Zhao Tingguo was so enraged by being publicly humiliated by his youngest son that he raised his hand and slapped Zhou Jiuzhen across the face.
"You've gone too far! You think I can't control you now that I'm retired? You have my blood in your veins, so you have to listen to me!"
He was so angry that he was trembling all over. He wanted to raise his hand to slap Zhou Jiuzhen again, but he saw Ling Huanwu step forward and block Zhou Jiuzhen.
Although she was small standing in front of Zhou Jiuzhen, only reaching his chest, her clear black and white eyes were full of determination and anger.
"Uncle Zhao, what right do you have to hit him? You've missed so many years of his growth, you haven't given him any care, so what right do you have to demand that he do this and that, and listen to everything you say?"
"You've been on the island for so long, as parents, have you ever asked about his injuries, or even offered a word of concern? What if something had happened to him in the storm surge..."
Ling Huanwu's voice choked as she spoke, and she could no longer continue.
In his previous life, Zhou Jiuzhen died so heroically and so quietly in a storm surge.
He died here before he could even find his biological parents or fulfill his ideals and ambitions.
Even now, she still worries that on that day in her previous life, something will happen to her Jiuzhen again.
She wished she could be by his side every moment.
But as his parents, they hurt him like this!
Ling Huanwu turned around and gently stroked the handprint on half of Zhou Jiuzhen's face, tears suddenly falling down her cheeks.
My feigned indifference, which I had maintained since last night, completely crumbled, and I finally broke down in tears, holding his chiseled, rugged face.
She lay on the man's firm chest, her tears and snot soaking his military green shirt.
Zhou Jiuzhen pulled off the headscarf that had been wrapped around her head before she left, spread it out, and slipped inside like a veil, blocking everyone's view.
Inside the headscarf, he cupped her face and gently kissed away the tears that streamed down her cheeks. His eyes were red, and he let his own tears fall onto her cheeks, mingling and then dispersing.
Outside the headscarf, everyone on the dock was numb.
The villagers who came to see them off were used to it, and they watched the two of them being affectionate under their headscarves with a pleasing expression.
The city leaders, seeing this scene for the first time, coughed repeatedly, but couldn't separate the two who were inseparable, and were so embarrassed that their faces turned red.
Zhao Tingguo, in particular, felt utterly humiliated.
After being scolded by his son, he was then scolded by his daughter-in-law.
Now that the reprimand is over, they completely ignore him in front of everyone and do something so indecent that it's like trampling on his dignity.
Zhao Tingguo ordered the guards behind him, "What are you all standing there for? The ship is about to leave, quickly pull these two apart!"
Even though Zhao Tingguo had stepped down from his position, his authority and prestige remained. After obtaining the leader's permission, several guards stepped forward to separate the two.
Just then, a cold, deep voice came from behind, deterring the guards who were trying to pull the two apart and interrupting the two who couldn't wait to kiss a little longer.
"Don't touch them, they don't need to be separated!"
Zhao Jingxiang walked slowly toward the dock, ignoring the astonished gazes of the crowd.
Zhao Tingguo's eyes inexplicably reddened when he saw his eldest son approaching.
He assumed that his eldest son was there to support him as his father.
Seeing her eldest son walking towards them, she unconsciously took a step forward, wanting to hug this eldest son she had never hugged before.
Chu Mei had already discussed it with him beforehand, and that he shouldn't pretend to be indifferent in the future to evoke any of the child's emotions.
He just wanted to be like other fathers and hug his child properly.
To his surprise, before he could even hug his eldest son, the boy walked right past him and headed towards the police officer behind him.
"Officer, I've come to turn myself in!"
Zhao Tingguo stood frozen in place.
Chu Mei, who was rushing over from a short distance away, heard these words and staggered, almost falling to the ground.
Everyone stared wide-eyed, not understanding why he had come to surrender himself.
"Comrade Zhao, we already know about your crime of breaking up a military marriage. Aren't you here obeying orders and trying to atone for your crime? What's with all this talk about turning yourself in?"
Captain Sun, standing to the side, broke the silence awkwardly, cold sweat pouring down his face.
Another criminal has arrived. As a security officer on the island, he's under immense pressure!
Zhao Tingguo, who had just grabbed nothing, also frowned and said seriously, "Yeah, Er Gou, don't scare us with jokes. You can't just say 'surrender' like that!"
Zhou Jiuzhen and Ling Huanwu also heard the commotion outside. They simultaneously lifted their headscarves and met the gaze of Zhao Jingxiang, whose eyes were gentle and whose expression was calm. Their eyes were full of confusion.
The morning light fell on the red headscarves above the two people's heads, outlining a beautiful and radiant background for the two figures, one tall and one short.
Zhao Jingxiang looked at the two of them, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.
For the first time, his eyes were stunned by such breathtaking beauty, and his heart was also shaken.
The two were such a perfect match, as if they were born for each other.
He looked at Zhou Jiuzhen, and memories of the two of them together from childhood to adulthood flooded back.
Jealous, angry, bewildered.
All emotions were stripped away and shattered from him little by little, leaving only envy and blessings in his eyes.
He just stared at Zhou Jiuzhen, but his words were directed at someone in the room.
"I'm turning myself in because I participated in the murder of the widowed father and son, and helped the murderers destroy evidence..."
"Therefore, Comrade Ling is innocent! The real murderer is Song Yao!"
A few words were like a spoonful of cold water poured into a hot oil pan, and the surrounding area immediately erupted in chaos!
"My God, why did Song Yaoyao kill Niu the widower?"
"Could it be that Song Yaoyao started the fire at the cooperative, which is why she wanted to kill the widower?"
"It's probably her. She's always been targeting Comrade Ling. But why was the widower Niu so stupid? Why didn't he admit that he was the one who set the fire?"
"I bet she's having an affair with the widower, that's why she's not saying anything..."
Seeing that the people around her were talking in a very reasonable manner, they guessed why Song Yaoyao killed the widower.
They even started speculating about why Zhao Jingxiang helped the widower Niu cover it up, saying that Zhao Jingxiang also had an affair with Song Yaoyao.
Zhao Tingguo and Chu Mei turned pale, unable to believe what they had just heard.
Chu Mei rushed over with bloodshot eyes, shaking the big dog's shoulders like a madwoman, staring at him intently, trying to see a trace of joking in his eyes.
"Are you lying? Why would you help that woman surnamed Song destroy evidence? How could you possibly be interested in her?"
"Oh right, you like Ling Huanwu, don't you? Your brother and his wife are getting a divorce. Didn't I promise you that we won't object if you marry your brother's wife in the future? Okay?"
As Chu Mei wept uncontrollably and rambled on, trying to justify herself, her eyes were filled with hope.
I hope my eldest son will chuckle and then wave his hand, saying it was all a joke.
But no one expected that Zhao Jingxiang would take two steps back, coldly break free from Chu Mei's swaying, and utter a few words that were like a bucket of cold water poured over her head.
"I'm not joking!"
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