After dropping off his parents, Zhao Jingxiang came to the island office early in the morning to join the others in the final collective mobilization and relocation operation.
This mission is his chance to redeem himself, and he must complete it well in order to return to work in the city.
Su Haiting was also brought in through connections to atone for her crimes.
But now the relocation work is making no progress, and she is equally worried that the task will not be completed.
After a meeting, they decided to mobilize the villagers, allowing families who relocate first to leave by helicopter with priority.
Few people would resist such a temptation.
Several people and pilots, including Song Panmei, discussed at their desks how to gradually break down the villagers' psychological defenses and achieve the rapid relocation of the people.
The group was discussing animatedly, unaware that outside the window, Qin Zhizhi and Guard Ma were secretly watching Zhao Jingxiang and Song Panmei, who were having a meeting inside, trying to figure out which one of them was Qin Jinshen in disguise.
Guard Ma bets that Zhao Jingxiang must be their master. "Miss, you don't know about that TV series that was all the rage in Hong Kong a few days ago. The male lead knocks on the female lead's door, saying, 'Sister-in-law, it's my brother, open the door!' I think our master is definitely impersonating Zhao Jingxiang. As for his height, he's definitely wearing platform shoes. We'll find out later if we get our hands on his shoes..."
Qin Zhizhi shook her head, retorting with an air of certainty, "My brother wouldn't be so tasteless as to end up like Zhao Jingxiang, who has such a poker face. It must be that Song Panmei. Ling Huanwu is definitely just like me, judging by looks. Look how handsome, gentlemanly, and refined that Song Panmei is!"
Guard Ma's face darkened instantly. "That guy looks like a sissy. How could someone as domineering as me impersonate him? It must be Zhao Jingxiang!"
"No, it's Song Panmei. They're about the same height. Let's make a bet!"
"Okay, let's bet! I'll bet a oyster pancake!"
"How stingy! If you win, I'll grant you any request!"
The two argued quietly, one after the other, until Zhou Jiuzhen appeared in the office, at which point they stopped arguing.
In the office.
Zhou Jiuzhen looked at Zhao Jingxiang, who was sitting in the corner, and gestured for him to come out.
A slight ripple appeared on Zhao Jingxiang's previously expressionless face, and she stiffened as she left the office with him.
The two walked silently to the seaside.
Zhou Jiuzhen gazed at the shimmering sea before him, his eyes filled with relief. "Actually... I don't blame you, I don't blame you for pushing me into the water!"
A single sentence is like tearing open a long river of memories, and a suffocating feeling rushes over like a flood.
Zhao Jingxiang was panting heavily, not daring to look up at him.
He learned that while he was suffering as a child, his younger brother was also struggling with pain.
Guilt almost overwhelmed him.
For the first time, he felt emotions so clearly.
Tears fell drop by drop, and he felt the salty tears, which slowly melted away the barrier that had enveloped his heart, allowing him to truly feel the profound emotions that influenced his thoughts and his words.
"I'm...I'm sorry..."
Zhao Jingxiang did not argue; those three words fully expressed his regret over the years.
The two sat by the sea and talked for a long time.
They talked about the days when the two of them built snowmen and skied together in the north.
They also talked about the days when they were giving each other the cold shoulder because of Ling Huanwu's childhood sweetheart.
"elder brother……"
Zhou Jiuzhen suddenly called out to him.
Zhao Jingxiang's back stiffened, his heart skipped a beat, and he looked at him in disbelief, "You...you're willing to forgive me? And you'll still call me brother?"
Zhou Jiuzhen nodded, his eyes sincere. "Are you willing to help your sister-in-law? Get her out of here!"
"I do, I do!"
Zhao Jingxiang's eyes welled up with tears, and he nodded repeatedly.
Under the rising sun, the two brothers embraced each other, reconciling as they had in their childhood, and embracing the sunlight together...
*
Following the address given by Zhao Jingxiang, Zhou Jiuzhen found the guesthouse where Zhao Tingguo and Chu Mei were currently staying.
When Chu Mei opened the door, she could hardly believe her eyes. She never expected that her youngest son, who had originally intended to sever ties with them, would actually come to their door.
"Ergou, you've come at the right time! Your father and I were just talking about you, and we were planning to go back to Yuncheng tomorrow. Come on in!"
Zhou Jiuzhen was pulled into the house.
When Zhao Tingguo saw him come in, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed. "Didn't you say we were selfish and didn't recognize us? What are you doing now?"
"Let me tell you, unless you divorce that murderer surnamed Ling, we will not acknowledge you!"
Zhou Jiuzhen clenched his fists, his voice cold and deep, "She is not a murderer. I will prove her innocence, as long as you can help me find a forensic technician in the city to help solve the case!"
Seeing his attitude, Zhao Tingguo's face darkened as well, and he slammed his teacup down. "So, you're only coming to us to plead for your murderer's wife. Let me tell you, that's impossible. Since you don't acknowledge us and have made us lose face in front of outsiders, we naturally won't acknowledge you or help you either!"
Zhao Tingguo's attitude was firm, and Chu Mei quickly stepped in to smooth things over, "Ergou, don't listen to your dad. Actually, he's soft-hearted than anyone else. He knows your brother needs a kidney, and he's been looking everywhere for connections at hospitals. You don't know, but he's already contacted a donor for your brother's body from an accident. The report is out, and their kidneys are a match!"
"Really?"
Zhou Jiuzhen's expression softened slightly, and a glimmer of light returned to his previously weary face.
These days, various things have piled up, and Zhou Shuyao's matter is like a thorn stuck in his heart, which he can never get rid of or resolve.
If Zhou Shuyao were to die, he would be unable to face the adoptive mother who saved him from dire straits when he was a child.
He composed himself, and was about to utter words of gratitude when he stopped abruptly upon hearing what Chu Mei said next.
"But if you want to save your brother, you have to divorce that woman surnamed Ling!"
Zhao Tingguo nodded and echoed his wife, "Your mother is right, you must get a divorce. We parents aren't unreasonable people. This marriage must end. We'll just give her some money as compensation. Capitalists love money the most. You should divorce her as soon as possible. Your mother is right, that Su Haiting is actually more helpful to your future..."
The couple's back-and-forth banter sent chills down Zhou Jiuzhen's spine.
Zhou Jiuzhen did not respond, but slowly bent his knees.
The moment his knee hit the bluestone slab, he heard a soft cracking sound from his joints, as if crushing all the pride he had earned in the army over the years.
The First-Class Merit Medal, the pat on the shoulder from the division commander, and the nickname "Gu the King of Hell" in the eyes of his comrades—none of these could compare to the unbearable torment Ling Huanwu endured alone in the detention center.
He hung his head, his military cap obscuring most of his face, only his hands, tightly gripping the seams of his trousers, betrayed his emotions, his knuckles white to the point of being almost transparent.
"Please...save Huanwu," he said, his voice low as if buried in the earth. "I can't bear to see her suffer. You can dismiss me from my post, transfer me to the border, anything is fine. Just please, save her."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
