Chapter 3

"Silly child, your Grandma has a strong will to live."

Facing my tearful questions, Grandma simply stroked my head calmly.

She slowly explained—

That day, she truly believed she wouldn't make it, so she wanted to go into the mountains, to find a quiet place to lie down.

But she hadn't walked far before she was rescued.

"The people who rescued me were sent by the Albright family. They said I left a record when my blood was drawn at the county clinic – something called Rh-negative blood, which is very rare. My biological parents’ genealogical agency had been searching for women with this blood type for years."

Subsequently, an emergency DNA comparison confirmed that Grandma was indeed the Albright Group CEO's biological daughter, lost for fifty years.

This experience left everyone gasping.

Aunt Brenda’s eyes darted around, then she let out a sharp, fawning laugh, slapping her thigh in realization:

"Oh my! So Mom being recognized by the wealthy family is all thanks to our Kevin, then! If it wasn't for giving Kevin a blood transfusion, Mom would never have had the chance to leave a blood type record!"

"Exactly!"

Uncle Shane immediately puffed out his chest, as if he had performed a monumental service. "Mom was even hesitant about the blood draw! If we hadn't been decisive and insisted on it, this staggering fortune would have been missed!"

"That's right, Audrey."

Grandpa knocked his pipe against the sole of his shoe, concluding self-righteously:

"People shouldn't forget their roots. Ultimately, our family was the reason you could return to a wealthy background, wasn't it? You should really repay us well!"

I couldn't stand it anymore:

"That's nonsense! You never let Grandma see a doctor, otherwise, how could she have waited until she was 50 to be found? She was discovered the moment her blood was drawn, which means the Albright family had been looking for her all along! You’re the ones who held her back!"

"You good-for-nothing brat, what do you know?!"

Aunt Brenda immediately put her hands on her hips, spittle practically flying in my face.

"Which woman in the village didn't go through the same? Get a headache or fever and lie down like a lady? Who doesn't just grab some wild herbs to deal with it? It’s still all thanks to Kevin! Otherwise, her?" She sneered, glancing dismissively at Grandma. "She could rot in some forgotten ditch and no one would even care!"

I was shaking with anger.

But Grandma gently raised a hand, stopping the argument.

"Alright, alright, we're family, let's not fight."

She paused, her gaze slowly sweeping across their greedy faces.

"The Albright family said that to thank you for taking care of me all these years, they specially booked a banquet at an exclusive restaurant in the city, and want our whole family to come."

The moment her words fell, the four pairs of eyes opposite her lit up instantly.

"Go! Of course, we'll go!" Uncle Shane rubbed his hands excitedly.

"This is an invitation from the Albright Group!"

Grandpa slapped his thigh:

"Let's go! Let the whole village see, our family is about to become rich and powerful!"

Aunt Brenda was already planning what to wear.

Even Kevin shook his head, clamoring to eat lobster.

I looked at their ecstatic, greedy faces, and then at Grandma, calm as still water.

Suddenly, I felt something was off.

The Grandma who returned seemed different from before.

Her eyes were no longer that numb, murky dead water.

Instead, they were like a bottomless ancient well.

Calm, yet holding a chilling, deep coldness.