Chapter 557

Chapter 557

Finally, Someone Has Come

Regarding the events of that year, the Lu family didn't know the details, especially since no one wanted to get involved in trouble during that era.

"We really don’t know much, but my boy had some contact with them when he was young. He'd go up the mountain to hunt for food and helped them a few times," Zhang Xiaofeng added, thinking of something.

"They lived at the foot of the mountain, far from us, so we didn't pay them much mind. We only heard that Nan Nan was with them. Because of the special circumstances, their every move was being watched. Even when they were starving, they couldn't take anything from the mountains. It was Nan Nan, who was young at the time and being bullied by the Lin family in the village, that the villagers turned a blind eye to it and allowed her to search for food in the mountains. That’s how she had the chance to help them…" Grandma Lu sighed as she recalled those days and added a few words.

Lin Nannan, who had been painting all along, paused her brush upon hearing Grandma Lu’s words. Her heart stirred, but she remained silent.

So back then, no one stopped Lin Nannan from searching for food in the mountains not because no one noticed, but because the villagers didn’t interfere…

"The shameful deeds of the Lin family back then were something the whole village couldn’t stand. The old village head at the time was kind-hearted and gave them a talking-to. Plus, the people living at the foot of the mountain were pitiable—they had nothing, not even enough to eat their fill. It was only through Nan Nan’s help that they managed to hold on until later…"

Grandma Lu’s words made the Mu family feel deeply saddened, leaving them at a loss for words for a moment…

Given the situation back then, they could barely fend for themselves, completely constrained by circumstances. By the time they had the ability to search for someone, all traces had vanished.

They initially thought he was within their known whereabouts, but upon investigation, they realized he never reached the originally arranged place. By the time they inquired further, all clues had disappeared.

Back then, no one knew exactly what went wrong. It could have been sabotage, or it might have just been a mistake. In any case, over the years, they had been searching relentlessly, only to end up with no leads.

Time and again, they hoped only to be disappointed, nearly given up hope. Yet, unexpectedly, someone brought news, and it seemed they could finally confirm it. Only after confirmation could they move the grave and allow the elder to return to his ancestral home, back to the hometown he had yearned for over a decade…

"As for the specifics, you'd have to ask the old village head. He helped a lot back then," Grandma Lu reminded them.

Mu Lin nodded and said, "Thank you, we’ll go and ask."

As they were talking, not only did the village head come, but he also brought the old village head with him.

The old village head had graying hair and looked thin, but he was in good spirits. When he saw Mu Lin, he seemed momentarily dazed before murmuring, "Finally, someone's come!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Nannan spoke up, "I’ve finished the painting!"

Everyone, forgetting about the old village head's remark, crowded around Lin Nannan. When the three Mu siblings saw the portrait Lin Nannan had painted, all three were stunned.

"This is my father," Mu Fang couldn’t hold back anymore, her eyes reddening as she looked at the painting. "It’s my father, no doubt about it. Though he looks so much more worn and aged, his eyes haven’t changed, nor has the shape of his face. It’s my father—I wouldn’t mistake him… Sob… Dad, we’ve finally found you!"

As her sobbing cries rang out, the rest of the Mu family could no longer hold back their emotions.

Anyone else might misidentify him, but not his own children.

Though they had been separated for a long time, their parents' faces were etched in their bones—of course, they remembered.