Chapter 424 Preparing to Meet His Parents, Andy Is Looking for Relatives (Two-in-One)
"Are you going to Daishan?"
Tan Zongming knew Andy very well. After Andy said those words, he understood what Andy was thinking.
"Yes, I have to go there in person, otherwise I won't be able to feel at ease."
Andy's attitude was very resolute. If she said that her brother was normal and happy after being adopted, she would only take one look and not disturb him again.
But now that she knows that her brother may be mentally retarded, she is worried that he will be bullied after being adopted. Although Dean Xie said that he is doing well, she will not believe it until she sees it with her own eyes.
Tan Zongming nodded and expressed his understanding. If it were him, if there was such a younger brother, he would search for it at all costs.
"Based on the results of Lao Yan's investigation, we can conclude that the director of the orphanage must know the whereabouts of your brother. I think there are several reasons why she is unwilling to tell him."
"First of all, Lao Yan is not you after all. The dean is probably still wary of Lao Yan and doubts your identity."
"Secondly, what I just said may be the request of the family that adopted your brother. Since the dean said that your brother is doing well, I think this is not a lie, because a person who can For people who have been in the orphanage for decades, the same thing for decades shows that the dean is a truly compassionate person, and such a person should be unlikely to lie."
"There may be other reasons, but these two are probably the most likely."
"But since you want to find your brother, you can only start with her. She may be the only person who knows the whereabouts of your brother."
Andy said: "So I have to go there in person to see Dean Xie."
Tan Zongming thought for a moment and said, "Let Lao Yan go with you."
"Go now." Andy said.
Tan Zongming advised: "Let's go tomorrow. It's too late today and it will take several hours to drive there. You should calm down and adjust your mentality today before going there tomorrow."
Andy was silent for a while, and then said: "Okay, let's set off early tomorrow morning."
After leaving Lao Tan's house, Andy got into the car in a daze. He was in a daze for a long time before starting the car and leaving.
Taking the elevator to the first floor, I happened to meet Fan Shengmei and Qu Xiaoxiao who were coming back from outside.
Fan Shengmei went out to eat with Wang Baichuan again today. When Wang Baichuan sent her back, she happened to meet Qu Xiaoxiao, and the two came back together.
Fan Shengmei and Qu Xiaoxiao said this and walked into the elevator. They found that Andy was there, but Andy didn't seem to see them. He lowered his head and didn't know what he was thinking.
"Andy, Andy, what's wrong with you?"
There was no response after calling several times. Fan Shengmei and Qu Xiaoxiao looked at each other and felt very strange.
Among the five women on their floor, Andy was definitely the strongest one. Except for the last elevator accident, they had never seen Andy lose his temper like this before.
"Ah? Fan Xiaomei, Xiaoqu, it's you."
Andy came back to his senses and saw Fan Shengmei and Qu Xiaoxiao. He smoothed his bangs and said hello.
Fan Shengmei saw Andy's status as a trooper and asked with concern: "Andy, are you okay?"
Andy: "Oh, it's okay, it's nothing. I was just thinking about something. What about you, why are you back together?"
Qu Xiaoxiao replied: "No, we just met at the door. Andy, are you really okay?"
"It's okay."
While talking, the elevator reached the 22nd floor, and Andy said to them: "I'm going back first, bye."
Returning to his home, Andy locked himself in his room.
Fan Shengmei and Qu Xiaoxiao stood in the middle of the corridor, looking at the closed door of Andy's house, they both looked at each other.
"Something must have happened to Andy, otherwise she wouldn't be in this state." Qu Xiaoxiao said with certainty.
Fan Shengmei gave her a white look and said, "A blind person can see it, but since they don't want to tell, we shouldn't meddle in other people's business."
"Okay, then I'll go back to bed first. I've been busy all day and I'm exhausted."
Qu Xiaoxiao waved her hand at Fan Shengmei and walked back to her home.
Andy's mind is particularly messed up now, and he has completely lost his previous calmness.
Before she got the news about her brother, although she was worried, she was not in a hurry. After all, she had been waiting for him for so many years.
But now that she knows the news about her brother, she can no longer stay calm, especially knowing that there may be something wrong with her brother. Now she just wants to find her brother as soon as possible.
On this day, she was destined to be unable to sleep.
Because Guan Ju'er told her parents that she was in love, Zhou Chen not only had to meet her parents soon, but also had important things to do in advance.
I had greeted my parents in advance, so the couple was well prepared for dinner.
After eating, Zhou Chen sat on the sofa with his parents and said to the two elders with a serious expression: "Dad, Mom, there is something I want to tell you."
Zhou Guofu and Sun Yi looked at each other, both surprised by Zhou Chen's serious look.
"What's the matter? You look so serious?"
"I'm in love."
"Oh, we are in love, not..."
Sun Yi didn't understand it at first, but before he could speak, he realized what he was saying and his eyes suddenly widened.
"Wait, Xiaochen, you said you are in love?"
Zhou Guofu also looked surprised. In the past few years, they had mentioned it to Zhou Chen countless times, but Zhou Chen never brought them good news.
Suddenly, he said he was in love, and the couple was really caught off guard.
Zhou Chen nodded and said: "Well, we have been talking for a while and confirmed the relationship between boyfriend and girlfriend."
"well."
Sun Yi was so happy that she didn't know what to say. At her age, she had no job, and she was not the kind of person who liked to play.
So her biggest hope is that her son can get married early and give her grandchildren.
It's a pity that Zhou Chen didn't realize it before, no matter how much she tried to persuade him, it was of no use. Who would have thought that God would open his eyes and that his son was no longer just busy with his career, but also knew how to find a girlfriend, and he did so in silence. found it.
"Xiao Chen, how old is the girl you are talking about, what is her personality like, what is her education, and what is her family like?"
Zhou Guofu was also looking forward to it. This was the first time his son had told them about a girlfriend, so of course they had to take it seriously.
Zhou Chen said: "Actually, you have also met my girlfriend. She is Xiaoguan upstairs. She was the one who sent you back in the last elevator accident."
"Xiao Guan upstairs? Is that the little girl who looks very well-behaved and wears glasses?"
Sun Yi and Zhou Guofu had a deep impression of Guan Ju'er, so even after such a long time, they still remembered him after Zhou Chen reminded him.
"Yes, that's her. After that time, I contacted her several times and felt that she was very good and more suitable for me, so I pursued her and now we have a confirmed relationship."
"Her name is Guan Ju'er. She is twenty-two years old and has just graduated from university. Her father works in a government agency and her mother works in a bank. In terms of personality, she is very docile."
Sun Yi's eyes brightened: "It seems pretty good. That little girl has quite an iconic look. The most important thing is that she has a kind personality. She seems to be a good child with a good tutor."
Zhou Guofu, on the other hand, snorted dissatisfiedly: "We have been talking for so long, and my girlfriend is upstairs from us, but you are only telling us now. Did you do it on purpose?"
Zhou Chen smiled bitterly and said: "Dad, how can this be called intentional? If I am not sure, there is no point in telling you, right? If you know about me and Guan Guan, you don't know what you will do. It won’t be good if you scare people then.”
Zhou Guofu suddenly became worried and said: "According to what you said, this Xiaoguan is a relatively ordinary girl. Does she know your identity? Although we should not be suspicious of people, falling in love and marriage are lifelong events. You and I Mom hopes you get married early and give us grandchildren, but we hope you can find a woman who can live with you and take care of you for the rest of your life, instead of seeing you miserable because of your marriage."
"Dad, I know what you are worried about. Guan Guan knows that I am relatively rich, but she does not know my true identity. And if you have more contact with her, you will know that she is not the kind of person who is thoughtful and scheming. It’s a girl, and their tutor is also very good.”
Zhou Guofu: "How old are you? You are very capable in business, but when it comes to people, your mother and I are more experienced than you. When will you take her home and let us meet her? Let your mother talk to her." Let’s talk, your mother and I will have an idea of what kind of person she is by then.”
Both of them are teachers and have taught thousands of students. Although they cannot say that they can see through people at a glance, they are definitely sharper than ordinary people.
"Okay, tomorrow is Sunday and she doesn't happen to be at work. Should I call her over for lunch?"
Zhou Chen did not resist, but calmly agreed. He was going to meet Guan Ju'er's parents anyway, so there was no problem in letting Guan Ju'er meet his own parents first.
As for whether Guan Ju'er will be questioned, he is not worried. His parents are both high-level intellectuals. Even if they want to ask, they will only make insinuations. Even if they are not satisfied with Guan Ju'er in the end, they will not be satisfied on the surface. It will definitely not show anything, it will only be very enthusiastic.
It is precisely because of their cheerfulness and knowledge that he can live such a nourishing life in this family, and get along with them just like his biological parents.
Sun Yi was immediately overjoyed and said: "This is the best. I will go buy groceries early tomorrow morning and entertain you well, Xiaoguan, right?"
"right."
Night came soon, and Zhou Guofu and Sun Yi were discussing tomorrow's affairs in the bedroom. This was the first time that their son's girlfriend came to the door, and they had to pay attention.
Although they had met Guan Ju'er, Guan Ju'er was not their son's girlfriend that time, but it was different now, and their attitude would naturally change.
The two discussed what groceries to buy tomorrow, what clothes to wear, what questions to ask, etc.
Listening to his parents whispering in the room, Zhou Chen smiled, walked into his room, took out his mobile phone and sent a message to Guan Ju'er.
Life is so strange, a boy and girl living upstairs and downstairs have to rely on their mobile phones to chat.
Zhou Chen told Guan Juer what he had told his parents and invited her to come down for lunch tomorrow.
Guan Ju'er was immediately frightened when he heard the news. He was at a loss with his cell phone and was in a panic.
When her parents came to see Zhou Chen, she didn't have much other thoughts besides being nervous and shy.
But now when she heard that she was going to meet Zhou Chen's parents, she immediately panicked. Fear, worry, nervousness and other emotions all flooded into her heart.
She was really scared to the point of being helpless. She desperately wanted to find someone to share the panic with, but now there were only two people around her.
With almost no hesitation, she immediately rushed to Fan Shengmei's room and knocked gently on the door.
"Sister Fan, Sister Fan."
Fan Shengmei was about to apply a facial mask when she heard Guan Ju'er's call, opened the sliding door, and asked strangely: "What's wrong, Guan Ju'er?"
Guan Ju'er said eagerly: "Sister Fan, I have something very important to ask you."
Fan Shengmei was even more surprised: "It's late at night, what important thing do you have?"
Although it was strange, she still let Guan Juer into the room.
Fan Shengmei's room is messy and not very spacious. There is no other place to sit except the bed.
"Tell me, what's the matter?"
"Sister Fan, Zhou Chen asked me to go to their house for dinner tomorrow."
"Then go. What's the point? Don't you often eat together?"
"No, Sister Fan, he asked me to go downstairs, to his parents' house, for dinner tomorrow, and said he would introduce me to his parents."
"real?"
Fan Shengmei sat up straight as a reflex and looked at Guan Ju'er in surprise.
"Guan Guan, you have only been in love for more than a month, right? So you don't want to meet his parents?"
Guan Ju'er: "It's not that I don't want to, but I'm afraid. I, I, I have never experienced this kind of thing. I don't know what to do. What if his parents don't like me?"
Fan Shengmei rolled her eyes, "You haven't experienced it, but I have experienced it?"
Although she has been in love several times, she has never experienced meeting her parents, so she actually has no experience.
"But I think that since Zhou Chen is willing to take you to meet his parents, it means that he is serious about you. As for his parents, haven't you met them too."
"But it's different from that time. I'm so ordinary and Zhou Chen is so outstanding. I'm afraid they won't look down on me and think I'm not good enough for Zhou Chen."
Fan Shengmei: "If that's the case, I don't think you need to be afraid. You are in love with Zhou Chen, not with them. And I heard you say that Zhou Chen's parents are intellectuals and come from a well-educated family. It shouldn’t be the kind of unreasonable family.”
"I think you really don't need to think so much. Just go directly tomorrow. If Zhou Chen really loves you, he will definitely show that he values you in front of his parents."
After hearing this, Guan Ju'er asked: "Really?"
Fan Shengmei sighed: "Of course it's true. I think you don't need to think so much now. The most important thing to do is to go back to sleep and recharge yourself so that you can go to your husband's house tomorrow. You are so docile and sensible, as long as they are not blind, I’ll definitely like you.”
"All right."
After listening to Fan Shengmei's persuasion, Guan Ju'er finally relaxed a little.
After Guan Ju'er left, Fan Shengmei couldn't help but sigh: "Even the youngest Guan Guan has to meet his parents, but I don't even have a boyfriend, alas!"
Guan Ju'er returned to his room, first sent a confirmation message to Zhou Chen, and then lay on the bed alone, thinking wildly, and fell asleep without knowing it.
Andy got up before dawn. She didn't sleep well last night, but she still managed to stay energetic early in the morning.
At six o'clock, I received a call from Lao Yan, saying that he had arrived at the gate of the Ode to Joy Community.
They had agreed to go to Daishan today and Lao Yan would drive her there yesterday.
Andy had absolute trust in Tan Zongming, so naturally he also trusted Lao Yan sent by Tan Zongming. He quickly packed up and went to the gate of the community without even eating breakfast.
"Old Yan."
After getting in the car, Andy greeted Lao Yan first, and then asked, "Are we going directly to Daishan now?"
Lao Yan replied: "Well, go directly there. There will be breakfast later. You should eat something first to cushion your stomach. It will probably take a few hours to reach Daishan."
"Thanks."
She didn't eat last night, and she didn't eat this morning, so she was really hungry.
But it's also because Lao Yan is someone she can trust. If someone else buys breakfast, she really won't eat it.
Guan Ju'er also got up early in the morning. She forcibly woke up Fan Shengmei, and then asked Fan Shengmei to accompany her to the mall for shopping.
After all, it was her first time meeting her parents. She felt that she had to be prepared and not go there empty-handed, so she wanted to buy something to take with her.
But because he had little experience, he called Fan Shengmei.
"I finally slept in, but you ruined it again."
While walking around the mall, Fan Shengmei was still yawning, but seeing Guan Juer's anxious look, she didn't complain.
"I think the old man just needs to buy some supplements. After all, it's the first time we meet him. Just be polite. There's no need to buy those expensive things."
"Really? Wouldn't that be too rude?"
Guan Ju'er wanted to leave a good impression on Zhou Chen's parents, so he wanted to buy some good things.
Fan Shengmei retorted: "I'm sorry, you just think too much. Didn't you ask Zhou Chen?"
Guan Ju'er said sheepishly: "I asked, and he told me that if I had to buy something, just buy some fruit to take with me, but I thought that was too perfunctory."
"Okay, my little Guan Guan, you can do whatever you want, I'll just help you with your eyes."
So the two of them started shopping in the mall.
It took Andy and Lao Yan more than three hours to finally reach Daishan.
"Miss Andy, shall we go directly to the orphanage?"
After arriving at Daishan Realm, Lao Yan turned his head and asked Andy.
Andy replied: "Well, go directly to the orphanage and find the old director."
When they arrived at the orphanage, Andy got out of the car and looked at the brand new gate of the orphanage in front of him, feeling very surprised.
In her memory, this orphanage was relatively dilapidated, but now it seems that is not the case.
Lao Yan had been here and done some research. He saw Andy's face full of surprise, so he explained to her.
"This welfare home seems to have been donated by wealthy people, so it looks very good. It is one of the largest welfare homes in the city. It has expanded a lot compared to the time you were there, so you feel unfamiliar. "
Andy said: "It's just that there is no longer the sense of familiarity that I remembered at the beginning."
"Let's go. The orphanage is normally not open to the public. I'll go tell them first, and then go directly to Director Xie."
"Um."
Lao Yan went to the security office at the door, while Andy continued to look around the orphanage and also looked inside.
The welfare home in front of me is very different from the one in my memory, but this is normal. After all, more than 20 years have passed and society is progressing, so it is impossible for the welfare home to remain unchanged at all.
A few minutes later, Lao Yan came back. He said to Andy: "Andy, I have contacted Dean Xie, and she asked us to go to her office to find her."
Andy nodded and said, "Okay, let's go."
The two entered the orphanage and, under the command of the security guard, went straight to Dean Xie's office. Because Lao Yan had been here before, they were familiar with the place.
Along the way, Andy saw many children, both boys and girls, and many had physical defects, which made them very lively.
Soon, they arrived at their destination, the office of the director of the orphanage.
Lao Yan knocked on the door gently, and a woman's voice came from inside: "Please come in."
Andy walked into the office and immediately saw the woman sitting there.
I saw that the other person looked to be about fifty years old, wearing a pair of glasses and gray hair. After they came in, he raised his head and looked at them.
Lao Yan was the first to call out: "Dean Xie, hello, I am Xiao Yan who came here last time."
Xie Yajing pushed up her glasses. Years of work had caused problems with her eyes. Only by wearing them could she see people several meters away.
"Oh, it's you, Xiao Yan, why are you here again? Didn't I tell you, I can't help you with your matter."
Lao Yan said very politely: "Dean Xie, I am not here alone this time. This is Miss Andy."
Xie Yajing turned her eyes to Andy and her expression became serious.
"She is the one who asked you to inquire about Xiao Ming. Is she Xiao Ming's sister?"
Lao Yan was about to speak, but Andy suddenly passed him and stood in front of Xie Yajing.
"Hello, Dean Xie, my name is He Lichun. I am Xiao Ming's sister. I asked Lao Yan to inquire about my brother."
While talking, Andy was also looking at Xie Yajing carefully, trying to recall whether she knew her, but no matter how she thought, she couldn't remember.
Xie Yajing put down the pen in her hand and looked at Andy seriously.
To be honest, twenty years later, she never thought that the little girl who was adopted abroad would actually come back to find her brother.
Of course she knew everything about Andy's brother, but she promised the Zhou family and his wife that she would not tell anyone about their adoption of Zhou Chen.
As Zhou Chen became more and more promising, she and the Zhou family cleared the traces left by Zhou Chen because they didn't want to leave any stain on Zhou Chen's resume.
Now the only people who know Zhou Chen's true identity are a few of them. Even if others check, it will be difficult to find useful information.
In fact, someone had come to inquire about the sister and brother before, but they only wanted to know the whereabouts of the sister and ignored Xiao Ming.
Until not long ago, the appearance of Lao Yan made Xie Yajing wary.
To be honest, she really didn't want people to know that Zhou Chen was Xiao Ming, and she didn't want Andy to go find Zhou Chen.
But after all, she is the director of the welfare home, and Andy may be Zhou Chen's only blood relative, so she should not be indifferent to both public and private matters.
"He Lichun, I know you. You were adopted more than 20 years ago. I think you should be doing well now. Why are you still looking for your brother?"
Andy said: "Xiao Ming is my only relative in this world. My main purpose of returning to China this time is to find him, especially after knowing that my brother may have intellectual problems, I want to find him even more. "
Xie Yajing said: "Xiao Ming does not have any intellectual problems. On the contrary, he is actually very smart. As for the reason for this, it is not convenient for me to say more."
"Really? If there was nothing wrong with him, why was he returned by the adoptive family?" Andy asked eagerly.
Xie Yajing: "I have already said that this happened many years ago, and the reason is not important. You just need to know that there is nothing wrong with your brother."
Andy: "I asked someone to investigate my brother, but couldn't find any information. I want to know if someone destroyed these traces on purpose. Where is my brother now? Please tell me the truth. As long as you can help I have found my brother, and I will do whatever you ask me to do.”
"well."
Xie Yajing sighed quietly: "I knew that since Xiao Yan came last time, I knew that you would come, but I still said the same thing, I do know who adopted your brother, but I want to What I’m telling you is that your brother is living a good life now. He has a family of his own, and you also have a family of yours. If you meet, it may not be a good thing for him. You still have to meet. ?"
"Want to meet."
Andy's attitude was very firm: "I still can't feel at ease without seeing my brother in person and confirming his condition."
"My child, you have also lived in an orphanage. You should know very well that generally adopted children are not suitable to interact with their previous relatives, because this is likely to harm both families."
"I can understand what you said, but he is my brother, and I don't want to take him away. I just want to confirm whether he is living well. If he is living well, I can watch him from a distance. Can you please not disturb him?"
After thinking about it all night, she had figured out a lot. If her brother was really living a good life, she could not recognize him, but the premise was that she had to confirm it herself.
Feeling Andy's determination, Xie Yajing nodded.
She was actually a little tangled. On the one hand, this was indeed Zhou Chen's biological sister. On the other hand, she also had a lot of worries. After all, Zhou Chen's current status was unusual, and acknowledging his relatives might not necessarily be a good thing for him.
"Whether I can go see your brother or not is not something I can decide now. For the sake of your determination, I can let you have a phone call with the family who adopted your brother, but you must promise me that if they If you don’t agree, you can’t disturb them privately, let alone use coercion.”
"I hope you can understand that their thoughts are actually the same as yours. You are worried about your brother's life, and they are also worried that you will take away their children. After all, they have raised your brother for so many years, and they are more worried about you than your sister. Closer."
Andy's expression changed after hearing this. He was forcing her, but Dean Xie was right. He had raised her brother for so many years. If he really regarded him as his biological son, how could he let him go?
Seeing this, Lao Yan whispered to Andy: "Ms. Andy, let's discuss it again. If it doesn't work, we will make more efforts to investigate. Sooner or later, we will find some clues."
Andy did not speak, but closed her eyes and began to weigh. After a long while, she opened her eyes.
"Okay, I promise you, please let me call that family."
She has confidence in herself and feels that she can convince the other party, and she is not willing to delay. She is eager to know how her brother is doing and doesn't want to wait for a moment longer.
"good."
Xie Yajing nodded, and then said: "You guys go to the conference room outside and wait for me. I'm going to find a phone."
Then she called someone over and brought Andy and Lao Yan to the conference room.
Looking at the phone number on her phone, Xie Yajing sighed softly. She didn't want to contact the Zhou couple if she had no other choice.
Sun Yi and Zhou Guofu went to the market to buy vegetables early in the morning and were busy in the kitchen after they came back. As for Zhou Chen, he went to the company early in the morning. He still had things to deal with this morning. At noon, he Will be back.
"Lao Zhou, the dishes need to be washed clean, and the soup needs to be simmered to taste."
"I understand, don't worry when I do my work. Besides, making soup is my specialty, so it's absolutely no problem."
The busy Zhou family and his wife had smiles on their faces. The 'daughter-in-law-to-be' they had been looking forward to for a long time was about to come to their door. For them, this was the top priority in the past few years.
While she was busy, suddenly Sun Yi's cell phone rang. Sun Yi took a look and saw that it was Director Xie of the welfare home, which surprised her.
They have been in contact over the years, all because of Zhou Chen, and they both know that Dean Xie is very special to Zhou Chen.
However, although she had Dean Xie's phone number, they had actually not contacted each other for several years. How could she suddenly call her at this time?
Wiping the water off her hands, she picked up the phone and answered the call.
After dozens of seconds, Sun Yi suddenly shouted excitedly: "No, I don't agree."
The sound was so loud that it startled Zhou Guofu, who was washing vegetables, and he quickly asked: "What's wrong? Why are you so excited?"
Unexpectedly, Sun Yi suddenly turned her head and shouted at him: "Shut up, don't talk."
Then he put the phone to his ear and said in a slightly trembling tone: "Dean Xie, we had discussed this matter at the beginning. Even if someone came to the door, we would not tell anyone about Xiaochen's situation. You promised Over ours.”
Zhou Guofu, who was scolded by his wife, didn't understand why at first, but after hearing his wife's words, he immediately realized something and his expression became nervous. He approached Sun Yi and made gestures towards her.
"Hands-free, hands-free open."
Although Sun Yi was very angry at the moment, after hearing her husband's words, she turned on the speakerphone and put the phone between the two of them.