Cannon Fodder Group Ch.303

Chapter 303 – Lanlan Will Never Leave Again

At this moment, Bai Xiuhe also confirmed that the young woman before her was indeed Lanlan.

“Hey.” Bai Xiuhe responded heavily, snapping back to reality.

As she replied, her eyes reddened.

“Lanlan, have you eaten? If not, let’s go eat. I’ve already prepared the meal.”

“Yes, Lanlan, come home and eat.”

With that, Zhang Linglan was led home by her mother to eat.

As for her suitcase, her sister-in-law carried it for her.

Even though it was late, news traveled fast in the village.

While Zhang Linglan was eating, the news that the abd*cted Lanlan had returned had already spread throughout the entire Dahe Production Brigade.

Meanwhile, despite having eaten together, Zhang Yuanshan still felt a bit dazed, looking at his long-lost sister.

His little sister had really, truly returned.

“Snap out of it!” Bai Xiuhe, noticing her husband staring blankly at his sister, patted his shoulder.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy that your sister is back?”

Zhang Yuanshan quickly responded, “Happy, of course I’m happy.”

It just felt somewhat unreal.

Zhang Yuanshan’s feelings were understandable.

When people experience significant changes, they often feel a sense of unreality.

That was how Zhang Yuanshan felt at the moment.

But he was certain that the young woman before him was his sister, Lanlan.

He was genuinely happy for her return.

However…

“Sister, how have you been all these years?”

Seeing the good quality clothes she was wearing, it seemed she had been living well. But what about the truth, especially during the initial period after she was abd*cted?

“Yes, Lanlan, how have you been all these years?” Grandma Zhang, still immersed in the joy of her youngest daughter’s return, had almost forgotten to ask until her son brought it up.

“I…” Zhang Linglan opened her mouth, unsure of how to begin.

Finally, Zhang Linglan chose to recount her experiences over the years.

Zhang Yuanshan and the others were astonished to learn that Zhang Linglan had been taken all the way to Hong Kong, such a distant place.

When they heard her say that she was now a big star, the lead actress in movies, they were overjoyed.

Even though they didn’t fully understand what being a big star meant, they knew that being a lead actress in movies was a prestigious career.

However, when Zhang Linglan recounted her initial experiences after being taken to Hong Kong, Zhang Yuanshan and Bai Xiuhe nearly shed tears.

Those early days had been incredibly tough for Zhang Linglan, as she had narrowly escaped being sold into a br*thel.

“My poor Lanlan.” Grandma Zhang couldn’t hold back, hugging Zhang Linglan tightly, her eyes filled with pain and tears streaming down.

“Mom, don’t cry. I’m okay now.”

“Luckily, I met Sister Haitang. She saved me, and she has been by my side all these years.”

“Sister Haitang is my benefactor, and she’s very important to me.”

“She’s an orphan, and I told her that she’s my family. If I found my family, they would be her family too.”

“Yes, Lanlan, you did the right thing!” Grandma Zhang affirmed. “She’s not just your benefactor, she’s a benefactor to our whole family.”

“Where is this girl Haitang? If she’s willing, I’d be happy to take her as my daughter.”

“I will love her just as much as I love you and your sister.”

Zhang Linglan wiped the tears from her mother’s face and said, “Alright, I will tell Sister Haitang. I believe she’ll be very happy to hear this.”

To ease the emotional tension, Zhang Linglan quickly changed the subject, talking about how she managed to find her way back home.

“…This time, I came back from Hong Kong to the mainland specifically to find my family.”

“A few days ago, I happened to be at Beijing University and met Ningning and Fanghua there. That’s how we reconnected.”

“I see,” Grandma Zhang and the others said, understanding dawning upon them.

Grandma Zhang then remembered something else.

Every time Ningning visited, she heard Ningning’s inner thougths.

From Ningning’s thoughts, she knew that Lanlan was still alive and would return one day.

From Ningning’s thoughts and visions, she had seen what Lanlan looked like now.

That’s why she had recognized Lanlan immediately upon seeing her.

Many around her thought she was becoming senile from missing Lanlan so much, but in reality, she had been clear-headed.

She knew Lanlan would return today, and she knew the young woman before her was indeed Lanlan.

Grandma Zhang was also certain that Ningning was the family’s lucky star.

“By the way, my sister probably doesn’t know I’m back yet.”

From her conversations with Xu Jinning and Xu Fanghua, Zhang Linglan had learned about her sister’s situation.

Her sister, Zhang Ailian, had married Xu Aiguo from Qinghe Production Brigade. Xu Fanghua was her eldest daughter, and Ningning was her youngest.

She also had two sons, Xu Xiangdong and Xu Xiangbei.

Xu Xiangdong was already married.

“Your sister is in Qinghe Production Brigade. She probably doesn’t know you’re back yet. How about tomorrow, let Xiuhe accompany you to Qinghe Production Brigade to see your sister?” Grandma Zhang suggested.

“Sure.”

After saying this, Zhang Linglan opened her suitcase and took out the specialties and gifts she had bought, distributing them to her family.

Of course, she had also prepared gifts for her sister, which she planned to bring along when she visited her the next day.

That night, they talked late into the evening before Zhang Linglan finally went to bed in her old home.

The Zhang family had other rooms with clean bedding, but Zhang Linglan didn’t want to use them.

“Mom, I want to sleep with you.”

“Alright, our Lanlan will sleep with me tonight.”

Zhang Linglan remembered that when she was little, she used to sleep with her mother.

Lying in bed, under the covers, Zhang Linglan’s hand was tightly held by her mother.

It seemed that only by doing this could Grandma Zhang confirm that her youngest daughter had truly returned.

“Lanlan, we should find a time to visit your father’s grave. Even on his deathbed, he was always thinking of you.”

“Okay.”

“He held my hand and kept saying, ‘We must find Lanlan. We must find Lanlan.’”

“Old man, can you see this? Our Lanlan has come back. She’s really back!”

“…”

The mother and daughter talked for a long time until Grandma Zhang eventually fell into a deep sleep.

By the moonlight streaming through the window, Zhang Linglan could clearly see her mother’s white hair and the wrinkles on her face.

Her mother’s appearance hadn’t changed much, except that she had aged.

As Zhang Linglan looked at her, she snuggled closer, just like when she was a child, resting by her mother’s side, feeling the safety that only her mother could provide and inhaling her mother’s unique scent.

At that moment, Grandma Zhang, still asleep, reached out and gently patted Zhang Linglan’s back, just as she had done when Zhang Linglan had nightmares as a child.

This familiar and long-missed gesture made Zhang Linglan’s tears silently fall.

She couldn’t help but snuggle even closer, absorbing the warmth from her mother.

Mom, your Lanlan is back.

Lanlan will never leave again.

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