novelraw Chapter 557 - 556 Perseverant Old Master (First Update)
Chapter 557 - 556 Perseverant Old Master (First Update)
Le Tong fully believed that after returning to R City, life would temporarily return to peace.Then, she could sort out the events of these days in this calm environment, far away from the Yang Family, and that somewhat pitiful Old Master Yang.
But when she got home, just settled Baobao and Nuonuo, and saw Ji Rui off to a social event, the doorbell rang soon after.
Le Tong thought it might be Ji Rui coming back for something he forgot, or Mr. Ji hurrying over to see Baobao because he hadn’t seen his grandson for days. Before boarding the plane, Baobao had called Mr. Ji to inform him that they would reach R City by noon.
When she saw that wrinkled face through the peephole, she was truly startled.
Just as she hesitated whether to open the door, she heard Baobao running over.
"Mommy, is it Grandpa?"
Le Tong wanted to say it’s someone she didn’t know or perhaps a salesperson, but couldn’t bring herself to be so harsh.
"No..."
Speaking, she reached out and opened the door.
"Great-Grandpa, why are you here?" Evidently, Baobao didn’t expect Old Master Yang, who should have been in Beijing, to appear at their doorstep.
"Haha, Great-Grandpa couldn’t bear to be away from Baobao and Nuonuo, so he flew over. What, not welcome?"
The elderly man reached out to pinch Baobao’s cheek, as if asking Baobao, but his smiling eyes were fixed on Le Tong.
Le Tong couldn’t bring herself to say "welcome," nor to say "not welcome," so she stepped aside, gesturing for Mr. Yang and Uncle Jing to come in.
"Tongtong, who is this old gentleman?"
Aunt Guan, who was coaxing Nuonuo to sleep in the nursery, had come out when she heard the doorbell. Seeing the unfamiliar elderly man, she paused, as the household rarely had visitors.
"Aunt Guan, this is Baobao’s Great-Grandpa." Baobao introduced cheerfully, leading Old Master Yang into the living room.
"Great-Grandpa?" Aunt Guan was full of confusion. As far as she knew, Mr. Ji had no elders, and Le Tong seemed to have no relatives either.
"Aunt Guan, he is Yang Sheng’s senior brother’s grandfather." Le Tong briefly added and turned to the kitchen to pour tea for the two elder men.
Aunt Guan quickly greeted Old Master Yang again and followed Le Tong into the kitchen.
"How does Mr. Yang’s grandfather seem so familiar with Baobao?" Aunt Guan asked, puzzled, while helping Le Tong with the tea leaves.
"Fate, perhaps..." Le Tong hadn’t fully come to terms with it herself, so naturally wouldn’t say "he’s my grandfather too."
Aunt Guan didn’t ask further, retrieved tea leaves, and then took some fruit from the fridge to wash.
Le Tong carried the tea out, handed it to Old Master Yang, "Did Senior Brother come over with you?"
Thinking this old man was really stubborn, planning to persist until she called him grandfather?
Old Master Yang sipped the tea, "No, your brother just took over and is too busy."
Aunt Guan, who was washing the fruit, found Old Master Yang’s words odd but dared not ask in front of guests.
"Aunt Guan, Baobao and Nuonuo bought quite a few new toys and clothes; they’re in the red suitcase. Please sort them out and wash the new clothes and stuffed toys."
Aunt Guan replied and headed into the nursery.
"Baobao, go help tidy up your things too."
Le Tong patted Baobao’s bottom, sending the little one off as well.
Old Master Yang watched his new little ally be sent away with a sense of reluctance but didn’t dare show it in front of his granddaughter.
Seeing Baobao head into the nursery, Le Tong took a sip of tea with some frustration and helplessness, saying to Old Master Yang, "You’re not young anymore; flying back and forth only tires your body. Why go through such trouble?"
Faced with this stubborn old man who caused her headaches, she couldn’t bring herself to say "grandfather" or the distant "Chairman Yang" to this elderly face filled with anticipation.
"Girl, at my age, whether it’s tiring or not, I’m just making the most of being able to still move around. I wanted to see where you live, and see Weikang..."
Mentioning his son, he paused, unsure whether to avoid upsetting Le Tong or because he himself felt a pang.
Le Tong sighed inwardly, feeling powerless in dealing with this persistent elderly man.
"Do you want to see where we used to live? Rest for a while, and I’ll take you later. Even so, the place has been renovated, and what remains isn’t the same as before."
Although the old man hadn’t fully expressed himself, Le Tong accurately sensed the unfinished sentiment he’d left unsaid.
Old Master Yang’s eyes held mixed emotions, wanting to say something but his throat was choked, unable to say a word.
"I think my father didn’t like taking photos; I don’t have a single picture of him."
Le Tong, as a parent herself, understood Old Master Yang’s feelings. The lack of photos was her long-standing regret and now Old Master Yang’s as well.
"Did things back then..." Old Master Yang carefully gauged Le Tong’s expression, proceeded cautiously when seeing that it hadn’t changed, "Did things go well?"
Le Tong’s dark eyes fixed on him before honestly saying, "I don’t know what others would consider good or not. I was too young to remember much. But I recall father being good to mother and me, yet he seldom came home; I rarely saw him."
Perhaps because he seldom came home, there was little opportunity for photographs.
"Did your mother... bring it up at all?" Old Master Yang seemed to seek clues from Le Tong, guessing that his side hadn’t yet unraveled Yang Weikang’s past.
After so many years, circumstances changed and old matters were hard to trace.
"No... I never dared to ask." Le Tong still remembered her mother secretly crying at night.
Her words led them into a long silence.
"Should I take you to see our place?" Unable to stand the stifling atmosphere, Le Tong stood up, suggesting to show the elderly man her small abode.
Old Master Yang didn’t object, followed Le Tong downstairs, without having the driver take them, walking a short distance down the main road, then turning into an alley.
The alley was paved with old brick, flanked by old-style arcade buildings, showing their age at first glance. The atmosphere of decay was palpable, as the road led them decades back in time.
Old Master Yang frowned, "Girl, you’ve been living here all along?"