Qiu Hualan wanted to take Hua Hua home, but Li Liangâs mother disagreed. In the end, the police, having no other option, let the child make the decision. Seeing that neither family objected, the police had a plan. In fact, this matter was simple; it mainly depended on what the child said.
Hua Hua looked left and right, unsure of whom to choose. Actually, in this home, this Grandpa and Grandma treated him quite well. Whatever he said, they would satisfy him. Except for the absence of Mom by his side, everything else was fine. The suddenly appearing Grandma also seemed to care for him a lot. In kindergarten, there were also classmates whose grandpas and grandmas picked them up, treating them very well too.
After much thought, he didnât want to leave anyone.
Seeing this, the police took him aside and asked him for quite a while. Eventually, they came up with a solution, which was that the child would stay at Grandmaâs house from Monday to Friday and go to Grandmaâs house on Sundays.
If so, Li Liangâs parents had no objection. After all, she was the childâs Grandma, and it was right to visit frequently.
But Qiu Hualan disagreed. Li Liang treated her daughter so poorly back then, and she hadnât avenged that yet. How could she let her grandson live with that family? She didnât understand how Li Liang could treat her daughter like that, and why Ah Qing got involved with him, and now the child was actually Li Liangâs.
Qiu Hualan was conflicted for a moment.
Li Liangâs father, who knew some of the backstory, understood that his son got involved with her daughter when they were in school, which led to Ye Qing being expelled. Li Liangâs father assumed Qiu Hualan harbored resentment toward them because of this incident. He quickly tried to persuade her, saying, "Grandma, itâs true that my son made mistakes before, but heâs no longer here. Let the past be the past. We need to look to the future for those who are left behind and need to live. We never wanted things to turn out like this. But facts are facts, and we must learn to face them. Now the child has no father, and the mother has become like this. Itâs up to us elders to raise the child properly, donât you think thatâs right?"
"Yes, yes indeed. Our two families should strive for the little one. Hua Hua is still young and needs our care. Donât you agree, in-law?" Li Liangâs mother didnât want to argue either; having more relatives is like having more roads. Besides, she was Hua Huaâs Grandma, and they didnât want Hua Hua to have only one relative.
"Hmph, Iâm telling you, Iâll never forgive the things your son did to my daughter. As for Hua Hua, I disagree with what the police said. Why should the child only come to my house every Sunday? Was it easy for me to raise him to this age?"
"So, in-law, what do you propose?"
"The child stays with me for half a year and with you for the other half. If we want to see the child, we can visit on Sundays. Otherwise, I wonât agree to let you take Hua Hua away."
"This... this isnât reasonable. The child has to go to school too. We canât keep moving him back and forth like this." Li Liangâs mother disagreed with this plan, and Qiu Hualan didnât either.
When Du Guangjun and Li Liangâs father discussed, they found that they lived quite close to each other, and the childâs school was situated between their homes.
After discussing from all sides, it was suggested to switch weeks or months.
Only then did Qiu Hualan reluctantly agree. The four of them met and got to know each other through the conflict. As they left, they found a restaurant and discussed the childâs affairs while eating.
Today, to prove their innocence, Li Liangâs father handed a letter to the police. It mentioned the issue of eighty thousand yuan, which Qiu Hualan heard clearly.
That money was left by her daughter for Hua Hua. Qiu Hualanâs intention was that the elders couldnât touch it; it had to be reserved for Hua Hua. Since Hua Hua was coming to their house, Qiu Hualan wanted half of it.
Upon hearing this, Li Liangâs mother disagreed and firmly held onto the money. "Grandma, we are Hua Huaâs closest kin. To be frank, youâre just Hua Huaâs Grandma. In the future, when Hua Hua gets married and has children, itâll all be at our home."
Knowing that money could easily lead to arguments, Du Guangjun proposed a plan, "Weâll only use the money for Hua Huaâs schooling, marriage, and major events. For regular expenses like buying clothes, minor illnesses, things we can afford ourselves, letâs not use the money. Even if thereâs a difficulty and we have to use it, we need to discuss it, keep track of how much we use each time. When Hua Hua gets married, weâll give him the remaining amount all at once for him to manage. What do you think?"
Li Liangâs mother kept quiet upon hearing this. Li Liangâs father took a few deep puffs on his cigarette, thought for a while, and finally nodded. Such a large sum couldnât be spent freely, leaving Li Liangâs mother feeling uncomfortable.
She blamed Hua Huaâs Grandma; if it werenât for her causing a scene today, how would the matter of the money have come to light?
Qiu Hualan ignored Hua Huaâs Grandma, knowing her intentions well. That money was earned by her daughter through hard work and was not meant for them to spend freely.
Worried about her daughter, Qiu Hualan returned home and didnât rush to the Capital City. Instead, she arranged Hua Huaâs stay, letting him live with her for a week to get familiar with the home environment. She told him how he grew up slowly in this yard.
Qiu Hualan and Du Guangjun agreed to go to the Capital City together to check on Ah Qingâs situation and figure out whatâs going on before considering marriage.
In reality, what they lacked was just a marriage certificate.