The 1970s: Married First, Fell in Love Later-Chapter 95 - 94: Zheng Guofeng Meets Xue Xingzhou

Xue Xingzhou returned two days later, but this time, he came late at night.

He went directly to the cowshed.

"You’re Zheng Guofeng?" Xue Xingzhou gazed at the man.

Zheng Guofeng nodded. "And you are?"

"My mother is Li Wan Yi."

After saying this, Xue Xingzhou watched for his reaction.

The man trembled, staring at Xue Xingzhou in disbelief.

Then, he suddenly thought of something. He had overlooked a crucial piece of information: he had never asked how many children Li Wan Yi had.

Xue Xingzhou watched as the man’s expression shifted, from surprise to what looked like sudden understanding.

A moment later, he slowly calmed down.

He studied Xue Xingzhou carefully. "Are you twenty-four this year?"

Xue Xingzhou hadn’t expected him to ask that.

But he still nodded. "Yes."

When Xue Xingzhou confirmed it, Zheng Guofeng, a grown man, suddenly felt his eyes well up.

’It seems it’s true. Wanyi really did...’

Xue Xingzhou’s eyes narrowed, and his fingers twitched.

"What’s wrong?"

Zheng Guofeng raised a hand, pointing first to himself, then to Xue Xingzhou. He seemed desperate to say something, but he was trembling so violently that he appeared to have lost the ability to speak.

"I... I’m—"

For some reason, Xue Xingzhou couldn’t bear to see him like this. He stepped forward and patted the man’s back.

"Let’s go outside and talk."

Xue Xingzhou knew other people lived in the cowshed, so it wasn’t a good place to talk.

"Alright."

Zheng Guofeng went inside to grab a jacket, said a quick word to the old man, and came back out.

The two walked a short distance from the cowshed and stopped. It was late, and the night was quiet. But the moon was bright, allowing them to see each other’s expressions clearly. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Zheng Guofeng earnestly studied Xue Xingzhou.

After a long while, he finally began to speak slowly. "Your mother and I... our families arranged for us to be married when we were just children. We grew up together, went to the same school. When we were eighteen, we officially became a couple.

When I was twenty-six, the country was in turmoil and the future was uncertain, so my parents decided to move our family abroad.

But Wanyi and I were together then. I wanted to take her with me, but she couldn’t bear to leave her family. In the end, due to some unforeseen circumstances, I had to leave with my parents first.

My plan was to come back for her and her family as soon as we were settled abroad.

But I never expected my mother to suddenly fall ill and pass away. Dealing with her funeral arrangements delayed my return.

I didn’t make it back for over a year. When I finally returned and went to find her, they told me... they told me Wanyi couldn’t wait. She was pregnant, and she’d heard a rumor that I had married someone else abroad. Everyone was pointing fingers at her. They said she couldn’t take it anymore, so she threw herself into the river.

I didn’t believe it at first. Wanyi might have seemed fragile, but she was strong-willed. She wouldn’t have killed herself, even if she’d been wronged. Besides, she had promised she would wait for me, no matter what.

But then her younger sister, Li Wanqing, gave me a suicide note handwritten by Wanyi herself. In the note, she wrote that she was pregnant and couldn’t bear the judgment of others. It said I had broken my promise and abandoned her, and that she had lost all will to live."

Zheng Guofeng spoke slowly, his face etched with bitterness.

Xue Xingzhou listened intently. He could imagine it—the political instability of the time, the widespread panic, the many people who fled the country.

"If anyone else had told me that, I might not have believed it. But Wanyi always doted on her younger sister, Wanqing. Li Wanqing had followed us around since she was a child; she knew everything about our relationship. That’s why I believed what she said.

I just never thought I would run into your sister here. She looks exactly like your mother did when she was young.

Looking at her reminded me of your mother. I felt like it was a sign from heaven, a reminder. I couldn’t help but start to question whether that suicide note was real. Besides, Li Wanqing has changed so much over the years..."

"So you found my sister and started asking about my mother?"

Zheng Guofeng nodded. "Yes. I never thought my suspicions would be right—that your mother was still alive. But I don’t understand. If she’s alive, why didn’t she come back and find me? Does she hate me for taking so long to return?"

"My mother never told us anything about her past. All I know is that for as long as I can remember, she was never in good health. She was constantly falling ill."

"How could that be?" Zheng Guofeng said, astonished. "Wanyi was always in perfect health."

"After my mother gave birth to my sister, she rarely left the house. The year my sister turned ten... she finally couldn’t hold on any longer."

At the mention of Li Wan Yi’s death, both fell silent.

After a long pause, Xue Xingzhou asked, "So, you asked our ages because you suspected my sister was the baby my mother was pregnant with back then? And when her age didn’t line up, you started suspecting it was me?" Xue Xingzhou was sharp; he had immediately put the pieces together.

Zheng Guofeng nodded. "If the child your mother was carrying had been born, he would be exactly your age now."

"Have you heard the name Xue Changlin?"

"I haven’t."

Zheng Guofeng had already learned from Xue Yue that Wanyi later married a man named Xue Changlin, but he didn’t know anyone by that name.

Xue Xingzhou grew pensive. ’Judging by Xue Changlin’s reaction, he clearly knows both Zheng Guofeng and Li Wanqing. But Zheng Guofeng says he doesn’t know any Xue Changlin.’

’There’s only one possibility, then. Xue Changlin wasn’t his original name.’

"Maybe he changed his name."

Zheng Guofeng froze. "You mean I’m supposed to know him?"

"Yes, it’s very likely."

’It looked like many of the answers would have to come from Xue Changlin.’

Zheng Guofeng took an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Xue Xingzhou.

"Li Wanqing gave this to me. She said it was the suicide note your mother left for me. The handwriting is definitely your mother’s."

Xue Xingzhou took it but didn’t open it.

"You can have the note, but there’s a photograph inside. I hope you’ll return it to me after you’ve seen it. It’s the only one I have."

"Alright."

The two of them fell into silence once again.

After a moment, Xue Xingzhou spoke up. "You should head back. I’m leaving."

"What’s your... what’s your name?" Zheng Guofeng asked, looking at him expectantly.

"Xue Xingzhou."

Xue Xingzhou said his name, paused for a moment, and then walked away.

Zheng Guofeng stood there for a long time, until the old man called out to him.

"What are you doing just standing there? Get back here. It’s the middle of the night! Honestly, an old man like you still making people worry."

"I’m coming," Zheng Guofeng answered, snapping out of his daze.

He saw the old man was still waiting for him at the doorway and quickened his pace.

Xue Xingzhou returned home, lit the kerosene lamp, and opened the envelope.