Chapter 220: Identity

Hengyue City was as bustling as ever. After autumn, the sky grew dark earlier and earlier; by the time our car entered the city, the streetlights were flickering on one after another.

A great river flows through the city. At this time of year, the water in the river is much lower day by day, and in some places, the riverbed is even exposed, with lush, withered grass growing upon it.

The east and west banks of the river live separated by the water, yet they are two different worlds.

The east bank is crowded with businesses, and all the municipal government agencies are scattered along every street. The west bank has a railway, welcoming and sending off hurried travelers every day. Because of this, the west bank is a mix of fish and dragons, a motley crowd of all sorts. People speaking various dialects keep their eyes fixed on every passing traveler, their gazes wishing they could turn into hooks to fish the money right out of their pockets.

Most people on the east bank are well-dressed, their words and actions refined and polite. If one were to compare the east and west banks to two worlds, the east bank would be Western civilization, and the west bank would undoubtedly be African tribesmen.

My home happens to be on the west bank.

My aunt lives on the east bank; she was an original resident of our west bank in the past. After she moved to the east bank, she rarely returned to the west, even though it was only separated by a narrow river! Huang Weiwei's family is also on the east bank. The family compounds for municipal committee organs and the high-end residential buildings built in recent years are basically all on the east bank. The west bank still looks as it did decades ago; the only place that has changed is the station square, which possesses, more or less, an air of modern civilization.

After entering the city, the first phone call I made was to my aunt, telling her I had brought the car back and it needed repairs, asking her where to send it.

My aunt had known for a few days that the car had been damaged by hail. She told us to drive it to the auto repair shop and call her when we arrived so she could have the insurance company come to survey the damage.

After dropping off the car and giving my aunt the specific location, I didn't want to wait for her, so I took Huang Weiwei and prepared to find a place to eat.

Before I had even sat down properly, my phone rang. It was actually He Jiaxiao calling, asking me with a giggle, "Brother, where are you?"

I held the phone, looked around, and said, "Eating. Where are you?"

He Jiaxiao lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "I've been placed under house arrest and can't leave. I just snuck a phone from Sister Xiao Mei, and here I am, calling you first."

I was dumbfounded and laughed, "Who else dares to put you under house arrest? You didn't just eat a leopard's gall, you ate a bear's gall."

"Who else but my old lady." He Jiaxiao didn't know I had returned to Hengyue City: "Brother, hurry back and rescue me, I'm about to suffocate." He pleaded with me over the phone.

"Tomorrow! How about tomorrow?" I said: "I'll come to see you, but you must never use the word 'rescue'."

"Are you in Hengyue City?" I had to admire He Jiaxiao's speed of thought. He had been to Suxi and knew that coming from Nonggu to Hengyue City wasn't as easy as just saying a few words.

I had to say: "Just arrived, about to eat, are you coming?"

"I can't get out. My old lady is guarding me in the living room." He sighed helplessly: "What era is this, and yet there's a man as obedient as me. Hanging up!"

He hung up the phone, and I smiled at Huang Weiwei and said, "It was Jiaxiao's call."

Huang Weiwei was poking at the table with her chopsticks, distracted. Hearing that it was He Jiaxiao, she quickly raised her head and asked me: "What about Sister Meng? Is she with him?"

I shook my head, called the waiter, ordered a few dishes, and asked for a bottle of beer.

"Send me home later, okay?" Huang Weiwei seemed to have no appetite at all, poking at the dishes with her chopsticks, biting the tip of one, and saying: "I've been at your place for a week now."

I answered readily: "Of course I'll send you home. I have to go back tonight to see my mother; I haven't been home for months. I don't know how my mother's health is."

She gave a soft 'en', lowered her head, and focused on eating. After a few bites, she raised her face and said: "Tomorrow let's go find Sister Meng together. You call Jiaxiao out, and the four of us will have a meal, okay?"

Looking at the hope on her face, I nodded and agreed with absolute certainty.

After sending Huang Weiwei home, I hailed a taxi to go home. As the car passed over the bridge, the lights of ten thousand homes were reflected on the rippling river surface, like pieces of fish scales.

In recent years, Hengyue City has spent huge sums of money to renovate the riverside scenery belt. The buildings on both sides of the river have been installed with colorful neon lights. When they are turned on at night, it is like the Shanghai of the old days, extravagant and dissolute.

I took out my key and opened the door. The house was quiet, and on the wall opposite, hung my father's photo frame draped in black gauze.

I called out for Mother, but no one answered. My heart skipped a beat. I dashed to the door of Mother's room in a few steps, pushed it open, and saw Mother with her eyes slightly closed, leaning against the head of the bed, breathing quietly.

My hanging heart dropped. I stepped out on tiptoe and heard the sound of water in the bathroom. Thinking Mother had forgotten to turn off the faucet, I reached out and pushed the door open, only to hear a scream. What entered my eyes was a snow-white body, full breasts and wide hips, trembling as she covered her breasts with both hands, yet leaving her flat abdomen completely exposed.

I was startled and quickly retreated, my heart pounding.

Inside was Xi Meizhu. Why was she in my house?

Meizhu's scream woke my mother. She shouted from the inner room: "Meizhu, what's wrong?"

I pushed open Mother's door and said: "Mother, I'm back."

Mother seemed to understand the reason for the scream just now and said chidingly: "Clumsy, causing trouble as soon as you get back."

I sat down by Mother's bed, nudged my chin outward in confusion, and said: "Mother, what is going on?"

"You mean Miss Meizhu?" Mother looked at me with cloudy eyes: "Feng'er, Miss Meizhu has a good heart. After you went to the township, there was no news for months, and Miss Meizhu came to see me several times. Mother is old and useless. Once, when I was moving a gas canister, that damn thing pinned me down. I shouted for a long time and no one paid attention; I thought I was going to leave with your father. Just then, Miss Meizhu came to see me. From that day on, she moved here to keep me company."

I was heartbroken by what Mother said, thinking of Mother being lonely and helpless at home while I was in the distant countryside. A person, as long as they are controlled by desire, will forget family, love, and friendship.

Seeing me looking sad, Mother comforted me and said: "Feng'er, do your work with peace of mind. Mother has Meizhu, so don't be afraid. Besides, your aunt comes to see me every few days, so don't worry."

My eyes turned red as I said: "Mother, how can you ask me not to worry?"

Mother stroked my head and smiled lovingly: "A good man has ambitions in all four corners of the world. A man tied down by his family can never achieve great things. Just like your father, guarding this place his whole life, what success did he have?"

Just as she was speaking, Meizhu pushed the door open with a red face and called out to me timidly: "Town Mayor Chen, you're back."

After her bath, Meizhu was naturally beautiful, her hair still dripping with water droplets. She was wearing a set of cotton pajamas, but they couldn't hide her exquisite figure. A pair of slippers were on her feet, and her fair ankles were exposed, making one unable to help but let their imagination run wild.

I smiled faintly and thanked her: "Thank you for your hard work, Meizhu."

"It's nothing." She also responded faintly: "I should be thanking Mother. If Mother hadn't taken me in, where would I live?"

I looked at her inexplicably. She called her "Mother" so naturally that I thought something was wrong with my ears.

Seeing my surprised look, Mother patted the side of the bed and said to Meizhu: "Come over and sit, I have something to say to your brother." Mother let out a long sigh and said: "Meizhu has recognized me as her foster mother—what foster mother, she is just Mother. From now on, you two are brother and sister. You, as the older brother, must think more about taking care of your sister."

I looked at Meizhu, stunned and unable to speak.

Meizhu smiled faintly and said: "Mother, I will just serve you, I don't care about anything else."

I looked at Meizhu and asked suspiciously: "Aren't you running a company?"

"Transferred it, not running it anymore."

"What are you doing if you're not running it?"

"Aunt asked me to transfer it, and the money earned was invested in Aunt's road and bridge company. Now I don't do anything, accompanying Mother and making her happy is my job." Meizhu said lightly, every word making me tremble with fear.

"What kind of game is Aunt playing?"

"Aunt is playing a very big game." Meizhu giggled: "She told me this herself. Actually, the company was originally half yours and half mine. When we first came out of the township government company, Aunt arranged all these things, including Pan Xiaoqin going to Suxi to open a supermarket; they were all Aunt's arrangements. The company I opened and the supermarket Pan Xiaoqin opened both have half your shares. Aunt didn't let us tell you because you are a public servant, and it's better if you don't know."

Cold sweat broke out on my back. Aunt, your intentions are profound indeed!

"Do you understand now?" Meizhu stared straight at me: "If you don't understand, shall I say it again?"

I shook my head, stood up, and walked outside. I needed to clear my thoughts; these sudden events made me unable to adapt all at once.

Meizhu followed me out, stood behind me, and asked weakly: "What about my cousin? Didn't she come back with you?"

"You mean Xue Bing?" I didn't turn my head, not daring to face her directly.

"We broke up." I said, plopping down on a chair, grabbing a cup, pouring a glass of water, and gulping it down.

"I expected this day would come." She seemed to be gloating, and a smile actually hung on her face: "You are now with the daughter of the Municipal Committee Organization Department Minister, Huang Weiwei, right?"

She stared at me, making me very uncomfortable.

"Does it have anything to do with you?" I said unhappily.

"Yes, of course it does. In Aunt's road and bridge company, Huang Weiwei's mother owns half the shares, did you know that?"

I shook my head.

"I heard from Aunt that these shares will be a wedding gift for you two in the future." She suddenly felt a bit lost: "Having parents who are high-ranking officials is just different from ordinary people. Even in love, one can take the lead."

Her words clearly carried a sarcastic tone. I pretended not to hear and scanned the room, saying: "Where do I sleep tonight?"

"You sleep in your own bed. I'll go sleep with Mother." Meizhu turned around, took a pillow out of my original small room, floated into Mother's room, and refused to come out again.

I took out a cigarette, pulled one out, lit it, and took a puff, but was choked into coughing a few times. ===== CHAPTER 221 =====