Chapter 40: Relatives Visit

Uncle Zou was nearly seventy years old. Though advanced in age, his body was still strong and sturdy, and his sharp eyes radiated vitality and spirit.

He had once worked in the workshop of a machinery factory. Because of connections forced by a powerful personnel chief, he was brought in as a favored worker. However, his left hand was injured and disabled. The person responsible showed no gratitude and even turned things against him. The personnel chief demanded that he compensate for the machinery damage and wanted to fire him.

At that time, with elderly and young dependents at home, Uncle Zou was the family’s sole breadwinner. This incident nearly destroyed his livelihood.

Fortunately, the old factory director, Shen, saw through the situation and cleared his name, giving him a job despite his disability.

The gatekeeper’s salary was low, but it was enough to get by.

Later, during Shen Wenbai’s generation, the factory leadership changed several times.

After the “Down to the Countryside” policy came out, jobs became scarce and hard to come by, so the gatekeeper position—which had previously been looked down upon—suddenly became a sought-after job. Some people reported him, citing his old age and disability, hoping to push him out.

It was Shen Wenbai who vouched for him and kept him in the position.

Uncle Zou still clearly remembered Shen Wenbai’s words: “I believe Uncle Zou is the best fit for this role. Over the years, he has patrolled daily, never shirking regardless of wind or rain. He opens and closes the gate efficiently, shows up with energy every day, and is friendly and full of spirit—far better than most others.”

When news about Ye Qilan, the capitalist’s daughter, broke out this time, Uncle Zou was quite shocked.

He had practically watched Shen Wenbai grow up and knew a little about the Ye family’s affairs, but being lowly and powerless with no evidence, he could only sigh and worry about the Shen family’s troubles.

At this moment, a man dressed in a Zhongshan suit approached with a stern expression and asked, “Uncle, could you tell me how to get to Shen Nanqing’s home?”

Uncle Zou looked up. The man was tall and upright, with neatly combed hair and sharp, intelligent eyes that gave off a commanding presence without needing to show anger.

“What business do you have with the Shen family?” Uncle Zou’s heart tightened. At this critical moment, everyone was avoiding the Shen family. This man clearly was no ordinary visitor, and Uncle Zou felt wary, watching him closely.

Song Huaixi immediately softened his expression, offering a gentle smile. “I’m a relative of the Shen family.”

Originally, he had wanted to say he was Shen Nanqing’s fiancé’s older brother, but since they hadn’t registered their marriage yet, he didn’t want to spread that around. Besides, a relative is still a relative, so this explanation was fine.

“A relative of the Shen family? How come I’ve never seen you before?” Uncle Zou had guarded the gate for many years. Everyone who came and went in the compound had to pass him, and this man’s distinguished appearance didn’t register at all. He was skeptical. “Alright, I’ll personally take you over.”

Though he was old, he still had some use left.

Just then, Shen Nanru hurried out the door, and Uncle Zou shouted loudly, “Xiao Ru, this young man says he’s your relative. Do you know him?”

Song Huaixi felt a little embarrassed being treated like a fraud and scratched his nose. He hadn’t expected this.

He vowed to get compensation for the mental distress from his younger brother when he got back.

Obviously, Shen Nanru didn’t recognize the man. He asked suspiciously, “May I ask who you are?”

Seeing this, Uncle Zou immediately stood in front of Shen Nanru like a protective father, shielding him behind himself.

Hearing the commotion, people inside the Shen family house all came running to the gate to see what was going on.

Song Huaixi’s appearance was undoubtedly outstanding, but even more striking was the aura he carried—an air cultivated from years spent in officialdom that drew more attention.

The crowd exchanged glances and shook their heads one after another, none able to place him or recall knowing him.

At that moment, a figure slipped out from between Shen Nansu and Zheng Pingwan. It was none other than little Shen Man, the only person in the family besides Mrs. Shen who had met Song Huaixi before.

Song Huaixi was used to being surrounded and admired like a celebrity. But now, under the sharp, scrutinizing gazes of the entire Shen family, he felt uneasy and awkward—something about it felt strange.

He cleared his throat, about to introduce himself, but a childish voice interrupted.

“Are you from Uncle’s family?” Usually carefree, Shen Man had learned something bad was happening at home, so even his voice had turned timid.

Song Huaixi smiled as if he had met a kindred spirit: “Yes, I am Song Huaiwen’s older brother, Song Huaixi.”

When Shen Nanru heard his identity, shame washed over his face. He quickly stepped aside to let him in. “Sorry, I was really rude just now.”

It wasn’t Shen Nanru’s fault. He knew his younger sister’s fiancé was a soldier—stern, courageous, and upright by nature—but the man before him exuded a keen intelligence and authority that didn’t fit that image at all. He simply didn’t connect the two.

When Su Hua and Zheng Pingwan heard that he was Song Huaiwen’s brother, they hurried inside to prepare tea.

Uncle Zou saw the misunderstanding and breathed a sigh of relief. He caught sight of Shen Nanru’s weary look and wanted to say something comforting but ended up only sighing and patting his shoulder with his right hand.

Seeing Uncle Zou’s protective gesture, Shen Nanru appreciated it and quickly said, “Uncle, thank you so much. Please come inside and have some water.”

Since guests had arrived at the Shen residence, Uncle Zou felt reluctant to go in but couldn’t refuse when Shen Nanru insisted, so he went inside.

Compared to his slick older brother, Shen Nansu was more straightforward. “We’ve never met Song Huaiwen before, so we didn’t recognize you. Sorry about that!”

“No problem,” Song Huaixi waved his hand while starting to look around the Shen family’s main hall, truly embodying understated luxury.

All the furniture was made of fine black walnut. Perhaps because it had been used for a long time, the color was quite deep—someone unfamiliar might mistake it for ordinary dark wood.

The ink painting on the wall was probably an original by Zhang Daqian, and the porcelain vases on the side tables looked impressive too, though he wasn’t sure if they were genuine.

After this quick survey, Song Huaixi’s heart tightened. Damn, did my brother really find a capitalist’s daughter to marry?

Su Hua came over holding a porcelain cup. “Comrade Song, here’s some tea.”

The pressure radiating from Song Huaiwen’s older brother was overwhelming. The highest official she had ever seen was her father-in-law, the factory director, so she didn’t dare look him directly in the eyes.

If Zheng Pingwan hadn’t reminded her that the elder sister-in-law should act like the lady of the house while the wife was away, she really wanted to hide in the kitchen and avoid meeting the guest.

“Thank you.” Song Huaixi took the cup, sipped once, then set it aside. He then turned to Shen Nanru and said, “Time is precious, so I’ll get straight to the point. How much do you know about Auntie’s situation?”

Shen Nanru’s heart skipped a beat. He exchanged a glance with Shen Nansu, then looked at Song Huaixi in confusion. “Mother?”

Seeing their misunderstanding, Song Huaixi quickly explained, “Here’s the situation: my brother heard Auntie got into trouble. He only knows she was taken by the Revolutionary Committee for investigation, but he doesn’t know the details. He was supposed to come in person, but he got an urgent military assignment. As a soldier, he has to obey orders. So, he had no choice but to entrust me with this matter.”