Chapter 260 The Zhou Family's Secret
Jiang Zhizhi's attention was instantly drawn to it. She had seen photos of Zhou Xiye's uncle before, and he looked somewhat like her three uncles now, but she hadn't thought about it in detail yesterday.
Now that it's brought up again, I can't help but feel curious.
And just as she guessed, Zhou Xiaochuan wasn't the Zhou family's biological child; he was probably the child of the deceased couple.
Fang Hua frowned: "Why tell them this?"
Cong Meilan got up and closed the door to the private room, then sat down, her expression turning serious: "Why didn't you say anything? Why should you suffer alone? Let me tell you, you should let everyone know about this, including Xiao Chuan."
Fang Hua frowned: "What do you mean? Sister-in-law, you know that over the years, I have raised Xiao Chuan like my own son. As long as I have not wronged Guo Feng and his wife, there is no need to say anything else."
Cong Meilan was angry and looked up at Zhou Xiye: "Do you know that Xiao Chuan isn't your biological brother?"
Zhou Xiye paused for a moment, then said, "I guessed it."
Cong Meilan readily agreed: "Since you guessed it, then let's make it clear. Your mother gave birth to you and your siblings, but in the end, she only kept you. Back then, when she was pregnant, Xiao Chuan's parents, who are also your uncles, entrusted him to your mother to raise as a child."
“Your mother’s body was already damaged from childbirth, and in the end, she couldn’t keep the baby. When she brought Xiao Chuan back, everyone thought your mother had a premature birth, but it was actually your uncle’s child.”
“You’ve seen how your parents have treated Xiaochuan over the years. Your father even thought for a time that if they didn’t take Xiaochuan in, they could have kept their last child.”
"Of course, your dad was really good to Xiaochuan later on."
"Your mother doesn't want you to join the army and keeps you locked up, not letting you go out, because you're her only son. What will she do if something happens to you?"
"You feel wronged, but have you ever thought about what kind of life your mother has lived all these years? She lives in fear every day and listens to the radio on time every day."
"You blame her and your father for transferring you back from the front lines without your consent, but do you understand her?"
"Yes, what they did was wrong! But you're their only son, how could they bear to watch you go and die?"
“When your sister passed away, she was such a small child, and she breathed her last in her arms. She was so heartbroken that she wished she could die. You, who were five years old, took a handkerchief and wiped her tears, saying, ‘Mom, don’t cry.’”
"Do you remember these things? Later, she lost several more children, but because of you, she gritted her teeth and persevered. She has an eccentric personality, but have you ever thought about why?"
Cong Meilan's voice choked with emotion as she spoke: "You only blame your mother for being selfish, but can you see her fear? She stubbornly tried to stop you from joining the army, but in the end you still left."
"Do you know how you left? It was because your mother finally softened and didn't go to the higher-ups to say that you were the only son in the Zhou family."
"She stopped you from going to the front lines. She felt guilty and blamed herself. She wanted to please you carefully, but she didn't know how. She didn't even dare to write to you or send you anything, for fear that you would return it."
“Every time your uncle calls you, your mother is actually listening in.”
"You'll never know the painstaking efforts of your parents until you become one."
My aunt was a little agitated and her words became somewhat incoherent.
Jiang Zhizhi understood everything, and tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision. She turned to look at Zhou Xiye, whose expression was tense, and nudged his arm through Liangliang: "Go and comfort Mom..."
Fang Hua wiped her eyes, suppressing the tears welling up, and smiled calmly: "Look at you, it's all just small things, why do you have to make it sound so sad?"
Looking up at Zhou Xiye, she said, "Xiye, since we've come this far, Mom will apologize to you today for the wrong decision we made back then."
He sighed and looked at Jiang Zhizhi: "Actually, I've been very happy lately. Since you two came back, I feel very content and happy every day."
Jiang Zhizhi got up and pulled Zhou Xiye to Fang Hua's side.
She asked Zhou Xiye to sit down next to her, and then hugged Fang Hua from behind: "Mom, I didn't know before, but you are truly the greatest mother in the world."
Fang Hua smiled and said, "You're just trying to make me happy with your sweet talk. What's so great about it? It's just a mother's selfish desire. Now that I can see you two living a good life, I have the energy to do anything."
Cong Meilan wiped away her tears and smiled, "See, I told you you had to talk to the children. If you did, they would understand you. If you didn't, they would definitely resent you."
Then she turned to Zhou Xiye and said, "Your mother has improved a lot in the past few years thanks to our guidance. She used to be so stubborn and even thought that as long as you could live peacefully, it would be fine even if you resented her for the rest of your life. Isn't that stupid of her?"
Zhou Xiye was somewhat moved and reached out to wipe away the tears from Fang Hua's eyes: "Mom, you could have told me."
Fang Hua had been able to hold back her tears, but after Zhou Xiye's actions, she couldn't control them any longer: "It's okay, it's all in the past, let's not talk about this anymore."
Cong Meilan laughed through her tears: "I really am. We finally got to eat roast duck, and you all ended up with tears in your eyes, as if I didn't want you to eat. Alright, alright, let's quickly wipe away our tears and talk while we eat."
"Anyway, the misunderstanding is cleared up, and there's still a long road ahead."
Fang Hua smiled as she wiped away her tears and patted Jiang Zhizhi's hand: "Sit down, everyone. If we all go out with swollen eyes from crying, people will laugh at us."
Jiang Zhizhi asked Zhou Xiye to sit next to Fang Hua, and then she went over and sat next to Liangliang. She felt a pang of emotion, thinking that Fang Hua was actually very strong.
The atmosphere eased a bit, and Cong Meilan brought up Zhou Xiaochuan again: "Guofeng and his wife are very sensible people. How come this child is so clear-headed? Let me tell you, if this continues, you should be on your guard."
"If this child develops serious problems, it will affect Nishino's future."
Fang Hua sighed: "I also have a responsibility to the child I raised from a young age. Zhou Chengzhi said he would send him to the new province after the New Year to get some experience, hoping he would improve."
Cong Meilan thought for a moment and said, "Okay, thank you for all the trouble you've caused over the years. We thought you had few children and wanted you to raise them, but we never expected it to cause you such a big mess."
Fang Hua shook his head: "It can't be called a menace. Xiao Chuan isn't a bad kid by nature, but he's a bit like Guo Feng. He's easily influenced and likes to believe what outsiders say."
Cong Meilan hesitated for a moment: "Xiao Chuan wasn't like this before. You mean he suddenly became like this? Did he hear something outside? Like he found out he's not the Zhou family's biological son?"
Fang Hua frowned: "That shouldn't be the case. Apart from our family, no one knows. Zhou Chengzhi wouldn't tell either. Although he couldn't accept Xiao Chuan before, he treated Xiao Chuan very well later. He treated him with love and discipline when necessary, just like his own son."
This is why she was willing to indulge Zhou Chengzhi.
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