Chapter 181

Chapter 181

Wang Shoucheng glanced at his youngest son. "Let's talk about this when we get home. Your wife... she wasn't entirely wrong in her guesses. This is too big to discuss here. Once we're back, I'll explain everything to you and your wife."

When the time comes, you can decide what to do.

Wang Qingqi panicked. "Dad, he really isn't..."

Before he could finish, Wang Shoucheng gave him a stern look.

Wang Qingqi's mind was in turmoil as he helped the old man back home.

Everyone had returned by then. Before Wang Shoucheng even entered the courtyard, he ran into his second son and daughter-in-law.

"What were you two doing?" Wang Shoucheng asked, puzzled.

Wang Qingfu had a look of joy on his face. "Dad, my wife has been suspecting she might be pregnant. I'm going to take her to Uncle Zhang for a checkup."

We were supposed to go earlier, but it got delayed because of Old Fifth's situation.

Now I need to go quickly.

I have a job now, and our family's life isn't hard anymore.

All we need is a son!

We already have two daughters who will eventually marry off and bring in some dowry money.

Then we can build a good house for our son and buy him a job.

With both of us having jobs, how respectable that would be?

Wang Qingfu was envisioning their future. Everything was set except for the son!

Hearing that his second daughter-in-law might be pregnant, Wang Shoucheng was pleased. "Go ahead then."

It's been years since the second son got married, and they only have two daughters, no son.

The fourth daughter-in-law hasn't shown any signs either, and the fifth daughter-in-law just got married recently.

Only the third daughter-in-law gave him a grandson, but she's annoying, and the third son isn't much of an achiever.

How frustrating!

After they left, Wang Shoucheng followed his son to his room.

Zhou Jiaojiao had been pondering what was happening, feeling uneasy as she kept looking outside. When she saw her father-in-law being invited into the room, she had a strong premonition that her guess was right!

Zhou Jiaojiao quickly got up to close the door, eager to get straight to the point. "Dad, did you change your mind?"

As she spoke, she hurriedly poured water for the old man.

Wang Shoucheng's expression softened slightly as he looked at his son and daughter-in-law. "Sit down, both of you. Fifth's wife, don't worry; this isn't quite what you think."

Zhou Jiaojiao sat down promptly.

Wang Shoucheng began recounting the past. "Back then, when your mother and I fled the village during the famine, we ended up in another county. We worked odd jobs there, and one day I met a couple.

They threatened me with weapons, telling me to do something.

If I didn't, they'd kill me.

Terrified, I had no choice but to agree.

They took me to a hospital and told me which room had a child I needed to take away. They said they had everything arranged, and if I was careful, nothing would go wrong. If I succeeded, they promised me money.

As for the child, they wanted me to leave the county and throw the child into the river.

Otherwise, they'd kill your mother and me.

To survive and for the money, I agreed.

Without money back then, I wouldn't have made it."

Wang Shoucheng paused, noticing that his son and daughter-in-law showed no disgust, likely only thinking about the money.

He continued, "So we took the child, but I didn't follow their instructions to throw the child into the river. After all, they were so ruthless; what if they double-crossed me? So I kept a secret from them and told your mother that the child was ours.

That's your eldest brother, Wang Qinghe.

Initially, I thought that once he grew up, if anyone came looking, I could say I was forced and return the child. That way, the blame wouldn't fall solely on me.

Or if those ruthless people wanted us to keep quiet forever, we could fight back, making it a lose-lose situation.

Our family's life was peaceful before, and I didn't want to get involved with those people again.

After all, we had offended someone, and that wouldn't end well.

I'm telling you this because you've been asking, Fifth's wife, and I'm worried about potential trouble.

As for where that family is now, they are in the provincial capital. Someone from there was looking for their child, and that family does hold a high position. I don't know the specifics. If you want to find out more, you'll have to figure it out yourselves. Oh, I still remember what those two people look like."

Wang Shoucheng then took out a sketch he had hidden, even from his wife. The paper had yellowed over time.

Zhou Jiaojiao's heart sank. She had thought they knew the family and planned to exchange the child later. But it turned out they were forced?

If we want money for this, then we can only go to those two people, right?

At least it's an option.

"Dad, I'll first find out who these people are." Zhou Jiaojiao already had a plan. Directly impersonating them wouldn't work; after all, a biological son would bear some resemblance. How could the in-laws' child look like someone else's?

It would be best to drag those two people who helped the in-laws steal the child into this mess.

If they knew that child was still alive, they would surely want that child to disappear forever, right?

Zhou Jiaojiao felt a surge of excitement. Once there's no one left to contradict them, no one would know how their family treated her brother.

She could even hand over her father-in-law as an apology; surely they would get some benefit from it.

As long as she and Old Fifth remain clean, wouldn't that be enough?

Zhou Jiaojiao believed this plan could work, but she couldn't tell her father-in-law about it.

She carefully put away the sketch. "Dad, it wasn't your fault back then; you were just trying to save yourself and Mom. It's all those two people's fault. If Qingqi and I find them, we'll demand a large sum of money from them.

They deserve it!"

Wang Shoucheng was pleased with her words. "Mm, but don't mention this to anyone else in the future. It's not something our family should be proud of."

"Don't worry, Dad." Zhou Jiaojiao felt she had found a good path. Although the current plan wasn't perfect, she could gradually extricate herself and Qingqi from the situation!

But everything hinged on finding those two people first.

She wondered if Brother Hu could help her.

Early morning.

In the county's Wutong district, Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe had just woken up and were planning to go out together.

Then they received visitors.

Someone who should have been far away in the provincial city suddenly knocked on their door.

"Qinghe, Xiao Bai, are you two home? Open the door quickly for Brother Yu; I have something important to discuss with you."