Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 217 Ask around
Seeing that Wang Jianhua readily agreed, Wang Chengpeng was also very happy and said with a smile:
"That's right, Grandpa Jianhua is the most capable. There are some things we really can only ask you for help with."

"I heard that my father is not my grandparents' biological child, but I don't know the specifics. I would like to ask Grandpa Jianhua to tell me about it."

"You're older and more experienced; perhaps only you can help me with this."

Pfft,

Upon hearing Wang Chengpeng's question, Wang Jianhua couldn't hold back any longer and spat out the tea he was drinking.

He never expected that Wang Chengpeng's words, once spoken, would be so explosive.

After a moment's hesitation, Wang Jianhua said with an embarrassed expression, "Xiao Peng, where did you hear such rumors? Don't talk nonsense."

"If your father and grandparents heard this, I don't know how heartbroken they would be."

Seeing that Wang Jianhua was still pretending to be stupid, Wang Chengpeng went straight to the point and said:
“Grandpa Jianhua, I’m not a child, and my father is a real man. Don’t try to fool us with these kinds of words.”

"If I didn't have solid evidence, why would I come to you to verify this?"

“I know you’re worried that our family can’t handle it, but we also have the right to know, and we shouldn’t be kept in the dark.”

"Aunt Song from Uncle Ding's family said that my father is not my grandparents' biological son."

"No wonder they were so biased; it turns out the truth is just like that."

After Wang Chengpeng specifically named him, Wang Jianhua knew that this matter could no longer be kept secret, and immediately sighed, saying:
"Some things don't need to be taken so seriously. Whether you are related by blood or not is not important. What matters is how well you get along."

At this point, recalling how Zhao Yuju treated Wang Tieshan's family, Wang Jianhua realized he had spoken out of turn and said:

"Having lived together for so long, knowing the truth at this time might be a form of torture."

"But you're right, you are the parties involved after all, and you have the right to know and the right to choose to know the truth."

"I don't actually know much about this matter, and I can only tell you what I know."

At this point, Wang Jianhua's eyes became unfocused, as if he had traversed the river of time and arrived at the era he described:
"I remember it very clearly because it was pouring rain that night, an extremely heavy downpour."

"It's quite a coincidence that your grandmother was also in her final month of pregnancy and it just so happened that she had to give birth."

“Making such a thing, let alone in that era, would be extremely dangerous even now.”

“Especially your grandmother was unlucky; she had a difficult childbirth and her life was hanging by a thread.”

"After all that effort, the baby still couldn't be born. The midwife had no choice but to ask the Wang family to take your grandmother to the village clinic to see if the doctors there could help."

"That's all I know. I only heard later that Wang Degong chose to save the mother in order to avoid the death of both mother and child."

"But for some reason, they still managed to bring back a baby boy in the end."

At this point, Wang Jianhua paused and said, "These kinds of old stories are hard to trace; most of them are just hearsay and not very credible."

"Instead of wasting your time asking this old geezer, you should ask the matchmaker who delivered your grandmother, or the clinic she used to go to."

"It's just that too much time has passed; these people are probably already buried."

"So I advise you not to overthink things, just do what you should do."

“Regardless of whether your father is biological or not, the Wang family has been kind to you in raising you. This is an insurmountable obstacle.”

Wang Jianhua provided very little information, but it wasn't entirely nonexistent; at least it guided Wang Chengpeng down a path to uncover the truth.

After hesitating for a moment, Wang Chengpeng asked his second question, saying:
"I understand about this matter. I will do what I should do and will not do anything excessive."

"I have another question for Grandpa Jianhua: do you know who 'Awei' is that my grandma was talking about?"

Upon hearing this name, Wang Jianhua was instinctively taken aback and said:
"Ah Wei? I've never heard of him before."

"However, your grandmother is not a native of this village either; she is a woman who married into the village from another village."

"If you can't find any clues in Wangjia Village, perhaps you can look for clues in the village where your mother originally lived."

"But this name is too ordinary, and given how long ago it has been, you'd better not have too high hopes."

Wang Jianhua spoke earnestly, sharing his own experiences, which provided Wang Chengpeng with a great deal of help.

After setting down the gift, Wang Chengpeng respectfully bowed to Wang Jianhua and said:
"Grandpa Jianhua, thank you for your help."

"So much time has passed, the truth may have long been buried under the yellow earth, and it may not even be that important to us who were involved."

"But listening to the rumors circulating in the village, I always felt an itch to find out the truth."

"Don't force things, just be true to yourself."

"Grandpa Jianhua, I have to go now. Please accept these gifts. I'll come to see you again next time."

Through his conversation with Wang Jianhua, Wang Chengpeng obtained many clues, but the cloud of doubt surrounding the truth grew thicker, making it difficult to see the truth clearly.

More haste less speed.

Wang Chengpeng decided to gather clues little by little until he finally uncovered the truth.

With that in mind, Wang Chengpeng didn't waste any time and immediately rode his bicycle to Ding Kaiyuan's house.

Since those words came from his wife, Song Sanya, there must be many clues in their home.

If they didn't know the inside story, Wang Chengpeng could only ask the descendants of the clinic doctor and midwife from back then.

It was lunchtime, and there were people at Ding Kaiyuan's house, namely Song Sanya, who was busy preparing lunch for the family.

He casually placed the gift on the kitchen table and, without wasting any time, went straight to the point:
"Aunt Song, I brought you a small gift. I hope you won't find it offensive."

Although it was described as a small gift, Wang Chengpeng's gift was extremely sincere.

Not only is there meat, but also rice, and even a considerable amount of wheat flour. Ordinary families probably wouldn't dare to buy such good food even once every month or two.

After wiping her hands on her apron, Song Sanya looked at Wang Chengpeng with some confusion and said:
"Hey, isn't this Wang Chengpeng from Wang Tieshan's family?"

"It's fine if you're just passing by, but why did you bring so much stuff? Take it back quickly. Our family doesn't accept so much stuff from people for no reason."

Although her eyes were full of longing, Song Sanya still firmly rejected Wang Chengpeng's sweet talk.

However, Wang Chengpeng didn't accept the things Song Sanya brought back. Instead, he smiled and said:
"I won't accept gifts without merit, but if I have done something, Aunt Song will naturally accept these things." "My purpose in coming here today is very simple. I just want to ask Aunt Song why she said that yesterday, that my father is not my grandparents' biological son?"

Upon hearing Wang Chengpeng's words, Song Sanya's heart skipped a beat, and she regretted her actions.

If she had listened to Ding Kaiyuan and not been a blabbermouth, how could Wang Chengpeng have come knocking on her door at a time like this?

Thinking this, Song Sanya pushed some of the things back and said:
"What do you mean I'm not your biological child? I've never said anything like that."

"Xiao Wang, take your things back quickly. You can't just say things like that."

Seeing Song Sanya's firm denial, Wang Chengpeng remained unhurried, simply saying:

"Aunt Song, you know our family's situation. What's wrong with me just wanting to know the truth?"

"Besides, even if you tell me about this, I won't tell anyone else that it came from you. You'll also get so much food. Why not?"

“Those little cakes on your table, it would be such a good thing to take them to your kids.”

"And this meat, this rice, this noodles—you're just about to cook, so you'll definitely need them."

People who can be big mouths are often those with an insatiable urge to confide. Not letting them speak is worse than killing them.

Wang Chengpeng not only reasoned with him and appealed to his emotions, but also thoughtfully prepared many gifts.

Looking at the little girl playing in the yard, Song Sanya hesitated for a moment, but ultimately wavered and said:

"I can tell you about this, but you absolutely cannot say that I told you."

"Actually, you've asked the wrong person. You should ask Kaiyuan."

"At the time, he was the one who helped take your grandmother to the clinic. I only learned a little about this matter because I overheard him talking nonsense while drunk."

"According to Kaiyuan, it seems that your grandmother was not the only one who gave birth at the clinic at that time. However, only your grandmother returned alive with a baby boy. The other woman who gave birth was never heard from again."

"That's all I know about it. If you can wait, I can have Kaiyuan tell you about it."

At this point, Song Sanya gave an awkward smile and said, "After all, I can't just take all those things from you for nothing, can I?"

"If I hadn't been so disgusted by Zhao Yuju's domineering attitude towards your family, I would have kept this matter to myself."

As more and more pieces of the truth were pieced together, Wang Chengpeng's eyes gradually lit up with excitement.

It's now almost certain that my father isn't my grandparents' biological son.
With the alimony relationship now bought out, I can finally truly separate myself from Wang Degong's family.

If they don't cause trouble, Wang Chengpeng, out of consideration for their past relationship, won't do anything to them.

But if they still intend to rip off their family members as they have before, Wang Chengpeng wouldn't mind showing them his methods.

Thinking this, Wang Chengpeng said to Song Sanya, "Aunt Song is truly a righteous person. If it weren't for your help, we would still be kept in the dark."

"However, it's still a bit too long before it's time to finish work. I'll go ask around and find out more information from other people, and then I'll ask Uncle Song about the situation when I get back."

With that, Wang Chengpeng immediately headed to his next destination, Wang Wen's house.

This Wang Wen is none other than the daughter of the midwife who delivered Zhao Yuju's baby. Following in her mother's footsteps, she is also a matchmaker in the village.

If she could reveal some secrets to him, he would be one step closer to the truth.

Even if she knew nothing, Wang Chengpeng still had Ding Kaiyuan as a trump card, enough for him to know a lot of things.

The village is very large, and the villagers' residences are generally spaced some distance apart.

However, with the help of the bicycle, Wang Chengpeng quickly arrived at Wang Wen's house.

As a midwife, Wang Wen naturally couldn't always be on call. Usually, she would stay at home taking care of the vegetables she grew, raising chickens, and collecting eggs.

Wang Chengpeng arrived at just the right time, just in time to see Wang Wen busy in the yard.

The thought that the truth was within reach made Wang Chengpeng somewhat excited. After putting down the gift, he told Wang Wen about his purpose.

For a profession like midwife, which involves access to other people's secrets, business will inevitably suffer if one is not discreet.

After all, every family has its share of dirty secrets, and the worst thing is for them to be leaked out for no reason.

Thinking this, Wang Wen pretended to be stupid and said:
"That happened so many years ago. I was too young to remember it."

“We midwives are all pretty tight-lipped, and besides, I didn’t deliver the baby myself, so how could I possibly know what happened back then?”

Looking at Wang Wen's sincere expression, Wang Chengpeng was unsure whether the other party genuinely didn't know or was pretending not to.

Fortunately, Wang Chengpeng has a wide range of interests and has read a wide variety of books.

This gave Wang Chengpeng some knowledge of psychology, and he immediately began to observe Wang Wen's expression.

Her eyes darted around, constantly glancing at insignificant places in the room, avoiding eye contact with Wang Chengpeng.

He would touch his nose with his right hand from time to time, clearly using this physical gesture to release the pressure of lying.

Although he was smiling at Wang Chengpeng, Wang Wen's expression seemed somewhat fake, just as people say, a forced smile.

With those tightly closed lips, a very obvious answer was already on the tip of her tongue: Wang Wen was lying, and she definitely knew something.

Although he knew Wang Wen was lying, Wang Chengpeng didn't dare to actually do anything to him.

After all, it's me who needs her help now, not the other way around. Catering to her preferences is the best solution.

Some people love fame, some love power, some love money, but some people prefer small hobbies.

The first two and the latter are more difficult to deal with, so Wang Chengpeng can only try the more effective money offensive.

Thinking this, Wang Chengpeng immediately said meaningfully:
"It's a real shame that Aunt Wang didn't know the inside story."

"I had prepared a large red envelope, but now it seems I can only give it to other people in the know."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Chengpeng pulled a thick envelope from his pocket.

Although it's impossible to tell exactly how much money is inside, judging from the thickness of the envelope, there must be a considerable amount of money inside.

(End of this chapter)