Chapter 67 Song Zhao nodded in agreement: "Your godson..."
Regarding Feng Hensheng's shares, Nie Qingqing and Song Zhao reached an agreement with Mr. Zhong, but they had never visited him in prison, so they had never met him and only knew his name.
The child had no idea that Mr. Zhong had helped him, nor did he know that he owned a share in the electronics factory that was held on his behalf by someone else.
Nie Qingqing brought him home, gave him a cup of hot tea, which warmed him up a bit and made his lips less pale. Then she asked him, "How did you know my address? Who asked you to come here?"
The child pulled a piece of paper from her pocket with her home address written on it. It also said that if she ever had no other choice but to come to this address and say that Nie Qingqing owed her a huge favor, and that her mother would help her.
The handwriting was clearly Xu Guanhai's. Previously, Xu Guanhai and Zhou Zhuoyue had been assigned to Yuanda's construction site, and Nie Qingqing had seen their expense reports and recognized them.
Xu Guanhai did not falsify his handwriting; he simply did not intend to hide it.
He is the uncle of Mr. Zhong's eldest daughter-in-law. Mr. Zhong took care of Feng Hensheng and arranged a way to cover his future after he was imprisoned. So why did Xu Guanhai help this child?
While Song Zhao was making noodles, Nie Qingqing went to the kitchen, showed him the note, and said it was Xu Guanhai's handwriting.
Song Zhao didn't understand for a moment, but the two of them tacitly agreed not to mention the note.
...
A large bowl of shredded pork noodles was served. Feng Hensheng was probably starving, because he finished it in just a few bites. Song Zhao suddenly regretted not cooking more.
Song Zhao said, "Don't rush, take your time, I'll make you another bowl."
This is truly strange; it's rare for Song Zhao to show him any kindness.
Nie Qingqing suddenly understood that even in her most difficult times, she had her mother and brother, and no matter how good or bad the food was, even if it was just cornbread, it would fill her stomach.
But Song Zhao and his father must have experienced hunger and hardship during the years they were sent to the countryside, so he can't bear to see others go hungry.
She quickly stood up and said, "Hey, Song Zhao, do you want to have a bowl too? You didn't eat much tonight."
Song Zhao nodded. Whether he was in a good mood or a bad mood, he wanted to eat something. Seeing that Feng Hensheng hadn't eaten for several days, he did recall some unhappy memories.
...
Nie Qingqing cooked noodles in one pot and fried eggs in another, then chopped some side dishes and arranged them on the table. She served each person a bowl. This time, Hensheng ate more slowly, and Song Zhao also finished his bowl of noodles.
Seeing that Hensheng remained silent, Nie Qingqing took out paper and pen to communicate with him.
It took a long time to understand that the child had suffered a traumatic experience before serving his sentence. The doctor diagnosed that his vocal cords were not damaged and were fine. It was aphasia caused by psychological trauma. He wanted to speak, but he just couldn't.
He was released from prison several days ago and wanted to go back to his house, but his relatives kicked him out. He had no money, and the Feng family was also sabotaging him. Whenever he looked for a job, they would send people to shout that Hensheng had just been released from prison and was a bad person, so they couldn't hire him.
When he was desperate, he found a note that accurately described his situation and told him to come here. It said that his mother had helped someone who would repay the favor, so he came here with his last hope.
That note was written by Xu Guanhai. That bastard didn't want to mention Mr. Zhong, so he had to make up a favor that never happened. How could he not cover it up?
Hensheng wrote on the paper, asking Nie Qingqing what favor her mother owed him. Fortunately, she reacted quickly and managed to get away with it.
In short, she had to repay Mr. Zhong's favor. She needed to take care of Feng Hensheng first, and then ask Xu Guanhai for clarification.
...
Nie Qingqing said, "It's getting late. Why don't you stay at my place for now? I'll definitely help you get the house back. We don't fight battles we can't win. Your Uncle Song and I will go and find out the situation first. Once we've got it all figured out and are ready, we'll go all out and get your house back. Is that okay?"
The child nodded, unable to express his gratitude, and knelt down with a thud, kowtowing to Nie Qingqing.
Nie Qingqing was repaying Mr. Zhong's favor, so she couldn't accept it. She quickly helped him up, asked Song Zhao to take him to the bathroom to take a bath, and went to find the thick winter clothes that Tangyuan had left at home to change the child into.
Song Zhao taught him how to turn on the hot water, which one was for washing hair and which one was for bathing, and then he came out.
Nie Qingqing was making ginger soup in the kitchen, and after he finished his bath, she would give him a bowl to dispel the cold.
Now the two of them finally had a chance to talk alone. She looked towards the bathroom and asked Song Zhao, "The note is written by Xu Guanhai. Shouldn't we find it and ask him about it?"
“We need to ask. How can we help this child if we don’t get the information? I’ll go see Xu Guanhai tomorrow, and you can go to the Feng family and ask around.”
Nie Qingqing suddenly came to her senses, told Song Zhao to watch the fire, and said, "I'll go upstairs and call Attorney He to let him know."
Song Zhao added, "Ask Attorney He again how much care you need to give this child? He has a criminal record, where will he find a job? Even if you get the house back for him, just leaving him like this won't repay Mr. Zhong's favor."
Indeed, it was rare for Song Zhao to show kindness on his own initiative.
Nie Qingqing said, "Let's see if Attorney He will tell me about Feng Hensheng's background this time."
...
When Attorney He heard that the child had been released, he was very emotional. He hadn't told him about his background before because the time wasn't right. Now that he was out, his family had been taken over by his relatives, he couldn't speak, and he had been homeless for days without food. He had no choice but to tell him so that Qingqing could make arrangements for him.
Actually, only a few people knew about Feng Hensheng's background: his father-in-law, elder brother, elder sister-in-law, and Xu Guanhai.
He Shunyi sighed and said, "Feng Hensheng is Xianzhong's older brother's child. My father-in-law will not let him part of the family property, nor will he tell him about his background, but he can't just ignore it. Qingqing, you should repay the favors owed to Xianzhong's father as much as you can. Teach him for as many years as you can. If you need my help, just tell me directly."
So he's Mr. Zhong's son? Nie Qingqing quickly processed this information.
Mr. Zhong didn't give him any of his family's assets, but he was, after all, a blood relative of his grandson. No wonder he left him a share of the profits from the electronics factory to provide a safety net for his life.
She understood: "Okay, I know what to do."
...
After hanging up the phone, Mr. Zhong, who had been eagerly listening to the gossip by He Shunyi's side, was wide awake and kept pestering He Shunyi with questions:
“Wife, my brother has another child outside? He’s so old, when did he go to the mainland to have a child? Does sister-in-law know? Why did Dad tell you but not me? I’m that child’s uncle, so I brought him over to take care of him.”
He Shunyi glared at him, annoyed: "How would I know these details? Stop making things worse. You'd better keep your mouth shut. If this news gets out from our side, let's see if your dad will be happy about it."
Mr. Zhong, with a sense of anticipation, said: "How could I say that? I'm actually waiting to see my eldest brother and sister-in-law turn against each other. Dad is becoming more and more disappointed in my eldest brother."
...
Nie Qingqing went downstairs and told Song Zhao what she had learned: "Lawyer He said that Feng Hensheng is Mr. Zhong's son, born before they got married."
Song Zhao suddenly understood something and said, "Then it's not surprising that Xu Guanhai appeared. Feng Hensheng's imprisonment is probably related to Xu Guanhai."
Nie Qingqing was shocked: "I've known Xu Guanhai for a year, and he doesn't seem like such a vicious person."
A truly ruthless person wouldn't pass a note to Hensheng or point him in the right direction when he's released from prison. This makes it even more important to find Xu Guanhai and question him.
...
Hensheng had already taken a bath and came out wearing Tangyuan's clothes. The length of the clothes was just right, but the child was too thin and would need some time to grow to the appropriate weight.
With seven or eight days left until the New Year, Nie Qingqing went to Hensheng's house to inquire. The neighbors all knew about his family and cursed the Feng family, saying that there wasn't a single good person among them.
"Hensheng's uncle had some health problems. We suspected from the beginning that Hensheng's father was adopted to take care of his uncle. His father died early, which was a relief for him. It's pitiful for Hensheng and her mother."
Is this even possible? At first, the Feng family did not admit that Hensheng's father was adopted because the couple had been away for more than half a year before returning. They only said that he was born in another city. Later, the neighbors began to have doubts because Hensheng's father, such a healthy and sensible child, was not loved.
Later, after Hensheng's father died, the Feng family claimed that he was not their biological son and wanted to take back the house that Hensheng's father had built on the Feng family's land.
They hated their birth mother for being so powerful that they demanded evidence from the neighborhood committee and the Women's Federation, which saved them from becoming homeless.
But after Hensheng's mother died, Hensheng was ruined. He was only seventeen or eighteen years old at the time, and he was ignorant and didn't know what to do when things happened. Several members of the Feng family ganged up on Hensheng and soon sent him to prison and seized his house and land.
...
Nie Qingqing gritted her teeth in anger and returned to tell Song Zhao: "The eldest uncle's family deliberately slandered the child's deceased mother, saying all sorts of nasty things. The child protected his mother and was so enraged that he hit her. The Feng family knew this all too well and deliberately let the child hit him. These people are really vicious. They deliberately tore open a wound that looked serious and then sued him for intentional assault. By the time Mr. Zhong found out about this, the child was already in prison."
Logically speaking, once Mr. Zhong learned that Hensheng was his grandson, given his personality, he would definitely punish the Feng family.
But he didn't do that. He only made arrangements for the child's livelihood after his release from prison, but didn't touch the Feng family, which is very strange.
Song Zhao said, "I found Xu Guanhai; perhaps he knows the reason."
...
Xu Guanhai stepped forward voluntarily out of guilt.
He regretted it, saying, "It's all my fault. I happened to see Hensheng, who looked a lot like Xianzong. I thought he was Mr. Zhong's illegitimate son, so I told Xianzu and Jianchun. How could I have imagined that Hensheng was Xianzu's son? Hensheng's mother came to Hong Kong smuggled by smugglers and met Xianzu. Men like pretty girls. After getting together with him, he told his mother that he wanted to marry a mainland girl who had been smuggled in. His mother was not willing to do that, so she reported where these people lived. Hensheng's mother then secretly returned to the mainland. It was because of this that Xianzu hated his mother and became estranged from her."
"When Xianzu heard that he had an eldest son, he was overjoyed and immediately wanted to come and acknowledge him, but Jianchun stopped him. What I didn't expect was that Jianchun was just stalling for time. She called her driver over and gave the Feng family a sum of money, telling them to do whatever it took to send Hensheng to prison. An eldest son with a criminal record would no longer be a threat to her child. When I found out, it was too late. I didn't dare to hide it and told Mr. Zhong."
Xu Guanhai kept his head down, looking distressed. He was Xu Jianchun's uncle and loved his niece dearly. He thought she was Mr. Zhong's illegitimate son and was willing to help her fight for the family fortune. How could he have imagined this outcome?
Even if he started it unintentionally, it was his niece who did it. Now that he has a criminal record, what will he do for the rest of his life?
Feeling guilty, Xu Guanhai kept drinking one glass of wine after another.
...
Nie Qingqing was furious. She snatched his wine glass and threw it away. This was a family matter of the Zhong family. What right did she have to criticize anyone?
She also understood why Mr. Zhong didn't pursue the matter. Hensheng was his grandson, and Xu Jianchun's three children were also his grandchildren. It was one against three, and he wanted to protect the legitimate side.
Having figured all this out, Nie Qingqing asked Xu Guanhai, "Are you still going to stay by Hensheng's side and keep an eye on him?"
Xu Guanhai hurriedly waved his hand: "No, no, I'll go find Gao Zhuoyue. I'm not going to get involved in the Zhong family's affairs anymore. I'll leave Hensheng to you. I believe you can definitely teach him a way to be self-reliant."
If Nie Qingqing hadn't owed Mr. Zhong such a huge favor, she wouldn't have bothered with this kind of thing.
She said, "There are quite a few people who know about Hensheng's background. I can keep quiet, but who knows if he might find out someday through other means."
Xu Guanhai resigned himself to fate: "I'll keep it a secret as long as I can. If he finds out and wants revenge, I'll accept it."
...
After clarifying the matter of Hensheng, Nie Qingqing called Lawyer He to tell him the reason.
Attorney He sighed and said, "No wonder, that's when my brother and sister-in-law's relationship deteriorated. Regarding Hensheng's matter, Xianzong's father said that if he didn't show up, he would still owe you even if you took good care of Hensheng and repaid all his favors."
Since Mr. Zhong had said this, Nie Qingqing had no choice but to accept Hensheng's request.
That child is very earnest; he insists on getting back the house he and his mother lived in. He promised to get it back, so he has to help him.
...
It wasn't difficult to get a house for Feng Hensheng. She found a few fierce-looking foremen from the construction site. In the construction industry, which one is a good person? Just their presence alone was enough to frighten the Feng family.
Song Zhao found a few burly security guards from the factory. The two groups of men stood together at the entrance of the Feng family's house. His uncle's family immediately cowered and obediently handed over the keys, moving out all the things that did not belong to Hensheng's family.
The house is coming back, and Nie Qingqing is worried about him living here alone. If something happens to him, not only will she lose favors, but she will also incur resentment from the Zhong family.
Nie Qingqing asked him to come home with her, saying, "I have a special connection with your mother. From now on, I will be your godmother. Come home with me and live here."
Feng Hensheng refused and insisted on staying at her own home, shaking his head repeatedly. Nie Qingqing had no choice but to have the foremen give Feng's family a stern warning.
Then she stepped forward and said, "The people who gave you the money have been taken care of. They won't show up again. I'm Hensheng's godmother. From now on, he'll have someone protecting him. Don't have any bad intentions."
Song Zhao wasn't so polite and directly threatened, "If Hensheng gets even a little injured, I'll hold your family responsible and make sure you return it exactly as it was!"
Seeing this, Uncle Feng's family just stood at a distance and cursed, but dared not do anything more to Hensheng.
...
Hensheng refused to go back, so Nie Qingqing brought over a cotton bed and quilts and prepared several sets of clothes for him to change into.
Hensheng wrote down the items and kept insisting that she write the prices at the end. She had no choice but to fill in the prices. Fortunately, when she bought clothes for Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan before, she only bought thick ones and didn't care about the brand, so they weren't expensive.
Song Zhao drove over, loaded a trunk full of food and supplies, and brought him a price list, saying, "Don't worry about the money your godparents have spent raising you for three to five years. We won't charge you interest."
The thin, slumped-over man suddenly stood up straight and nodded emphatically.
His family used a wood-fired stove, and Song Zhao chopped a pile of dry firewood for him and stacked it under the eaves. Fortunately, Hensheng had done housework since he was a child and was quite capable of surviving.
...
On New Year's Eve, Nie Qingqing and Song Zhao discussed it and decided to bring Feng Hensheng to their home for the New Year.
“Since we’re godparents, you should come to our home for the New Year. If we leave you alone at home, we won’t be able to enjoy our New Year’s Eve dinner in peace. So come with us, stay up all night tonight, watch the Spring Festival Gala together, and stay overnight. You’ll also have to wish us a Happy New Year tomorrow morning.”
Feng Hensheng nodded, then took out the couplet he had written for the door, intending to give it to them.
This child writes really well. Although the family had bought couplets for the door, she still put up the one written by Hensheng.
She and Song Zhao brought Hensheng home and happily had a New Year's Eve dinner.
When Tangyuan called home, Nie Qingqing told him, "Mom has adopted a godson who has aphasia and can't speak, but he can communicate by writing. I'll take you to meet him when I go to Shanghai again."
Tangyuan became interested: "Mom, you found us another brother? That's great! He can't talk, but I can. Mom, give him the phone, I want to talk to him."
Nie Qingqing waved to Hensheng, but he quickly shook his head and waved his hand, indicating that he did not want to talk.
Nie Qingqing took him to see a doctor, who said that in his case, he needed to communicate more, even if he didn't speak, she should talk to him often.
Song Zhao patted him on the shoulder: "That's your brother too, go over and listen."
Feng Hensheng nervously picked up the receiver. On the other end came a cheerful and friendly self-introduction: "Feng Hensheng, I am your second brother, Jiang Chengzong."
Xiao Yuan's voice wasn't as loud, but it was gentler: "Feng Hensheng, I am your third brother, Song Jiayuan."
Tang Gao's voice was particularly sunny and bright: "Feng Hensheng, I am your cousin Nie Qiaoting."
Xiaoyin, always composed, said, "Hensheng, I am your eldest sister. Don't be surprised by our friendship. We trust Mom. The fact that she recognized you as her godson means she approves of you. What Mom approves of, we approve of too."
Next to her were her uncle and aunt, vying to speak up: "Hensheng, when you come back to Shanghai, stay at your uncle and aunt's house, visit your grandma, and grandma will make you chicken soup."
Feng Hensheng's throat was incredibly sore. How lucky he was to have survived the cold winter without freezing to death, and to have so many people calling his name and giving him warmth.
Nie Qingqing took the phone and said to the children on the other end, "Hensheng is almost crying because of what you all said. Okay, let's talk about it when we meet again."
She hung up the phone, and Song Zhao turned up the TV volume, saying, "Come watch TV, the Spring Festival Gala is starting."
This was the first time Feng Hensheng had ever watched a complete Spring Festival Gala. He watched it very carefully and smiled knowingly when he saw a funny skit or crosstalk.
...
In the first month of the lunar calendar, Nie Qingqing took Hensheng to Shumei's house to play. She told Shumei everything about Hensheng, including his true identity and how he was harmed by his uncle's family.
Shumei felt extremely distressed and said, "This child is so stubborn. He keeps track of every penny we spend on him, which is a good thing. But how can we find him a job and help him earn money to support himself?"
Yes, Hensheng had just been released from prison and wanted to find a job. He was willing to do anything, from washing dishes to carrying bricks. He didn't ask for much money, just enough to eat and a place to stay. The Feng family hadn't let him off the hook, spreading rumors about his time in prison. No small business owners dared to hire him again.
Nie Qingqing said, "Electrical factories and Yuanda are both fine. Song Zhao is willing to take this child with him this time, saying that it's a good thing he can learn a skill."
Shumei quickly shook her head and said, "What this child lacks most is to rebuild his beliefs, right? He needs someone to teach him how to conduct himself and what is right and wrong. Song Zhao's fierce appearance is not good enough for him. You still need to take care of him."
Nie Qingqing thought about it and agreed. No matter how capable someone is, if they lack integrity, they will harm others and themselves in the future.
She discussed it with Song Zhao and suggested that Hensheng stay by her side for a year or two before making any decisions.
Song Zhao agreed, saying, "To prevent others from gossiping, he won't go through the formal recruitment process at Yuanda. Just like how Attorney He hired you before, give him a separate salary and let him learn from you, experience the ways of the world. Maybe it will even cure his aphasia."
This is a good idea. She pays her own salary, so people who want to gossip will have no excuse.
...
When Nie Qingqing returned to work on the eighth day of the first lunar month, she had a little tagalong by her side. Whenever she was asked to run errands or deliver documents, he would do it meticulously.
He always rides a beat-up secondhand bicycle, and he rides it incredibly fast, much faster than taking the bus.
After a while, everyone in the company got used to it. Manager Nie had a godson who was not good at speaking for some reason. He didn't earn a high salary and didn't bother anyone, so everyone treated him very politely and no one brought up his shortcomings.
Before he knew it, Hensheng had been working for her for a month. On payday, Nie Qingqing gave him two hundred yuan.
Hensheng quickly shook his head, refusing to accept the money, and wrote on the note: "I didn't do anything, I can't take so much money."
Nie Qingqing paid her according to the salary of an intern assistant at Yuanda, saying, "Everyone has to learn and do on the job while interning. If you feel bad about it, I will pay you an internship salary for the whole year. It will be about the same on average. Take it. If you don't save some money, how will you support yourself in the future?"
Feng Hensheng then accepted the money, and that evening he bought a whole roast duck and delivered it over.
Nie Qingqing invited him to stay for dinner and joked with Song Zhao, "This is the most delicious roast duck I've ever eaten. Look at our kids, Tangyuan, Xiaoyuan, and Xiaoyin, none of them have ever bought roast duck on their own initiative."
Actually, the children often bought food and drinks, but later they stopped liking roast duck and bought other things instead.
Song Zhao nodded in agreement: "Your godson was not adopted in vain, he knows how to be filial now."
...
Two residential projects in Shanghai are scheduled to launch in April. Sales at this launch are crucial. If sales do not meet expectations, the other project will be affected, and the cooperation between Yuanda and Chenguang will also be impacted.
Before the collaboration, both parties signed an agreement. Chenguang's investment was not for nothing, and Nie Qingqing had a heavy responsibility.
In late March, she planned to go to Haishi ahead of time and stay at the project site to ensure the preparations before the opening. She planned to take Hensheng with her this time.
Fangyan was a little jealous: "Sister Qing, now that he's here, I don't even have any errands to run anymore. He's stealing my job!"
Nie Qingqing laughed and said, "You've taken a break from your busy schedule and have fewer trivial matters, so be happy about that. Once I'm gone, all three projects in Shenzhen and Guangzhou will be launched in the first half of the year. I need someone to report the progress to me at any time, so please keep an eye on them for me."
When it comes to work, Fangyan immediately becomes serious and stops joking: "Don't worry, I will definitely supervise things well here and report back to you every day."
...
This trip was different from the last one with Fangyan. Last time, Fangyan arranged everything perfectly, but this time, she brought Feng Hensheng along, and she was back to having to handle everything herself.
However, Hensheng was eager to learn and work hard. He would follow Nie Qingqing's lead and learn whatever she did. He could remember everything after seeing it only once.
When he got off the train, Feng Hensheng was already able to hail a taxi by himself, write the address on a piece of paper and hand it to the driver. After getting out of the car, he would open the trunk and carry his luggage on his shoulder. He was a smart and observant child.
Nie Qingqing took him to a hotel and told Le Han that Hensheng was the child Mr. Zhong asked her to take care of. Now that he was out, she had adopted him as her godson and was keeping him by her side.
Le Han was very hospitable and booked two adjacent guest rooms, saying, "Auntie, you go ahead and do your business. I'll help Hensheng check in and then call Tangyuan and the others. It's the weekend, so I'll ask Tangyuan to take him around."
Feng Hensheng wanted to go to the construction site with Nie Qingqing so he could learn some skills as soon as possible.
Nie Qingqing said, "I'll be staying in Shanghai for more than half a month, so there's no rush. Didn't you want to see the Oriental Pearl Tower? Before we came, Tangyuan had already planned a route for eating, drinking, and having fun. Let's meet your brothers and sisters, have a good time these two days, and then I'll take you to the construction site."
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