vstars Chapter 157: Trying to Take My Son Away?
Chapter 157: Trying to Take My Son Away?
Cheng Anju scanned the faces of the crowd, trying to find some answers.
Cheng Chi looked at Zhang Jianguo with a warm smile on his face, but the smile seemed somewhat unreal.
"Comrade Jianguo, the main reason we've come here is to ask Comrade Cheng Anju about something."
His voice was calm and steady, "I hope you will be a witness at that time."
Zhang Jianguo looked at everyone, nodded, and thought to himself, "This leader is quite polite."
I wonder what happened this time?
The eldest brother's problem hasn't been resolved yet, could it be that the third brother has run into some trouble?
His gaze inadvertently swept across Cheng Chi and Cheng Baichuan's faces, and he suddenly realized that the third brother looked quite like this leader...
Cheng Chi looked at Cheng Anju, his eyes instantly turning sharp, like two sharp swords piercing straight to the heart.
"Comrade Cheng Anju, the question I'm going to ask you today has probably already been asked by someone else."
His tone was serious and left no room for argument: "I hope you can answer truthfully this time and not hide anything."
Cheng Anju's heart tightened, but he still nodded, trying to appear calm.
After the initial excitement subsided, when he saw Cheng Chi again, he had a guess in his mind.
He had always known that the third son's background might not be simple, so he had kept quiet about it all these years.
He never expected it to be such an important person.
If that's the case... he can't easily admit it.
Because once he accepts it, it might bring about earth-shattering changes to the whole family, and he doesn't know if he can bear it.
"I know what you're going to ask, and my answer is still the same: the third child is my son."
Cheng Anju remained calm, trying his best to hide his inner panic, showing no sign of guilt.
Apart from Zhang Jianguo, who was completely confused, no one else present was surprised by his answer.
They all seemed to have anticipated Cheng Anju's response.
"Don't be nervous, let me tell you a story first."
Cheng Chi spoke calmly, but beneath that calm exterior seemed to lie turbulent undercurrents.
"More than 20 years ago, a man took his wife to the battlefield, but neither of them expected that his wife would become pregnant."
"His wife was worried about her husband fighting alone on the battlefield and insisted on staying. When she was about to give birth, he disregarded her wishes and had her sent to the rear."
"They were thinking that once the war was over, the three of them could be reunited."
"But who knew that man proposes, God disposes. My wife disappeared on her way back to the rear, and the people who were protecting her also disappeared."
"It wasn't until more than 20 years later that the man learned that his wife had encountered danger when she returned to the rear, and that he had arranged for people to take his pregnant wife on a roundabout route."
"When passing through Hunan Province, he was recognized by local bandits hiding in the mountains and they chased after him all the way."
"My wife was so frightened that the baby was born prematurely."
"In order to protect the child, the wife asked the people protecting her to escort the child away."
"That person was hiding with the child, but they were still discovered."
"When he was seriously injured, he met a couple who had just lost their child and entrusted the child to them."
After Cheng Chi finished telling his story, the entire courtyard fell silent.
Cheng Baichuan, in particular, had his head down, his hands clenched into fists, and his whole body tense, as if he was trying his best to suppress his inner emotions.
A storm was raging in his heart, a mix of complex emotions that left him unsure how to face the situation before him.
Cheng Anju's face was slightly pale, and his eyes revealed a hint of fear and unease. He didn't know if there was a truth hidden behind this story that was detrimental to him, nor did he know if he could continue to hold onto the secret in his heart.
At first, Zhang Jianguo was completely confused by Cheng Chi's story, but as the story progressed, he gradually began to understand its meaning.
Could it be that Cheng Baichuan is not the Cheng family's biological son, but rather someone they adopted?
The news was like a bombshell, exploding in his mind; it was truly shocking!
Back then, everyone in the village knew that Liu Yufen was pregnant.
Before Cheng Baichuan was born, the Cheng couple had a big fight over a piece of meat.
In a fit of anger, Liu Yufen went to a relative's house in Shouxian County and threatened to give birth at the Shouxian People's Hospital.
In those days, not many people went to hospitals to give birth, especially rural families like theirs. After giving birth, they still had to work in the fields, so they didn't have any spare money to spend on this.
Not long after, the couple returned from Shou County, carrying a baby in their arms, claiming that the baby was born at the People's Hospital.
At the time, everyone thought Liu Yufen was being too dramatic, and not a single person doubted that the child wasn't from the Cheng family.
At this moment, Cheng Anju's forehead was already covered with a fine layer of sweat.
When someone came to inquire last time, they only asked one simple question, and after he denied it outright, the person left.
This time, however, the situation was clearly different; these people had obviously come prepared.
"I don't know what you mean, but I'll say it again: the third son is a child of the Cheng family."
Cheng Anju forced a calm expression and said, "My eldest son is in trouble and locked up, my second son is an ingrate, so only my third son is left. He's the most promising. As long as we catch him, the Cheng family won't have to worry about the future."
As for that person from back then, I'll just pretend I never met him. Anyway, decades have passed, and as long as I stick to my guns, no one can find out.
His eyes revealed a hint of determination and cunning, as he tried to continue to conceal the secret and protect the seemingly stable future of the Cheng family.
Cheng Chi and Cao Xuefeng exchanged a glance, their brows furrowed with confusion.
Having already gone this far, they really didn't understand why Cheng Anju still refused to admit it.
If it were said that the Cheng family had a deep affection for Cheng Baichuan and were reluctant to let him leave, then it would be understandable.
However, judging from the Cheng family's previous attitude towards Cheng Baichuan, there was no sign of any deep affection between them.
So, what exactly is Cheng Anju still insisting on?
Li Wanqing had a rough idea of what Old Man Cheng was thinking, but she also knew that it was inconvenient for her to interfere in this matter; the key was to see Cheng Baichuan's attitude.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the courtyard seemed to freeze, and a stalemate ensued.
Zhang Jianguo couldn't help but lower his voice and remind him, "Uncle Anju, this is no joke. I think they came prepared."
"So what?"
Cheng Anju abruptly interrupted him, his voice trembling slightly, but he quickly suppressed it.
"He is our Cheng family's own son. Does he think he can take my son away from me just because he is a high-ranking official?"
Actually, if someone had come to him three or four months ago, he would have happily accepted this son as his son.