These days, Old Wang had all along been looking for the girlfriend of Zhao Chengshan as rumored. After more than half a month, he finally inquired a bit of news. Someone told him that Zhao Chengshan’s girlfriend was a person from Mingcheng.
This made Old Wang somewhat surprised, because according to his data, Zhao Chengshan and his girlfriend had already been together back when he was still studying at university in Licheng. He originally thought they had gotten to know each other in Zhao Chengshan’s hometown.
When Old Wang arrived at Licheng, he contacted Chang Shang. Chang Shang, upon hearing, directly drove over to pick him up.
Old Wang and Chang Shang also had not seen each other for a month. This time when Chang Shang saw him, he very politely called him once: “Uncle Wang.” Old Wang looked at him with surprise: “Did I see a ghost?”
Chang Shang: “……”
Old Wang got in the car and just chattered on, telling Chang Shang the investigation results from this period: “Zhao Chengshan’s girlfriend is called Jiang Zhenzhen. After finding out she is a person from Mingcheng, the follow-up investigation became much easier.”
“Jiang Zhenzhen was from the university next door to Zhao Chengshan’s at that time. The two got to know each other at the school anniversary celebration. Zhao Chengshan’s appearance was not bad. Although his family was a bit poor, he was honest and also knew how to cherish people, so that girl was together with him.”
“The two people were together for many years, only until Zhao Chengshan became ill did they separate. The old man said that girl was because Zhao Chengshan became ill that she broke up with him. I don’t think it looks like that. These years Zhao Chengshan, although earned quite a bit of money, the majority was given to the family. He himself didn’t have much money on him. That girl wasn’t also still following along with him to get by.”
Speaking of which, Old Wang also somewhat sighed with emotion: “This person Zhao Chengshan, his fate is not good.”
Upon hearing this, Chang Shang instead became somewhat silent.
Fate not good, his aunt and uncle-in-law, how were they not also fate not good? And that year Wen Xian was not yet of age, just had to face the outcome of family destroyed and people perished.
No one has it easy. Fate not good is not an excuse.
Following the address provided by Old Wang, Chang Shang drove the car to an old residential building in front. Old Wang leaned his head out to take a look: “It’s this one, get off the car and go take a look. Are you going?”
Chang Shang took down the car key, nodded: “I’ll go up together with you.”
The old residential building did not have an elevator. The hallway was narrow and dim, but looked very clean. Old Wang walked in front of Chang Shang. Until the fourth floor, Old Wang then stopped his steps. He looked left and right at the door numbers.
Old Wang’s line of sight paused for a moment on the door number on the right side. Right after, he stepped forward and lightly knocked on the door. Today was the weekend. Barring any accident, there should be someone at home.
Not long after, from behind the door came a bit of movement, as if someone looked outside through the peephole.
Old Wang pulled Chang Shang back a little, so as not to scare the person.
After a moment, the security door was pushed open. A woman around thirty-five years old stuck her head out to look at them. She had dyed brown hair, facial features thin and sharp, a pair of eyes black and white distinct, on her pale and slender hands was applied dark red nail polish, her nails not very long.
The wariness in her eyes was very obvious. Her voice not too loud nor too light: “Who are you looking for?”
Old Wang hesitated for a moment. Just as he was about to speak, from inside the house came the sound of a child’s voice. Not long after, a little girl with braided hair came running da da da to Jiang Zhenzhen’s leg. She hugged Jiang Zhenzhen’s leg and milkily said: “Mama, mama!”
The little girl also opened her grape-like pretty eyes to look at them once, then hid behind the woman.
Old Wang was stunned for a while. He did not expect that Jiang Zhenzhen even had a child. At this, after a moment of silence, he directly said: “Are you Jiang Zhenzhen? Today we came to ask you about the matter of Zhao Chengshan.”
Upon hearing the name Zhao Chengshan, Jiang Zhenzhen’s expression immediately changed. She coldly said: “You’ve got the wrong person. I’m not Jiang Zhenzhen.”
As she spoke, Jiang Zhenzhen was about to close the door. But Old Wang raised his hand to block the door. He said in a deep voice: “Jiang Zhenzhen, we didn’t come for money. We only came for Zhao Chengshan’s illness from back then.”
Jiang Zhenzhen’s movements paused, she looked at Old Wang with shock and suspicion, the matter of Zhao Chengshan being ill back then not many people knew, apart from his family members and the people on that side, only she knew.
But the people on that side could not possibly reveal Zhao Chengshan’s illness, she probingly asked: “You people are what kind of people?”
Old Wang glanced at Chang Shang: “I am Shanzi’s friend in Jicheng, these years I’ve all along not been in Jicheng, this time returning to my hometown to look for Shanzi, heard this matter from the old man, hearing the old man mention you I then wanted to come ask about Shanzi’s matter back then. This is my nephew, studying at university in Licheng, he brought me here.”
Jiang Zhenzhen once again carefully sized up Chang Shang. Her eyes were very shrewd. Because of her occupation, she could tell at a glance that Chang Shang’s family situation was not bad. Only then did she slightly put down her suspicion.
She opened the door, then picked up the little girl: “You all come in, no need to change shoes.”
After Old Wang and Chang Shang entered, Jiang Zhenzhen poured them a glass of water, then sent the child over to the neighbor’s house across before returning. She did not close the door, as long as one shouted outside, it could be heard.
This was a woman with very strong vigilance.
Jiang Zhenzhen sat down opposite them. She seemed somewhat anxious, all along unconsciously picking at her fingernails, and her gaze kept drifting towards a certain place.
Old Wang without leaving a trace glanced once at her small actions. He asked: “Miss Jiang, that child I looked at her a bit like Shanzi, how old is this little girl?”
Jiang Zhenzhen was silent for a moment: “The matters regarding Zhao Chengshan, there’s not much I can say, but this child has nothing to do with him, this is my child. Thinking you all being able to find here wasn’t easy, I will as much as possible say what I know.”
These years Jiang Zhenzhen would basically change houses almost every half a year. The reason, apart from her and Zhao Chengshan’s daughter, there was also the sum of money Zhao Chengshan left her before his death.
The card Zhao Chengshan left for her, before his accident, he had once transferred a sum of money. But after Zhao Chengshan passed away, that card again had an additional sum of money, the amount so enormous that it made her panic and feel unsettled.
The money Zhao Chengshan’s family got was Wen family’s compensation money, but her money was not.
This money, Jiang Zhenzhen did not dare to touch even one cent. She knew this money was from those people, this money carried human lives, she could not touch it.
Old Wang swept a glance over Jiang Zhenzhen’s home environment.
She was very frugal. Her phone was still a model from two years ago. The cloth on the sofa was also patched and mended, used for many years. The living room looked like the only expensive thing was the little girl’s toys.
And her dress-up was also due to work needs. He knew Jiang Zhenzhen worked as a receptionist in a company. He had found her workplace to then find Jiang Zhenzhen.
Old Wang raised his hand to rub the back of his head: “Why did Shanzi back then not go for treatment?”
Jiang Zhenzhen curled her lips into a smile. Her gaze carried some desolation: “This person Chengshan, living his whole life never did a bad thing. He worked diligently, conscientious and responsible, the money he earned supported his adoptive father and mother, leaving to his family not even half.”
“He had always been frugal, yet towards me very generous. Those years he all along was saving money, just about to have saved enough for a down payment, then he got sick. It’s not that he didn’t want to treat it, it was untreatable.”
Jiang Zhenzhen’s eyes turned slightly red: “He originally could have lived a few more months.”
Then he could have known he was about to have a child, maybe then he wouldn’t have given up.
But by that time everything was already too late.
Old Wang let Jiang Zhenzhen ease her mood a bit, then he asked the most critical question: “I heard Shanzi’s illness was found out during a physical examination, then how could he continue working?”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhenzhen’s expression stiffened for a moment. Her face turned pale as she shook her head: “It wasn’t found out during the physical examination, only a few days before take-off, he wanted to finish the last trip then go resign.”
“He just didn’t have time to say it, by the time of the physical examination, he had already lost his job long ago.”
Old Wang did not continue asking. Things up to here were already very clear.
Zhao Chengshan, after knowing he was seriously ill, took other people’s money to handle a matter. This money was exchanged for the lives of an entire airplane full of people.
Jiang Zhenzhen already did not want to speak again. She was terribly afraid others would know about Zhao Chengshan’s physical examination report matter.
When Zhao Chengshan found out he was ill, he was still holding onto hope, but the words of his adoptive parents became the last straw that crushed him.
When his adoptive parents learned that he was ill, their first reaction unexpectedly was to ask him what to do in the future about his younger brother’s marriage and buying a house, to ask him how much money he still had left.
At that moment, Zhao Chengshan’s heart died.
On that day, he considered himself already dead, yet he still did something that would lead to eternal damnation.
The last time Jiang Zhenzhen saw Zhao Chengshan was on an evening. He rarely came home to eat, and he handed all the cards on him over to her, but he specially instructed that the money in one of the cards absolutely must not let his adoptive parents know about it.
At first, Jiang Zhenzhen only felt it was strange, until she saw the news.
Jiang Zhenzhen again recalled that day, the hug Zhao Chengshan gave her. He held her without speaking for a long time, until the sunset gradually sank down, only then did he say in a hoarse voice: “These years, you’ve suffered following me. From now on…”
He did not continue speaking.
Jiang Zhenzhen still wanted to persuade him to go for treatment, but he left.
She finally understood what he had left unsaid.
After Old Wang and Chang Shang left, her daughter came running back home hugging her doll. The little girl raised her tender little face and asked her: “Mama, why are you crying? Mama don’t cry.”
Jiang Zhenzhen wiped away her tears, then tightly hugged her daughter.
…
One week later, Wen Xian was preparing to follow along with Shen Lingge to go stay in Mingcheng for a few days. Shen Lingge had asked for leave on her behalf. As for the art studio over there, she could no longer go attend class. Wen Xian still felt a bit reluctant about her deskmate.
Wen Xian held in one hand three leashes—Qiuqiu, Wen Xianxian, and Zanzan, these three little things she could not bear to leave even one behind, so she simply packed them all up and brought them along.
Shen Lingge wanted to help her hold them but she was unwilling.
Wen Xian raised her chin: “Me holding them looks so cool!”
Shen Lingge: “……”
In front of the car, Song Mingxi smiled as she waved at Wen Xian: “Xian Xian, sit together with Mama. These few little guys give them to Lingge.”
Wen Xian crisply answered, right after stuffed the leashes into Shen Lingge’s hand. She lightly hummed: “Alright then, since you want to hold them so much, then I’ll let you hold them.”
After stuffing them over, she ran off in small steps to go find Song Mingxi.
Shen Lingge was helpless: “…Run slower.”
These days of getting along, Wen Xian had grown much closer to Song Mingxi. This little girl often stuck together with Song Mingxi, the two gathering together whispering about who knows what.
No one knew what they were talking about, but the little girl leaned against Song Mingxi’s body with her brows and eyes curved, laughing for a while.
After getting in the car, he quietly watched for a while the two women beside him, the corners of his lips carried a faint trace of a smile.
Just like this now, was already very good.
Only hoping that from now on, it could always be as today, the people he loved all by his side.