back?”
Shu Yi'an stopped holding the soup bowl abruptly and lowered her eyes.
"No, I just missed you and came back to spend the New Year with you. Why would you think that?"
Seeing Shu Yi'an's reaction, the old man became even more certain of his guess. He angrily slammed his cane on the ground, "You've never been able to lie! Do you think the Chu family would let you come back alone with such a big belly in the dead of winter? Did you have a fight with Chu Mu? Tell me, your grandfather will back you up!"
The most bittersweet moment is probably when you're all alone, and your family gives you a place to stay and tells you, "Don't be afraid, we're here for you."
Although Shu Xuehong was old, those words were enough to warm Shu Yi'an's heart for a very long time. Like a child, she sniffed and pulled the blanket up a little higher.
"Grandpa, Chu Mu and I... have divorced."
Shu Xuehong's expression changed, but she didn't say anything, only slowly asking, "When did you get divorced? Is this child his?"
“It’s his. He didn’t know I had a child when we divorced. I left Beijing… more than half a year ago.”
Shu Xuehong sighed, "No wonder she called me back then, she probably wanted to ask if you were back. How could you, a young woman, be so brave as to take the child home alone? Luckily you came back, otherwise, how could I explain it to your parents..."
"Grandpa..." Shu Yi'an lowered her head and called out in great sorrow.
"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. So, in the end, was it that kid from the Chu family who wronged you?"
"No!" Shu Yi'an shook her head in panic, "No, we broke up because we couldn't get along, it has nothing to do with anything else."
As night was approaching, Shu Xuehong waved her hand and walked out with faltering steps. Before leaving, she patted her little granddaughter's head with great affection.
"Just stay here and have a peaceful New Year. Don't think too much about anything else. It's over now. Even if the Chu family doesn't want you, they should still consider whether you're good enough for my granddaughter, Shu Xuehong. If you don't want to go back, your grandfather's wealth is enough for you and your mother to live on until you're old. But I, this old man, must get a clear explanation from them."
The Shu family had so carefully protected their precious child, whom they had raised with such care. How could they let him return home so pitifully alone? What promises did that Chu family brat make to himself? Loyalty in word and deed in deed? It seems he's completely forgotten them!
From Suzhou to Yangzhou, a distance of over 200 kilometers, the express train takes four hours and fifteen minutes. It was on such a night that Chu Mu crossed from one year to another—his most chaotic and longest New Year's Eve ever. A shrewd and capable diplomat spent a New Year searching for his wife.
In the smoking compartment of the train carriage, he leaned against the slightly swaying carriage, closing his eyes wearily, carefully recalling every detail of Shu Yi'an's departure. But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't find a single detail about Shu Yi'an being pregnant. As dawn approached, he stubbed out his cigarette, his brows furrowed, thinking that perhaps she had truly hardened her heart to leave back then, not even giving him a single chance to know that he was becoming a father.
Before she knew it, it was Lunar New Year's Eve. Shu Yi'an felt like she had slept for a very long time, a long and peaceful sleep. The weather also responded very well to the old saying that a timely snowfall would bring a good harvest. When she woke up in the morning, there was already a thin layer of snow outside the window.
Taking a deep breath, he changed into a very festive red sweater and heavy wool boots. Early in the morning, he and the housekeeper waited outside Shu Xuehong's door to wish the old man a Happy New Year and ask for red envelopes. Shu Xuehong smiled and took out several heavy red envelopes, first giving them to the people in the family who had been taking care of him, and finally giving them to Shu Yi'an.
Shu Yi'an chuckled and shook her fists twice. "Grandpa, Happy New Year and may you prosper!"
Shu Xuehong took the last red envelope out and stuffed it into her granddaughter's hand, tapping her forehead. "This isn't for you, it's for my great-grandson." The red envelope contained all of the old man's savings over the years, a kind of guarantee from the old man to the mother and son.
After paying New Year's visits, it's time to clean the house and hang lanterns. Shu Yi'an followed a few people to watch the festivities at the door. The round red lanterns were very festive. Because the courtyard was on an uphill slope, one of the lanterns wasn't hanging properly and rolled down the slope. Shu Yi'an volunteered to pick it up, ignoring the warnings from the people behind her.
"It's alright, a lantern can't travel very far."
The red lantern seemed to have grown legs and rolled further and further away. Shu Yi'an, supporting her back, followed closely behind, her face flushed. Finally, luckily, someone stepped forward and stopped its rolling. She finally caught up with it, panting heavily. Shu Yi'an let out a breath, straightened up, and smiled slightly, wanting to thank the person who helped her.
As she looked up, her lips, which had been curved in a smile, froze instantly.