The reunion of the mute grandfather with his family after 20 years of longing and remembrance has finally come to an end, thanks to a report published in our newspaper.
Yesterday, the article "Mute Grandfather, Who Can Help You Go Home?" (see A3 of our May 4th edition) touched all readers' hearts.
Among them, the most moved was Chongliang Ruan from Jiabian Village in Pingyao Town, Yuhang District. After seeing the photo of the "mute grandfather," he didn't hesitate and immediately gathered his family to head to Yanjiashan Village because he firmly believed that this mute grandfather was his father—Mu Ye Ruan—who he had been searching for 20 years.
From Yuhang to Guanggu An is just a tiny distance on the map, but Chongliang Ruan had never felt the road so long.
When "mute grandfather" stood in front of Chongliang Ruan, tears streamed down Chongliang's face, and thousands of words turned into two: "Dad..."
In "mute grandfather's" bedroom, in a corner of the gray-yellow wall, everyone found three small characters—Mu Ye Ruan.
It turns out that the "mute grandfather" who lived in Yanjiashan Village for 20 years remembered his own name. His name is Mu Ye Ruan, and he is 65 years old this year.
A reader from Yuhang called us and said:
"He looks so much like my dad"
After the report about helping the mute grandfather find his home was published, the hotline 96068 of our newspaper kept ringing non-stop. On the other end of the phone, there were anxious and hopeful voices.
Ms. Hu from Cixi called and said that the "mute grandfather" looked very much like her lost uncle; Mr. Yuan from Shuangpu Town in Xiaoshan said that the "mute grandfather" might be a villager who went missing from their village... They all eagerly hoped to reach Yanjiashan Village as soon as possible. Among them was Chongliang Ruan from Jiabian Village in Pingyao Town, Yuhang District. He said over the phone that the mute grandfather looked extremely similar to his father who went missing 20 years ago, and his father was also a mute.
In 1989, Chongliang Ruan was 22 years old, his younger brother Chongzhong Ruan was 19 years old, and their father Mu Ye Ruan was 43 years old. That year, on the lunar calendar September 28th, their father went to a nearby relative's house to attend a wedding banquet, and he never came back.
For more than 20 years, Chongliang Ruan and his family, even mobilizing people from two villages, have been constantly searching for their father in places like Anji, Jiande, Xiaoshan... They even searched in Lin'an but never went to the remote Yanjiashan Village. Although they never received any news about their father, the whole family believed that their father, who smiled so kindly, must still be alive.
Chongliang Ruan saw the photo of the "mute grandfather" in the newspaper, thought nothing of it, and immediately set off with his wife Xianyuan Shao, his uncle Mucai Ruan, his sister-in-law, and others, driving towards Yanjiashan Village in Lin'an. Along the way, Chongliang tightly held the newspaper in his hand, looking at it again and again: "My father was deaf, and all the work at home was done by him. Every morning, he would go out to carry mud and sand at around three or four o'clock. He was a very honest person and never traveled far. That day, he probably got lost. I never imagined it would be more than 20 years. My mother almost died of longing, and now my son is already in middle school."
At this moment, Zhi Gen Li, who had taken care of the mute grandfather for more than 20 years, was already waiting at the door, with both excitement and reluctance in his heart.
Family reunion
The mute grandfather finally remembered past events
Chongliang Ruan's family, with a nervous heart, walked into Zhi Gen Li's home. Zhi Gen Li noticed that Chongliang Ruan and Mucai Ruan looked so much like the "mute grandfather." At this time, the mute grandfather, seeing "guests" visiting, showed the same smile as usual.
The entire house was unusually quiet. Zhi Gen Li gestured to ask the "mute grandfather": "Do you recognize them?" The mute grandfather smiled and shook his head, unfamiliar. However, from the moment they entered, Chongliang Ruan determined that whether it was appearance, face shape, body structure, ear holes, or scars on the hand, the elderly man in front of him was the father he had been searching for 20 years—Mu Ye Ruan.
After 20 years, Chongliang Ruan had been waiting for this day, but now, he was frozen in place, unable to move, tears streaming down his face, his lips slightly moving: "Dad... Dad..."
But at first, the "mute grandfather" seemed not to recognize the son and family in front of him. His younger brother Mucai Ruan tried asking him: "Do you remember? Our father limped."
"Quick, come see." In the "mute grandfather's" bedroom, Xianyuan Shao's urgent voice rang out, and everyone quickly ran over, following her finger to the direction of the bedhead where there were three very inconspicuous, pencil-written small characters—Mu Ye Ruan.
For 20 years, even Zhi Gen Li hadn't discovered that originally, the "mute grandfather" could write his own name.
At this moment, the usually seated "mute grandfather" finally came to his senses. He slowly got up, walking limpingly inside the house. "Mute grandfather," oh no, it should be Mu Ye Ruan. He remembered, remembering his father, remembering cutting grass and rice at home. Excitedly, he used his hands to gesture.
Going home
The mute grandfather wouldn't let go of Zhi Gen Li
"As a daughter-in-law, I hope to be able to show respect to my father-in-law while he is still alive. For 20 years, we also want him to enjoy his old age peacefully," Xianyuan Shao said.
After taking a family photo at the door, it was finally time to go home, but the "mute grandfather" clung to Zhi Gen Li like a child, unwilling to let go.
Accompanied by Zhi Gen Li, the "mute grandfather" left the "home" where he had lived for 20 years and returned to his real home. At this moment, he felt a myriad of emotions. Turning around with a smile, it contained gratitude, reluctance, and sadness...
Zhi Gen Li told him, here will always be your home.