Chapter 316: Chapter 316: The Family Reunites

The train arrived in Beijing right on time.

Thanks to having sleeper berths, their journey was comfortable and uneventful.

For Gu Qinghuan, this was already her second time returning to Beijing, so she didn’t feel anything special.

But for Zhong Zijun and the other two, watching the bustling crowds at the station, emotions welled up inside them.

After seven years away, coming back here, everything was both familiar and changed. The people and things were no longer the same; words failed them, and tears came first.

Zhong Luoning had been waiting at the station for a while.

Yun Runtong and his wife also came in person. Both were busy people, but they made time to come and greet their in-laws and daughter-in-law’s family, showing their utmost sincerity.

Even He Qiang, who had heard they were returning today, put aside his work and came to meet them.

The group reunited at the train station, but since it wasn’t the right place to talk, everyone got into their respective cars.

Zhong Luoning had borrowed Xiao Zhuo’s car, while the Yun couple drove their own.

He Qiang’s rickshaw, sandwiched between the cars, made him feel a bit awkward.

Gu Qinghuan simply took the two kids and got into his rickshaw.

“Sorry to trouble you, we’re a bit heavy,” she said.

“Come on, sis, what are you saying? I couldn’t be happier!” He Qiang replied, grinning from ear to ear.

Ji Linhai and Yun Jiuzhou got into the Yun couple’s car.

Zhong Zijun and her husband, Zhong Weiqian, got into Zhong Luoning’s car.

Time changes people.

Zhong Luoning now looked every bit the strong, capable woman, her face warm with a gentle smile, her actions crisp and decisive. She was nothing like the timid, cautious woman she’d been two years ago.

She’d even found time to learn to drive—a step she’d never dared to take before. It seemed that only after weathering great storms could a person truly grow up quickly.

That was for the best.

Their destination was the most luxurious hotel in Beijing.

The Yun couple had reserved a table there to welcome their in-laws and give them a proper reception.

It was just about mealtime, so everyone accepted the invitation without protest.

Although He Qiang’s rickshaw wasn’t as fast as the cars, in the city’s traffic, speed didn’t always mean arriving first. In the end, He Qiang actually got them there before the others.

After dropping them off, He Qiang tried to slip away, but Gu Qinghuan caught him.

“Where are you going? Stay and eat with us,” Gu Qinghuan insisted. She never shortchanged her own people. Since He Qiang had waited for them at the station for so long, she couldn’t just use him and send him away.

“Sis, I’d better not. This is your family dinner. I’m just an outsider—it wouldn’t be right for me to join,” He Qiang pleaded.

“What outsider? You call me ‘sis,’ and that makes you family,” Gu Qinghuan said, determined to keep him.

He had no choice but to park his rickshaw and go in with them.

Gu Lanting and Ming Ruxue had already been notified and were waiting in the private dining room.

When they saw Gu Qinghuan, both were overjoyed.

“Sis, you’re finally back!”

“Qinghuan-jie, I missed you so much!”

“You’ve both grown so tall!” Gu Qinghuan said, looking at them with envy. They’d both shot up, and she was now the shortest in the family.

You Ran, Da Bao, and Bei Bei were also reunited after a long separation, chattering away nonstop.

The private room quickly filled with laughter and excitement.

Since this meal was arranged in a hurry, it was just a simple welcome dinner. Both families focused on eating, only briefly discussing the topic of their family’s rehabilitation.

The Yun couple planned to wait until Zhong Ziyan returned, then invite the entire Zhong family for a gathering to discuss their son and daughter-in-law’s situation.

Yes, they knew that when Gu Qinghuan married Yun Jiuzhou, it was originally just for a hundred yuan for medical treatment. The two hadn’t even had a proper wedding—they’d just ended up together in a muddle.

It broke their hearts to think of it.

Those two kids had really had it tough.

Although Yun Runtong usually advocated for low-key living, now that his only son had been lost and found again, he wanted to make a big deal out of it for once.

The first thing was to notify friends and relatives that the Yun family’s biological son had been found.

The second was to properly arrange the two kids’ wedding.

There was no conflict between the two events, so why not do them together? Not only would they do it, but they’d do it grandly, so everyone would know.

As parents, they’d already prepared a marital home and dowry for their son’s wedding, and would formally present them to the Zhong family in due course.

For now, all they could do was wait.

After the meal and a bit more small talk, everyone prepared to head home.

The Zhong family’s old house had been returned to them, but it was in a complicated state and not yet livable. Fortunately, they still had the small Western-style house, which was more than enough for the whole family.

Ji Linhai wished Zhong Zijun could stay at his place, but that was just wishful thinking for now.

The Zhong family was a scholarly household that valued propriety. Until he and Zhong Zijun were officially engaged, he could only pine from afar.

Speaking of official status, he needed to speed things up. Everything was ready except for this final step—he hoped to win his beloved soon.

He and Zhong Zijun weren’t young anymore, and after so long together, they knew each other well. Surely her parents wouldn’t object?

Yun Jiuzhou wanted to stay and spend time with his wife, but he had an early class the next morning and had to leave reluctantly.

Back at the small Western-style house they hadn’t seen in so long, everything felt so familiar.

Wang Xiaowei had been diligent, keeping both houses spotless. She was also tactful and never overstepped, which Gu Qinghuan appreciated.

Zhong Zijun shared a room with Gu Qinghuan, and the two kids had their own rooms.

As for Zhong Weiqian and his wife, they temporarily stayed in the guest room.

Once everyone was settled in and had washed up, they all quickly went to catch up on sleep. The journey had left them exhausted, and they’d had to force themselves to stay awake for the dinner. Now, everyone was both sleepy and tired.

They slept straight through until late morning.

Ji Linhai accompanied Zhong Zijun to collect their compensation. Over the years, the three of them together had more than ten thousand yuan coming to them.

But holding the money, Zhong Zijun didn’t feel the usual joy of earning—her heart was heavy.

After all, this money was bought with seven years of suffering. Who could be happy about that?

The things that had been stolen or destroyed from the Zhong family could never be recovered. Many precious items had vanished in that catastrophe.

What could be returned to them were only the old house and some properties. The small two-courtyard house where the elder Zhong couple used to live had become a residential building, now housing several families who hadn’t moved out yet.

Zhong Ziyan had two properties under his name: a traditional two-courtyard house and a new Western-style house.

There was also the house and shop that Zhong Zijun had brought as her dowry, which were returned as well.

Next, she and Gu Qinghuan began discussing how to handle these assets.

Zhong Zijun decided not to keep the old house they’d lived in before. Although it held many happy memories with the children, it also contained too many memories of Gu Yunchuan. She planned to sell it and start fresh.

As for the other shops, Gu Qinghuan advised her to keep them for rental income.

If they had the chance and the money, they could even buy more shops or houses. In any case, it wouldn’t be a loss.

With the Zhong family’s name cleared, those relatives who’d once avoided them now rushed to cozy up again.

Zhong Weiqian personally turned them all away.

He understood that back then, everyone had been looking out for themselves—it was human nature to be selfish.

He didn’t blame them, but that didn’t mean he could pretend nothing had happened and go back to how things were before.

After all he’d been through, he’d become more open-minded and less bound by social obligations.

In short: if you treat me well, I’ll treat you well.

Those who had helped them, openly or secretly, would not be forgotten.

For example, Zhang Zheng, who had offered help in their darkest hour, was now a frequent honored guest at their home.

Zhong Luoning received a telegram from the Northwest:

Her father would arrive in Beijing in two days.

The whole family was excited—they could finally be reunited.

Zhong Zijun, Wang Xiaowei, Gu Qinghuan, and Zhong Luoning went to the Western-style house where Zhong Ziyan and his wife used to live, and gave it a thorough cleaning.

They bought new furniture and redecorated it as it had been before. Although seven years had passed and the house had changed, with their efforts, it began to look just like it used to.

Looking at the familiar house and almost identical furnishings, Zhong Luoning couldn’t help but cry.

Zhong Zijun wanted her eldest brother and sister-in-law to feel the warmth of home as soon as they returned, as if nothing had changed. Maybe that would make her feel a little better too.

After all, it was her poor judgment in marrying Gu Yunchuan, that wolf in sheep’s clothing, that had brought disaster to the whole family and implicated her eldest brother and sister-in-law.

Finally, Zhong Ziyan and Bai Jie came home.

Returning to the house they’d been away from for so long, everything seemed both the same and different.

After all they’d been through, the whole family was finally reunited, safe and sound.

The couple hugged their family, tears streaming down their faces.

They’d suffered even more than the rest, living far away in the Northwest. They looked nothing like they once had.

Zhong Ziyan’s back was bent, and Bai Jie was completely changed.

Seeing Bai Jie’s hair cropped short like it had been chewed by a dog, her skin dark and her body thin as a rail, Zhong Zijun couldn’t hold back her tears.

“Big sister-in-law, I’m so sorry, so sorry, it’s all my fault!

I shouldn’t have married Gu Yunchuan. If I hadn’t, our family wouldn’t have suffered like this,” Zhong Zijun sobbed. She’d imagined things could be bad, but not this bad.

Her once-glamorous, gentle sister-in-law had been reduced to this.

Zhong Zijun slapped herself hard, never having hated her own poor judgment so much.

The mistakes of youth always come back to haunt you.

Bai Jie took her sister-in-law’s hand and comforted her gently, just as she always had: “No one can make the right choice every time. Don’t look back, and don’t judge your past self too harshly.

The world is imperfect—no matter what you choose, there will be regrets. Just respect your past choices.”

Zhong Ziyan also comforted his sister: “Zijun, it’s not your fault. In a world of crows, swans are guilty by default.

Even if it hadn’t been Gu Yunchuan, someone else would have brought this disaster. Given our family’s situation back then, it was inevitable.

What goes up must come down—cause and effect.

But now it’s all over.”

The three of them, combined over a hundred years old, hugged each other tightly, tears streaming down their faces.

Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help but cry too.

In her previous life, none of them had met a good end. In this life, at last, they had a happy ending. No matter how hard the journey, being able to reunite was the greatest blessing.

With a thud, Zhong Ziyan knelt before his parents: “Your unfilial son failed you. All these years, I haven’t been able to serve you, and you even had to help us out. I truly don’t deserve it.”

Cheng Shuying hurried to pull her son up.

“Child, you and Xiao Jie have had it so hard.

At least in the Northeast, as long as we worked hard, we could eat. We know what life in the Northwest is like.

You’re home safe now, and that’s all that matters. From now on, our family will live well together.”

Zhong Weiqian wiped his eyes: “My son, you’ve suffered.”"