☆ 29. Unveiling the Truth

Bringing Ji Qiao home was not difficult to arrange.

Once the Liu brothers went to jail, no one could stop them. At the time, Ji Qinghe insisted on a cremation to take Ji Qiao home, and now all they needed to do was hire a skilled ^[1]“feng shui master” is an expert in feng shui, an ancient Chinese practice that involves arranging the environment to promote harmony and balance. Feng shui masters study the flow of … Continue readingfeng shui master to prepare the grave and perform the rites, allowing them to bring him back.

Su Cheng had connections in this area, making the arrangements relatively quick and easy.

In the afternoon, Su Cheng took Ji Qinghe and Qingyu to a guesthouse to rest. He went out to find a feng shui master, calculated the right time, and the next morning, the group went to the place where Ji Qiao was buried.

Ji Qiao was buried on a mountain with many loose stones. The Liu family had made Ji Qinghe pay a hefty sum back then, but the location was not ideal—remote and desolate, with poor roads. If it weren’t for Su Cheng’s favorable pricing, neither the feng shui master nor the workers helping with the grave would have been willing to go up there.

Setting up the rites and preparing the grave didn’t take much time, it was all done in one morning.

In the afternoon, Wu Heqiong asked someone to pass a message that Qingyu’s mother, Liu Fangling, refused to sign the abandonment agreement and wanted to meet them.

Wu Heqiong wrote a letter to Su Cheng, detailing the situation and its complexities.

When the people from the Women’s Federation approached Liu Fangling, she pretended to be clueless, claiming she didn’t know about her daughter’s situation at her mother’s home.

She insisted she hadn’t abandoned her child, just that she had recently become pregnant and couldn’t take care of her, which was why she had asked her family to look after her. Liu Fangling cried in front of the Women’s Federation representatives, lamenting her own misfortune and helplessness.

In the end, Liu Fangling conveyed one message: she was heartbroken that her mother treated her child that way, but she would not give up her daughter and hoped to bring her back to raise.

This situation was somewhat complicated. If Liu Fangling insisted on holding onto Qingyu’s custody rights, even the Women’s Federation would be powerless.

Merely relying on the abuse Qingyu suffered at her grandmother’s home was not enough to strip a mother of her custody rights.

Liu Fangling demanded to meet Su Cheng and Ji Qinghe, most likely to negotiate terms.

What those terms were remained unclear to Wu Heqiong, but it was evident she had demands, and they weren’t simple ones.

This was not surprising, in fact, it had been anticipated.

A woman who could remarry before her husband’s mourning period was over and quickly become pregnant was certainly self-serving and would seize every opportunity to create the greatest benefits for herself.

Especially now that her family was in trouble.

“She’s at the Women’s Federation now, if she wants to meet, we can go over right away,” Su Cheng handed the letter to Ji Qinghe, saying.

“This time, it’s likely not just about money.”

Ji Qinghe had just received his son’s urn and felt weary, the thought of his son causing him even more pain.

Hearing his daughter-in-law’s name instinctively filled him with disgust, but this person was also his granddaughter’s mother, a connection he could not escape.

Ji Qinghe turned around to check on Qingyu.

Qingyu had gone to the mountain earlier that day, and after crying, she returned exhausted and took a short nap. Now awake, she seemed more spirited.

But she just sat quietly to the side, her hands obediently placed in front of her, without a word.

Unlike Qiuqiu, who was understanding, she appeared somewhat dazed, completely different from how Ji Qinghe had seen her before.

He wondered if she was still scared from the incident yesterday when her grandmother had used a wooden gun to shoot at her. Now she seemed even more timid, when she was called, her voice barely rose above a whisper. If it was slightly louder, she would tremble in fear, her large eyes unable to hide her panic.

Even going to the bathroom was something she only did when she could no longer hold it, timidly pulling at Ji Qinghe’s sleeve to quietly ask.

If this child continued like this, something terrible would surely happen.

“Qingyu, do you want to see your mother?” After a long silence, Ji Qinghe finally asked her.

Children naturally depend on their mothers. Even though she had been ruthlessly abandoned and had watched her step sister beat her, she still harbored a deep longing.

Ji Qinghe could clearly see that after he mentioned the word “mother,” her eyes flickered slightly.

But that flicker was brief, quickly returning to stillness, like ripples on the surface of a still lake, when a stone is thrown in, the ripples spread out but quickly settle again, leaving no trace.

“Mom doesn’t want me to find her, she doesn’t want me anymore.” After a long while, Qingyu murmured softly.

Ji Qinghe did not intend to hand Qingyu over to Liu Fangling. He couldn’t utter comforting words like ‘Your mother will want you.’ Instead, he gently asked her:

“Would you like to live with Grandpa?”

Upon hearing this, Qingyu’s big, wet eyes appeared dazed. Would she like to live with her grandpa? She didn’t know.

For Qingyu, she had only met Ji Qinghe two or three times in total. Even though her dad often mentioned Grandpa and he frequently sent her gifts, she still felt strange and unfamiliar with him.

She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be with her grandpa, it all felt so vague.

But now, it seemed that apart from Grandpa, no one else wanted her.

“Yes.” In the end, Qingyu, clutching her frostbitten little fingers, replied with those two words.

“Okay, then Grandpa will take you home.” Ji Qinghe gently stroked Qingyu’s yellow hair, speaking softly.

There was a hint of bitterness in his smile, he could tell the child was reluctant, but he truly couldn’t hand her over to that daughter-in-law any longer.

He knew that if he wished, the daughter-in-law would likely be willing to keep the child with her, but it would only be to have her close. If anything happened, his granddaughter would definitely be the one sacrificed.

This was his son’s only child, how could he tolerate that?

Eventually, Ji Qinghe went with Su Cheng to meet Liu Fangling, taking Qingyu along.

Since the child wanted to see her mother, he let her have one more visit, the chances of them meeting again would likely diminish afterward.

Ji Qinghe couldn’t afford to think about what would happen when the child grew up and was found by such a mother. He could only focus on the present, hoping his granddaughter could regain some spirit.

The Women’s Federation was not far from the guesthouse, they walked there in just over ten minutes.

Liu Fangling was waiting in Wu Heqiong’s office.

She was just over a month pregnant, her belly not yet showing. Dressed in a fitted floral cotton jacket, her hair styled in a braid at the back of her head, she was thin and pale—not particularly beautiful but could be described as delicate. Her eyes and nose were red from crying, giving her a soft and fragile impression. Just by looking at her, it was hard to imagine she was a heartless mother.

Upon seeing Qingyu, Liu Fangling visibly froze for a moment, she hadn’t expected them to bring her daughter.

Her feelings toward Qingyu were complicated.

Did she love her daughter? Yes, she had.

Just like her love for her husband, Ji Qiao, she had truly liked him from the moment she first laid eyes on him.

There were seven siblings in the Liu family: one older sister, three older brothers, and two younger brothers, with her in the middle.

Aside from her five brothers, she had a better life at home compared to her older sister, who had been drugged and sent to someone else’s bed. Her mother and several older brothers supported her feelings for Ji Qiao.

With the family’s backing, she pursued Ji Qiao for a long time, but he never warmed to her and always treated her with courtesy.

In order to avoid her, he even managed to transfer to the town, moving further away from her.

In the end, to win him over, she had to ask her fifth brother for help and set up a scheme, successfully marrying Ji Qiao.

She truly loved Ji Qiao and couldn’t live without him.

After they married, she was very happy and gave birth to Qingyu.

Qingyu’s birth marked the beginning of Ji Qiao’s transformation toward her.

She loved and doted on Qingyu very much.

Even though Qingyu was a girl, she never resented her. She thought as long as she kept Ji Qiao around, they would always be happy together.

But who would have imagined that Ji Qiao would suddenly be gone?

After Ji Qiao’s death, her brothers, not wanting a widowed sister, quickly arranged for her to remarry.

The son of the deputy director of the police station, who worked at the town government, had been married once before, had divorced, and had a daughter.

It was a good match, and she would have to remarry sooner or later, so she had no reason to refuse.

The only regret was that she couldn’t stay for Ji Qiao and that the daughter of this family is rather domineering. She could accept a new mother but wouldn’t allow other sisters to appear, so she couldn’t take Qingyu with her.

But couldn’t Qingyu stay with her maternal family?

She just didn’t expect that while her mother took Ji Qiao’s compensation money, she didn’t treat Qingyu well as agreed.

When Qingyu came to find her, she was driven away by that family’s daughter, which made her feel very upset.

But what could she do? She didn’t have a job and was pregnant, how could she possibly stay?

She had to take care of herself first before she could slowly think about the child, right?

Who would have thought Ji Qiao’s father would come so quickly and even send her mother to the police station?

At this moment, several of her brothers and sisters-in-law had also run into trouble and were all arrested, including her father-in-law.

Now, her mother-in-law and husband at home were almost frantic.

She was anxious too, as the ones who were locked up were her brothers and her own mother—her support. How could she let them get into trouble?

She knew Ji Qiao’s father knew a lot of people, big city folks. Back then, he managed to find a way to bring Ji Qiao back to the city and sent so many special supplies, so he must have a way.

The only person she could turn to was him.

Moreover, her mother’s issue also depends on them not pursuing it in order to give her a lighter sentence.

She wanted to discuss this with them, but why did they bring Qingyu here? Did they want Qingyu to see how heartless her mother was?

“Qingyu, how have you been these past two days? Are you doing well at Grandpa’s?” Liu Fangling forced a stiff smile, asking Qingyu.

Qingyu was now dressed in clothes that Ji Qinghe had spent quite a bit of money on from the department store. She wore a new autumn shirt inside, a wool sweater, a new cotton jacket, cotton pants, and new cotton shoes.

Her hair was styled by Su Cheng, who he had learned from Ji Meng when doing Qiuqiu’s simple braid buns for a few days.

Her hair was tied up high in a bun, and apart from the scars and bruises on her face that hadn’t healed, Qingyu now looked much better than when Ji Qinghe had seen her before.

In fact, she looked even better than when Liu Fangling had taken care of her, she was dressed more carefully.

But Liu Fangling couldn’t see any of that, she was secretly resenting Ji Qinghe for bringing Qingyu over, yet suddenly thought that she could turn the situation around, win Qingyu over, and make Ji Qinghe think twice, thus agreeing to her conditions.

“Qingyu, my child, it was Mom’s fault before for not taking care of you. Mom is sorry,” Liu Fangling walked up to Qingyu, cradling her belly carefully, half-bending down to speak to Qingyu.

She lowered her voice and seemed like the loving mother she once was.

Qingyu was still a child, and hearing her mother speak so gently made her slightly move her dazed eyes. She couldn’t help but call out, “Mom…”

“Hmm, Mom is here.”

Hearing Qingyu call her, a flash of joy crossed Liu Fangling’s eyes. She quickly replied, then said eagerly, “How about Qingyu goes home with Mom? Mom will take good care of you.”

Upon hearing this, Qingyu suddenly envisioned her new home with her fierce new sister, who, like her little cousin, picked up a broom to chase her out, while her mother stood by with a blank expression, doing nothing, and her grandmother, with a terrifying look like her own grandma.

Qingyu’s eyes instantly dimmed, and she took a barely noticeable step back, shaking her head gently: “The little sister won’t allow it, I want to go with Grandpa.”

Liu Fangling’s expression changed slightly, but she quickly put on a gentle smile and said, “You don’t need to worry about your sister, Mom will talk to her, okay?”

Hearing this, Qingyu suddenly looked up at Liu Fangling.