NOVPUBThe next day.
Zhang Chunxue got up early and notified Yao Jiping before picking up Xu Qingfan from Lianhua Courtyard at a little past eight in the morning.
"Auntie, are we leaving Hong Kong?" Seeing the car entering the toll station on the highway, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but ask.
"Yes, everyone in the back seat should also fasten your seat belts, safety first." Zhang Chunxue said, glancing at the rearview mirror.
"Oh, oh."
"Mhm!"
Xu Qingfan and Zhang Yiyi each pulled out the seat belt corresponding to their seats and buckled up.
Xu Qingfan initially thought that Zhang Yiyi’s grandfather’s house would be in Li City, especially since Zhang Chunxue and the uncle he met last time at the police station were both around there.
Although it was during the New Year period, there weren’t many families that owned a car, so the highway was clear all the way.
Xu Qingfan and Zhang Chunxue chatted sporadically as they rode, and after forty minutes or so, the car quickly got off the highway.
During the New Year period, the highway toll was free, thus skipping the steps of queuing up for manual payment.
"Auntie, how much longer until we arrive? I’m feeling a bit uncomfortable." Xu Qingfan had soy milk for breakfast and after sitting in the car for a while, felt a bit queasy.
"We’re almost there, I’m sorry, my driving isn’t very good." The car just stopped for a traffic light, and Zhang Chunxue turned to say.
"No worries, it’s just the bumpy road." Xu Qingfan retracted his head from leaning on the window and met her gaze.
"Just bear with it for five more minutes, and we’ll arrive. If you’re feeling uncomfortable, you can unbuckle your seat belt now that we’re off the highway."
"Okay." Hearing this, both Xu Qingfan and Zhang Yiyi removed the seat belts that had been fastened around them.
Five minutes later, the car arrived at the entrance to the military compound.
Two uniformed guards came forward to check, and after Zhang Chunxue reported their destination, one of them went back to the guardhouse to make a phone call to verify.
After confirming their identities and checking the car’s trunk once more, the vehicle was allowed to proceed smoothly.
Fortunately, Xu Qingfan had already anticipated this, so he wasn’t surprised at all.
Zhang Chunxue drove down a row of villas, with the car traveling slowly, and Xu Qingfan counted the houses one by one.
When they reached the fifth villa, the car stopped, and Zhang Chunxue took a few minutes to park the car properly.
Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but take a deep breath as he got out of the car.
[Provincial government compound, fifth in the row...]
He dared not ponder the status of that position.
When the three of them got out of the car, a group of Zhang family relatives were already waiting at the door, including adults and children.
Among them were Zhang Chaoqun, whom Xu Qingfan had previously met at the police station, and the rest were strangers to him.
Of course, this was a redundant thought; they weren’t his relatives, so how could Xu Qingfan have met them before?
"Bringing gifts to your own home!" Zhang Chaoqun feigned discontent as he took the gift bag from Zhang Chunxue’s hand.
"You still know to come back!" Another middle-aged man standing beside Zhang Chaoqun frowned and scolded.
"What are you saying? It’s rare for sis to come back, let’s go inside, both dad and mom have been missing you." Zhang Chaoqun nudged the middle-aged man’s shoulder lightly, smiling as he smoothed things over.
Xu Qingfan suddenly regretted getting involved in this mess; being scrutinized by a group of strangers made him feel like his social phobia was flaring up again.
"Brother, sister-in-law, second sister-in-law." Zhang Chunxue nodded, her face expressionless as she greeted a few people.
"Hello uncle, hello auntie!" Zhang Yiyi also spoke clearly, word by word.
"Hello to all the uncles and aunties, I..."
"Hmph!" Xu Qingfan hadn’t even finished speaking when Zhang Chunxue’s older brother had already turned with a stern face to go back inside the house.
"Your brother is like that, don’t take it to heart."
"No worries, sister-in-law." Zhang Chunxue still said calmly.
Zhang Yiyi was nervously gripping Xu Qingfan’s hand, carefully following the adults into the house.
Your status out in the world is what you make of it.
[I’m a reborn person, who should I fear!] Xu Qingfan silently recited in his mind, and indeed, he straightened his back and felt more confident.
After everyone entered the house, Xu Qingfan finally saw the true appearance of this fifth-ranked big shot, who wore only a simple old man’s shirt inside the air-conditioned room.
Because he was looking so stern, Xu Qingfan’s first impression was somewhat like the disciplinary head at his junior high school.
Putting aside all titles, he seemed to be just an ordinary old man.
The room suddenly felt cold, the only sound was the TV showing the replay of the Spring Festival Gala.
"Dad, mom." Zhang Chunxue broke the silence first, addressing the elders.
"Hmm." Zhang Youwen responded with indifference.
"Let’s start eating since everyone is here, Xiaojuan, it’s time for dinner." Yu Hairong got up to give instructions to the housemaid.
Both seemed to treat Zhang Yiyi as if she were invisible, apparently unwilling to acknowledge her as their granddaughter.
Zhang Yiyi’s eyes reddened, her lips pursed in frustration, not uttering a word.
Xu Qingfan suddenly felt a sense of empathy; the scene seemed all too familiar to his past life, wasn’t this just like himself then?
Returning to Cong City with Xu Aiguo, his grandmother barely spoke a word to him.
Latter Xu Qingfan had even delved into psychology to understand his grandmother’s mindset, which probably went something like this:
If this child is so obedient, so filial, wouldn’t that mean my initial insistence that Yao Jinping have an abortion was wrong? I couldn’t have been wrong, so Xu Qingfan can only be useless, thereby proving my initial foresight and wisdom.
Although Xu Qingfan wasn’t sure why Zhang Yiyi’s grandparents didn’t like her, it didn’t stop him from offering comfort: "Don’t be sad; my grandparents like Yiyi a lot. Our Yiyi is well-loved."
