In Ning Hao's eyes, Zhou Baorui's residence in Beijing was already quite good; it was a small courtyard house, not very large, but enough for the whole family to live in.
Not to mention Zhou Baorui's doubts, Ning Hao felt the same way. If his uncle had run away from home back then, how could a soldier have the money to buy this courtyard house?
The uncle and nephew sat down and got straight to the point. Neither of them were the type to dawdle, and besides, there was nothing to dawdle about. Since they both knew that the person in front of them was their relative, the only thing they could do was to seek the answers they needed from each other.
After hearing about his mother and sister's ordeal, Zhou Baorui remained silent for a long time, his head bowed and his hands covering his head. No one knew what he was thinking at that moment.
Ning Hao glanced at Zhou Baorui. He was wearing a Zhongshan suit with four pockets, which looked neither new nor old. There was a pen in one of the pockets. It was obvious that this uncle was an official in the local area. As for how high an official he was, he didn't know, and his cousin had never mentioned it.
“Uncle, actually my grandmother left you a letter back then, but unfortunately, she didn’t know where you went. The Zhou family has all moved away, and my mother couldn’t deliver the letter to you.”
Zhou Baorui slowly raised his head, his eyes shining brightly. "Did your grandma really leave me a letter?"
Ning Hao nodded. "My mother mentioned in her diary that those letters were entrusted to a reliable person for safekeeping back then. Later, I retrieved all of these things, but they are not in my possession for the time being. I will give them to you when I get back."
Uncle, what exactly happened back then? Why couldn't my grandma find you?
Speaking of what happened back then, Zhou Baorui sighed deeply. "Your maternal grandmother was the first wife, but my father did something wrong back then. He clearly promised my uncle that he would not take a concubine. Unfortunately, he not only did not keep his promise, but instead favored his concubine over his wife. How could my mother tolerate that?"
They originally wanted to take me with them, but the Zhou family wouldn't let me go. Because this matter caused such a big fuss, those businessmen were unwilling to cooperate with the old man, and he was too ashamed to stay there any longer, so he moved.
In my younger years, I had my grandmother protecting me, so that woman at least didn't dare to do anything to me. But after my grandmother passed away, that woman became even more cruel and malicious, and the man didn't care at all. He believed whatever that woman said.
When I grew up, they still wanted to use me to arrange a marriage with someone else, but I refused. So I packed my things and ran away from home, and later I joined the army.
Before my grandmother passed away, fearing I would suffer under that woman's thumb, she secretly gave me her savings. However, I didn't let the old woman or the woman know. This house was bought with that money.
As for that old man, he's long gone. He was killed by a bomb during the bombing. The woman and her descendants either died or fled. I don't know where they are now.
After liberation, the local areas needed people, so we soldiers were transferred to local staff. After I settled down, I inquired everywhere about your mother and maternal grandmother, but unfortunately, I didn't hear a single word. Who could have imagined that when we met again, it would be forever?
Overwhelmed with sorrow, Zhou Baorui had nowhere to confide in. His mother had passed away at a young age, and his little sister had lost her mother's protection before she even grew up.
Although he managed to grow up safely thanks to his intelligence, he ultimately couldn't escape the fate of being deceived by men. He didn't know what kind of curse his mother and sister were under, that they both ended up like this.
Once things were out in the open, the nephew and uncle became much more familiar with each other. The three of them chatted freely, and now he knew what his uncle did for a living.
However, it was precisely because he knew this that he felt Zhou Baorui was no ordinary person. The fact that he could become the county magistrate showed that he was both intelligent and capable.
Knowing that he also had two male cousins and a female cousin who was hospitalized, he couldn't help but sigh at how large the family was. Compared to others, his mother really hadn't given birth to enough children. It would be nice to have another one to keep him company.
"My cousin's body is just like my mother's?"
Zhou Baorui sighed, "That's right. I don't know what happened. All the older brothers are fine, but this girl is just like her aunt. She's been weak since she was little. We've given her all the good food, but she hasn't gotten better."
The doctor here couldn't figure out what was wrong; they can only let her recover slowly. I'll see them both tonight. I'll have your aunt bring your cousin over so we can all get together."
Ning Hao didn't say anything else about his cousin's health. Perhaps she was born weak, and even a good doctor would find it difficult to cure her in one go.
He also knew that everyone has their own area of expertise, and perhaps Jiang Qiao wasn't good at this. He said that he brought it up rashly because he was afraid of causing trouble for Jiang Qiao, and that he would wait and see before making a decision.
After that topic was dropped, Zhou Tianyu started talking about Jiang Qiao. This girl had left a deep impression on him, and his cousin was familiar with her, so he wanted to learn more about her.
Speaking of this, Ning Hao sighed, "Uncle, do you know who Jiang Qiao, the one my cousin is talking about, is?"
Zhou Baorui was taken aback. "Could it be that I know him?"
Ning Hao nodded. "The Wen family's granddaughter."
This time, Zhou Baorui was surprised. "Granddaughter? Don't tell me this girl is Wen Jingwan's child?"
Ning Hao nodded again, then smiled and told Zhou Tianyu about Jiang Qiao's background. After listening, Zhou Tianyu sighed repeatedly, "I really didn't expect that this little girl would have such a tragic background. You really can't tell from her appearance."
"How is that little girl so capable? She actually earned a first-class merit! Goodness, she's still so young! What will she be like when she grows up?"
Zhou Baorui became even more curious. "You mean to say that Wen Jingwan's daughter actually attended the merit award ceremony with you?"
"That's why I'm curious, Dad. You didn't see it. That little girl is really young. She looks like she's only a year or two older than my sister. You tell me, how amazing is that girl? I heard she saved the lives of an entire city."
After listening, Zhou Baorui couldn't help but nod. "This child is extraordinary. She had such a difficult childhood, and she finally grew up and has such great skills. Tell me, who could do that? They would probably have given up long ago. This girl's perseverance is exceptional."
Ning Hao added from the side, "These are nothing. Qiao'er does a great job in every way. Ever since I came here to study, she has prepared my casual clothes for me, and she mails all the good things to me."
Zhou Tianyu glanced at his cousin with amusement. "You little rascal, you've been waiting for me here. Don't worry, your cousin is just curious."
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