Time rewound to a week ago.
Chi Yiyuan stood at his doorstep, dragging his luggage, and looked towards the street.
How he wished Su Xiaotian would appear on the street.
However, he knew very well that he wouldn't hear Su Xiaotian's familiar voice before leaving.
The little girl with a perpetually sweet smile would not be by his side for the next few years.
He didn't want to go to Germany, to that unfamiliar home, but circumstances forced him.
"Xiaoyuan, go. Write to us when you get there, and you can call too," Chi Ge seemed to have aged a lot.
He had raised his children and grandchildren throughout his life, but in the end, even his only grandson was leaving him.
It was impossible for the old man not to feel sad.
In contrast to Chi Ge and Chi Yiyuan were Yu Xiyue and Chi Niandong, along with their two children.
The group of them all wore impatient expressions.
What was there so much to say?
They had been talking for so many days, and still weren't finished?
Upon receiving his wife's glance, Chi Niandong stepped forward and said, "Dad, we should go. We've already delayed this for a long time, and even the children's schooling has been significantly affected."
He believed he understood his father very well. As long as the children's schooling was mentioned, his father, even if unwilling, would suppress all his displeasure.
Chi Yiyuan looked at Chi Niandong and felt a chill. Was this his father?
Grandpa was his biological father, and he could be so cold?
It was no wonder he hadn't returned to visit Grandpa for so many years. Sudancheng Novel Network
Chi Ge clearly didn't want to bother with his son, not even sparing him a glance.
The old man simply cautioned Chi Yiyuan to be careful on his journey, and then walked back home with slow, faltering steps.
"Grandpa, you must take care. I'll come back as soon as possible!" Chi Yiyuan murmured towards the old man's receding, unsteady figure.
"Let's go, Chi Yiyuan. If we're any later, we'll miss the flight. Do you know how expensive plane tickets from China to Germany are!" Yu Xiyue muttered discontentedly.
Children were meant to be raised by their own parents.
Those who were not with them from childhood could never truly become close.
In Yu Xiyue's heart, this was Chi Yiyuan's fault. They were his parents; how could he not be close to them just because he wasn't with them from childhood?
She completely forgot that it was they who had abandoned the child and left, leading to the child's estrangement from them.
Chi Yiyuan merely glanced at Yu Xiyue indifferently, saying nothing.
There was no point in talking to someone who didn't understand.
All he needed to do now was to study as quickly as possible. He heard that foreign universities were different from domestic ones; one could graduate just by completing the required credits.
He was determined to finish his studies quickly and return soon.
His grandfather was old and needed someone to take care of him.
And Xiaotian was growing older too; she was becoming a young lady, and many people would likely appear around her. He had to be vigilant.
Yesterday, the other families had offered to see him off, but he had refused.
He preferred to leave alone like this.
However, Chi Yiyuan had asked the Su and Du elder couples to visit and keep his grandfather company after he left.
The Su and Du elder couples had indeed followed Chi Yiyuan's instructions precisely and arrived at the Chi family's residence immediately after he departed.
Chi Ge sat alone in a rocking chair in the corner of the courtyard, looking solitary and exceptionally desolate.
When he saw his old friends arrive together, he managed to force a resilient smile.
"Why have you all come together? Xiaoyuan asked you to, didn't he? This child worries too much; I'm really fine."
As he spoke, even Chi Ge couldn't continue.
How could he be fine? From now on, there would be no one left in the vast country of China who was connected to him by blood.
His descendants had all gone abroad. Although he knew that Xiaoyuan would return as soon as possible, he had to complete his studies, which would take at least three to four years.
"Old Chi, why don't you move in with us from now on?" Du Tonghe invited, "After all, it's just the two of us old folks at home."
What was the point of living alone in this large courtyard?
Coincidentally, they, the old couple, were also feeling lonely. The three of them together could at least offer each other warmth.
"No, I've thought about it. In a couple of days, I'll go over to Old Tan's place and help take care of the children."
The friends looked at Chi Ge like this and felt sad.
His closest grandson was gone, and it was natural for him to feel upset. Of course, he wanted to help take care of other children.
A few days prior, Tan Zishi and his wife had found a child on the road and adopted him.
Later, they felt that adopting just one child didn't have much meaning, so they might as well adopt a few more.
The result was that the couple had adopted five children in the span of a month, a group of little ones ranging from three to seven years old.
The elderly couple was busy all day, but they felt more fulfilled than before.
Chi Ge was now offering to help, but he was old, and what if he fell ill?
"Old Chi, think about it again. It's not convenient to live over there!" Grandpa Su advised.
"What's inconvenient about it? How could it be worse than when we were at the Hongxin Brigade back then?"
Hearing Chi Ge say this, everyone fell silent.
Yes, they had gone through such difficult times back then; what was there to fear now?
"Don't worry, I'll still be staying here for a few days. I haven't seen Xiaotian Guai Bao yet," Chi Ge added.
When Xiaoyuan left, he hadn't seen Su Xiaotian, so he had left a letter. He wanted to deliver this letter to Xiaotian before going to Old Tan's place.
"Xiaotian will likely go straight to school for her exams when she returns. Why don't you move in with us for these few days? It'll be livelier!" Du Tonghe said without further ado.
Du Tonghe was worried about leaving his old friend to live here alone.
The Su family had many members, and although their courtyard was not small, it was crowded with people. It was better to have Old Chi stay at his home temporarily.
The three of them could also have tea and chat together.
At this moment, Du Tonghe no longer felt much regret.
After his only son sacrificed himself, he had been disappointed, thinking he would have no one to dote on him in his old age.
But now, looking at Old Chi, with a house full of children, he was still alone in the end.
Fortunately, they had Xiaotian, their filial god-granddaughter, which was excellent.
This child always took good care of their health. Whenever she returned home, she would always visit them, even helping with chores, which was better than a biological granddaughter.
It was not in vain that they, the old couple, doted on this child.
"Yes, Old Chi, you should move in with Old Du. At least you'll have company!" Grandpa Su also persuaded him earnestly.
In the end, Chi Ge couldn't refuse his friends and moved into Du Tonghe's home.
Du Tonghe's siheyuan was not small, but with the three of them living there, it still felt rather empty.