The two elderly women who had been separated for more than half a century were reunited outside the hospital laboratory.
They held each other and cried.
Their tears were filled with the heartache of the past and the happiness of today as they were reunited.
“Grandmother, Grandaunt has already had her blood extracted. To be sure, we better get a DNA test. We can get the results quickly.”
Old Madame Jing wiped her tears using her six-fingered hand. She said, “Why do we need a DNA test? I know that she is Lianya, my younger sister. Look, the mole on her ear is still there.”
“Grandmother, my grandmother has already had her blood extracted,” Jing Zhichen said. “If you don’t do the test, wouldn’t that be letting Grandmother’s blood be taken for nothing?”
Old Madam Jing slapped her grandson’s head when she heard what Jing Zhichen had said.
“What Grandmother? Call her ‘Grandaunt’.”
Jing Zhichen clutched the spot on his head where his grandmother had hit him. He quickly said gently, “It was a slip of the tongue. Slip of the tongue.”
“Alright. Let’s do a DNA test so that other people won’t have anything to say. I am very happy that we are reunited.”
Old Madame Jing was absolutely delighted.
Ye Tianxin held her grandmother’s arm. Meanwhile, Grandmother stared at her elder sister with teary eyes.
“Elder Brother Li.”
Ye Tianxin saw that Li Qingcang did not follow after them. Li Qingcang stood still at the back.
She heard Li Qingcang talking on the phone. His expression was cold, and he sounded serious.
Ye Tianxin was worried. Was it another phone call again?
Did he have to go again?
Li Qingcang walked toward Ye Tianxin and spoke urgently, “Tianxin, I have to go now. Take care of Grandmother and look for Jing Zhichen if anything comes up.”
“Boss, hang on. I have something to talk to you about.”
Jing Zhichen got Ye Tianxin to take care of the two elderly women while he and Li Qingcang walked to the garden.
“Boss, you know about what happened last night, right? I want to discuss with Grandmother to organize a banquet to acknowledge Tianxin. You and I, we don’t care about Tianxin’s status, but there will be some people who will butter up to those who are powerful and stomp on those beneath. I am afraid that Tianxin will suffer, so I want to acknowledge Tianxin as my younger sister.”
“You do what you think you should. In any case, I don’t want Tianxin to suffer. If anyone upsets her, let me know and I will deal with that person when I come back.”
“Of course, Boss. Be careful.”
A soldier had to follow orders.
When they received orders, they had to leave immediately.
Li Qingcang had to go, but Ye Tianxin could not send him off.
Ye Tianxin could not bear to part with Li Qingcang. It might take days before they could be together again. She wanted to tell him to stay but thought it best not to.
The DNA test was not difficult.
One could get the results in two hours.
While waiting for the results, Grandmother and Old Madame Jing reminisced the days when they were little. Memories came rushing through the sisters.
Old Madame Jing held Grandmother’s hand and recounted, “I remember that we used to live in a traditional Chinese compound. There was a bamboo forest at the back of the house and there was a large patch of golden canola flowers at the front. I kept dreaming about going back to our old home all these years.”
“The house is gone. When we went back, the building was not liveable anymore. Mother and Father left me with another family before they died, and I stayed with that family until today. Our town constructed a reservoir a few years ago, and our home has already been flooded.”
A twang of pain hit Old Madame Jing’s heart. “It’s alright… It’s alright even if our old home is gone. You are still here, and so am I. This is a gift from the heavens.”