Chapter 379: Family Origins

"Good, many thanks, General Manager Zhang."

Chen Tai was very tactful; he kept his posture very low, knowing who could be provoked and who could not. He felt that the aura on Zhang Ping'an was not a whit inferior to that of their Mayor.

"A Tai, I don't like to beat around the bush when I speak or act, so I'll just say it straight."

"Good, please speak."

"You look very much like a friend of mine from Sijiucheng. I wonder if you have any relatives in Sijiucheng?"

Chen Tai's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. He had heard his father say that their family did indeed come from Sijiucheng and were a prominent family, only saying the surname was Guan; his father never said anything specific until he died.

"I won't hide it from you, General Manager Zhang, my ancestors were indeed from Sijiucheng, but my parents passed away when I was young. They didn't leave behind any proof of identity, and I am not very clear about my own ancestors either."

He was actually lying here; his parents only passed away due to illness when he was nearly twenty years old.

"No matter, actually I already have a rough guess."

Zhang Ping'an had just seen Chen Tai's slightly changed expression; he definitely knew something, but did not trust him.

But based on Chen Tai's age, Zhang Ping'an could also make a rough guess; looking at his face, he should be around thirty years old this year.

First, rule out Cai Quanwu; he was still an old virgin at twenty-four, and he is only fifty this year, so it is impossible for him to have such an old son.

Secondly, He Daqing is also impossible; he hasn't left Sijiucheng all these years, and with Qin Pandi, he has no energy to go outside to find women.

Then the only one left is Guan Daye. Guan Daye is seventy-six this year; if he had an illegitimate child around twenty-five, then Chen Tai is very likely his grandson. Of course, it does not rule out that they just happen to look alike.

"Fine, we aren't familiar with each other, so it's normal for you to have reservations. When you've thought it through in the future, have Qian Xiaoniu contact me."

"Alright, General Manager Zhang, if I remember anything, I will definitely notify you."

After Chen Tai left, Zhang Ping'an picked up the landline and dialed the number for Guan Daye's home. This phone was also installed by Weidong, just to make it convenient for him to contact Guan Xiaoguan.

"Hello?"

"Uncle Guan, it's me, Zhang Ping'an."

"Oh, what's the matter, kid?"

"Uncle Guan, I saw a young man in Jinghai who looks very much like you did when you were young, about thirty years old."

"What? What is his surname? Is it Guan or Chen?"

"Surname Chen, his name is Chen Tai."

"Good, good, Ping'an, don't go anywhere yet, I'm coming over right now."

"Uncle Guan, don't be in such a rush, the person is here and won't run away. Let Weidong bring you over."

"Good, good, good."

"You here..."

"Beep, beep, beep..."

"Hey, this old man, he hung up before I even finished speaking."

Zhang Ping'an hurriedly called his good son; Guan Xiaoguan and Liu Shujun were both pregnant now and had been living in the Sijinyuan.

Zhang Ping'an's family had also moved there; his mother and Aihua were taking care of the two pregnant women.

However, Zhang Ping'an kept getting a busy signal and couldn't get through; it must have been Guan Daye calling first.

Five minutes later, Zhang Ping'an dialed again and finally got through.

"Dad, what is the situation with Grandpa Guan?"

"I can't explain it in a word or two. You bring Uncle Guan to Jinghai for a trip."

"Oh, good. Grandpa Guan and I will take the flight tomorrow morning."

"Fine, I'll arrange for people to pick you up at Pengcheng Airport then."

"Good."

The next day at noon, security personnel picked up the three of them; unexpectedly, Cai Quanwu was also accompanying them. After a simple meal in Jinghai, Zhang Ping'an took them directly to Chen Tai's regular place of business.

Chen Tai was currently lying leisurely on a recliner in the Back Courtyard. When the shop assistant saw Qian Xiaoniu, he greeted him with a smile, but his face changed when he saw Cai Quanwu and Guan Daye.

"Big Brother, how did you get old?" He pointed at Cai Quanwu, unable to believe it, and exclaimed aloud.

"..."

"What are you screaming about? I'm in the Back Courtyard."

Chen Tai hurried over upon hearing the sound, and he also froze when he saw Guan Daye and Cai Quanwu. Is this me in middle age and old age?

"What is your father's name?"

"You... who are you?"

"Yes, yes, yes, I am Guan Yushan. Is your father named Guan Cunzhong? Where is he?"

Chen Tai could be certain that he had a connection with this person, most likely his grandfather.

"My father's surname is Chen, Chen Cunzhong. He has been gone for a long time."

"Unfilial son, not only did he change his surname, but he actually dared to go before your father. Unfilial son."

Guan Daye's lips trembled, his voice filled with sobbing and sorrow. He kept muttering "unfilial son" in his mouth, and then he fainted.

Seeing this, Zhang Ping'an hurriedly stuffed a Pill into his mouth and gave him two acupuncture needles, and only then did Guan Daye slowly wake up.

"Uncle Guan, don't be anxious for now. A Tai, let's go to the back and talk."

Just now when Guan Daye fainted, Chen Tai was clearly nervous for a moment and subconsciously wanted to step forward, but then he stopped himself. Zhang Ping'an saw all of this in his eyes.

"Good."

"Cunzhong, you unfilial son, you left without a word back then, and now you've even abandoned your old father."

"Uncle Guan..."

Finally, looking at Chen Tai's familiar face, Guan Daye's emotions gradually stabilized.

"Cunzhong was my eldest son, born in the Republic era, oh, that is 1928. When he was twenty, he had a conflict with me, left a letter, and eloped with the girl from the Chen family."

"Ever since he left, there has been no news. I searched for many years but found nothing. At that time, the world was chaotic, and I thought they had already..."

"I never expected to receive such tragic news today, but fortunately, fortunately, a grandson was left for me."

"Chen Tai, you are of my Guan family blood."

"......"

"General Manager Zhang, things are a bit chaotic here for me; you should head back first, I want to be quiet and think things over properly."

Chen Tai's expression was complex; for a moment, he truly found it hard to accept this grandfather who had suddenly appeared.

"That is fine. You know where we are staying. Uncle Guan, let us head back first as well and let A Tai think it over properly by himself."

"I... very well."

In fact, back then, Guan Daye's family had arranged a marriage for his eldest son to a woman he did not like, but Guan Cunzhong was already involved with a girl surnamed Chen, and unable to win the argument at home, the two simply eloped.

Later, the two fled all the way to Jinghai and took root there, even changing their surnames; free from the constraints of their families, the two gave birth to Chen Tai in the year '50.

The family of three lived happily in Jinghai for nine years until the three-year special period; in order to save some rations for Chen Tai to eat, both parents developed chronic illnesses and passed away one after another less than ten years later.

Also, because of the illness and the need to see doctors and get medicine, the family had almost no savings, and Chen Tai was never able to take a wife.

After his parents passed away, Chen Tai, having no proper job, began to drift on the streets; relying on a streak of ruthlessness, he quickly gained a foothold on the streets and gathered a large group of underlings.

His real breakthrough came after Mayor Li Weidong launched a crackdown on crime, which they took the opportunity to rise from.

"Uncle Guan, this is the information on Chen Tai that I had people collect over the past two days."

"Good." Guan Daye hurriedly took it to look over.

"That's right, there's no mistake, this is definitely my grandson," Guan Daye said excitedly.

"Cousin, what exactly happened back then? If this knot in his heart isn't untied, I'm afraid this Chen Tai won't acknowledge you."

Guan Daye opened his mouth, but it finally turned into a sigh.

"It's all my fault; if I hadn't forced him into that arranged marriage, none of these things that followed would have happened."