Chapter 126: Compensation

After Song Huihui found out, she burst into tears. She pleaded with her aunt, hoping her aunt would bless their love, but no matter how she pleaded, her aunt remained unmoved.

Song Huihui declared she would definitely marry Xiao Junrong. Hearing this, her aunt, worried she might elope with Xiao Junrong, locked her up.

"Dad, we've already given away that 200,000, and we've also bought the new house. Relatives and friends all know that Junrong is getting married. If we now say we're not getting married, where would we put our family's face? Junrong's reputation would be ruined, and who would dare marry him in the future."

"Moreover, Junrong and Huihui truly love each other; she is a good girl."

Xiao Junrong's father, Xiao Xinran, said helplessly: "If there's really no other way, I'll just sell the supermarket; we can definitely scrape together that 200,000."

"Dad, no." Xiao Junrong immediately objected.

Xiao Xinran helplessly said: "There's nothing we can do; your wedding is in a few days. Selling the supermarket in such a rush, getting 200,000 would already be good."

"I'm sorry; because of me, you've spent all your savings, and then..." Xiao Junrong knelt before his father and grandfather, feeling guilty.

"Dad, Grandpa, I won't get married. I'll go get that 200,000 back, and after things settle, I'll take Huihui and elope. I believe Huihui truly loves me; she'll wait for me."

"Silly child, what nonsense are you talking about?"

At that moment, Xiao Shan, who had been silent, spoke up: "The marriage will definitely take place. Don't say our family can't do such a shameless thing; even if we could, you might run away like a monk fleeing a temple, but you can't escape the temple. If you just walk away, what about me and your parents?"

"Someone like Huihui's aunt would just let it go like that?"

"Just do as your father said, but given the rush, we might not find someone to take over in such a short time. Let's sell my tomb together; whichever sells first counts."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the Xiao family was stunned, looking at Xiao Shan in disbelief for a while, and each of them had red eyes.

Xiao Junrong shook his head repeatedly: "No, Grandpa, that's a resting place my father carefully selected for you for your afterlife; the location is excellent, it can't be sacrificed for me."

"What good is it being excellent? It's just a pile of white bones. A tomb can be found again; let's first get past this immediate difficulty." Xiao Shan said firmly.

"Dad, you..." Xiao Xinran, usually strong, also had his eyes reddened by his father's words.

He shook his head, suddenly thinking of something, and tentatively said: "Dad, if there's really no other way, take out the 200,000 you've saved and use it for now; later..."

"I disagree." Before the son could finish speaking, Xiao Shan refused.

Upon hearing his son say that, Xiao Shan seemed to fall into some anguish; he sighed, and old tears fell: "I have failed my nephew; it's been over twenty years, and I don't know whether he's alive or dead, or how he's faring."

"Back then, if I hadn't so firmly opposed his going out to seek his fortune, he wouldn't have left secretly, and I wouldn't have ended up cutting off contact with him."

"I never thought others would also deceive me into selling my elder brother and sister-in-law's old house, leaving him with nowhere to live when he returns."

"That 200,000 is money I saved for him; if he ever returns, he'll use it to settle down. This sum must never be used, no matter what."

"Grandpa, but..."

Xiao Junrong also knew about that 200,000; after his father said that, he also wanted to urge Grandpa to take it out to relieve the immediate crisis, but Grandpa was especially stubborn about that money.

The reason is known to everyone in the Xiao family, yet they can't understand the old man's obstinacy.

Over these years, no matter what difficulties the family faced, Xiao Shan never thought of using that money.

That money was saved for his nephew Xiao Ming; the family hopes that one day they can reunite with him, and then he will give this 200,000 to Xiao Ming, also as compensation for selling the old house left by Xiao Ming's parents back then.

The whole family was helpless; only sighs filled the room.

……

That day.

After Xiao Yunzhe and his girlfriend searched his hometown for an afternoon, they then headed back to the urban area of Yun Cheng.

Without any clue, going to look for Grandpa Xiao Shan would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

This matter must be taken slowly; rushing is useless.

After returning to the hotel, he immediately paid for another four or five days.

That night, while resting, he also looked online for information about private detectives in Yun Cheng. He found a few relatively famous detective agencies and made arrangements for them to look for the person.

He didn't pin his hopes on just one detective agency; instead, he simultaneously hired several other well-known agencies, and he also offered them high pay.

He invited the heads of these agencies to the hotel.

"So much time has passed that I can only provide a little information about my grandpa Xiao Shan: he has one son, named Xiao Xinran, and that's all the information I have."

After looking at the heads of the several detective agencies opposite him, Xiao Yunzhe spoke solemnly: "As long as you find the person, money is no problem."

"The deposit, I've already paid according to your agency's standard; as for the reward, if you can find solid clues, I'll give 120,000; if you can directly bring the person back to me, it's a flat rate of one million, paid immediately upon finding the person."

His father was anxious to find the person; even while he was out searching last night, Xiao Ming called several times to ask.

Having missed his father for over twenty years, he and his two siblings had also been eager to find him; Xiao Yunzhe could well understand his father's feelings, so he directly contacted six or seven detective agencies and raised the reward so high, the purpose being to create a sense of competition among them.

That way, efficiency would greatly increase; money, he doesn't care about, and his father Xiao Ming cares even less; what they care about is being able to find Grandpa Xiao Shan as soon as possible.

After making the arrangements, the heads of the detective agencies all hurriedly left to begin their search.

Just after Xiao Yunzhe saw off those agency heads, when he returned, Jing Shu also came over from the balcony.

"Yunzhe, I also contacted my former colleague; we get along well, and her spouse works at the police bureau, handling household registration, so they might be able to help us, or maybe not."

"Let's treat them to a meal; first, we haven't seen each other in a long time, so we can catch up; second, to ask for their help, we should show some courtesy before speaking up, don't you think?"