RIRW – Chapter 165

Some Chapters are password protected, please use - rirw2025c to unlock these chapters. This is to top theft of translations.

In late December, the conference was held, and on the first day, the session was scheduled for the evening. Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming didn’t attend that day and only started accompanying the school’s delegation from the second day onwards.

Early in the morning, Grandma got up to prepare clothes for Zuo Dan, her face full of pride. “Our Dandan is amazing, being able to attend such an important meeting.”

Zuo Dan replied sheepishly, “Grandma, I’m just tagging along with my teacher to gain some experience. I can’t even enter the conference room.”

“It’s all the same. There are so many people across the country. You’re still a student, so it’s already impressive that you get to go,” Grandma said cheerfully.

Beside them, Shen Yiming was taking care of Shen Youyou. The big and small pair stared at each other—wide eyes meeting smaller, equally curious eyes. Shen Youyou blinked and looked at his mom, then at his dad, before stretching his arms toward his mother. “Mama hug!”

Zuo Dan was braiding her hair and didn’t even turn her head. “Let Daddy hug you. Mama’s busy.”

“Daddy bad,” Shen Youyou tattled.

Shen Yiming narrowed his eyes and directly scooped him up, standing him on his lap. “Shen Youyou, you’re getting bolder and bolder. Your dad is right here, you know.”

Shen Youyou moved his lips, realizing his dad was unhappy, and immediately put on a big grin. Two dimples appeared on his soft, fair cheeks, making him look utterly adorable. “Daddy hug!”

He actually just wanted a hug from Mama.

Shen Yiming gave him a look of disdain. “No principles at all.”

By then, Zuo Dan had finished braiding her hair. She walked over and picked up Shen Youyou. “Anyway, you were the one in charge of prenatal education. However he turns out is your responsibility.”

Shen Youyou hugged Zuo Dan’s neck and laughed happily. He loved his sweet-smelling mother the most.

Grandma chuckled and said, “Our Youyou is just wonderful. Everyone who sees him likes him. Don’t know who he takes after—he’s so good at reading people’s moods.”

Shen Yiming glanced at Zuo Dan and smiled without saying a word.

When the two of them headed out together, Shen Youyou was in Grandma’s arms, waving to them from inside the house. Grandma had wanted to carry him outside, but he firmly refused.

He didn’t like being outdoors.

Riding a bicycle in the freezing weather, Zuo Dan felt like she was about to turn into a popsicle. Feeling sorry for Shen Yiming pedaling the bike, she reached out to hug him tightly from behind, providing some warmth. “Comrade Yiming, let’s start making money after the New Year and buy a car.”

After all, the reform and opening-up policy was just around the corner, and people would be able to start small businesses. Then she could openly make money through her own ventures. Oh right, this New Year when they went back, she’d have to rope in her third uncle to start the business with her. Earn a bit of pocket money.

Zuo Dan suddenly realized that starting a family really came with a lot of pressure—money for a house, money for a car, and so many responsibilities.

Shen Yiming laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”

Zuo Dan giggled and gave him a playful scratch.

They arrived at the school first and joined the group from the school. Several highly respected professors were among them.

Professor Gao was momentarily stunned when he saw Zuo Dan. He smiled and said, “You must be Dandan. You really look like your mother back in the day.”

Zuo Dan knew this was the old friend of her maternal grandfather whom Shen Yiming had mentioned earlier. “Hello, Professor Gao. My grandfather often speaks of you.”

“That old geezer probably had nothing good to say,” Professor Gao joked heartily.

Zuo Dan replied with a smile, “Actually, you guessed wrong. My grandfather always speaks very highly of you. He’s full of praise.”

Professor Gao laughed. “No wonder Old Li gets so happy whenever he talks about you. And you have excellent grades—your grandfather is truly blessed.”

He then sighed and added, “But your temperament is different from your mother’s. Considering the environment back then, that was very rare.”

Zuo Dan knew Professor Gao was referring to how harsh the environment had been in the past.

After a bit of small talk, the school’s vehicle was ready, and the group departed together. On the bus, Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming didn’t speak. After all, as accompanying students, their main task was to observe and learn—not to stand out. This was a time to listen more and speak less. Everyone else in the vehicle were distinguished professors with lifetimes of knowledge and experience. Their casual remarks alone were enlightening.

When they arrived at the venue, they were allowed entry smoothly due to having the proper identification. However, Zuo Dan and the others weren’t allowed inside the main conference room. Even among the professors, not everyone could enter. Only Professor Gao and a school administrator were permitted. The rest waited in another lounge.

Because Shen Yiming was serving as Professor Gao’s assistant, responsible for note-taking, he managed to get in. Zuo Dan was filled with envy. Still, she considered herself fortunate just to be present and obediently followed behind Professor Qin. Whenever Professor Qin chatted with others, she listened attentively. When he asked her to speak, she answered carefully. It was in moments like these that her prior reading really paid off.

A middle-aged man speaking with Professor Qin commented, “Students from Peking University truly have solid qualities and knowledge.”

Professor Qin smiled. “She’s one of the top students I’ve mentored in this cohort. She’s even published a few articles in the campus journal. Oh, and she wrote a proposal letter to your education department as well.”

Professor Qin spared no effort in praising his student. After all, once Zuo Dan entered the workforce, he needed to lay the groundwork in advance.

The man suddenly realized, “Ah, so this is that student! No wonder. Our top leaders were very impressed and even joked that once she graduates, we should recruit her into the education department right away. We can’t let other departments steal her from us—ours is the most appropriate department after all.”

Professor Qin knew that this wasn’t entirely a joke. This batch of university graduates had the eyes of many institutions on them—even ministries like the Central Committee and Foreign Affairs had set their sights on the first graduates of Peking and Tsinghua Universities. Talent was scarce, after all.

Hearing this made Zuo Dan nervous. She didn’t want to join the bureaucracy; she just wanted to be a scholar, educate others, and do what she was good at—brainwashing people, figuratively speaking.

Getting involved in politics? She feared she’d go gray early! Still, on the surface, she maintained a look of admiration.

After a bit more chatting, several other senior professors joined the conversation, discussing the future model of national education. Zuo Dan sat quietly behind Professor Qin, taking notes.

Time flew by. Soon, messages began coming out of the main conference room, sharing the agenda items with those outside.

When the contents of the meeting were revealed, several senior professors became visibly emotional.

Redress. At long last, justice was being done.

Watching them tear up moved Zuo Dan as well. Her eyes grew misty.

“What vision! The country is truly blessed to have such leadership!” an elderly professor clapped his hands in praise.

Zuo Dan nodded firmly in agreement. Indeed, the country was fortunate. From now on, with reform and opening up, things would change rapidly. Ordinary people’s lives would be transformed completely!

The meeting continued for a long time. Zuo Dan ate the work meal with everyone at noon and waited until the afternoon for the session to end.

And that was only the second day—there were still several days left.

When Professor Gao came out with Shen Yiming, both of their faces were lit up with smiles. Even without speaking, one could sense their shared joy.

The professors, though tired from a full day, were still in high spirits, discussing the meeting content excitedly as they walked out.

Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming followed behind, occasionally exchanging smiles.

Just as the group was about to leave, they saw several people waiting at the entrance. One of them stepped forward slowly when he spotted Professor Gao.

“Professor Gao.”

Professor Gao saw the man and was momentarily stunned, a flicker of shock in his expression.

“Zhisen?”

Chen Zhisen smiled and said, “I saw you inside just now, but it wasn’t convenient to say hello. So I thought I’d come out to greet you.”

Professor Gao’s expression was complicated. Chen Zhisen had been his most admired student back in the day. In fact, it was because of him that Professor Gao got to know the Li family. Although Old Li never blamed him, he still felt guilty. Even knowing that Chen Zhisen had his reasons, he couldn’t fully let go of the guilt. So after Chen Zhisen returned to the country, he had avoided meeting him by feigning illness. But now, here, he couldn’t avoid it any longer.

Seeing they had run into an acquaintance, the other professors excused themselves to leave. As they stepped aside, Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming, who had been behind them, were revealed.

Zuo Dan didn’t even know what was going on up front. But when Chen Zhisen appeared, just by his appearance, she recognized who he was.

Their eyes met—Zuo Dan looked directly and calmly at him.

Chen Zhisen’s smiling face suddenly froze, his pupils contracting. Excitedly, he said, “Huihui…” and took a step toward her.

Professor Gao sighed. “Zhisen, she’s not Li Hui.”

Shen Yiming spoke up, “Mr. Chen, she is my partner, Zuo Dan.”

Chen Zhisen paused for a moment, then examined her carefully. Calming himself, he withdrew his gaze and said apologetically, “You’re right, she’s not Huihui. My eyes must be playing tricks on me.”

He no longer looked at Zuo Dan and instead turned to Professor Gao. “Teacher, after the conference, may I visit you? I haven’t had your guidance in many years.” His voice trembled, clearly overwhelmed with emotion.

Professor Gao, unable to be harsh, nodded. “Alright. I’d also like to hear what you’ve gained abroad these years.”

Chen Zhisen gripped his cane tightly. “Teacher, let me arrange a car to take you all back.”

“No need. The university already arranged one. I still have to check in with them anyway,” Professor Gao waved him off. “You still have things to do here, I’ll take them and head back first. Let’s get together another time.”

He patted Chen Zhisen on the shoulder with a sigh and left with Shen Yiming and Zuo Dan.

Chen Zhisen turned to watch them leave, breathing heavily again. His assistant Xiao Qiu quickly took out a bottle of medicine.

“Mr. Chen, your health isn’t great. How about heading back to rest?”

Chen Zhisen nodded and, leaning on his cane, slowly walked out. Only after watching the Peking University car drive away did he look away.

Once in the car, Chen Zhisen closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

No. No matter how much she resembles her, she’s not the same person.

He opened his eyes. “Xiao Qiu, find some time to look into who this student Zuo Dan’s parents are.”

Xiao Qiu nodded, “Yes, Mr. Chen.”

When Chen Zhisen got home, Chen Pingping came downstairs upon hearing the noise. “Fifth Uncle, you’re back? Why so early?”

Xiao Qiu replied, “Miss Chen, Mr. Chen isn’t feeling well today.”

“Ah, then quickly get a doctor to check on him!” Chen Pingping said anxiously.

Chen Zhisen waved from the sofa, “No need, I’ve already taken my medicine. Xiao Qiu, go ahead and take care of your work. I’m done for the day.”

Xiao Qiu looked at him with concern, but seeing that he had closed his eyes and said no more, he could only leave with his briefcase.

Chen Pingping sat on the sofa and said, “Fifth Uncle, you should still get checked. You’re always sensitive to cold, and now with the added fatigue, it’s too much for your body.”

She knew that her fifth uncle had suffered a severe fall back then. It hadn’t just damaged his legs—his internal organs had been injured too. Though he had recuperated over the years, his health was nothing like before. He was sensitive to cold and couldn’t be overly emotional.

Grandma used to say that if it weren’t for his strong will to survive, he wouldn’t even have made it to the U.S.

Chen Zhisen opened his eyes. “I’m fine.” He looked at Chen Pingping. “Pingping, that student you mentioned before, Zuo Dan—do you know anything about her background?”

Hearing him mention Zuo Dan, Chen Pingping looked surprised and a bit guilty. “Fifth Uncle, you found out? I didn’t mean to hide it from you. I investigated her and felt it wasn’t an issue, so I didn’t bring it up. I was afraid seeing her face would upset you.”

“It’s alright. No matter how similar she looks, she’s not the same person. I know that clearly. I just want to understand her background.”

“She’s from Nanjiang. I asked around—her family’s from a remote area, quite far from the provincial capital. Three generations of poor farmers, never been to the city. She only came to the provincial capital after meeting her partner.”

Chen Zhisen nodded slightly. “Alright. I understand. I’m going up to rest.” He then stood and headed upstairs.

Chen Pingping worriedly said, “Fifth Uncle, don’t be upset.”

“I’m not upset, don’t worry.” Chen Zhisen smiled faintly and went upstairs with his cane.

On the other side, Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming had returned home.

Grandma and Shen Youyou were inside roasting sweet potatoes. Shen Youyou was drooling at the fragrant aroma, completely ignoring that his parents had come home.

As Grandma peeled one of the sweet potatoes and was about to feed it to him with a spoon, he clapped his hands excitedly.

“Wow, sweet potatoes! I’m so hungry!” Zuo Dan walked over and grabbed the sweet potato from Grandma’s hand, taking a bite herself. “Grandma, you’re too good to me.”

“Waaah! Mommy ate it, baabaa!” Shen Youyou immediately pouted and began to cry.

“You ungrateful little thing, just one bite and you’re already mad at me? Can I count on you to be filial in the future?” Zuo Dan broke the sweet potato in half and gave him a portion.

Grandma smiled and fed it to the boy. He only sobbed a few more times before starting to eat happily.

Zuo Dan quickly finished her half, then made a hungry face at the one Grandma still held. Shen Youyou panicked and quickly pushed the sweet potato away from her mouth.

Seeing how stingy her son was, Zuo Dan chuckled mischievously and called out, “Shen Yiming, your son really is just like you—always keeping good stuff to himself and not sharing. Just a pair of greedy guys.”

Shen Yiming laughed as he walked over. “Only a fool would give away what’s already in their mouth. That’s called smart. He takes after me, and I’m proud of it. At least he didn’t inherit my lack of principles.”

“Well, he didn’t get that from me either—I’ve got a strong sense of integrity!” Zuo Dan straightened her back.

Shen Yiming smiled, “Okay, okay, if you say so.”

Grandma, watching them bicker, chuckled and said, “You two seem to be in a great mood—did something good happen at the conference?”

“Plenty of good news!” Zuo Dan perked up and eagerly told Grandma about the conference agenda.

Grandma said, “Admitting mistakes and correcting them truly is a great thing. But I didn’t expect talk of reform.”

Zuo Dan said excitedly, “Grandma, for the country to develop, reform is a must! Without reform, nothing will move forward. Just you wait—Beijing will only get livelier. One day, we’ll eat snacks from all over China, wear all kinds of clothes, and maybe—just maybe—we won’t even need ration coupons anymore. We’ll be able to buy whatever we want!”

“Really?” Grandma said with anticipation.

“Grandma, we have to believe!”

Grandma laughed, “I hope I live to see that day.”

After dinner, Grandma went to bed early. Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming lay on the bed coaxing Shen Youyou to sleep. Since the weather had turned cold, they didn’t let him sleep alone, keeping him between them for warmth.

Shen Youyou felt very pampered by this and clung to both of them to play every night.

Zuo Dan gave him a ball of yarn to distract him and then chatted with Shen Yiming.

“What do you think he’d do if he knew who my mother was? Would he treat me like an enemy?”

Shen Yiming stroked Shen Youyou’s little head and shook his head with a smile. “No. I’ve only met Mr. Chen a few times, but he struck me as a man with a broad mind. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have returned to China at this point. There’s no benefit to him doing so—only sacrifice. Just think about why he left back then, and you’ll see his character.”

That reassured Zuo Dan. She didn’t want to get into any sort of messy conflict.

Shen Yiming added, “Putting aside the family grudge, I actually admire him a lot. Considering his condition, not only did he establish himself abroad, he also became a representative in the Chinese business community and was among the first invited back to China. That kind of strength and determination isn’t something just anyone has.”

Zuo Dan sighed, “I don’t hold anything against him. Our family is doing well now. I just hope we can live our lives peacefully, without interfering with each other.”

In the following days of the conference, Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming continued attending.

They ran into Chen Zhisen a few more times, but he always remained calm, so they simply treated it as normal interaction.

But after the final day of the conference, when they were smiling happily and preparing to go home to celebrate, they found Chen Zhisen waiting by the door.

When he saw them come out, he walked toward them. Looking at Zuo Dan, his gaze was gentle and full of affection. “I know you both have tomorrow off. I’d like to invite you to my home for a simple meal.”

Shen Yiming glanced at Zuo Dan, who raised her eyebrows slightly and said, “Mr. Chen, wouldn’t that be a bit inconvenient?”

“It’s just a meal. Besides, Pingping is your classmate, and I know you’re close. To me, you are like my juniors,” Chen Zhisen said with a smile.

Zuo Dan didn’t really want to get involved with the Chen family, so she shook her head. “Sorry, Mr. Chen, we have matters to handle at home. I’m afraid it’s not convenient.”

Hearing this, a look of disappointment flashed in Chen Zhisen’s eyes. “Alright then. When you have time in the future, I’ll have Pingping invite you again.”