Chapter 340

Chapter 340

Yuan Kaijiang and Zhao Qian had only one child, Liu Kui. Before liberation, they had no choice, but after liberation, they secretly kept an eye on him, arranged for someone to teach him to drive, and helped him secure a job. They watched as he married Li Xiaoyu, and fortunately, the couple was deeply in love and blessed with both sons and daughters. Liu Kui even earned extra income from long-distance driving, living what Li Xiaoyu called "the good life."

Lu Mingzhu had given their granddaughter a stack of U.S. dollars as a greeting gift out of the blue. How could Yuan Kaijiang and Zhao Qian not come to clarify?

With Zhang Zhenxing present, it was even better.

They intended to ride on Zhang Zhenxing's coattails and ask directly.

After hearing their confusion, Lu Mingzhu let out a surprised laugh, "My dear sister, have you not returned to Shanghai since liberation?"

"I just made a flying visit to Shanghai," Zhao Qian replied, but upon returning, she discovered her mother had already passed away.

Lu Mingzhu blinked. "Did no one tell you that I am your mother’s goddaughter? You are my sister, so isn’t Liu Kui my nephew? When I said I was Liu Lu’s great-aunt, was I wrong?"

Zhao Qian was floored. "You’re my mother’s goddaughter? No one told me."

Because her mother had died and her work kept her busy, she had just made a flying visit to Shanghai before hurrying away. Later, she never came back on personal business, only for work, so she naturally never learned of this.

Lu Mingzhu personally poured tea for them. "Anyone who's paying attention knows. I have four godfathers and seven godmothers."

Yuan Kaijiang was a tall, hale-and-hearty man who bore a striking resemblance to Liu Kui. Though past fifty with graying temples, his voice remained resonant. "But very few know Liu Kui is our son. We’ve had no contact with you—how did you know about this? Comrade Zhenxing, did you tell her?"

"Not me," Zhang Zhenxing waved his hand, figuring it must've been Lu Zhuri.

Lu Zhuri had once worked in intelligence, getting into every nook and cranny.

He could have enjoyed the limelight but suddenly resigned and disappeared, up and leaving his youngest behind even as his elder children went missing. Countless comrades shook their heads at him.

At first, Zhang Zhenxing also found it regrettable—until he saw photos of Lu Changsheng from Hong Kong.

Well I'll be!

He had gone back to being a Young Master.

His face bore a seven-tenths resemblance to the Lu Zhuri Zhang Zhenxing had first met.

So all those stories about growing up poor, sneaking outside private schools to learn to read, and struggling to survive—were they all lies he told to deceive both Zhang Zhenxing and the organization?

He had sold the act hook, line and sinker.

The thought of Lu Zhuri borrowing Zhang Zhenxing’s allowance to buy an engagement ring for Ye Ying made Zhang Zhenxing see red.

He never returned those two silver dollars!

But remembering the IOU he had personally signed, Zhang Zhenxing bit his tongue.

He had long suspected that Lu Zhuri’s book smarts and skills were unlike those of a poor man—his knowledge was far too extensive. Yet Zhang Zhenxing never shared his suspicions with anyone. There was no need.

This easily explained why the Lu family donated so much money and why Lu Mingzhu was gung-ho about supporting the mainland.

Unaware of Zhang Zhenxing’s thoughts, Lu Mingzhu smiled at Yuan Kaijiang. "So what if we’ve had no contact? Before my godmother passed, she was beside herself worrying about her only daughter. I didn’t know Sister Zhao Qian’s whereabouts before, but once I did, of course I kept tabs. I have my own sources of information. I even know that Liu Kui’s foster father, on his deathbed, told him to find you!"

Yuan Kaijiang and Zhao Qian were floored. "Is that true?"

They hadn’t known.

"Liu Kui said it himself—that's the gospel truth. But he thought you might have other children, and since there was no real connection between you, he didn’t want to barge into your lives," Lu Mingzhu explained.

Zhao Qian's eyes instantly reddened, "That foolish boy!"

Yuan Kaijiang placed a hand on his waist, his booming voice unchanged, "Why didn't he just come and ask us clearly? We brought him into the world but couldn’t raise him—how could we risk having another? We were lucky that Liu Kui grew up healthy and strong, like a little bull. Countless fostered children like him never made it home."

"Just spell it out for him—problem solved," Lu Mingzhu said dismissively.

After a pause, she added, "Li Xiaoyu knows. Once Liu Kui returns, she’ll definitely tell him. Then you can just wait for your family reunion. Pity we’re heading to Shanghai soon—we won’t get to see your happy reunion!"

"What a shame," Zhao Qian sighed, having hoped to invite her as a witness.

Lu Mingzhu smiled. "No regrets—a reunion’s a happy thing! Seeing you reminds me of something. Do you know Zhao Datou and Zhu Hongxia? Did they leave anything behind?"

Zhang Zhenxing grew wary. "Why do you ask?"

"Their daughter’s my daughter’s martial arts teacher *and* bodyguard. I’d like to bring them to her." Having spent so much time with Yan Bin, Lu Mingzhu knew she deeply admired her parents; her only regret was never meeting them, just seeing a single photo.

Yuan Kaijiang and Zhang Zhenxing exclaimed in unison, "Wasn’t their daughter lost as a child?"

"She’s alive. Before meeting my daughter, she didn’t have an easy life—abandoned, then picked up and raised by her adoptive father. Her name is Yan Bin, and she’s doing well now. Who knows? I might even become her matchmaker someday!" Thinking of Fu Yulin’s constant treats for Yan Bin, Lu Mingzhu’s eyes sparkled with amusement. Yan Bin assumed Fu Yulin’s kindness was merely because she was a good martial arts instructor, clueless about his real feelings.

Zhao Qian was overjoyed. "How wonderful! Just wonderful."

Having had her own child fostered, she wished all fostered children could reunite with their birth parents. So many babies didn’t survive back then, and many children succumbed to illness before reaching adulthood.

Zhao Datou and Zhu Hongxia came from impoverished backgrounds and left no valuable belongings—just everyday things and service medals.

These items were stored alongside other martyrs’ relics, and even Zhang Zhenxing and the Yuan couple couldn’t just hand them over. They could only apologize to Lu Mingzhu.

"Unless she comes personally and requests inheritance," Zhang Zhenxing said.

"Then let her stay safe in Hong Kong." Given Yan Bin’s adoptive father’s questionable past, there was no guarantee she could leave safely if she visited the mainland. Better safe than sorry these days.

Lu Mingzhu calculated the timing and figured she wouldn’t be back for three years. Even if she did, it would only be for brief, secure visits.

Zhao Qian asked for more details about Yan Bin before finally saying, "Then let her stay safe in Hong Kong."

With the political climate growing increasingly tense, she couldn’t predict how things would unfold on the mainland.

Lu Mingzhu agreed. "Don’t worry, sister—comrades."

"Little sis, folks say you’ve got the luck. Help Comrade Zhenxing find someone, won’t you?" Remembering what others had said about Lu Mingzhu, Yuan Kaijiang suddenly spoke up.

Lu Mingzhu raised an eyebrow. "Who? Tell me."

Zhang Zhenxing, however, interjected, "Where’d we even start looking? We’ve never stopped searching all these years, yet found no trace. Not everyone is like Liu Kui, Xiao Ding, Yan Bin, or Li Wei—kids who lived through the turmoil and made it."

Lu Mingzhu asked, "Does Comrade Zhang also have fostered children?"

"Yes, his eldest grandson and granddaughter—the granddaughter first. She’d be pushing forty by now," Yuan Kaijiang said.

Lu Mingzhu then requested photos of all Zhang Zhenxing’s family members. "Kids don’t always take after their parents—sometimes it’s the grandparents. Any keepsakes left with them? Any birthmarks? And their exact birthdates—I’ll try searching based on age."

She truly believed in her own luck.

For all she knew, his grandkids could be under her nose!

Of course, I was just kidding.

Zhang Zhenxing fell silent for a moment, then took out a handkerchief bundle from his pocket. Unfolding it, he handed Lu Mingzhu several black-and-white photos. "It's no use. Our family’s been searching for years, but we’ve never found them."

Lu Mingzhu examined the photos but didn’t recognize any resemblance to people she knew.

"Appearance is just one aspect. What about keepsakes? Any identifying marks?" she asked Zhang Zhenxing carefully.

Zhang Zhenxing replied, "On the back of the family photo are the birth dates, birthplaces, and where they were adopted, along with information about the adoptive families of the two children. My granddaughter was given to a wealthy family in Longyan thirty-five years ago—their surname was Xia. They promised to raise her well. By now, she’d be thirty-six. She had no distinctive marks, just fair, soft skin, with the nickname Yuan Yuan, meaning 'round' as in reunion. My grandson was a few years younger, born with a blue birthmark on his bottom and a black birthmark on his left shoulder blade. He was sent away before the Long March campaign to a family surnamed Li, but after his adoptive parents passed away, he vanished without a trace."

Lu Mingzhu said suddenly, "Xia Lin is in her thirties."

The only Xia she knew was Xia Lin.

Zhang Zhenxing was stunned. "That famous actress?"

Even inland, he’d seen Xia Lin’s movies—a few had made it over in earlier years before they stopped.

Lu Mingzhu nodded. "Yes."

But she wasn’t sure about Xia Lin’s exact age, ancestral hometown, or childhood nickname. She’d have to ask later.

"Our family doesn’t have any girls that pretty," Zhang Zhenxing said, finding it unlikely. "These two children had hard lives, never growing up with us. We want to find them to confirm they’re safe, but at the same time, we’re afraid of receiving tragic news. It’s been nearly fifteen years since the founding, and we’ve searched all this time—unfortunately, we’ve found no real leads, just frauds."

"There are fakes for this?" Lu Mingzhu found it unbelievable.

Zhang Zhenxing explained, "Some foster families, scared of taking heat if their kid died, would pass off another kid instead. Others wanted their own children to live better lives by pretending to be the real ones. What hasn’t people done?"

He nearly brought up Li Xiaoyu but stopped himself upon seeing Yuan Kaijiang and Zhao Qian, swallowing her name.

Lu Mingzhu took the photos and memorized the details about Zhang Zhenxing’s grandchildren. "If I hear anything, I’ll let you know, sir."

"Thank you so much," Zhang Zhenxing said gratefully.

Xie Junyao checked his watch. "Mingzhu, it’s time for us to leave."

They’d booked tickets for the express soft-sleeper train.

Yuan Kaijiang and Zhao Qian stood up. "We’ve taken up so much of your time—our apologies."

Lu Mingzhu smiled faintly. "How could catching up with a sister be a bother? Sister, till we meet again—stay safe and well."

"I like hearing that," Yuan Kaijiang laughed heartily.

He, Zhao Qian, Zhang Zhenxing, and others saw Lu Mingzhu and Xie Junyao off to the car heading to the train station, watching them depart.

"What good news did they bring?" Yuan Kaijiang turned to Zhang Zhenxing. "I heard you even took them to meet a higher-up. Seems this news is extraordinary."

Zhang Zhenxing glared at him. "Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t."

After a pause, he added, "You’re getting transferred to the South China Sea, right?"

Though Yuan Kaijiang was a man of Shandong, his hometown was coastal, and he was an excellent swimmer. In this reassignment, he was sent to take charge of military operations in the South China Sea, with Zhao Qian going with him.

Yuan Kaijiang nodded slightly. "Need something?"

"Lu Zhuri’s son, Lu Aiguo, is still young. Just look out for him—not playing favorites, just make sure no one bullies him," Zhang Zhenxing advised.

Yuan Kaijiang hummed in agreement. "I’d have done it anyway. Speaking of which, Lu Zhuri’s been gone ten-plus years—is he really not coming back?"

The surviving war buddies got together, with just him absent.

Zhang Zhenxing smiled, "If it’s meant to be, we’ll meet again."

He’s got it way better than us old-timers—living it up in capitalist luxury!

The remark sidetracked Yuan Kaijiang, making him forget to ask why Lu Mingzhu had come.

After Zhang Zhenxing left, he suddenly realized and muttered, "Sly old fox!"

Zhao Qian patted his arm, "Come on, let’s go see our daughter-in-law and grandkids. We’re the ones who failed our son—we can’t just sit around waiting for him to make the first move. What if he's too shy?"

"What kind of man gets shy? Guys like that never land a wife," Yuan Kaijiang said.

Zhao Qian scoffed, "Oh, like you and your shamelessness?"

"Exactly." Since Zhao Qian had suffered injuries in the past and was in poor health, Yuan Kaijiang supported her arm. "Side by side, nobody would question we’re father and son."

When they finally caught up with Liu Kui, who had just returned from his trip, Lu Mingzhu and Xie Junyao had arrived in Shanghai and checked into the International Hotel.

At dinner, they bumped into Xia Lin out of the blue.

Xia Lin, who had claimed to be traveling abroad, was actually in Shanghai. After days apart, her face looked a little rounder, making her look younger. She wore a light green cheongsam embroidered with plum blossoms, paired with a jade bracelet and a jade bead necklace. Her figure was graceful, her skin fair and smooth, glowing like always.

Xia Lin was delighted. "Chairman Lu, Young Mr. Xie—here on vacation too?"

"About two weeks," Xia Lin said, dropping her voice. "Everything here’s a steal—jewelry, jade, antique paintings and calligraphy works, everything. I plan to buy a batch to take back as collectibles."

Rubbing elbows with high society had sharpened Xia Lin’s eye for quality.

Lu Mingzhu nodded with a smile. "Smart move—load up while you can."

Pleased by the approval, Xia Lin beamed.

Looking at her cheerful face, Lu Mingzhu suddenly asked, "Did you go by Yuan Yuan as a kid? From Fujian Province?"

"I am from Fujian, my hometown is Longyan, but I don’t have a childhood name. My family always called me Linlin," Xia Lin answered straightforwardly, tilting her head slightly. "But I have a cousin named Yuan Yuan—her full name is Xia Yuan."

Lu Mingzhu was overjoyed. "Where is she? How old is she?"

"If she were still here, she’d be turning 37," Xia Lin said.

The words hit Lu Mingzhu like a bucket of ice water, wiping the smile off her face. "She’s... gone?"