Chapter 101
As the scene outside the window gradually became familiar, a trace of surprise flashed across Pei Xingzhi's eyes. He then asked Pei Zhongyuan, "Dad, are we going to..."
He didn't say anything, but Pei Zhongyuan understood what he meant. He tugged at Xixi's clothes that had slipped up, "Yes, it's our old house."
"Can I get it back?" Pei Xingzhi said with some excitement.
Meng Wanqiu understood and knew that this was the Pei family's old house.
"As long as the property certificate is still there, you can get it back," Pei Zhongyuan explained.
The Pei family's property ownership certificate had always been kept in the bank. When those people expropriated the house from Pei Xingzhi under some inexplicable pretext, Pei Xingzhi knew he couldn't keep it with his current abilities. He didn't try to retrieve the property ownership certificate to reclaim the house, fearing that showing it would attract those money-hungry thugs.
Therefore, the property certificate of the Pei family's old house was kept in the bank until Pei Zhongyuan came back and learned about the relevant policies. Then he went to retrieve the certificate and get the house back.
"What about the people who lived in the house before?" Pei Xingzhi asked.
Pei Zhongyuan said calmly: "I'm in jail."
A small number of them were imprisoned, and most were shot. In the past ten years, this group of people have been demolishing homes and attacking people, and have even forced many people to death.
As soon as the movement ended, the state began to purge people, and this group of people naturally could not escape.
Pei Xingzhi nodded and did not continue the topic.
As the car drove on, there were fewer and fewer people on the road, and then the car entered a villa area. However, most of the houses were dilapidated and old, with weeds growing in the yards, and it looked like they had not been taken care of.
One renovated building is particularly eye-catching.
"arrive."
While Meng Wanqiu was thinking, Pei Xingzhi's voice rang in her ears.
"Yes, we're here. Our family can finally go home." Pei Zhongyuan said dejectedly.
Meng Wanqiu winked at Xixi, who immediately understood. She took Pei Zhongyuan's hand and walked into the house, "Grandpa, let's go. My dad said that we have to walk home."
"Hey, hey, hey, our Xixi is right. Going home... we have to walk back."
With Xixi's interruption, Pei Zhongyuan no longer cared about being sad. He bent down and took his granddaughter home.
Pei Xingzhi held Meng Wanqiu's hand and walked a little behind. Looking at the figures of the old and the young, a soft look appeared in his eyes.
The stone path at the gate of the yard leads to the stairs in front of the house, while the rest of the yard is paved with cobblestones.
After going up the stairs and pushing open two heavy and retro doors, the brown wooden floor came into view, and the scent of wood lingered at the tip of the nose.
Beyond the entrance hall lies the large living room, where a dazzling crystal chandelier hangs overhead. In the corner stands a grand piano, covered in red velvet, adding a touch of elegance and luxury.
Pei Xingzhi saw this and said to Meng Wanqiu with a smile, "I'll teach you when I have time."
Meng Wanqiu glared at him and said, "It's been years since we last met. Are you still able to do it?"
Pei Xingzhi smiled softly and whispered something to Meng Wanqiu.
Meng Wanqiu blushed and pushed him.
"Oh, the master is back!"
A plump middle-aged woman wearing an apron and holding a shovel in her hand trotted out from the room on the left.
Pei Zhongyuan smiled and said, "This is Auntie Fatty, the nanny hired by Secretary Li. You can just call her Auntie Fatty."
The couple greeted each other, and Auntie Fatty cheerfully responded, "Well, go clean up first, we'll be eating soon."
"Xingzhi, take Xiaowan back to your room and clean up first."
After Pei Zhongyuan finished speaking, Xixi dragged him around the house to explore.
Pei Xingzhi went up the spiral staircase in the hall. "The first room on the second floor is the study. There are many books in it. I wonder how many are left now."
After opening the door and looking at the bookshelf which was mostly empty, Pei Xingzhi's eyes dimmed a lot.
Meng Wanqiu held his hand and comforted him softly, "It's okay, we will slowly fill this place up later."
Pei Xingzhi nodded and regained his spirits. "Come on, follow me. My bedroom is on the left, and Dad's bedroom is on the right."
Pushing the door open, Pei Xingzhi deftly pressed the switch on the wall, and the room instantly brightened. In the middle was a two-meter-wide wooden bed, to the left was a row of neatly arranged wardrobes, and to the right was a window with lake-blue curtains drawn.
Meng Wanqiu opened the wardrobe and prepared to organize the clothes she brought, but found that the wardrobe was full.
Pei Xingzhi came over and saw the full wardrobe. He smiled and said, "It's okay. Wear whatever you want without worry."
Meng Wanqiu sighed, "Dad is so thoughtful."
Then she threw her luggage to Pei Xingzhi to pack. Meng Wanqiu walked around the room and when she saw the bathroom, she couldn't help but say, "This is great."
Bright and clean tiles, a washbasin with running water, and even a bathtub...
Seeing Meng Wanqiu's restlessness, Pei Xingzhi seemed accustomed to it. "Let's go to the girl's room next door and take a look."
"Dad also prepared a room for Xixi?"
"Of course, considering how much he loves Xixi, it would be strange if he didn't do that." Pei Xingzhi said as a matter of course.
When Meng Wanqiu came to the next room and saw the decorations in the room, her mouth opened wide.
A pink oversized princess bed, pink curtains, a huge wardrobe, carpets covering the entire room...
"I even want to sleep with Xixi." Meng Wanqiu said this after leaving her daughter's room.
Pei Xingzhi flatly refused, "No."
Meng Wanqiu raised her eyebrows and scolded him.
Pei Xingzhi remained unmoved.
"By the way, is your family so rich?" Looking at the clothes in Xixi's closet, they must cost a lot of money, Meng Wanqiu asked worriedly.
Pei Xingzhi reassured her, "After Dad's accident, my grandparents hid most of the family property for fear of any mishaps."
"So, in fact, your family is not short of money at all now, and is actually very wealthy."
Pei Xingzhi nodded, then corrected, "It's not my home, it's our home."
"How many are there approximately?" Meng Wanqiu asked again, not wanting to pay attention to him.
Pei Xingzhi whispered a number in her ear.
Meng Wanqiu took a deep breath and suddenly understood why the local tyrants had to be fought against.
Seeing Meng Wanqiu like this, Pei Xingzhi smiled, put his arm around Meng Wanqiu's shoulders, lay down on the bed, and told her the family history of the Pei family.
"It's really unfair to you, young master, to live in my house?" Meng Wanqiu said in a deliberately sarcastic tone.
"What nonsense! This has its advantages, and that has its advantages. Besides, the place where you are is my favorite."
Pei Xingzhi turned over, held Meng Wanqiu's face, looked into her bright and affectionate eyes, and said seriously.
Meng Wanqiu curled the corners of her mouth, put her white arms around his neck, and moved her red lips forward.
Not long after, the two went downstairs and Pei Zhongyuan and Xixi were already sitting at the dinner table.
"Xiao Wan, how is the room? Is there anything you are not satisfied with?"
Meng Wanqiu immediately nodded like a chick pecking at rice, "Satisfied, satisfied, very satisfied, thank you, Dad."
He was afraid that if he was a second late, Pei Zhongyuan would show off his money ability.
"As long as you're satisfied." Pei Zhongyuan nodded with a smile, then asked, "I've been back for so long, I haven't had time to visit my in-laws. Are your parents and grandma all well? Are they in good health?"
Meng Wanqiu replied, "Everything is fine. You are busy with work, and my parents asked me to tell you to take care of your health."
"Your parents are too polite. Tell them to take care of their health. I will make time to go to Qinghe Village so that our two families can have a formal meeting."
Pei Xingzhi interrupted, "Just focus on your work first. My parents should be coming to the capital soon. Fengdong and my second brother are both going to college in the capital, so they might come over then."
"Really? Fengdong and Mingxia both got into college?" Pei Zhongyuan was really surprised.
Meng Wanqiu smiled, "Fengdong was admitted to the police academy, and my second brother went to the military academy for further studies."
"That's great! When Feng Dong and Ming Xia come, please come stay at our house. We uncles can have a drink together then."
Pei Zhongyuan really admired Meng Wanqiu's parents. Of their four children, three went to college. Except for his daughter-in-law Xiaowan, the other two went to military school and police school respectively.
Such families are quite outstanding compared to many families in the capital.
Meng Wanqiu agreed with a smile.
After dinner, Meng Wanqiu and Aunt Pang cleaned up the kitchen together, while the Pei father and son went into the study, closed the door and did not come out.
It was getting late, so Meng Wanqiu asked Aunt Pang to go back and rest first, while she made some snacks and sent them to the study.
After coming back, she and Xixi went to see Xiaohui sleeping in his new home. Seeing that the little guy had adapted well, she took Xixi upstairs.
Although Xixi had her own room, she didn't dare sleep alone on the first day. Meng Wanqiu was also worried that she would not be used to it and would fall off the bed at night, so she let Xixi sleep with her.
After all, this is not Qi Yiwu's home. The Pei family's house has good sound insulation. If she falls off the bed or makes any noise, she won't be able to hear it.
After giving Xixi a bath, changing her into pajamas, and tucking her into bed, Meng Wanqiu coaxed the little girl to sleep before she had time to take care of herself.
She luxuriously filled a full tub of water and took a comfortable hot bath, washing away her fatigue and drying her hair. By the time she went to bed, it was almost twelve o'clock, and Pei Xingzhi had not returned yet.
After leaving a light on for Pei Xingzhi, Meng Wanqiu hugged her daughter and fell into a deep sleep.
The Pei family father and son cannot sleep tonight. In the same urban area, Tao Yongchang and Xu Huizhu of the Tao family also have trouble falling asleep.
Seeing Tao Yongchang smoking one cigarette after another, the bedroom was filled with smoke. Xu Huizhu covered her nose and couldn't help complaining,
"You need to go outside and smoke it out. The whole house is filled with stench."
Tao Yongchang raised his eyebrows and flicked the ash off his cigarette. "Why, now that Pei Zhongyuan is back, you're starting to dislike me?"
Xu Huizhu frowned, a hint of annoyance showing through her well-maintained face. "Are you annoying? Is it fun to talk about this all day long?"
Tao Yongchang continued: "This is impatient. Let me tell you, even if you regret it now, Pei Zhongyuan will not want you."
Xu Huizhu's face turned cold, and her expression changed from time to time. Then she sighed, "Lao Tao, how have you been lately? You've been so sarcastic to me all day long. How have I wronged you? Yes, Pei Zhongyuan is back, but what does that have to do with me? Can you please stop being angry with me? Ever since I married you, I've treated all three of our children with all my heart. I even sent my own child to the countryside for Xiao Wei. Doesn't everything I've done over the years show my love for you?"
As she spoke, Xu Huizhu's voice choked up, tears gathered in her eyes, but she couldn't let them fall, making her look very lovable.
Tao Yongchang thought of what Xu Huizhu had done over the years and began to soften his heart. He hugged her and coaxed her softly, "Xiaohui, don't cry. It's all my fault. I shouldn't take my work frustrations out on you."
Xu Huizhu lay on Tao Yongchang's chest and cried for a while before wiping away her tears and asking softly, "Did you encounter any trouble at work?"
Tao Yongchang choked. He couldn't say that it was Pei Zhongyuan who caused him trouble. Although Xu Huizhu had married him, they were still rivals in love. He didn't want to show in front of Xu Huizhu that he was inferior to Pei Zhongyuan.
"Nothing. The people below just didn't get their job done." Seeing Xu Huizhu was about to ask more, Tao Yongchang changed the subject. "By the way, I heard that kid Xingzhi is back. Do you want to go see him? He was willing to go to the countryside in Xiaowei's place back then, and I haven't thanked him yet."
Pei Zhongyuan and Tao Yongchang are in the same system, and coincidentally, Pei Zhongyuan's position is higher than Tao Yongchang. Since the collapse of the four-man bang, the conservative faction to which Tao Yongchang belongs has been suppressed by the reformist faction to which Pei Zhongyuan belongs.
Two days ago, he overheard Pei Zhongyuan telling others that his son and daughter-in-law were coming back, and that both of them were very promising and had been admitted to B University.
After many years, Xu Huizhu's heart trembled when she heard this familiar yet unfamiliar name again, and she clenched her hands under the quilt.
"Xingzhi is back. Who told you that?" Xu Huizhu asked in a hoarse voice.
"Who else could it be? Pei Zhongyuan. I heard that he is married and has a daughter. Now both he and his wife have been admitted to B University." When he said this, Tao Yongchang said with some envy.
"He's married!?" Xu Huizhu sat up suddenly.
"Yes, this child has been in the countryside for so many years and has never come back. He didn't even notify you, his mother, when he got married." Tao Yongchang said.
Xu Huizhu felt like she had something stuck in her throat. She had asked Pei Xingzhi to go to the countryside instead of Tao Wei. She told the Tao family that it was Pei Xingzhi who was willing to do so and that he had proposed it on his own initiative.
The truth is, she went to the street office and changed her name without telling Pei Xingzhi. When Pei Xingzhi was urged to go to the countryside by the street office, he knew what Xu Huizhu had taken him to do.
It was also because of this incident that Tao Wei and his elder brother Tao Teng completely accepted her as their stepmother.
"Why don't you speak?"
"Well, let me think about it. Okay, don't worry about it. I will contact Xingzhi myself when the time comes. Okay, it's getting late. You still have to go to work tomorrow. Go to bed quickly." Xu Huizhu lay down with her back to Tao Yongchang.
"Okay, let's go to sleep." Tao Yongchang turned off the lights.
After a while, his snoring began to sound, and in the darkness, Xu Huizhu's eyes, which were exactly the same as Pei Xingzhi's, could not close for a long time.
On the other side, after hearing the truth of his father's investigation, Pei Xingzhi closed his eyes. When he opened them again, there was only tranquility like a lake in his eyes.
"Father, just do as you wish. I don't care."
Pei Zhongyuan looked at Pei Xingzhi quietly. After a long while, he spoke, "Okay, I understand."
"Is there anything I need to do?" Pei Xingzhi asked.
"No need. Just go to school with Xiaowan and take care of Xixi and the family. I should be the one to avenge your grandparents."
There was another reason, Pei Zhongyuan didn't want his son to be branded as unfilial. Even if Pei Xingzhi didn't care, as a father, he couldn't help but care.
When he said this, there was a chill in Pei Zhongyuan's eyes.
Pei Xingzhi noticed it, but his mood did not fluctuate at all.
When the Pei family got into trouble, it was indeed, as he had guessed, closely related to Xu Huizhu.
Moreover, the death of Pei's grandparents was also related to Xu Huizhu.
That year, when Xu Huizhu and Pei Zhongyuan divorced and left the Pei family, in order to save her reputation, she said that she would leave the family property to the three generations of the Pei family, and took nothing with her and married Tao Yongchang.
In the first year that Xu Huizhu married Tao Yongchang, the Tao family's living standard was very low, which could not satisfy the luxurious habits she developed in the Pei family.
So, Xu Huizhu set her sights on Pei's grandparents.
As the former daughter-in-law of the Pei family, she knew the family's financial situation, but since Pei Zhongyuan's accident, the Pei family's grandparents had hidden the family property.
Xu Huizhu didn't know the whereabouts of the money, and she was married to Tao Yongchang, so it was not easy for her to go to his house to investigate in person. So she asked several Red Guard leaders to go to his house to look for the money under the pretext of a house search.
But this group of people said they were Red Guards, but in fact they were just a group of thugs wearing red armbands.
After this group of people came to the Pei family, the Pei grandparents of course would not tell them. Instead, this group of people became angry and humiliated the old couple and used some bullying methods directly.
And just like that, the old couple passed away.
After Pei Zhongyuan came back, he investigated the group of people who had confiscated property that year. The leader of the group had been shot long ago, and he bribed the rest of the people with money to tell the truth.
Pei Zhongyuan hesitated to take action because of Pei Xingzhi.
He even wrote a secret letter to Bai Fengyao, in which he learned that Pei Xingzhi was taken away by Xu Huizhu specifically to go to the countryside for her stepson.
New and old grudges, the enemy who persecuted his parents was actually his son's mother. No one understood Pei Zhongyuan's feelings.
Fortunately, Pei Xingzhi did not object.
The only feelings he had for Xu Huizhu completely disappeared without a trace after he learned that it was she who had hired people to raid the Pei family's house and harm his grandparents.
When Pei Xingzhi returned to the room, it was already dawn outside the window. Seeing the desk lamp that was lit for him in front of the window and two bulges, one big and one small, on the bed, the dark mood in Pei Xingzhi's heart dissipated a little.
After changing his clothes, he climbed onto the bed quietly, held his lover in his arms, buried his head in her hair, and smelled the familiar scent, which calmed him down.
Pei Xingzhi didn't care what Pei Zhongyuan did afterwards. He just took Meng Wanqiu and Xixi to play in the capital every day.
Watch the flag-raising ceremony, go ice skating at Shichahai, climb the Great Wall, go to Panjiayuan to find bargains, and eat the capital's special food...
On such a peaceful day, they welcomed the New Year.
In the cold winter, heavy snow is falling.
On New Year's Eve, Pei Xingzhi and Meng Wanqiu prepared the New Year's Eve dinner together. As for Aunt Pang, she was naturally sent home to celebrate the New Year on New Year's Eve.
In the living room, Pei Zhongyuan was writing Spring Festival couplets with Xixi. Xixi playfully put one of Xiaohui's red hats on him, allowing him to share in the festive atmosphere of the New Year.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the end of February in the Gregorian calendar, Pei Xingzhi and Meng Wanqiu packed up and prepared to report to University B.
The school start date for the brothers Meng Mingxia and Meng Fengdong will be later, and they will have to register around the 20th.
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