She poured them so iced tea. The old man was evidently very excited, and he decided to speak directly, "Child, my surna is also Li. I have a long-lost son also nad Li Chengming, who has a black mole behind his right ear. Our Li Family beef noodle has a history of over a hundred years..."
Li Gufen’s face suddenly turned pale.
She was not a child, nor a fool, and naturally, she imdiately understood the old man’s implication.
Could this be her grandfather?
Why hadn’t her father ntioned it?
No, she had heard about it when she was little.
He said she had grandparents, but unfortunately, they were no longer alive.
Later, it was rarely ntioned, and eventually, as her parents passed away one after another, she had long forgotten about it.
Li Gufen stared blankly at the old man in front of her, at a complete loss for what to do.
Fortunately, there was soone there who could keep calm.
They were asked to sit down and calm their emotions before speaking.
An hour later, both sides had confird their identities.
The old man had a photo of his son, which Li Gufen didn’t have, but she recognized at once that the man was her father from her youth.
Nothing more needed to be said.
Nurous pieces of evidence confird that the old man was indeed Li Gufen’s grandfather.
Her real, genuine biological grandfather!
The old man’s na was Li Maozhang. In the tumultuous tis, he was forcibly recruited as a soldier, and later, soone brought word that he had died. Thus, Li Gufen’s father left with his mother to seek refuge with his uncle.
Unfortunately, his mother fell ill and died on the way, and he couldn’t find his uncle. After wandering, he arrived at Baxia Village, married Li Gufen’s mother, and had a daughter, Li Gufen.
A few years later, Li Maozhang returned, but sadly, his wife and son were gone, and even the ancestral beef noodle shop had been reduced to ruins during the war. Most people in his hotown had fled, and though so returned later, neighbors who knew the truth inford him that his wife and son had gone to seek refuge with his son Li Chengming’s uncle.
Upon receiving accurate news, Li Maozhang wasted no ti and set out that very night, as he knew where his brother-in-law lived. Sadly, when he arrived, he desperately found the mother and child had never co.
And so, the family was separated.
In the boundless sea of humanity, finding soone could be easy, maybe just walking would lead to a chance encounter, but in reality, it was as hard as climbing to the heavens.
Just like that, decades passed, and just as Li Maozhang lost hope, he unexpectedly tasted the familiar flavor at this noodle shop.
He was doing business in the Great Northwest but did not continue the ancestral trade, involved in other businesses instead, and never remarried, only adopting an orphan, Li He, who was now by his side.
Li He was previously married, but due to issues between the couple and having no children, they decisively got a divorce. Seeing Old Master Li’s age, he decided to accompany him on travels, and, unexpectedly, found long-lost relatives.
This was followed by a scene of sadness.
In such a family reunion, everyone should be happy; even if tears were shed, they should be tears of joy. But for Li Maozhang, it was like experiencing heaven and hell.
He never imagined that his wife, son, and daughter-in-law had long since passed away, leaving only a granddaughter wandering in this world.
However, having experienced so much, separations and reunions were not new to him, and regardless, Li Gufen before him was his blood kin, the only relative his son left in the world.
Even with such understanding, the old man fainted from overwhelming grief.
Sister Li and Li He quickly took the old man to a nearby hospital, and at this mont, Chu Chengfeng returned. At the door, Sister Li briefly explained the situation to him, and hurriedly left, leaving Chu Chengfeng standing at the door, sowhat disoriented in the wind.
What had happened in the beef noodle shop during the days he was away?
Yet, he also felt that Sister Li’s good days had finally co. Regardless, having relatives in the world was extrely good for her, as people often say, after hardship cos good fortune.
He truly hoped Old Master Li would be okay, for any incident would turn joy into sorrow.
Luckily, the old man had a strong destiny, and after the doctor’s thorough rescue, he finally regained consciousness. After a check-up, he was found to be in good health, just with slightly high blood pressure and minor heart issues, all common ailnts of old age, manageable if paid attention to.
During this period, Chu Chengfeng also visited the hospital, knowing they were staying in a hotel now, he warmly invited them to move to the courtyard behind the noodle shop.
The place was quite spacious, with five or six empty rooms now, beneficial for Old Master Li’s recovery and for the communication between grandfather and granddaughter, avoiding Sister Li’s tiring runs.
Although Old Master Li was deeply saddened, he gradually ca to terms with it, and later, mustered strength and temporarily moved to the back of the noodle shop with his grandson and granddaughter.
Given that he found his son’s descendants, he couldn’t just head back to the Great Northwest without arranging sothing good.
Once the old man’s health recovered, he asked Li Gufen in detail about her past, learning of the hardships she endured at the Lu Family, and about the recent events. The old man sotis banged the table in anger and scolded, and sotis sighed, saying his granddaughter was fortunate to encounter a noble.
Initially, Li Gufen was unprepared and spent several days feeling dazed, but once her emotions settled, she felt greatly relieved. Besides having friends in the world, she indeed had relatives, even her blood grandfather.
For her, perhaps life had opened a new Chapter.
A week later, Old Master Li had fully recovered. Instead of leaving, he had Li He return to the Northwest to manage the businesses there. Then, spending nearly two-thirds of his lifelong savings, he bought a siheyuan nearby in the Imperial Capital.
Housing in the Imperial Capital was truly expensive. The old man continued the business here.
Currently, most of the business affairs are handled by Li He.
Li He is an honest and straightforward person, treating the old man like his real grandfather. And upon arriving in the Imperial Capital, he wasn’t alone; there was assistance from Chu Chengfeng and others, so the old man’s new shop soon got organized.
Li Gufen moved in with her grandfather. In terms of seniority, she should call Li He ’Big Brother’.
At first, it felt a bit awkward, but Li He definitely played the role of a big brother well, taking good care of this sister who had been through hardships for decades. Plus, both were busy in their own fields, and gradually, they got along harmoniously.
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