enjoyebooks Chapter 361: Unforgettable Memories
Chapter 361: Unforgettable Memories
After listening to Dai Hong’Er’s explanation, Zheng Xiang’s widow understood Chen Xiao’s identity.
"My husband has been gone for fifteen years. I never thought after so long there would still be police coming to ask about the welfare institution."
The old lady sighed, and Chen Xiao followed her words, saying:
"Grandma, actually it’s not about Dean Zheng, but rather about a matter of adoption by an overseas Chinese businessman back then."
Upon hearing this, the old lady thought for a moment and exclaimed:
"That girl, I remember!"
Chen Xiao felt that his trip to Xiuzhou was indeed quite lucky.
First, Wu Guansheng remembered Boss Qiu.
Now, Zheng Xiang’s widow remembers Qiu Tingfang!
It seems that contacting Lin Xi before doing something important was the right decision!
"Grandma, could you tell me about that girl?" Chen Xiao didn’t specifically ask any questions but let the old lady speak on her own.
The old lady nodded and began to speak while reminiscing:
"If I remember correctly, that girl’s surname is Qiu, right? It was my Old Zheng who encountered her on the street."
"The first time he saw that girl, Old Zheng said he spotted her outside a bun shop. At that time, the girl stole a few buns when the owner wasn’t paying attention and ran, but she didn’t get far before being caught."
"Old Zheng didn’t have a good impression of her back then, but later he encountered her again. The second time they met, Old Zheng began to suspect that the girl might be an orphan. How could she wander the streets often if she had parents, right?"
"Old Zheng followed her, and at that time, she somehow got a few pieces of cake. As she walked, she was drooling, but Old Zheng said that when she saw an elderly beggar on the road, she still shared half of her cake with him."
"That time, Old Zheng’s perception of her changed a lot. The last encounter was on a day of heavy rain. Old Zheng was originally out to buy groceries. While walking on the road, he saw her alone in the rain."
"She walked while crying. At that moment, Old Zheng felt heartbroken, so he called out to her. Then he asked her some questions to confirm that she had been unable to find her parents for a long time, and so he brought her to the welfare institution."
The old lady detailed the process of how Qiu Tingfang entered the welfare institution.
This process was quite thorough.
However, it didn’t contain what Chen Xiao was hoping to hear.
"Grandma, your memory is so good; you still remember things from so long ago," Chen Xiao praised her.
The old lady shook her head, "Although I didn’t work in the welfare institution, I often visited it back then, and Old Zheng would often talk to me about what happened there."
"I see. Do you have any memory of Qiu Tingfang’s adoption?"
"Of course, I do!" The old lady seemed to remember even more vividly than before, and as Chen Xiao listened intently, she continued to recount:
"Even back then, just like now, it was always more challenging to get girls adopted than boys from the welfare institution!"
"The overseas Chinese business couple who came to adopt, they had such a good family background! All the children in the welfare institution lined up for them to choose. Old Zheng even said that being chosen was like a chance to change one’s fate!"
"But no one expected that in the end, they would choose a girl. Of course, it was also because the girl was smart and knew when to show her strengths."
"It was pouring rain that day, and everyone had umbrellas. Old Zheng was taking the overseas Chinese couple around the welfare institution, but the overseas Chinese wife’s skirt kept brushing against the steps."
"So, that little girl didn’t care about the rain and lifted her skirt for her. Just that one action left such an impression on the overseas Chinese wife that she asked for the girl’s name."
"It turned out, what a coincidence! She and the overseas Chinese shared the same surname Qiu! And so, a bond was serendipitously formed."
The old lady’s memory was indeed excellent.
She almost completely reconstructed what had happened back then.
Yet Chen Xiao already knew about this matter.
And from the old lady’s account, it was apparent this matched what Pan Huiping knew quite well.
Of course, Chen Xiao hadn’t asked the most critical question yet.
That was about Zheng Xiang’s death.
This question wasn’t easy to ask and required a good opportunity to do so.
Perhaps because the old lady was aging and had reminisced about so much, she started feeling tired.
Dai Hong’Er noticed this, so she signaled to Chen Xiao to talk aside.
Understanding, Chen Xiao walked over to the side.
Dai Hong’Er: "Mr. Chen, you must be here for more than just these questions, right?"
"Miss Dai, you have sharp eyes. You found out already."
"Mr. Chen, there’s no need to say such things in front of me. I feel like you have something you’re hesitant to discuss. If it’s hard for you, I can ask for you."
Dai Hong’Er’s identity is indeed more suitable for communicating with the Zheng family.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Xiao revealed all his questions.
Upon hearing, Dai Hong’Er widened her eyes: "You suspect that Grandpa Zheng’s death wasn’t just a simple illness?"
"It’s just a speculation, and it’s purely speculative without any basis. Of course, if there really was something suspicious about Dean Zheng Xiang’s death, then I believe there should be a truth even after so many years."
Dai Hong’Er, full of seriousness, pondered briefly before nodding:
"Alright, I will find an appropriate opportunity to ask for you all."
"Please do it as soon as possible. I might need to go back to Hai City."
"You’re going back to Hai City? Then let’s go together!"
"Sure."
They agreed, and Dai Hong’Er returned to the old lady’s side to say a few words before helping her to rest in her room.
Watching them leave, Liu Dayou asked, "Brother Chen, do you think Miss Dai will be able to ask for us?"
"Who knows, but her asking is certainly more suitable than us asking."
Liu Dayou nodded instinctively but still mumbled, "What a coincidence, Miss Dai is in Xiuzhou too."
Why Dai Hong’Er was in Xiuzhou was a question of curiosity for Chen Xiao.
However, when he heard that Dai Hong’Er was going to Hai City, he guessed a little.
Dai Hong’Er was likely in Hai City to attract investment.
Because they had met before, and during that meeting, Chen Xiao had straightforwardly mentioned.
Regarding the three ventures Dai Hong’Er wanted to pursue, any one of them was a business that the Dai Family couldn’t handle alone.
So Dai Hong’Er appearing at the Zheng Family might just be a side trip to visit.
Her real purpose was to attract investments in Hai City!
However, since Dai Hong’Er hadn’t mentioned it, Chen Xiao wouldn’t ask more.
Compared to the Dai Family’s business, what interested Chen Xiao most was the situation concerning Zheng Xiang.
But before Dai Hong’Er could provide any information, Lin Xi’s call came through.
Upon answering, Chen Xiao heard Lin Xi on the other end saying proudly:
"Hubby, guess what I found out!"