Xia Wantang's interest was piqued upon hearing this, and she took the album, flipping through it.
What she cherished most now was family, as it was something she had longed for her entire life.
Most of the photos inside were of her childhood. Besides her and her mother, there were a few family portraits.
She resembled her mother greatly, their brows almost identical.
Looking at the photos, she felt her mother was a very gentle woman, yet with an underlying firmness.
The most captivating photo was of a pregnant woman, her mother wearing a qipao, tenderly caressing her belly.
Initially, she had no interest in taking maternity photos, but seeing her mother in the picture, she seemed to find the meaning behind it.
"Ling Yuchen, let's take maternity photos tomorrow! I want to take one just like my mother's."
Ling Yuchen gazed at her with doting affection and said gently, "Okay, I'll arrange for someone to come over and take them tomorrow."
In these extraordinary times, caution was paramount; they would avoid going out if possible.
Especially with the preceding incident of Zhu Yunfei's disappearance, they were all the more careful in protecting Xia Wantang.
Xia Wantang had no objections to Ling Yuchen's arrangements, as the old mansion offered the best backdrop.
"By the way, the household registration and name change are all done," Gong Ye said, producing Xia Wantang's ID card and the Gong family's household registration book.
There were now two people on the registration book.
Previously, there was only one, Gong Ye, the head of the household.
Now, an addition had been made: Gong Zhijing, listed as the head's daughter.
Xia Wantang took it and looked at her new identity, her eyes welling up.
She gently stroked her new name, her voice choked with emotion, "I'll be called Gong Zhijing from now on. I am finally myself."
There was no true empathy in the world; no one could fully comprehend her current feelings.
From childhood to adulthood, she had endured countless cold stares.
For the past twenty-odd years, she had been like duckweed on water, drifting with the currents, living in constant fear and anxiety, always on the verge of being homeless.
Ling Yuchen reached out to hug her, a flicker of heartache in his eyes.
"Then I'll call you Zhijing from now on."
Gong Zhijing beamed, though tears still glistened in her eyes.
As she flipped through the household registration book, which now contained only two names, her smile faltered. She looked at Gong Ye.
"Dad, I'll have more children in the future, and our family's household registration book will get thicker and thicker."
Gong Ye shook his head, his heart aching. "Your mother was afraid of pain, so we only planned to have you. You're already destined to bear twice the hardship, so having two children will be enough."
The Gong and Ling families needed to continue their lineage, so she had to have at least two children.
Gong Zhijing paid no heed to his words.
Both the Ling and Gong families were large and prosperous but had few descendants. She loved having a lively household and a warm family atmosphere.
...
In the countryside, at the Xia family home.
After several hours of driving, Xia Linfeng and his companions finally arrived at their ancestral home in the countryside.
Having received advance notice, Xia Decai and Wang Juxiang had prepared a large table of delicious dishes to welcome them.
As soon as the car stopped in front of the three-story building, the two elders who had been waiting inside eagerly came out to greet them.
Wang Juxiang's face was radiant with a smile, but her reddened eyes were still remarkably evident.
Xia Wanfu emerged from the car, exhausted. The hours of travel had taken their toll.
Yet, she still managed a smile and called out to the two elders, "Grandpa, Grandma."
"Good, good, it's good that you're back."
Wang Juxiang responded, her gaze shifting to her son as he stepped out of the car.
Xia Linfeng's face was stern, his expression far from pleasant. He didn't greet them and walked straight into the house.
Han Wenjuan, however, greeted the elders with a gentle smile.
"Mom, Dad, we're back."
Her son's indifference caused Wang Juxiang deep distress. She wiped away tears and nodded at Han Wenjuan.
"Let's go eat. I've prepared a meal waiting for you."
Entering the house, Xia Linfeng was already sitting alone at the table, eating.
Xia Decai was busy lighting incense at the family shrine. He set off a long string of firecrackers, hoping to ward off misfortune.
The family sat at the octagonal table for dinner, but the entire living room was pervaded by a somber atmosphere.
At this moment, Wang Juxiang and Xia Decai dared not mention their grandson's situation, and the meal was exceptionally subdued.
After a few hearty gulps of wine, Xia Decai looked at his son.
"Lin Feng, you know many people in the capital. Is there any way to get Yi Chen out?"
He was illiterate, and his entire life had been dedicated to farming. He didn't have much worldly experience, and in his eyes, his son was a very capable person.
Xia Linfeng continued eating, as if he hadn't heard him.
Xia Decai intended to speak further but was kicked under the table by Wang Juxiang.
"Just eat. There's no need for so many words."
Looking at Xia Linfeng's demeanor, her heart ached, imagining the hardships he must be enduring in prison.
"Have a chicken leg. I specifically slaughtered a free-range chicken to nourish your body."
Wang Juxiang placed a chicken leg from her large bowl into Xia Linfeng's bowl, then gave another to Xia Wanfu.
"Wanfu, you eat too. You've had a tough time."
Xia Wanfu remained silent, merely passing the chicken leg in her bowl to Han Wenjuan beside her.
While eating, she said, "I need to return to the capital after dinner."
"So soon?" Wang Juxiang looked at her granddaughter, her eyes filled with reluctance.
Han Wenjuan also said, "Aren't you staying home for a few days?"
Xia Wanfu stared intently at her bowl, her expression complex.
If she didn't return, Jiang Zexi would worry, but staying meant she didn't know how to face her family.
She was also worried that the perilous scene in the car today might repeat itself.
Yet, she thought that with her grandparents at home, it should be alright.
The room fell silent once more.
Xia Wanfu ate without savoring her food, recalling the joyous reunion of their last visit.
She sat in the same place, eating the same food, but it felt as though everything had changed.
Xia Linfeng finished eating first and then went upstairs alone to his room.
Wang Juxiang had already prepared his bedding and tidied his room.
As soon as he left, she couldn't help but ask Han Wenjuan, "Wenjuan, what's wrong with Lin Feng?"
From their return until now, Xia Linfeng hadn't uttered a single word.
His entire being exuded a somber and repressed aura, which deeply upset his mother.
Han Wenjuan replied with her usual composure, "He's fine. He's just lost too much all at once and can't accept it."
These words made Wang Juxiang burst into tears.
A single turn of events had caused a cataclysmic change in their family.
In the past, the entire village envied their family. They had a substantial fortune, a house, a car, a successful son who had established himself in the capital.
But in the blink of an eye, their son, daughter-in-law, and grandson were all imprisoned, and the family was suddenly destitute, having lost everything.
This drastic decline was not only difficult for Xia Linfeng to accept, but even she found it unbearable.
Xia Wanfu bit her lip, tears streaming down her face.