Chapter 87

Chapter 87

He Yan hesitated about whether to go see his birth mother.

Jin Xiuzhu decisively said, "Go and see her. If your mother is not doing well, we can give her some money."

He Yan responded unhappily, "Why give her money? She wasn't nice to me."

Nevertheless, he obediently headed towards the Fifth Production Team. After taking a few steps, Fu Yanyan heard him whisper, "I only have one mother."

Fu Yanyan looked up at him.

He Yan had already caught up with Jin Xiuzhu, who was walking ahead, smiling and discussing how he wanted to sell things to make money.

Jin Xiuzhu asked him what he planned to sell.

"Selling clothes like Yang Yingxiong. Mom, I'm really good at selling things. Yang Yingxiong says business has improved several times with me around. Once I earn money, I'll buy you clothes..."

Liu Liu overheard and immediately chimed in, "I want some too, I want a pair of white shoes."

"You want white shoes? You'll get them dirty in a day."

"No, you're the one who gets things dirty."

"Not just that, you don't even wash them. You're such a messy girl."

"Mom, Brother is bullying me..."

It took twenty minutes to walk from here to the Fifth Production Team. What seemed far when he was a child now felt much closer. He Yan followed the directions given by Grandpa Liu, who said his birth mother had remarried into the Jia family in the Fifth Production Team. His mother had been involved with this man since she was young, but her family disapproved due to his poverty and married her off to He Weiguo. After He Weiguo's death, she returned to him, coinciding with the death of his wife during childbirth a few years ago.

The man in the Jia family wasn't any better. It was said that he had spent all the money his mother brought with her and resented her for only having a daughter. They often argued, and he would sometimes turn violent. Her family knew but did nothing, blaming her for giving money to outsiders.

When Grandpa Liu mentioned this, he sighed and told He Yan, "Your mother has had a hard life."

He Yan vaguely remembered the rumors in the production team about his mother being involved with another man. People used to call her a vixen behind her back. When he was very young, he had fought with others over it, but many details were forgotten.

What he could never forget was the sight of a man accompanying his mother when she left. His grandmother held him back, calling him a bastard.

As a child, He Yan didn't understand, but now he realized that perhaps his grandmother believed he wasn't his father's biological son.

Following Grandpa Liu's instructions, they arrived at the Fifth Production Team and found the house with two jujube trees at its entrance. After circling around, they finally located it on the eastern side of the production team.

This household had two rooms built with bricks, clearly better off than most others in the production team. They also had a courtyard, though only half-walled, allowing a clear view inside.

It was noon, and everyone was home after finishing their farm work. A woman and an elderly lady were squatting by the well, washing dishes and chatting. Seeing them, both looked up curiously.

He Yan stiffened but still met the woman's gaze, trying to recognize something familiar.

However, he couldn't find anything familiar after looking for a while.

The elderly lady couldn't help but ask, "Who are you looking for?"

He Yan remained silent, so Jin Xiuzhu smiled and asked, "Is this Liu Guogen's house?"

The elderly lady frowned, "Liu Guogen? Our family doesn't have that name. You must be at the wrong place."

Jin Xiuzhu didn't understand and turned to look at her son.

He Yan stepped forward confidently and said, "Are we at the wrong place? That can't be right; my uncle lives here."

"Which production team is your uncle from?"

"Probably the Third Production Team."

"Then you're mistaken; this is the Fifth Production Team."

"Oh, then we must be at the wrong place."

He Yan sighed and fanned himself, "It's so hot. Auntie, could we have a drink of water? We haven't had any water all morning."

The elderly lady saw He Yan smiling brightly at her and noticed their clean clothes without patches. She hesitated for a moment before calling out, "Elder daughter-in-law, bring out a bowl of clean tea—"

She called out once but received no response. The elderly lady called again, more irritably, "Where are you? Bring out a bowl of clean tea."

"Coming."

A thin woman emerged from the house carrying a bowl of tea, followed by a little girl, about six or seven years old, with messy hair and wearing only shorts.

As the woman approached, they noticed her aged face, full of wrinkles, and her mostly gray hair.

Despite this, He Yan recognized her instantly.

He silently took the bowl and offered it to Jin Xiuzhu, who drank a couple of sips without hesitation. He then passed it to his sisters.

The elderly lady scolded, "Did I ask for just one bowl? Why are you so stingy? Can't you even spare another bowl of water?"

The woman lowered her head without saying a word.

He Yan watched, pursed his lips, and finished the remaining tea in the bowl. Jin Xiuzhu smiled at the elderly lady and said, "We've had enough, thank you."

The elderly lady, upon seeing Jin Xiuzhu, beamed and warmly said, "Have another bowl, water is free."

"No, thank you."

He Yan looked at the woman, who seemed to sense something and glanced up, meeting his eyes. There was an inexplicable familiarity between them.

She furrowed her brow, feeling an urge to look closer.

But the young man had already looked away. She paused, thinking she might be imagining things. These four people clearly looked like city dwellers visiting relatives. How could they possibly know her?

He Yan handed the empty bowl to the woman and then turned to Jin Xiuzhu, saying, "Mom, let's go."

Jin Xiuzhu glanced at him and said, "Okay," before turning to the woman and adding, "Thank you, sister-in-law."

The woman hurriedly shook her head.

Jin Xiuzhu then thanked the elderly lady and another woman nearby, "Thank you, Auntie and sister-in-law. You're so kind. May your families prosper."

"Sure, sure, all good."

Jin Xiuzhu smiled and left with the children.

Once they were far enough away, Jin Xiuzhu asked He Yan, "Just like that?"

He Yan nodded and sighed deeply, "Yes, it's better this way. No disturbances. When I start working, I'll come back to see her."

Right now, he lacked the ability to do anything. Acknowledging her would only cause trouble for his parents. The elderly lady clearly wasn't kind-hearted; if she knew their identities, who knows what excuses she might use to scheme against them.

That woman's difficult life was due to her own choices, and no one else could be blamed. He Yan didn't feel guilty about this.

He came here just to put an end to his thoughts. Now that he had seen her, it was enough.

From the day she abandoned him, they had no real connection anymore.

He had two fathers but only one mother, and that mother was Jin Xiuzhu, no one else.

Jin Xiuzhu didn't ask any more questions.

The woman returned the bowl to the kitchen. Once there, the little girl whispered to her mother, "That brother looked a lot like you."

Hearing this, the woman couldn't help but laugh, "How could I look like him?"

The boy was tall and handsome, well-dressed, while she was just a rural woman. How could they look alike? Besides, she heard the boy call the woman next to him "Mom." That woman looked so young; if she hadn't heard it herself, she wouldn't have believed she had three children, looking barely in her early twenties.

Indeed, city life suited people well.

But the little girl insisted, "He does look a lot like you. His nose, eyebrows, eyes, and especially his smile."

The woman was about to say that they couldn't possibly look alike, as he wasn't her son. But then she remembered something, and her expression froze. She realized something shocking.

She... did have another son.

He should be around the same age.

No wonder she felt familiar when she first saw him. Although he had changed a lot, some of his childhood features remained. He resembled his father, He Weiguo, more than her.

The woman covered her mouth, her eyes gradually reddening.

She never thought she'd see that child again. She had secretly inquired and learned that he wasn't doing well at his former in-laws' place, but later heard he was adopted by He Weiguo's comrade. She assumed she'd never see him again, but unexpectedly, she did, albeit briefly.

Without even exchanging a word.

To say she didn't regret it would be impossible. If she hadn't left and abandoned that child, everything might have been different.

She recalled how naturally the boy called the other woman "Mom." They must have a good relationship.

Thinking this, tears streamed down her face. She tightly covered her mouth, afraid of making any sound.

On their way back, they luckily caught a donkey cart to the county town, then switched to a bus to the city. After spending a night there, they finally returned home.

Even He Yan, full of energy, was exhausted, not to mention Jin Xiuzhu and Fu Yanyan. Liu Liu was particularly listless upon returning home.

After washing up and having a simple dinner, they went straight to bed.

In the following days, the family stayed indoors. Yanyan and Liu Liu still played with their friends, but He Yan rarely went out, taking care of all household chores and meals.

He said he wouldn't be able to visit often once he started university, so he wanted to spend more time with his mom now.

This touched Jin Xiuzhu deeply.

Fu Yanyan reminded him, "You can also come back every Saturday and leave on Sunday."

He Yan replied, "If possible, I will."

Fu Yanyan nodded. To be honest, growing up together under one roof, knowing He Yan was leaving, she felt a bit reluctant.

Even though she used to find him annoying.

He Yan went to school two days early. On the night before he left, he specifically talked to Fu Yanyan, "I'm leaving. You two need to behave at home. Don't upset Mom. It's hard for her alone. Help her whenever you can—cleaning, cooking, these are things you can do."

Liu Liu looked at her brother, pouting, "Big Brother, I'll miss you."

He Yan felt a pang in his heart. Though he often found her annoying, he truly cared for her, "Don't worry, Big Brother will visit whenever I can."

"Okay."

Liu Liu sniffled.

He Yan then told Fu Yanyan, "I know you're smart, but remember, I'm your big brother. Listen to me. Study hard, don't let others do your homework. Don't be careless with your studies. Your college entrance exam is coming soon. Aim for a better university than mine. Don't apply to universities in the south. I chose this area because of our parents, wanting to be close to them. You should aim for the capital, where Dad will likely return. Being closer to our parents is always right."

"Your grades are very good, but compared to people nationwide, that's not certain. Study hard and put in some effort to get into Capital University."

"I won't be home, so you're the one in charge. No more fooling around with Liu Liu, understand?"

Fu Yanyan looked at him and obediently nodded.

He Yan reached out and gently ruffled her hair, "My little sister is so good."

Fu Yanyan gave him an annoyed glance, "I just washed my hair, don't make it oily."

He Yan laughed and then added, "After coming back from our hometown, I realized that we should cherish everything we have now. Yanyan, I envy you for being able to stay at home for a few more years. I really wish I could stay by Mom and Dad's side forever."

"The two of you should cherish your current life. Although Mom and Dad look young, they're actually getting old. You two need to be good."

Looking at the emotional He Yan, Fu Yanyan found herself speechless. She had always known that despite his outward appearance of being outgoing and playful, He Yan was actually the most sentimental.

It was like this in the previous life, and it's the same this time.