Chapter 398 – Worship
“These two girls, they saw you so early and didn’t even tell me,” Xu Aiguo said, puffing out his cheeks in mock anger.
“Don’t blame them. It was me who told them not to tell you; I wanted to give you a surprise,” Ning Di hurriedly cleared her two nieces.
Xu Aiguo was both amused and exasperated. In truth, he had said that just to tease; he would never really blame his daughters. His two daughters were the best in the world, and he adored them immensely.
“But this truly is a surprise,” he said, adding, “a very big one.”
Recalling how he had just been crouching down to pick jujube and ended up finding his little sister, the excitement and joy he felt were beyond words, something only he could truly understand.
By noon, Xu Xiangbei had returned home from the county town and learned that his long-lost younger aunt had come back. Naturally, he was thrilled.
Ning Di also cried when she tasted the food made by Zhang Ailian at noon.
She cried first because she finally had a meal made by family, and second, because her sister-in-law’s cooking was truly outstanding.
Especially Hans, who, after tasting Zhang Ailian’s cooking, could only describe it with one word: divine.
He once again marveled at how right it was to return to his wife’s homeland. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have seen his wife and her family so happy together or tasted such delicious food.
Meanwhile, the people of Qinghe Village had been closely watching the Xu family.
This morning, news spread that strangers, even foreigners, might have visited their home, and Xu Aiguo was seen crying while holding an unfamiliar middle-aged woman, which stirred curiosity.
Everyone was concerned, wondering what had happened.
Some close acquaintances worried whether something had gone wrong with the Xu family and hurried over to inquire.
Xu Aiguo did not hide anything and directly shared the news about his long-lost little sister’s return.
It was a matter worth celebrating, and Xu Aiguo planned to take his sister to pay respects to their ancestors and their parents.
So, when people left the Xu household and the news spread, everyone learned that Xu Aiguo’s long-lost little sister had returned after decades.
The younger generation might not have known, but the older generation did.
“I remember now, Aiguo indeed had two sisters.”
“Back then, during the famine, many people died. Unfortunately, his two sisters had to be given away.”
“Now, it’s been decades.”
“I heard that they found the elder sister a few years ago, and now the younger one has come back.”
“Well, it’s a good thing she’s back. A very good thing.”
The villagers were pleased for Xu Aiguo.
…
The next day, when Xu Aiguo took his little sister to pay respects to their parents, the villagers they met all congratulated Xu Aiguo and welcomed Ning Di’s return.
The villagers’ warmth and friendliness brought a sense of comfort to Ning Di.
Of course, the villagers were curious about Hans, Ning Di’s foreign husband. For many villagers who had lived their entire lives in the village, the furthest they had traveled was to the county town, which wasn’t very far. Naturally, they had never seen a foreigner.
So, seeing the blonde-haired, green-eyed foreigner for the first time, they were both amazed and curious.
Despite their curiosity, they did not show any rudeness toward Hans. They were simply impressed by Ning Di.
She had managed to find a foreign husband.
Soon, they reached the mountain. For this occasion, the Xu family’s relatives who stayed at home accompanied Ning Di and Hans.
Ning Di looked at the two graves before her. Just one glance was enough to bring her to her knees.
“Father, Mother, your unfilial daughter Xu Aining…”
“I’m back!”
As these words were spoken, they were accompanied by choked sobs.
Hans, understanding that the graves before him were his father- and mother-in-law’s, quietly knelt down beside his wife after seeing her bow.
He followed her lead and bowed, too.
He had met Ning Di’s adoptive parents, who were also his in-laws, but today was his first time meeting his wife’s biological parents. They were his in-laws as well.
Thanks to them, his wife was in his life.
He knew how difficult it must have been for them to part with their daughter, and he understood why she was sent away.
Xu Aiguo’s eyes were also red, but his emotions were more about happiness.
“Father, Mother, when you left, you held my hand tightly and made me promise to find my two sisters.”
“Six years ago, I found Ai’an and brought her back to see you.”
“And now, I have brought Aining back as well.”
“Father, Mother, both my sisters have been doing well these years, and they have never blamed you. So…”
“You can rest in peace.”
Xu Aiguo knelt down and slowly bowed his head, saying, “Father, Mother, I have lived up to your expectations.”
At that moment, a gentle breeze swept across the silent mountaintop, brushing against everyone’s faces with a soft touch.
Ning Di felt the breeze lightly lift her hair and caress her face, as if someone was gently stroking her or whispering something softly in her ear.
In her daze, Ning Di seemed to hear two elderly yet tender voices gently and warmly saying, “Child, welcome home.”
When Ning Di came back to herself, her face was already wet with tears.
The others present were also sobbing quietly.
Looking at the two graves, Ning Di knew in that moment that her parents had never blamed her or forgotten her. They had always been waiting for her to come home, and now she had finally returned!
They spent an indeterminate amount of time on the mountain before eventually heading back down.
On the way, Ning Di mentioned her plans for what she intended to do next.
“I plan to make some repairs to our parents’ graves. That’s fine, but we should discuss it with Ai’an as well,” Xu Aiguo said.
“That’s only right. In a few days, I plan to visit Tianjin to see big sister,” Ning Di replied. She wanted to see both her elder brother and elder sister.
The reason she came to Qinghe Village first was to pay respects to her parents and reconnect with her roots.
“Alright, I’ll take a few days off to accompany you,” Xu Aiguo said. He had not seen Ai’an for a long time and missed her last time when she had married off her daughter. It was about time he paid her a visit.
“I’m sure Ai’an will be very surprised to see you,” he continued, just as he had been surprised to see his younger sister earlier. “Your big sister often talks about you.”
Thinking about her elder sister made Ning Di’s thoughts drift.
Her memories of her elder sister were somewhat vague.
She remembered having an elder sister who looked like her and always took care of her, sharing delicious treats. Before they were separated, they had promised each other that they would return together someday.
