"She is the only daughter of Grandpa and Grandma, and Aunt's mother is Grandpa's second wife." Nian Wenran paused for a moment, "Actually, I should call her Grandma. But Grandpa doesn't allow me to call her that, so I call her Laolao (paternal grandmother)."
"It seems like they have a big conflict."
Nian Wenran nodded: "It's not just a little bit, it's practically irreconcilable."
"Could you elaborate?" Lin An asked cautiously.
It turns out, life is filled with melodrama.
Nian Wenran's Laolao's surname is Li, and she is the only daughter of a small business family, quite spoiled at home. Laolao loves Grandpa Nian dearly, but Grandpa Nian doesn't like her and has always clearly rejected her.
Moreover, Grandpa Nian quickly married someone he liked later on. However, Grandma Nian's health was not very good, and with proper care, she could have lived longer.
But later, she became pregnant, and Grandpa Nian was afraid her body couldn't bear it and didn't want her to have the child. However, she insisted on giving birth, and Grandpa Nian eventually agreed.
Giving birth did indeed take a toll on her health, but with good care, there were no major issues. However, fundamentally, her constitution wasn't strong, and she passed away after a few years.
At that time, Laolao Li happened to be staying in Jiangshi City. Something happened in between; anyway, she had an inappropriate relationship with Grandpa Nian, details of which only Grandpa and Laolao knew.
Initially, Grandpa Nian was furious and sent Laolao back. The two families had some business dealings, but after this incident, relations cooled to an all-time low.
They thought the matter would end like that, but unexpectedly, Laolao Li became pregnant. She kept it a secret from her family and Grandpa Nian for seven or eight months before finally telling them.
Both families had to consider face and the imminent birth of the child, so, in the end, they obtained a marriage certificate.
However, it was only on paper. Grandpa Nian would only see Laolao when it was necessary for the child's affairs. Unable to endure this cold treatment, Laolao Li still refused to divorce.
Aunt had always lived with Laolao, unaware of the grievances between her parents. She only knew that her father was heartless to her mother, who spent her days in tears, lamenting the passing of seasons.
As a result, Aunt's relationship with Grandpa Nian had never been good. After she graduated from high school, she applied to a foreign university and forcefully took her mother abroad, cutting off contact with the Nian family.
Except for Nian Wenran.
Nian Wenran and her Aunt remained in frequent contact, and their relationship was quite good.
The plane finally arrived.
Lin An and Nian Wenran saw the person who came to pick them up as soon as they exited the airport. This person happened to be Nian Wenran's aunt.
"Auntie, over here," Nian Wenran waved to her aunt.
A woman with a strong and assertive demeanor walked towards them.
"Hello," Lin An greeted proactively, extending his hand.
Nian Wenran's aunt shook his hand in return, her tone somewhat cold, "Hello, Nian Aili."
Upon hearing this name, Lin An was momentarily stunned. That name is quite straightforward.
As they chatted about Nian Wenran's experiences during this period, Nian Aili listened attentively and occasionally gave appropriate responses.
After not seeing each other for a long time, there were many topics to discuss.
The group went to Nian Aili's home for a brief rest, and the next day, they attended the memorial service.
After the memorial service, Lin An and Nian Wenran stayed at the aunt's house to help organize Laolao Li's belongings.
During this time, Nian Wenran mentioned a few times that she wanted her aunt to return to the country. However, she was interrupted by this clever woman, who skillfully shifted the conversation to unrelated topics, diverting Nian Wenran's attention.
Grandfather Nian secretly contacted Lin An to inquire about his youngest daughter's news. He didn't contact Nian Wenran mainly because he was afraid she would immediately go and tell Nian Aili that he was inquiring about her.
In short, things were quite awkward.
After sharing what he knew with the old man, Lin An curiously asked, "Grandpa Nian, why don't you consider having your aunt inherit the family business?"
After all, in the past few days, Lin An had heard Nian Wenran praise this all-around rainbow fart quite a bit.
Grandpa Nian sighed, "She doesn't think much of the business of this old man."
Tsk tsk, the resentment was practically overflowing from the screen.
After chatting briefly with Grandpa Nian, Lin An ended the conversation. The conflicts between these two seemed to deepen with misunderstandings, the passage of time, and Laolao Li's passing.
Lin An didn't really want to get involved; after all, it was a matter between father and daughter.
But...
"Brother Lin An~, please, help me think of a solution." Nian Wenran shook Lin An's arm and acted coquettishly.
"You... "
"Please, pretty please~"
Who could resist their girlfriend's cute act?
"I'll think of a solution for you," Lin An nodded, agreeing, "But I have to warn you, my method is a bit simple and direct. Listen and see if you agree."
Nian Wenran nodded, listening attentively to Lin An's proposed solution.
"So, can the problem really be solved so easily?" Nian Wenran was somewhat surprised.
"I don't know," Lin An shook his head, "You have to try it to find out."
"Then go ahead and try it...?" Nian Wenran said somewhat uncertainly.
Lin An and Nian Wenran came to the door of her aunt's study.
Lin An raised his hand and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Lin An gestured with his eyes to signal Nian Wenran that he was going in, and Nian Wenran clenched her fist, giving Lin An a gesture of encouragement.
In the study.
Nian Aili looked up at the person who entered, "Why is it you?"
"Auntie, I wanted to talk to you about something."
***
Outside the door, Nian Wenran was anxious, fearing that she would hear an argument inside. Although the study had good sound insulation, she might not necessarily hear if there was one.
After a long time, the study door opened. Lin An and the somewhat dazed aunt walked out.
Nian Wenran was a bit worried and wanted to inquire about her aunt's condition, but Lin An held her back.
"Let her be alone for a while," Lin An shook his head, leading Nian Wenran to the living room.
"Auntie, what's wrong?"
"Probably her worldview collapsed after learning the truth, which was completely opposite to what she believed." Lin An recalled the disbelieving expression on her aunt's face when he told her about the grievances between the elders.
Nian Wenran was somewhat uneasy; she was afraid her aunt couldn't handle it, especially since her aunt always viewed Laolao as a pitiable person. Her aunt didn't know about the things Laolao did in the past.
"Don't worry," Lin An patted Nian Wenran's head, "She'll get through it. She's stronger than we imagine. In a while, you can go and keep her company."
"Okay."
These days, Nian Wenran didn't do much else; basically, wherever her aunt went, she followed.
Initially, Nian Aili didn't believe Lin An's words, but the things Lin An mentioned were not false, and she could confirm them with a little investigation if she wanted to.
She had actually sensed some clues, but she didn't want to delve into them and even subconsciously ignored those things.
Although she now knew the truth, Nian Aili couldn't accept it immediately.
However, she wasn't as resistant to the idea of returning to China as she had been before.
In the end, the two of them couldn't persuade her aunt to return to China. However, her aunt obviously wasn't as resistant as before, which could be considered a significant improvement.
Originally, they agreed to keep this matter a secret from Grandpa Nian, but Grandpa Nian knew his granddaughter too well. With little effort, he extracted the truth from her.
They received a good scolding.
Although they had good intentions and were doing a good thing, exposing the parents' secrets was still somewhat inappropriate for the two younger generations.
Nevertheless, enduring a scolding was nothing compared to easing Grandpa Nian's worries.
After returning to China, the two continued their planned journey exploring the beauty of their homeland.
They had a great time. Although there were some tired moments during the journey, it was relatively easy for the two who were not short of money to overcome these minor difficulties.
This trip was destined to have its twists and turns. Just as Lin An and Nian Wenran were planning to continue heading south, they received a call from the authorities.
The reason was that Suo Guanshan's work had sparked considerable discussion in the country, enhancing the fame of Xiangshan Star Orchid.
Jiangshi City had always intended to choose a city flower, but they had been unable to find a flower that was unique and symbolically representative.
Xiangshan Star Orchid happened to catch the attention of the authorities this time.
However, there were also many opposing voices, considering the difficulty in cultivating Xiangshan Star Orchid. Even though only two plants were found in Jiangshi City, research showed that expanding cultivation was challenging.
The key question was whether it could be successfully cultivated, given that this was originally an extinct plant.
Although the Jiangshi City authorities were not short of money, they couldn't simply gamble with a significant amount of funds on an uncertain venture.
Originally, they had given up on the idea, but after Suo Guanshan won an award, his grandfather exerted considerable effort to boost his reputation. Therefore, Suo Guanshan's recent fame in the domestic jade carving world was quite significant.
In addition, the endangered and nearly extinct status of Xiangshan Star Orchid, combined with its high aesthetic appeal, sparked heated discussions.
Originally, Lin An had nothing to do with this matter. However, during a certain meeting, someone mentioned Lin An's discovery of Xiangshan Star Orchid and his successful cultivation of the failed product, Rouge Snow.
People thought that Lin An was somewhat capable. If he were to take on the task of cultivating Xiangshan Star Orchid, there might be unexpected gains.
Although some consider this plan too risky, more were in favor than against.
Thus, while Lin An was on his trip, he received an official invitation call.
After careful consideration, Lin An decided to accept the task.
Not for anything else, but if he could complete this task successfully, the path for his future farm would be much smoother.
After all, doing business with a big company was not as stable as doing business with the government. Especially if he successfully completed this task, Lin An felt that he could lie down comfortably in the future without worrying about market demand.
Although Lin An originally wasn't worried, earning money more comfortably was also one of his pursuits.
Lin An told Nian Wenran about this, feeling guilty for not completing their original travel plan.
"The original goal was not to complete this plan but to go to more places with you, leaving behind beautiful memories. The focus is on you," Nian Wenran responded with a smile.
Lin An held Nian Wenran, feeling an unstoppable wave of emotion. What to do when your girlfriend is so considerate and sweet-tongued?
Of course, marry her, sir.
The two packed their bags and prepared to return home. Nian Wenran briefly explained this to her aunt abroad and her grandfather in the distance.
Her grandfather expressed heartfelt distress, grumbling about this young rascal, who was wholly devoted to farming.
The aunt congratulated Lin An on his career entering the Chinese New Year.
Apart from sharing these details with her aunt, Nian Wenran, as usual, tried to persuade her aunt to return to China.
Thinking that her aunt would refuse as she had done before, Nian Wenran was surprised when her aunt agreed this time.
"Auntie, did I hear it right?" Nian Wenran asked uncertainty.
"You heard it right. I plan to return to China," her aunt's tone, though somewhat indifferent, was assertive.
"That's great!" Nian Wenran exclaimed happily, "I'll go tell Grandpa right away."
She realized she misspoke only after saying it, but her aunt didn't say anything. Nian Wenran suppressed her inner joy, exchanged a few casual words with her aunt, and then hung up the phone.
On the other side, Lin An naturally overheard their conversation. It seemed that Grandpa Nian had finally found a successor to his liking.
Lin An rubbed his chin, contemplating.
Auntie handles the company, Nian Nian pursues her art, and I continue my cultivation business. The old man is also happy—perfect!
A family of four, all with bright futures ahead.