Free Web NovelChapter 290: Chapter 290: Acknowledging Family
Perhaps it was Su Qing who gave her the confidence, because when Li Wan faced the Li family again, the conflict in her heart was gone. She did her best to overcome her childhood trauma and tried to truly connect with the Li family to decide whether or not to formally acknowledge them.
After Li Wan was discharged from the hospital, the Li family came to Xiluo Alley almost every day. Mr. and Mrs. Li came daily, rain or shine. Having finally found their biological daughter, and knowing she had suffered so much over the years because of their negligence, they were desperate to make up for all the years of lost affection and care. And of course, they wanted to make it up to Su Qing, their true granddaughter, as well.
Besides the steadfast elderly couple, other members of the Li family would come along whenever they were free. As a result, Su Qing and Li Wan had gotten to know everyone in the Li family over this period.
Su Qing could also see that the Li family’s concern for her and her mother was genuine.
And through her recent interactions with the Li family, Li Wan also felt a true sense of kinship. They were blood relatives, after all, so she naturally grew closer to Mr. and Mrs. Li. As a result, her childhood trauma also diminished considerably.
"Qingqing, I think... I think I want to acknowledge your grandparents." That day, after the Li family had left, Li Wan said hesitantly to Su Qing. Nowadays, Li Wan relied heavily on Su Qing, telling her almost everything and discussing all her decisions with her.
Su Qing wasn’t surprised to hear this. She smiled and said, "Okay, Mom. I think that’s a great idea."
Su Qing was happy to see Li Wan and the Li family acknowledge each other. Over the past few days, she had naturally seen the Li family’s sincerity, so she wasn’t surprised by her mother’s decision. Besides, Mr. and Mrs. Li were very good to her, and she didn’t object to having them as relatives—especially since she got along so well with Li Huan.
Seeing Su Qing’s approval, Li Wan’s eyes crinkled into a smile.
So, the next day, when Mr. and Mrs. Li arrived, they heard Li Wan say, "Mom, have some water," and froze, hardly daring to believe their ears.
’Did my daughter just call me Mom?’
Mrs. Li’s lips trembled. She stared intently at Li Wan. "Xiao Wan, what did you just call me?"
It wasn’t just Mrs. Li; Mr. Li, Shang Yuqi, and Li Huan, who had come with them, were also staring at Li Wan with wide eyes.
Having already said it once, Li Wan was no longer shy. She smiled and said, "Mom."
"Yes, yes." Mrs. Li’s eyes instantly filled with tears. For all these years, when Li Yuan had called her Mom, she had felt nothing. But now, hearing a single "Mom" from Li Wan, her heart overflowed with emotion. She immediately threw her arms around Li Wan. "Xiao Wan, my poor child, you finally called me Mom! It’s all my fault. I got the wrong person back then and made you suffer so much. You finally called me Mom... does this mean you’ve forgiven me?"
As she spoke, Mrs. Li’s tears began to fall uncontrollably.
Hearing Mrs. Li’s choked words, Li Wan’s own heart ached, and she couldn’t stop her own tears from falling. "No, I never blamed you. You were deceived, too. You were victims in all of this as well."
Hearing this made Mrs. Li even more emotional. "Xiao Wan, my Xiao Wan... Mom will never leave you again."
The mother and daughter wept in each other’s arms. It wasn’t just the Li family members who were moved; even Su Qing, whose heart had been hardened by the apocalypse, felt it soften. A strange feeling washed over her. The people before her were her family—her blood relatives in this lifetime.
Mrs. Li and Li Wan cried for a long while before their tears subsided. Mr. Li looked at Li Wan, his eyes full of hope. "Xiao Wan, what about me? What about me?"
Li Wan wiped away her tears and curved her lips into a smile. "Dad."
"Yes!" Hearing that word, Mr. Li immediately broke into a smile, nodding repeatedly. "Good, that’s great. My daughter called me Dad."
As he spoke, both Mr. and Mrs. Li turned to look at Su Qing with expectant gazes.
The corner of Su Qing’s mouth twitched. She smiled and called out, "Grandpa, Grandma."
"Yes!" The old couple’s faces bloomed into radiant smiles.
Shang Yuqi and Li Huan, who were standing to the side, joined in the cheerful mood. Li Huan, in particular, grinned as she hugged Su Qing’s arm. "Su Qing, from now on you’re my official little sister, you know? I’m the big sister."
Shang Yuqi couldn’t help but laugh. "Look at you, getting all giddy. Qingqing is actually more level-headed than you are."
Li Huan’s eyes widened. "Mom, you can’t just undermine your own daughter like that!"
The group erupted in laughter.
Since Li Wan was willing to formally rejoin the family, Mr. and Mrs. Li were ecstatic. They immediately wanted to pick an auspicious date and throw a grand banquet to announce to the world that the Li family’s true daughter had returned.
However, neither Li Wan nor Su Qing wanted such a public affair. After a great deal of persuasion, they finally talked the old couple out of the idea. In the end, they decided to just have a nice family dinner to celebrate.
Mrs. Li blinked, looked at Li Wan, and asked, "Xiao Wan, should we invite that Gu Xinsheng to join us?"
