Chapter 70: Heartache

Zhou Jiao held her mother’s hand, reminiscing about the past. “Dad passed away, I got married, and I never really planned to do much about him. I just thought I’d let you all know I was married, so I wouldn’t have to send money or mail things anymore. Cutting off those ties would also let you know about their family’s situation.

After marrying into this family, I became a daughter-in-law, not the little girl who used to drop by all the time. I didn’t dare write to you right away—I wanted to test the waters and see what kind of people they were. I trust Xiao Wu, but I couldn’t trust his family. Some things can’t be rushed, I kept telling myself.

In the end, things turned out well. My parents-in-law weren’t greedy, and they genuinely treated me well. After giving birth, I decided it was time to act. But your address kept changing, and I didn’t have Grandpa’s or Second Uncle’s addresses. I told Zhang Guoqing everything I’d been through over the years, and he was puzzled. He analyzed it all for me.

The next day, as planned, he went to the Zhou family to share the good news and ask for addresses. You know, Grandpa never gave me those addresses, afraid I’d run back to Beijing if I had them. It’s laughable, really—if someone wanted to find someone in a military compound, it wouldn’t be that hard. Xiao Wu used the excuse of wanting to send gifts to Grandpa, Second Uncle, and Aunt to ask for the addresses, and also inquired about how to get the marriage certificate. Just as we expected, when Xiao Wu came back, he found that Grandma had stuffed the envelopes into his pocket first, and Grandpa kept delaying. He even warned Xiao Wu that someone at the post office knew our uncle, so they should send everything together, as he had things to mail too. But when we checked, those five envelopes were empty—no letters inside. Under his coaxing, Huang Zhaodi and Grandpa foolishly exposed themselves.

Zhang Guoqing figured out a lot from this and explained it to me point by point, including how he talked to them and deliberately provoked them. That’s when we realized Grandpa had been weaving a story for me all along, getting the whole Zhou family to make it seem like I’d been abandoned by my own mother and rejected by Grandpa’s family, so I’d be stuck in that household with no way out.

Zhang Guoqing also figured out why Grandpa and you never came to get me, or why you just went along with things. It was because I couldn’t show up in Beijing—only the countryside was safe for me. That’s why you kept sending things. And if you never came to the Northeast, it meant my father must have had something happen to him, maybe even died in the line of duty.

Then, when we saw the 28 packages this year, we realized that sending so many things so openly meant you weren’t afraid of people finding out, or maybe something surprising had happened—like Dad showing up again. Then we remembered Grandma telling people not to mention the wooden box to anyone else. When we opened it, we were shocked—it wasn’t Grandma’s stuff. Inside was a land deed from 1952 in Shanghai, in my name. In 1952, I was 11, just about to turn 10—a birthday gift. But none of us had ever been to Shanghai that year, so who handled it? The answer was obvious: Dad.

In the end, Zhang Guoqing took everything out and opened the box. When he tore off the paper lining at the bottom, he found two knife marks—an equals sign—telling me to wait for him. He’s still alive. I wanted to rush to that house to look for clues, to see if he’d really been on a mission or if he’d been framed.

But Zhang Guoqing stopped me. He said it must be a mission. Maybe Grandpa and you already knew, but the paperwork wasn’t done yet, so you couldn’t say anything. That’s why you spent eight months gathering things to send over. From that, I could tell you’d be coming before the baby was born. I was a few days early, so you’d definitely arrive before I gave birth, maybe even for the baby’s third-day celebration. Then we wondered: if you showed up, would Dad come back too? Would he still be involved with them? Would they drag him down?

No, I’d never let that happen. If they really saw Dad as family, as a brother, would they treat his only child like this? Even when I never took anything from them and supported them, they still acted this way. So why should Dad have to carry the Zhou family’s burdens?

So I set a trap for Zhou Xuezhu. I know her too well—arrogant and domineering, there’s no way she wouldn’t come looking for trouble. Tomorrow is the baby’s third-day celebration. I won’t let them ruin it.

And if you do show up for the celebration, how will things play out? How can I make people see I’ve reached my limit? Only if you don’t show up, and Dad hasn’t come back, can I use the “golden baby” as an excuse to expose everything in front of everyone, distancing Dad from it all and keeping him out of trouble. After that, I can handle things however I want. If you don’t come, that’s fine too—I’ll go with the flow. I just didn’t expect you to come so soon, but thankfully, you haven’t appeared yet.

When I knelt to Grandpa in public, it was to put him on a pedestal and see what he’d say. Isn’t he always boasting about his eldest son? Fine, I’ll ruin it for him.

Elevating him actually helps Dad too. From now on, when people talk about the Zhou family, they’ll only think of the children of old revolutionaries, not those messy scholarly families. Now we just need to clarify Dad’s political status, so no one can use it against us, and we can shake off those fools.

You don’t know how many people came that day, one after another, but no one told the Zhou family in advance. They’re too arrogant, always using Grandpa’s name to do things, acting like he’s some big shot and they’re untouchable. I wouldn’t dare say that myself. And as for people from outside the county, they don’t even know the difference between Zhou Jiao and Zhou Xue. Would I give her a chance to take credit? No, I’ll ruin her. Doesn’t Grandpa love Uncle, Aunt, and Zhou Xue the most? Then I’ll ruin their reputations and their futures.

Mom, don’t be angry. I plan to help the eldest son of the main branch keep his job. He’s selfish, and so is his wife. We can’t destroy them completely—let’s see how their family fares. If they fall apart, people will start to pity them and criticize us. But if the eldest keeps his job and supports his family, plus Grandpa and Grandma’s pensions, no one can say anything about us. After Grandpa and Grandma pass away in a few years, we’ll grow even more distant.

If the eldest keeps his job, people will think our family is kind. If Dad still clings to Grandpa and them, we’ll figure something out. Either way, I won’t give them a chance to latch onto us.”

“Alright, I understand. If your dad knew how they treated you, his heart would break. Other than your grandma, there’s not a good one in that family—they deserve what they get. Such short-sighted people. But Jiaojiao, there are some things you can’t say in front of your dad, understand?

That’s the old Zhou family. After all these years away, your dad’s tolerance for his parents has only grown. Don’t mention any of these tricks. I’ll talk to him when I go to get him.

And don’t think they’ve really gained anything. Is it that easy to take advantage? I’ve been preparing for you for a long time. Wait here—I’ll go get something for you.” Lin Lishan said smugly, then hurried off to open her luggage."