Plunder-Chapter 287 Please Tell the Truth

"You... how are you here?"

It took Auntie Jiang a long while to utter these words.

For over twenty years, the grievances that had festered at the bottom of her heart now overflowed in her eyes.

Though lovers met again, she chose not to let go and continued to endure.

"I..."

Zheng Gang started to speak, then stopped.

Time had erected an insurmountable distance between them.

Hope flickered in Auntie Jiang’s eyes, but it quickly vanished.

"Sorry, I went the wrong way."

She reached up to tuck the stray strands of hair behind her ear, intending to flee without choosing her path.

At the doorway, Qiao En appeared, her belly swollen with pregnancy.

"Mom."

Her gaze was complex as she looked at Auntie Jiang.

In that instant, Auntie Jiang understood everything.

She opened her mouth, about to say something, but ultimately, she said nothing.

Qiao En stepped forward, grasping Auntie Jiang’s wrist, "Mom, I think I’ve guessed his identity. What exactly happened back then? You must have many questions for him."

Auntie Jiang’s eyelids drooped, and tears slid down her cheeks that she quickly wiped away.

She shook her head, "It’s all in the past, there’s nothing to ask."

Auntie Jiang was determined to leave, but Qiao En insisted on keeping her there.

"If you don’t want to ask, I’ll ask for you."

Her eyes blazed as she stared at Zheng Gang.

"Twenty-seven years ago, why did you leave my mother and us without saying goodbye? Do you know how much suffering my mother endured because of you? And we, your children, were separated from our biological parents for twenty-six years."

Zheng Gang hung his head low as if beaten by frost.

Auntie Jiang’s tears continued to fall unabated.

"You don’t need to explain to us, but you owe me an explanation; why did you leave in that manner?"

Qiao En asked again.

Finally, Zheng Gang spoke, "I’m sorry."

He only said three words, then stopped again.

"Can a mere ’sorry’ resolve the twenty years of grievances in my mom’s heart? What have you been doing these twenty years? Why couldn’t you tell her? Or is it that you didn’t dare to?"

Qiao En was upset.

Zheng Gang remained silent, guilty, and faced everything in silence.

"Why aren’t you saying anything?"

Qiao En raised her voice.

"Besides sorry, I have nothing else to say."

Zheng Gang responded.

Afterward, he refused to speak any further.

"Yayun, let’s go."

Auntie Jiang, soft-hearted, couldn’t bear to see Qiao En pressuring Zheng Gang, so she forcefully pulled Qiao En’s wrist and dragged her out of Zheng Gang’s hospital room.

"Mom, what exactly are you avoiding?"

Qiao En was puzzled.

Auntie Jiang composed herself, "He doesn’t want to talk; what can you do by forcing him? Yayun, now that you know his identity, mom won’t hide it from you, he indeed is your biological father. Whether to acknowledge him or not, I respect your decision."

Qiao En’s heart was sour.

Even at this moment, Auntie Jiang was still considering her well-being.

Perhaps only parents always put their children first.

"What about you? Do you forgive him?"

Qiao En asked again.

Auntie Jiang fell silent.

People separated for over twenty years, no matter how deep the love once was, time couldn’t bring them back to where they once were.

"We’ll see."

She sighed softly.

Qiao En found a bench, and she and Auntie Jiang sat down, clasping each other’s hands, each lost in their thoughts.

"Mom, do you know where he has been all these years?"

Qiao En asked.

Auntie Jiang shook her head, as if forcing herself to come to terms with it all.

Zheng Gang’s arrival shattered the peace she had struggled to regain.

"I don’t want to know."

"He’s actually in Hongyan Village, less than two hours away from Gu Yuan. He’s been so close yet never visited you. Do you know why?"

Auntie Jiang remained silent.

She was taken aback.

"Mom, he was forced."

Auntie Jiang was shocked, "Forced?"

Qiao En revealed how Zheng Gang had framed Mrs. Zhou and also told her about his recent trip to Hongyan Village.

As expected, Auntie Jiang grew incredibly worried.

"Why didn’t you tell me? Going to such a far place alone, if something had happened, how could I live with myself?"

"Mom, I’m fine. Actually, the reason I asked you to go today wasn’t just to see him, but also to ask for your help with something."

"What help?"

Auntie Jiang asked.

"The thing about him framing Jin’an’s mother was done under duress. Jin’an’s mother has been in a coma, longing to clear her name all her life, so I want him to speak the truth."

Auntie Jiang pondered for a moment, and without waiting for Qiao En to react, she immediately got up.

"Mom, don’t rush."

"This disaster was caused by him, and he must repay it. Jin’an’s mother’s happiness was ruined because of him. Shouldn’t he be responsible?"

Without wanting to wait a second, Auntie Jiang made her way back to Zheng Gang’s hospital room the way she came.

He was leaning back on the bed with his eyes closed when Auntie Jiang pushed open the door and entered.

Zheng Gang opened his eyes and looked at Auntie Jiang in surprise.

"Tell me, who made you do it?"

Auntie Jiang, straightforward as ever, didn’t beat around the bush; she went to the side of Zheng Gang’s bed demanding him to reveal the truth immediately.

"Caiyun."

Zheng Gang looked at Auntie Jiang in agony.

"Speak up!"

She raised her voice.

Zheng Gang closed his eyes again.

"Caiyun, I’m sorry, I can’t tell. Go away and pretend you never saw me. Take good care of the kid from now on. I’ve wronged you in this life; I’ll repay you in the next."

"What do you mean this life, next life? I want you to pay now. If you are a man, you’d better speak the truth right now."

Auntie Jiang, implacable, pressured Zheng Gang to tell the truth.

He refused to speak, so she started hitting him.

"You damn rogue, if not for you, would I have suffered so much in my life? If not for you, would my two children and I have been separated? You owe us so much; you must repay it today."

As she spoke, Auntie Jiang couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.

"Caiyun, don’t cry. I’m sorry, I did those despicable things because I wanted to earn money to find our child, to have a good life with you. But I... ah."

Zheng Gang sighed deeply, unable to continue.

"What about you? You disappeared without a word, still say it was for our good? Zheng Gang, I trusted you so much back then, never thought you’d turn out to be such a big liar. Do you know how many years I’ve waited alone in Rong City?"

"I know."

Zheng Gang took over the conversation.

"I know you worked and searched for our child alone in Rong City, I know you returned to Gu Yuan and were driven out by your parents, I also know you married someone on a whim..."

"If you knew all that, why didn’t you come find me?"

Auntie Jiang cried.

"I... I’m not worthy, Caiyun. I’m a broken man now; I can’t drag you down anymore."

Zheng Gang also cried.

He clenched his fists and hammered his legs, "I deserve it, I should die!"

Auntie Jiang couldn’t hold back and rushed over to stop him.

"Just tell the truth, who made you do this? Who brought you to this state? Zheng Gang, we’re almost fifty, can’t you speak the truth to me? Niannian has gone to prison, Yayun is about to give birth, and you are going to be a grandfather."

"She married into the Zhou family?"

Zheng Gang asked again.

Auntie Jiang nodded forcefully, "Jin’an treats her well."

Zheng Gang sighed deeply, "It’s fate! I caused them to be torn apart, yet my daughter has married his son."

"Tell the truth, Zheng Gang. You wouldn’t want Yayun to get hurt again because of you, right?"

Auntie Jiang continued to persuade.

But Zheng Gang hesitated, indecisive, no one knew what he was wavering on.