Chapter 170: Family Portrait

"Wow, are you really a criminal police officer?" A child's voice suddenly came from behind. A boy of about ten years old poked his head out from behind Cui Nian, blinking his eyes and looking at Qi Fei curiously, with a face full of worship.

"Sorry, my grandson, he has dreamed of being a police officer since he was a child." The old lady apologized, but the pride in her tone could not be hidden, "Come on, come in first."

Although the house is old, the floor-to-ceiling windows facing south make the living room bright and spotless.

Qi Fei looked at the family portrait of three generations of more than ten people on the wall. The old couple had both children, which could be considered as enjoying family happiness.

Thinking so, he couldn't help but look at this family portrait for a while longer. One of the women caught his attention: "I have seen this person not long ago, Director Chang." He was talking about Chang Ying, the director of the Wuyin Bai Family Village Cultural Relic Protection Center.

"This is our eldest daughter," Cui Nian said, with pride that could not be hidden in his eyes.

Being said by Cui Nian, Qi Fei found that Chang Ying's eyebrows and eyes were indeed somewhat similar to Cui Nian's.

"But she is surnamed Chang, not Cui?" Qi Fei immediately discovered something unusual.

"Because Chang Ying follows her mother's surname," Cui Nian said, pointing to his wife, "My wife is surnamed Chang." Cui Nian said with slight anxiety, "Why are you looking for Xiao Ying?"

Qi Fei heard his worry. His identity as a criminal police officer made him think that something happened to his daughter, so he hurriedly explained: "I went to Bai Family Village to investigate the 'Demon Mirror Case'. Director Chang just received us as the current director. Don't worry, it's fine. Moreover, I see that she has high prestige locally and is an excellent director." He added specifically.

Cui Nian breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this: "My eldest daughter has the most personality like her grandfather. She forgets herself when she works. At first, I didn't agree with her, a girl, running to the mountains to engage in any tourism development, and living there when she was busy. Who in Nancheng doesn't know what's going on in Bai Family Village.

Unexpectedly, she really did it. I, as a father, really admire her." Cui Nian said, and couldn't help but think of Qi Fei asking about his father: "Sorry, my father is just a scientist, dealing with the ocean all his life, and has never dealt with criminal police. I can't think of why you are looking for us."

"Sorry, I have to correct your words. This is not the first time Old Cui has dealt with us," Qi Fei said.

Cui Nian heard this, and a trace of surprise appeared on his old face: "Ah? When?"

"In 1983, there was a criminal police officer named Ye Ming in our police station who visited Old Cui many times to ask him about the Dongji Zhen Demon Mirror Case. Has he never mentioned this to you?"

"My father rarely talked to me about work. Demon Mirror Case? I have an impression..."

Cui Nian said, and the old lady came out from the inner room, remembering that year: "I remember, we weren't married yet that year. At that time, young women in the whole Nancheng didn't dare to walk at night." She looked at Cui Nian with love, "I often joked that Old Cui should thank that bad guy. If it weren't for the fear of going out alone at that time, it wouldn't necessarily be so fast to agree to date him!"

Cui Nian was embarrassed by his wife at his age: "I forgot to introduce just now, this is my wife Chang Rong, we are both retired employees of the environmental protection company."

"Didn't you inherit your father's business and go to the Ocean Research Institute?" Qi Fei asked.

Before Cui Nian could answer, Chang Rong joked: "If he had half of his father's ability to read, he would already be a scientist."

Cui Nian was not angry: "It's a shame to say, I didn't get into university back then and didn't have the qualifications to enter the research institute. However, if I had entered the research institute, I wouldn't have met my wife."

Qi Fei looked at the family portrait on the wall again and nodded: "Happiness in life is the most important thing. Back to the topic, old gentleman, you said that when your father was alive, he didn't mention anything about Ye Ming to you at all? Or, in your impression, did he talk about Dongji Zhen?"

Hearing this question, Cui Nian seemed to be in trouble, looking at each other with Chang Rong.

It was Chang Rong who was outspoken: "When the old man was there, everything was fine, but he was most taboo about talking about Dongji Zhen."

"Cough cough." Cui Nian coughed twice, seeming to feel that it was inappropriate for Chang Rong to say so directly.

This instead aroused Qi Fei's attention: "I just came from the Ocean Research Institute, and Old Cui's students also said that he never went there again after Dongji Zhen was built. Why?"

Cui Nian sighed after hearing this: "This is our family's private matter, and it should have nothing to do with the case you are investigating."

"Sorry, since Old Cui is involved in the case back then, as long as it is information related to Dongji Zhen, please tell me."

"Alas... it can be considered a family scandal." Cui Nian seemed to be heavy-hearted because he hadn't mentioned this matter, and he looked like he couldn't speak, "My father, he has never gone to Dongji Zhen for the rest of his life, which has something to do with my mother. During the period of land reclamation, my father was too busy, eating and living by the sea, and rarely returned to the home in Nancheng city center. Because of this, my mother cheated and left me and eloped with a man. This matter deeply hurt my father. He didn't blame my mother, but thought that he was busy building Dongji Zhen and neglected my mother's feelings, so he never went to Dongji Zhen again."

Speaking of this, Cui Nian's reading glasses were covered with a layer of mist. He lowered his head, took off his glasses, and wiped them with a corner of his shirt.

"Our Old Cui, don't look at what people say is the son of a big expert, in fact, he has suffered a lot since he was a child. The old man was busy with work, and Old Cui lived with his elderly grandmother..." Chang Rong still felt full of heartache when she said it now.

Speaking of his own experience, Cui Nian was open-minded: "Isn't this meeting you, it's been so many years, it's all in the past."

Just as he was talking, there was a knock on the door, and Chang Rong went to open the door.

A couple stood at the door, carrying bags of things in their hands.

Qi Fei turned his head and looked, it was such a coincidence that it was Chang Ying and her husband.

"Oh, why buy so many things?" Chang Rong said while taking the slippers at the door, looking very happy.

The little grandson heard the movement and jumped out from the inner room, rushing into his parents' arms.

Qi Fei looked at this scene and thought to himself, indeed, Cui Nian was right, everything is in the past.

Chang Ying entered the door and was very surprised to see Qi Fei: "Police Officer Qi, why are you here?"

Cui Nian explained before Qi Fei, fearing that Chang Ying would worry: "It's okay, it's okay, this police comrade is just here to learn about the Ocean Research Institute. Your grandfather was an expert back then." ===== CHAPTER 171 =====