After greeting Liu Yang again, Zhou Xuan told everyone to get in the car and return to the village.
The car was still parked at the village entrance. Zhou Xuan glanced at Village Chief Liu's house. The gate was tightly closed. He guessed that the whole family had gone out to look for rescue. Let him jump, let him panic. He'll pay for all the bad things he's done sooner or later!
After locking the car, the eight people returned home. Zhao Junjie was already back, and the paperwork had been completed unexpectedly quickly, according to him. The town didn't dare to delay at all, and directly assigned a specialist to handle it, completing the process with unprecedented speed. Of course, the town's secretary and mayor had subtly hinted to Zhao Junjie that they hoped Zhou Xuan's family could stay, and the town would provide them with some special treatment.
Zhou Xuan chuckled upon hearing Zhao Junjie's words, naturally understanding that the town and county officials wanted to keep him around simply to use him as a connection to Brother Hong behind him, not because they thought highly of him!
Zhou Xuan had made up his mind. He let Achang, Ade, Wei Xiaoqing, **, and Zhao Junjie rest in the main room, while he pulled Fu Ying and called his parents and siblings into the inner room.
Although Fu Ying was a little shy, she did not object and let Zhou Xuan take her hand, obediently following him into the inner room.
Zhou Cangsong and Jin Xiumei sat on the edge of the bed. Zhou Tao moved chairs for Zhou Xuan and Fu Ying to sit down, while Zhou Ying stood beside her mother.
Zhou Xuan coughed and then said, "Mom and Dad, sister-in-law, I've called you all together, let's call this a family meeting."
He glanced at his parents and siblings, and seeing that they had nothing to say, he continued, "After what happened with my brother, Mom and Dad, I won't hide it, but I'm even more eager to bring you here. You've worked hard your whole lives, that's enough, you should enjoy your retirement. I've also asked Junjie to get the migration certificate ready. Tomorrow, Mom and Dad, you'll come with me."
When their son Zhou Xuan returned, he found a beautiful daughter-in-law. It seemed that he had indeed made a fortune. No matter whether their children were rich or poor, they were always filial. Zhou Cangsong and his wife understood that perhaps life would be better in a big city, but there was always some fear—the fear of leaving the hometown where they had lived for most of their lives!
The incident yesterday did leave Zhou Cangsong feeling powerless and angry. Today, when his son brought up the topic of moving again, his opposition was not as forceful as it was yesterday, and he hesitated.
"How about this?" Seeing his parents hesitate, Zhou Xuan changed the subject, "Mom and Dad, if you're still unsure, I'll take you there for a few days first. If you think it's okay, then you can make a decision. If you really can't stay there, then I have nothing more to say, and I'll send you back. Is that alright?"
Zhou Cangsong's resolve softened somewhat at Zhou Xuan's words. He glanced at Jin Xiumei, the old woman also looking at him, thinking the same thing. Seeing this, Fu Ying quickly pressed her advantage, saying, "I think it would be good for you two elders to go and take a look. If you're not satisfied or don't like it, you can always come back!"
Zhou Cangsong pondered for a moment, then asked Zhou Tao and Zhou Ying, "Second brother, sister, what do you think?"
Zhou Tao and Zhou Ying are young people, and their desire to see the world is much stronger than that of older people. Moreover, they have just had an accident, and their older brother's ability puts their minds at ease. How could they not want to?
Seeing the eager and excited looks on the brother and sister's faces, Zhou Cangsong sighed and said, "Well, alright, let's go take a look. But then, Zhou Cangsong looked at Zhou Xuan and said, "Son, let me make this clear: if you go there and find nothing to do, and your burden is too heavy, your mother and I will come back and continue working on our cuttings."
“No problem!” Zhou Xuan readily agreed, chuckling as he said, “Mom and Dad, if you feel that staying there for a while is a burden on me, then come back.”
Zhou Xuan spoke frankly, partly because he was thinking about the future. His parents wouldn't see him as a burden, since he had enough ability and money to provide a good life for the family. He was also interested in investing in Zhang Laoda's antique shop, and could visit and chat whenever he wanted. After all, Zhang Laoda and his siblings would be there looking after things, so it was best if they felt bothered and couldn't let him go. He could simply tell his parents it was their investment, and they would take it seriously, just like with Chaziyuan—it was all their property, how could they possibly abandon it?
Another thing is to have Zhao Lao Er cut off his parents' escape route at home, and sell off the house, land, and orchard, so that they will have nowhere to go if they want to come back!
Although Zhou Xuan agreed, he couldn't help but laugh out loud when he thought about these things.
Zhou Cangsong asked, "Son, what are you laughing at?"
"It's nothing," Zhou Xuan replied, suppressing a laugh.
"There's something else," Zhou Cangsong asked, frowning. "I heard from the second brother that when you came back from Zhishang, you bought a broken stone lion from that kid from Liu Er's family at the intersection for eight hundred yuan?"
"That's right, the stone lion is still in the trunk of the car at the village entrance," Zhou Xuan nodded in response to his father.
"I'm not trying to criticize you, son, but you can't spend money like this," Zhou Cangsong said, unable to help but talk about his son after confirming the news. He had lived an honest life all his life, and his son had never been one to squander money, but this eight hundred yuan was indeed a waste of time.
"Dad," Zhou Xuan looked at his parents and siblings, smiled and leaned forward a little, then whispered, "Dad, do you still remember the old Taoist priest who used to live in that thatched hut behind the mountain?"
Jin Xiumei then interjected, "How could I not remember? The old Taoist priest was very strong. He would move that stone lion every day to practice his strength, but he didn't have any food. He would eat at the homes of many families in our village. Our family treated him like a long-term resident and fed him quite a lot. Didn't you like to practice your strength with him when you were little?"
Before Zhou Xuan could speak, his father, Zhou Cangsong, sighed and said, "That old Taoist priest... Ah, when I went to the county town on business in 2007, I saw many notices posted in the city seeking the remains of a deceased person. One of them featured the old Taoist priest. Later, I found out that he had died of natural causes at the South Gate bus station. He had no relatives or friends, and no one came to claim his body. Then the government cremated him, and the unclaimed ashes were all taken to a mass grave outside the city and buried. Nobody in the village knew about this, and I never mentioned it when I came back."
"Oh," Zhou Xuan exclaimed upon hearing the news of the old Taoist's death. A sudden sense of desolation washed over him. He had assumed the old Taoist was still wandering the martial world, but instead, he heard of his passing from his father!
He sighed, then said, "Dad, before I left, the old Taoist priest secretly told me that the stone lion's belly was hollow and filled with gold. I thought he was joking, so I didn't pay attention. Today, after coming down from the mountain, I saw the stone lion next to Liu Yang's little shop. I secretly looked under its belly and saw a trace of stitching, but you can't see it unless you look closely. The stone lion is old and heavy, and nobody wants it or pays attention to it. This has come to my advantage. Consider the eight hundred yuan as a care fee for Liu Yang!"
Zhou Xuan's words immediately stunned his parents, siblings, and Fu Ying!
Gold was a completely foreign thing to Zhou Cangsong and his wife, as well as Zhou Tao and Zhou Ying. They had only seen it in the gold shops in the county town, and they had heard that the village chief's daughter-in-law was wearing a gold chain around her neck, which was said to cost several thousand yuan. They would never buy a chain that was only slightly thicker than a fishing line.
Although unfamiliar with it, I know that gold is an extremely valuable thing!
Fu Ying understood. After hearing Zhou Xuan's explanation, she realized that he didn't actually intend to use the stone lion as a gatekeeper, but rather as an excuse. This made her understand why Zhou Xuan insisted on buying that dilapidated stone lion.
Zhou Cangsong paused for a moment, then his expression tightened, and he asked, "Is it true? Then, son, the stone lion is in the car, is it safe? Should I take turns with my second son to keep watch at night?"
Zhou Xuan smiled and shook his head, saying, "Dad, no need, don't worry. Nobody knows except our family. Think about it, that stone lion is old and heavy, even several grown men can't move it. Who would steal it? Besides, it's been there for so many years, the stone lion has been left outside Liu Yang's shop. If someone wanted to steal it, they would have done so long ago."
Zhou Cangsong still hesitated. Although it wasn't confirmed, his son had said there was gold inside, regardless of whether it was real or not. At this point, he wasn't as at ease as before.
It's good that everything has been laid bare. After dinner, Zhou Xuan's family started packing their luggage.
Fu Ying took this opportunity to ask Zhou Xuan, "Zhou Xuan, tell me, what exactly happened in Beijing after you returned to China?"
Zhou Xuan held Fu Ying's warm and soft hand and said with a smile, "Yingying, don't worry, I have nothing to do with Xiaoqing. I met her uncle in Chongkou by chance. It was during a private antique transaction that I met him. And because of that opportunity, I made a fortune and found a six-sided gold mesh stone. Qingqin's uncle later helped me sell it in Hong Kong for 30 million US dollars. After I broke up with you in New York, I happened to run into Xiaoqing's uncle at the airport. He stopped me, and then I went to Beijing with him and bought a villa there. That's how it is!"
As Zhou Xuan spoke, he added, "Yingying, I saw you at the entrance of the New York airport that day."
Fu Ying was stunned, then her eyes instantly reddened. She flung Zhou Xuan's hand away and said, "You saw me but didn't see me? Do you know how much my heart ached then?"
I was in a rush today and posted a separate chapter asking for monthly votes. I didn't expect you brothers and sisters to be so supportive. In just one or two hours, the number of monthly votes I received was almost the total for the previous ten days. I'm so touched! Thank you all!
Volume 1, Chapter 83: Returning to the Capital
It had only just turned white. Zhou Cangsong then called his two sons to go to the village entrance to look at the stone-like peak.
When Zhou Xuan arrived, he asked Achang for the car keys. After opening the trunk, he found the stone lion lying there unharmed, and Zhou Cangsong breathed a long sigh of relief.
Zhou Xuan noticed that he had dark circles under his eyes, clearly indicating that he hadn't slept well all night. She regretted telling him about it first last night, as it had caused her to worry and not sleep well all night!
After locking the car and returning home, Zhou Ying had already prepared breakfast for her mother. After a simple meal, Achang, Ade, Zhou Xuan, Zhou Tao, Zhao Junjie, and others helped carry the luggage to the village entrance and load it into the car.
Zhou Cangsong and Jin Xiumei, a married couple, stood at the gate, hesitant to move.
Suddenly they were leaving like that, how could they bear to part with them? They couldn't bear to leave their home and the fields behind. But their son, Zhou Xuan, was adamant about them leaving. If it weren't for the trouble their younger son had with addicts like Liu De and Zhang Yong, they wouldn't have been able to bring themselves to take drugs.