Chapter 366: Reunion

In the evening, Zhang Ping'an drove back to the Sijin Siheyuan. Just as he prepared to park in the garage, the headlights of a Jeep not far away flashed.

Zhang Ping'an looked at the familiar Jeep, his heart skipped a beat, and he walked toward it with a wry smile.

The driver was a young man Zhang Ping'an was familiar with, Zhong Zhengguo; the little brat from back then had grown up, and in the back seat was Zhong Dingbang himself. Zhang Ping'an steeled himself and went over to greet them.

"Ahem, Elder Zhong, Zhengguo."

"Get in and talk."

"Alright."

Although it was evening, Zhong Dingbang's gaze was scorching, making Zhang Ping'an's scalp tingle.

"Well, whatever it is, you can just speak plainly, sir."

"Don't you intend to explain the matter of Mingzhu to me?"

"Uh, this, it's all fate..."

As it turned out, during the time Zhang Ping'an went to his grandmother's house, Zhong Mingzhu finally couldn't help but find her nephew, Zhong Zhengguo, through Li Aihua.

At this time, the twenty-seven-year-old Zhong Zhengguo was serving as a director at the Procuratorate, at the Deputy Division Level.

"What? Sister Aihua, you're saying my aunt is still alive?"

Zhong Zhengguo naturally knew Li Aihua; if Li Aihua's grandfather hadn't retired, they would have been considered to be in the same circle.

"Keep your voice down. Let's go, I'll take you to see her first, then you'll know."

"Oh, oh, alright."

Just like that, Zhong Zhengguo followed Li Aihua to the Siheyuan in a daze. The moment he saw his aunt Zhong Mingzhu, the eyes of this iron-willed man couldn't help but moisten.

"Aunt, is it really you?"

"Zhengguo, you've grown so big."

Zhong Mingzhu also had tears in her eyes as she touched her eldest nephew, who was now a head taller than her; in the blink of an eye, over ten years had passed.

"Weixia, Wanqing, come quickly and meet your cousin."

"Hello, cousin." Zhang Weixia was ten, and Zhang Wanqing was five.

"Hey, hey, good, good."

"Aunt, how were you back then... I don't know who my uncle is? And how have you been all these years?"

"Come, let's go inside, I'll tell you bit by bit."

"Alright."

In the main room, the aunt and nephew sat opposite each other, with the two children by Zhong Mingzhu's sides.

"Back then, I..." Zhong Mingzhu recounted what happened to her back then to Zhong Zhengguo, and Zhong Zhengguo was furious upon hearing it.

"Damao and his lot really aren't human; they didn't tell the truth in the end. Fortunately, you and the children were blessed and survived."

"What happened later? After you were saved in Xiangjiang, what happened then?"

"Later, I met your uncle; you know him too, Zhang Ping'an."

"Ah? You mean that... Sister Aihua's husband, Zhang Ping'an?"

"Correct, the person who saved me was Zhang Ping'an's second older brother, and your uncle Zhang Ping'an and I only met through a stroke of fate."

"Zhengguo, you know why your aunt went abroad back then, and meeting your uncle in a foreign land, I..."

Zhong Mingzhu didn't continue, and Zhong Zhengguo understood. She had already admired him, and when he appeared at her most helpless moment, she would undoubtedly hold on and not let go; their subsequent union was a natural progression.

"Aunt, this..." Zhong Zhengguo understood, but Li Aihua was currently Zhang Ping'an's legal wife.

"It doesn't matter. These were all my own choices. To be by your uncle's side, and even have the chance to return alive, I am already very content."

Zhong Zhengguo nodded. In such an environment, for them to be able to meet, perhaps it really was heaven's will.

"Aunt, I'm going back now to tell my grandfather."

"Don't, I haven't figured out how to face him yet."

"But..."

"Zhengguo, let your aunt think about it first, and besides, your uncle is not in Sijiucheng right now."

"This, alright then."

"How has the family been all these years?"

"Mm, they've been quite good, except when you first went missing, Grandfather, Grandmother, and my father were all worried sick and even fell ill."

"Fortunately, we had some of Zhang—your uncle's—Emergency Pills, which helped them pull through. It was also then that Grandfather and Grandmother came to terms with things."

"And also..." Zhong Zhengguo told Zhong Mingzhu everything that had happened over the years in great detail.

"Father, Mother... your daughter is unfilial."

"Mom, don't cry."

"Alright, alright, Mom won't cry." Zhong Mingzhu steadied her emotions and then said:

"Zhengguo, I didn't expect you to have two children too, Jianshe and Xiao Ai. When you have time, bring them over for me to see; I've become a great-aunt too."

"Alright, but Aunt, are you really not going to tell Grandfather and Grandmother?"

"Let's not for now, wait until your uncle returns."

"Alright then."

Zhong Zhengguo left the Siheyuan in a daze. Only now could he barely accept the reality that his aunt was still alive; just a moment ago, it felt so unreal.

Returning home, Zhong Zhengguo wanted to speak several times but kept his mouth shut. During dinner, Zhong Zhengguo's wife, Wang Shufang, sensed that her husband was acting strange.

"Zhengguo, what's wrong with you? I saw you wanting to say something several times but holding it back."

"Nothing, there's just something I don't know whether I should tell Grandfather and the others."

"What is it?"

"It's hard to say, let me think about it."

"That is also fine. Grandfather and Grandmother are getting on in years, so some things really must be discussed with caution."

"Mm."

Two days later, Zhong Zhengguo took his two children to see Zhong Mingzhu, and upon leaving, Zhong Mingzhu gave the two children a pile of treats.

"Jianshe, Xiaoai, come visit your Great-Aunt whenever you have time."

"Mm, okay, I will come visit Great-Aunt whenever I have time." Zhong Xiaoai was only six years old at the time.

"Hehe, good."

For the next several days, Zhong Zhengguo kept a conflicted expression on his face, which made Zhong Dingbang frown.

"Zhengguo, what is going on with you these past few days? If you have something to say, just say it; what is with all this hesitation?"

"Grandfather, Grandmother, I..."

"Fine, fine, fine, wait until you have thought it through before you speak." Zhong Dingbang assumed his grandson was thinking about some case again, so he did not press him.

After finishing their meal, Zhong Zhengguo still decided to tell his grandparents tactfully.

"Grandfather, Grandmother, I am off tomorrow; let's go out for a stroll."

"That is fine, staying cooped up at home all day, my bones are starting to rust."

The next day, Zhong Zhengguo drove the car, taking his family and his grandparents to wander around the Shichahai area, and finally, when he really did not see his aunt leave the house, he drove straight over there.

"Grandfather, Grandmother, please don't get too excited in a moment."

"Dad, this is Great-Aunt's house."

"What Great-Aunt?" Zhong Zhengguo's grandmother asked, her lips trembling as if she had thought of something.

"You talk too much, hurry up and knock on the door."

"Oh, okay."

"Zhengguo, this is..." Thinking of how his grandson had been hesitant to speak these past few days, Zhong Dingbang was also a bit excited at this moment.

"Grandfather, Grandmother, don't get excited; it's Aunt, she has returned."

"Quick, quick, quick, take us to find her."

"Alright, alright, alright, you two elders, don't be in such a rush."

The security guards all knew Zhong Xiaoai, and someone had already taken her to notify Zhong Mingzhu.

"Great-Aunt, Dad has brought Great-Grandfather and Great-Grandmother here."

"What? This Zhengguo... Wei Xia, hurry and go get the Pill your father prepared."

Zhong Mingzhu had not gone to see her parents because she was afraid the two elders would get too excited and suffer some mishap; if Zhang Ping'an were there, he could provide timely treatment, but fortunately, Zhang Ping'an had plenty of Pills here.

"Oh, oh, okay."

Zhong Mingzhu led her daughter and Zhong Xiaoai to meet them, and before long, Wei Xia caught up with the Quick-Acting Pill.

The three of them had just reached the Middle Courtyard when Zhong Mingzhu saw her parents being supported by Zhong Zhengguo, and tears instantly blurred her vision.

"Father, Mother..."

Not far away, Zhong Dingbang and his wife also saw their missing daughter, and tears flowed down uncontrollably.

"Mingzhu, is it you? Mingzhu, my Mingzhu!"