Chapter 237: Why Are You Only Coming Back Now?

Qin Tian was stunned.

As he was hugged, he could feel the warmth of that embrace—even in the middle of winter, it was still so warm.

Qin Tian was a smart child, and he started remembering things at an early age.

So, even though his parents left when he was just over two years old, and even though eight or nine years had passed since then, he still remembered what they looked like.

And right now…

Wasn’t this his mom and dad standing before him?

Actually, ever since Sister Gu brought him that letter, he had known that his parents might be coming back soon.

At that time, Qin Tian felt a bit panicked.

He didn’t know how he was supposed to get along with his parents when they came back.

He had been longing for their return, but Qin Tian couldn’t deny that he also harbored some resentment deep down.

He knew his parents were working for the country.

He knew they were great people—heroes, even. He also knew they cared about him and his sister, sending their salaries home every month.

But still… but still…

At this moment, being held in their arms, Qin Tian couldn’t hold back his tears any longer. They streamed down his face.

“Why are you only coming back now? Do you have any idea what my sister, grandma, and I have been through all these years?”

“Grandma almost died from illness.”

“I was almost sold off.”

“The other kids outside always laughed at my sister and me, saying our parents abandoned us because we were bad children.”

Hearing Qin Tian’s words, Du Lan’s heart ached unbearably, and tears rolled down her cheeks as well.

Qin Zhihong’s eyes turned red.

“They’re just talking nonsense. Our Tian and Qingqing have been so good. When Mom and Dad weren’t home, you two held up the whole family at such a young age.”

“You’re both so good, so hardworking, so brave, so strong—how could you possibly be bad children?”

“Tian, Mom knows—it was our fault. We shouldn’t have left you for so long.”

“We let bad people take advantage of the situation.”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“From now on, Mom and Dad will never leave again.”

“That’s right, Tian. Now that we’re back, we’ll never leave you again.”

Actually, Qin Tian’s outburst wasn’t really blame—it was just all the grievances he’d bottled up over the years, finally finding a place to be released.

In truth, he didn’t want much—just a promise from his parents.

Now, hearing that promise, Qin Tian finally broke down.

He threw his arms around his mother’s neck, buried his face in her shoulder, and sobbed uncontrollably.

At that moment, Qingqing, hearing her brother’s cries, ran out as well.

She saw her brother being held by a beautiful, gentle woman, crying in her arms, and beside them stood a tall man.

When the man saw her, his eyes softened and he opened his arms. “Qingqing, I’m your dad. Daddy’s home…”

Dad?

So, these two were her mom and dad?

Now, Qin Qing understood why her brother was crying.

Qin Qing knew she wasn’t as smart as her brother.

Even her memory wasn’t as good as his.

They were both just over two when their parents left, but while her brother could always remember what their parents looked like, she couldn’t remember at all.

But now…

Even without those memories, the blood bond made them feel familiar and close.

Qin Qing had always hoped for her parents’ return, and now they really were back.

Even though she had no memories of them, her eyes turned red.

She slowly walked up to her father, looked up, and asked, “Dad, you and Mom are back? Does that mean from now on, my brother and I will have parents to love us?”

Hearing this, Qin Zhihong’s heart twisted with pain.

He pulled Qin Qing into his arms. “Yes, from now on, Mom and Dad will love you and protect you.”

“Mm.” Always shy and not one to show her emotions, Qin Qing didn’t cry hysterically like her brother, but as she leaned into her father’s embrace, silent tears slid down her cheeks.

At that moment, Grandma Qin, hearing her grandchildren’s cries from inside the house, wondered what was going on and tried to get up to check.

But before she could, the people outside had already come in.

Someone immediately knelt before her.

“Mother, your unfilial son Zhihong has come home.”

Zhihong?

Grandma Qin looked closely. Wasn’t this her only son, Qin Zhihong, who had been away for nine years?

And…

She also saw her daughter-in-law, Du Lan, following behind.

“Mother…” Du Lan called out.

Grandma Qin burst into tears, slapping Qin Zhihong on the shoulder. “You’re finally back, you’re finally back…”

“Do you know, I once thought I’d never live to see you come home?”

“Mother, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“I’ve lived long enough, but if I died before you came back, what would happen to Tian and Qingqing?”

“I really worried, worried so much I didn’t dare to go, just kept holding on.”

“Luckily, Little Gu showed up.”

Du Lan nodded quickly. “Yes, we really need to thank Dr. Gu.”

“Mother, I’m sorry. I’ve let you and the kids down.”

“Now that you’re back, are you going to leave again?”

Qin Zhihong shook his head quickly. “No, we’re not leaving. We’ve finished our mission. From now on, our family will never be apart again.”

Finally, a look of relief appeared on Grandma Qin’s face. “Good, don’t leave again, don’t leave again.”

In the end, Grandma Qin and Qin Zhihong hugged each other tightly, mother and son sobbing together.

Qin Zhihong knew that over these years, both his mother and his two children had suffered a lot.

So, no matter what they said, he and his wife accepted it all.

It was a long time before the family’s emotions finally calmed down.

Then, Grandma Qin asked why they were able to come back now.

Qin Zhihong explained that they had completed their mission.

As for what the mission was, they didn’t say.

But this time, the mission was completed exceptionally well, so they were rewarded.

For example, if they wished, the whole family could move to the capital, Beijing, and get Beijing household registration. They were even given a siheyuan (traditional courtyard house), and both he and his wife were transferred to work at a weapons research institute in Beijing.

“…Mother, we’re planning to move our household registration to Beijing and settle there.”

“Beijing is the capital of our country, always at the forefront of development.”

“Plus, we can transfer to work there, and Tian and Qingqing can become Beijing residents, go to school there, and receive a better education.”

Grandma Qin nodded, so that was how it was.

But…

“You just take Tian and Qingqing with you. This old woman won’t go.”

She was just an old lady—she’d only be a burden if she went.

Besides, she’d lived in Qin Family Village her whole life, and the thought of leaving for Beijing made her reluctant.

She knew Beijing was a good place, and it was the best choice for her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren to go."

"**Chapter 238: Qin Zhihong and Du Lan Have the Same Nightmare**

“Mom, you want us and the kids to go to the capital, but you’re not coming? How can we feel at ease leaving you alone here at home?”

“That’s right, Mom, just come with us.”

“Grandma, Qingqing wants to be with Grandma.”

“Xiaotian wants to be with Grandma too.” Qin Tian and Qin Qing each clung to one of Grandma Qin’s arms, looking up at her with eyes full of attachment and dependence.

All these years, with their parents away, they had relied on Grandma for everything.

To them, Grandma was incredibly important, so they didn’t want to be separated from her.

Their meaning was clear: if Grandma Qin insisted on staying in the village, they would stay with her.

Grandma Qin looked at her two obedient grandchildren, stroked their heads lovingly, and finally sighed, “Alright, I’ll go with you.”

Honestly, she just couldn’t say no to them.

To Grandma Qin, her grandchildren were her greatest weakness.

Going to the capital was the best choice for them.

How could she hold them back because of her own feelings?

Alright then, this old lady will go see the nation’s capital too.

“That’s great!” Everyone was overjoyed at Grandma’s agreement.

…

These past two days, the return of Qin Zhihong and Du Lan had set Qin Family Village abuzz.

No one in the village really knew why the couple had left in the first place. Even when they asked Grandma Qin, she only vaguely said it was for work.

But…

In the villagers’ eyes, what kind of job would keep someone away for years with no word at all?

Many suspected that Qin Zhihong and Du Lan had simply run away.

They thought Grandma Qin and the two kids—one old, two young—were too much of a burden, so the couple had abandoned them.

So, rumors like this had been circulating for years.

That’s why Qin Tian would say that other kids told him his parents were never coming back.

It was all because they’d overheard the adults saying such things.

But no one expected that, after nine years away, Qin Zhihong and Du Lan would suddenly return.

And they came back in a jeep, dressed in style.

It was obvious they’d come home in glory.

“Not only did they return in style, I heard from Grandma Qin that they’re taking the whole family to the capital. They’ll be city people now!”

“The capital! That’s Beijing!”

“So they’re becoming city folk overnight. I’m so jealous.”

“I heard the reason Qin Zhihong and Du Lan were gone all these years was to serve the country.”

“Oh, so that’s it.”

“That means they have the nation backing them!”

With this speculation, everyone’s opinion of the Qin family shot up another notch.

People started to wonder if, during the years the couple was gone, they’d ever bullied Grandma Qin or the two kids.

What if Qin Zhihong and Du Lan found out and came for revenge?

At that moment, some children started crying.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“Yeah, what’s there to cry about?”

The kids sobbed, faces full of fear, and confessed how they’d bullied Qin Tian and his sister before.

“Oh my, how could you say such things? How could you bully Qin Tian and his sister?”

“I only said it because you said their parents were never coming back and didn’t want them.”

“So it was you who started it!”

“No, no, it wasn’t me…”

…

As a result, many families in the village shut their doors and didn’t dare go out, afraid of running into Qin Zhihong and Du Lan, or worse, having them come knocking.

Everyone was scared of being targeted for revenge.

“If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said those things. I should’ve helped the Qin family more. Maybe then Qin Zhihong and Du Lan would reward me. Even if I couldn’t become a city person, at least they could help me get a job.”

…

This time, Qin Zhihong and Du Lan only had a month’s leave.

There was a lot to do in that month.

First, they wanted to find out who had helped Qin Tian and the others while they were gone.

Though many in the village had kicked them while they were down, there were also those who had lent a hand.

Some had offered money, some gave food, and others would slip Qin Tian and Qin Qing little treats now and then…

After finding out about these acts of kindness, Qin Zhihong and Du Lan made sure to repay them generously.

They even helped those people out if they were facing difficulties themselves.

Of course, the ones they were most grateful to were Gu Jianing and her husband.

No one knew that, on the night they returned home, Qin Zhihong and Du Lan had the same dream.

A nightmare.

In the dream, Gu Jianing never appeared.

So Qin De’s crimes were never exposed, and he was never caught.

Grandma fell ill with tuberculosis and died.

Qin Tian was sold to human traffickers by Qin De, and soon died as well.

As for Qin Qing…

Qin De, wanting to seize the Qin family house, would never have let her live.

So, when the couple finally returned home in glory, all they found were three graves.

No one knew how much pain Qin Zhihong and Du Lan felt when they woke up.

That night, they recounted their dreams to each other and wept in each other’s arms.

They couldn’t shake the feeling that, without Gu Jianing, their nightmare might have become reality.

Gu Jianing was their family’s savior.

They had to thank her properly.

—

So, Qin Tian went to find Gu Jianing and told her his parents had come back.

He also invited her and Sheng Zexi to dinner at the state-run restaurant.

“So your parents are back? Alright, let’s go,” Gu Jianing agreed.

Looking at Qin Tian, she could tell he was different now that his parents were home.

A child who is loved by their parents always carries a special confidence and spirit.

Qin Tian also told Gu Jianing that their whole family would be moving to the capital soon.

“We’re moving to Beijing. I don’t know if I’ll get to see you again, Sister Gu…” Qin Tian looked at her with reluctance in his eyes.

To Qin Tian, Gu Jianing was like a real sister.

Not just a sister, but a role model!

He wanted to be someone like her when he grew up.

If there was anything he’d miss about leaving the village, it was Gu Jianing.

Gu Jianing smiled, patted his head, and said, “You probably don’t know this, Xiaotian, but my husband—your Brother Sheng—is from Beijing too. We have a house there, so we might move back someday.”

“So, we’ll definitely have the chance to meet again.”

“Really?” Hearing this, Qin Tian’s face lit up, and all his worries melted away."