Mei Shuping’s face grew darker, hands on hips, as he looked around and told his wife, "You wait here first."

Speaking thus, he found a wall easy to climb and flipped over into the yard. Then he opened the gate from the inside.

After Xie Lingzhi entered, she quickly ran toward the lit-up house, crying out as she went, "Xiao Chi, Hua Hua is missing, taken away by Aunt Li early this morning. She even left evidence saying Hua Hua is their grandson. You, you rascal, come out quickly and explain what exactly is going on."

Once inside the house, she pushed open the door to her son’s bedroom, only to find it locked from the inside. Xie Lingzhi became more anxious and smacked the door hard, shouting, "Mei Langchi, come out! Your father and I have been knocking for ages, are you deaf? Hurry up and open the door, tell us what’s going on."

"...."

For a long time, there was no response from inside. Xie Lingzhi turned to Mei Shuping, saying, "What should we do? Our son doesn’t want to come out."

The room was clearly lit, it was impossible he was asleep.

Mei Shuping frowned and pulled Xie Lingzhi away, crossed his arms, and then kicked down the door.

When Mei Shuping entered, his face stern, he found an unfamiliar man standing helplessly in a corner, trembling.

Xie Lingzhi cried out in surprise, "Thief! Shuping, catch him, don’t let him run."

Mei Shuping also thought the man was a thief, with a composed face he stepped forward and grabbed the man’s collar, about to speak.

The man quickly waved his hands in fear, explaining, "Uncle, Aunt, you misunderstand, I’m not a thief, Brother Chi sent me. I’ve been staying here for the past few days, I’m not a thief, I’m Brother Chi’s assistant, Xiao Liu."

"Xiao Liu? Since you’re Xiao Chi’s assistant, why are you sneaky, not opening the door for us? Where is Xiao Chi? It’s so late, why hasn’t he returned, where did he go?" Mei Shuping asked in a series of inquiries with a furrowed brow.

"Brother Chi went to the port, he’s been gone for over a month. He... he told me to keep up this pretense at home, just so you wouldn’t know."

"Gone for over a month? And every time I visited recently, it was you in the yard?" Xie Lingzhi asked with a furrowed brow.

"Yes," Xiao Liu smiled apologetically at Xie Lingzhi.

"Tell me, what is Xiao Chi doing at the port, why is he hiding it from us." Mei Shuping knew Chen Haichang was at the port. His son going there, could it be something to do with Chen Haichang?

Mei Langchi didn’t want the family to know what he was doing out there, surely to prevent them from stopping him. Xiao Liu, a clever man, quickly responded, "He... he went... to discuss an exhibition project. Recently, Brother Chi lost a lot of money to someone, he was unwilling, wanted to make it back in business. And afraid that if you knew he’s just recovered, you’d disapprove of him going far alone, he had me pretend he’s at home. Just afraid you’d come and find him missing and get angry. Brother Chi did this for your own good, besides... besides he’s doing well over there, Brother Chi is coming back soon. Uncle, Aunt, don’t worry."

"Exhibition? What exhibition? What business is Xiao Chi doing recently?" Mei Shuping asked worriedly.

"Oh... it’s a furniture exhibition, Brother Chi wants to host a furniture fair in Capital City, going there to connect with several major manufacturers to participate here. Having big manufacturers is mainly to attract crowds." Xiao Liu said with a smile.

Mei Shuping and Xie Lingzhi didn’t understand this much, it sounded like a big project, they didn’t ask further, but were very angry about the child’s deceitful behavior.

"Since you know where Xiao Chi went, you surely know how to contact him there, right? Give me the phone number, I need to reach him now," Mei Shuping said without wasting words to Xiao Liu.

This made Xiao Liu somewhat embarrassed, "I... I don’t know Brother Chi’s number either, he’s been gone for so long, only contacted me twice, and with different numbers. I really don’t know how to reach him now. Uncle, Aunt, has something happened at home?"

Xiao Liu’s question made Mei Shuping and Xie Lingzhi’s faces sink, startling him as he froze not daring to speak further.

"Xiao Liu, no matter what method you use, contact him as soon as possible, and if you do, tell him there’s an urgent family matter, he needs to return quickly," Mei Shuping said, pausing slightly before adding, "If he’s unwilling to return, tell him it’s about Hua Hua. He’ll probably understand."

"Understood, Uncle, Aunt, I’ll definitely find a way to contact Brother Chi and tell him the family matter."

"Fine, tell him to hurry back, or else, I as the father will sever our father-son relationship."

"This..."

"Shuping, what are you doing?"

Mei Shuping’s words scared Xiao Liu and also shocked Xie Lingzhi, "Why are you talking about severing ties out of the blue."

"Out of the blue? Look at what he’s been doing since coming back from re-education, one foolhardy thing after another. It’s getting more absurd, making it harder for me as his father to understand. Hmph."

Speaking thus, Mei Shuping shook his hand, left with a stern face.

Xie Lingzhi looked more solemn than before she arrived.

"Take care, Uncle, Aunt." Behind them, Xiao Liu breathed a sigh of relief, quickly smiling as he sent the two off at the door.

Returning from Mei Langchi’s courtyard without finding Mei Shuping, obtaining no answers, Mei Shuping and Xie Lingzhi returned home with heavy hearts.

At this time, the elderly woman hadn’t slept, waiting in the living room for her son and daughter-in-law.

Seeing their faces unsightly, the elderly woman thought they had gotten answers from their grandson, quickly asked, "How did it go? What did Xiao Chi say, whose child is Hua Hua after all?"