Genius Club-Chapter 548 - 6 The Lie from Twenty Years Ago (Extra for monthly tickets!)_2
Pity the hearts of parents all over the world.
Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.
Lin Xian couldn’t help but start to worry about Chu Shanhe and Su Xiuying, so he hastened his steps, walking with Gao Yang toward the residential complex.
They easily blended in.
The complex had separate lanes for pedestrians and vehicles; cars entered through the main gate into the underground parking lot, so there were no parking spaces above ground. The green area was vast, and the landscaping effects were excellent. Walking there was just like strolling through a park.
Children played and chased each other, chasing the lazy sunlight, joyful and beautiful.
"Building 22 should be over there."
Gao Yang pointed toward the northeastern corner’s tall building, leading Lin Xian that way.
"Huh?"
Passing through a small pavilion plaza in the middle of the complex, Lin Xian pulled Gao Yang to a stop.
He quietly pointed at an elderly lady sitting in a wooden gazebo, and whispered to Gao Yang:
"Look at that woman... that’s Yan Qin, Zhang Yuqian’s mother."
"Ah?"
Gao Yang was greatly surprised:
"She’s that old?"
He quickly recalculated in his head. If Zhang Yuqian were still alive, she would be how old, and her elderly mother would be how old.
In theory, she should be, at most, in her sixties or seventies, but the woman in the gazebo not far away really looked like an old granny... with graying hair, and by estimation, at least in her eighties.
However, the woman was dressed very neatly and simply, with her hair also well-groomed. At that moment, her demeanor and posture were very dignified, only her expression was a bit forlorn.
There she sat quietly on the long wooden bench without leaning against the pavilion’s railings, her back straight, slowly peeling some fruit in her hands.
Gao Yang squinted, taking a closer look...
"Pomegranates?"
Lin Xian nodded, his vision being better than Gao Yang’s, he had seen it from the start:
"That’s right, pomegranates. She’s peeling pomegranates. Look carefully at her left side, in that supermarket plastic bag, there are several pomegranates, all big and of a particularly good variety."
"Then on her right side, there’s a glass bowl filled with peeled pomegranate seeds."
Gao Yang clicked his tongue:
"This old lady has too much patience, I’ve never seen anyone peel pomegranates seed by seed like this... Aren’t you supposed to just break it open, rip it apart, then cram it into your mouth, chew on a big bite, and then suck and spit out a mouthful of seeds?"
Lin Xian frowned, Gao Yang’s description grossed him out:
"Do you think everyone eats like a hippo?"
"But there’s also no one who peels pomegranates seed by seed, is there? Is this old lady that delicate... and besides, she’s peeled half a bowl already. Who is she peeling them for? She definitely can’t eat that much by herself, not to mention there are several more in the plastic bag from the supermarket."
"I have no idea." Lin Xian shook his head:
"Based on my encounter with her at Xidan Shopping Plaza the other day... this old lady seems to have been disturbed by her daughter’s death, somewhat mentally unstable, a bit... how should I say it, talking nonsense, with unstable emotions."
"Let’s go, I don’t think we’ll get anything out of her, and it’s likely that bringing up the past could trigger another emotional collapse. We should go directly to her husband, Zhang Yuqian’s father, Zhang Shi. He seems knowledgeable and reasonable, at least stable enough for normal communication, and if we talk nicely, he might tell us the location of Zhang Yuqian’s grave."
Hiss...
Gao Yang inhaled sharply:
"Why do I feel... feel like we’re doing something very unethical?"
"It’s not necessarily so."
Lin Xian skirted past the plaza, urging Gao Yang to keep up:
"If we really can clear up what happened to Chu Anqing and Zhang Yuqian... it might actually be a redemption for this old lady. Who knows, we always have to clarify the truth to understand what’s right and what’s wrong."
...
Before long.
Lin Xian and Gao Yang arrived at Building 22, caught an elevator up, and reached the floor where Zhang Yuqian’s parents lived, standing before their front door.
Knock, knock, knock.
Lin Xian knocked gently on the door.
Soon, a plainly dressed, kindly-faced middle-aged man opened the door.
He looked left at Gao Yang, then right at Lin Xian:
"Young men, who are you... Oh, I remember."
He pointed at Lin Xian, smiling:
"Young man, we’ve met before at the Xidan plaza, with you... and your female companion."
On mentioning this.
The middle-aged man’s mood visibly plummeted.
"Uncle Zhang."
Lin Xian called out:
"I’m sorry to disturb you, Uncle Zhang, there are some things we’d like to talk to you about... about your daughter."
The middle-aged man, Zhang Shi, sighed softly:
"Young man, my wife frightened you by the roadside that day, and I apologize. But... everything there was to say, I have told you. It was all just a misunderstanding. My wife was temporarily out of her mind and mistook someone else for her daughter. It was just a mother’s fervent longing, and we hope you understand the hearts of us parents."
"I also didn’t expect you would come looking for us at our home. If it’s an apology you want, I can make it any way you want, and I can also offer compensation to your female companion..."
"No, no, no."
Lin Xian waved his hand:
"You’ve misunderstood, Uncle Zhang, we’re not here about that."
He paused a moment, then got straight to the point:
"We understand your feelings, Uncle Zhang. Please grieve with restraint. After all, so much time has passed, and it’s time for you both to move on. Only if you live a healthy and cheerful life can Zhang Yuqian’s spirit find peace and happiness."
"Actually, the reason for our visit today... without hiding anything, we’re about to go on a trip around Shandong, passing through Qufu. The day after tomorrow, April 4th, is Qingming Festival. You said your daughter and my female companion look exactly alike, even down to a single teardrop mole."
