RIRW – Chapter 166

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Zuo Dan refused to eat, but Chen Zhisen insisted on having Xiao Qiu drive them home. Since Chen Zhisen wasn’t going with them, Zuo Dan didn’t protest further and left with Shen Yiming in the Chen family car.

Once they got home, they ignored Shen Youyou. The two of them went back to their room to change into warmer clothes. As Zuo Dan changed, she muttered, “What do you think he means by this? From the way he acted, I’m sure he knows who my parents are. And yet he could still act so friendly… If he didn’t care about my mom, then why hasn’t he remarried and still wants to find her?”

Shen Yiming turned around and asked, “Do you think he might know…?”

“Impossible. I was born outside and only registered late. My dad reported my birth much later than it actually was,” Zuo Dan replied. “Otherwise, how could we have kept it hidden from the people in the village?”

Shen Yiming finished changing and came over to rub her hands, “Then it’s just like our dad. Didn’t he treat you like his own back then?”

Hearing this, Zuo Dan sighed with mixed feelings. Back then, she had no idea that the person who abandoned her mother turned out to be such a man. At that time, she hadn’t felt conflicted at all.

Watching Shen Yiming warming her hands, she suddenly got curious. “Hey, Shen Yiming, if I had a child with someone else, would you be like this too?”

Shen Yiming gave a chilling smile. “I’m not a generous person. I’d make that child regret ever being born. So you’d better not even think about it.”

“…” Zuo Dan tilted her mouth. “What a miserable fate I have.”

Shen Yiming just chuckled.

That evening, the family gathered at home to eat hotpot in celebration — not only of the end of the conference, but also of the country’s reform and opening-up, hoping that the coming year would bring constant changes for the better and a steadily improving life.

Shen Youyou couldn’t eat hotpot, so he could only hold a spoon and eat minced meat porridge.

He was almost a year and a half old now, well-nourished, and full of strength. Zuo Dan usually made sure to train him, so now he looked quite proper holding a spoon and feeding himself. For Shen Youyou, being picky with food was never a thing — as long as it was in his bowl, he would eat it clean, not letting anyone take it away.

Grandma watched on, delighted beyond measure.

Zuo Dan stared at Shen Youyou for a while, and a thought suddenly crossed her mind.

After dinner, Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming took turns reading storybooks to Shen Youyou. Whether he could understand or not didn’t matter — as parents, they just needed to do their part.

Once Shen Youyou had fallen asleep, Zuo Dan reached out to stroke Shen Yiming’s face. “Shen Yiming, what do you think? Should we have another child?”

Shen Yiming raised an eyebrow. “Have another one? You already suffered enough with just this one.”

He still remembered the pain she went through giving birth to Shen Youyou.

Zuo Dan said, “Here’s what I think. Now we’re allowed to have two children — what if later the policy changes back to one? If we want another, we should do it sooner rather than later. Look at Shen Youyou — he can already take care of himself. By the time I get pregnant and give birth, he won’t need much attention.”

She hadn’t wanted another child before because she worried no one would be there to take care of it, and she didn’t want Grandma to be burdened. But today, seeing how obedient Shen Youyou was, her thoughts changed.

Back when she was an only child, she had felt very lonely. Especially after her grandmother passed away, she was left all alone. That sense of having no one left in the world — it was unbearable.

Shen Yiming was silent for a while. “You really want another one? I just don’t want you to suffer. If we really want more kids around, we can wait for Zuo Cong to have a few — they can be like siblings to him too.”

Zuo Dan burst into laughter. “He doesn’t even have a girlfriend right now, and you expect him to have several kids? By the time he has children, he’ll probably only be allowed to have one. I might as well count on myself.”

Shen Yiming thought for a moment. “Shen Youyou was born during summer vacation, which worked out for your postpartum recovery. If we want to hurry, we won’t make it in time for next summer — only for winter break. Let’s wait until the new year to decide.”

Zuo Dan squinted at him. “You make it sound like once the seed’s planted, it’ll just sprout on its own. How long did it take with Shen Youyou, again?”

That was blatant provocation. Shen Yiming narrowed his eyes, picked up Shen Youyou and gently placed him in his crib. Then he turned and pinned Zuo Dan beneath him.

“If we don’t manage to time it for winter break, don’t blame me,” Shen Yiming warned darkly.

Zuo Dan responded, “That’s only if you’ve got what it takes.”

Shen Yiming immediately yanked the blanket up over the two of them.

After a long while, Zuo Dan, panting, grumbled, “Shen Yiming, why didn’t you put the seed in? Now I’m all sticky and gross.”

“…You really want me to? Let me think about it again,” Shen Yiming muttered as he kissed her deeply. This silly woman actually wanted to go through that kind of pain again — he truly couldn’t bear to let her suffer like that.

After resting at home for a day, the two of them returned to school.

Being in the capital, news traveled fast — the contents of the conference had already spread. The atmosphere at the university was one of joy and excitement. Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming, having attended the event alongside school leaders and professors, became the envy of their classmates, who crowded around asking questions about the conference.

“Zuo Dan, you’ve really brought honor to our class!” Xiang Honghua said excitedly. The others all nodded in admiration.

Chen Pingping was also pleased. She had wanted to go as well, to broaden her horizons, but her fifth uncle disapproved, saying that she had just returned and shouldn’t stand out too much. So only Xiao Qiu had gone. Fortunately, both Chen Sinan and his sister hadn’t gone either.

Zhao Qianjin said, “I suggest Secretary Zuo hold a meeting and brief us on the conference takeaways.”

The whole class burst into applause in agreement.

Amid the lively chatter, Zhu Min quietly picked up her books and left.

In a small alley in Beijing, a car stopped at the entrance. Chen Zhisen opened the door and stepped out without letting his assistant help. He used a cane to get out on his own.

The houses around here had once all belonged to the Chen family. Later, they were divided up, and most of them were now occupied by people who had once worked for the Chen family. It had been over twenty years, and yet everything still looked just the same.

After entering the alley, he walked into a courtyard with practiced familiarity.

There were some people busy in the yard, and when they saw someone coming in, they all looked at him curiously. After all, so many years had passed, and many of the elders were no longer around. The newer generations—new blood from different families—had no idea who the former master was.

Zhang Sifang was tending to a coal stove at the entrance. When he noticed someone approaching, he looked up—and the moment he saw who it was, his eyes widened in shock. “Fif—” He didn’t know how to address him. As a child, he used to call him “Fafth Young Master,” but after all these years, the words wouldn’t come out.

“Sifang,” Chen Zhisen recognized him immediately. Leaning on a cane, he walked over and said, “You haven’t changed at all.”

“Fifth Young Master,” Zhang Sifang still couldn’t help calling out.

Chen Zhisen said, “Please don’t call me that anymore. Just call me Zhisen. Everyone’s equal now—there are no young masters anymore.”

Zhang Sifang dumbly nodded. Suddenly thinking of something, he dashed inside. “Dad! Dad! Someone from the Chen family is back!”

Leaning on his cane, Chen Zhisen followed with a smile into the house. An elderly man, around sixty or seventy, sat inside on a chair. He didn’t look very healthy. When he saw Chen Zhisen, disbelief filled his face.

“It really is Fifth Young Master!”

“Uncle Zhang,” Chen Zhisen walked over and grasped the old man’s hand, “It’s me. I’ve come back.”

“Fifth Young Master, you’ve truly returned… I’m not dreaming, am I?” Old Mr. Zhang began to cry.

Chen Zhisen gripped his hand tighter and slowly sat down on the chair beside him, his legs too weak to stand.

“It’s true,” he said. “The country invited us back. I came back long ago, but the domestic situation was still unstable. I didn’t dare come to see you. I was afraid the events of the past would be discovered. But things are different now—with reform and opening up, there will be no more class struggles. No one is going to dig up the past anymore.”

Hearing this, Old Mr. Zhang broke into tears. “Fifth Young Master, I’m so sorry. I didn’t fulfill your trust. I never delivered that letter…”

Chen Zhisen tightened his grip again.

“I returned home after seeing you off, and people came to search the house. I was afraid they’d find the letter, so I swallowed it. Later, when things settled, I wrote a letter myself and mailed it. I don’t know if it was because it wasn’t handwritten by you, but that family didn’t go to Guangzhou. The people in Guangzhou sent me a telegram saying no one had arrived. Then the opportunity passed, and there was no way to leave anymore. Everyone scattered. When I went to look again, they told me the girl had already married. I didn’t dare tell them anything about you or the Chen family. I’m sorry, Young Master. I couldn’t send them to America for you.”

After he finished, Mr. Zhang couldn’t recover for a long time. Back then, although the Chen family were capitalists, they had contributed to the country, so after giving up their wealth, they weren’t persecuted. But later, shocking news came that the eldest son of the Chen family had become a high-ranking Kuomintang official, and there were rumors the Chen family had connections overseas. The family was in danger. Mr. Chen senior made the quick decision to leave as a group. After arranging for the family to leave, Fifth Young Master went to Nanjiang to fetch someone. But as soon as he boarded the train, he was being watched. In desperation, he jumped off and was seriously injured.

After receiving a notice from the couple, Mr. Zhang rushed there secretly. Chen Zhisen, badly injured, could no longer move and could only write a letter for Mr. Zhang to deliver to his lover in Nanjiang. He also left people in Guangzhou to help get them to the U.S. But after many twists and turns, the trust was never fulfilled. Mr. Zhang had lived with guilt all these years. It was the reason he didn’t dare die—he just wanted to explain everything to Fifth Young Master personally.

Zhang Sifang anxiously added, “Fifth Young Master, my father has held onto this for years. A few years ago, when he was seriously ill, he entrusted this to me and told me to explain it to you. He only held on because of this. That’s what pulled him through.”

Chen Zhisen remained silent for a long while. Then he let out a long sigh and gently patted Old Mr. Zhang’s arm. “Uncle Zhang, it’s all right now. Everything is in the past. Life is full of the unexpected. Nothing ever goes perfectly. Now that the suffering is over, everything is getting better. Don’t dwell on it anymore—just take care of your health. My father often mentioned you over the years. If it weren’t for your help back then, the Chen family couldn’t have left so smoothly. You’ve had a tough life.”

“It wasn’t hard at all,” Old Mr. Zhang cried. “The Chen family raised me. This was my duty.”

“Don’t call me Fifth Young Master anymore,” Chen Zhisen said. “Just use my name. You’re like an elder to me—I can’t bear being addressed that way.”

Wiping his tears, Mr. Zhang asked, “Zhisen… how have you been all these years? Do you have children?”

“I adopted a son and a daughter,” said Chen Zhisen. “Our family did well overseas. If anyone in your family wants to go abroad, I can help arrange it.”

Old Mr. Zhang waved it off. “No need. I only have one son and one grandson. Sifang is honest and steady. He’s fine staying at home. As for my grandson, he’s always fooling around—not suited to go overseas. It’s better they all stay here.”

Chen Zhisen nodded. The Zhang family had only one male heir, so it made sense they didn’t want to leave. “Then I’ll arrange better housing for you. You’re older now and should enjoy your later years.”

“No need,” said Old Mr. Zhang. “Life here is good. The neighbors are all familiar, and it’s lively. The house is also spacious.”

Mr. Zhang, feeling guilty, didn’t dare accept any more help from Chen Zhisen.

Chen Zhisen could guess what he was thinking and didn’t press further. He knew that in the future, there would still be ways he could help them.

The two chatted for a long while. Later, Zhang Sifang’s wife came home, found out there was a guest, and went out to buy some meat. She made a simple meal, and Chen Zhisen ate with them before leaving. Due to his poor health, he had to be helped out by Xiao Qiu.

Watching him leave like that, Old Mr. Zhang teared up again. Suddenly he asked, “Just now, did Fifth Young Master say he adopted children?”

“One son and one daughter,” said Zhang Sifang.

Only then did Old Mr. Zhang realize something and slapped himself hard. That couple from back then had begged Fifth Young Master to take in their children—wasn’t it also one son and one daughter? So he had no children of his own!

Zuo Dan noticed that Chen Pingping hadn’t been to class for several days.

She finally returned after New Year’s, looking rather downcast and haggard.

Zuo Dan felt that Chen Pingping was a decent person, so she asked out of concern, “Were you sick? You look so worn out.”

“It wasn’t me. It was my Fifth Uncle. He suddenly fell ill some time ago and only just stabilized. We wanted him to go back to the U.S. for treatment, but he refused, saying he didn’t want the hassle. I didn’t feel at ease, so I stayed home to look after him. What annoys me is that Chen Sinan is still trying to win favor even while my uncle is sick. She’s trying to act sweet but just gets in the way. But I probably won’t have to see her much longer. I heard from my uncle’s assistant, Xiao Qiu, that they’re already looking for her biological parents. This trip back was actually for them to reconnect with their roots. Even their household registrations have been processed. She still thinks she came back here to enjoy a good life. Can’t even focus on studying, always dreaming of going back to America to be some spoiled princess. No one in our Chen family lives a life of leisure. Every one of my siblings has worked themselves to the bone to study hard and improve.”

Zuo Dan hadn’t expected all that. She casually remarked, “Sounds like your Chen family has strong values.”

“Actually, no one really taught us anything. We all came from hardship. When we left back then, I was only about two years old, so I barely remember. My mom said we smuggled ourselves by boat to Hong Kong, then went to the U.S. from there. The journey was brutal. My older siblings remember it well—they were terrified. If you don’t strive to get ahead, and something happens, you’ll have nothing to rely on. You’d just be waiting to die.”

Zuo Dan got a clearer picture now. The Chen family hadn’t suffered initially, but after a sudden upheaval, they went through hardship, so the memory stuck. Chen Sinan, on the other hand, had suffered in the past and suddenly gained wealth—so she couldn’t handle the change. Still, with so many good examples at home, if she didn’t learn from them, her personal flaws must be to blame.

After sulking for a while, Chen Pingping suddenly said, “Hey Dandan, before the holiday, can you come to our house for a meal? My Fifth Uncle’s asked a few times already. His health isn’t great, and I want to lift his spirits. Didn’t you say you were heading home once school was out? So come over before that. Don’t worry, my uncle doesn’t have any hidden intentions. It’s just a meal.”

Zuo Dan hesitated. “I need to talk it over with my husband. The semester’s ending soon, and things are pretty hectic.”

That evening, she discussed it with Shen Yiming.

In the end, Zuo Dan decided to go to the Chen house for the meal. Mostly, she wanted to talk with Chen Zhisen and make things clear. Dragging it out like this wasn’t a good idea.

She needed to tell Chen Zhisen that her family was doing well now, and that the past was over—it was time to stop clinging to it.

She didn’t dislike Chen Zhisen and even admired many of his qualities. But emotionally, she didn’t want to keep any ties with the Chen family. It made her feel disloyal to her parents, especially her father, Zuo Dacheng. If he knew she was in Beijing seeing Chen Zhisen, it would break his heart.