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With a smile on his face, Huo Yingjun, like a noble young master, nodded slightly to Qi Shu, extended his right hand towards the door, and said, "Mr. Qi, let's talk inside."
Qi Shu was taken aback, realizing that Huo Yingjun had brought the photo.
Clutching the photo tightly, Qi Shu walked slowly and deliberately toward the private room where Huo Yingjun was.
"Please come in!" Huo Yingjun said, neither humble nor arrogant.
Anna chased after her, asking with a hint of nervousness, "What's wrong?"
Qi Shu turned to Anna and said, "You take the child and wait for me inside."
After saying that, he followed Huo Yingjun into the private room, looking nervous.
"What do you want me to do?" Qi Shu was a smart man. These people were holding his mother's photo, so they must have some news about her.
You have to pay a price to get something!
Huo Yingjun personally poured Qi Shu a cup of coffee and said, "Mr. Qi, please sit down! Let's talk slowly."
Qi Shu sat stiffly in his seat and said, "We mean no harm. Even if you don't help us, we won't make things difficult for your mother!"
Qi Shu was taken aback, then overjoyed, and asked, "You mean my mother... No, I know you're very cruel to people with overseas connections..."
Huo Yingjun said softly, "Relax, don't be nervous! People with overseas connections will be questioned because there are many who collude with the enemy and betray the country. For the sake of national security, they have no choice but to do so. I'm sure Mr. Qi knows this."
"I understand!" Qi Shu nodded, pursing his lips. "Do you have a cigarette?"
Huo Yingjun took out a cigarette from the side, handed it to Qi Shu, and lit it with a lighter.
Qi Shu took a drag on Huo Yingjun's hot breath.
After a while, he exhaled two smoke rings and said, "Tell me how my mother is first?"
Huo Yingjun took out an envelope from his pocket containing seven or eight photos and said, "Your mother is doing well. Here are several photos. This wasn't something we specifically investigated; it was just a chance encounter, a kind of fate."
Qi Shu tossed aside the half-smoked cigarette butt, tore open the envelope, and looked at the photos inside.
The first picture is a family photo of the three of them.
The second photo is a solo portrait of Grandma Qi.
The third picture is a photo of Grandma Qi and He Tiantian.
The fourth picture shows Old Man Qi in military uniform.
The fifth one...
Including the photos I gave Qi Shu before, there are a total of eight.
Qi Shu burst into tears again, sobbing uncontrollably. If Huo Yingjun hadn't been there, he probably would have knelt down and kowtowed again.
Although Huo Yingjun had never experienced the pain of separation from his family, seeing Qi Shu, who was usually cold and arrogant, so emotional when he saw his mother's photo, he felt a pang of sadness in his heart!
Historical reasons have led to countless instances of families being separated.
Qi Shu may have the chance to see his mother who is still alive, but many people are not so lucky. They die without ever seeing their loved ones, leaving behind regrets and unfulfilled dreams.
Huo Yingjun didn't gossip, but waited on the side for Qi Shu to finish venting.
After Qi Shu calmed down, Huo Yingjun said, "Actually, there are many people in the same situation as you, with sons living away from home, or elders living away from home. The current division is due to political reasons, which we cannot change, but we can change the environment so that more people can reunite."
"Where is my second uncle's arm?" My mother is doing well, except that her hair has turned gray and she looks a bit older, but she is in good spirits. How could my heroic second uncle be like this?
Huo Yingjie said respectfully, "He was lost during the Korean War. The old general was highly respected and did not want to see political infighting, so he left the turbulent circles of Yanjing and returned to his hometown, Qijia Village. But don't worry, although he has no power, the country guarantees his livelihood and he is highly respected."
Qi Shu nodded. This ending wasn't too tragic!
Retiring gracefully at the peak of one's career is not something everyone can do.
Those who can do that can be considered smart.
Qi Shu looked at the girl taking a photo with her mother and asked, "Who is this pretty little girl?"
Huo Yingjun smiled smugly and said softly, as if chatting casually, "This is my cousin's fiancée! He Tiantian is now your mother's goddaughter!"
"Your cousin's fiancée?" Qi Shu's expression darkened. "Are you spying on my mother?"
Huo Yingjun smiled wryly and quickly explained, "No, we had no idea that Grandma Qi was your mother. This woman is named He Tiantian. She and my brother were childhood sweethearts. She's now a sent-down youth supporting rural development and happened to be assigned to Qijia Village. She and Grandma Qi are destined to meet, and she lives in your house. Later, because the old woman and the young girl got along well, they became each other's goddaughter. At the end of last year, He Tiantian learned that your mother wanted to go to Nanshi, which is where you study, Nanshi University, so she helped your mother fulfill her wish. Your second uncle also went with her, and they all lived in He Tiantian's house. He Tiantian's parents even recognized your mother as their godmother."
"Still saying you didn't get close on purpose?" Qi Shu looked disdainful. What kind of good person is that!
Huo Yingjun was a little angry and said, "Mr. Qi, I haven't finished speaking yet. You can't be so arbitrary."
Seeing Huo Yingjun's displeasure, Qi Shu changed his mind and said, "Then you can continue?"
Let's see what these people are up to!
"My cousin and He Tiantian took your mother and second uncle to see the sights in Nanshi. They visited Xuanwu Lake, Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, and Nanshi University—basically, all the places you wrote about in your letters when you were in school. At that time, my cousin didn't know about your relationship with Grandma Qi. During the Spring Festival, I was working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and met some people. You were someone we were paying attention to. I did an assessment, and if you were willing to cooperate, we could quickly establish a foothold in the United States. My cousin saw your photo at my place and noticed that you looked similar to Grandma Qi. Through some investigations, he learned that you were from Huaishi, Anhui Province, and that your name, Qi Shu, was only one character different from Qi Shuliang. We didn't believe there could be so many coincidences in the world, so my cousin personally went to Qijia Village in Taoyuan County to take photos and borrowed a few more to show you, purely on a whim. Unexpectedly, you really are Qi Shuliang from Qijia Village," Huo Yingjun explained unhurriedly. "Everything I'm saying is true. If you don't believe me, you can ask your mother when you see her."
Qi Shuliang was skeptical of those words, but he didn't care. What he cared about was Huo Yingjun's words, "I saw your mother."
He dreams of seeing his mother!
If there is anyone in this world he owes the most to, it is undoubtedly his parents.
His father has passed away, and he has not fulfilled his filial duties.
If he cannot fulfill his filial duties while his mother is alive, he is unworthy of being a son! (To be continued.)
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