Chapter 17: The First Meeting with Old Man Feng

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  The next afternoon, Feng Qian received a phone call, but it wasn't Peng Yuanzheng who made the call, it was Jiao Nianbo.

  Jiao Nianbo said that Peng Yuanzheng was leaving, and he planned to invite Peng Yuanzheng for a farewell dinner. He also invited Feng Qianru to join them. Feng Qianru was overjoyed and immediately made an appointment with Jiao Nianbo for the time and place. Then she told her family and drove straight to the entrance of Jinghua University.

  When Feng Qianru arrived, Peng Yuanzheng was chatting and laughing with Jiao Nianbo and a few others in front of the green belt on one side of the school gate. Feng Qianru ordered the driver to stop the car, got out and ran over, without saying a word, grabbed Peng Yuanzheng's arm and pulled him into the car. She had come at the orders of Old Master, no matter what, she would first take Peng Yuanzheng back before doing anything else.

  Peng Yuanzheng was half-pushed and half-pulled onto the car by Feng Qianru.

  Jiao Nianbo and others saw Feng Qianru hastily coming, and then pulling Peng Yuanzheng to leave in a hurry. They couldn't help but stare blankly at the black Red Flag sedan's receding figure, too shocked to speak.

  Could it be... Feng Qianru and Peng Ge... No way? How is this possible? Jiao Nianbo was startled by his own sudden thought.

  On the car, Peng Yuanzheng was trying to calm down the turmoil in his heart and pretended to be surprised, saying, "Feng Xue, where are you taking me? I told you, I called my mom yesterday to ask for her opinion, she disagreed with selling it, saying that this is after all a memento left by my father, no matter how much money we get, we can't sell it——I think about it too, let's just go back."

  Feng Qianru didn't explain, nor did she respond directly. She simply turned her head back from the passenger seat and gazed deeply at Peng Yuanzheng, saying softly, "It's my grandfather who wants to see you."

  "Your grandfather? See me?" Peng Yuanzheng's heart skipped a beat, but he asked a question on his lips.

  Feng Qianru did not respond.

  The sedan sped along, and soon entered the residential area of the Zhongzhuanbu Committee where Feng Qianru lived. The entrance to the residential area was guarded by sentries from the Beijing Garrison Command. Although the level of security here was far inferior to that inside the Great Red Gate, it was not a place where ordinary people could enter at will.

  Feng Qianru's car was apparently her father Feng Botao's dedicated vehicle, with the license plate registered in the guard room. The car slowed down at the entrance, and after the sentry saluted, the driver accelerated and drove in.

  What surprised Peng Yuanzheng was that this was only the first gate. The sedan turned left and right, slowly driving deeper into the quiet depths, when a second gate appeared, with double guards at the entrance, one standing guard and one sitting guard.

  Although it was a familiar vehicle, the guard still habitually stopped and scanned it for a few seconds. Just as he was about to let it pass, he saw a stranger sitting inside, so he waved his hand again.

  Feng Qianru jumped out of the car, whispered a few words to the guard, then wrote down Peng Yuanzheng's name on the registration book, signed her own name, and got back in the car, driving into the inner courtyard.

  Most of the residents here are leaders of central departments and systems, at or above the deputy ministerial level.

  Peng Yuanzheng felt a little sentimental in the car. Indeed, it was a high gate and a deep courtyard. This was just Feng Bogao's home, if Old Man Feng's residence in the imperial palace was like this, how would it be?

  The little car stopped in front of a small yellow rice-colored building.

  Feng Bogao is a real power-holding cadre at the level of a central department, living in a small villa with a ministerial treatment. It's that kind of old-fashioned two-story small Western-style building with a Soviet style, similar to a linked villa, one unit with two households, upstairs and downstairs, Feng Bogao's home is in the east household.

  Feng Qianru jumped out of the car first, went to open the unit door, then turned around and smiled at Peng Yuanzheng, "Let's go, this is my home, my grandfather and father are both waiting at home."

  Peng Yuanzheng followed silently, without saying anything else. At this point, any pretentiousness or acting would be superfluous.

  But just as Feng Qianru opened the anti-theft door of the Feng family in front of her, Peng Yuanzheng suddenly had a moment of tension.

  Once he stepped through this door, his fate would undergo a drastic change. However, behind this door lay unknown and unpredictable factors waiting for him, which might not only be opportunities and challenges, but also waves and risks.

  "Please come in!" Feng Qianru smiled elegantly.

  Peng Yuanzheng let out a long breath and walked in with big strides.

  Upon entering, the spacious living room is right in front of you. The decoration and furnishings are all classic and elegant, with traditional red wood furniture that is intricately carved, reflecting the owner's status and taste. On the wall opposite the entrance hangs a horizontal banner with four large characters: "Self-discipline and Integrity".

  This calligraphy has a lot of momentum, and the level of calligraphy is secondary. Peng Yuanzheng guessed that this was Old Feng's handwriting.

  Under the desk is a long, antique-style case with two exquisite porcelain vases about 30-40 cm high, with elegant peony patterns on the surface. Between the two vases, there is also a brush holder, a lion-headed jade paperweight and an ancient inkstone.

  The floor was a spotless, dark marble that seemed to shine like a mirror. Peng Yuanzheng walked on it as if he were walking on the surface of a mirror, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

  He slowly lifted his head and straightened his waist. Through the beautifully decorated glass case displaying some unknown ancient artifacts, he saw a dozen or so Feng family members sitting on the sofa in the living room, with elders and younger generations, their expressions varied.

  On the main seat in the hall, two elderly people were sitting. The man had a dignified and majestic appearance with a stern face, while the woman was benevolent and elegant with a gentle smile.

  Peng Yuanzheng slowly followed Feng Qianru, and the corner of his eye clearly saw that everyone's gaze was focused on him, while the old man in the middle had a sharp gaze like a substance that was cast on his face.

  "Come on, Little Peng, sit down." Feng Botao smiled slightly and stood up to greet him.

  "Thank you." Peng Yuanzheng calmed himself down, walked steadily over and sat down on a sofa in the corner, ignoring Zhang Lan's resentful gaze staring at him from across the room, pretending he didn't see anything.

  Behind Zhang Lan and Feng Bolin, a young man with a height of about 1.75 meters, wearing a light blue T-shirt, stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest, scanning him with a condescending gaze that seemed to be enjoying the view. Peng Yuanzheng could clearly feel the arrogance and disdain contained in the youth's eyes.

  "Little Peng, this is my father and mother. This is Qianru's second uncle and aunt, this is Qianru's aunt and uncle. This is Feng Yuanhua, Qianru's younger brother..." Feng Botao smiled as he introduced the entire Feng family to Peng Yuanzheng, who stood up and nodded in greeting.

  From the moment Peng Yuanzheng entered, Old Feng had been silently gazing at him. Seeing that he was dressed simply but with a dignified and elegant demeanor, courteous and polite without being arrogant or servile, advancing and retreating with propriety, he couldn't help but secretly admire him.

  "Xiao Peng, it's like this. I know you have some doubts in your heart. Don't worry for now, I'll tell you slowly." Feng Bogao smiled and was about to continue when Old Man Feng spoke up, "Young man, can I take a look at that jade pendant of yours and the recognition letter?"

  Feng Lao's voice was heavy and low, with a hint of Jiangnan accent.

  Peng Yuanzheng let out a sigh of relief, nodded, took out the jade pendant and documents from his bag, stood up and respectfully handed them over.

  Feng Lao's expression was solemn as he held the jade pendant in his hand, examining it carefully. Then he unfolded the recognition document again, and with a glance, his hand slightly trembled.

  Old Feng carefully placed the jade pendant and documents on the tea table beside him, closed his eyes, and let out a long sigh. Meanwhile, Old Lady Feng had already been unable to hold back her tears, and two streams of old tears flowed down her face.

  The atmosphere in the living room became extremely quiet and oppressive. The old man did not speak, and no one else in the Feng family dared to say anything, but from the behavior of the old couple, it was clear that this young man was basically the scattered blood and flesh of the Feng family.

  Feng Qianru stood behind Feng Botao, her beautiful mouth tightly pursed, and her heart was also slightly tense.

  At this point, Peng Yuanzheng was not nervous at all. He knew that things had been settled. What's true can't be fake, what's fake can't be true, anyway he wasn't an imposter, facing these flesh and blood relatives, what was he afraid of?

  Goodbye.

  Feng Lao's expression gradually returned to normal, and he suddenly looked up at Peng Yuanzheng. His eyes had lost a few points of natural sharpness and gained a few points of intentional gentleness. He said faintly, "Young man, can I ask you something? This time you came to the capital city, was your purpose just to sell this family heirloom jade pendant? Why do you want to sell it?"

  "My mother is in poor health and our family's economic situation is quite bad, we need money." Peng Yuanzheng replied honestly.

  The words were straightforward and frank, to the point of making the Feng family laugh and cry. However, when they reached the ears of Old Man and Lady Feng, they turned into a thread of sadness and pity.

  Feng Lao's mouth curled up into a thick and intense smile, "If that's the case, then why don't you plan on selling it now?"

  "I came here without telling my mom, yesterday I called my mom and she strongly opposed it, so I was preparing to go back." Peng Yuanzheng continued to answer.

  Feng Lao received this reply and fell silent.