Chapter 813
There were approximately two thousand photos depicting almost all of the notable moments in Ning Ran's life at
every stage.
From elementary school graduation to junior high graduation, her college entrance exam, receiving her university
acceptance letter, and finally entering university, the photos became fewer and fewer as she grew older.
One reason for this was that Zhang Ru's schedule had become more hectic, making it difficult for her to spend
much time with Ning Ran.
The other reason was that Ning Ran had grown up and needed her own private space, causing a small distance
between her and her mother.
Although they had a great relationship, they weren't as close as when Ning Ran was a child.
The mother and child only grew further apart as the child grew older.
The last photo was of Ning Ran standing next to a window, making a call.
She was in a ward. However, the photo's angle was unusual, as it appeared to be taken from a lower angle. Ning
Ran's mother must have taken it with her phone when she was already hospitalized. It was the last time she took a
photo of Ning Ran.
Perhaps her mother was aware that she didn't have much time left and wanted to remember her daughter, so she
tried her best to take a photo of Ning Ran for the last time.
Tears began streaming down Ning Ran's cheeks again.
There were a few photos of Ning Ran and her mother together, but none of her and Ning Ziqiang.
She and Ning Ziqiang had taken photos together, albeit infrequently, but none of the family photos was on this USB
stick.
They are just normal photos. When Mom was sick, why did she have to make sure these photos ended up in the
bank's safe? Why must she place them in the bank? She could have them stored elsewhere.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“Mom, did Granny leave you this USB stick?” Dabao asked softly.
This sentence suddenly jolted Ning Ran back to her senses. That's right. Did Mom leave this USB stick for me? If it's
for me, why did she not say anything about it when she could still talk? Also, there was no need for her to store it at
the bank. She could have just given it to me directly. If it wasn't for me, who else could it be for?
Dabao noticed Ning Ran's frown and thought he had said something wrong. He added worriedly, “Mommy, should I
have remained silent?”
Ning Ran hugged her son and answered, “No. I'm just not sure whether this USB stick was meant for me or not.”
“Where did you get this USB stick, then?” Dabao queried.
“Your granny left it in a bank's safe. I went to take it today.”
“Your granny left it in a bank's safe. I went to take it today.”
Dabao fell into deep thought upon hearing that.
He raised his head and asked, “Mommy, does a person only store secretive things in a safe?”
“I guess so. You can also place valuable items in the safe.”
“Then, are these photos a secret?” Dabao continued to question.
“I don't think so. These photos are snippets of me growing up. I've seen many of them before, but these photos are
organized chronologically by time. I don't believe these photos are classified as secrets,” Ning Ran responded.
Dabao asked, “Mommy, if these aren't considered secrets, then why did Granny want to keep them in the safe?”
Ning Ran couldn't produce an answer to this question because it was what she was pondering about too.
“I don't know either.” Ning Ran shook her head.
Dabao went around Ning Ran from behind to be on her other side. “Mommy, can you show me the laptop?”
Ning Ran shifted the laptop toward Dabao to let him see.
Dabao's fingers typed deftly on the keyboard. “Mommy, there's an encrypted folder here.”
Besides the folders containing the photos, another folder had appeared on the screen.
There were more photos after Dabao opened the folder.
These photos were professionally taken, and one showed a man in a red racing suit getting out of a race car and
waving to the camera.
However, the man wore a helmet, so his face wasn't visible.
There was another photo of a man rock climbing. The photographer took it at a low angle, so the man was waving
at the camera while looking down. Nonetheless, he was far away and wore a helmet, so his face wasn't visible in
that photo too.
There was another photo of a man with his back facing the camera. He was wearing a dark-colored suit and looking
at the sea.
Ning Ran closely inspected the photo and realized it was not the sea, as there were mountains some distance away.
It was a large lake.
The last photo was not a portrait but a painting.
The calligraphy was beautiful. Eternal love between us two shall withstand the time apart.
Ning Ran had seen this before. Zhang Ru had hung this painting in her bedroom, but the other half was cut out.
Yet, the painting was perfect in the photo. There was also a signature. It read: By Frosty Warrior at Cloud Lake.
Frosty Warrior? Cloud Lake?
“Mommy, who's this man?” Erbao asked.
The man looked young in the photos. He was probably in his twenties or thirties in these photos.
Ning Ran did not know how to answer, but she guessed that this man was her biological father.
Although there was no evidence, she had a gut feeling. There was no other reason for Zhang Ru to leave these
photos in an encrypted folder.
These photos were obviously for Ning Ran, but Zhang Ru must have felt conflicted about telling her.
Previously, Ning Ran had heard from her mother's friends that her mother had sworn in front of Bodhisattva that
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmshe would never reveal Ning Ran's background herself.
Zhang Ru was a firm believer in Buddhism, so she wouldn't break a promise like that as she was afraid it would
implicate Ning Ran also.
Nevertheless, she couldn't accept taking this secret to her grave either.
Therefore, she placed this USB stick in the safe with mixed feelings.
She had hoped that Ning Ran would find this USB stick after ten years.
As for why Zhang Ru wanted it to be ten years, she had felt that Ning Ran would have matured and be able to
accept it better.
“Dabao, can you take another look and see whether there's any other hidden information?” Ning Ran asked her
son.
Dabao typed on the laptop for a while before replying confidently, “There's nothing else, Mommy. This USB stick's
encryption technology is very basic. I would have been able to find it if there's other information.”
Ning Ran nodded.
“Mommy, who's Frosty Warrior? Is he our grandfather?” Dabao suddenly asked.
This kid is indeed smart to have already thought about this!
“I'm not sure. This painting was hung in my mother's bedroom, but there's only half of it.” Ning Ran blocked half of
the painting in the photo to show Dabao what it looked like in Zhang Ru's bedroom.
“There's no signature on the actual calligraphy painting in Granny's bedroom. That's probably because Granny
didn't want anyone to know who wrote it. But since she placed it in her bedroom, it must have been an important
item to her,” Dabao analyzed.
My son is a genius. I can discuss this matter with him.
“That's right. Your words make a lot of sense. Continue,” Ning Ran encouraged Dabao.
“Frosty Warrior doesn't sound like a local pseudonym. He must be a Jetroinian, but that's not right too. Although
Jetroinians' names are long, most of them don't have such complicated allusions. This name has an allusion,”
Dabao continued to analyze.