On this day, Lu Yichen and Luo Qiao specially took leave to accompany their two daughters to enroll at school.
Once inside the campus, a teacher with a megaphone was reminding parents and new students to line up according to the class lists posted up front. Shortly, the homeroom teachers would call roll and then lead the students back to their respective classrooms.
Yanyan and Yueyue were very excited and quickly became familiar with the students lined up in front and behind them. Seeing their daughters’ behavior, the couple exchanged a smile and felt reassured.
As time passed, the homeroom teachers finished calling roll and took the students back to the classrooms. Parents were also allowed to visit the classrooms today.
Yanyan and Yueyue were assigned to Class 2 of the first grade; their classroom was the second one down the hallway on the second floor. This row of ten classrooms all belonged to the first-grade classes.
Looking at the classroom’s bulletin board, it was clear that the homeroom teacher had put in a lot of effort. After the students introduced themselves, new books were distributed. The teacher said that school would be dismissed in the afternoon, reminded everyone to cover their books with protective covers at home, and not to be late for school tomorrow before declaring school was out.
From then on, Yanyan and Yueyue began their colorful life as elementary school students.
******
Stone was already a senior at the Lu* Army* Armored* Force* Academy and had received a notification to intern with a unit, requiring the cadets to join in the daily work and training of the unit.
Sitting in the car, Stone was preoccupied, his mind returning to a scene from the street a few days ago, which bothered him.
Before returning to school, his aunt Gu Qianru insisted on dragging him to buy some clothes. He said that the unit would issue clothing from inside out, and there was no need, but Aunt Qianru wouldn’t listen.
Fearing that his aunt couldn’t control herself once she started shopping, he took the initiative to volunteer, suggesting he and Taifeng could go by themselves. On such a hot day, it was best for his aunt not to run around outside anymore.
He never expected to run into Old Lady Ning at the department store.
In front of so many people, Old Lady Ning grabbed his hand and wouldn’t let go, continuously calling him her good grandson, which really annoyed him.
He initially wanted to shake her off, but with so many people looking and pointing, he didn’t want to cause any scenes or accidents with this older person.
Eventually, even the police station was alerted.
At the police station, regardless of what Old Lady Ning said, Stone remained unyielding.
Seeing that Stone was unfazed, Old Lady Ning called Ning Ziping over.
The moment Ning Ziping saw Stone, he felt certain this was his son Ning Ziping. He grasped Stone’s hand, somewhat excitedly, "Stone, oh no, Zheng Lei, I am your father."
Stone felt disgusted and immediately shook off his hand: "Whose father are you?"
Ning Ziping said, feeling somewhat guilty: "Don’t you remember your father? When you were young, your father often took you to play in the creek, and we’d go up the mountain. Once, you fell into the pool halfway up the mountain, and it was your father who went down to save you."
Stone sneered: "So what if I remember, just with these few words you expect me to acknowledge you? Where were you when I was driven out of my uncle’s house? Didn’t you all insist on not recognizing me then? What’s this charade now?"
Ning Ziping grew anxious: "Zheng Lei, I indeed wronged you, but back then, it was your mother who wanted to keep you by her side; I had no choice."
Stone suddenly laughed out loud: "You really dare to say it. What about later then? When the brigade called you all, whether it was you or the Ning family, none of you acknowledged me. What does this mean now?"
Ning Ziping didn’t expect his son to remember these things and reached out to grab Stone’s clothes: "Son, listen to me, let me explain."
Stone coldly ’huh’ed: "Then explain, I want to hear what lies you can come up with?"
Ning Ziping coughed softly: "Zheng Lei, at the time, your aunt was unwell, I was afraid that bringing you back might upset her, I was thinking of finding a chance to bring you back later.
Moreover, I did indeed go back to Qingshan Village to fetch you, you can call and ask the villagers if you don’t believe me, I really didn’t lie, and I’ve been looking for you these past few years.
Later your grandmother said she encountered a child who looked like me in Capital City, we even went to the police station, hoping the police could help check your information, but there was no news at all, really, every word I’ve said is true."