When Second Grandfather asked this, Jiang Cheng was startled, and then a faint awkwardness surfaced on his face.
He winked playfully and said with a grin, "Not exactly—but I could get Mom and Dad to give me a little brother or sister. After all, you're both retired, so you could take turns babysitting and kill the boredom."
The moment the words left his mouth, Li Yan beside him flushed scarlet; she stared wide-eyed at Jiang Cheng.
She raised a hand high and, without mercy, brought it down in a light swat on Jiang Cheng, scolding, "You naughty child, you must be itching for a spanking."
Yet Jiang Cheng's remark cracked through the room like a bolt of lightning, shattering the oppressive atmosphere.
In an instant the whole scene seemed to come alive.
Even Jiang Chenghong, who had been wearing a gloomy, downcast expression, couldn't help breaking into a smile, his mood lifting at once.
Looking at Jiang Cheng with fond eyes, he said, "Standing there with your mother, you really do resemble her—no wonder you're so handsome."
On any other day, Jiang Jianmin would have argued back at that.
But right now his mind was fixed on facing his father; he had no attention to spare for jokes.
At this moment Jiang Jianmin's steps were hesitant, as though every footfall carried a thousand-pound weight.
At last he lifted his foot and cautiously stepped through the gate.
Yet the instant he crossed the threshold, his feet seemed bound by an invisible spell and stopped dead.
His hands clutched the doorframe so hard his knuckles whitened, as though he might crush the wood in the next second.
Several seconds passed before Jiang Jianmin drew a deep breath, mustered every ounce of courage, and lifted his foot again.
Following the twisting, serpentine path, Jiang Cheng trailed the others at an unhurried pace.
From the moment he set foot in the courtyard, Jiang Jianmin's eyes swept across the vast grounds.
His gaze brushed over every blade of grass, every tree, missing nothing, each glance steeped in nostalgia.
Finally, as he reached the front of the main hall, a heartbreakingly familiar figure came into view.
In that instant Jiang Jianmin's body shuddered; his hurried steps came to an involuntary halt.
His eyes shot toward Great-Grandfather like twin bolts of lightning.
When their gazes met, time seemed to freeze; he was jolted as if struck by lightning.
The Great-Grandfather before him was no longer the man he remembered.
The once jet-black hair was now snowy white.
Years had ruthlessly carved deep, criss-crossing lines into that weather-beaten face; every wrinkle told of hardship.
Especially the forehead, dense with creases like cracks in parched earth.
And that once straight-backed, heroic figure now stooped slightly.
Seeing him, Jiang Jianmin's emotions surged; an indescribable bitterness rushed to his nose.
Fighting back his feelings, he rasped hoarsely, "Dad…"
Hearing this, Great-Grandfather's body quivered; disbelief flashed across his face.
But in the next instant his eyes reddened, tears pooling, ready to spill.
His lips trembled, wanting to answer yet not knowing where to begin.
That familiar yet strange call slammed into his heart like a hammer, stirring a thousand waves.
At this moment Great-Grandfather's heart was a tangle of longing and struggle.
He yearned to rush forward and wrap Jiang Jianmin in a long-lost embrace.
But memories of their fierce quarrels and long, stubborn silences flashed through his mind.
Those memories formed invisible chasms between father and son.
They nailed his feet in place; he could not lift them.
He feared that one careless word might cost him everything again.
The three behind him kept silent.
Li Yan stood quietly to the side, witnessing the moving scene.
Her eyes reddened, glistening tears finally slipping down her cheeks.
After a pause she drew a breath and called, "Dad, we're home."
Though soft, her voice rang clear in the hush.
A few seconds later Great-Grandfather's cracked lips quivered.
Hoarse with emotion and thick with tears, he forced each word from his throat: "Back… back is good, back is good…"
In that instant Jiang Jianmin's and Great-Grandfather's eyes locked.
The air seemed to solidify; everything stood still.
Only their deep, affectionate gazes intertwined, speaking of years of longing, worry, and unspoken pain.
They stared at each other in silence; a thousand words passed without a sound.
Unspoken feelings turned into warm currents carried by their eyes to the softest corners of each other's hearts.
Jiang Jianmin's surging emotions burst their dam; he could no longer hold them back.
He strode forward, rushed to Great-Grandfather, and opened his arms, hugging him tightly.
The instant their bodies touched, years of pent-up emotion erupted like a volcano.
Jiang Jianmin's chest heaved; his breath caught.
Tears streamed from his eyes and soaked Great-Grandfather's shoulder.
"Dad, I'm home!" he repeated again and again.
Each time his voice shook more, the longing and remorse within it growing heavier… Seeing Great-Grandfather overwhelmed, Jiang Chenghong said worriedly, "Big brother, no more tears. The children are back; we should be happy."
With that, Second Grandfather beamed and waved everyone in.
"Don't stand around. Knowing you were coming, big brother spent the whole day preparing; the pot's already on. Come inside—it's warm."
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng looked nostalgic, smacking his lips. "Really? I've been dreaming of Grandpa's good food every day since we left; my stomach's rumbling right now."
Before he finished, Great-Grandfather stepped forward beaming, seized Jiang Cheng's hands.
"Oh
my good grandson
I remember everything you love—it
s all ready."