After a reunion dinner, Tian Jing returned to the west room and told her husband about the matter.
Li Zhengguo put his arm around his wife. "Don't overthink it. I've known Suozhu since we were kids. His disguise is just his timidity."
Despite saying that, the next day, Li Zhengguo still called Chen Suozhu to the courtyard house. He found an empty room in the front yard and had a serious talk with Chen Suozhu.
After all, judging by Chen Guangfu's branch, the Chen family was a bit stubborn and suspicious.
"...So, we discovered Grandpa Chen's resolve to die too late."
"He thought you weren't steady enough, and he believed you were his only descendant."
"Tian Tian's combat power reassured him. Family matters put immense pressure on him, that feeling of unfulfilled potential and suppression in this era, he couldn't release it."
"To prevent that branch from bothering you and Xiao Fu again, he sent out the golden lock and told Tian Tian everything when Chen Yaoming came looking."
"Today, I'm telling you this because I'm worried you don't have the full picture and, out of politeness, won't pursue it further, and will instead dwell on it."
"This matter isn't over yet; it will drag on for some time. When it truly ends, you'll understand when you connect the dots."
"Tian Tian is the most innocent, implicated by Chen Yaoming's side, by Xiao Wei, and even by your grandfather."
"All of this, inexplicably, was placed upon her shoulders, and she carried it."
"That time, you came to ask about the marks on your grandfather's neck, and you were very unstable."
"And Grandpa Chen's dying wish was for you to be an ordinary person."
"But you are too ordinary. Twelve years. Tian Tian has known you for twelve years."
"If the village hadn't changed, your not changing would be right. With such significant changes in the village, how could you possibly not change?"
"Tell me honestly, do you resent us? After all, Chen Yaoming is Tian Tian's biological father."
Chen Suozhu shook his head repeatedly. "No, no, absolutely not. Little sister-in-law is little sister-in-law, Chen Yaoming is Chen Yaoming."
"I've been peeking at Grandpa's drawers and reading about the Chen family's affairs since I was a child."
"I was afraid Grandpa would scold me, and I was also afraid I wouldn't be able to keep myself from telling. So, I made myself this way."
"When Grandpa passed away and I saw the information in his drawers was gone, I suspected the person who choked Grandpa took it."
"But Chen Yaoming and that bodyguard's subsequent actions didn't seem like they took the documents."
"Later, you told me it was Grandpa's dying wish. I held back, but I still wanted to avenge Grandpa."
"If it weren't for Xiao Fu and An An being too young, and if Min Min wasn't steady enough, I might have gone after Chen Yaoming."
Li Zhengguo breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, they found out in time.
Ouyang Meihua deserved a lot of credit.
"What about now? Do you still want to avenge yourself on Chen Yaoming?"
Chen Suozhu shook his head. "I want to follow Grandpa's dying wish and be an ordinary person."
"Those responsibilities and things are really not something we can bear. It's better to hand them over and be done with it."
Li Zhengguo shook his head. "But Grandpa Chen is unwilling. His dying wish was to be willing to sink into the river of history."
Chen Suozhu sighed. "Grandpa's family ideology is too strong; it's not suitable for this era."
Looking at Chen Suozhu, who showed no signs of reluctance, Li Zhengguo asked, "Then, have you ever thought that after handing it over, you would no longer be an ordinary person?"
Chen Suozhu was stunned, then smiled through tears. "I understand. Grandpa's unwillingness is actually because of me."
"If it were just him alone, he would have handed it over, and with his intellect, he could have gained a lot."
"But because of me, the mediocre me, in the eyes of those who know, is just an ant, an ant that can be crushed with a single pinch."
"So, whether handed over or not, he was unwilling. I have still failed Grandpa's intentions."
Li Zhengguo patted his shoulder. "The you now would surely make him very pleased. You have two well-behaved sons. Raise them well; that's what Grandpa Chen would want to see."
"Mm."
Chen Suozhu raised his hand to wipe away tears. "I know the path I need to take in the future."
...
Meanwhile, Tian Jing chatted with Damai and Xiaomai.
Damai was already twenty-one, and Xiaomai was nineteen.
Both were currently single, and not only single but also appeared to have a heart of stone.
This made Tian Jing worry that she had used too much force when teaching Damai back then, and Xiaomai, having always been a participant in Damai's growth, might have been influenced by her sister.
The little aunt's worry made both Damai and Xiaomai laugh.
"Little aunt, we've been influenced by the people in the capital. The girls there don't date until they're twenty-three or twenty-four."
"And even if they do date, it doesn't necessarily mean they'll get married."
"Exactly, dating is for marriage, but no one can guarantee that the person you date is the right one. You have to consider many factors."
"Xiaomai and I aren't without suitors, but those who pursue us are only interested in the courtyards."
"As soon as they hear the courtyards aren't ours, their faces change immediately, and we don't want to date them anymore."
"We'll talk about it later. If by the age of twenty-five, we still haven't found anyone, we'll let you arrange our marriages, little aunt. Whoever you choose, we'll marry."
Tian Jing waved her hands repeatedly. "Don't say that. I won't arrange anything. Find your grandmother; she's a good judge of character."
"Hahaha."
The little aunt's polite refusal made Damai and Xiaomai smile. "Little aunt, you don't really think we'll get married casually, do you? Actually, we are observing others. We'll definitely find someone before twenty-five."
Tian Jing breathed a sigh of relief. She had enough trouble with her own four children; how could she handle two nieces?
...
After the New Year, Damai and Xiaomai returned to the capital. The acquisition of courtyards there was in a tense period.
This was because the people who had initially intended to buy the courtyards in the northern area hadn't been seen for over half a year.
The buyers whose minds had been swayed by those selling courtyards simply went to Du Hongjuan, who was acquiring the southern area.
Du Hongjuan's task was to acquire as much of the southern area as possible.
Only if there was sufficient cash on hand would she buy from the north, so she was hesitant.
As she hesitated, the buyers became anxious and directly offered the price from two years ago.
When someone came to snatch buyers, people in the southern area also became anxious.
They stopped demanding exorbitant prices and rushed to ask Du Hongjuan to buy theirs first, to negotiate with them first.
The reason these people wanted to sell to Du Hongjuan was because she spoke sincerely, had a gentle attitude, and paid in full, never delaying a single day.
This made her more popular with the old neighbors than Lu Xinggang, who also bought courtyards with cash.
Du Hongjuan dared not be too hasty, so she stabilized the sellers and agreed to talk after the New Year.
Then she urged Damai and Xiaomai to return for the New Year.
Tian Jing had already gone to the county town to call Ouyang Lei and asked him to transfer money to the capital, and also to borrow some money from him for her to use.
Ouyang Lei, who was doing very well in the south, naturally obeyed Tian Da Xia's words.
He immediately agreed to transfer three million in installments.
The courtyards in the capital, except for the gold bars used to extort the Xiao family the first time, had all passed through Ouyang Lei.
They could withstand scrutiny.
...
As soon as the Spring Festival ended, Village Chief Li convened a village meeting.
Sitting on the ground that had just thawed, listening to Village Chief Li's words.
The villagers felt their hearts grow colder than the muddy ice beneath their feet.