Chapter 452: Fear of Approaching Home

Chen Yanshi was stunned upon hearing this, then looked at the two of them with a serious expression. He did not remember Chen Yang ever taking the household registration book, and then, as if thinking of something, he blurted out:

"Two years ago?"

Chen Yang and Qi Tongwei both nodded awkwardly. They had no choice but to admit it; it was better to take this opportunity to explain everything at once.

"You two are simply..."

Chen Yanshi did not know what to say. No wonder Chen Yang was unwilling to go on a blind date with the son of his comrade-in-arms; it turned out she had already gotten married quietly.

"Yangyang, and you too, Tongwei, your father and I wouldn't have disagreed with you, would we?"

"Ahem, of course, when you were in college, your father and I didn't allow you to date, but we didn't interfere after you graduated."

"Such a big matter, and you didn't even discuss it with us. But since you are already married and you aren't young anymore, you should hurry up and have children."

"..." Chen Yanshi

"..." Chen Yang, Qi Tongwei

"Alright, Auntie, Yangyang and I also plan to have children after the New Year."

They had just learned from Chen Yang and the other that Qi Tongwei now had a house, a car, savings, and a job; he was simply the best son-in-law of this era.

"Also, Uncle and Auntie, I plan to take advantage of the New Year holiday to hold the wedding with Chen Yang. Could you see what the procedures are?"

"This... we aren't particular about these things. Old Chen and I both had revolutionary-style weddings; simple is better, right, Old Chen?"

"Mm." Chen Yanshi let out a reluctant nasal sound.

Things had reached this point; what else could he, Chen Yanshi, say? Qi Tongwei now had a limitless future and was no longer that farm boy he could manipulate at will. Moreover, looking at the two of them, they had likely already engaged in intimate relations.

Chen Yanshi could not help but think of his own father-in-law. Back then, Wang Fuzhen was just like Chen Yang, determined to marry him, a poor boy.

Now that this scene was playing out with him, he seemed to understand his old father-in-law's state of mind back then.

At noon, the family had a lively meal. The curious onlookers outside had also dispersed; since Qi Tongwei hadn't come out for a long time, they knew the matter was settled.

In the afternoon, Qi Tongwei took a taxi back to Qi Family Village. His younger sister, Qi Tongyu, had already dropped out of school and opened a milk tea shop around the Oriental Supermarket in Jingzhou;

It was a project guided by Zhang Ping'an. With Qi Tongwei's investment, there were now five chain stores.

In the evening, Chen Yanshi and his wife were in their room when Chen Yanshi suddenly spoke:

"Let's find some time in the next few days to go back and visit your maiden home."

"Oh, okay!"

Wang Fuzhen had finally waited for these words from Chen Yanshi. One had to know that since marrying Chen Yanshi, she had never returned to her maiden home, and Chen Yang and Chen Hai had never visited their maternal grandparents' house either.

"You've suffered all these years."

"It's fine, I haven't suffered. Old Chen, I don't regret following you all these years, I just feel sorry for my parents."

That Wang Fuzhen's maiden family was able to survive the special period unscathed was not only because they had donated Big Yellow Fish, but also partly because of Chen Yanshi.

However, Wang Fuzhen's parents were now over eighty years old. If Chen Yanshi still couldn't let it go, then Chen Yang and the others would likely never see their maternal grandparents alive.

Early the next morning, Chen Yanshi and his wife prepared to go to Modu, bringing Chen Yang and her younger brother along.

"This time we are going to your maternal grandparents' house. You've always been curious, haven't you? Today I'm taking you there."

Chen Yang and her brother were both curious. Usually, their maternal grandparents were a taboo subject in the house; they didn't understand what had happened today.

"These years, I was the one being stubborn. Facing Qi Tongwei, I finally understand your maternal grandfather's state of mind."

"It was also Qi Tongwei who made me realize, and made me understand, how it feels for a father to be unable to see his daughter for all these years..."

"Old Chen, this isn't your fault; it's just that we were young and didn't handle things properly."

The siblings learned from the old couple's conversation that their father, like Qi Tongwei, had once faced the difficulties posed by an old father-in-law.

On the way to Modu, Wang Fuzhen told the siblings the reasons why she hadn't kept in touch with her maiden family all these years.

Back then, Chen Yanshi was just a green lad, and the country had just been founded, yet Wang Fuzhen, a wealthy young lady, had taken a fancy to him.

Thus, the melodramatic scene occurred: the head of the Wang Family, Wang Fuzhen's father Wang Kaishu, naturally disagreed, and his attitude toward Chen Yanshi was no better than Chen Yanshi's attitude toward Qi Tongwei.

Wang Fuzhen was more unyielding than Chen Yang; she left a letter and eloped with Chen Yanshi, and then didn't return to Modu for over thirty years.

Of course, after becoming the director of the Women's Federation, she had always known news of her maiden family, but to spare Chen Yanshi's feelings, she had never gone back.

Now that Chen Yanshi had come to his senses, she naturally didn't need to worry as much, and even told her own children about eloping with Chen Yanshi back then.

"Why tell the children all this?"

Chen Yanshi's old face flushed red. Back then, he was just like Qi Tongwei, very headstrong, but he too had his spirit worn down by Wang Fuzhen.

"Why can't I tell them?"

Come to think of it, Wang Fuzhen was quite grateful to Qi Tongwei in her heart; otherwise, she wouldn't know when Chen Yanshi would have come to his senses.

Of course, she was also very satisfied with Qi Tongwei. Now with this added factor, she would only be even more satisfied with Qi Tongwei.

More than two hours later, the plane landed at the Modu airport. Wang Fuzhen was filled with emotion as she looked at this land that was both familiar and strange.

It had been over thirty years since she left. The current Modu was very different from her memories; although many iconic buildings remained, the modern atmosphere was clearly much stronger.

The family of four took a taxi to Jing'an District. The Wang Family was located here among the old Western-style houses in Jing'an District; they were a middle-class family in Modu, currently mainly dealing in hardware mold accessories.

After a while, the taxi stopped at a luxurious Western-style house. Wang Fuzhen looked at the gate of the house, which was close at hand, but her hand could not bring itself to press the doorbell.

"Mom..."

"I'm fine."

After a few deep breaths, Wang Fuzhen tremblingly extended her finger and pressed the doorbell.

"Who is it?"

The person who came to open the door was an old woman in her sixties. She looked at Wang Fuzhen and found her somewhat familiar, so she couldn't help but ask:

"Who are you?"

"Sister-in-law, it's me, it's Xiao Zhen."

"You are Xiao Zhen?"

Having not seen each other for over thirty years, Wang Fuzhen, who had run away from home in her prime and was now over fifty, still faintly retained some of the appearance of her youth.

"You girl, you haven't known to come home and visit all these years."

The eldest sister-in-law was both crying and laughing when she saw Wang Fuzhen; they had been like sisters back then, and after Wang Fuzhen turned ten, she had spent much of her time being looked after by the eldest sister-in-law because her parents were busy with business.

"Eldest sister-in-law, I'm sorry."

"It's fine, it's fine, it's good that you're back."

Chen Yanshi had changed quite a bit over these decades, and the eldest sister-in-law did not recognize that he was the one who had run off with Wang Fuzhen.

"By the way, eldest sister-in-law, this is my husband Chen Yanshi, my daughter Chen Yang, and my son Chen Hai."

"Eldest maternal aunt."

Upon hearing the name Chen Yanshi, the eldest sister-in-law's expression darkened slightly, but she was quickly distracted by her niece and nephew.

"Good, good, good. Come, let's go inside first. Father, Mother, and your eldest brother and the others will surely be very happy to see you back."

The eldest sister-in-law ignored Chen Yanshi the entire time, and Chen Yanshi stood to the side with an awkward expression, once again experiencing the state of mind of Qi Tongwei.

As the group entered the house, a scene of family reunion was naturally inevitable; Wang Kaishu and his wife had also let go of things over these years, and the older people get, the more they feel the preciousness of family affection.

Moreover, the hot-headed young man who had held his head high back then had now lowered his head, and was even offering tea respectfully.

Furthermore, Wang Kaishu understood the general gist of the connections that had allowed the Wang Family to remain safe and sound all these years, so he naturally would not continue to harp on the matter.