Chapter 133: The Cheng Family in the Capital

The Cheng family’s courtyard was a bit larger than the Lin family’s, and its location was even deeper inside the compound. He strolled along absent-mindedly, hands clasped behind his back, looking up at the sky with a sigh. There were still things about the Zhou and Gu families he had kept hidden tonight—some things could only be spoken with his wife’s permission.

Thinking of Zhou Jinyu, who died young, and the unfortunate passing of Gu Mingzhu, as well as that baby boy who hadn’t even reached a month old, he quickened his pace. He suspected that Zhou Xiaozheng was that very child from back then. He had to tell his wife immediately—they needed to investigate at once.

Old Master Cheng hurried into the courtyard, waved the housekeeper away, and went straight to the bedroom. There, he found his wife wearing reading glasses, working on her needlework. He rushed forward to gently take it from her and set it aside.

Madam Cheng was startled, but when she saw it was her husband, she smiled and chided him, “You never make a sound when you come in—you scared me! Did you old men have a good chat tonight?” But as she finished, she noticed his expression was off and quickly sat up straight, looking at him with concern.

Old Master Cheng took a deep breath and slowly let it out, then sat down beside her. “I have something important to tell you, but you must stay calm. Nothing is confirmed yet, and we can’t let anything slip. We need to verify everything ourselves.”

Madam Cheng nodded.

“I suspect Zhou Xiaozheng is that boy from back then. Tonight, Old Lin said Zhou Xiaozheng’s family is the Zhou family from the capital. It seems that, besides Zhou Jinyu, the only other survivor was Zhou Xiaozheng’s current father. This Old Zhou had a child, then waited fifteen years before having Zhou Xiaozheng, and he’s always favored the eldest. Zhou Xiaozheng was forced to join the army—their father-son relationship is terrible. Zhou Xiaozheng’s only daughter was raised in the Zhou family, but she was abused and completely ignored as the only bloodline of the younger son. The timeline fits, the relationships are strained, and Zhou Xiaozheng’s daughter might also have a photographic memory.”

As she listened, Madam Cheng burst into tears, her whole body trembling, lips quivering so much she couldn’t speak. She clung tightly to her husband’s arm.

Old Master Cheng, alarmed, quickly lifted her onto the bed, offering her water and comforting her. “Don’t panic, don’t get agitated. We’ve searched for so many years—heaven has finally answered us. You mustn’t fall ill now. Don’t you want to bring the child to your sister and brother-in-law’s graves, let them rest in peace? There’s an eighty percent chance it’s him. We’ll keep investigating, step by step. We can’t act rashly. If Zhou Xiaozheng really is that child, we must first ensure his safety. Times have changed—caution in all things. We’ll also need to bring your sister and brother-in-law’s proof to the authorities. Don’t worry, I’ll personally verify everything. No one else will know.”

Madam Cheng finally caught her breath and said, agitated, “No, it can’t be. If Zhou Xiaozheng is that child, why hasn’t he come to find me? Why didn’t he bring the keepsake? I’ve met him before, and he never said a word. Where did things go wrong? My sister was trying to say something when she was shot, but I was too stupid, I just couldn’t figure it out. I hate myself—I was so careless, and my sister died for me. If Zhou Xiaozheng is that child, really is that child—his eyes look exactly like my brother-in-law’s. When he looks at you, it’s like he can see straight into your heart. Xun, you have to find a way to meet Zhou Xiaozheng. I must see him for myself. How could I have been so blind, not recognizing him when he was right in front of me? How can I face my adoptive parents, how can I face my sister?”

“Calm down. If you keep this up, I’ll have to take you to the hospital. Breathe, steady yourself. Try to remember—did your sister ever mention sending the child to live with relatives? Besides the keepsake, was there any other clue? Zhou Xiaozheng is still around, there’s no rush to find him. We need to confirm first. Think carefully—did your sister ever drop any hints?”

Madam Cheng shook her head anxiously. “I can’t remember, no matter how hard I try. My sister was always worried about the child, but she couldn’t risk exposing his identity. She told me the fewer people who knew, the better. My brother-in-law was too well-known, the Gu family too wealthy—everyone was a potential enemy. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust me, but knowing wouldn’t help. Back in 1917, there were all sorts of warlords, militias, and bandits everywhere. We didn’t even dare return to the Gu family home. Later, my sister donated everything our adoptive parents left behind. She said after this mission, she could finally raise the child herself, and once he was grown, they could reunite with her husband, who always said he missed her. But my sister still went to join him. She said if anything happened, someone would bring the keepsake to me. I’ve waited almost my whole life, but never saw that child. How could I die? How could I face them?” With that, she broke down in sobs, her face growing paler, lips turning purple, her whole body curling up.

In the quiet of the night, her cries alarmed the entire household. Everyone rushed to the main house. Just as they were about to enter, Old Master Cheng shouted, “Get the car ready, we’re taking your mother to the hospital!”

The eldest son, Cheng Sijin, didn’t even bother to put on his coat, rushing off to find the car keys. His wife ran to grab two quilts and followed Old Master Cheng out, pushing aside her son’s offered coat, too anxious for words. She climbed into the car, wrapping the quilts tightly around Madam and Old Master Cheng. “Mom, calm down. Breathe in, breathe out—just like that. Don’t worry, whatever it is, we’ll figure it out. You have two sons—what can’t we handle? If our Cheng family can’t do it, I’ll beg Dad for help on my knees if I have to. Everything will be fine. Mom, you have to live a long life and see your grandchildren grow up.”

Seeing his wife’s color improve, Old Master Cheng slumped into his seat, wiping sweat from his brow. “Didn’t I tell you not to get so worked up? Don’t worry, I’ll start investigating first thing in the morning and let you know as soon as I find anything. Don’t try to talk—you can’t right now. Once we’re sure, we’ll visit your sister and brother-in-law together. It won’t be long now, I promise. Just breathe, don’t rush. If you get too worked up, how will you face your adoptive parents? You have to see that child with your own eyes. I’ll investigate personally. After waiting decades, what’s one more day?”

Cheng Sijin said nothing—what he needed to know, he’d find out eventually. Right now, his mother’s health was the priority. He sped to the military hospital and shouted at the entrance, “Emergency! We need help!”

He carried Madam Cheng inside, instructing his wife as he ran, “Go find Dr. Huang, tell him to come immediately.”

His wife ran off to the duty room to call the doctor, glancing back to see Old Master Cheng stumbling along. She called out, “Dad, sit down and rest. Mom will be fine. I’ll make the call.” With that, she hurried away.

After a chaotic rush, Madam Cheng was finally given a sedative and drifted off to sleep.

Cheng Sijin shivered, noticing his wife was also still in her nightclothes. He turned to Old Master Cheng, “Dad, don’t worry. The doctor said Mom’s just emotionally overwhelmed—her health is fine. You should rest too. I’ll go home and let everyone know so they don’t worry. Do you need me to bring anything when I come back?”

Old Master Cheng waved them off. “Go home, and have some ginger tea. No need to come back tonight. Have the eldest daughter-in-law come early tomorrow to take care of your mom—she’ll need to stay a couple of days. Scared me half to death.”

Cheng Sijin nodded, gently closed the door behind them, and let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness she’s alright. Take the day off tomorrow and see how things go. I’ll stay here tonight, you take the day shift. The kids shouldn’t look after her—I’m worried they won’t be careful enough.”

“What’s the trouble? It’s my duty. I’ll do both day and night shifts, you just focus on work. That’s settled—don’t try to steal my credit.”

When Cheng Sijin returned to the ward, it was already 2 a.m. He quietly opened the door and saw his father sleeping soundly outside, with his orderly, Xiao Chen, standing guard. Seeing him enter, Xiao Chen started to salute, but Cheng Sijin quickly gestured for him to rest as well—there was no need to stand guard in the high-end ward of the military hospital.

He tiptoed inside, sat by his mother’s bed, and looked at her still tear-stained face. Thinking about everything that had happened tonight, and what his father had said in the car, he realized his cousin might finally have been found. What a blessing. For the sake of that missing child, his mother had cried countless times. In the early years, she would ask the gate guards every day if anyone had come looking for her. Only in recent years had she begun to lose hope. Every year on the anniversary of her sister’s family’s death, she would cry until she could barely breathe.

Looking at the white hair on his mother’s head, he remembered how, as a child, she always told him he had the world’s best and most handsome older brother. He grew up thinking he was the second son, telling his friends there were three brothers in the family. As he got older, his mother stopped mentioning it, but she always prepared two sets of clothes for him, sometimes silently weeping as she touched them, blaming herself at the graveside, always talking about her sister and brother-in-law. So many years, so many tears—thank goodness they’d finally found him. But what could have made her so emotional she lost control? Was there more to the story?

Cheng Sijin stayed up all night, quietly sitting by his mother’s side, lost in thought. He rubbed his face vigorously and stood up to stretch.

He heard his father getting up outside, so he quietly left the room and closed the door behind him. He saw his father already awake. “Dad, is there anything you need me to do? If it’s inconvenient for you, let me handle it.”

Old Master Cheng could tell at a glance that his son had stayed up all night with his mother. “No need, I’ll look into it myself. Your rank isn’t high enough to get the information. Go home and get some rest.”

Cheng Sijin raised his eyebrows in surprise, but seeing his father didn’t want to say more, he just nodded. “I’m fine, still young. I’ll go home when my wife gets here.”"