Chapter 588: Extra—Li Yulan

Chapter 588: Side Story—Li Yulan

1995, Fuqing Street.

After work, Su Ping brought some soft pastries and went to his uncle’s place to visit his grandmother.

He carefully broke the cake into small pieces, placed them on a plate, and set it before Li Yulan, rambling on nonstop.

"Grandma, this is called cake. It’s a real treat. Try some, see if you like it. If you do, eat more. I’ll bring you more next time."

Li Yulan sat quietly, watching Su Ping with the same tender gaze as always.

"Grandma, An An moved so far away after getting married. She went away for so long to continue her studies, then worked for years, and now she hardly ever comes back. Why did Xiao Zuo have to move so far?

If only they lived on Fuqing Street, how nice that would be. I’m mad at Xiao Zuo now. He took An An so far away. We can’t be there for her anymore. What if he bullies her like Zhao Daxing did?"

"Grandma, Boss Cheng gave me another raise. I’m now the head chef at the main branch, making more than 160 a month. Did you use the money I gave you? If you want anything to eat, just tell Auntie, and she’ll buy it for you."

At this point, Su Ping paused, his voice growing quiet. "Oh, I forgot. You haven’t spoken in almost six years."

"Grandma, I miss hearing your voice. I want to talk with you. An An got married and went to live with her husband’s family. Mom and Auntie say Shan Shan’s next to get married. Will she also go to someone else’s home like An An, and we won’t see her for a long time?"

"Grandma, if Shan Shan gets married too, will I be all alone? Grandma, I don’t want Shan Shan to get married. Mom says marriage is a good thing, but I don’t want her to get married. Does that make me a bad person?"

"Grandma, I wish I was smarter. Sometimes I think about things and feel sad, but I don’t know what to do. I’m too scared to tell Shan Shan either. I’m afraid she’ll dislike me. Grandma, what should I do?"

"Grandma, if only you could talk again..."

After speaking, Su Ping fell into deep thought. He didn’t expect Li Yulan to answer—it had been so many years since he’d last heard her voice that even the memory of it had grown faint.

A long, long time passed, so long that Su Ping nearly forgot what he had asked.

"Grandma... will talk... with you..."

The voice was right by his ear, yet it sounded distant, like it came from far away.

Su Ping froze, stunned, for a long moment, unable to react. Eventually, he turned to look at his grandmother. Li Yulan remained as before, gazing at him quietly, her cloudy eyes holding a tiny reflection—himself.

"Grandma, was that you just now? Say something else, please? Can you talk again?"

Su Ping stared at her in disbelief.

But no matter how he begged, Li Yulan did not speak again. She simply watched him in silence, her eyes filled with love.

Su Ping didn’t know how much strength it had taken for his grandmother to utter those words. He told his mother, his uncle, and his aunt, but they doubted him, chalking it up to wishful thinking.

Li Yulan had been like this for years—how could she suddenly speak again?

Ever since her accident, Li Yulan would sit on a small chair by the door, quietly watching the entrance of Fuqing Street—the direction from which her children returned home, where her grandchildren came back from school, and where Su Ping went to and from work.

Then one day, she turned to look southeast.

Su Ping followed her line of sight and asked, "Grandma, do you want to go back to Ninety-Three?"

Li Yulan turned back to look at him, her eyes filled with reluctance.

Her energy waned day by day, and her appetite dwindled. She wanted to return to Ninety-Three—her husband was waiting there.

Wang Yongzheng lined the truck with thick cushions and even placed a Simmons mattress inside. The siblings gently took Li Yulan back to Ninety-Three.

Returning to the familiar village of Jiushisan (Village 93), Li Yulan's spirits perked up a little. With old friends and fellow villagers coming to visit and the comforting sound of local dialects, she was very happy.

Seeing their mother in better spirits, Wang Yongzheng and his three siblings were also delighted. They stayed with Li Yulan for half a month before gradually leaving again—Wang Yongzheng had business to attend to and promised goods to deliver, Su Ping had work, Liu Xiaomei needed to tend to her shop, and Zhang Shuangshuang had several children to look after.

Wang Xiaocui and Wang Yongshun remained in Jiushisan. Though Wang Yongshun didn’t contribute much in the shop, and Wang Xiaocui’s restaurant didn’t require her constant supervision, she had Ren Shan stop by daily when she could. Wang Xiaofen also frequently returned to keep their mother company.

Another month passed, and Li Yulan’s condition began to deteriorate. She could barely eat anything and spent most of her time asleep.

She signaled to Wang Xiaofen to call everyone back.

Wang Xiaofen burst into tears on the spot and immediately began notifying those who were away, making funeral arrangements.

Family members returned one after another—even Su An, very pregnant, came, standing at the back of the crowd with Zuo Zuying by her side.

Li Yulan weakly opened her dim eyes and slowly scanned the children and grandchildren gathered by her bedside, as if imprinting them in her heart. How wonderful—they’d all come.

In her lifetime, she had been born into privilege. Though she lived through years of hardship, she was fortunate to marry Wang Kaifu, a retired soldier.

Wang Kaifu, over a decade her senior, treated her well. She never endured mistreatment from her in-laws or a single harsh word or hand from her husband. She raised two sons and two daughters, all of whom grew up filial.

Her children were all doing well—even her eldest son, who’d once worried her the most, was now thriving. Xuanying and her husband lived in harmony, Jianyong had graduated and been assigned a job, and Wang Yongzheng’s eldest son, Wang Jianbing, though not academically inclined, had already begun traveling with his father, street-smart beyond his years. The two younger ones were obedient and sensible.

An An was married, and the way Zuo Zuying watched over her showed she was well cared for. By Jiushisan’s customs, pregnant women avoided deathbeds for superstition’s sake, but she had come anyway. Li Yulan dared not let her gaze linger too long on Su An, afraid she might approach—it wouldn’t be good for her or the baby.

Xiao Fen was also doing well, practically wore the pants in the family now. The only one who still worried her was Su Ping.

In her life, she had only one regret: that she hadn’t watched over her Pingping closely during that banquet years ago, letting Chen Jiahua pour him two cups of strong baijiu. If she hadn’t been distracted by gossip, if she had kept a better eye on him—would her Pingping be a father by now?

Her Pingping was so clever. He always said Grandma was his favorite, offered her the first bite of everything. When visiting others, if someone gave him a few peanuts, he’d save two for his grandma. Such a sweet boy. If only she had watched over him back then...

Li Yulan slowly reached out to Su Ping, who was already weeping uncontrollably. "Grandma—"

With great effort, she fumbled under the bed and pulled out a small, worn passbook, clutching his hands around it. It contained all the money he had given her over the years—she hadn’t spent a single cent, instead having Wang Yongzheng deposit it for her and even adding what her other children had given.

She had always treated her children fairly, but she had a soft spot for Su Ping. Long ago, she had told everyone—everything she had would go to Pingping. She didn’t fear their resentment over her favoritism. She was biased.

Li Yulan’s lips parted, but no words came. With difficulty, she turned her gaze to Ren Shan beside her.

Ren Shan stepped forward and took her other hand. She knew what Li Yulan wanted to say—how could Li Yulan, who doted on Su Ping so deeply, not have noticed her feelings?

"Grandma, I’ll watch over Brother Su Ping. For a lifetime."

Looking at the girl’s resolute expression, Li Yulan felt a weight lift from her heart. A faint smile of relief touched her lips as her thoughts slipped away into darkness.