Chapter 22 Meeting My Birth Parents for the First Time—Who Has Arrived?

"Who are you talking about?" When Xia Guoliang still hadn't caught on, Lin Adi repeated, "The one from the An family, her name seems to be An Yan."

"You mean our real daughter has come back? Impossible. She wouldn't even meet us before, why would she come back on her own now?" Xia Guoliang still didn't believe it.

"If you're not sure, let's just go back and see. Eldest boy, go over there and call your father home." Lin Adi brushed the dirt from her clothes, picked up her hoe, and hurried back.

Xia Guoliang didn't even bother with shoes, rushing after her.

When they returned home, they found a crowd gathered at the entrance.

"Xia Old Two, you're finally back! Your daughter has come looking for you."

Hearing the neighbors say this, Xia Guoliang finally believed it—his own flesh and blood had truly returned.

Stepping inside, they immediately saw the figure sitting in the room.

An Yan, hearing the commotion, turned around at last to see the birth parents of the original owner.

Compared to An Jie and Zhao Qiufang, these two seemed at least ten years older, their hair streaked with gray, faces deeply lined, clothes patched all over. In the chill of winter, Xia Guoliang was even barefoot, not wanting to dirty what looked like newly bought shoes in his hands.

The man’s face was weathered, his back slightly hunched from years of work in the fields, but his features were strikingly similar to her own; he must have been quite handsome when young.

Looking at the graceful girl before them, the couple guessed immediately—this was their own daughter.

Seeing their silence, An Yan took the initiative. "Dad, Mom."

"You really are..." Hearing An Yan's voice, Xia Guoliang and Lin Adi were shaken to their core.

Lin Adi covered her mouth, choking back sobs.

All their lives, they’d thought they'd never see their daughter again, let alone hear her call them Mom and Dad. For them, that was a dream beyond reach.

An Yan nodded. "Yes, I am your real daughter. You came to the An family for me once before, but I couldn’t accept the truth at the time, so I didn’t meet you."

"I hope you won’t be angry with me."

The sudden apology left them at a loss. Lin Adi waved her hands quickly, "Good girl, how could your mother be angry with you? It’s me who owes you, it’s us who disrupted your life. You could have lived so well."

"Mom, this is my life! And I’m doing well now. Thanks to you, I met Lin You." An Yan smiled and shook her head.

At her words, Xia Guoliang finally remembered there were two other people in the house.

"You must be Old Lin’s son, right? I didn’t get to meet you last time you came home." Xia Guoliang pulled out a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took one, and handed it to Lin You.

"Uncle Xia, I won't smoke with the children here." Lin You picked up Lin Nuannuan in his arms and declined.

Seeing the girl in his arms, Xia Guoliang’s heart twisted. He knew the Lin family’s situation: after Lin Zuo’s accident, the three children were passed to Lin You. It meant his daughter, just married, was now stepmother to three children.

Lin Adi began to cry again. "Daughter, it’s your mother who wronged you. I shouldn’t have arranged this match—who could have known things would turn out like this?"

"Mom, I don’t think the marriage you arranged harmed me at all. In fact, I feel lucky. Lin You is a good man—hard to find even with a lantern. I know what you mean: being a stepmother is tough. But it depends whose stepmother you are. Nuannuan and the other two are very sensible, and they like me a lot."

Hearing this, their expressions eased somewhat.

"Rest assured, Uncle and Aunt. If An Yan is willing to be with me, I will devote myself to her," Lin You said, moved by An Yan's words. Then he added, "As long as she treats the three children well."

An Yan’s lips twitched; this man certainly knew how to ruin a touching moment.

"Daughter, what do you think? If you’re not willing, just tell Lin You. Your father and mother will swallow our pride and apologize to him in person," Xia Guoliang said, displeased by Lin You’s words. What did he mean, ‘as long as she treats the children well’? His own daughter was only nineteen, still needing her parents’ care and support.

But An Yan was in no hurry. "Dad, I’m doing just fine. The northwest isn’t as bad as you think—it makes me happy. With three children around, I’m never lonely. I’ve made friends with several aunts, too, and they treat me well."

"Dad, should we buy some groceries for the afternoon?" At that moment, Liu Juxiang spoke quietly.

Xia Guoliang slapped his thigh. "Look at me—of course we need to buy groceries. Wife, don’t we still have a meat coupon? Go to the supply store and see if there’s any meat left."

"Juxiang, there’s a bag of tea leaves in the cupboard; take it and make a cup of tea for Lin You."

Liu Juxiang responded and went to the kitchen, pulling out a bag of tea leaves that had been kept for years—since her wedding, in fact. They said tea and wine both grew more fragrant with age.

The family had intended to save it for Cuirui’s wedding, to treat guests, but they’d hardly touched it themselves.

Soon, tea was served. If An Yan knew it was five years old, she might wonder how she felt about it.

"Lin You, take out the things we bought from the bag," An Yan said.

Before coming, she’d bought two packages of food, one for the Xia family and one for the Lin family.

Seeing the large bundle, Xia Guoliang protested, "Child, we can’t accept this—you take it home and enjoy it yourselves."

An Yan shook her head. "Dad, Lin You is my intended; it’s customary for a fiancé to bring gifts when visiting. Besides, I haven’t had the chance to honor you all these years. From now on, I’ll spend most of my time in the northwest with Lin You, and won’t visit often. These things are only a small token."

With that, An Yan pulled out three hundred yuan and a handful of ration coupons from her pocket and handed them to Xia Guoliang. "Take these, too."

"This... this isn’t right," Xia Guoliang protested, waving his hands.

"Dad, I saved this while living with the An family. Consider it compensation for nineteen years of unfulfilled filial duty," An Yan insisted, forcing the money and coupons into his hands.

Xia Guoliang wanted to say more, but just then, a man entered from outside. He was tall, but thin and dark-skinned—surely her real elder brother.

"Dad, you’re home! Why are you keeping Cuirui and the others outside?"

As he entered, An Yan saw three people following him. She couldn’t help but smile—it truly was fate, and she hadn’t expected them to visit today as well.