Chapter 132: Old Master Cheng Grows Suspicious

Three elderly gentlemen entered the courtyard. As soon as they reached the living room, Old Master Fang shouted, “Old Lin, where did you loot all this from? So much stuff! Hey, don’t put it away yet! Let me see—wow, it’s all meat. This is wild boar, perfect for us to stew and have with some drinks.”

Seeing Lin Lishan greeting them, he smiled at her and said, “You must be happy this time, right? You’re a lucky child, and there’s even greater fortune waiting for you.”

Lin Lishan beamed and nodded repeatedly. “Uncle Fang, you all had time to come by today? Please, have a seat. Xiaofei’s back, right? My son-in-law asked me to bring him some local specialties.”

“What, your son-in-law knows Xiaofei? Where’s he from?” Old Master Jiang asked curiously.

Old Master Fang grinned mysteriously. “You two still don’t know why Old Lin wanted us to come over, do you? You’ll find out soon. Xiaofei and Zhou Xiaozheng’s son-in-law have even become sworn brothers. How about that?” He finished with a proud raise of his eyebrows.

Old Master Cheng watched them chatting and smiled. He was Old Lin’s longtime comrade, now the second-in-command of the XX Military District, and knew more about the Lin family than anyone. He figured this trip back from the Northeast had turned out well, and Old Lin just wanted to brag a bit. It was understandable—after all, ever since Lin’s eldest and son-in-law had their accidents, it looked like there’d be no one to carry on the family. Now, not only had the kids all come back, but even the granddaughter had brought a pile of local specialties as a gesture of reconciliation. How could he not be overjoyed?

Old Master Cheng, Cheng Lixun, was born into a prestigious family in Jiangnan, a clan that had produced many talents and still wielded considerable influence in politics. They valued moderation and steadiness in all things. His two sons were both outstanding, already lieutenant colonels at a young age, and his grandsons were all promising. His only daughter had married the son of a close friend and lived a happy life.

Madam Cheng, Liu Qinglian, had a mysterious background—rumored to be the adopted daughter of a wealthy family, with no contact with her birth family. She had worked in confidential positions in her youth, and people were always a bit wary of her. When she reached marriageable age, she married Cheng Lixun, and the couple was deeply affectionate. After Liberation, she retired early to care for the younger generation. She was gentle and never quarreled with anyone, earning her the nickname “Living Bodhisattva” in the compound.

Old Master Cheng sat in his chair, teacup in hand, occasionally glancing at everyone’s expressions. Watching Old Lin animatedly recount his trip to the Northeast to see his granddaughter, he smiled knowingly. Seeing his old friend as excited as a child, he was genuinely happy for him. As elders, their greatest hope was for their descendants to be successful. Having such a clever granddaughter was truly a blessing.

Listening to Old Master Fang teasing on the side, he found it amusing. No wonder Old Lin had been in such a good mood at the military district all day—now that the Lin family had Zhou Xiaozheng, and even a promising third generation, how could he not be delighted?

Still, he tried to think positively. No matter what, those two kids were broad-minded, and now that they were related to the Lin family by blood, it was a boost for the Lins. Just like Zhou Xiaozheng—he never relied on the Lin family, but he always carried the Lin family’s identity with him.

Less than an hour later, the housekeeper began serving food and wine. In the living room, the women had all gone to Lin Lishan’s bedroom to look at the furs she’d brought back and to chat about her and her husband.

Old Master Lin, beaming, poured the wine. After a moment’s thought, he went into the inner room and brought out a bottle of tiger bone wine he’d stashed away. He opened the iron tin, waved his hand over the mouth of the bottle, and looked at them smugly. “Smell that? My grandson-in-law got me this tiger bone wine. There’s only this one small bottle—must be rare, otherwise, with his personality, he wouldn’t have bothered with just a little.”

Old Master Jiang protested, slapping the table. “Well, now you bring it out? Planning to drink it all by yourself, huh? If we see it, we get a share—come on, let me try some.”

Hearing this, Old Master Lin put on a regretful face, sighed, and waved his hand. “Fine, fine, just a taste. This wine is so strong and medicinal, you’d better be careful.”

Everyone burst out laughing. They each took a small cup and tasted it, praising it highly. Being older, they didn’t dare drink much—there was more than just tiger bone in there, several medicinal herbs as well.

“This wine must be at least eighty, if not a hundred years old, with at least three precious herbs soaked in it. Old Lin, keep it safe. Once it’s gone, you’ll never get more. This is probably some family heirloom,” Old Master Cheng said, sniffing the tin carefully before handing it back.

“Heh, I knew it was rare. Otherwise, Xiao Wu wouldn’t have insisted his mother bring it for me. That wolf king pelt earlier—he got that for me too. The kid’s thoughtful—he saw me rubbing my knee and knew I had rheumatism, so he shamelessly wrangled it from an old hunter.”

Old Master Jiang looked on enviously. “You’re enjoying your grandchildren’s blessings early. Who knows what kind of husbands Xueli and her sister will find in the future. Old Lin, since we’re in-laws, I’ll be blunt—when are you bringing my granddaughter back? Her sister’s already had a child. Isn’t it time for them to find partners too? You’d better keep an eye on them—don’t let them marry too far away.”

“That’s up to the second son and his wife. We’re old now, can’t really decide. Or, if I bring the sisters back, you find someone to introduce to them, how about it? See, you’re shaking your head. You know these kids don’t listen to us elders anymore.

That’s why I say our Jiao Jiao is truly exceptional. When she stands there, she’s got that scholarly air—quiet, poised, smart, takes after her father, always keeps a low profile, hides her talents. She could recite the Three Character Classic and Thousand Character Classic at three, do embroidery and practice medicine. She’s always respectful to elders, the very model of a young lady from a noble family.

No one taught her—she just learned on her own. She speaks gently to her mother, acts with great poise. Old Jiang, it’s not that I’m putting down my own granddaughters, but there’s just no comparison. I wish my kids could spend more time with Jiao Jiao—if they could pick up even a little of her skills, it’d benefit them for life. But Jiao Jiao and her husband just won’t come back—they say they have to walk their own path, just like Zhou Xiaozheng, stubborn to the core.” Old Master Lin shook his head as he finished.

Old Master Fang snorted and pointed at him. “You’re just greedy. Having one outstanding granddaughter isn’t enough? You want all your granddaughters to be like her? Impossible! No offense, but it’s all in the blood. Zhou Xiaozheng is low-key, right? Smart, right? But who would ever mistake him for a farm boy? He’s every inch a young master from a noble family. With his genes, of course his daughter is exceptional. Like they say, dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and mice have kids who dig holes. As for your granddaughter, look at Old Jiang’s daughter, your daughter-in-law—was she ever low-key? Wild since she was little, running all over the compound, a total tomboy. You expect her to have a quiet, demure daughter?”

At this, Old Master Jiang and the others burst out laughing—it really was impossible.

Old Master Lin protested, “Who says Zhou Xiaozheng was born a farm boy? He’s a proper Beijinger, from the Beijing Zhou family.”

“Oh, now you’re just arguing for the sake of it. I was speaking metaphorically, you know? You say Zhou Xiaozheng is from the Zhou family, but I doubt he’s their biological son. I heard from Xiaofei that the Zhou family mistreated Zhou Xiaozheng’s daughter. If she were really their own, would the second branch be so cruel to their only heir?”

Old Master Lin laughed, “And you say I’m argumentative? Aren’t you the same? But honestly, maybe he really isn’t their biological son—Zhou Xiaozheng doesn’t look anything like those old folks. Some even say he looks more like my wife. If you look closely, he really does. Haha, our Jiao Jiao looks like her grandma, but if you look carefully, she also resembles her dad. Maybe her dad looks like her grandma too?”

He meant it as a joke, but Old Master Cheng’s ears perked up. He casually asked, “Didn’t the entire Beijing Zhou family get wiped out by the Eight-Nation Alliance? Are there any left?”

Old Master Lin replied offhandedly, “At that time, Zhou Xiaozheng’s father was rescued by the Boxers, joined the army, and after many twists and turns, ended up joining our side. Later, he retired and took his wife and three kids—two sons and a daughter—back to their ancestral home in the Northeast.”

“No wonder Zhou Xiaozheng later joined the army—following in his father’s footsteps. They must have had a good relationship. So was the old man just biased toward the eldest son or what?” Old Master Cheng said nonchalantly, gripping his wine cup tightly and watching Old Master Lin closely.

“That old fool was just stupid. Didn’t love his younger son, abused his granddaughter—he must regret it now. His eldest son can’t compare to Zhou Xiaozheng at all. You’d think, after fifteen years, finally having another son, he’d be overjoyed. The youngest was good-looking and smart, but he drove Zhou Xiaozheng to run away and join the army.

My Jiao Jiao is the type to keep things to herself, but he called her dull. I’ve never seen such a muddleheaded fool. If the Beijing Zhou family had him in charge, no wonder they declined. Luckily, they went back home and spared their ancestors the shame.”

Old Master Cheng was silent for a moment, then said, “The surviving Zhou must be from a collateral branch, or a less prominent one. You guys don’t know the Beijing Zhou family, but in Jiangnan, anyone with a bit of culture knows them. The Zhou family everyone talks about refers to the main branch—the direct sons and grandsons. Before the fall of the Qing dynasty, the main branch withdrew from officialdom, refusing to serve the regime. The Zhou family was known for integrity, never currying favor.

During the Republic, the main branch had two outstanding sons. The eldest was so talented that people begged him to take office, but he refused—he was admired by all scholars. The younger son had a photographic memory, reciting poetry at three or five, later studied abroad, but also never entered government. Especially notable was that his fiancée was the only heir of the Gu family’s main branch in Jiangnan. Old Lin, your wife knows about this.

Let me tell you, that fiancée was a true talent, a real lady from a wealthy family, and an heiress with a terrifying fortune.

People talk about talented men and beautiful women, but they were the real deal. I still remember, everything was arranged, the two families had agreed on everything, but before the wedding, disaster struck. First the groom died, then the bride’s fate was unclear—some say she ran away to escape unwanted attention, others say she committed suicide for love.

Your wife and that Gu family lady were cousins within five generations. Your father-in-law claims to be from the Jiangnan Gu family, but he’s not from the main branch, just a collateral one.

The Zhou family’s younger son’s fiancée was from the main Gu line. They had no sons and didn’t adopt, and after that generation, the main branch was in chaos, all fighting over the inheritance. In the end, except for real estate, all the gold and valuables disappeared. People speculated that the young lady wasn’t dead and might come back. The properties were sealed, waiting for her to claim them, but even during the recent asset clearances, no one showed up, so they were confiscated.

The Beijing Zhou family was truly scholarly—apart from ancient books and paintings, they had little else. No wonder Zhou Xiaozheng’s father went back to the ancestral home. Even if he wanted to return to Beijing, the old house wasn’t his.”

Old Master Fang sighed, “Such a tragic beauty—she’s probably long gone. Those were chaotic times, especially for a woman.”

Old Master Lin was lost in thought, then said quietly, “So keeping a low profile is right. Too much attention brings disaster. What a pity. Having a photographic memory is real talent. Luckily, our Jiao Jiao is smart enough to keep her abilities hidden. When Shanshan goes back to the Northeast, I’ll have her remind Jiao Jiao—these are lessons written in blood.”

Old Master Cheng’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly asked, “Does Jiao Jiao have a photographic memory too?”

Old Master Lin shook his head, then thought for a moment and shook it again, smiling. “I really don’t know. I just know that at three, she could recite the Three Character Classic and Thousand Character Classic; at five, she could recite all the medicinal recipes passed down in her grandmother’s Huang family. Before she was ten, she’d learned all her grandmother’s skills. Even if I suspect, I never asked. Even if I did, she wouldn’t tell.”

“That child really is remarkable. You should bring her over for us to meet.”

“Haha, she has to be at least three months old before she can go out. No rush. And let me tell you, don’t get any ideas about my granddaughter—she just wants a peaceful life.” Old Master Lin said, eyeing him warily.

Old Master Cheng laughed and said to Old Master Jiang and Old Master Fang, “Look at him, so protective. She’s already married—what, am I going to match her with my grandson? What would a little girl do in the army? Her mom’s in charge of the performing arts troupe—what could she possibly want? The lights-out bugle’s already sounded, I’m heading out. How about you?”

Seeing them about to leave, Old Master Lin quickly called Lin Lishan, “Pack up three portions and send them over.”

He glared at the others. “What’s the rush? At least finish the wine.”

Old Master Fang cheerfully downed his cup in one gulp. Seeing the three of them about to leave, Old Master Lin didn’t insist they stay, but personally saw them out, watching as they entered their own courtyard and waited at the gate for Lin Lishan."