Chapter 35#

Chapter 35 Shen Rou

There is a natural lake at the foot of the mountain in Zhengde Garden.

Besides loving to raise flowers and fish, Old Master Gu also had the habit of fishing when he had nothing to do. Gu Chenzhou came back this day and happened to catch his grandfather fishing by the lake. He took a straw hat and a folding stool and walked towards the lake. When he arrived at the destination, he just saw Old Master Gu flicking the fishing rod. A carp jumped out of the lake, bringing up a string of water droplets, and was thrown onto the grass, still flapping its tail.

“Grandpa.” Gu Chenzhou walked forward, placed the small folding stool beside Old Master Gu, and put on the straw hat at the same time. Instantly, he was no different from ordinary fishermen by the river. He bent down to help Old Master Gu unhook the fish, and put the fish that looked quite plump into the fish basket filled with water.

Old Master Gu seemed a bit surprised by Gu Chenzhou’s arrival: “Why didn’t you eat at your in-laws’ house today?” Since childhood, every time Gu Chenzhou went to the Shen family, unless there was something really important, he would at least stay there for lunch.

“He Hailou came to find me temporarily.” Gu Chenzhou said.

“The He family kid.” He Hailou’s affairs occasionally reached Old Master Gu’s ears. Old Master Gu gave an “En” and didn’t say anything more, “Since you are here, accompany me to fish for a while.”

Gu Chenzhou smiled and pointed to his straw hat: “Already prepared, Grandpa.”

Old Master Gu smiled and turned his attention back to the fishing rod.

Gu Chenzhou started chatting with Old Master Gu intermittently, talking about his own affairs, other things, and also the upcoming general election.

“Grandpa, is the internally decided person this time the He family?”

Old Master Gu was noncommittal, staring at the movement on the water surface, and said after a long while: “This is your own guess.”

“What about our Gu family?” Gu Chenzhou asked softly.

The question was about his own family, so it was easier to talk. Old Master Gu said: “Your father has made no big mistakes in this position. Maybe he won’t move, maybe he will be adjusted.”

“Won’t go further?” Gu Chenzhou asked.

Old Master Gu didn’t express anything about this somewhat bold question, just shook his head and said: “It’s not that simple. Your father does things fairly and steadily in the Organization Department, which is very good. But similarly, he hasn’t accumulated too many connections. Moreover, those positions were decided ten years ago. Once changed, it means the situation will be chaotic.”

Gu Chenzhou responded and didn’t continue.

Old Master Gu suddenly asked: “You have been paying attention to Jiangzhi recently?”

“Grandpa…” Gu Chenzhou just said two words and was interrupted by Old Master Gu.

“Don’t play dumb,” Old Master Gu said, “Tell me properly what’s going on. Why do you want that kid Junda to enter the capital?”

The Zheng family was an old subordinate of the Gu family. Old Master Gu had met Zheng Junda once or twice when he was young. When Zheng Junda just entered officialdom, Old Master Gu also helped him. But later, the Gu and Zheng families married, and Zheng Junda went out to be an official. After a few years, they never met again.

Gu Chenzhou raised his hand and pinched the brim of the straw hat: “Someone is secretly supporting Zhang Teng to fight against Secretary Zheng. At this sensitive time, even if it is not to deal with the Gu family, it is dealing with the Gu family.”

Old Master Gu accepted this explanation: “Let him enter the capital?”

“Grandpa, it’s not me who let him enter the capital, it’s he himself who wants to enter the capital.” Gu Chenzhou said lightly, “Secretary Zheng was defeated by a mayor who is about to retire. Where else can he go besides entering the capital to find connections? If the person supporting Zhang Teng is to deal with the Gu family, the reason for focusing on Secretary Zheng, besides letting Secretary Zheng disrupt the Organization Minister’s backyard with his identity, what else is there? —Could it be because Secretary Zheng of Jiangzhi City has high status and power?”

Old Master Gu held the fishing rod for a long time and sighed slightly: “Xiao Zhou, for a family like ours, we can’t have trouble at home.”

“Grandpa, I swear to you, I haven’t touched a finger of Secretary Zheng.” Gu Chenzhou said, “He thinks I moved him…” He raised his head and saw the bright fireball sprinkling thousands of rays of light on the horizon along the brim of the straw hat, “Half is induced by the people supporting Zhang Teng, and half,” he narrowed his eyes and sneered slightly, “probably because he has a guilty conscience.”

Another oppressive silence.

“Come in,” Old Master Gu said suddenly, “You came late. Xinjun is already fifty-eight this year. If it drags on, the Gu family will have a gap.”

Gu Chenzhou was silent for a while and whispered: “Wait a bit longer, Grandpa. After the general election, I want to take a good look at this general election…”

That evening, after work, Zheng Yuelin drove to Beijing High School personally to pick up Gu Zhengjia from school.

Walking out of school with his classmates, Gu Zhengjia was shocked to see Zheng Yuelin’s car: “Mom, why are you here?”

“Take you to Grandpa’s house for dinner.” Zheng Yuelin said simply, nodded to the male classmate standing next to Gu Zhengjia, and after Gu Zhengjia said goodbye to the other party, opened the passenger door for Gu Zhengjia to get in.

“Why suddenly go to Grandpa’s house for dinner?” Gu Zhengjia asked strangely. Zheng Yuelin always planned things. Usually, if she changed plans temporarily, she would notify him in advance to let him prepare, “Didn’t even tell me first.”

“Your eldest uncle is back.” Zheng Yuelin answered, pressing the car radio to listen to the news.

Gu Zhengjia then realized that his mother was not in a good mood. He carefully glanced at Zheng Yuelin in the driver’s seat and honestly closed his mouth to listen to the broadcast.

When the car arrived at the Zheng family, it was just dinner time.

Zheng Junda’s sudden arrival obviously made Father Zheng and Mother Zheng extremely happy. A table full of dishes was set, and a bottle of Maotai was opened, with wine poured into the cups.

Walking into the house, Zheng Yuelin finally showed a smile. After greeting her parents with Gu Zhengjia, they sat at the table together. The meal was eaten with talking and laughing.

After the meal, Gu Zhengjia and Zheng Junda watched the news in the living room together. Zheng Yuelin helped her mother clear the table. After putting the dishes and chopsticks into the kitchen, Mother Zheng pushed Zheng Yuelin: “Don’t be busy, go to your father’s study. Your father has something to say to you.”

Zheng Yuelin shook her head with a cold expression and took the gloves from her mother’s hand: “Let me do it. What is so urgent that can’t even wait for these ten minutes?”

“What are you saying, child!” Mother Zheng scolded in a low voice, “One is your father, and the other is your brother. If they want to talk, you just listen. If it doesn’t work, just let it out of the other ear, right?”

“If I didn’t listen, I wouldn’t have brought Zhengjia back!” Zheng Yuelin said, paused, and said again, “Every time I bring Zhengjia to see Big Brother, what does Big Brother do? In his words, he beats around the bush to make Zhengjia please his father and then oppose his big brother! What does he want to do? Even if he doesn’t like Chenzhou, how can he lead Zhengjia like this? How old was Zhengjia at that time? Four or five years old? —Even if he got his wish, and Chenzhou really doesn’t come back and doesn’t enter politics, there are still so many children surnamed Gu in the Gu family waiting to be promoted. Can resources tilt towards him a few more points?”

“Keep your voice down!” Mother Zheng patted Zheng Yuelin lightly in blame, “Your big brother is a heart disease. If the eldest son of the Gu family hadn’t made a fuss that time, your big brother would have been promoted smoothly. Now how could he only have the position of a prefecture-level secretary?”

“That was Xinjun’s decision!” Zheng Yuelin sneered, “He has been an official for so many years, does he still think this is playing house? How old was Chenzhou at that time? Xinjun changed his decision just because he made a fuss at home? —He didn’t help at that time because he didn’t have the qualifications and ability! Yes, with the Gu family’s ability, if they really wanted to fight for that position, they could get it. If they fought for it at that time, Big Brother would indeed be more than a prefecture-level secretary now. But why? He is the Organization Minister’s brother-in-law, not the Organization Minister’s own brother! And this wife is the second one!”

In front of her mother, Zheng Yuelin’s anger almost materialized.

Father Zheng might love his son more, but Mother Zheng favored her daughter. In her heart, there was no reason for a married daughter to always help her maiden family—and a prefecture-level secretary was indeed not bad to say, right?

She sighed: “I said, you shouldn’t have married into the Gu family back then. The Gu family’s position is high, but you are the second wife, and there is such a big son in front… What kind of life is this? Even for a good friend, you can’t sacrifice your whole life.”

For more than ten years, every time she heard this name, Zheng Yuelin felt she couldn’t continue.

At this time, she was not in the mood to grab the dishwashing with her mother. She pressed her forehead, and it took a long time before she spoke, skipping this topic: “…Forget it, I’ll go to Dad’s side. Anyway, I have to say it sooner or later.”

Seeing her daughter like this, Mother Zheng had no choice. It was not good to say more, so she could only say: “Go, I can handle this.”

Zheng Yuelin turned and went to the study. When she came out of the kitchen and passed the living room, she glanced at the sofa and saw Zheng Junda saying something to Gu Zhengjia. Gu Zhengjia’s face was a bit bitter, nodding to the other party from time to time…

Zheng Yuelin didn’t look again, knocked on the door and entered the study.

“Dad, what do you want me for?”

An hour later, Zheng Yuelin came out of the study and left with Gu Zhengjia, who was sitting on the sofa pressing programs.

After they left, Zheng Junda walked into the study. When he came out a few minutes later, his expression already carried some obvious coldness.

“Mom,” sitting in the car going home, Gu Zhengjia spoke, “Big Uncle came back this time, seems more…”

“Hates your big brother?” Zheng Yuelin asked coldly while driving.

Gu Zhengjia responded vaguely: “Big Uncle seems quite angry. Why did he come back from outside suddenly?”

“Work is not going well.” Zheng Yuelin said, “He thinks it was your big brother who did it.”

Gu Zhengjia was surprised: “No way?”

“I also hope not.” Facing her son, Zheng Yuelin finally revealed a little of her heart—she felt that Gu Chenzhou wouldn’t do this, but how much did she know about Gu Chenzhou? This matter… Is it that Zheng Junda himself can’t beat others, or is someone really doing something behind the scenes?

“I’ll talk to your father later,” Zheng Yuelin whispered holding the steering wheel. Gu Zhengjia had grown up, and she no longer deliberately avoided him when making decisions, “See what your big uncle’s matter is, and then talk.”

“En.” Gu Zhengjia said.

Returning to Tianrui Garden that night, Zheng Yuelin told Gu Xinjun about the matter, and Gu Xinjun nodded to show he knew.

But the matter didn’t end here. Two days later, Zheng Yuelin was wearing a judge’s robe and was about to go to court when she received a call from Gu Xinjun. Through the long signal transmission, Gu Xinjun’s voice was a bit low and cold:

“Yuelin, your big brother has a lot of moves. It seems he doesn’t need me, a small Organization Minister.”

Zheng Yuelin was slightly stunned: “What?”

Gu Xinjun said again: “The person behind Zhang Teng is not Chenzhou. I’m not so incompetent that I can’t even discover whether my son has made a move. Chenzhou did reach out to Jiangzhi, but not against your big brother. He is so sure that it was Chenzhou who reached out, is he still remembering what happened back then? —It was my, Gu’s, own decision not to let him go up back then! No matter how incompetent I, Gu, am, I won’t be pinched by my son to do things.”

Zheng Yuelin’s lips twitched. The assistant next to her whispered to remind her that the court was about to open. She waved her hand and said to the phone: “I know. Talk when I go back tonight. I’m going to court.”

The other end of the phone responded faintly and then hung up.

Zheng Yuelin stood in place and took a few deep breaths, threw all the chaotic emotions behind her, and strode towards the court with a cold face.

In two days, from Gu Chenzhou to Gu Zhengjia and then to Gu Xinjun, Zheng Yuelin annoyedly found that almost everyone surnamed Gu around her had been offended by Zheng Junda.

But annoyance was annoyance. Her big brother was still her big brother after all. With the same blood and feelings from childhood, Zheng Yuelin couldn’t do nothing.

And once decided to do something, this female judge of the High Court was always extremely vigorous and resolute.

She found time, drove to the cemetery, came to Shen Rou’s tombstone, chattered for a long time, made up her mind and drove to the Shen residence.

Fully sixteen years.

Sixteen years ago, she was another young lady here. Sixteen years later, the maid who opened the door bowed to her:

“Hello, you are…?”

“My surname is Zheng.” Returning here suddenly, Zheng Yuelin had a very brief trance, “I came to see Old Master Shen. Please tell him Zheng Yuelin came to apologize.”

“Please wait.” The maid said politely, turned back and reported inside through the phone.

A moment later, James came out to welcome her personally: “Mrs. Gu, Sir is waiting for you upstairs.”

Zheng Yuelin smiled. Her steps walking inside were a bit unsteady at first, but after a few steps, the collision sound of high heels on the ground returned to the usual crispness and brevity.

Old Master Shen was still sitting in his spacious and bright study.

When Zheng Yuelin was led to the study by James, her expression showed a slight melancholy due to past memories.

“Please sit, Mrs. Gu.” James said from the side.

Zheng Yuelin sat down as told: “Shen…” The two syllables of Uncle rolled in her throat, “…Old Master…”

Old Master Shen smiled faintly: “It seems I am too old, you can’t even call me Uncle.”

Zheng Yuelin’s tense expression relaxed a bit, but her smile was still a bit forced: “Uncle, you are joking…” She said so, but seeing the layers of wrinkles on the old man’s face, her heart soured and her voice lowered, “Xiaorou has been gone for so many years. I am also old. Chenzhou and the Zheng family have grown up.”

A very long silence.

“Yes, Xiaorou has been gone for so many years…” Old Master Shen said, “While sending away a biological daughter, I lost another goddaughter.”

“Uncle,” Zheng Yuelin’s voice was a bit choked, “I really don’t know how to face you. Xiaorou and I were best friends, but when she needed me most, I stayed abroad. Later, I finally came back, but let Xiaorou know about the student days, making her think that I didn’t marry for so many years because I still missed Xinjun… I dare not come over. Every time I think of this place in my dreams, I feel that Xiaorou is still by my side… She holds my hand and calls me sister, and blames me for going abroad, saying I don’t come back, saying I don’t tell her anything…” Speaking of this, she finally couldn’t help it, her eyes turned red, and she reached out to cover her mouth.

No one spoke.

The dying old man leaned on the back of the chair. The wrinkles on his face crisscrossed like ditches, each emitting an aura of decay: “You are not wrong. Xiaorou kept it from me, but I knew she was dying long ago. She held on for Chenzhou and me, this old man.”

Zheng Yuelin lowered her head for a long time. When she raised it again, she had calmed down except for her slightly red eyes: “Uncle, my big brother has some misunderstanding with Chenzhou recently. It’s probably impossible for them to sit down, but the general election is approaching recently… So I think it would be better for me to come over.”

This was what she thought when she came here. But here, besides this matter, she wanted to do something else:

“Uncle, besides this, I also want to go to Xiaorou’s room to have a look. I miss her a bit.”

“Go.” Old Master Shen waved his hand, “Xiaorou’s room has not been moved except for letting servants clean it regularly and Chenzhou occasionally sitting there.”

Zheng Yuelin responded in a low voice, followed James out of the study, and walked to Shen Rou’s bedroom on the same floor.

The youngest and only daughter, born with difficult labor, entered the hospital every now and then at a young age.

Back then, Old Master Shen almost spoiled this daughter, afraid she would melt in his mouth and break in his hand. Her room was arranged by him personally, her clothes were chosen by him, her enlightenment was taught by him hand in hand, and her growth was like a small tail stepping on his big footsteps…

“Xiaorou…” The old man’s lips trembled, “Daughter…”

Shen Rou’s bedroom was like a little princess’s room.

Pure white and pink, lace and dolls, jewelry and cosmetics on the dressing table were placed randomly. A big Snoopy sat crookedly on the chaise longue, with a long white scarf tied around its neck. One corner of the scarf was stepped under its feet. It seemed that it was about to walk down, but was tripped by the scarf on its body…

Zheng Yuelin took a long breath.

With some remembrance and more sadness, she walked to the dressing table in the room.

In the days when they interacted, they would eat together, go to school together, and roll around on a bed together… Then she sat at the desk reciting texts, and she sat at the dressing table fiddling with some small things, or happily arranging dolls and putting makeup on life-size dolls, or writing some diary moods here casually.

At that time, she also gave her a thick big notebook…

That notebook was lying quietly in the drawer of the dressing table.

The nostalgia in Zheng Yuelin’s eyes became heavier and heavier. She reached out and stroked the gilded cover and yellowed inner pages of the notebook, and fiddled with the watch with exhausted battery and clips worth a few yuan in the drawer.

Those years were really beautiful.

Everything they had was in duplicate.

Xiaorou would laugh and follow her to eat in the cafeteria, wear cheap clothes and clip plastic clips.

She also tried hard to save money to buy a beautiful notebook for her or occasionally take her to eat expensive and delicious food.

But how did it end up like this?

Thinking of the words Shen Rou said at the end, Zheng Yuelin began to feel cold from her heart.

Xiaorou said Yuelin sorry, I didn’t know you liked Gu Xinjun in college. If I knew, I wouldn’t have married him no matter what.

Xiaorou said Yuelin you marry him, I hope you can be happy.

Xiaorou said Yuelin you help me take care of Xiaozhou, I believe you, I really can’t make it.

Xiaorou said Yuelin, I have missed you all these years, but you never come back to see me…

Xiaorou said a lot. But until now, Zheng Yuelin still didn’t understand why Shen Rou suddenly discovered this matter after so many years.

The first love in college faded a year after she went abroad. At that time, she was studying for a master’s and doctoral degree abroad, and had long forgotten Gu Xinjun in the dust of the corner. The reason why she hurried back was not for any Gu Xinjun at all, but because the bad news about Shen Rou finally reached abroad, reached her ears…

But she didn’t expect that her act of returning actually made Xiaorou’s illness worse…

Zheng Yuelin sat in a daze for a long time before opening the notebook she gave to Shen Rou.

The yellowed pages hadn’t been turned for a long time, and a lot of dust fell between the gaps. She flipped slowly, looking at the familiar handwriting between the lines, laughing with the owner of the notebook, crying with her, frowning and gritting teeth with her, rejoicing… until she turned to the last page with words in this old notebook.

This was a page full of wrinkles. It seemed to have been baptized by countless water droplets from beginning to end, and the pale blue handwriting on it also had many blurred alterations.

Zheng Yuelin’s fingertips were still stroking the corner of this paper. Her gaze fell on the middle of the notebook, and the expression of the previous moment froze on her face.

I don’t know what to do. Big Brother Zheng told me that Yuelin liked Xinjun in college. The reason why she went abroad was because she couldn’t accept me and Xinjun together