This talk lasted nearly two hours, and at the end he explained the Cui family's current situation: "They are renting a house now. Qian Mengping takes care of them and their grandson at home. Wendong sets up a stall outside to earn a living. Pan'er sometimes goes to help out. Now the whole family depends on Wendong for support."
"Wendong is probably the only one in the Cui family who hasn't grown up crooked. I bought this watermelon from him. We chatted for a while when I saw him last time. He's renting a house outside and living alone now."
"Cui Mingyuan's children all live with Wang Manting, and now they all have changed their surnames to Wang."
"Cui Minzhi's eldest daughter married a long time ago. All the men on her in-laws' side were arrested. She doesn't have a good relationship with her sisters-in-law and aunts. Now her home is a mess. She doesn't try to make money to support her family. She even came to my house to ask for money a while ago, but I drove her away."
"I ran into a former neighbor of the Cui family on the street at the beginning of the month. She told me that Cui Minzhi seemed to have found a new man. He wasn't a good person, but he had some money, so I guess she wouldn't have to worry about food and drink if she stayed with him."
Cui Zhiyuan didn't interrupt her the entire time she was talking. He asked, "Lanzhi, have they asked you to contact me for the past two years? Have they ever asked you to contact me for anything else?"
Cui Lanzhi thought about it carefully and looked him in the eye. "Second brother, you said you received a letter from them half a year ago. I think they should have said something in the letter."
"Lanzhi, have you ever met Wantang?"
He asked directly, and Cui Lanzhi nodded. "I've seen her, and I've seen the child as well. I knew at first sight that the child was your daughter. She looks a lot like her mother, but her spirit is like yours, and even more so when she smiles."
"Does she know that you are her aunt?" Cui Zhiyuan asked hurriedly.
"She didn't know when we first met, but she should have known later. Her mother should have told her."
"Lanzhi, have you contacted them?" Cui Zhiyuan asked.
Cui Lanzhi didn't answer the question directly. Instead, she said, "Second brother, both mother and daughter are married. Wan Tang remarried Director Han Ji and gave birth to a son at the end of last year. When I first met her, I talked to her and I could sense that she hadn't had a good life in the past twenty years and must have suffered a lot, but she didn't tell me, so I didn't ask too much."
"Linglong married Han Ji's apprentice. They got married first. Her husband is very outstanding and gave birth to lovely triplets."
"Linglong was the top scorer in the liberal arts exam in Kyoto last year and was admitted to Kyoto University. I heard from my office colleagues that she majored in foreign languages and is attending university with her triplets."
"Her three children are very smart. They're said to be child prodigies. I heard they went to college with their mother when they were just one year old, and they got full marks in every exam."
"In addition, Linglong's husband is also a top student at the military academy, the grandson of the Lu family and the grandson of General Zhou. His mother is the director of the Publicity Department of the Ministry of Public Security, and his father is the head of the Ministry of Land and Resources. His family background is strong, far superior to that of the Gong family."
"They are living a happy life now. Linglong has been well-educated. She is smart, generous, and capable. Before going to university, she worked in the Ministry of Civil Affairs. I heard that she is very capable at work."
Cui Zhiyuan knew what she meant by that and smiled bitterly, "Lanzhi, divorcing Wantang was the worst thing I've ever done in my life, and it's also the thing I feel the most guilty about. It's been twenty years now, not just twenty days. Our lives have changed forever. I know there's no chance for us anymore, and I didn't even think about continuing anything when I came back this time."
"She is alive and well, and they are living well and happily, so I am relieved."
"It's just that I want to see them. I want to see the child I've never met. As her biological father, I didn't know she existed. I feel sorry for her, and I want to make up to her as much as possible."
Cui Lanzhi understood his feelings and what he meant, and said, "Second brother, I don't know where they live, but I can contact them. Wan Tang is quite nice to me, so I'll contact her first and talk to her in advance so that she and the child can be mentally prepared and ask for their opinions."
Cui Zhiyuan thought about it and realized that if he impulsively ran to meet someone, the child might be disgusted with him. He nodded in agreement: "Okay, please help me contact them and convey my thoughts. I have no intention of disrupting their current life by coming back. I just want to see them and talk to them."
"Um."
Cui Lanzhi nodded. "You probably have other things to do when you come back this time. Go take care of those first. I'll confirm with her and let you know."
Cui Zhiyuan took out a pen and paper from his bag and wrote down his hotel address and contact number for her. "Lanzhi, I'm staying here now. This is the hotel number. Call me at noon or in the evening."
Cui Lanzhi put the note in the cabinet and came over to ask him, "Do you need me to go with you?"
"I understand their temper. Don't go over there."
Cui Zhiyuan didn't want her to hear any harsh words, so he stopped talking about the Cui family and asked about the three of them, mother and son. "Is your work hard now? How far is your commute? How far is it from here for Xiaolei and the others to go to school?"
"The work isn't hard, it's just trivial things."
"It takes me half an hour to ride my bike to work. Xiaolei and his classmates' school isn't far away, about a five-minute walk. However, the teaching quality is average. The teachers assigned this semester are all educated youth who returned to the city. They've been busy with rural construction over the years and have neglected their academic knowledge. It's a bit of a stretch for them to teach again."
"I'm planning to transfer them to another school, and I've already made inquiries. It's just a little far, even farther than where I work, and I'm a little worried about their safety."
Cui Zhiyuan asked, "Are the school and your workplace in the same direction?"
"Yes, it's quite close to my workplace."
"Lanzhi, I will buy you an apartment near this school, and you three, mother and son, can move in directly." Cui Zhiyuan made the decision on the spot.
"Brother, no, no, we live very well here. This is the house allocated by the unit." Cui Lanzhi didn't want to cause him trouble.
"Lanzhi, I've already discussed this with Huaimin. The special period is over, and real estate transactions are now possible."
"Although this is a house assigned by the company, the environment and sanitation are indeed a bit poor, and it's a bit crowded. Xiaolei and Xiaoyue are both older children. It's time for them to have their own private space. If you don't consider yourself, you should also consider them."
"You don't have to worry about me spending money or anything like that. Second brother has only let down three people in his life. One is Wan Tang, the second is Ling Long, and the third is you. I will do my best to make it up to you."
"My second brother doesn't have any other special abilities. The only thing I can do now is to compensate you financially. I hope you all live a better life."
Cui Zhiyuan originally wanted to take the three of them to live in Country M, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that his younger sister would definitely not agree. His nephews were still young and would not be able to adapt to the situation if they went there now. It would be better to make arrangements for them when they are older.
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