Rebirth Counterattack with Space
Chapter 236 - 228 Change of Name

Chapter 236: Chapter 228 Change of Name

Shitou slowly began his story from the time when his father was still alive, recounting the personal experiences of how they met, fell in love, and finally united, as well as the multiple occasions when his father spoke of the strong and righteous help they received from the second uncle of Yushu Village, who was the secretary of the village’s party committee at the time.

What left the deepest impression on his father was that the second uncle did not discriminate against them for being outsiders, but instead looked after his father, this "foreigner," even more.

...

"Father probably knew his body was failing him, so he didn’t care that I was still young or if I could even understand his words, he just told me all about the past. At first, I didn’t really grasp what he meant, but I remembered every word he said.

He repeatedly instructed me that, if something happened to him, I was to give away our things if people asked for them, as long as I could protect myself from being beaten or starving to death. It didn’t matter if they didn’t give me enough to eat—there was nothing else I could get from the mountains, but the wild vegetables and fruits there could often sustain life.

He took me to identify all the edible wild plants and fruits he knew, and taught me how to cook wild vegetables and how to dry and preserve the excess for staving off hunger in winter.

When he had free time, he deliberately patched the old cotton clothes and quilts with worn cloth on the outside and also divided some money into several parcels wrapped in oil paper, hiding them in places only we knew, as well as hiding packets of salt in small clay pots.

He said having salt to eat would keep me from feeling weak. He also told me about several kind households in the village to remember, saying that if push came to shove, these kind-hearted people would occasionally give me something to eat out of pity for a child of my age.

He said not to fear owing favors. As long as I could survive, I should not forget to repay their kindness after growing up..."

As Shitou spoke, tears could not help but escape his own eyes, and Zhang Min and Ding Luoluo were crying uncontainably. Pei Qingyuan, Pei Shaohua, and Pei Kun were also unable to hold back their tears, almost breaking down and crying aloud.

Pei Shaohua, choked up with emotion, said, "Compared to Big Brother, I was so fortunate to grow up with my parents by my side."

Pei Kun nodded repeatedly. If it had been him, he didn’t know if he would have been able to survive. Yet, his cousin not only had survived, but had also become so successful and outstanding.

Ding Luoluo, being pregnant and easily moved to tears, felt insignificant in her childhood sufferings after hearing what Shitou had to say.

Men do not easily shed tears, only when the sorrow reaches their heart.

Wiping away the tears on his face, Shitou continued to narrate how he later met Lu Aiguo, and how he followed him around until Lu Aiguo’s complicated marriage. He shared the heritage of Lu Yun, Xia Yuan’s sincere acceptance of him, the days in Haicheng... every part he could recount, he did so in detail.

What he had never mentioned to anyone, including Lu Yun, was that initially, many of the pitiful situations he found himself in when Lu Aiguo came across him had been calculated moves. Even though he was young at the time, having lost his dependable father, he matured especially quickly, already understanding how to use Lu Aiguo’s sympathy unscrupulously just to survive.

But even if his initial intentions in approaching Lu Aiguo were "impure," during the years they later relied on each other, he had come to regard Lu Aiguo’s family as his most important family, entirely and truly.

To him, their importance was no less than that of his father, and even the blood relatives present could not compare.

"Grandfather and grandmother, no matter what my status becomes in the future, Xiaoyun will always be my wife and can only be my wife. Nothing and no one can make me give up on her, including life itself," Shitou said with unwavering determination as he looked directly at Pei Qingyuan and Zhang Min, making his resolve clear.

"...Don’t worry."

Zhang Min felt a heartache that words could not express; she could only nod vigorously while tears streamed down her face.

"Our daughter resembles her mother, and a girl raised by such a family must be good. We would be more than pleased to have her as our own; why would we force you to give her up?" Pei Qingyuan said, although pretending to be unmoved was impossible. When the Lu family spoke of their relation to Shitou yesterday, they did not elaborate much on their assistance to him. If Shitou hadn’t spoken up today, they would have remained in the dark.

To form a kinship with such a family was not considered a loss for them in the slightest.

"Shitou, tell grandma, is the component of gratitude or affection that you feel for Xiaoyun a little larger?"

Zhang Min had already accepted the girl who had always behaved with neither arrogance nor inferiority since yesterday, but in the end, she couldn’t resist asking.

"..."

Shitou did not reply, but his face turned red, and he awkwardly avoided her gaze, feeling extremely embarrassed.

As someone who had been through it all, Zhang Min understood very well at the sight of Shitou’s reaction. Her heart was put at ease in an instant, and she smiled through her tears, lovingly patting the back of his hand, "It’s okay, it’s okay, grandma won’t ask anymore."

The others couldn’t help but reveal a smile at this scene.

The result of the paternity test was delivered by Old Zhang in person around eight in the evening. Upon his arrival, Old Zhang was invited into Pei Qingyuan’s study, where the two of them talked behind closed doors for about ten minutes before Old Zhang hurriedly left.

"What’s the result?" Despite being confident that Shitou was their own grandson, Zhang Min still looked forward to a more accurate confirmation, but also feared hearing a different outcome, so her tone was somewhat anxious and uneasy.

Unable to suppress his excitement, Pei Qingyuan nodded solemnly and announced to Zhang Min and everyone present, "The test results are in. Shitou is related to both of us. I will make arrangements, and we will all go to Yushu Village together to... bring back Shitou’s parents... Old Zhang will accompany us, too."

At that time, Old Zhang would also collect hair samples from Shitou’s father’s remains and compare them with their blood samples to reconfirm the parent-child relationship between them.

"Yes, we will... bring them back together..." Zhang Min cried aloud once more, this time her voice was full of sorrow and desolation as she wept for her eldest son whom she had never met.

Pei Qingyuan, Pei Shaohua, Shitou, as well as Pei Kun and Ding Luoluo also couldn’t help shedding tears once again.

Once everyone had somewhat regained their composure, Pei Qingyuan looked toward Shitou, "I’ve given it some thought. From now on, you can change your name to ’Pei Xuan’."