Clasping Su Hai’s hand in a brotherly grip, he munched on peanuts and said, "Lil’ bro, are you going back tomorrow?"
"Not going back!" On the chilly day, Su Hai held up a cup of warmed, aged Huadiao wine and slowly savored it. They were dining in a small county town restaurant, and as darkness fell early, theirs was the only table occupied. Su Hai sat facing the door, his mind preoccupied with the events that had occurred at the Qin family during the day.
Second Aunt Qin’s gaze kept flashing through his mind, her slitted eyes slightly narrowed, appearing all the more dangerous.
"You’re welcome to stay a few more days!"
"Thank you, you’ve all been through a lot of trouble this time," Su Hai raised his glass in a toast to the office director.
"By the way, how’s the old leader’s health?" The office director had kept Mr. Sheng in his thoughts all these years after Su Hai’s departure.
"Not good!" Su Hai shook his head. "The old man has had big emotional swings searching for his grandson, and this time, it’s really taken a toll on his heart." As he spoke of Mr. Sheng, his mouth tightened.
In the evening, he had called home from the guesthouse. He got an earful from Mr. Sheng, but that was secondary. What Mr. Sheng said on the phone was truly shocking and even more intriguing to him.
He had not expected the bracelet to have always been with Sheng Ning; there couldn’t be so many coincidences in the world. Resembling each other in looks and temperament could be considered coincidental, but beyond that, even having the same token of the past with Sheng Ning, even he couldn’t help but suspect.
What he found intriguing yet amusing was that the girl flatly denied it.
Su Hai stroked his chin thoughtfully, considering Sheng Ning’s behavior in front of him. He now not only doubted that Sheng Ning was his niece but also suspected that she might have known about her own origins all along. Otherwise, why would she always seem inexplicably guarded and tense whenever she saw him?
Ah, it’s really not pleasant to be distrusted and disliked by your own dear niece.
"Didn’t they find the person? The old man should be happy, right?" The office director had drunk a bit too much.
"They found someone, but it’s not necessarily the real thing!"
The office director put down his glass and asked with wide eyes, "Do you suspect Qin Youde is lying?"
At that, Su Hai looked up, surprised. "You think so too?" If he wasn’t the only one with this suspicion, things were about to get interesting.
Whoever dared to play games with him, he would make sure they paid the price.
"Let me tell you, Second Aunt Qin doesn’t have a good reputation around the ten miles and eight villages. But her daughter has a pretty good reputation! Much better than that Sheng Laosan’s girl!"
Su Hai’s eyes lit up, "Oh! What’s wrong with Sheng Laosan’s girl?"
"Ah, it’s a sad story. Her mom ran off with someone else since she was little. You know the countryside, they’re simple-minded. They say, ’Like mother, like daughter,’ and that she’s no good either..." The office director couldn’t bring himself to say the unsavory words, so he simply clinked glasses with Su Hai. "Let’s not talk about it, let’s just drink."
Though the office director’s words were casual, they provided Su Hai with the clue he had been desperately seeking.
It was as if the fog that had blinded him was suddenly lifted.
"Keep talking, make it clear to me," Su Hai said, pushing his glass to the side, his expression serious.
"Let me think!" Seeing Su Hai so earnest, the office director didn’t dare to speak carelessly and after thinking carefully he said, "I heard that the Sheng family girl was born to an ’educated youth,’ and not long after giving birth, she ran off with a man from the city."
"Educated youth? She ran off with a man from the city?" Su Hai enunciated each word, his expression growing grimmer as he spoke.