Mo Qian cast a cold glance at Nan Huiru but didn’t move.
He was also surprised as to why Ji Wei had sent persimmons, but he knew she must have her reasons.
Mo Qian remained motionless, and Nan Huiru, unable to contain her anger, prepared to rush forward and snatch Ji Wei’s gift, only to have her arm suddenly held back by soone.
"Huiru, let the kids handle their own matters," Gu Zhizhou, who had appeared behind her unnoticed, said in a deep voice.
"Zhizhou, you’re not going to intervene in sothing this disgraceful?" Nan Huiru gritted her teeth in indignation but refrained from moving further, mindful of her husband’s authority.
Gu Zhizhou, however, rely gazed at Ji Wei’s face, so strikingly similar to soone else’s, and pressed his lips in silence.
Everyone was waiting to see how Ji Wei would salvage the situation; if she couldn’t resolve this gracefully, she’d surely be humiliated in front of them all.
Ji Wei, however, spoke with a composed expression: "Great-grandmother, I tasted so of the persimmons yesterday, and they’re truly sweet. I heard that the persimmon tree was planted by grandpa and grandma back in the day—that explains why the fruits are so flavorful; they must have tended to it with great care."
"Even now, the persimmon tree grows so robustly, just like the days when grandpa and grandma were still around. I couldn’t help but wonder—why did grandpa and grandma choose to plant persimmon trees back then? Upon hearing about your love for persimmons, I finally understood."
"Late autumn is the season when persimmons ripen, and it also coincides with your birthday, great-grandmother. Grandpa and grandma were celebrating your birthday in their own way by planting these trees."
No one had expected such profound aning to be hidden behind the persimmon trees.
Ji Wei had only deduced this after learning from Mo Qian that grandpa and grandma were deeply filial toward their elders.
These words felt like a warm current flowing into Old Madam Gu’s heart, bringing comfort to the pain she had endured from losing her son.
Even though they were no longer present, their thoughtful intentions still lingered in the Gu Mansion.
"Great-grandmother, would you like to try one?" Ji Wei picked up a persimmon, peeled off the outer skin, and handed it over.
Old Madam Gu reached out with trembling hands to take it, took a bite, and instantly her eyes brimd with tears as she exclaid repeatedly, "Sweet, so sweet..."
After just one bite, Old Madam Gu broke into uncontrollable sobs, but a smile still graced her lips.
Mo Qian quickly stepped forward to wipe away the tears from her face.
The guests all believed the persimmons had stirred mories of grief in Old Madam Gu and feared she wouldn’t recover easily from the wave of emotion.
A heavy silence fell over the room, with no one daring to speak.
But unexpectedly, Old Madam Gu suddenly turned toward the crowd, pointed to the persimmons in Ji Wei’s basket, and declared with faint pride in her aged voice, "Everyone, co and taste these. These persimmons were grown by my son and daughter-in-law—they’re so sweet!"
The nearby servants, quick on their feet, imdiately began distributing the persimmons to everyone.
The guests eagerly reached out to take them, peeling and eating them on the spot. Sweet—the persimmons were undeniably sweet!
Everyone ate joyously, their faces lighting up with smiles. Seeing this, Old Madam Gu nodded approvingly again and again, her lips curving upward in satisfaction.
Having spent so much ti in a monastery, she had nearly forgotten that scenes of family reunions, bustling with laughter and joy, were the most heartwarming.
Mo Qian turned to glance at Ji Wei, who wore a slight smile beside him, and felt a wave of warmth rising in his heart.
He had once believed that the loss of grandpa and grandma had inflicted an indelible scar on great-grandmother’s soul, one she might never be able to heal from, even until the end of her days.
Yet unexpectedly, on a day like today, great-grandmother no longer avoided ntioning them. This change was already deeply reassuring.
"My great-granddaughter-in-law, the gift you’ve brought is very much to great-grandmother’s liking," Old Madam Gu turned to Ji Wei with a look of gratitude. "Great-grandmother didn’t prepare any gifts, but this jade bracelet—I’ve worn it for almost a lifeti. One piece was given to Mo Qian’s grandmother, and this one—I’ll give it to you!"
Old Madam Gu removed the jade bracelet from her thin, aged wrist and pressed it firmly into Ji Wei’s hands.
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