"Ning'er," he said suddenly, breaking the tension, his deep voice tinged with something more solemn than usual.
Tang Ning turned to him, sensing the weight of the moment. "Yes, Grandpa?"
"There's something I've been meaning to tell you. Something important. It's about our family, your heritage... your grandmother and your parents as well."
The mention of her grandmother, Mei-ling, made Tang Ning's heart ache with a strange longing. She had never met her before or heard about her.
"About Grandma?" she asked softly.
Grandpa Tang nodded, his gaze drifting over the horizon as though looking back into a time long past. "Yes. But before I tell you about her, let me start with myself."
They reached the pavilion in the center of the garden, and Grandpa Tang motioned for Tang Ning to sit beside him. As they settled in, the world seemed to slow down even further, and the sounds of the garden faded into the background.
"I come from a powerful business family," he began, his voice steady and reflective. "My father had grand plans for me, to follow in his footsteps and take over the family's business empire. But I didn't want that life. I wanted something different. So I rebelled. I joined the army."
Tang Ning could hardly imagine her grandfather as a rebellious young man, but there was a flicker in his eyes—a glimmer of the determination that had driven him all those years ago.
Tang Ning smiled faintly, imagining her younger grandfather as a rebellious soldier, determined to break free from the weight of family expectations.
"It was in the army that I met your grandmother, Mei-ling. She was a doctor, one of the most brilliant I had ever seen,She was compassionate, and fiercely independent. " Grandpa Tang's voice softened as he spoke of Mei-ling, the tenderness in his tone unmistakable. "We were often deployed together on missions. She had this way of calming even the most intense situations, not just with her skills but with her spirit."
Tang Ning's heart swelled with pride as she pictured her grandmother—strong, compassionate, and deeply respected.
"We grew close over the years, as soldiers often do. But what started as friendship soon became something more," Grandpa Tang continued, his eyes gleaming with the warmth of an old memory. "We fell in love."
Tang Ning could feel the depth of his emotions as he spoke. Her grandmother was not just a figure from the past; she was someone who had shaped her grandfather.
"But one day, I was called home," Grandpa Tang continued, his voice now tinged with sadness. "My father was gravely ill. When I arrived, he was on his deathbed, and his dying wish was to see me married. I couldn't deny him that. So Mei -ling and I married, and my father passed away soon after."
Tang Ning nodded, trying to picture the scene in her mind. But there was something in her grandfather's tone—something more that he hadn't yet revealed.
"There's more to Mei-ling's story, Ning'er," Grandpa Tang said, his expression growing serious. "She wasn't just a doctor. She came from a family unlike any other. Her family could see the future."
Tang Ning's heart raced at his words. "What do you mean? See the future?"
Grandpa Tang took a deep breath, as if weighing the significance of what he was about to say. "They possessed a gift—one that allowed them glimpses of what was yet to come. It was a secret closely guarded, passed down through generations. But with that gift came great responsibility and danger."
He paused, watching Tang Ning's reaction. "Your grandmother struggled with her heritage. She wanted a normal life, a family. But the burden of her family's legacy haunted her. It was a conflict that shaped her choices."
The air in the pavilion seemed to grow cooler as Tang Ning tried to absorb all this information. It felt like a story from one of her books, not something that could be real. But the way her grandfather spoke—serious and sad—made her realize that this wasn't just a story. This was her family."
Tang Ning felt the world shift around her. "Did Grandma have the gift?" she asked, captivated.
"Yes, but she rarely used it. She believed that interfering with the natural course of events could cause more harm. Yet, there were moments when she saw things no one else could."
"What happened?" Tang Ning urged, her heart racing. "When your uncle was born, her family came to us with a warning," Grandpa Tang explained, his expression grim. "They believed he would inherit their power.
Tang Ning's eyes widened. "I have an uncle?"
"Yes," Grandpa Tang replied softly, "you do. But you've never met him.
"Grandpa you said there was a warning?" Tang Ning asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Grandpa Tang nodded, his expression grim."They told us that our son—your uncle—would inherit their power. It was a rare occurrence, but the signs were clear. He was born under special circumstances, and from the moment he entered this world, we knew he was different."
Tang Ning's heart raced as she listened, the idea of an uncle she had never known suddenly becoming real.
"What happened to him?"
"When your uncle was just three years old, Mei-ling's family came for him,"
Grandpa Tang said quietly. "They believed it was their duty to train him, to prepare him for the responsibility that came with the gift. We had no choice but to let him go."
After he was taken by your grandmother's family, we rarely saw him. They raised him, trained him to carry on their traditions. But it meant that we lost him. And your mother… she grew up not knowing her brother, only knowing that he existed somewhere out there."Tang Ning's heart ached at the thought of a family torn apart by such strange and mysterious forces.
Tang Ning felt a pang of sadness for the uncle she had never met. "And Grandma Mei-ling?"Grandpa Tang's eyes darkened.
"She was heartbroken. She didn't want to lose her son, but she understood the importance of their traditions. Still, she never truly recovered from the separation. And then, shortly after, tragedy struck."
Tang Ning's breath caught in her throat. "What happened?"
"There were powerful enemies in the political world," Grandpa Tang explained, his voice heavy with regret. "People who didn't want to see our family rise. An assassination attempt was made… but it wasn't me they hit. It was Mei-ling."
The words hung in the air like a dark cloud, and Tang Ning felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes.
"I lost her," Grandpa Tang whispered, his voice breaking for the first time. "And after that, I lost your uncle too. Mei-ling's family took him away completely, blaming me for her death. Your mother and I were all that was left."
Tang Ning absorbed this painful legacy, her heart aching for the family torn apart by unseen forces. "What about my mother? Did she inherit the gift?"