Chapter 163

Chapter 163: Another Grandson

This uncle fit perfectly with Du An Rao’s image of a chef. He looked a bit over forty, with a square face and a slightly chubby build, and he wore a warm, enthusiastic smile.

“Dad, Mom, Uncle Du. This must be An An, right? She really looks fresh and pretty,” he said. “I am your Uncle Rui Xiang. Did the food just now taste good? Did it suit your taste?”

“Very good. I have never eaten food that good. Uncle, you are amazing.”

“Hahaha, if it is good, eat more. If it is not enough, Uncle will cook more for you.”

“Rui Xiang, do you want to eat something too?” Old Madam Fu asked softly when her son sat down beside her.

Fu Rui Xiang smiled and shook his head: “I ate before I came. I am not hungry now.”

Hearing that, Old Madam let it go, nodding without saying anything more.

Du An Rao glanced at the two of them, lost in thought.

After the meal, it was time to talk business.

Old Master Fu exchanged a look with Du De Sheng, then spoke first: “An An, your Grandfather must have already told you about our situation before coming. All my life, I have stood tall. I can face heaven and earth above and my own conscience below. The only people I have failed are my family.”

Hearing this, Old Madam squeezed her husband’s hand to comfort him.

“Because of me, my only grandson, Si Qi, was kidnapped by my enemies. My son got in a car accident and died young while searching for the child. My daughter-in-law fell ill from grief and anger and passed away not long after. That left only the two of us old veterans, white-haired people sending black-haired ones away.”

Thanks to his sister, Du Yi Han had been able to sit beside Du De Sheng and quietly enjoy the meal. Now he raised his brows in surprise. He had thought this Uncle Rui Xiang was the Fu family young master who had lost his child. He had not expected that he was not.

“My spouse and I are old now. We do not have many years left. Our only wish before we close our eyes is to see that grandson who was taken away, wherever he is,” Old Master Fu continued. “Then, when we go down and see his parents, at least we can talk with them about the child and tell them what he looks like…”

By the time he finished speaking, Old Master Fu’s eyes were red. Old Madam Fu’s eyes were full of tears, and she lowered her head without a word.

There is no greater pain in life than being parted by death and never getting what you pray for.

It was worth noting that Fu Rui Xiang, sitting beside Old Madam, did not show his emotions as openly as the two elders when he heard this, but he also lowered his head, his expression gloomy.

Du An Rao pressed her lips together and looked at the members of the Fu family, hesitating: “Well, I basically understand your situation. I have one bad news and one good news. Which one do you want to hear first?”

“This…”

Over the years, the Fu family had tried everything in their desperation. They had even gone to so-called famous grandmasters for help. Most of those people spent forever talking in circles, and even then, they often could not give any clear answer. Someone as direct as Du An Rao was actually the first.

The three of them were stunned and did not reply for a long time.

Du De Sheng glanced at his old brother and gave a small cough as a reminder.

Old Master Fu seemed to wake from a dream. Rarely, he looked a bit uneasy as he asked: “What is the bad news?”

“The bad news is…” Du An Rao paused, feeling a little sorry. “Sadly, the child you are looking for is very likely no longer alive.”

“What?!”

Even though they had searched for many years without any word and had prepared themselves inside, hearing a clear answer still hit them hard.

The straight back of Old Master Fu suddenly bent, and for the first time, Du An Rao truly realized that some people really could seem to grow ten years older in a moment when they were hit by a heavy blow.

Old Madam Fu burst into tears on the spot, covering her face as she sobbed.

But surprisingly, the one who reacted the most was Fu Rui Xiang, sitting beside Old Madam.

“It is all my fault, all my fault,” he cried. “If not for me, Si Qi would not have had an accident, and Brother and Sister-in-law would not have died. Why wasn’t I the one who died? I am the one who should have died!”

As soon as Old Madam Fu heard this, she quickly pulled herself together and comforted her younger son: “Rui Xiang, don’t say that. None of this is your fault. Don’t get stuck in this. Your dad and I have already lost your brother, your sister-in-law, and Si Qi. We cannot lose you too.”

Old Master Fu also agreed: “Your mother is right. This has nothing to do with you. If we really have to blame someone, it should be me. They came after me. If not for me, Si Qi would not have been taken, and your brother and sister-in-law would not have died from grief. I did this. It is my sin!”

“No, no, Dad, don’t say that. It is my fault,” Fu Rui Xiang said. “If you hadn’t adopted me back then, maybe… maybe none of this would have happened.”

Old Madam grew angry and even forgot to cry: “What is wrong with you two? How can you just drag all this blame onto yourselves? The ones who are wrong are those bad people, those human traffickers who deserve a thousand cuts. They don’t even think they are wrong. What are you two arguing over?”

Her words froze both father and son. After a brief silence, the three of them went back to hugging each other and crying.

The three members of the Du family were speechless.

[Elder Madam is wise, but what is this adoption about?]

The hints in their words had caught Du An Rao’s interest. She looked up and stared at Fu Rui Xiang for quite a while.

[So that is how it is.]

Du Yi Han, the only one who did not know the inside story, felt itchy with curiosity, wishing she would say it out loud already.

It turned out that Fu Rui Xiang was the Fu family’s adopted son, and also the child of Old Master Fu’s comrade-in-arms.

When he was just born, his mother died in childbirth. Over the next two or three years, the grandparents who raised him passed away one after another from illness, and his father died in the war.

Everyone in the family died until only he was left, and gossip started in the village. People said he had the fate of Heaven’s Lone Star, bringing death to his father, his mother, and everyone close to him.

Because of this, none of his relatives were willing to take him in, afraid he would bring them bad luck.

After Old Master Fu learned of this, he took the child in. When he sent his wife and child away to hide from danger, he sent him along as well.

Compared to the old master he did not see often, the one who truly filled the role of father in his childhood was the brother more than ten years older than him.

So when that older brother and his wife’s family had their accident back then, Fu Rui Xiang broke down more than anyone else. He believed it was the curse of his fate that had killed his brother’s whole family.

Du Yi Han was a bit surprised. At first he had thought that, since this man was an adopted son, what happened to the real son’s family might have something to do with him. He had not expected that Rui Xiang truly treated his adoptive parents’ family as his own. It turned out he had been judging a noble person with a petty mind.

After understanding the whole story and glancing again at the three people still hugging and crying, the corner of Du An Rao’s mouth twitched. She had no choice but to speak up and remind them: “Actually, there is still the good news.”

Only then did the Fu family members stop crying. Du De Sheng and the others all turned their eyes on her.

“The good news is…”

Du An Rao tugged at the corner of her lips, looking a bit innocent: “The good news is that you still have another grandson.”

“What?!”