Chapter 453 – “I Wish I Had Never Given Birth to Them!”
“I wish I had never given birth to those two,” the old man muttered, a flash of hurt crossing his eyes, but it quickly disappeared, replaced by resolve and severity.
“I absolutely won’t allow them to ruin your marriage to Girl Ning.”
“They actually dared to sneak in and come see me.”
“Xiao’an, don’t worry. I’ve already thrown them out.”
“Now just focus on getting ready. Your wedding banquet with Girl Ning will begin soon.”
Grandpa Xie even comforted Xie Ting’an in return.
“Alright, Grandpa, I understand,” Xie Ting’an replied.
Even though he said this, Xie Ting’an was already thinking that he should find a time to deal with those two families once and for all.
After leaving his grandfather’s place, Xie Ting’an returned to the room where he and Xu Jinning were staying.
“Is something wrong?” Xu Jinning asked.
Although Xie Ting’an appeared calm, Xu Jinning could clearly sense a shift in his mood.
Sitting down next to her, Xie Ting’an said, “It’s my uncle and aunt’s families. They snuck in.”
“But Grandpa already kicked them out.”
“So it was them,” Xu Jinning nodded knowingly.
A few years earlier, when they reconnected at Beijing University, Xie Ting’an had told her about the situation with the Xie family.
In the book, the college entrance exams were reinstated at the end of 1980.
Before that, for ten years, the original Xie Ting’an had lived with his grandfather in the countryside, in the cowshed of the Yuanshan Production Brigade. The reason, as one could imagine, was the political climate at the time.
When he first arrived, the original Xie Ting’an had been just a five- or six-year-old child.
Later, at the end of 1979, just as they were about to return to the city, the original Xie Ting’an suddenly fell seriously ill with a high fever.
He didn’t survive.
When he opened his eyes again, he had become the modern-day Xie Ting’an.
Xie Ting’an had once told her about a dream he had.
He and the original soul were connected, as past and present lives.
Yet, Xu Jinning felt that they were still two different people, two different souls.
In the end, the original Xie Ting’an hadn’t survived.
After Xie Ting’an fulfilled his wish, promising to take care of his grandfather, the original owner’s last lingering attachment dissipated.
Xie Ting’an had also told Xu Jinning about the members of the Xie family.
Grandpa Xie and his wife had three children. The eldest son was Xie Ting’an’s father, who most resembled Grandpa Xie.
Then came the youngest son and daughter.
After his wife passed away from illness in middle age, Grandpa Xie didn’t remarry. He continued raising his three children alone.
At that time, Grandpa Xie was still in his prime. He held a high position, was gentle and refined in appearance, and had a decisive character.
Even though he was middle-aged and already had three grown children, many young women still wanted to marry him, and quite a few were even young maidens.
But Xie Jinnian, Grandpa Xie, had rejected them all.
His feelings for his wife were deep, and no matter what happened in this life, he would only love her. He had no intention of remarrying.
He raised his three children with equal care and attention.
But…
Even if they were his and his wife’s children, not all of them turned out well.
The eldest son was good, and his wife, whom he married, was also fine. One was a soldier, and the other was a military doctor.
However, when Xie Ting’an was three years old, both of them were killed while carrying out a mission on the border.
When the news of their deaths arrived, Xie Jinnian aged ten years overnight, and his hair turned gray.
With both parents gone, the three-year-old Xie Ting’an, confused and unaware, was left to be raised by his grandfather.
Later, upheaval struck.
At that time, Grandpa Xie’s situation wasn’t looking good.
Perhaps sensing this, his youngest son and daughter decided to sever ties with him to avoid being implicated.
Without any warning, they publicly declared their separation from him in the newspaper.
Xie Jinnian was shocked.
Although these two younger children had never measured up to their older brother in any aspect, and their personalities were far from ideal—cunning and selfish at times—Xie Jinnian never imagined that in such a critical moment, they would choose to distance themselves from him, their own father.
He was not only shocked but deeply hurt.
However, after seeing their hypocritical and heartless behavior, Grandpa Xie came to terms with it.
In his heart, he decisively cut ties with them as well.
From that moment on, he no longer considered them his children.
Even though they were his wife’s children, and he loved her dearly, this didn’t conflict with his decision to disown them.
Grandpa Xie was a decisive man, and from that point forward, he resolved that no matter what happened, those two would never again be considered part of the Xie family.
Before he left for the Yuanshan Production Brigade, Grandpa Xie specifically asked the five- or six-year-old Xie Ting’an at the time.
He asked him if he wanted to leave with his grandfather.
He warned that if he stayed with him, they would likely endure a lot of hardship, and life wouldn’t be easy.
If Xie Ting’an chose to stay with his grandfather, they would depend on each other from then on.
But if he didn’t want to…
Grandpa Xie was willing to arrange for Xie Ting’an to part ways with him.
After all, Xie Ting’an was still very young, and Grandpa Xie couldn’t bear the thought of him suffering alongside him.
Moreover, at that time, they didn’t know when they’d be able to return—if they’d ever come back at all.
He knew that although Xiao’an was young, he was very intelligent and had a clear sense of right and wrong.
He could make his own decisions.
So, Grandpa Xie gave him the opportunity to choose.
Even if Xie Ting’an chose the latter option, he wouldn’t hold it against him.
At that time, the little Xie Ting’an grasped Grandpa Xie’s clothes with his small hands and, in a childish voice, said, “Xiao’an wants to follow Grandpa. Wherever Grandpa goes, Xiao’an will go.”
Grandpa Xie was momentarily taken aback and confirmed, “Xiao’an, are you sure? Following Grandpa means you’ll endure a lot of hardship. We don’t know how many years it will be.”
Xie Ting’an’s eyes remained steadfast. “Xiao’an wants to be with Grandpa. Grandpa is too lonely by himself. With Xiao’an here, Grandpa won’t be lonely anymore.”
Xie Ting’an’s words made Grandpa Xie’s eyes well up with tears.
He then pulled Xie Ting’an into his embrace, hiding his tears from the boy.
“Alright, then Xiao’an will follow Grandpa.”
“Grandpa promises that as long as I’m alive and have any strength left, I will protect you, Xiao’an.”
“From now on, the Xie family will be just the two of us relying on each other.”
As for those who had severed ties with him, they were no longer part of the Xie family.
And so, this grandfather and grandson relied on each other in the countryside for ten years.
The decade deepened their bond immensely.
However, Grandpa Xie hadn’t anticipated that, ten years later, they would return to Beijing.
His status was now even higher than before.
He also hadn’t expected that those two who had disowned him would be so shameless.
When he was about to fall into hardship, they had distanced themselves from him, denying him as their father.
Yet now, seeing him return to power and with a higher status, they were eagerly seeking to come back into his life.
