Chapter 32: The Past

Shen Siyuan had initially assumed that the generational gap mentioned by Shen Jianjun and his wife referred merely to an age difference. He never expected it to be far more complex than that.

It turned out that one of Yu Youcai’s comrades had sacrificed his life on the battlefield, entrusting his wife and daughter to him with his dying breath. The two men were from the same hometown, and the older brother had taken good care of him, so Yu Youcai felt an unshakable duty to fulfill this final request. After retiring from the military, he kept his promise, diligently looking after the widow and her daughter. Because of this bond, the two families grew quite close. Back then, people were simpler, and their affections were genuine.

"Wait, don't tell me that comrade's widow fell in love with Great-Uncle? That doesn't seem like such a big deal, does it?" A widower and a widow making a match—it sounded like a perfect arrangement.

"It wasn't the widow; it was his comrade's daughter who had feelings for your Great-Uncle," said his mother, Huang Sujuan.

Shen Siyuan was surprised. He had assumed that since they were comrades, their ages would be similar, meaning the daughter would likely be ten or twenty years younger than his Great-Uncle.

Shen Jianjun clarified, "His comrade was much older. When he passed away, his