Chapter 713 - 616: It’s Not Too Late
Chapter 713: Chapter 616: It’s Not Too Late
The next day, Grandma Hao and her "old friend" drove over to meet everyone. Watching how gentle and considerate the man was with Grandma Hao, and seeing their effortless rapport, Xiao Man realized she and her two little brothers might soon have a new grandpa.
Sure enough, her mother confirmed it on the way.
This old friend, Cheng Muniang—a gentle, refined man with an exceptional air—had been Grandma Hao’s senior in school and her neighbor. Back in the day, he had adored her, but because he was three years older, she had only ever seen him as a trustworthy older brother to rely on. Cheng Muniang himself was proper, polite, and mild-mannered. He figured he would take things slow. ’I’ve already given her my heart,’ he thought. ’My feelings are here to stay. If I cherish her and stay by her side, she’ll eventually see it.’
But he never, ever expected someone like Ai Baoguo to appear. A young, dashing military officer in full uniform, Ai Baoguo was the very picture of a hero from a young girl’s dreams. Furthermore, Ai Baoguo hid a previous marriage in his pursuit of a new, beautiful wife. His courtship was swift and intense, domineering and forceful. How could Cheng Muniang possibly compete? By the time he finally decided to confess his feelings to Hao Hueling, hoping for a fair chance, it was already too late—Old Master Hao had accepted Ai Baoguo’s proposal!
Cheng Muniang watched helplessly as Hao Hueling married another man. Heartbroken and demoralized, he spent a long time drifting aimlessly, unsure of his purpose in life. His family soon took him to Xiangjiang and then sent him abroad to study and take his mind off things. Because his entire family had settled in Xiangjiang, he eventually returned to teach at Xiangjiang University, burying himself in his studies. He never married.
After Hao Hueling retired, she developed a passion for traveling. Last year, at a certain scenic area, she met several tourists from Xiangjiang. They hit it off and decided to travel together for a while, inevitably taking some group photos. One of those tourists happened to be an acquaintance of Cheng Muniang’s. He saw the photos by chance and asked for the woman’s name. After so many years, he couldn’t be certain that the Hao Hueling in the photo was the one he had loved, but once those long-suppressed feelings were stirred, they were impossible to ignore. Cheng Muniang felt that at his age, he would die with regrets if he didn’t see her one last time. And so, he came back.
He first came before the Lunar New Year. After he and Grandma Hao met and reconnected, they spent the holiday together. Grandma Hao kept it a secret from everyone at the time. She told her sister not to bother her, excused her daughter and son-in-law from their traditional New Year’s visit, and even gave her most beloved grandchildren the cold shoulder. It wasn’t until Cheng Muniang returned to Xiangjiang on the eighth day of the new year that Grandma Hao, no longer able to fend off Auntie Hao’s constant prying, finally confessed.
Cheng Muniang visited twice more after that, and both Auntie Hao and Hao Wenli met him. But Grandma Hao kept him hidden away as if he were a precious secret, and no one knew why. Today, however, Grandma Hao was finally letting him be seen. Xiao Man guessed it was because Cheng Muniang had wrapped up his business in Xiangjiang and they were ready to announce something important.
Xiao Man sighed. "I can’t believe it. All I did was spend the New Year away from Beijing, and so much happened. But I really love this news about Grandma Hao. That Cheng Muniang seems great. He’s a scholar of traditional Chinese studies, which is so impressive! Are they going to have a wedding? I have a gift for them!"
Hao Wenli let out a laugh as she frantically tried to wrangle the restless twins, who were squirming and crawling everywhere. Tang Qingshan, focused on his driving, didn’t join his wife and daughter’s conversation, but he heard it all and couldn’t help but smile. "Listen to you, worrying about everything," he chuckled. "When it comes to gifts, Mom and I have it covered. You kids just need to tag along."
Hao Wenli said, "Manman, you’ve already given Grandma the most precious gift of all—the special herbal bath tonics and nourishing health balms you make for her. Look how radiant she’s been these past two years! She looks younger all the time, and she’s more agile than I am. She even says she feels like she’s young again and wants to live her life all over from the start! Haha, your grandma is hilarious! You have to keep giving her that gift, though. At least keep her looking this good until she’s seventy. Right now, she’s most thrilled about not having to dye her hair anymore!"
Xiao Man agreed readily. "No problem! I’ll do my best to make Grandma younger and younger. Let’s turn her into an old demon!"
Hao Wenli and Tang Qingshan burst into laughter. The two adorable little ones, not knowing what their parents found so funny, started shouting and giggling along. The car sped steadily down the straight asphalt road, its path marked by a trail of happiness.
The weather was clear, and since it was a holiday, West Mountain was packed with visitors. They came in large groups, calling out to friends, and there were also many families like Xiao Man’s, with elders and children enjoying an outing together. The air buzzed with lively chatter. When Gu Shaoying got out of the car and saw the bustling scene, she was overjoyed. She started calling out to everyone in a high-pitched voice, and if someone didn’t answer, she would just call their name a few more times, as tireless as a little sparrow. This inspired one of the Tang family’s two little ones to join in the fun, shouting along with her. In an instant, their group became the loudest one there, causing people nearby to turn and stare.
Tang Haofang was the type of kid who thrived on an audience, and it wasn’t often he got to go out and exercise his lungs. Xiao Man decided not to intervene, letting him and Gu Shaoying continue their "duet." Gu Shaoqin was exasperated, unable to rein in his treasured little sister. Gu Qifan, however, doted on his daughter and refused to stifle her happiness. He just chuckled and said, "Look how smart my daughter is. She knows to do a roll call. What would we do if one of you got left behind?"
Unexpectedly, his comment prompted two of the larger groups nearby to actually stop and earnestly conduct a roll call to make sure they hadn’t left anyone behind!
There were many paths up the mountain, each leading to a different scenic spot. Those who had been before knew which areas had the best views, while others made a point of choosing a different route than last time. Tang Qingshan, Gu Qifan, and Hao Wenli were all very familiar with the West Mountain Scenic Area, but this time, it was Cheng Muniang who volunteered to lead the way. He promised to take them to a beautiful vista everyone would love, remarking wistfully, "Back in our youth, we came here all the time. There wasn’t a single spot on or around this mountain we didn’t know!"
Xiao Man stood next to Grandma Hao, watching the pair exchange a knowing smile. She could imagine their distant but vivid memories, full of romance and beautiful moments. It wasn’t that they hadn’t cherished that time; they had simply been too young to understand how fleeting it all was.
Fortunately, it wasn’t too late.
Cheng Muniang led the group up a secluded path. They came to a steep, narrow flight of stone steps, which only Grandma Hao and Jiang Yuyan needed help ascending. The rest of the group climbed it with ease. At the top of the stairs, the scenery suddenly opened up to reveal a flat, grassy meadow halfway up the mountain. The lush green grass was dense and soft, and the meadow was encircled by verdant maple forests and rugged mountain ridges. A little way off, there was an orchard of fruit-laden trees, which turned out to be peach trees on closer inspection.
Cheng Muniang looked at Grandma Hao and smiled. "Do you remember? The first time we came here, the peach blossoms were so beautiful!"
A nostalgic look crossed Grandma Hao’s face. "Of course, I remember. It’s been over thirty years. I can’t believe this peach orchard is still here."
"The orchard is the same, and the people... they are, too!"
Xiao Man silently stepped back. Now that they had arrived, she figured it was best to give Grandma Hao some space. It would save her from the constant public displays of affection.