Once Zhou Haiqin had finally calmed down, Chen Gangqiang couldn't wait to snatch the photo. He burst into laughter at first glance: "So similar! So similar! He looks exactly like Lao Si when he was a child!"
Chen Yan beamed: "That's right! When I first saw Chen Mengxiao today, I was completely stunned."
Zhou Haiqin asked, "You said that child's name is Chen Mengxiao?"
"His name used to be Chen Xiao, but my younger brother said it violated some of our taboos, so he changed it for him."
Zhou Haiqin was skeptical: "Then...the child's mother didn't object?"
Chen Gang angrily interrupted the mother and son: "Stop talking nonsense! How old is this child this year? And what's the situation with the child's mother? Tell us all about it now."
Chen Yan protested weakly, "At least let me have a sip of water. I've been thirsty all morning!"
Unexpectedly, Zhou Haiqin personally went to the kitchen to pour her a glass of water, handed it to her, and urged, "Tell me quickly, tell me quickly."
As Chen Yan drank her water, she told the elderly couple, "The child's mother is named Lou Xiao'e, the daughter of a big capitalist; in 1967, her husband wanted to sever ties with her and insisted on divorcing her, kicking her out. It was my younger brother who took her in..."
When the elderly couple heard that the woman had been married before, their faces immediately fell. Chen Yan quickly explained, "Oh, Mom and Dad, you don't need to worry. Her husband is infertile and has no children. He brought a girl back from the countryside. You two have met her; she's Xu Xiyue!"
Huh? Chen Gangqiang and Zhou Haiqin were both stunned. This woman was actually Xu Xiyue's father's ex-wife?
Zhou Haiqin asked anxiously, "Then how did Lou... Lou something-e end up with the fourth brother?"
Chen Yan said, "There's a scoundrel in our compound named Liu Haizhong who's the worst kind of person. He's willing to frame his neighbors in the same compound just to climb the social ladder. He set his sights on the Lou family's property, led a group of people to ransack their house, and even locked up Lou Xiao'e's parents!"
These were the "three types of people" back then; by today's standards, they'd be nothing but stinking dog shit! No, you should say even dog shit smells better than them!
Chen Gangqiang and Zhou Haiqin angrily cursed Liu Haizhong for a few moments, then pressed him for an answer: "And then what happened?"
“Don’t you know a great spiritual master? He couldn’t just stand by and watch her die, so he took Lou Xiao’e to beg this spiritual master, and that’s how her parents were rescued.”
Zhou Haiqin then understood: "So it was to repay a debt of gratitude."
Chen Gangqiang thought further ahead: "Where did Lou Xiao'e go after that? Why did she only come back to us now?"
Chen Yan sighed: "First it was Liu Haizhong, then it was Lou Xiao'e's man, Xu Damao, who planned to sell the Lou family so that he could rise to prominence. It was only because my younger brother tipped them off in advance that they were able to escape from Beiping City overnight."
Ugh, this whole thing is a mess...
Chen Gangqiang subconsciously reached for a cigarette, but this time Zhou Haiqin not only didn't stop him, she even lit it for him. Then she heard him ask again, "That child?"
"The Lou family fled all the way to Hong Kong, where Chen Mengxiao was also born. She even showed me her birth certificate, and the dates match up. You two can rest assured, she's definitely one of our family's children!"
Zhou Haiqin clicked her tongue in amazement: "Wow, Hong Kong?"
Chen Yan smiled broadly and said to the elderly couple, "She's a Miss Hong Kong now, and she's very wealthy. She even told me she wanted to bring her child to meet you two!"
Upon hearing that Lou Xiao'e wanted to meet, Zhou Haiqin quickly agreed, "Okay, when did she say she didn't have time?"
Before he could finish speaking, Chen Gangqiang, unusually, lost his temper, slammed his fist on the table, and roared, "What's so good about it!"
Zhou Haiqin was startled at first, then flew into a rage: "You surnamed Chen, are you tired of living your life and want to pick a fight?"
Chen Gangqiang's barely mustered momentum immediately crumbled again: "Ahem, think about Yu Li! What will happen to Yu Li if we meet with the child's mother?"
Well, Zhou Haiqin lost her temper when this daughter-in-law was mentioned.
Yes, Yu Li was Zhou Haiqin's personally chosen daughter-in-law.
After marrying into their family, she was filial to her parents, educated her children, and was very loving towards the fat man.
Now he's even managing such a large business as Qilige, which has made a huge contribution to the Chen family!
Zhou Haiqin could barely speak coherently: "What, what should we do?"
Chen Yan sighed helplessly, "Yes, what can we do? My little brother always knows how to give me trouble!"
"..."
Chen Gangqiang and Zhou Haiqin, the elderly couple, were at a loss about this matter. In order to brainstorm, they simply called Chen Rong and Chen Fang home to discuss countermeasures together.
Chen Fang's jaw nearly dropped when she heard this: "Isn't this just like that guy in our unit? He had an illegitimate child while working in the countryside, and now the other woman has come to Beijing with the child, causing him to get a disciplinary action!"
Zhou Haiqin snapped at her, "What are you saying! How can these be the same?"
Startled, Chen Fang stuck out her tongue and quickly coaxed Zhou Haiqin, saying, "It's different, it has to be different! Mom, are you happy now? You've gained a grandson for free!"
Zhou Haiqin glared at her, saying, "What kind of talk is that? What do you mean by getting a grandson for nothing?"
But the smile on her face betrayed her completely...
Seeing this, Chen Rong and Chen Yan both rolled their eyes.
That's why they say the youngest son, the eldest grandson, and the old lady's lifeblood are so precious.
Chen Fang's flattery was so good it practically made the old lady swoon!
Chen Rong, being the eldest sister, thought similarly to Old Chen: "Xiao Kang must be severely criticized. How can he face Yu Li after doing this?"
Chen Fang retorted, "Oh, sister, how old-fashioned you are! This isn't Chen Kang's fault, it's all the fault of the times!"
Chen Rong was so angry that her jaw muscles bulged out: "Dad! Aren't you going to do anything about her? Listen to what the third son is saying!"
Just as Chen Gangqiang was about to speak, he saw Zhou Haiqin's unfriendly gaze, so he coughed twice and said to Chen Rong, "Boss, do you think there's any way to get Yu Li and Lou Xiao'e to get along peacefully?"
Chen Fang, always quick-witted, retorted: "How can we get along peacefully? If it were me, I would stab Chen Kang a few times first, and then go after Lou Xiao'e to settle the score!"
Zhou Haiqin slapped him across the face: "I'll teach you to talk nonsense! There are four siblings in the family, and you're the one who's making a fuss about getting a divorce. I haven't even settled accounts with you yet!"
Seeing Chen Fang's discomfiture, Chen Rong and Chen Yan both laughed happily.
Indeed, Chen Fang and Xing Jianshu were on the verge of not being able to make ends meet.
Xing Jianshu was stubborn and determined to become an official. Even though he was already a train conductor, he was still not satisfied. Every year he would go around entertaining guests and giving gifts, single-mindedly wanting to get the position of conductor in the passenger transport section, but he couldn't get promoted year after year.
He's neither a trusted confidant nor has any background or education, so why would they promote him?
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