Chapter 55: She is my daughter

Su Ruo did this today because she knows that the newly appointed county magistrate is a good official who wholeheartedly serves the people.

It's a pity that she never had children, dedicating her entire life to the people.

When Su Ruo saw that report about the county magistrate at the time, she was deeply moved, but what moved her most was not the magistrate's diligent governance and love for the people.

But rather, even though he had no children his whole life, he remained lovingly devoted to his wife, staying together for life.

What Su Ruo relied on, what she was betting on, was that this county magistrate would uphold justice for her, but now Su Ruo is uncertain.

At this point, after Zhou Feng had fully understood the situation, he also recognized Su Ruo, looking at her and asking, "Is it you?"

The people nearby were stunned, never expecting the county magistrate to know Su Ruo.

Sun Qiang's face darkened immediately; only Su Ruo knew that the county magistrate knowing her was not a good thing.

"Come inside first, then we'll talk!" Zhou Feng led the way inside.

Zhou Ganshi looked at Zhou Feng with some doubt; the newly appointed county magistrate had only just arrived and usually stayed inside the compound, rarely going out, so he couldn't fathom how the county magistrate knew Su Ruo, but obviously now wasn't the time to talk, so he didn't ask further.

Since Zhou Feng had spoken, Su Ruo naturally couldn't keep kneeling there; she rose and followed them into the compound.

Only after entering the office did Zhou Feng, with a solemn expression, ask: "Speak! What exactly happened?"

Su Ruo couldn't gauge Zhou Feng's attitude, didn't know how his wife was now, and wondered if he would take out his anger and retaliate against her for yesterday's incident, but she still recounted the whole story in detail.

Zhou Feng's expression grew graver as he listened.

Sun Qiang broke out in a cold sweat on his forehead; although strictly speaking, he and Zhou Feng weren't in the same bureau, if Zhou Feng were determined to investigate this thoroughly and apply pressure to the station, the station would certainly take it seriously.

After Su Ruo finished speaking, Zhou Feng turned to Sun Qiang: "You've finished speaking, Deputy Section Chief Sun, now you also talk about this matter!"

Yesterday's incident that so many people saw would quickly reveal the truth upon investigation, so faced with Zhou Feng's questioning, Sun Qiang dared not deny it.

He only said: "This is all a misunderstanding; I will never bend the law for personal gain. When I go back, I will certainly investigate this matter thoroughly and give Su Ruo an explanation."

Zhou Feng said with a stern face: "This matter indeed needs to be investigated thoroughly, but it shouldn't be you, Deputy Section Chief Sun, who conducts the investigation."

Since the personnel involved in this incident are, after all, your son, I think Deputy Section Chief Sun, you should recuse yourself; I'll call Section Chief Wang later to discuss this matter.

Upon hearing this, Sun Qiang's face paled a little, but he still nodded with a smile and said, "I understand."

After Sun Qiang finished speaking, he left with a livid face, after all he was in a hurry to go back and deal with his unfilial son, Sun Long.

Seeing that Zhou Feng and Su Ruo had something to say, Zhou Ganshi also withdrew.

Although Zhou Feng had just helped her, Su Ruo, now facing him alone, still felt somewhat uneasy.

Zhou Feng remained silent for a long time before saying: "Five years ago, I and my beloved lost our only daughter. For these five years we have tried every means to find her, but there has been no news at all. My beloved, unable to bear the blow, fell into severe depression."

"To help my beloved escape this painful memory, I requested a transfer here, preparing to start a new life. Originally everything went smoothly, until yesterday in the hotel, when I met you and your… daughter."

Su Ruo's heart clenched instantly; she instinctively asked, "You mean An'an is your lost daughter?"

Zhou Feng shook his head: "Our daughter was five when she went missing; according to the timeline, if she were still alive, she would be ten now."

"Although I also wish that child were my daughter, it's obvious she isn't, yet she resembles my daughter so strikingly that not only my wife, but even I, upon seeing her, was stunned."

Only then did Su Ruo relax, but then she felt she was being ridiculous; An'an had been abandoned as an infant, so even if her biological parents came looking, they couldn't possibly recognize her at a glance.

But Su Ruo then thought: if one day An'an's biological parents really came to take her away, could she really hand An'an over to them happily?

Su Ruo didn't know the answer, and clearly now wasn't the time to think about such things; she quickly suppressed those feelings, looked at Zhou Feng, and asked, "Why are you telling me all this?"

Su Ruo didn't believe that Zhou Feng, as a county magistrate, would specially say these things to her just to have a heart-to-heart with a stranger.

A flicker of difficulty crossed Zhou Feng's face, but he then firmly said: "Yesterday, An'an's aunt Xu Honghua found us, told us about An'an's background, and expressed that as An'an's aunt, she is willing to let us adopt An'an."

"I know you've taken care of An'an for so long; you must have feelings for her, so we want to compensate you."

"House, car, money, and work—ask for whatever you want; as long as we can do it, we will certainly try our best to satisfy you."

"We really need this child An'an; I can also promise you that after we adopt An'an, we will treat her well and will not seek to have another child of our own."

"We will surely give An'an all our love and the best education, nurturing her carefully as she grows up."

"I know you also love An'an very much, but you're a young unmarried woman; someday you will have your own family and children. You should know that letting An'an grow up in a wholesome, loving family is the best choice for her."

Su Ruo felt sharp pains in her chest from anger; her anger wasn't because they wanted to take An'an away, but because she knew what they said was correct, leaving her unable to refute.

Especially Zhou Feng's remark, "You should know that letting An'an grow up in a wholesome, loving family is the best choice for her," was like a spell that instantly seized Su Ruo's vital point.

Su Ruo couldn't deny that the person before her was a master negotiator; even if she were reborn, she would still not be a match for him, yet letting her simply give up An'an is impossible.

Su Ruo bit her tongue hard until a bloody taste spread in her mouth; the pain brought back her clarity, and she said: "County Magistrate Zhou, I have something to say—you're mistaken. I am not merely temporarily looking after An'an; I have already formally adopted her."

As Su Ruo spoke, she pulled from her backpack—which was actually a space—the adoption papers and household register for An'an.