Chapter 409: Acknowledging Kinship
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
With just a childhood photo, finding his sister seemed very difficult, but Jiang Xia was astonished to discover that his sister’s eyes and eyebrows resembled someone – the village’s ‘ice beauty’!
Upon mentioning this, Zhou Lan also realized that when they had seen Zhao Xin before, they suspected she looked like Jiang Chuan and might be siblings.
With this photo, it became even more certain – Jiang Chuan’s sister might be Zhao Xin!
Jiang Xia wondered if their aunt had always known the truth about their father’s identity but never spoke of it.
Jiang Chuan, with a determined look, said, “Whether she knows or not, we just have to ask!”
Leaving their gifts with Jiang Nan, the family hurried back to the village to find Zhao Xin.
When Zhao Xin opened the door and saw Jiang Chuan, she was startled and tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly held them back and simply said, “Please come in.”
The familial bond made Jiang Chuan certain that this woman was his sister.
Jiang Chuan tentatively asked, “Do you have a younger brother?”
Hearing this, Zhao Xin, who was pouring water, was so shocked that she dropped the cup, shattering it.
Unable to hold back any longer, she burst into tears. Jiang Chuan directly asked, “Sister, why didn’t you tell me the truth all these years, knowing who I am?”
Zhao Xin cried for a long time before drying her tears, her voice choked, “Actually, I’ve always wanted to find you over the years… but… I didn’t know how to make you believe that the parents who raised you were not your birth parents and that I am your sister. And now, my life is not what it used to be; I’m struggling in many ways.”
“Admitting our relationship would only burden you! You had a family in the old Jiang family, whereas following me would mean having nothing. Over time, I didn’t want to disturb you anymore. Later, when you got married, had children, and moved out, I thought of finding you, but seeing your family doing well, I didn’t want to be a burden.”
“After so many years of hardship, how could I drag you down with a poor sister like me? So, I kept this secret buried in my heart.”
Jiang Chuan replied, “Sister, you’re being foolish. There’s nothing more important than family in this world. You should have told me from the beginning.”
Zhao Xin just cried and didn’t speak.
Unable to bear seeing his sister cry, Jiang Chuan said, “Sister, don’t cry. Now that our family is reunited, why don’t you come live with us? Don’t stay here alone. You only have a dog for company; we’re worried about you!”
Zhao Xin looked at the big dog that had been her companion for over a decade, sitting obediently at the door, and finally nodded, “But I want to bring the big dog with me.”
Jiang Chuan assured, “The dog has been with you for so many years. Even if you didn’t say so, we would have brought it home anyway.”
The family reunion and Jiang Chuan’s discovery of his origins made it a day of great joy. Zhou Lan cooked a lavish meal, and Jiang Xia even brought Jiang Gu back from school. Jiang Gu immediately rushed to play with the big dog.
That night, Zhou Lan stewed two pots of meat, and the family ate happily.
To make room for Zhao Xin, Jiang Chuan arranged for Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu to share a room, leaving the spare room for Zhao Xin.
Zhao Xin, with time on her hands, would sunbathe in the yard, chat with Zhou Lan, and occasionally help out.
Though she had lived alone for many years, her cooking skills were mediocre, but Zhou Lan was happy to finally have someone to talk to while working.
Zhao Xin, who hadn’t enjoyed the happiness of a family reunion for over a decade, found joy in watching the children play and squabble.
Jiang Chuan, after returning from work in the evening, would often be busy in the yard. One day, Zhao Xin couldn’t help but ask him, “Brother, what are you always busy with after work?”
Jiang Chuan shared with Zhao Xin his plans to develop a medicinal herb garden..
