CHAPTER 374: CHAPTER 367: MISSING MATERNAL FAMILY

arrived, and a continuous flow of good news was broadcasted on the television. First, in June, the Central issued a document on unified redress, then in August, the Fifteenth National Congress was convened, announcing the establishment of Special Economic Zones in four cities: Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, and Xiamen.

People across the country were happy with these good news. However, there was one person who was not quite pleased—Tian Xinhua. The state had recently introduced a new marriage law, raising the legal age for marriage to 22 for men and 20 for women, meaning he would still have to wait three more years before he could marry Sisi.

The newly introduced marriage law felt like a bucket of cold water, dousing Tian Xinhua’s previously excited heart—eager for Sisi’s impending eighteenth birthday—into icy despair.

Lei Gang shared Tian Xinhua’s misfortunes; this young man had planned to marry Zhang Jie as soon as he turned twenty this October. However, when the new marriage law was released in September, Lei Gang was utterly dumbfounded.

"Just one month away! Damn it, I was just one month away from enjoying the ’meat’! Now, looks like I’ll have to remain a monk for another two years!"

Lei Gang felt both pain and resentment—pain from having to wait another two years and resentment towards his mother for not birthing him a month earlier.

"It wouldn’t matter if it had been a few months later, but damn it, why just one month? This feeling really sucks!"

Seeing the frustrated Lei Gang, Tian Xinhua suddenly felt a bit better. Looks like there was someone even more unfortunate than him!

This is often the case—finding someone in a worse situation than oneself always seems to improve one’s mood.

Although still somewhat upset, seeing his good brother in such pain, Tian Xinhua still offered him comfort: "Don’t feel too bad, it’s just two more years. I still have to wait three years, buddy!"

Lei Gang smiled wryly, "Right, there’s someone even more miserable than me. Xinhua, we just need to wait two more years. I’ll get to ’eat the meat’ a year before you, haha!"

Tian Xinhua felt moody: I ended up comforting you when I’m the one who ate too much frustration!

On the other hand, the ladies were overjoyed. Sisi wasn’t very keen on marrying early, and now with a three-year reprieve, she was more than happy.

So was Zhang Jie.

"I’m not done having fun yet! Once you get married, you have to have kids, and then raise them—how could that compare to my current freedom? Two more years to have fun, how thrilling!"

After graduating from university, Zhang Jie was assigned to the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office. Now that contacts with overseas relatives were allowed, many people sought their family and friends through the office, and many also wished to visit their homeland; thus, the office had to take care of these matters.

Being a newcomer, Zhang Jie didn’t handle major affairs, so it was relatively relaxed for her.

Sisi did not go to Hong Kong this year because Mu Xiulian was returning for ancestral worship. The Mu Family ancestral home was not in Shanghai, but in Ningbo.

The Mu Family was also prestigious. Unlike the He Family, the Mu Family were major players in the local textile industry, with a relatively small family size, slightly better than the He Family. Mu Xiulian had a brother; she and her brother were half-siblings, with Sisi’s grandmother being their father’s second wife.

However, Mu Xiulian got along well with her brother, as he was sixteen or seventeen years older and treated her almost like his own daughter.

Additionally, this uncle was a patriotic gentleman. According to Mu Xiulian, her elder brother had joined the Nationalist Party while still in high school and was a key figure in the military uniform, having assassinated many Japanese. A famous Japanese female spy was reportedly killed by her brother.

Mu Xiulian was proud while telling this story, and Sisi greatly admired her uncle, asking, "Mama, where is my uncle now? What about my maternal grandparents?"

Mu Xiulian’s face turned somber, she shook her head.

"I don’t know either. My brother disappeared in ’47. But Mama said Daddy knows his whereabouts, supposedly somewhere abroad, but Daddy never reveals anything about my brother’s whereabouts. I remember military uniform officers often came to our house to chat with Daddy, and each time, Mama and I were terrified."

"Then he must still be alive, right?"

"I don’t know, but with my brother’s capabilities, he shouldn’t be dead," Mu Xiulian said with conviction.

"Your maternal grandparents took me to Hong Kong before the liberation, sold off the assets, leaving only the ancestral home in Ningbo," Mu Xiulian continued explaining her parents’ situation.

Sisi was taken aback and curiously asked, "Mama, you and my grandparents were in Hong Kong, so how did you marry Daddy?"

One in Hong Kong, the other in Shanghai, these were basically two different worlds!

Mu Xiulian smiled, "Your grandpa and your grandpa were good friends, and your daddy and I were betrothed as children, so I returned to Shanghai to marry your dad when I was eighteen."

Well, it turns out it was a child betrothal arrangement! It appeared her grandfather was a man of his word; despite turbulent times in China when Mu Xiulian was eighteen, her grandfather still sent her back to marry. Truly a man of his word, but it was tough on Mu Xiulian. Perhaps, at that time, Mu Xiulian went to Hong Kong to seek her parents.

"Mama, do you resent grandpa? If not for grandpa sending you back, you wouldn’t have suffered all this," Sisi asked.

Mu Xiulian suddenly realized, she shook her head slightly, "No, I don’t resent. Daddy’s family treated me very well, my mother-in-law treated me like her own daughter, and besides, the He Family was not in trouble back then, and life was no different from when we were in Hong Kong."

Alright, perhaps I was being mean-spirited! Sisi pursed her lips, then asked, "Where are my grandparents now? Where are they?"

"I don’t know, after settling down here I visited our former address, but your grandparents were gone, the house was sold, and an old servant left a message for me, saying they went abroad and didn’t leave any contact details. However, the old servant mentioned they would come looking for me, but I never saw them. I doubt if...