Chapter 41 Find him and everything will be clear

Today is the day to go to the provincial capital. Gu Liancheng has been transferred to another job and Jiang Zhao has reported in. We have to take a lot of things with us, including clothes, beddings, and daily necessities. Fortunately, the whole family is going this time, so everyone can take a bag.

When they arrived at the station, Xia Fangsui and Du Wenwen had been waiting for a while.

"Call for help." Xia Fangsui pushed her daughter. Her personality became more and more unpredictable as she grew older.

Du Wenwen glanced at Jiang Zhao and found that he was not looking at her, so she turned away: "Hello Uncle Gu, hello Aunt Jiang, Mom, I'll get in the car first."

The others also went to put their luggage away. Xia Fangsui thanked Jiang Zhen under the car, "Thank you, Du Wenwen, for your help along the way."

Jiang Zhen said, "It's not a big deal. It's only a few hours' drive, not a lifetime. Her brother and sister-in-law will definitely pick her up at the provincial capital station, right?"

Xia Fangsui assured: "We made an appointment yesterday. This child is willful. I am mainly worried that she will run around and look around during the break. Please help keep an eye on her. Also, don't let her meddle in other people's business on the way."

Jiang Zhen nodded: "Don't worry about that. I will definitely take her to the station in the provincial capital safely. Let her brother and sister-in-law take care of the rest."

Thinking of Du Wenwen's unusual questions last night, Xia Fangsui asked out of concern: "By the way, has Jiang Zhao mentioned his biological family recently?"

After working in the factory for a month, Xia Fangsui is definitely not the kind of person who meddles in other people's business, especially when it comes to privacy issues like this.

After thinking about it, Jiang Zhen said, "Yes, I mentioned it before. I persuaded my child to focus on his studies first. When he starts working and has the ability and financial comfort, he can slowly look for a partner."

Xia Fangsui thought, this makes sense. Jiang Zhao must have expressed the idea of ​​finding his relatives, but Du Wenwen misunderstood him.

Xia Fangsui smiled and said, "I knew that someone as open-minded as you would not stop Jiang Zhao from looking for his relatives."

Jiang Zhen asked: "Why are you asking me about Jiang Zhao's background?"

Xia Fangsui did not hide it: "Du Wenwen suddenly asked me this question yesterday. I guess she heard Jiang Zhao say it occasionally and asked out of concern for each other as classmates. I have already told her not to say anything more."

…

Jiang Zhen was the last one to get on the bus. Du Wenwen sat in the second to last row. The last row of seats was connected and only had a young man in a white shirt sitting on it. Judging from his age and height, he was about the same as Jiang Zhao and looked very handsome.

Jiang Zhen walked over and asked Du Wenwen: "Your mother said you get carsick, why don't you sit in the front?"

Most people would choose to sit in the front row, and there are still more than ten empty seats in the car, so there is no need to sit in the back.

Du Wenwen had her own thoughts. She wanted to find an opportunity to talk to Jiang Baishu, so she said, "Auntie, you can go sit in the front. Don't worry about me. I'll sit in the back where it's quiet."

Jiang Zhen nodded: "Okay, if you feel uncomfortable later, just sit in the front, it will be a little better."

While she was talking to Du Wenwen, she glanced at the boy in the back row. She saw that he looked nervous. Although he glanced out the window, he was also looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

Jiang Zhen returned to the front row and sat next to Gu Liancheng. He tilted his head and whispered in his ear, "Du Wenwen was quite abnormal yesterday. She mentioned Jiang Zhao's background to her mother. The boy in the last row wanted to look at me but didn't dare. Don't you think it's strange?"

Gu Liancheng didn't need to look back. When he put down his luggage, he had already observed the situation of the entire car: "There is a problem. Before you got on the car, Du Wenwen and the boy had exchanged glances several times. They must know each other."

…

On the way, the driver found a place where they could rest and use the toilet, and gave everyone half an hour to get off the bus and move around.

Even the three children noticed Du Wenwen's little move. Gu Pan kindly sent two cakes over and asked, "Sister Wenwen, you always look at the big brother in the back row. Do you like him?"

Du Wenwen blushed with guilt and blamed him, "What do you know, kid? Don't meddle in other people's business."

Gu Pan was unhappy: "I'm reminding you kindly, but the person you're looking at is embarrassed."

Du Wenwen was afraid that if she continued to talk, the adults would notice her, so she lowered her voice and said viciously: "That's my business, too. It's not your turn as a child to intervene."

Jiang Zhao could still bear it just now, but when he heard her being rude to his sister, he came over and said, "Gu Pan, we don't even have enough bread for ourselves, don't give it to irrelevant people."

Du Wenwen was so angry. They were just two brothers, so why was there such a big difference between them?

The driver counted the number of people and asked everyone to get on the bus as soon as possible after they had rested. Du Wenwen said she wanted to go to the toilet and asked the driver to wait for her for a while.

The driver looked unhappy: "You have time to quarrel with the child. Why didn't you go just now and make everyone in the car wait for you? Hurry up."

Jiang Baishu remained silent, turned around and walked away. In fact, the two of them either wanted to go to the bathroom or just wanted to talk.

Jiang Baishu thought and observed all the way and found that the atmosphere in Jiang Zhao's family was harmonious. To be honest, it was much more united and happy than his own family.

He knew that he might be wrong this time, and sincerely asked the enthusiastic girl: "Du Wenwen, thank you for always keeping my family in mind, but the situation is unclear now, please don't be prejudiced against Jiang Zhaojia, it's not good."

This is no longer just a matter of Jiang Baishu's family. Du Wenwen asked, "Don't you think those kids were annoying?"

Jiang Baishu didn't think so. The little girl was kind enough to give her some fried cakes just now.

He was worried. If he had known that Jiang Zhao's father had been transferred to the provincial capital and became his aunt's neighbor, he would not have come this time. It would be so embarrassing if he was exposed later.

He said, "Please don't say anything more later. Our family's affairs should be resolved by our family ourselves."

Du Wenwen was displeased: "You don't know how to be kind. Forget it. I don't care about your business anymore."

In the second half of the journey, in order to avoid suspicion and also because she was angry, Du Wenwen sat in the front row.

…

After arriving at the provincial capital, Du Wenwen's elder brother picked up his younger sister and repeatedly expressed his gratitude to Jiang Zhen's family.

Du Wenwen was going to her brother and sister-in-law's house, and asked Jiang Zhao: "When are you going to school?"

Jiang Zhao said sternly, "Mind your own business. Why do you care when I report?"

Du Wenwen was angry and thought that he was really petty, so she turned around and left.

The brother chased after her. He didn’t blame the boy. It must be his sister who provoked him first. He asked with a smile: “What did you do to make that classmate so dissatisfied with you?”

Du Wenwen felt that she was caught in the middle and suffered a great injustice: "Brother, if you don't understand, don't ask. Anyway, they are all ignorant people. I will no longer care about their affairs in the future."

…

Jiang Baishu knew that his identity would be exposed in a while, so after getting off the bus, he didn't even make eye contact with Du Wenwen, and went straight to the family compound after leaving the station.

Aunt Jiang Qionghui is a kind-hearted person. She cleaned the house for the new colleague who was about to arrive. When Jiang Baishu ran over, Aunt Jiang was helping the family next door hang curtains.

Seeing her nephew hesitating and having no opinion, Jiang Qionghui impatiently told him to stand aside: "Don't get in the way, if you have something to say, come on. How can you be a good policeman in the future if you keep hesitating like this?"

Jiang Baishu knew that he had to race against time, as Jiang Zhao's family would be here in half an hour at most.

Jiang Baishu gritted his teeth and confessed his wrongdoings: "Aunt, I went to Fancheng and found the child of my second uncle's family. His name is Jiang Zhao. He didn't change his name, and..."

He pointed at the room under his feet and said, "Jiang Zhao is the adopted son of your new colleague Section Chief Gu. His current mother is Jiang Zhen, the director of the Fancheng Rabbit Farm. She will be here soon. We are on the same bus, and his family will recognize me."

Jiang Qionghui was stunned for a long while. "My goodness, we are destined to meet like this. You know so much in this one trip. You are quite capable. Also, how did you know Jiang Zhao was in Fancheng?"

"I found out about it by eavesdropping on my parents' conversation. I was worried so I went to look for him. I didn't expect that by coincidence, I ran into a girl at Fancheng Station. She happened to know Jiang Zhao, so I found him right away."

If I don't go to Fancheng, I can still see him after he moves here, so I can't say that my family broke their promise and went to look for him.

Jiang Qionghui blamed: "Why are you so impatient? Don't you think about it? Our family can watch others snatch Jiang Zhao away and still promise not to look for him. We must be in the wrong, and we are in the wrong a lot. When someone comes, let's see what you will do. If I don't say you are a jerk, I don't even have the face to mention this to others."

After his aunt said this, Jiang Baishu was even more speechless: "Aunt, what do you think I should do now?"

"Now you know to ask for my opinion?" Jiang Qionghui was so angry that she hit him twice with a feather duster.

"Since you have made a mistake, you must have the courage to admit it and seek forgiveness. You will be at home in a moment. When the person comes, explain it clearly and apologize sincerely. Perhaps you can make amends."

…

Neither Gu Liancheng nor Jiang Zhen had expected that the young man in white clothes in the car would be Jiang Zhao's cousin. Jiang Qionghui had also cleaned the house and made it look brand new, even hanging up the curtains.

What else could Jiang Zhen say? Since the other party didn't want the money, he gave her a portion of rabbit meat and said, "This is not from the factory. We braised it at home when we left home this morning. Eat it as soon as possible when it's hot."

Jiang Qionghui felt that the new neighbor couple were very straightforward people. She called out the evasive Jiang Baishu and said, "I don't know what to say to this kid. It will take a long time to explain. Why don't you come to my house? I'll make you some tea and we can talk slowly. Otherwise, if this misunderstanding is kept in your heart, how can we be neighbors in the future?"

Jiang Zhen was thinking the same thing. If she had something to say, she would say it. It was uncomfortable to hide it. She asked the three children to stay at home: "Pack up the things you brought and make lunch."

Gu Pan said reluctantly: "Don't treat us like children. We have to listen to family matters."

Gu Liancheng said: "This involves our family's affairs, as well as other people's privacy. You stay at home."

Jiang Tang whispered to Gu Pan: "It's okay, we can ask Brother Jiang Zhao later."

Jiang Qionghui thought that this family's way of getting along was really unique.

…

When they came to the next room, Jiang Zhen and Gu Liancheng were sitting on the sofa in the living room. Jiang Zhao stood aside, pursing his lips and saying nothing. Jiang Qionghui made some tea and asked her nephew to bring it over. Seeing that he was being hesitant and useless, she pushed him aside, sat opposite Jiang Zhen and Gu Liancheng, and told them what she knew.

"I started to make trouble with my classmates when I was fifteen. I was afraid of bringing trouble to my family, so I rebelled and ran away from home. I missed a lot of things. My eldest brother was honest and dutiful, and my second brother was smart and motivated. Seventeen years ago, I think about it. Yes, that year was 1942. I was working as a contact person for underground workers outside. Suddenly, I received news that my second brother had sent a child home and asked my eldest brother to raise him. When I rushed home, my eldest brother said that my second brother had gone abroad and left a large sum of money."

"Two years later, I suddenly received a letter from my eldest brother saying that Jiang Zhao had been kidnapped. As you know, the war was getting more intense at that time, and I really didn't have time to go home. Later, I asked my eldest brother, and he said that my second brother's money was all swindled from the Jiang family. Someone from the Jiang family came and said that I should either give it to the child or pay it back. The amount of money was too large, and my second brother had taken most of it, so I couldn't pay it back, so I could only give it to the child."

After hearing the reason from his aunt, Jiang Baishu felt ashamed. His family had given his cousin away as collateral for debt just for money. Now that his cousin knew about it, he must hate his family because of his recklessness, right?

Jiang Qionghui never spent the money from selling Jiang Zhao, but she still felt guilty and promised Jiang Zhen: "I really don't know how my second brother cheated your family of money. After my second brother left, there was no news. When he comes back one day, I will definitely ask him clearly and tell you."

Jiang Zhen thought that outsiders didn't know that she and her sister were twins, so she had to continue pretending to be the older sister in front of Jiang Qionghui.

She said, "I am a person who clearly distinguishes between gratitude and resentment. Even if there is a conflict, it is between you and your second brother. As long as there are no new conflicts with you, our two families can still get along in peace."

Jiang Qionghui was relieved and said with a smile: "You are such a straightforward person. You don't have to worry too much. Second brother said that when Jiang Zhao turns 18, he will come back and explain everything. That will be next year."

She told Jiang Baishu: "Okay, let's talk it out. You and Jiang Zhao are in the same school. Get along well with each other and don't have any conflicts."

…

The person who was most uncomfortable about this matter was Jiang Zhao, followed by Jiang Zhen. At noon, everyone was eating around the table. Jiang Zhao was silent and had a lot on his mind, and the same was true for Jiang Zhen.

Seeing this, Gu Liancheng said, "The root of this matter lies with Uncle Jiang Baishu. He was the one who sent Jiang Zhao back. He knows the inside story best. If we find him, everything will be revealed."

Jiang Zhen said: "I was wondering, Jiang Baishu's second uncle said that Jiang Zhao is his son, is that true? I don't think Jiang Zhao and Jiang Baishu look alike, and Jiang Zhao's background needs to be verified."

Jiang Zhao was enlightened by these words: "Mom is right. If he sends me back, he will definitely say that I am his child. Otherwise, how can his family raise me? But now he has gone abroad, it is hard to find him."

Gu Liancheng warned Jiang Zhao: "Don't let this affect your studies, it will be more trouble than it's worth. Aunt Jiang next door just said that when you are eighteen years old, her second brother will come back, which will only take a little over a year, so don't worry."