Chapter 2102: Chapter 2062: Relatives
The saying goes, ’First generation close, second generation distant, third generation blurred.’ Because Ye Weidong is an only child, with no siblings, and he spends most of his time here in Jinling, there’s really nothing left in the old home except an old house, a few plots of farmland, and hillside.
In fact, Ye Weidong knows that his father’s generation, or Ye Qiu’s grandfather, might have had some real familial ties, like his uncles and such.
For instance, among Ye Weidong’s uncles, the oldest is already eighty or ninety years old, while the youngest is over sixty. Additionally, the aunts who got married off should be seventy or eighty at the oldest, and fifty or sixty at the youngest.
Anyway, they seldom meet.
In the past, when Ye Weidong and his wife worked at the textile factory, which was state-owned, his cousins of the same generation really envied him for living in a big city.
However, later they found out that Ye Weidong and his wife had an ordinary life, so it wasn’t anything special.
But last year, suddenly, it was like Ye Weidong had made it big.
He bought a mansion worth over a hundred million; they had luxury cars at home, and his son was the top scorer in the college entrance exam for Jiangnan Province. At that time, Ye Weidong was even more distinct from the Ye family folks back in the old home.
Moreover, what made the biggest difference was that the contractor Ye Fugui and others here in Jinling knew very well how impressive Ye Weidong and his son were.
"Dad, when we moved into the new house last year, didn’t we invite a lot of villagers for the housewarming banquet?"
"Yes, they came."
That time, indeed, quite a few villagers were brought over by bus.
However, while dining at the hotel, they almost got poisoned.
Ye Qiu remembered this incident vividly.
"Actually, it was only after that event that the villagers started to change their impression of me."
"Dad, what about this time?"
"This time, when I go back, I have to make a big deal out of it."
"A big deal? What are you up to, old man?" Chen Fang asked.
She knew that Ye Qiu disliked making a big deal out of things.
Moreover, she knew it was wise not to flaunt wealth.
She couldn’t understand why Ye Weidong would make such a fuss—wasn’t he afraid people would get jealous and cause trouble?
"You long-haired person, what do you understand?"
"Ye Qiu, look at your father’s attitude," Chen Fang said, looking at Ye Qiu.
"Mom, just let dad do what he wants. There aren’t many chances to shine in life. If wealth doesn’t return home, it’s like wearing fine clothes at night."
"Yes, that’s exactly right, Ye Qiu. I’ve been overcautious for forty years, and this time I must make a good show for Ye Qiu’s grandfather’s honor."
"But isn’t Ye Qiu’s grandfather long gone?"
"He’s not around anymore, but as his son, if I couldn’t honor him in life, having his spirit feel some pride now is also a form of filial piety."
"I don’t know what you’re up to," said Chen Fang.
Both Ye Qiu’s grandparents in the old home are no longer around, but Ye Weidong’s uncles and those cousins should still be there.
And this time, Ye Weidong intends to make it big, so that Ye Qiu will be recognized in the Ye family.
He knows he can’t compare with the Ye family in the Capital City.
But there is no other way now.
Therefore, when he said Chen Fang was just a long-haired person who wouldn’t understand.
"Ye Qiu, this time I want to gather all the relatives of your grandfather’s generation."
"Dad, just do as you like."
"That’s fine."
As the thought kept running through his mind, Ye Weidong grew more and more excited. When he was about to return with the family tree, Ye Qiu was pulling Chen Fang aside, and Chen Fang sat next to him and asked, "Ye Qiu, are you really going to let your dad make a mess?"
"Mom, it’s a common sentiment, very normal. Dad’s condition has much improved compared to before. In the past, I really wouldn’t have believed it."
Initially, indeed, Ye Weidong was quite puffed up.
But now his condition has improved significantly.
As for Ye Weidong making a grand return to the old home, Ye Qiu thinks it’s quite normal too.
As the saying goes, fallen leaves return to their roots. He thinks when Ye Weidong and his wife reach their sixties or seventies, they might want to return to the old home to live.
Right now, they don’t want to return because they’re still young.
But as they age, their mindset will change.
Ye Qiu does not acknowledge the Ye family in the Capital City, not now, not in the future.
As someone who inherited this body, he knows he must recognize Ye Weidong and his wife’s old home.
"Mom, why haven’t I heard of Grandpa and Grandma?"
"Grandpa and Grandma?" Chen Fang was surprised Ye Qiu would ask this.
Actually, back in the day, Ye Weidong and Chen Fang both worked at the textile factory, in two different departments. They only met a few times before they fell for each other.
Ye Weidong loved Chen Fang, and Chen Fang liked Ye Weidong as well.
But Ye Weidong’s old home was in the countryside, and back then he didn’t have Jinling’s household registration. It was only after moving into the old textile factory community that he transferred his registration here.
Chen Fang was different.
Although Chen Fang was also a worker at the textile factory, her parents had a Jinling household registration.
In other words, they belonged to a big city’s household registration.
In the past, there was a significant gap between big city and rural household registrations, so Chen Fang’s parents didn’t approve of the two being together, thinking they weren’t a suitable match.
They also arranged several matchmaking dates for Chen Fang, but she never went; instead, she stayed with Ye Weidong, and eventually they secretly had physical relations and got pregnant with Ye Xue.
Even at that time, Chen Fang’s parents and family didn’t approve, so few people from her family were around.
Later, when Ye Xue contracted polio, Chen Fang’s relatives criticized her for marrying Ye Weidong and giving birth to a disabled daughter. They rarely visited over those years.
Ye Weidong himself was stubborn and didn’t want to visit. It was only Chen Fang who occasionally went back to see her parents.
It was only last year, when everything turned around for Ye Qiu’s family, that Chen Fang’s relatives began to warm up considerably.
When Ye Qiu asked about his grandparents now, Chen Fang couldn’t help but reflect on the past and, feeling a little emotional, she hugged Ye Qiu.
If not for Ye Qiu, every time Chen Fang visited her parents, they probably wouldn’t have shown her any kind looks. But now it was completely different.
So, Chen Fang sometimes thinks fate is truly determined.
The fortune-teller said she would have a fortunate life with Ye Weidong, and unexpectedly, it turned out to be true.
"Ye Qiu, as for your grandparents, Mom always visited alone; we didn’t usually keep in touch with them." Since she was little, due to polio causing her to walk abnormally, Ye Xue was ridiculed by her cousins countless times.
Last year, when they moved into the new house, Chen Fang informed her parents—Ye Qiu’s grandparents—but they were too embarrassed to come over.
