CHAPTER 390: CHAPTER 299: VISITING THE ANCESTRAL GRAVES

The next day, under a clear sky, the Zhou and Cheng families were driving two cars towards the outskirts of Beijing.

Zhou Xiaozheng had left behind his guards and the families’ aunties to look after Ping’an.

At this moment, Zhang Guoqing was driving his car, following behind Mr. Cheng’s car. Inside the car, it was solemn; Zhou Jiao tightly held Zhou Xiaozheng’s hand, hoping to give him some strength.

Gazing at the distant mountain peaks outside the window, her thoughts were myriad. Last night when she returned home, she first sent away Old Mrs. Cheng. By the time the men of the Lin Family came over to the Zhou Family for idle chat, it was already deep into the night.

Facing the two wooden boxes brought back, she couldn’t sleep a wink. Whenever she closed her eyes, the face of Gu Ruyi, well-maintained and smiling, appeared before her.

Born into a wealthy family? Strip away that veneer, what’s left?

The truth had been hidden for long; a letter from her grandmother didn’t mention a word of the past events. Did she already know the truth and refuse to let hatred pass on to the next generation, or was she also kept in the dark?

She tested Old Mrs. Cheng with a few words. The sadness and sorrow reflected in those eyes, eyes that had seen the vicissitudes of life, made her heart tremble. Was there any need to ask more?

Arriving at the foot of the mountain, the group walked to a small cabin in the mountains. This was the resting place where Zhou Jinyu and Gu Mingzhu, under assumed names, stayed years ago. Across a hill lay the Zhou Family’s ancestral grave.

The cabin was very simple. Likely it was kept tidy by people under Old Mrs. Cheng’s instructions over the years, but unfortunately, it bore no traces of life. The dead vanish like clouds, disappearing just like that from the world.

Old Mrs. Cheng had prepared incense and paper money in advance; now two baskets were placed inside the room.

After resting for a while, Zhou Xiaozheng and Zhang Guoqing declined the gesture from the others.

The father-in-law and son-in-law each picked up a basket and led the way. The mountain path was rugged, and everyone helped each other as they proceeded.

Gazing at the mountain kills the horse; it’s not supposed to be the time for worship, with the valley’s cold wind so fierce.

After stopping intermittently for three hours, they finally arrived at the secluded Zhou Family ancestral grave.

There were no imagined magnificent tomb clusters, just some mounds covered with trees and weeds.

The glory of the Zhou Family over hundreds of years turned to dust; whether the ancestors of the Zhou Family could rest in peace was unknown.

Not far away was a recently tidied grave, and Zhou Xiaozheng was already kneeling on the ground, his head touching the earth.

Seeing his trembling shoulders, Zhou Jiao wiped the tears from her face and knelt behind him with Zhang Guoqing.

In her ears was Old Mrs. Cheng’s heart-wrenching cries, hearing Mr. Cheng repeatedly say, "The children have all returned," hearing him sitting in front of the grave muttering that Zhou Jinyu and his wife had finally got their wish, they now had a little Mingzhu.

Zhou Jiao bit her lips hard, raised her head to stare at the silhouette ahead, at the vivid names on the tombstone.

She vowed to repay blood with blood! It won’t be long; soon she could personally bring news to the two elders.

Mr. Cheng, seeing Zhou Xiaozheng and Zhou Jiao kneeling before him, raised his head to wipe away his tears.

For a moment, he saw Zhou Jiao’s dark eyes fixed on the tombstone, her lips bitten until they bled, yet apart from tear marks, there was no trace of tears on her face, calm to the terrifying extent.

He closed his eyes with a silent sigh; it seemed surely there were matters yet to be unearthed.

A fateful tie indeed, something serious was bound to happen.

Mr. Cheng stood up, helping his wife to rise, and pointed to the offerings in the basket. This family only knew how to kneel; only his wife could personally take the action. Seeing the sun was about to set, he gestured to have his eldest son Cheng Sijin to help.

Zhou Jiao put paper money into Zhou Xiaozheng’s hand; she didn’t persuade him, simply leaned close to him, silently burning the paper money.

No matter how cold the ground was, it couldn’t dissolve the hatred in their hearts; no matter how fierce the wind, it couldn’t blow away the sorrow inside.

After burning all the paper money, the father and daughter tightly leaned against the tombstone, silently gazing at the grave.

Zhang Guoqing saw that everyone finished tidying up, at this moment quietly stayed beside Zhou Xiaozheng and his daughter.

He sighed, stepped forward to help them up, and softly said, "Dad, I’ll accompany you here in the future. We will often come to visit grandma and grandpa from now on. Shall we return now? Auntie and grandma are getting old."

"Let’s go. Next time, come to bring good news to the two elders again." Zhou Xiaozheng tugged at his lips, said solemnly.

Avoiding the path they came by, the group descended the mountain from the other side, returning to Beijing, already at nightfall.

They hastily ate a few bites of food; Mr. Cheng and Cheng Sijin pulled Zhou Xiaozheng to the Cheng Family, leaving Old Mrs. Cheng at the Zhou Family to accompany Zhou Jiao.

Cheng Family’s study, Zhou Xiaozheng at ease, lowered his head drinking tea.

Mr. Cheng waved to his eldest son, watched him go out and close the door, straightforwardly asked, "Was there something else happening back then? Did Gu Ruyi’s family intervene?"

Zhou Xiaozheng looked up puzzled, querying, "Uncle thinks her family intervened in what? Didn’t my aunt say everything back then?"

Mr. Cheng stared at him for a long while, shook his head saying, "Something’s not right! Very wrong indeed! Up the mountain, Jiao Jiao’s expression wasn’t right! You weren’t right either! Tell uncle, did that family do something else? Even if we have immense hatred with them, you all must not act rashly. Do you understand? What are they? Just a pile of broken tiles. Don’t act, leave this to uncle, I’ll definitely satisfy you."

"Uncle, you’re really overthinking. Attack them for what? Jiao Jiao finally returned home; I’m busy working and accompanying the children, who cares about them? Besides, after so many years, what can be found? I’ll look for clues when I return to old house in Jiangnan. Now I’m stuck in Beijing daily, no place to investigate."

Zhou Xiaozheng abruptly declined. Many things he didn’t want known widely. That was his maternal family; only by his own hands could he find peace.

"Really? Then have you read today’s newspapers?"

"I have. Anything unusual? Wait...don’t tell me you think Gu Family’s trouble is related to me? Haha, you wouldn’t believe it, Mrs. Lin even suspected me for real. No wonder she hurriedly returned from the sanatorium last night, inviting us for a family meal. I wondered why her behavior was unusual."

Mr. Cheng murmured, "Could it be coincidence? Or did their family offend someone?"

Zhou Xiaozheng casually said, "Who knows? Anyway, they’re bad people; they must have offended many. My mother-in-law even wanted Gu Family to visit our house today; more amusingly, she told Jiao Jiao she’s the only seedling left, needing Gu Family’s support in the future, encouraging her to interact more with those little rascals. Support? More like seeking my help after trouble befell."

He deliberately mentioned these words, planning to let it reach Mr. Lin’s ears, to find out if there’s anything more absurd than this?

Gu Ruyi, supposedly a clever person, actually said such things to Jiao Jiao. Really unsure if she had gone senile or was she treating Jiao Jiao like a fool?

Mr. Cheng didn’t find anything abnormal despite saying so much, then chatted casually with Zhou Xiaozheng, seeing him bid farewell didn’t persuade him to stay further, rose to send him out.

Watching him leave, Mr. Cheng walked slowly back to the study, hands behind his back.

Cheng Sijin followed closely, after closing the door, asked softly, "How was it? Any clues? Should I take action?"

"Take what action? Xiao Zheng said I overthought."

"Dad, you said brothers must unite to strike. If Brother Zheng has something, shall I keep an eye on it?"

Mr. Cheng frowned, pondering for a moment, shook his head, smiled, "Probably really not Xiao Zheng’s doing. Jiao Jiao had just arrived; he wouldn’t have the mind to do these. Besides, he wouldn’t play such tricks."

Cheng Sijin thought, stepped forth to write "Zhou Jiao" on paper, nodded toward Mr. Cheng.

Mr. Cheng just wanted to shake his head when suddenly the image of Zhou Jiao’s calm face staring at the tombstone appeared in his mind. He paused, frowned looking at his eldest son.

"Dad, don’t underestimate her because she’s young. Think back since she entered the Big Courtyard...how did she host everyone that night?

She’s certainly closer to our family than Lin Family, but think whether she acted unusually that night? Any difference in treatment? Everyone avoided Gu Ruyi, yet she smiled and initiated the topic, her demeanor more natural than anyone else.

Today she even bit her lips till they bled, but did she look abnormal? Xiao Wu kept a close watch on her; he likely understands his wife, knows she wasn’t at peace. She’s very much like Brother Zheng, adept at emotion control."

"Moreover, did you forget Zhou Jiao is adept at leveraging public opinion? Did you forget Old Zhou Family in the Northeast? This method seems like what she’d do! Oddly, how she acted so swiftly upon arriving in Beijing?"

Mr. Cheng contemplated for a long time, said to Cheng Sijin, "Don’t jump to conclusions. Watch for a couple of days, then we’ll know if it’s her doing. You don’t interfere, just stay on the sidelines observing, help her clear any lapses encountered. I estimate if she did it, she wouldn’t involve her dad either."

Cheng Sijin nodded, now he was quite curious about what really happened back then, leading father and daughter to such silence.