Chapter 304 – My Aunt, She’s Back!
When Zhang Linglan woke up the next day, she learned from her sister-in-law that their mother had sat on the yard gate all day yesterday, waiting for her.
From dawn till dusk.
“She insisted that you would come back yesterday and that she had to wait there to greet you as soon as you arrived.”
“At first, I thought she was just being delusional. I was worried that she would be disappointed if you didn’t come back.”
“But to our surprise, you really did come back.”
“I think this might be the special connection between mother and daughter.”
Hearing her sister-in-law’s words, Zhang Linglan felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.
So, her mother had waited for her all day yesterday.
Luckily, she had insisted on coming back yesterday. Otherwise, her mother would have waited in vain.
Zhang Linglan felt that dragging her suitcase along that road was worth it.
When Grandma Zhang woke up early in the morning, she was especially happy. After all, seeing her long-lost youngest daughter upon waking up would make anyone happy.
After breakfast, Zhang Linglan took her things and, along with her sister-in-law, headed to the Qinghe Production Brigade to find her sister.
“Oh, this is Lanlan, right? You’re back?”
“It really is Lanlan. She looks so much like Ningning. Nieces do resemble their aunts.”
“More than twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Lanlan has grown into a beautiful young woman. She’s even prettier than those movie actresses.”
“By the way, Lanlan, are you married?”
“Lanlan, your mother has been waiting for you to come back. Now that you’re back, you must be good to her.”
“Hey, this early in the morning, Xiuhua, where are you taking your sister-in-law?”
Along the way to the Qinghe Production Brigade, they encountered many villagers.
They had been curious about Zhang Linglan since yesterday. Now, having met her, they couldn’t stop asking questions.
Faced with such “enthusiasm,” Zhang Linglan felt a bit overwhelmed.
Fortunately, Bai Xiuhua was there to help.
Bai Xiuhe was naturally kind to those who were genuinely concerned, but for those who were obviously gossiping, she didn’t bother much and just brushed them off.
“Lanlan is back, but her sister doesn’t know yet. Today, I’m taking Lanlan to find Ailian.”
With a simple response, Bai Xiuhe pulled Zhang Linglan through the crowd and continued towards the Qinghe Production Brigade.
As for the whispers and discussions behind them, she didn’t care.
Yesterday, Bai Xiuhe found out that her nearly thirty-year-old sister-in-law was still unmarried.
She said she hadn’t met the right person.
Bai Xiuhe and Grandma Zhang didn’t press further.
For them, Lanlan’s return was enough. Everything else was secondary.
However, news of her sister-in-law being unmarried at this age might stir some speculation in the village.
In this rural area, a girl who wasn’t married by twenty was considered old. So, a nearly thirty-year-old unmarried woman was seen as quite unusual.
Some might even speculate that there was something wrong with Zhang Linglan, causing her to remain single at this age.
Therefore, instead of letting people gossip unpleasantly, it was better to ignore them.
Bai Xiuhe had heard that people in big cities liked to marry late. Especially since her sister-in-law had been living in Hong Kong, this was even more common.
Although she had only reunited with her sister-in-law yesterday, she found that Lanlan had a really nice personality.
With a good personality, beautiful looks, and the presence of a movie star, Bai Xiuhe believed that if her sister-in-law wanted to get married, there would be plenty of men waiting for her. So, there was no rush.
What mattered most was that her sister-in-law found someone she truly liked.
As the two walked, they chatted along the way.
Bai Xiuhe introduced the customs and people of the village to Zhang Linglan, occasionally sharing some amusing anecdotes.
Zhang Linglan listened quietly, occasionally responding with a few words and a gentle smile on her face.
She took a deep breath, appreciating the fresh air near the mountains, which was quite different from the bustling, industrialized Hong Kong with its towering buildings and sometimes stifling atmosphere.
Actually, Zhang Linglan’s perception was correct.
But it was also related to her current state of mind.
In Hong Kong, Zhang Linglan’s heart was closed, and her mood was often gloomy, like a rainy, overcast day.
Now, her heart was open, her spirits lifted, like a rainbow appearing after the rain, making everything seem beautiful.
The Dahe Production Brigade was not far from the Qinghe Production Brigade.
They arrived quickly.
“Hey, isn’t this Ailian’s sister-in-law? You’ve come to the Qinghe Production Brigade? Are you here to see Ailian?”
“Hey, who’s this beside you? She looks so much like Ningning.”
“Yes, she’s really beautiful. I find her quite remarkable.”
Because Bai Xiuhe often visited the Qinghe Production Brigade to see Zhang Ailian, some villagers recognized her.
Seeing her, they greeted her warmly.
They were even more surprised when they saw the young woman beside Bai Xiuhe, who looked very much like Xu Jinning.
“Hello, Auntie. This is Ailian’s sister, Ningning’s aunt, and my sister-in-law, Lanlan.”
“Oh, so she’s Ningning’s aunt. No wonder they look so much alike.”
It wasn’t until Bai Xiuhe and Zhang Linglan had walked a distance away that someone realized.
“Right, I remember Ailian mentioning she had a sister who was abd*cted when she was little.”
“Could it be that the abd*cted sister has returned?”
Their doubts remained unanswered for the moment because Bai Xiuhe had already led Zhang Linglan to the Xu family’s doorstep.
At that moment, Xu Xiangdong was holding a bag of feed, intending to go feed the ducks. He hadn’t expected to run into Bai Xiuhe just as he stepped out.
“Auntie, you’re here?”
“Hey, Xiangdong, are you heading out?”
“Yes, I… Ningning? No, wait, who are you?” Xu Xiangdong’s gaze instinctively fell on the person next to Bai Xiuhe while they spoke.
At first glance, he thought Xu Jinning had returned, but then he realized he was mistaken.
This wasn’t Ningning, but she looked very much like her.
Xu Xiangdong stood there, stunned, unable to comprehend what was happening.
“Xiangdong, this is your aunt.”
“By the way, where’s your mother?”
Xu Xiangdong dumbly pointed towards the kitchen.
As Bai Xiuhe and Zhang Linglan walked inside, Xu Xiangdong remained at the door, bewildered.
It took him a while to process what had just happened.
My aunt?
An aunt who looks a lot like Ningning?
He only had one aunt, his mother’s sister.
But wasn’t she abd*cted?
Wait!
An aunt who looks like Ningning!
Could it be that the abd*cted aunt has returned?!
Xu Xiangdong snapped back to reality, forgetting about feeding the ducks, and quickly turned back into the courtyard.
As he stepped inside, he heard his mother’s voice.
Approaching closer, he saw his mother leaning against the woman who looked so much like Ningning—his aunt—and crying, repeatedly calling out “Lanlan.”
Lanlan. He knew that his aunt’s name was Zhang Linglan, and both his grandmother and mother were accustomed to calling her Lanlan.
So, it was confirmed that the person before him was indeed his real aunt.
His aunt had returned!
