Zhang Liunian choked. He had indeed promised his wife he wouldn't lie to her. Thinking of his promise, he said helplessly, "I think I've found Huabao's relatives and want to confirm it."
Jiang Qingqing's heart skipped a beat. Huabao's relatives? Wasn't Huabao her daughter? Didn't she abandon her? How could she have relatives? Countless thoughts raced through her mind, eventually turning into fear and reluctance.
"Huabao's relatives? How can she have relatives? Don't be mistaken, she only has us as parents and a younger brother, but no relatives." Jiang Qingqing's tone was anxious, as if trying to mask her fear.
"..." Zhang Liunian knew that if he said it, his wife would also worry and suffer, but his wife insisted on knowing. Alas.
"You're not saying anything, how can Huabao have relatives? Are you deliberately lying to me?"
Seeing her husband remain silent, Jiang Qingqing felt even more distressed.
"Today we found a man in the provincial capital who looks quite similar to Huabao. I suspect he is related to Huabao and want to investigate."
"No, don't investigate, Liunian. It doesn't matter if that person is or isn't, let's not investigate, okay?
Can Huabao be our daughter? I don't want to help her find her background; I just want to keep her by our side."
Jiang Qingqing regretted it as soon as she spoke, feeling that her thoughts were too selfish.
Huabao also had the right to know her background. How could she stop it?
Zhang Liunian heard the fear in his wife's voice and wished he could fly back immediately to comfort her. But for now, he could only say into the phone, "Huabao can only be our daughter, don't worry. If you really don't want me to investigate, I won't. I'll just pretend I never found that person."
However, things could be kept secret for a while, but not forever, because quite a few people seemed to recognize Huabao.
The Tang family would believe they would find out soon, and then it wouldn't be something they could resolve by hiding.
But they would worry about the future later. For now, comforting his wife was the most important thing.
But just as he said he wouldn't investigate, Jiang Qingqing changed her mind. Her voice choked as she stammered, "But Huabao has the right to know her relatives and background."
"..." Women were indeed the most fickle creatures in the world. He didn't know how to respond anymore.
"Who is that person?" Jiang Qingqing, not hearing her husband's voice, and for some unknown reason, asked about the person suspected of being Huabao's relative.
Zhang Liunian didn't want to answer.
Seeing him fall silent again, Jiang Qingqing's heart tightened. "Speak, I can accept anything. I'm not as fragile as you think."
If it weren't for her husband becoming more and more capable, she was a woman who could shoulder the burden of a family alone. What was this matter? It wouldn't defeat her.
"Someone from the Tang family."
Boom!
Jiang Qingqing thought she had gone deaf and exclaimed in disbelief, "Who did you say?"
"Someone from the Tang family, Tang Shikang's brother, Tang Shitong."
"..."
Jiang Qingqing's breathing became more chaotic. Someone from the Tang family? It was the Tang family? But that wasn't right. She and her daughter had been captured by the Tang family before. If Huabao was from the Tang family, why didn't they recognize her?
"Liunian, this joke isn't funny at all. Change it!"
Jiang Qingqing didn't notice her voice trembling, but Zhang Liunian did.
"Qingqing, don't rush. No matter whether Huabao is from the Tang family or not, she will always be our daughter. No one can take her away from us. You just need to understand these two points."
Zhang Liunian's words did have some effect. At least Jiang Qingqing felt comforted after hearing them.
What she cared about most was whether her daughter could stay by her side. Her husband said no one could snatch her Huabao away, so what else did she have to worry about?
"How could it be someone from the Tang family? Haven't they seen Huabao before? Didn't you say they looked alike? Why didn't they recognize her then?" Jiang Qingqing's voice involuntarily increased in volume towards the end.
As if resenting the Tang family's poor eyesight for not recognizing her daughter, or perhaps mocking the Tang family for almost harming their own family, her mood was exceptionally complex.
"She does look somewhat alike, but not exactly the same. Perhaps they just thought it was a similar-looking person and didn't think much of it. I also hope we're overthinking it."
Zhang Liunian also wished he could find evidence that Huabao was not related to the Tang family through this clue.
Unfortunately, Uncle Yi said there was a high probability of a connection.
"It must be that we're thinking too much. The world is so big, it's not like there aren't people who look alike." Jiang Qingqing, as if grasping a life-saving straw, immediately affirmed Zhang Liunian's words.
"Yes, you don't need to worry too much. No matter who Huabao's relatives are, I won't let Huabao leave us."
"Okay, I just hope our family can be together. I don't want to be separated."
"We won't be. No one can break us apart."
"..."
After the conversation, it was time for their nightly outing again. Zhang Liunian tidied himself up and, with Zhang Qian, went to meet Uncle Yi.
Meanwhile, at home, Tang Shitong had just learned that Zhu Laosi had been arrested, and he was so startled that he stood up directly from his stool and spun around a few times before calming his agitated emotions.
"Is there any possibility of him getting out?" Tang Shitong asked the man who had delivered the news.
The man shook his head, "Impossible, because the evidence is conclusive."
"..."
Tang Shitong was speechless. After a moment, he asked, "Who handled it?"
"Zhang Liunian."
"It's him again. Why is he everywhere?" Can't this person ever rest? First, it was their Tang family, and now it was the Zhu family. This Zhang Liunian has made so many enemies, yet he's still alive and well?
Tang Shitong clenched his fists, making cracking sounds, thinking of the blood feud he carried.
"He's got a name up there, so you can't easily touch him," the man said, seeing Tang Shitong's animosity towards Zhang Liunian, and cautioned him.
"I know about that. I heard he helped Gao Lijie find his son who was lost outside. He's really lucky to encounter such things." Tang Shitong was naturally aware that Zhang Liunian had the backing of the Gao family, making it quite impossible to make any small moves.
Even if Zhang Liunian hadn't climbed onto the Gao family, as someone from the Tang family, he couldn't act rashly. All of this was Zhang Liunian's fault.
Besides, Zhang Liunian was not an easy person to deal with. He wasn't someone they could scheme against as they pleased. After all, there were so many cautionary tales right before their eyes. Even though he hated Zhang Liunian, he couldn't make a move easily.
"As long as you know, I'll be going now." After the man spoke, he left without waiting for Tang Shitong's reply.
Once he left, Tang Shitong was left alone. His expression immediately turned grim, dark and terrifying to behold.
"I will definitely not let this Zhang Liunian go." Whether it was for revenge or for the thirty million, he would not let Zhang Liunian go.